I have finished my self-audit and goal setting task sheet which I found pretty easy as I knew how to answer all the questions, I need to start task 1.2 and 2.1 as soon as possible as they take quite some time to finish. What I could have done differently is maybe start those two tasks first as the first task did not take a long time to do however these ones are longer and need more time.

I have written my evaluation and I went back to check on all my work incase I missed out on something, this is when I realised I forgot to take a picture of the Tate Modern task sheet so I took one and posted it onto my WordPress. What I could have done differently is as soon as I finished that paper, I could have instantly posted it onto my WordPress so that I do not forget and waste time. Overall, Unit 10 is now finished and I am ready to start Unit 11.

I finally finished filming and editing my video installation and posted it on youtube and wordpress, the video turned out the way I wanted it to however I did not like the background as you can see ripped paper in the bottom of the screen which I am not very happy with. What I could have done differently was to crop it while I was editing it however I did not pay attention to it and did not have enough time to re-edit and re-upload it. Now I will start working on my evaluation.

I have now finished my video installation proposal and the health and safety checklist, I have started planning my video by looking at other peoples work to get ideas and watching different video installations on youtube. What I could have done differently is making a mind map to help me gather all my ideas and then choose one which would have saved time and made the process of filming quicker.

I have started working on my written tasks to get that out of the way before I start filming my video installation, I finished task 1 which is the research and analysis of audience and I am planning on going to Tate Modern to start my second task. What I could have done differently is maybe start planning on what I want to film as filming takes longer time than my written work.

In this task, I will be evaluating two scenes from a contemporary film and a historical film. I will analyse the scenes from the perspective of the social, political, environmental and ethical contexts of the time and also will be offering a critique and analysis of the scene itself from the point of view of a filmmaker.

PSYCHO:

The Plot

Psycho’s vital and very important scene is the murder of Marion whilst she is in the shower (known as the shower scene). In this scene there are 77 camera angles and most of the shots were extreme close ups and close ups to show exactly what is going on and the actors facial expressions. It is a 1960’s thriller movie that has been voted to be one of the top 15 scariest movies, it is Alfred Hitchcock’s best work and involves one of films vilest killers called Norman Bates and now a lot of serial killers are based upon him.

Mise En Scene

Everything is shown entirely white which represents purity as soon as Marion enters the bathroom, however Marion is not pure so it could portray that she is taking a shower in order to wash all her sins away. There are a lot of different shots and camera angles in that scene which shows that something could happen. Bright light is used in this scene with no music at the start which makes it seem like like it is a normal scene with not much going on as music usually adds tension and makes it more dramatic. As Marion turns the water on and takes her shower, there is a close up shot of the water raining down on her with just the sound of the water which adds tension to the scene. A few seconds into that scene, you can see a figure through the shower curtain slowly walking into the bathroom towards Marion. As soon as the attacker opens the shower curtain and holds up a knife, there is loud scary music which adds tension and lets us know that something bad is going to happen. There is an extreme close up shot of her mouth wide open screaming for help with fear as the attacker stabs her to death, the music is a big part of this shot as it makes it even more dramatic.

When the attacker leaves the music gets quieter and shows a close up shot of Marion holding her arm out trying to hold on to the shower curtain which eventually falls to the ground with her. The music stops and the water continues to run which makes the audience feel uncanny, a close up shot of the bath tub with blood and water going down the drain. There is an extreme close up shot of her eye which zooms out into her whole face with no movement, this lets us know that she is dead. This scene ends when the camera is focused on her face and slowly moves towards the door with the sound of water still running and it ends there. The setting was the shower and the props was mainly the shower curtain which was see-through to show when the attacker walks in.

Social, Ethical and Political Environment

Throughout the film, it is very straight to the point so you can understand exactly what is going on with no confusion and the cuts are very quick too. The reason to why or how you can tell it is historical is because it is in black and white and was made back in 1960. The social environment would be middle or upper class as Marion is able to live somewhere and can afford it, also she is very elegant and presentable. The Ethical environment/content, Marion doesn’t seem like a violent girl as she was trying to defend herself by stopping the attacker, however he is very aggressive and is not well-behaved. The political environment, it symbolises society as a higher/lower class and shows the reality back in time and how they used to live. The climax is when Marion suddenly gets murdered in the shower, it can make the audience feel some sort of sympathy, love or hate towards the characters.

Analysis Of Scene From A Filmmakers Point Of View:

Hitchcock has a very different and unique style when it comes to film and how he manipulates the audience, he says that he likes to give the audience a variety of types of views yet still let us know how the characters are feeling and their emotions. He also tends to use several different shots such as medium close ups, close ups to extreme close shots which were also used before and after the murder scene. He does this to make the scene dramatic, effective and lets the audience know exactly what is happening with not just the types of shots, also with the choice of music, lighting, props, in other words the mise en scene. He made it clear that by making the film so realistic and entertaining, it will make us look and things differently and helps us picture reality as if it is actually happening to us.

Case studies of practitioners:

• https://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=142362
• https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-shower-scene-why-45seconds-of-hitchcocks-psycho-still-haunt-us-a7967676.html

Harvard referencing:

• Angie Errigo 24 Aug (2016) https://www.empireonline.com/movies/empire-essay-psycho/review/
• Adam Nutburn 10th March (2018) https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/5768373/psycho-shower-scene-janet-leighs-marion-crane-about/

 

FORREST GUMP:

The Plot:

This movie is an American comedy-drama in 1994. It is about a man that faces a lot of hardship throughout his life, however he does not let it get to him and ruin his day. Being shot, not able to walk properly as he has braces on his leg and having a low average IQ, he still has faith that good things will come his way and he follows his dreams. Thanks to his supportive mother he tends to lead anything but a controlled life. Whether contributing as a college football star, or fighting in Vietnam or captaining a shrimp boat, Forrest Gump inspires people with his childlike positiveness. But the one person he cares about most may be the most difficult to save, his childhood love, the sweet but troubled Jenny.

Mise-en-scene

In the running scene, as Forrest is running through town we hear a news report from the television, it is used as a prop which continuously informs us on what is going on with the time setting of this movie. It is known as a historic context which the audience will be aware of and recognise it. As this scene develops, we start to see a change in Forrest’s outfit, they are now quite worn out and rough which shows how his once well-dressed self is gone. The lighting throughout this whole scene is bright and is always in day-light to show how Forrest is running everyday non-stop. There are a lot of long shots to show exactly what is going on in the scene and what he is doing, there is a close up shot of him explaining his story to the woman sitting next to him as the scene goes on, this could be to show us his and the woman’s facial expressions so we can see how they are both feeling. There are lots of different settings in this scene to show us where Forrest is running and the different locations he has been to.

Social, Ethical and Political Environment

His social environment I would say is not as good in the beginning as he did get bullied which could have affected him in a very bad way. Due to the viewpoints that occurred in society towards disadvantaged people, Forrest had to learn to run as his friend Jenny told him to do, anytime he was being bullied or harassed by evil classmates. I think the most important ethical issue in this movie is doing what they think is right and what they believe is right. For example Forrest did not need to go back to the jungle to save anyone, he was only thinking of Bubba however when he was walking in he saw other people that he could save. He could have continued to search for Bubba but he did what he believed was right which is trying to save everyone else.

Case studies of practitioners

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Gump
• https://louiskemler.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/forrest-gump-mise-en-scene-lighting/

Harvard referencing

•  “Forrest Gump (1994)”. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
•  Forrest Gump-(Seeing is Believing: The Visual Effects of Forrest Gump-Vietnam) (DVD). Paramount Pictures. August 28, 2001.

I will be evaluating the video installation against the identified audience characteristics. I will be reflecting on the process as a whole by explaining what I have learnt and how this has helped me to develop.

For my video installation, I planned where I will film and the equipment that I need and I made a health and safety checklist so I can avoid any risks that may occur whilst I am filming. This was successful as my video installation turned out the way I wanted it to and I did not have any problems whilst filming to planning everything.

I assembled resources and equipment for my video installation by planning the things that I need and making sure I have everything ready before filming so I don’t waste time.

I created a suitable working environment and it was successful as I filmed it in the location that I wanted and there was no noise in the background which would have been an issue as it would disturb me and ruin the video. I made sure the location was perfect for my video as I needed to film somewhere dark with a black background so it can be suitable for the theme of the video.

I made sure I demonstrated safe working practices by making a health and safety check and showing it to everyone that was helping me film to make sure we are careful while filming.

My installation compares with the original proposal as mine has a different meaning to it with different equipment used and the location is not the same. I am happy with the technical quality of my video as everything worked out the way I wanted it to particularly the editing, what could be improved is the setting and background that I shot it in, this is because the wallpaper was cut from the bottom and you can see that in the video which I could not fix.

I think I did will with the filming of my video installation as I knew what I wanted to do and did not struggle to film or to tell my friends that were helping me film what to do during the filming as I told them beforehand which made the process quicker and easier. However I am not as happy with the background of the video as it made it seem boring, I could have added something to the background to make it seem more realistic.

My first task was to do an analysis and research of audience, I analysed the characteristics of the audience for my video installation project by analysing the work of two different video installation artists. This helped me think of an idea for my video installation as I researched about the artists and how different their work is which made me want my work to be unique and different also with a good meaning.

My second task was to visit Tate Modern and to provide feedback on two installation pieces. I also took notes and photos to help me remember everything and for my video installation, I also completed a feedback form.

The third task was the video installation proposal, I talked about the outline of my idea which is what my video installation is about. I have also made a health and safety checklist to help me be aware of the risks that can take place while I am filming. I have included who my target audience is and why, the equipment that I need and some pictures of them. I also talked about what song I will be using and explained why I chose it and why it fits in with the meaning of my video installation. This helped me expand on my ideas for my videos and made me certain of the things that will be included in my video for example the equipment that I will need, the colour

Afterwards, I filmed my video installation with the help of some of my friends, I made sure I had all the equipment I needed to film. I also made a health and safety checklist which was useful as I could be aware of the dangers that can occur whilst I am filming and avoid them.

Overall, the video was successful and so was the filming process and I am happy with the way it turned out and what the meaning of it is.

1. Weather – If I am planning to be filming outside, then it is essential to make sure that everyone in the group and myself is dressed appropriately.
2. Tripping hazard  – I will watch where I am going as tripping will be dangerous for the person filming and the equipment.
3. Come prepared with the right equipment – This is very important as if I start filming and realise that I forgot a tripod/camera etc, it will waste my time.
4. Camera stability – I will make sure I use a tripod so that the video does not turn out shaky, also so that the camera is stable and does not fall.

These are the risks that I will try to avoid while I am filming.