Bad Teacher Trailer Review

Bad Teacher Trailer Review 

The narrative of this trailer is conveyed to the audience through the dialogue between the main character, Elizabeth Halsey, played by Cameron Diaz and other supporting characters. This dialogue really shows Ms.Halsey's comical and extremely inappropriate personality. Through direct dialogue, it becomes obvious that this film is very humorous, we know right away that this teacher has completely corrupt morals as well as her indifference about her job, however she is still very likable due to her absurd charm.  

The Mis En Scene of the film first presents Ms.Halsey as a careless teacher who is still somewhat of a kid herself, in the opening scene she forgets the first day of school and then states that she is not going to go, she then mocks the other teacher when she says its mandatory and then swears.Right off the bat we know this teacher is extremely awful. To further explore Ms.Halsey's vulgar personality, we then see several scenes in which her actions portray her, for example intoxication at the school, calling students stupid, throwing papers at kids and calling them morons etc. The trailer then presents an obstacle for the main character, Ms.Halsey, she states that "My full time job is know finding a guy who is gunna take care of me".She meets another new teacher Scott Delacorte, played by Justin Timberlake. When she finds out that he is rich she wants to be in a relationship with him. After seeing his old girlfriend, she believes that if she gets breast surgery then Scott will be more attracted to her and want to be in a relationship as well. Then next scenes of the trailer then shows what she is willing to do to get the money for her breast surgery, this includes a bonus that is given to the teacher who has the highest test scores. When then see Ms.Halsey strive for the bonus with some competition, from the antagonist, a fellow teacher that disproves of her. Overall the trailer does a good task in explain to the audience character, character personality, setting, obstacle, and a goal.     

The cinematography of the trailer further pushes the characters on a comedic level, highlighting Ms.Halsey's willingness to do anything, no matter how crude, to get her surgery.The trailer includes a girl saying that the school car washes make alot of money. In the next scene we see Ms.Halsey in skimpy clothes washing cars while men and boys gawk at her.Many of these shots have been copied several times, given the sensual classic look of  a women with a car. However what makes this scene funny is the reaction shots of the men as Ms.Halsey flaunts herself in order to get men to spend  there money at the car wash. We see all the men with open mouths and even a policeman who is gazing at her while driving, runs into another.  In the shot to the left, I love the lighting in which not only illuminates her but also the water being sprayed. This is a very prominent way to give off seductive mood in the shot. In both pictures, right and left ,we see that camera position  placing her right in the middle of the shot. thus allowing us to focus on her more then anything else and also gives her a more flattering look using the car. If this shot had used the rule of thirds it may appear more artsy  but then it would not humorous and the audience wouldn't fully have direct attention on her. 

  The edit of this trailer really shows the contents of the movie without giving it to much information to ruin the story. The overall time of the trailer is 2 minutes and 29 seconds, this is a fairly long trailer, but it uses the time very well to convey to the audience the purpose of the film.  Several thing included in this trailer where many of the names of the actors or small descriptions were in the titles. However almost everything that is explained is through the film itself.

Lastly the Sound Design fits well with the trailer, it uses many of the songs that were popular during this year and that are relative to the section of the film. For example, when Ms.Halsey is meeting Scott for the first time and she is talking about how she needs him to be attracted to her, she then changes her persona in a more respectable manner anytime she is around him, the name of the song in the background is"Tighten Up", this song talks about love and needing it. Another example would include when Ms. Halsey is desperate for money and she does anything she can for funds, as we see this we hear "Beggin" by Madcon. These songs further push the motive of the character and the plot.

Documentary Preprodution Gay Marriage

Gay Marriage

1. Purpose: We have gained equality for races, so why not love? Words like gay, lesbian, bisexual, and straight should be obliterated. For love is life’s greatest gift, and that love should not be tarnished by those who find it unnatural.

2. Contacts: (Possible) High School Students: Carlos Lozada (Agreed), Tony Mena, Katie Teele (Agreed) Adults: Mariono (Mom’s coworker)
3. Interview Questions:
1)Do you believe partnership is enough?
2)How does this make you feel in terms of equality for everyone?
3)What did you think of Tammy Baldwin as History’s first openly gay politician?
4)How do you feel when you hear about people who have committed suicide for being harassed for their sexuality?
5) How do your parents feel about your sexuality?
4. Shot list:
-B Roll of clips: Macklemore’s song “Same love” specifically the part where he says, “No freedom till we are equal. Damn right I support it” & “And a certificate on paper isn’t gonna solve it all but its a damn good place to start.”
-B Roll of clips: Tammy Baldwin, making history as the first openly gay politician http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/07/politics/wisconsin-tammy-baldwin-senate/index.html
-B Roll of clips from tv shows that have started to accept gay couples
-Interview shots: Medium waist shots.
5.General flow:
-Open with Macklemore’s song “Same love” Introduce the issue of gay marriage
-Talk about how he supports gay marriage, link to how tv shows are beginning to support it as well.
-Start putting in interviews, lace them in.
-B Roll of Macklemore’s song when asking question about partnership, if it is enough.
-Cont with interview
-Cut to Clip of Tammy Baldwin.
-Ask Tammy Baldwin question.
-Ask how do you feel about the deaths surrounding one’s sexuality.
-Switch to teen committing suicide videos (youtube**cards) and clips from news, add a statistic
-Answer question, we need equality, too many lives have been shattered by this issue. People don’t feel equal, they feel inferior, that they are wrong leads to suicide depression in teens, change is necessary.
-End with Macklemore’s line: “And a certificate on paper isn’t gonna solve it all but its a damn good place to start.”
6.Scripts:
Intro:
Closing:
7.Production Schedule- Dates for interviews/B Roll:
Get interviews by: 12/7/2012
Project due: 12/14/12

The F***-It-Point Documentary Review

F***-It-Point: "When you have had enough. When you take matters into your own hands and don't care whats going to happen to you. When you know from now on you will resist from whatever tactic you think is most effective"
Society has dug itself into a deep hole while using all our resources in the process. We are driving ourselves into our own extinction, however no one quite likes to think about this thought due to people's perception of now and not tomorrow. F*** It-Point is a documentary expressing these thoughts fully and to an eye opening extent. It conveys the actions we take as a society and what there true effects are and in the long run these effects will resume to add to our problem and continue to make them unsolvable. With documentary we are able to learn the outcome of our decisions and how they have left us into several major crises. If we don't stop the ways of society then we will only be closer to our own end.

The film starts off by using another work, "Man vs. Wild", as Bear Grylls stating you can go with out air for 3 minutes, you can go without water for 3 days and you can go with food for 3 weeks, the simple necessities we need in order to maintain life. The film then engages us with growing absence of our own resources. This is all communicated through us through a narrator and film that relates to society's exploitation of resources.The footage used in the first five minutes of the film is very alarming and some what scary. We see empty grocery stores, explosions from oil companies, fishing boats to then the ocean being vacant, afforestation,populations, harming other species, over crowding of people etc. In addition the music that accompanies this section of the film is unsettling. It makes your skin crawl and for this time in the film you are very uncomfortable.

The film also uses many other powerful shots that really show how human activity is not only killing ourselves, but we are first leading other animals into extinction. For example, there is footage of a sea lion swimming in the ocean. The ocean is filled with garbage and many of the ice floating on top of the water are melting. Many times we talk about these subjects of polar ice caps and our waste being part of the sea, but never actually seeing it, this footage not only show us this but we also see the animals having to live alongside it. We see the sea lion swim next to a shopping cart, and when it comes up from the water for air we see factories with large structures pumping out fumes in the background. This is not only an amazing shot due to the closeness of the sea lion, but it really shows how our lives invade the rest of

the living things on earth.This footage did not have a voice over or subtitles or any type of words, the pure film was able to drastically convey that animals are suffering in because of our own lifestyles.




One one of the most interesting characteristics of the film is that is is constantly alluding to other films or t.v shows. It uses this technique to show many misconceptions.Other times it uses important lines form a film to further push a point they are trying to make. For example one of the most commonly said things that humans can do to help the earth is to take shorter shower, ride your bike to work, buy organic products etc, to show how popular this idea is the showed a clip from the t.v series "Scrubs" , were one of the characters bought hemp underwear because he is "saving the planet". The narrator states that the media has told us that we are the problem for the crises of the world, that because of our living we have destroyed everything. If thought this way then the only to help the earth to kill ourselves. Instead at looking at this way, it is not the average citizen, it's he large industries that cut down trees and create toxic factories. This way of living and trying to cut down on consumption is almost hopeless because the machines used for the tasks of  terminating the planet will create more destruction then any one human could.

The usage for the F***-It-Point is revealed at the end of the documentary. This was a film that truly got its point across, the overall film technique was almost like a montage, it did not use one film or create a film, it instead took from several sources and used a voice over to guide the audience.Due to this montage effect it had many different angles wit many different styles of film as well footage of the process of killing our planet.  The film did not use any interviews because it explains how biest something can be when we asked people for information, how the truth can be distorted, leading us to believe information that is inaccurate. Overall this documentary is very eye-opening and will really change the way we look not only at ourselves, but about the future of our earth.

Soviet Montage and Realism

Soviet Montage and Realism

3.Soviet Montage

a.In Puedovkin's concept of constructive editing, he believed that juxtaposition itself should make a new point and form new meanings, instead of  depending on the actual shots to rely on its meaning through this juxtaposition. He disagreed with D.W Griffith methods of close ups, he thought they ruined the flow of the film and did not provide any meaning as well.In addition Pudovkin affirmed that montages, when used correctly where one of the best ways to convey the meanings in the hidden jumble of life.However these montages should use close ups rather then long shots because with close up's it easier to focus on details, unlike long shots, which he also believed related too much to reality. These ideas manifested when people saw the impact on which it made to audience when these rules were followed, many other film makers such as Hitchcock and Lev Kuleshov.

b.The Kuleshov effect was Lev Kuleshov idea that putting together shots and it be able to justify one action.He demonstrated that the actors or not the ones who create emotion within the audience, but instead the association with the juxtaposition.The Kuleshove effect is widely used today, a simple example would be a women, who is crying and obviously very emotional, the next shot would be a picture of a children. The audience is able to understand that the women is probably the mother of the kids and we can conclude that she is missing them at that moment. 

c. Eisensteinian Montage was expressed as constant change and the contrasting through opposites.In addition  the conflict of opposite was the cause for change.It was also expressed that good film relied on the edit and that shots should be incomplete. "Odessa Step" sequence shows this because in the film there is constantly juxtaposition from the soldiers who are shooting guns to then the next shot of people reacting and a crowd running away.Their are several juxtaposition certain characters and their the actions of the war.For example we see a child brutally shot and trampled on by the panicked crowed, we then see the appalled mother.

4.Andre Bazin and Realism  

a.Andre Bazin's frustrations with Formalistic film making was that he believed that the distortions of formalist techniques violated complications of reality. He categorized formalsit as conceited and manipulative.  Furthermore Bazin thought that he montage created simple ideology of life rather then a endless changing variable. Brazin also affirmed that overall editing destroyed the effectiveness of the film. More specifically, Classic Cutting he believed to have shot sequence that forces the audience to follow without them realizing the restrictions of it. He concluded that the viewers were not able to make their own meaning.

b. According to Bazin, realist should emphasize a concept of reality. It is the director's job to uncover art of normal everyday people,events, and locations. Filming should not just be recording an object, but it should not be a symbolic abstraction. In addition he believed if a filmmaker wanted to present two or more elements at the same time in one seen then they should follow the ideas of realism.

c.The techniques that realist used in their film making included  shots that were either wide or long, and the duration must be lengthy. Focus primarily consists of just deep focus, this allowed the director to show the audience all details, instead of focusing on just a few.Deep focus also allows the audience to become more creative because shots such as close ups makes the audience have special attention on a certain object or actor, and they are not able to on it themselves. Camera movement such as panning, craning, tilting and tracking are used rather then cutting to a different shot.

Realism, Classicism, Formalism Paradigm

Realism, Classicism, Formalism Paradigm 

1.The film "Arrival of a Train at La Caiotat" fully demonstrates Realism. The film is shot all in sequence shots  where the audience sees people waiting for the train and it finally appearing and then people getting off and on, all from a long shot with no edit.There is no movement of the camera and only one angle.However,  the composition of the shot is plainly set up, we are able to see mid-ground of the train and a background of the station and the hills behind it. 

On the other hand the film "Damsel in distress" is an example of Classicism, it offers a variety of angles for its time,we are able to see from a long shot to a median close-up.In addition, we see parallel action for several characters,by doing this they use continuity cutting, while the damsel is sitting there trying to get her chains off, the audience is able to see what the actions of the dog , the man and the passengers in the train are. 

2.The edit in  "Arrival of a Train at La Caiotat" , is all a sequence edit, where the film has no edits or cuts. There is one long shot that lasts all of the short clip, this is because it was one of the original films. We do not find any type of plot or significant characters, only the ones boarding on the train. The audience does not focus on anything else except the train simply arriving, and an abundant amount of people getting on.  

"Damsel in distress" uses classic cutting  to propel  the plot. When we first see the woman tied to the train tracks, she  whistles and we then see her dog come to the rescue. Furthermore, we also see Cutting Continuity, where see the the fluent  actions of the dog  getting the man to help save the damsel. We then see the man travel to the women, where the audience sees him  go on a journey to come save her, this is easily  understood through this editing, where we see the man ride on a bicycle  through several scenes, so by this we are able to figure out he  is  on his way to rescue her. 

3. The characters in the "Arrival of a Train at La Caiotat" are simply men and women just getting on and off the train, they had the role of extras in the film. Their was no specific person to be focused on, but rather a crowd was to be examined. For this reason all characters are equally portrayed, their is no protagonist or antagonist, this is due to realism utilized, the audience is not able to focus on anyone in particular to make a story on. 

In "Damsel in distress" we see several main characters, this includes are two protagonists, the women who is tied to the train track and the man who is trying to help her. The women's dog is a supporting character who helps both the two protagonists in their goal. We also have an antagonist, who is a man that chained the women, when the story is resolved we the man get caught by the dog and then chased by men. The characters on the train are flat characters who help propel the plot as well.  

Editing Concepts

Continuity Editing
Continuity Editing is a sequence of shots where the audience sees continuous action. This allows the cinematographer to show progression, such as simple  in a character running around the city.It gives the audience a clear meaning of whats happening.
Movement Match
Movement Match is when the action of the character is filmed in one shot and followed in the next.If the shots are not matched right after each other, the sequence will be jerky and very apparent. One other example of movement match would be if the camera were to move in the same direction as the shot.
Direction Match
Direction Match, or also known as maintaining screen direction, is when a character or an object is moving in one direction and we are able to see them clearly move from shot to shot with keeping the same direction. If the shots are not matched it will look as if the character is going in the wrong direction.
Eyeline Match
When characters are looking at someone in separate shots. The direction in which the characters are looking must be constant . For example. two characters are having a conversation, the person on the right must  look at the character to the left and the character on the right must be looking left, this must remain until the characters move positions.
Shot/Reverse Shot
Shot Reverse Shot is most typically used in conversation between to characters   usually using a over the shoulder the shot. While doing the shot/reverse shot you must make sure to follow the 180 degree rule.
180/Degree Rule
The 180 degree line is a pretend line between characters that allow the correct amount of space and placement of the actor.The camera has to only be on one side of the line to maintain screen direction.
Axis Match
Axis Match is when the angle in which the camera is shooting stays the same.If the angle changes it will appear as if the whole background as changed as well.An example of this might include first seeing a character  in a long shot, and then a medium shot, as long as it's along the z-axis.
Position Match
When the placement of a certain object or person does not change. In addition this person or object takes up  the same area of the shot throughout the sequence.
Graphic Match
A change in shots, where the two images are graphically similar  like a turning wheel and a cut to a spinning umbrella. Visual Effects can also be used with graphic match by contrasting graphics from one shot to the next.
Rhythmic Match 
Rhythmic match is placing two shots side by side that are moving at similar rates or speeds. Example of this would be a wheel turning as fast as a umbrella turning. They must be going at the same rate.
Jump Cuts
Jump Cut is a sequence of mismatched shots and are void from continuity rules. The background is often constant while the character is moving or the background is constantly changing while the character remains in the same position. This allows the audience to be a bit confused and some directors use jump cuts to focus in the medium.
Point of View
Point of View Shot allows the audience to see through the characters eyes. The viewer is able to see it as if they where the character, it can really connect the audience with the character.The Point of view shot is usually through the eyes of the protagonist.
Reaction Shot 
A reaction shot is one that comes after a point of view shot, that uncovers the reaction of a character from who we were looking through.
Parallel Action
Parallel action is when two sequences of shots are happening at the same time.This first line of action is usually different from the second line of action. Parallel action is often used when we see someone is danger, while we see the another person coming to the rescue.
Contrast Cuts
Contrast Cuts are when we go back and forth from two shots that are contrasting, this allows the actions to support the idea of the other.Overall two opposite images are contrasted.
Associative Cuts
An associative Cut is used for symbolic purposes to represent an object that are absent in the film's story, but relates to the first image.
Flashback
A cut in which the audience sees the future or the past that relates to the present plot.The flashback will sometimes use a black and white filter to further establish the flashback.
Shot Duration
It is the length of a shot, depending on how long a shot is, it is able to give off certain messages to the audience  For instance,short shots are used for violence and action while long  shots can be more calm or something the  needs to focus on.
Coverage
Coverage is a sequence that uses several angles,shots, and perspectives to demonstrate dramatic and emotional impact of the film.
Master Shot Sequence
Master Shot is a technique that gives the best coverage. includes shooting an entire scene several times from all different angles, then taking the better shots that demonstrate what is trying to be conveyed are used in the final edit.This is mostly used in a Hollywood style of shooting.Coverage
audience.








Realism
Realism started in primitive films that were basically long shots, where the duration of the shot and action were equal. Realism usually contains a sequence of shots that are long takes or only has one recording time.In addition the editing has not cuts at all or edits.

Classicism
Classicism utilizes Classical Cutting, which allows the audience to focus on an action by highlighting details of other actions. Classic Cutting is used to make film more dramatic as well as emotional rather then physical reasons.Lastly Classicism uses Cutting to continuity which helps events flow.

Formalist
Formalist is used when the director wants to control space and time in order to stimulate emotion, however this emotion does not always relate the the story. Formalist use thematic montage, where shots are put into sequences in relatively subject manner. Abstract Cutting is also used in Formalist, where we the audience sees no recognizable subject.

Classic Cutting
D.W Griffith, first developed Classic Cutting, he used several different shots. He would change from long, median close, and even used spectator's point of view throughout the film. He first used close ups to really demonstrate emotion that the actor is trying to convey. Furthermore Classic Cutting uses master shots to make tighter shots. Establishing shots are also used to show the audience setting and location, so it is easily understood where the scene is. Finally, Classic Cutting uses reestablishing Shots, which is used after a close up, where it goes into a long shot to remind the audience the importance of the relationship between characters.

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Step Outline

Taylor Julian

Film

3rd period

9/27

Step Outline

Scenes                                          Dramatic Intent

A view of the trees ,flowers, cars, and the front of a hospital and the sign	Establish the setting
We see empty bed and objects like  flowers, and clock ticking. A girl’s hand by the window, her eyes looking outside. We see her side profile looking outside. We then see she in a hospital room. This is Ivory.	Viewing the protagonist in her setting as well as establishing a mood of isolation and loneliness.
We see an outside shoot of her , from the window in front of her and she puts her hand on the glass. We then see her hand on glass from inside the room.	We see that the protagonist goal is to be outside and not stuffed up in her hospital room.
A guy appears and tells her she can’t leave, its to cold to be out there anyways. Heather asks who he is and he tells her that he is her conscious. They have a brief discussion on who he is and how she can see him. His name is Ebony.	Shows the desire to leave hospital and introduces her conscience.
She ignores him and starts to walk out the door. We see her leave but a few seconds later we see a nurse bringing her back in, pulling her by the ear. Ebony says “I told you so”. The nurse is mad and gives her a long lecture, but the girl is not listening and she rolls her eyes.	We are introduced to the antagonist as the nurse and how she is going to be in the way of accomplishing the girls goal. Her conscious is not helping as well because his snarky comments are annoying but funny.
As soon as the girl leaves she gets a map and plans her escape. Ebony criticizes her plan and tells her its not going to work. They bicker and until Ivory tells him to shut up.	Protagonist  is determined to leave the hospital  and is putting much thought into it. Audience wonders why the hospital is not letting her leave and how Ebony knows its not going to work.
We see the door open and close. The girl is crawling out. We see her crawl around the nurse’s desk, and the nurse is not able to see her.	Protagonist thinks she is accomplishing her goal, gives audience suspense.
As soon as she gets past the nurse, she is in the hallway and she is joyful, however a couple steps and she sees the security guard who talks into his walky talky. Girls becomes appealed and sent back into her room. She is pushed back in her room. Ebony is siting there and says “you didn’t listen to me”	Creates several obstacles, including her internal emotion of frustration and her longing to escape the hospital.
We see the girl eager to continue her pursuit in escaping .We see her constantly planning and escaping and then her failing. Door Slamming . Her Writing. While this is going on Ebony is eating ice cream and making origami.	Shows time lapse of how she has been trying to escape. The audience notices she is a little off.
She is thrown back into her room after several times and the nurse locks the door. We see the nurse come out if the room and when the door shuts we see the girls face. Ebony tells her she has gotten no where and to have some quiche that he made. Ebony stands there with an apron while Ivory gives him a dirty look.	Further pushes that obstacles are becoming more challenging, however she still continues.
The girl begins to pick the lock of the door. The door handle shakes on the other side. We see the door slowly open and we see the girl’s eyes. The girl then bolts down the hallway. Ebony tells her to have fun and that he will probably see her in 5 mins	The protagonist has gone farther than ever before, she is discovering the known as she runs down the halls.
When she gets down the hallways, she is faced with another hallway. When she runs down the second hallway she is at the beginning of yet another hallway. The halls seem to be dark and dull. Now she is back where she started. She starts see strange people walking down the halls. A man in a superman costume, a little girl skipping, a women running etc.	The protagonist is obviously in the right state of mind. And it shows she is a tad insane and doesn’t know what going on.
The girl opens a door in the hall and sees her hospital room. She then enters her room. It is silent and she walks into it bewildered. Ebony is taking a nap. Ivory wakes him up and asked what just happened. Ebony says that she is obviously bad at reading maps.	Protagonist is confused as well as the audience. But Ebony provides comic relief.
She asks Ebony for help and he says maybe after his nap. Ivory gets mad and yells at him, so he gives in and decides to help her	protagonist is seeks help.
She then gets up walks over to the door. She reaches for the door handle but it is locked. Ivory starts to get tools to pick the look but  Ebony  kicks the door and it opens .	The girl has not crumbled yet and tries one last time to break free.
We see her walking out with Ebony. The nurse doesn’t see her coincidently and the security guard has fallen asleep. Ebony asks why she made a big fuss it was so easy just walking out causally.	Ironically the girl can simply walk out and its less complicated then her previous times.
As she is about to walk out but she sees a mirror. She look quite sick, she is pale and has bags under eyes. She looks outside and back at the mirror, and she now wearing hospital clothes. Ebony tells her this is why he didn’t want her to leave, and that she must go back.He then vanishes. She looks back out and then she returns the way she came back to her room.	Protagonist is revealed to be very sick, but was note seen earlier in the film because this is not how she viewed herself. She has comes to terms with this and understands that she will not get better unless she stays in the hospital.
A few weeks later we see a boy who looks like Ebony. He  was transferred into the hospital, about  The girl goes up to her and befriends him.	Resolution is that the girl will no longer be lonely with her new friend. She has excepted that she needs to stay in the hospital, but she will no longer have to escape, because she would only be hurting herself is she did.

Characterization

Patience Phillips,played by Holle Berry, is a shy and restrained women who you wouldn't necessarily think much of at first glance, however after a near death experience, Patience gains new unique powers in which resemble a cat. We find her character to be soft spoken and quiet, yet this is only one of her personas when she is in public. When the sun goes down she is a hero who runs the streets and fights crimes.We see Patience first being pushed around by people in the beginning of the story, as her super hero abilities progress Catwomen becomes independent and a strong female character.Catwomen is one of the first and original female super heroins who originated from DC comics. The first Catwomen was mainly created for the love interest of Batman, but as time went on she became a deeper and more focused character. In the film Catwomen of 2004, she faces obstacles about discovering herself as well as who tried to murder her, she does this through the aid of her new abilities. Phillips often wears plain and reserved clothing, however catwomen's costume is a leather suit that is very revealing . She wears a mask in which covers her face in order to conceal her identity. Catwomen's flaws include that she is sometimes to stubborn and strong headed, but this daringness makes her an even more interesting character.

Spirit Vine's "Cold Living" Music Video -Reader Response

Spirit Vine's "Cold Living" Music Video

This video was shot all by a Cannon 24-105L lens and a 1K light. It was shot by the Director of Photography Amberlie Bankoff and  directed by Mike Cuenca. The video has hit the spot light in last few weeks and will be screening at Other Venice Film Festival in October.

The video first starts off with a dark mood and we see the band surrounded by moving vines. The singer is also filmed in quite an interesting way in the beginning of the video as well. We see several images of her in the same place, but slowed down. 

  

Later we see the band members at a party where they go under some weird series of events. The video is then has more vivid colors that are very contrasted with several harsh shadows but it sticks to a dark mood being set. The band members are found out a party where they are faced with conflicts such as a fight with some else at the party.

One of my favorite scenes in the video is when the party is gathered around candle lights.In this shot the candles are visually easy to see while the band members clothing blends in the background darkness.We are able to focus on their face and actions of their hand. This shot is set up well and the candles bring out appeal to this shot.

When You Find Me

When You Find Me

"When You Find Me"  is a shorty film directed by Ron Howard and Canon for the new film project "Project Imagin8ion", it demonstrates the 10 themes of film capturing.

Character 

Within the first two minutes of the film we see are protagonist Liesal, a loving mother who strongly cares for her kids. For this reason we find her getting up late into to the night to help her kid who is either sick or has severe asthma.The lighting presents almost a silhouette in order for the audience to focus on the actions of the mother tending to her child.She provides him with comfort and medication.In addition, we see the Liesal across from her son, as appose to next to, when she sitting across we see a more motherly role being acted. The audience can then acknowledge that Liesal is devoted to her children and as well as responsible.

Time

The flashbacks in that we see, are set in Liesal's past. Based on the characters wardrobe and lack of technology we can say the time period is set somewhere in the late 90s. Furthermore, bright vivid colors represent this past while dreary and dark colors are used for the present when Liesal is a grown women.  In addition, based on the cinematography an obstacle is physically in their, way to represent there distance from each other during this time of their childhood. 

Backstory 

The audience is held under suspense when they are left to wonder what happen the night Liesal went out into the graveyard and found the plane. Towards the end of the film its finally revealed the spiritual experience that Liesal encountered as a child. We are now able to find out what she has been holding back from her sister for so long and how it relates to not only her flashbacks, but about her mom.This tells hidden backstory to not only the audience but also to her own sister. Based on the mood and the lighting its evident that this is one of the most essential parts of the film because it conveys vital information.The blue tint and glow effect gives an angelic mood.

Goal

When we see Liesal as a young girl in her flashback her main goal is to find her mother. She pursues this by finding a plane in which she thinks can fly her to space where her mother is as she did in her dream that night. She moves around the controls in the plane in some hope that it will work. The plane being found in the same graveyard as her mother's tomb, this foreshadows the connection she will have with her mother because this is an almost impossible coincidence that the audience can't except without question.      

Setting 

The setting of the flashbacks are evident, the film provides the audience with several scenes that take place on a farm setting. The farm is relatively a bright and colorful place, working as a contradiction to the dark inner conflicts that the girls are facing with the loss of their mother. Lastly, based on the bright lighting and the vibrant colors of the farm the setting is peaceful in order for us to really discover the true melancholy of an absent mother.

Relationship 

Here is one of the most significant scenes where the love between two sisters are portrayed.One of the most emotional parts of the film is when the sisters visit their mother's grave and Liesal sister conveys that her last words to her mother were harsh and crude.Relief is given when Liesal tells her that her mother knew she did not mean it. This shot really demonstrates how the sisters can depend on each other in their time of need. 

Obstacle

Here we see one of the major obstacles that Liesal must face.It is a fence that creates a barrier to her mother's grave.This may be also viewed as a important symbol of Liesal coming to terms and finally accepting the death of her mother. We see a wide shot in this scene to really show how tall this fence is compared to her size. It allows the audience to see this is a large obstacle Liesal must face in order to continue the story. Due to the appropriate lighting we are able to see everything thats occurring and this is how we can conclude its a challenge that our protagonist must face both mentally and physically.If the lighting was set up in any other way it might have sent the wrong message to the audience. For example less light and visibility of the character would set more of a horror movie look, along with more and faster close ups.  

Mood  

The scene when the two girl lie in bed talking about there mother, as Liesal's older sister tries to explain to her that their mother is gone she begins to cry. This serves as the aftermath to their hospital visit. The mood being set is grief for this reason there is low light and a soft reflection on her her face. The tint of the scene is blue, this color being the symbol of depression, its obvious that they are pain.

Unknown

 The night of the flashback Liesal asks where heaven was and if there were aliens, her sister tells her heaven is above space and that the aliens are also there.We later see Liesal wondering about space in her dreams. We explore her unknown of space as she dreams through animation. The animation fits a kid style. This is more realistic, because we see her dream more like a drawing or a cartoon, exactly how a kid would picture outer space and extraterestreals, along with the travel in a space ship.She later sees her mom in space when the alien opens itself. 

Discovery 

One of the most ineteresting discoveries is when Liesal tells about her experience when she was in the plane at her mothers graveyard. As she enters this world she see this setting of a white valley with a tree in the middle, as she runs to the tree she discovers her mother waiting under it. This discovery of her mother communicating with her after death is the main purpose of the story. The discover also allows both character and audience to have closure of the story.Liesel's sister is now released from the burden of knowing weather what she said to her mother was heard and if she would take it as the truth.The audience is now able to understand why these flashback dreams was bothering her throughout the film and characters are able to come to peace with themselves. 

10 Themes of Story Telling

Mood

Figure 1

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Mood "conveys atmosphere, tone or emotion".In order for a photographer to speak to a observer they must create a certain mood to really demonstrate what the image is trying to imply. The mood can be set through varies types of lighting, focus, color tone etc. For example in Figure 1 it's evident that this picture portrays the horrors of domestic violence. We see the absence of color not only gives it an eerie mood, but we see that the blood on the women is the only visible color, other colors would only distract a viewer in what is taking place. The photograph also has a girl who is covering the injured women, the child symbolizes innocence while a man holds a knife in the forground is placed to express transgression.The clenched hand with a knife conveys the true brutality of closed doors, for this reason the photo's setting is in a house, where there are no witnesses to this tradgity. The lighting seems to be dark around the edges and bright in the center of the photo, so we are forced to focus on the bloody women and the child.

Setting

Figure 2

Setting is "a location or an environment". The setting plays a large role in what a photographer is pursuing to capture.Setting will help to determine the focus in a photo. For instance in Figure 2 we see the mood of the image is relaxing, this is due to its setting on a beach. We find that the clear sky gives us a feel of tranquility. The palm trees and the small house lay on the rule of thirds giving the picture some bright colors to add to the  blue sky and white sanded beach.We think of paradise when viewing this picture, there is no commotion or over crowded objects and the lighting makes it appear warm.

Backstory

Figure 3

Backstory is "A history that promotes fuller understanding of the narrative". There are certain object in a photograph in which we find and relate specific memories or thoughts to them, this giving the object a story or a history.For example in Figure 3 we see the formation of ice flakes. This automatically makes the audience relate this photograph to winter. We see the beauty of the cold  weather and how it may be gentle. A history is born of all cold winters of the audience due to the photos backstory.

Goal 

Figure 4

A goal is "whatever the character is pursuing". To make the goal apparent you must capture the action of someone or something. For a subject to be completing a task, the photographer must portray both the character and action.The way the photographer sets up a goal really sends a message to the audience of the opinion of the action. In Figure 4, we see the subject in the forground and the action in the back ground. This photograph focuses on the character due to the shallow focus of the girl and the blurred piano and sheet music.

Figure 5

Time

Time "represents the time of day in the story". The time in a photograph is important to what the image is trying to express. If the photo is completely focusing on time, it will portray certain times in positive, natural or a negative way.Time may not only be the hour of the day, but it can also mean the time setting, weather its in the past or the future, certain goals and back stories will help to express time  Figure 5 shows the marvels of not only night, but how the lights affect the darkness of the city. 

Figure 6

Character 

Character "can be anyone or anything". A character is usually expressed with objects that tell something about the character. The character's traits can be noted by the mood or the action that the character is completing. For example in Figure 6 we see a women brushing a horse. We can assume she is an experienced horse rider and lives somewhere in the country due to the background. We find her expressions to be joyful so are able to conclude that she really cares for horses. 

Obstacle

Figure 7

Obstacle is "Anyone or anything in the characters way". An obstacle is presented to a character in order to the make the photograph both interesting and appealing. This helps to add a specific message that the photographer is trying to get across evidently. In Figure 7 we see that the character is dog and the obstacle is the fence in front of it. The fence helps create a story that the dog is itching to be free to maybe be with it's owner but is instead bound to the backyard and left alone with no one for company.

Relationships

Figure 8

Relationship "is a relationship between anyone or anything". Relationship also helps to provide a story to a photograph as well. The relationship can link any to things and make allow the audience to think of them in a whole or in a togetherness aspect.In Figure 8 we see the common romantic relationship. The photograph is not trying to express a man and a women but instead a couple. The lighting adds to the photo by giving it a more joy look.

Unknown

The unknown "can be anything unexpected or a twist". The unknown gives photographers the creativity room to do whatever they want. It gives the changes to surprise the audience and create unique styles that can be out or the normal. It can often make the reader wonder what they are looking at. In Figure 9 we see what looks like bended mirrors, but it is actually the engine of an motorcycle.This gives a perception that we would have never seen with just are normal vision.