Researching the Cinematography of Three Different Moods in the Scenes of Leona Calderon - Research Paper Example

1. Overview The full length 35mm feature film “Leona Calderon is a group base project for which I was offered a roll as the cinematographer. The story falls within the romantic comedy/drama genre about a 59 year old Filipina domestic helper who has uterine cancer and is in a dilemma as to whether she should go to the Philipines to be treated so that she is with family or stay in London where her savings will not be depleted and she would be treated for free. In staying in London she realizes that while the treatment will be free, her longing for her family and her loneliness for her family will affect the rate at which she recuperates. The initial step in approaching the film will be to research films that reflect the particular mood that is intended for the film and to analyze the methods that others have used in the past. After the research has been completed, I will focus on my statements of intent where film references in terms of types of lights, colours, film stock and framing are concerned while connecting them to the mood of the film so that it creates an effective representation of the storyline for the three different genre’s that it represents. The production will be shot in 20 days during the months of July through August in the London area. Sixty percent of the filming will be set in exterior spaces with forty percent in interior spaces. All of these set locations are in the London area which will include several different houses and high streets. My interest is to orient the conventions specific to outdoor and indoor lighting to convey the intentions of each seen through visual communications through colour and light. The primary aim in doing the research is to create an understanding of how to light and frame the shots in order to affect the story through mood and emotional context. 2. Objectives The objective for the project is to create an effective representation of the three different kinds of mood through effective cinematographic elements that provide for interesting and engaging storytelling. The main character plays around in three moods; romantic, drama and comedy. I will be researching the cinematography of these three different moods as well as the overall feel of the story. The research will focus on how to translate mood through colour and lighting as it pertains the intentions within each scene. In many scenes Leona Calderon does not have any lines and yet the filming will tell a great deal about what is going on with her. In order to enhance the mood and storytelling I will need to use good cinematographic principles. For this I will carefully look in to the dramatic films that reflect the kind of cinematography that I will need to create the kind of storytelling that I intend. Some scenes from In the Mood of Love by Kar wai Wong and the cinematography by Christopher Doyle in 2000 will be good examples from which to reflect the vision that I have for this film. The film product type that I will be using is 35MM which requires the cinematographer to pay particularly close attention to exposure. As the story progresses through different forms of mood such as happy, sad, angry, loving, etc, my objective will be to calculate the exposure with the resource for lighting in the various locations being central to how those calculations are made. As there is the possibility that the needed lighting will not be available, creative solutions will be needed in order to meet the directors vision with the resources that are available to the project. Camera Operating – Camera movement According to Brown (2002: 62) “the ability to move the camera is the most fundamental aspect which distinguishes film and video from photography”. Small movements are crucial with a 35mm camera, the light and shadow changing dramatically if the camera is shifted out of position. The capacity of the camera to pick up small amounts of changes in the lighting can help to create a richly translated environment, but the delicacy with which the camera must be handled will present some challenges. However, the camera will allow for an increased potential in creating the feeling of real life as the freedoms of the camera provide for realistically translated lighting and a sense of authenticity (Donmez-Colin (2006). One of the important considerations that will be made in how the camera is used is in determining the purpose of the movement. A camera movement must be motivated, not just done for the sake of moving the camera. There are two reasons that a director may wish for a camera to move. The first is that the action dictates the need for a movement. The second is that there is an introduction of new information. The sequence of shots in a scene should be set up so that where the camera ends has meaning and continues the storytelling forward. This should not be a random spot, but a controlled and planned ending for each scene that sets up the context in which the next scene will begin (Musburger & Kindem 2009). One of the important points of research that will be conducted in preparation for this film will be the types of movement needed in contrast with the availability of equipment for the project. Determining how each scene should be set up for movement will be crucial to creating a desired list of equipment that is then equipped through available equipment with creative solutions discovered for those items that are desired but not available. Framing How shots are framed will express whether the film has been done through professional aesthetics or is merely an amateur effort. Calculating proper aspect ratios for each shot will be vital in making sure that the intended communication and message of the shot is exploited. The composition of the frames will be done in order to create a visual dialogue with the audience in which the whole of the set provides context to the message of the scene. Everything from the way in which the actors look towards one another to the items that are set around the set will contribute to the way in which the frame is composed (Tomaric 2011). Storyboards will help in creating a visual composition of each frame in order to best utilize the available elements for each shot. Camera Angles Camera angles are part of the set up for each frame and will be crucial for the movement of the film. In approaching the camera angles for their importance, the film is made through a professional frame of interest. Just as the frames will be set up according to storyboards and the movement set according to motivation, the camera angles will be adjusted according to the needs of the frames and the aspects of the movement that is involved in telling the story. 3. Legal, Social and Ethical Issues The legal issues that will be relevant to creating the film will be primarily through getting permission to film in the various locations needed. This will involve creating a list of locations, combining those locations into relevant districts and then going to the authorities involved in order to get permits for filming. The homes that will be used will require signing agreements so that any liability can be addressed. Insurance for the shoot might be necessary if there is a possibility of any damage occurring on other people’s property. One of the important social issues is to make sure that all evidence of the filming done is removed and that no impact to the environment changes irrevocably the landscape that is being used. Even though it is an urban environment, the film crew should still be conscious of not creating an impact on the regions where the film is shot. The inhabitants of the areas where the film is being shot must either sign off on being shot in the background or be obscured for the sake of their privacy. The people that may be in the exterior shots must be minimized so that an ethically responsible shoot can be performed. As the filming takes place, the privacy and rights of those involved must be taken into consideration as the filming progresses. Any person who ends up in the film must sign a release in order to have their image used for the purposes of the film. 4. Resources and people I will complete this part im working on it Production Design Art Department Equipment Crew (Artistic) Crew (Technical) 5. Critical success factors Critical factors that will determine the success of this project will be in the quality of research that is done for creating the best possible influences on how to shoot the film. It will be critical to understand why certain effects develop a good storytelling framework and how it will be best utilized in the work. The second most critical factor will be in the creativity that is used to create the intended work when the equipment is below the standard needed to create what is desired. Through creative solutions and innovations, the film can become something more than ordinary, allowing all of the creative people involved to reveal their best work. References Brown, B. (2002). Cinematography: Theory and practice ; imagemaking for cinematographers, directors & videographers. Amsterdam: Focal Press. Musburger, R. B., & Kindem, G. A. (2009). Introduction to media production: The path to digital media production. Amsterdam: Focal Press/Elsevier. Tomaric, J. J. (2011). Filmmaking: Direct your movie from script to screen using proven Hollywood techniques. Burlington, MA: Focal. Read More