Citizen Kane Research

  • The Battle Over Citizen Kane
    • Hearst knew what he was doing with his business and was successful
    • Hearst was inconsiderate towards other people in relation to his newspaper
    • Hearst had unique control over what was in his newspaper (he staged things)
    • Welles prioritized the controversy that would arise from Citizen Kane (he believed it would be a net positive)
    • Welles did not have a conventional childhood
    • Welles did have prior experience working in theater (before he made Citizen Kane)
    • Welles was very difficult to work with (he was very aggressive towards others)
    • Hearst wanted to be seen as a champion for poor people
    • Hearst wanted to become a ‘movie’ giant
    • Hearst owned the largest private zoo in the world
    • Welles had a very unique and desirable contract

    DocudramaRKO 281

    • Mank was unemployed for years

    Orson Welles Interview on Citizen Kane

    • Orson Welles was only in his 20’s when he created Citizen Kane
    • Welles admits that the film was made as a social document
    • Welles didn’t have proper control over one of his bigger projects
    • Welles wasn’t against Hollywood, but he does acknowledge its flaws
    • Welles thought of Kane as of everything he was not

    Production Project – Session 5

    SUMMARY

    Role

    Director

    Intention (SMART Goal)

    As a part of my film team, I will have evidence of strong and weak actor movements to reveal actor mental state and have evidence of blocking using NoFilm School’s Why Blocking is Essential.

    PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

    Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

    David Lynch

    David Lynch is an influential and critically acclaimed filmmaker known for his odd and abstract films/art. Lynch was born in America and attended many different art schools. He’s directed some of the most iconic films of all time, films like: Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, etc.

    Training Source(s)

    Tips for Beginner Directors

    • It’s not the director’s job to have every detail perfectly envisioned
    • A substantial part of a director is working with a team in a cooperative way
    • The director should work with other filmmakers to understand how they interpret the film
    • The director’s job is to get the film done through delegation
    • By just communicating to people as a director, a film should, in theory, be able to be finished.

    Project Timeline

    • Brainstorm ideas
    • Write Script
    • Film Scenes
    • ADR
    • Compose Music
    • Editing
    • Finalize

    PRODUCTION – ACTION

    The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)

    Skills Commentary

    0:02 – I created the music for the film

    0:20 – This section is meant to be some sort of flashback/hallucination from the injured character; this was to establish an existing community

    1:16 – I decided to add in a title card to pay homage to classic horror films; title cards are a big part of the immersion in those films.

    1:20 – The multiple babies seen throughout the film are primarily supposed to establish a horrific/disturbing environment.

    2:20 – For the scream, we had every member from the film team make some odd/horrific noise that would evoke a monstrous sound.

    POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

    21st Century Skills

    Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

    During this production, as director, I made many choices and decisions that exhibited creativity, problem solving, etc. When it came to filming and location, I made the decision to film outside campus and in an area that would be appropriate for the content in our script.

    Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

    For this project, my crew and I all worked effectively together and used many forms of communication to make sure the film would come together. We also used social media to communicate when we were outside of school.

    Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

    For this project, I used information provided in the class and on schoology/the internet.

    Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

    Outside of this production, I worked in the capital theater production which took up a lot of my free time. Outside of the musical, I spent a lot of time watching movies/tv, playing guitar, talking to friends, etc.

    Reactions to the Final Version

    “This is very cool what you put together. You should have confidence going into the next film…Keep going, great job” – James

    “You did the eerie comedy part really really well…tighten up transitions…Keep doing more like this to find yourself improving.” – Tim

    Self-Evaluation of Final Version

    Simple – The theme and premise of our film is simple and straight forward.

    Unexpected – There are many subversive elements in our film, like the title card, the nail biting gimmick, the babies, etc.

    Concrete – A concrete element of our film was the score/music. I purposefully made sure the music was strong and appropriate.

    Emotional- Our film exhibits both horrific and comedic tones to convey certain feelings/emotions.

    Grammar and Spelling

    Grammarly

    Editor

    Deandre

    Scene Research Cornell Notes

    Source/reference: Inglourious Basterds Opening Scene

    CueNotes
    Is keeping a character more ambiguous better for horror antagonists? Introduce antagonists in a way that surprises the audience
    In what ways should antagonists be subversive? The most important part of developing an antagonist in their introduction and how powerful their introduction is
    Are there some characteristics that all antagonists should share? Leave a lasting impression from the antagonist to the audience
    Have scenes with antagonist that exhibit dread, tension, etc.

    Session 4 Production Project

    SUMMARY

    Role

    Director

    Intention (SMART Goal)

    By March 2nd, as part of my film team, I will explore the film director’s skill pathway by following The Visual Story by Bruce Block and will have created scenes that explore and focus on movement in our project.

    PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

    Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

    Stanley Kubrick

    Stanley Kubrick is a famous and critically acclaimed filmmaker whose influence is obvious throughout cinema history. He directed films from 1951 to 1999 (the year he died). He directed some of the most iconic and memorable films, like The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket, and Dr. Strangelove. He is known for his focus on perspective through visuals, his perfection, and his competence in his filmmaking.

    Training Source(s)

    The Visual Story By Bruce Block

    Movement:

    • Actual Movement
    • Apparent Movement
    • Induced Movement – Occurs when a moving object transfers its movement to a nearby stationary object.
    • Relative Movement
    • Contrast and Affinity – There are many ways to employ contrast and affinity.
    • Speedy – If all objects move at the same speed, affinity is produced and the intensity is low.

    Project Timeline

    February 18Brainstorm, Write Script
    February 23Film Scenes
    February 24Continue Filming Scenes
    February 25Record ADR
    February 28Compose Music
    March 1Edit Scenes
    March 2Create slideshow, Continue editing
    March 3Continue Editing
    March 4Finalize

    Proposed Budget

    PRODUCTION – ACTION

    The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/13xByHCXNZsxRvmB73C53sFsRKr9hRhg7/view

    Skills Commentary

    0:00: The music is meant to exhibit a happy/positive feeling, considering how the character feels.

    0:09: The music that starts here is meant to exhibit a more dark feeling in contrast to the previous music.

    0:52: The ending is a twist ending that was added during production. This ending is meant to sort of show a cycle in the story.

    POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTIdON

    21st Century Skills

    Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving).

    While being director for this production session, I used a lot of critical thinking and problem solving. A major decision I made, as director, was the choice to have the extended/twist ending where another person is at the end of the hallway which creates a feeling of a cycle in the story.

    Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

    While working on this project, i communicated and collaborated with every teammate to make sure that everything was understood by everyone, including myself. As director, it was critical to my role to make sure that everyone properly communicated with me and each other.

    Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

    For this project, I used information provided in the class and on schoology/the internet.

    Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

    Outside of the production, I spend my time doing school work for both Capital and running start. For my free time I spent time with friends, playing guitar, watching movies/tv. Recently, I got back into another session of theater where I work in the light crew.

    Reactions to the Final Version

    After our presentation, we were complimented by one of the advisory members (forgot their name). They essentially said they liked our film and enjoyed how, on my presentation, how I made it clear what I did with movement in the film.

    Self-Evaluation of Final Version

    Simple – The premise of our story was simple because it is a remake of our first film production.

    Unexpected – At the end of the story, we decided to extend the ending from the original, which adds more to the story.

    Concrete – A solid element in our film is the continuity of the characters and their movement. It’s generally consistent and generally makes sense.

    Emotional- Our film exhibits certain emotions of fear, happiness, etc, through the music that was implemented in.

    What I Learned and Problems I Solved

    For the production cycle, I learned that there may be better techniques and solutions to technical equipment; the first session we used in a phone for cinematography, which looked the best out of our other films. For later productions, we might fall back on using a phone as a camera instead of one of the ones provided in the class.

    Grammar and Spelling

    Grammarly

    Editor

    Deandre

    Visual Story Structure Research

    Seven Visual Story Components

    CueNotes
     Space:
    Emphasizing longitudinal planes is important to develop deep space.
     Line and Shape
    Evaluating the light can be helpful because line can be controlled through lighting.
     Tone:
    You must know where you want the audience to be looking.
    Don’t confuse color with tone.
    Use tone to add significance to certain objects
     Color:
    The editor has ultimate control over color.
    The golden hour is used a lot in movies and tv shows (cinema)
     Movement:
    Profile in character movement projects certain qualities of characters and their personality.
     Rhythm:
    Don’t confuse rhythm with movement.
    When dialog is included, find the sound’s rhythm before you define the visual rhythm.
      

    Summary

    Resources

    Production Project – Session 3

    SUMMARY

    Role

    Sound Designer

    Intention (SMART Goal)

    By January 28, as part of my film team, I will explore the sound pathway by following the Horror Sound Design tutorial and will have created scenes that add a horror atmosphere to the film of our January project

    PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

    Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

    Primary Source: Eraserhead

    • Sound Designer: Alan Splet
    • Unconventional sounds
    • Low bass
    • Strange occurrences/strange sound

    Training Source(s)

    Project Timeline

    PRODUCTION – ACTION

    The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/12pi5HPwV3JxVJeS1H4gneNxZDGtqB9gO/view

    Skills Commentary

    0:18 Worked with the editor on increasing muisc

    0:26 Gunshot sound effect was made by hitting hollow objects

    0:27 Fall sound effect was made by having someone drop pieces of wood

    POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

    21st Century Skills

    Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

    While being the sound designer, there were many problem solving, critical thinking, etc. One major decision, as a sound designer, that I had to make was choosing between audio from the mic from the camera, or audio from the boom mic. Eventually, I decided to just use ADR instead because it sounded the most coherent.

    Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

    I communicated and collaborated with every member on my team. I made sure to do this because it’s always important to make sure everyone understands what’s going on. Whether it was asking about where the boom mic should (so it wouldn’t interfere with the shot of the camera), or asking the actors to clearly say their lines, there was a lot of teamwork on my part.

    Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

    For this project, I used the class resources for information about sound and also youtube, articles, etc.

    Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

    Outside of this production I spent most of my time doing school work, both at Capital and SPSCC. I was also a part of the most recent theater production where I worked with the light crew. For free time, I would generally just hang out with friends, play guitar, watch movies/tv, etc.

    Reactions to the Final Version

    After our presentation, I was told by Daniel that the audio in the beginning of the film was a little muffled and could’ve been clearer.

    Self-Evaluation of Final Version

    Simple – The premise of our story and the script are easy and concise.

    Unexpected – Near the end of the story, and the middle, Ethan’s character surprisingly kills two characters.

    Concrete – A solid element of our film is the music, it’s appropriately used through out the film, and has many interesting adjustments.

    Emotional – Our film exhibits and projects a mood/emotion that is more correlated with horror and especially comedy.

    What I Learned and Problems I Solved

    For this production cycle, I’ve learned that, although there are many sources to use for audio, you have to be very specific and careful in which one choose; it may be too loud, too quiet, unclear, etc. Even if you have many resources, not all will work well while filming.

    Grammar and Spelling

    Grammarly

    Editor

    Deandre

    Race Criticism Film Theory

    Cue
    Notes
    How strongly can movies project/exhibit racism?Dr. Tyson believes that even though blatant racism was eradicated in America long ago, there is still casual and systemic racism that affects non-white Americans to this very day.
    How often do movies challenge certain stereotypes of race?Black characters have been manipulated as “ground level” enforcers.
    Some films correct stereotypes and some misrepresent marginalized races.

    Summary

    Sound Resource Notes

    • 1:30 – Hard Effects (Narrative Device)
    • 2:09 – Symbolic meaning/Narrative weight
    • 3:24 – Great sound design is developed during writing/directing
    • 4:29 -Simple objects can be used to convey certain ideas/emotion through sound
    • 7:35 – Sound design in scenes
    • 9:10 – Loud-Quiet-Loud method
    • 9:18 – Contrast
    • 10:00 – What you don’t hear is also very important for the narrative
    • 13:35 – Sound design can be expansive
    • 14:17 – Music/sound can build on narrative foundations

    Production Project – Session 2

    SUMMARY

    Role: Director

    Intention (SMART Goal)

    Specific: I will practice using story beats and identifying them in the film as a director.

    Measurable: I can measure my progress for this goal by checking for story beats in the film once it’s done.

    Achievable: I have the skills to meet this goal because I’m already familiar with identifying specific aspects of stories.

    Relevant: I’m setting this goal right now because I recently learned of the concept in class. It’s also an important concept to understand and use in filmmaking.

    Time-Bound: The deadline/the time given for this project was about 2 weeks, which is fair and realistic.

    PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

    Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

    Primary Source: Shaun of the Dead

    • Director: Edgar Wright
    • Music and editing synced up with movement/action
    • Fast pacing
    • Making anxious/horrific moments comical and humorous

    Secondary Source: Edgar Wright – How to Do Visual Comedy

    • Uses humor using visuals
    • Create inventive jokes out of moving characters from location to location
    • Use interesting foreshadowing
    • Utilizes the ability to take the most mundane scenes and make them authentic

    Edgar Wright is an incredibly unique filmmaker that always prioritizes making original and enticing films. Through visual gags, synchronized audio, and many more profound techniques, Wright does a great job at perfecting his films with small, yet substantial techniques that, in the end, make his films stand out.

    Training Source(s)

    • 0:41 – Your audience needs to understand your characters
    • 1:54 – Prioritize competent sound design
    • 2:52 – Make reasonable and logical casting choices
    • 5:24 – Shoot through doorways to add depth
    • 6:20 – Try to add color to walls
    • 7:10 – Have adequate lighting (at the least), you need to see what’s happening
    • 7:30 – Know when to add insert shots and make them meaningful
    • 9:00 – Try to reduce lingering in scenes
    • 13:18 – Avoid obvious clichés
    • 14:00 – Hook audience in the beginning
    • 15:30 – Avoid generic music in scenes (resort to no music over generic)

    Project Timeline

    1. Choose roles (Pre-production)
    2. Research
    3. Create logline
    4. Brainstorm story ideas with group
    5. Collaborate with team while group work takes place
    6. Start production (once script is done)
    7. Find competent location that is appropriate for context of the story
    8. Observe filming location and plan out what the film will look like
    9. Decide who will act
    10. Plan out scenes before recording
    11. Check with screenwriter, actors, cinematographer, and audio person to make sure they understand the scene being created
    12. Shoot/record all scenes from script
    13. Start Post-Production

    PRODUCTION – ACTION

    The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Vt-3o3cZNyjeXtTYazyDbZyT7Qssqhv/view

    Skills Commentary

    • 0:24 – Made music fade out before story beat
    • 0:27 – Censored distracting visuals
    • 0:47 – Suspenseful music begins as character gets questioned

    POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

    21st Century Skills

    Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

    Ways of Thinking: During the process of the filmmaking, there was a lot of critical thinking as a director. One of the first and most significant choices I had to make was the location of filmmaking. We decided on a location that was close, convenient, and relevant to the screenplay.

    Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

    Ways of Working: My team members and I communicated through out the whole process of the film. Before making any significant choices, I checked and communicated with my team to make sure everyone understood what was happening.

    Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

    Tools for Working: For this specific project, I used resources provided from the class folder. I researched and learned about useful directing tips.

    Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

    Ways of Living in the World: During the production, I spent a lot of time working at my former job. When I wasn’t working I was busy doing school work at SPSCC and doing finals. Outside of work and school, I would spend my free time watching TV and movies, hanging out with friends, and doing tech (for theater).

    Reactions to the Final Version

    After present our film to the class, Daniel (another director) gave some feedback saying “the intentional censor bars, if explicitly stated, could’ve been played off as a joke, but It came off as more distracting than an actual joke.” (That wasn’t the exact quote, but it’s the same idea of what he said) Now I know next time to specify and make it clear what aspects are jokes and what aren’t.

    Self-Evaluation of Final Version

    Simple – The premise of our story, the log line, is concise and easy to understand.

    Unexpected – Near the climax of the story, when Ethan gets confronted about 3 am videos, there is an unexpected twist in the story when Ethan is taken away.

    Concrete – The consistent use of having Ethan talk in only three word sentences was a concrete aspect of the final version.

    Emotional – Our film was a thriller and with the music, actors, lighting, etc, it was made clear and a strong, consistent emotion was active throughout the film.

    What I Learned and Problems I Solved

    For this production cycle, I learned that there are boundaries to the stories that are created in specific situations and that some ideas are too explicit for class. A problem I solved was helping the audio person with the music. Our audio person wasn’t able to produce any music that would fit well with the movie, so I helped contributed to the music in the film.

    Grammar and Spelling

    Grammarly

    Editor

    Deandre

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