Post 9: How I want the film to look.

In class we watched many films, some that had the biggest influence on me was the French New Wave films. There simple yet effective enabled a much more enjoyable viewing experience. I will intend to replicate shots such as long tracking scenes (like the famous traffic jam sequence in Godard's 1967 film Week End), use jump cuts ("Jump cuts are sudden, jarring editing cuts which take place out of sequence or during an unexpected moment. They often involve camera angle changes of less than 30 degrees, which can have a disorienting effect on the viewer. Traditional filmmaking rejected such cuts because they threw the viewer out of the onscreen drama. To New Wave filmmakers, that was precisely the point."http://filmdirectors.co/french-new-wave-film-techniques/), the use of jump cuts is well documented/used in films such as Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless (À bout de souffle). The cinematic stylings of French New Wave I will attempt to produce as they brought a fresh look to cinema with improvised dialogue, rapid changes of scene, and shots that go beyond the common 180° axis. 


These new techniques where revolutionary to the time and that in turn is why I want to replicate them as I feel even today these techniques could shock and force the  audience into a state of awe. I was impressed with the work of Jean-Luc Godard and his films such as:

Une Femme est une Femme (1961)                Week End (1967)

Both these films were very bold in the use of jump cuts, coloring and effortlessly breaks the 

bounds of  modern day film techniques.

French New Wave films also influenced me to want the film to be in black and white as when I

watched some of the black and white films I focused more on the story and less on the colours.

This is what I feel best suits the film i wish to construct as I want the audience to concentrate on 

the message of the film rather than the aesthetic aspects.

Another influences to my concept for the film was the Dogme 95:

Dogme 95 was an avant-garde filmmaking movement started in 1995 by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vow of Chastity". These were rules to create filmmaking based on the traditional values of story, acting, and theme, and excluding the use of elaborate special effects or technology. They were later joined by fellow Danish directors Kristian Levring and Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, forming the Dogme 95 Collective or the Dogme Brethren. Dogme is the Danish word for dogma.

The genre gained international appeal partly because of its accessibility. It sparked an interest in unknown filmmakers by suggesting that one can make a recognised film of a quality to gain recognition, without being dependent on commissions or huge Hollywood budgets. The directors used European government subsidies and television station funding instead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogme_95

This is a perfect fit to my film as I have equipment of a basic nature and not need for special 

effects or technology.

Goals and rules

The goal of the Dogme collective is to purify filmmaking by refusing expensive and spectacular special effects, post-production modifications and other technical gimmicks. The filmmakers concentrate on the story and the actors' performances. They believe this approach may better engage the audience, as they are not alienated or distracted by overproduction. To this end, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg produced ten rules to which any Dogme film must conform. These rules, referred to as the "Vow of Chastity," are as follows:

1. Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in. If a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found.
2. The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. Music must not be used unless it occurs within the scene being filmed, i.e., diegetic.
3. The camera must be a hand-held camera. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. The film must not take place where the camera is standing; filming must take place where the action takes place.
4. The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable (if there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera).
5. Optical work and filters are forbidden.
6. The film must not contain superficial action (murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)
7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden (that is to say that the film takes place here and now).
8. Genre movies are not acceptable.
9. The film format must be Academy 35 mm.
10. The director must not be credited.

After reading the goals and rules i will attempt to follow rules 1 (this will allow a natural look to my film), 2 but only in parts as i do want music in my piece and 6 as this will not benefit my film. The rest of the points I will take into account and use elements of them such as the hand held shot.