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Critical Evaluation 'Unnatural Selection' 

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Critical Evaluation 'Unnatural Selection' 

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‘Unnatural Selection was the second and final film of the video project. Because I knew that I would be doing cinematography for this film, I had much more time to research into how I wanted to shoot this final film. It follows a group of three patients at a mental/spiritual facility run by a maniac that makes them fight for his entertainment and the right to treatments. One day a fourth patient arrives, one of the original three, named Alex, teaches the new girl about her new home and discovers a dark secret being hidden from them by the crazed ruler of the facility.

I was excited to get started on this film as I really wanted to push myself as this would be the last piece of practical work I would do. I read the script and really liked the concept behind the story. I was intrigued by the military aesthetic that the writer and director were searching for. All my work prior to this had been very based in the everyday, so the thought of using some interesting locations and costumes would be a good chance to add some flair to the film.

Firstly, I collected some colour palettes so that I could explain to the director the kind of visual style I was thinking for the film and compare it to hers. We both agreed that the colour schemes were fitting for the film, so I moved on to compiling reference images, mostly from Dark (2017)

Two of my favourite cinematographers are Nikolaus Summerer and Bradford Young. Their styles blend light and dark so well in order to create beautiful frames that serve the story. I re-watched some of their films and TV shows and one thing that stuck out to me was that they both create tension through movement. This was a technique that I used in my PRP film but wanted to move to the next level for this one. During the pre-production phase I would storyboard and write floor plans with the movement indicated with arrows before we had even seen locations. I knew where to have movement and how it could be useful to emphasise moments in the film. I did research into motivated camera movement and I was instantly excited to start trying out some new ways of giving the audience an interesting view of the world on screen. The world that our characters had been thrust into was uneasy and seemingly off balance, so I wanted to reflect that in the camera by often shooting handheld to make the audience feel as though they are stood with the characters, experiencing things as and when they do. Not only did I want to play with movement,

I also wanted to explore the use of foreground and background. I noticed that many films that I enjoy use foreground in the frame to further the immersion of the audience in the scene. If the camera is hiding from the characters, then the viewer is too.

Experimenting with lighting was also something I was paying close attention to as well. I wanted to include as many practical lights as possible as they add a sense that the lighting is all on set instead of it being created artificially. This was one of the reasons why I was so happy with the location we got for the corridor scenes. The walls were lined with lights along with several overhead lights which provided nice highlights that would have otherwise been difficult to get without access to the studios. Any time Boyson is in on screen inside the facility he is bathed in neon coloured light, this was to create a visual distinction between him and the patients. Boyson is the only one getting their way and is keeping his patients in a dark, grey world; symbolically keeping all the colour of life for himself. Later in the film, we see others with highlights of these saturated neon colours to show that Boyson has power in this situation. His influence is creeping up on them, just as the light creeps along their faces. As Boyson delivers the verdict on the vote off, he stands in front of a rectangle made of wood with a psychedelic grain showing. I chose to have him stand there to further show that he is keeping all the colour to himself in a metaphorical box visible yet unreachable by the patients.

The patients are in a grim situation, they are being held by a madman, forced to fight and are treated with anything but respect. I wanted to show this by keeping lighting relatively natural, and muted. The only times we see any of the patients with any bright colours are when Alex and Emma are talking on their beds, and when they are about to vote on who should leave. They, in that moment, are having a meaningful, almost happy conversation about how they could overthrow Boyson if they all banded together. The saturated highlight represents their small glimmer of hope in an otherwise grey world. This highlight, although a symbol of hope for them is also a deep blue, bearing a parallel to them knowing that the reality of what they are proposing is unlikely as the other two patients are unwilling to hear that Boyson is anything other than their saviour. It is a melancholic reminder that they are not out of danger yet but could be soon.

During the scene just before the patients vote, I used green, and red gels to further the impression that they are in Boyson’s world and surrounded by his influence. As we push in on Alex and Emma, they are showered in yellow light, another metaphor for hope, the yellow symbolising the Sun. Despite it being the colour of life and growth, the yellow is sickly and unnatural further emphaising that they may have hope, but things could still go wrong.

If I could reshoot the film, some things that I would change would be the shakiness of some shots. Often the tracking shots would jolt, drawing the audience out of the scene. I would also have liked to use the Blackmagic URSA to shoot on. I chose not to use it to allow for handheld shots and range of motion when deciding framing. I think that we would have done fine using it and got around any problems that comes with using a camera that big. The image quality is much better than the C100 that I used, even when being shot with the Ninja Flame. I would also have used more wide and establishing shots. On watching the film back, it lacks shots to introduce the audience to the next scene, often cutting to black and fading in and out without a hint of where we are going next.

I feel like I brought a lot to the film, giving an eye that benefitted the tone of the piece. I was able to create a view that was both muted and colourful, still yet mobile. Everyone who was a part of this film was a credit to themselves and brought something unique to the film in their own way.

Bibliography:

Odar, B. Dark (2017 - ) Weidemann & Berg Television, Germany, 1 December

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Just Business’ was the first film I worked one in this year’s Video Project. It follows a motley crew of people who have applied to what can only be described as an event that promises to line you up with your perfect job, 100% guaranteed. Intrigued, five people apply hoping to leave their current lives and start a new one with a job they will be satisfied with for life. After going through challenges and tasks in order to decipher the personality types and personal strengths of the contestants, the mysterious interviewer the interviewer introduces them to their ‘new’ lives; but some are happier with their jobs than others.

Beginning the pre-production stage of this film was difficult as both directors wanted me as the cinematographer, but I obviously couldn’t shoot both. When given the choice I considered a few variables, who else wanted to shoot on each project, the script and timings of external projects of my own. I asked if this film had anyone else wanting to be a DOP and was told that they already had 2 people lined for me to shoot with, so that swayed me to act in this one. I prefer being a lone DOP on projects so there is no one to run ideas past apart from the director. I also thought that the script was limiting in terms of locations and character, so I wouldn’t have the creative freedom that I would have if I was to work on the other film.

After being given the option of either shooting or acting in this film and choosing acting, I began researching my character. I wanted my character to be somewhat of a stereotype but not overly so. I went through some films and TV shows that are famous for having business people in them and I looked for inspiration. My first port of call was Peep Show (2003-2015). One of my favourite characters in Peep Show is Alan Johnson, the somewhat sociopathic boss of one half of the main duo. His in-control demeanour and air of confidence creates a strong character that bounces well of the other cast members. I wanted to take some of his charisma and put it into ‘Charlie Bonnell’. I also looked at Patrick Bateman from American Psycho (2000). As the name of the movie suggests, he is a psychopath, which I thought would reflect quite well on Charlie. In the backstory I made for him, he got to where he is at such a young age through aggressively networking and sleazy business tactics. He also only interacts with people if he is trying to get something out of them. Charlie is a character that sees himself as above everyone around him. He sees the fact that a criminal and an ‘idiot’ are applying for the same job as him, so he retracts further into himself and becomes more hostile because of it.

I feel like my characterisation was good considering my limited lines. I think that my main interaction with Shona was good in terms of realism, I would however have liked to have given more of a reaction to Shona’s final response. There was a take where I gave a reaction that got a laugh from the cast and crew, but it was replaced for the one you see in the film. I also feel like I could have been sterner in my expression throughout the film. I wanted my character to seem cold and uninterested, instead I came across as bored, which kind of fits but wasn’t my intended expression. The scene where everyone gets given their new job was another scene that I thought could use some improvement. My reactions, I think are played down instead of being as intense or exaggerated as they should be. I feel as though my character, after looking for a job because of it draining him, applying to this new interview process only to find out that it isn’t as prestigious as he imagined; then finding out that after doing these ridiculous challenges that he would be doing the same job he started out with, he would be more annoyed at the situation. I played him to have resentment and anger in my face but not to the level I think the character needed after watching it back. I feel like I should have walked out, thrown the clipboard further and harder, or shouted at the interviewer more. Any of those actions would have improved the performance greatly in my eyes.

Something that I would have liked to have changed was having a haircut before shooting started. My hair grew a lot during shooting so keeping it consistent was a task. I feel like having shorter hair would have benefitted my character too. In my bio I wrote that he is an ex-accountant and surrounds himself with business executives. In hindsight, I don’t think that Charlie would have been one for long hair, he would have more than likely been someone to want to improve efficiency by cutting out one variable of his daily routine.

One thing that was a consistent issue throughout the production was lateness. Being entirely my own fault, and often the sole culprit, I feel like I was a detriment to the production. Due to me being late, start times sometimes had to be pushed back in order to fit my arrival times.

If I had the chance to reshoot my scenes, I would ultimately do more research into how businessmen conduct themselves. I would also have gotten to know the script better than I did. I would have spent a lot more time trying to play my character in different ways before we began shooting, instead of picking how I wanted him and sticking with it. I feel that my characterisation would have improved after some variation in the rehearsal process.

Bibliography:
Peep Show (2003-2015) Channel 4, 10 October

Harron, M. American Psycho (2000) Lionsgate Films, USA

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'Unnatural Selection' Production Weeks 1&2

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'Unnatural Selection' Production Weeks 1&2

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The first shoot day was to film the final scene of the film in which Alex and Emma are tied to trees, begging for their lives as Boyson watches on gladly. This shoot was met with multiple difficulties. One of the main ones being the light. Because we were shooting in a wooded area the light from the sun was creating these distracting lines across everyone's faces and bodies. To work around this, I had some of the spare crew to hold up reflectors and even light and camera bags in order to make the light fall more naturally and cinematically on their faces. The rest of the shoot went well, once the sun had gone down past some of the taller buildings around us. We managed to get a nice shot of some feet hanging while the sun was still bright, but low enough in the sky that it created a really nice visual texture.The following shoot days went with relative ease, we shot at the old Adelphi building courtyard for two days which allowed us to get all the shots we needed and more. There was a slight health and safety risk at Adelphi, there was a  huge live wire crossing where the cast, crew and lots of equipment were. The longest and most difficult shoot days were the ones at Hatter's Hostels. We booked a large room and blocked scenes around the shape of the room we thought we were getting, on arrival we were given a smaller room with a different bed configuration. This led us to rethink our blocking and my shot choices. It was difficult to shoot 7 scenes in that one small room and not re use shots or angles at any point. It forced me to be creative with my shot choices which helped me get angles that I would have previously not thought of using. One of which was from on a top bunk on the far side of the room from the action. Probably the easiest shoots were the ones in the corridors of the facility, there were lighting fixtures all around where we were wanting to shoot, which added a cinematic quality as I was able to use them as practical lights in shot. It also meant that I didn't have to set up as many lights as I would have. The fact that the corridors were so long it meant that I was able to put lights inside rooms further down and use them to add depth to certain shots.

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This being the second film of this year's video project, I had already got into the swing of how the coming weeks would be structured. We began by having meetings as a group with all the cast and crew in order to have discussions about potential locations, and script read throughs. In terms of my preparation for shooting, I began by talking to the director and writer in order to try and establish the tone of the film as a whole. Once we had had a chat about the director's vision, I began creating colour pallets to use as a reference on set when deciding lighting set ups. After creating the colour pallets, I wanted to think about shots. I rewatched one of my favourite shows in terms of cinematography 2017's 'Dark' DOP'd by Nikolaus Summerer. His visual style was a great source of inspiration for this film. The way he uses light and staging to create story is great. I wanted to try and replicate his beautiful shots in my own way by playing with light as best I could. When I had decided the visual style of the film, we began blocking scenes that would be difficult to shoot. these shots were planned to be shot using the DJI ronin so we blocked them using it. When shooting, I later decided to use tracks instead as we had to sacrifice the camera quality in order to use it. Because this was to be my last piece of work before the end of university, I didn't want to skip out on anything, I knew that the shots would work with the tracks, so I kept it as it is. I annotated my script and wrote out shot lists for each scene. I also did a storyboard for some of the scenes, which was a first for me as I usually don't storyboard anything.

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The two production weeks for this film went relatively smoothly. We began by filming the main bulk of the film in the primary location. These shoot days were easy and flowed well as everyone knew their lines and the shots weren't difficult and didn't take long to set up. The only issues we faced when shooting these scenes were lateness (mainly on my part) and noise from people using neighbouring rooms for their own personal study.  During the production weeks I worked on my character when not on set. I wanted to show my character's backstory through my performance as best I could. Through things as small as having my legs crossed while seated and always having my jacket buttoned up while standing were a few things I included in my physicalisation. I wanted the audience to get a sense of who my character is from the first time they see him. I did this by using my body to show that Charlie is a disinterested professional who has 'better places to be'. I did this by being sat on my phone and staring at Mark as he sits down. After hearing Mark's interaction with Amanda, I wanted to further show his distain for the people around him by reacting to Mark in a way that could only be described as rude. Charlie knows they're in the right place, but because Mark has shown that he is not intellectually inclined, Charlie dismisses him entirely. The only time Charlie properly has a conversation with anyone it is during the lunch scene, where after seeing Shona's form come up on screen he sees that she has a criminal record. He choses to talk to her not out of courtesy but out of morbid curiosity for someone of the lower classes. Some part of him hopes that she did something horrific, like something he would have seen in a serial killer documentary. He is used to putting up fronts to get information in his professional career so he tries to apply that to his interaction with Shona. The easiest shoot day was the day we shot the scenes where the contestants find out what job they had been assigned. These only required a small amount of prep on both the cast's and crew's sides. due to everything going smoothly, I had chance to alter my performance after each take in order to modify the intensity of the emotions trying to be conveyed.

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Just Business was the first of two films I worked on during the Video Project module. It was an exciting film to do pre production for as I knew it would either be the last piece of acting or cinematography I did for a University project.
The first thing that needed to be figured out was whether I was going to act or DOP this film. Both groups wanted me as a cinematographer so I was given the choice of which film I would like to each role for. Due to this film already having one person doing cinematography I chose to act because I prefer working alone on camera as oppose to having to run everything past someone else. Once this was decided, we started the casting process. This consisted of sitting with other cast members and the core crew and running scenes. We ran scenes swapping characters as we went in order for the director to find the best fit. intersected with this, were improvisation tasks to see how naturally we could assume the role.
once our roles had been chosen I began developing my character further by creating a bio.
When creating my character bio, I took inspiration from characters I've seen in film and TV. These characters include:

Alan Johnson from 'Peep Show'
Patrick Bateman from 'American Psycho'
Gordon Gekko from 'Wall Street'
Mark Hanna from 'The Wolf of Wall Street'

Character bio:
Charlie Bonnell
26

Didn't go to the best uni but acts as though he did.

Bought up in a good family with his business owner father and published author mother.

Used to being able to manipulate people through shifty business tactics.

Feels above others because he reached a high level accounting job at such a young age.

Fearful of anyone of a lower class than him.

Unwilling to change his ways due to the long list of bad friends and business executives that he surrounds himself with.

Drives a new Range Rover but it’s on lease .

Been engaged once but she split from him due to him always working and his superficiality.

Ex-accountant.

Used to life of luxury so expects that to be upheld through any means.

Unemployment is his worst nightmare as he sees the unemployed as the lowest of the low.

Got to the top through aggressively networking.

Very strategic in every aspect of his life.

Calm and collected until he feels like he can get something from you, at that point he ‘opens up’.

Confident and assured.

Superficial but not in the social media sense.

Competitive.

Competent.

Plays to everyone in the room.

Sly.

Two faced.