ASHLEY B

8/28/2019

Hey, I'm Ashley, a student :). I enjoy many genres of film, but I have a special place in my heart for horror and suspense. A main interest of mine is the makeup and prosthetics used in films, such as gore and "monster" effects. In the future, I would like to pursue a career in the film industry as a special effects makeup artist. In art and film, I appreciate the different interpretations of source material, and how artists can bring their own meaning into a piece through different mediums. I am hoping to gain a more complete understanding of film history and the components of a film. I would like to learn the elements of certain genres of film and how a creator can translate their message into media.

9 Comments

Ashley Backus

9/9/2019 12:20:47 am

Questions to Answer:
How do film-makers develop and convey stories within the mise-en-scène? 1) Give a fact from early film-making that inspired our work these last few weeks. 2) Define and describe at least one concept regarding the Elements of Art that artists use while creating their films. 3) Also, consider the art works you filmed and edited; discuss your experience filming with a group and editing using new software. 4) How, if at all, has your point-of-view shifted in regard to the art of film-making?

My Answers:
In early film-making, many directors and cinematographers had cameras that were stationary. Since the cameras they had could not be moved, they had to be creative with what they could fit into the shot and how it conveyed the story.
One concept of the Elements of Art that creators use in filmmaking would be color. Color is the light that is reflected off of an object and bounces back to our eyes (that isn’t obstructed). It can be used to express emotions (like sadness or anger) or convey different feelings (such as loneliness or warmth).
My experience filming is that it takes knowledge of the set and how the camera captures movement in order to get the scene that you want. You have to know the size of your actors and figure out how you want them to move within the frame of the camera.
My point of view has shifted only a bit, for I already knew that directors and other artists used different Elements of Art and filming techniques to get their message through, but working with a team of people is different than I originally pictured it. Keeping in mind the actors’ and other crew’s ideas (regarding camera angles, video content, and dialogue) and trying to put them together in a constructive way that still keeps the story in place and on track is an interesting task, but also a nice one to complete.

Ashley Backus

9/13/2019 02:48:13 pm

Questions:
Why is cinema both the most realistic and also the most artificial of the arts? 1) Consider the shots and camera movements we've defined, shot, and edited. Which is your favorite from those you captured for your commercial and why? 2) Also, which is your least favorite shot/camera move and why? 3) What has learning about all these shots/moves taught you about cinematography? 4) How do you feel shot type and editing play into the "reality" of film?

Answers:
One of my favorite camera angles that I have recently filmed would have to be the Two Shot, for I feel that one can get creative with how to position two characters talking to each other in the same frame. It also seems like a very versatile shot. (My personal favorite shot would probably be the Dutch/Oblique Shot, for I feel it really establishes confusion/suspense very well. It’s also just a fun shot to look at.)
My least favorite camera angle would probably be the Full Shot because shooting with human subjects can lead to awkward standing and little motion. It can be difficult to come up with choreography for the subject to perform to make the film look a bit more natural and not as forced. However, I do like this shot because it has the potential to capture large amounts within its frame, but just through personal experience on our commercial, it was kind of hard to pull off. In addition to this shot, a Low Angle Shot (only in my recent experience) is hard to frame, making it my other least favorite shot for myself to film (although I enjoy it in other films).
Learning these shots have taught me more about how to frame a shot, and that there are many more ways to portray a feeling or emotion in a scene. It has also taught me that there is a lot more to what a cinematographer thinks about in the frame than just what looks nice - they think about the mood of the scene they are shooting and what emotion they want to be known and felt by the viewer.
I feel that film is realistic because it has the ability to capture human movements and emotion on a human. However, how one can use camera angles, editing, and more, what is shown in a film is usually false and is coaxed into the mind’s subconscious (relating to how certain camera angles can make a subject appear weak, powerful, alone, sad, etc.).

Ashley Backus

10/9/2019 06:40:08 am

Questions:
How do filmmakers utilize the theory of montage as a part of cinematic language? And, how does this compare to continuity editing's voice in the cinematic language?
1) Describe montage in relation to how the shots are combined and compare/contrast that with continuity editing.
2) Use example sequences from your "TV Show Pilot" to bring these two dialects of cinematic language to life.
3) How has your film-making, in regard to the process (writing/planning/filming/editing), grown since the beginning of the term?

Answers:
Montage is the editing of shots together that have different meaning on their own, but together, they create a new meaning, Continuity editing combines shots from the same series of shots in a manner that shows the beginning, middle, and end. Both are different ways to edit film and convey a message. Even so, editing shots together for a montage doesn't have to follow the constraints of time, and can be strung together for subject matter alone.
For example, in the beginning of out TV Show Pilot, we used a series of shots from the “crime scene” to explain the area the characters where in and give the basic situation of the location. In addition, during the interrogation scenes, the shots follow the rules of time and take place one after the other in order to explain what the witness knew.
My filmmaking has grown, for now I am able to really picture what I want in each shot and try to intermix some extra meaning in each camera angle. I can also change the meaning with different music and arrangements of the shots. I’ve learned how to write a screenplay and how to edit in this class, so with each project, I’d like to think I’m improving.

Ashley Backus

10/11/2019 09:27:54 am

Questions:
On your blog share the ups and downs of your filmmaking so far and how you plan to continue to grow in the second half of the class.1) Do this by writing about your (2) two biggest psychological barriers when it comes to making films, referencing ideas from the article "5 Psychological Mistakes that Beginning Filmmakers Make, & How to Avoid Them". 2) For each, provide an example of a barrier you encountered this term as well as a solution you plan to initiate in the second term to overcome this barrier. 3)Then, finish off the entry by recalling the biggest success or ah-ha moment you've had this term. Provide details about what made it a great moment for you and how you felt you grew from the experience.

Answers:
My two biggest psychological barriers this term would have to be having to get out of my comfort zone by working different roles within groups and worrying about the outcome/how our project will be received.
I didn't know many of the other students outside of this class, so it made it a bit difficult to join a group and try and include everyone in a way that makes them feel fulfilled as well as including my ideas. Even so, I’ve made a few friends and I don't feel as much pressure in this aspect anymore. I still plan to meet and get to know a few more people so I feel more comfortable sharing my ideas and know how others feel about them as well. For my other barrier, I worried about the subject matter, and if I even liked what my group and I shot, but I also realised it was just myself overthinking. I plan on trying to calm myself and trusting my group and my own abilities.
My biggest ‘aha’ moment would probably be learning about montage. I’ve always enjoyed those types of scenes in films, but I never knew what they were called. I’ve always loved the introduction montage to the movie Skyfall, but never knew what I could label it as. In filmmaking, however, my moment would be realising that I like to be behind the camera than in front of it. I realised I loved creating the shot and planning what would go into it. I look forward to more opportunities to create a mise-en-scene.

Ashley Backus

10/25/2019 02:01:34 pm

Questions:
Consider your likeness to Orson Welles as he broke the rules and invented new ones to rise to fame as one of the Golden Age of Hollywood's most impressive directors. 1) What's one of the things you've discovered over the course of making a number of short films that works well for you as you pre-produce, film, and edit? 2) What's something new you've gained from pre-production and filming this project that has helped you to expand your creativity in filmmaking? 3) To what extent has using the studio changed the way you think about your filmmaking?

Answers:
One thing I’ve discovered would be having a plan works way better than going in blind (duh). I’ve found that I usually stick mostly close to my original thought of things (for example, if, before filming, it seems the shot will come across a certain way (like in a comical way), I most likely follow through with that idea in editing).
During this project, I’ve gained a sense of confidence. With my current group, I feel I am able to branch out and explore acting more. Taking part in the video as a character has been enjoyable and it’s nice to be a part of both the story and acting. I’ve also gotten insight on how to represent a character who is a comically bad character, which breaks apart from some of the more “serious” characters.
The studio has changed the way I think about filmmaking by giving an environment that can be controlled and changed at my will, and not at the will of nature or other humans.

Ashley Backus

11/8/2019 02:37:00 pm

Questions:
What spurned the growth of various genres in mid-20th Century and how do they influence filmmakers today? 1) Describe why on of the classic genres we studies was created. 2) How do you see this classic genre influencing film/TV/media today? 3) What genres are you blending in your "Genre Crossover" project and how are you bringing specific elements of the genre to the screen in your short film"?

Answers:
Film Noir was born out of the paranoia and worry of the American people during the 40’s and 50’s (and some of the 30’s) (including the Red Scare, Atomic Age, the Cold War etc.). These movies usually were melancholic and paranoid and without a happy ending. The characters weren’t always morally correct and could be corrupt (including police officers, politicians, and more - this reflected real life more than earlier movies in this aspect).
This genre is still influencing film today, for many movies feature independent and strong women, corrupt officials, and more “depressing” subject matter. Many protagonists won’t be perfect and even feature morally bad behavior. In addition, not all movies these days have cheerful endings or endings where the protagonists win/achieve their goal(s).
In our “Genre Crossover”, we are blending Horror, Film Noir, and Comedy in our adaptation of Cinderella. For the Film Noir section, we decieced to make Cincerella a Femme Fatale and lure Prince Charming to his death. In the Horror section, we also do this, but instead feature a more sinister atmosphere and location. For the Comedy section, we are utilizing slapstick Comedy where the Prince trips over the shoe instead of simply finding and retrieving it.

olivia

12/13/2019 02:22:45 pm

best cameraman award. those times that you film us, you do an amazing job and add something to the film noone else could :)

leonardo

12/13/2019 02:32:32 pm

Team member award by being the best director.

Eesha Kumar

12/13/2019 03:32:37 pm

Best MOM: You were the mom of our fiend group and you helped comfort everyone when we were shooting stuff or coming up with ideas

ASHLEY B

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