1.
What is the story of this scene in two or three sentences? In
other words, what happens in the scene?
Two people are playing racquetball. We will
watch them rally back and forth for a bit, and one will win the rally. They may
end up not carrying a rally very long, in which case we will also watch them
transition into their next point, and play that point. This could go on a
couple of times in two or three minutes.
2.
What is purpose of this scene in the larger story? (Or, if there
is not a larger story, invent the purpose of this scene.)
The purpose is the competition between the two
players. Hopefully, there will be excitement for the audience in watching these
two players rally back and forth. Potentially, there could even be tension, if
I am able to film it in a way that encourages the audience to identify with one
player over the other. If this were somehow part of a larger story, the
competition could play into the future of their relationship.
3.
What is the emotion I want to communicate?
I want to communicate the thrill of the fast
paced nature of racquetball, as well as potentially the claustrophobia of being
the room during a play.
4.
Why is this scene personal to me? What previous personal
experiences does it remind me of? Why do I need to make this scene?
I really enjoy one-on-one sports like tennis
and racquetball. They’re fun and generally very genial. I like the combination
of the thrill and casualness of this sport, and I’d like to convey that through
my scene. It reminds me of times I’ve played racquetball and have felt these
feelings.
5.
What, specifically, must the audience understand narratively and
feel at the end of this scene? How do you intend to make sure this will happen?
I want them to understand the tension of the
sport that comes from being right in the middle of it. I want them to feel
excited and nervous. I intend to make it happen by capturing various elements
of the play—the players expressions and movements, the movement of the ball,
the speed of the play, and the tightness of the room.
6.
What two visual elements (line, shape, space, tone, color,
rhythm, movement) will you use to help communicate the emotion of the scene?
I want to focus on line and movement. I hope
to capture the lines that are created through playing racquetball—the lines of
the ball, the eyelines of the players, and the lines that are painted on the
floor of the room. Their interaction can feel quite hectic, which is thrilling.
I also hope to focus on movement—of the ball, of the players, and of the
camera. The interplay of these is also hectic and thrilling.
7.
What are some potential obstacles to creating a successful
scene? How can you be prepared to overcome these?
One thing I am very nervous about is keeping
the camera and lens safe. I will definitely need to fashion or borrow some sort
of cage or safety device to ensure that the camera is never harmed by the ball
or by potential accidents caused by the movement of the player and myself. This
will also mean that I will have to be simultaneously mindful of the scene, and
mindful of myself and the presence of the camera.
Another potential issue is the tightness of
the space. It will be impossible to capture this event in an exciting way
without being in the room, but it will be difficult to be in the room and show
all the action from as wide as I might like at times. As such, I will
definitely use a full frame sensor, and probably a slightly wide lens, such as
a 35mm. I will also allow myself to get action and meaning from closer shots,
as well as trying to get a few wide shots to give more information to the
scene.
BEAT LIST
BEAT LIST
1. Visualize the event unfolding in your mind as
you answer these questions:
a) Where
is the action taking place? How will we know that?
The
action is taking place in a racquetball court. Hopefully, it will be somewhat
obvious based on the event. However, I will also include wide beats that allow
us to get a good look at as much of the room as possible, giving the audience a
sense of what this kind of room feels like.
b) How
will the action unfold? In other words, what are "beats" of the
action?
One
player will serve. The ball will hit the wall. It will be returned by the other
player, who will strive to hit the ball off the front wall of the court before
it bounces on the floor more than once. Then, the first player will in turn
return that, followed by the second player. This pattern will repeat until one
of them makes an error and the point will end. Then, they will probably banter
a bit as they reset for the next point. The next point will begin the same way,
with one player serving, followed by a series of returns until one player makes
an error. This process may repeat two or three times during the film.
c) Who is
involved in this event?
The two
players.
d) Where
is the drama in the event? Is it between competitors? Are there spectators? Is
there some kind of physical risk?
It is
between competitors. There is drama in that one of the players will win the
point, and one will lose the point. There is minor physical risk in that one of
the players might be hit with the ball, but this is generally not very
dangerous and is kind of fun.
2. Decide how you will communicate the above
information to the audience in terms of beats or points of focus.
In other words, what specific images/subjects does the
audience need to see to:
a)
understand what's happening;
They need
to see the players hitting the ball, the ball bouncing off the floor, the ball
hitting the front wall, and the ball falling once a player makes an error. They
will also need to see the players moving around trying to get the ball, as well
as various elements of the room to understand how the layout of the room comes
into play.
b)
connect with the people involved;
They will
need to see the actions that the players make as they strive to not let the
ball fall. They will also need to see fairly close shots of the players (at
least mediums) to get a feel for their emotions.
c) grasp,
and feel, the drama.
They will
need to have a sense of the quick movement and hectic atmosphere of the space.
This will require movement between beats, as well as beats that clearly include
the movement of the ball and the movement of the players.
3. Decide where the camera will need to move in
order to capture these images.
The camera will need to be on the court. At times
it will need to be right next to the players to get their movement and emotion.
It will also sometimes need to be near the back wall to capture the space and
the way the movement plays within the space. It will also need to go closer to
the front, so that we can see the players head on.
4. Create a list of the above beats and images in
the order you think they will occur. (Don't move past each beat too
quickly--give the audience time to process the information!) For each
beat/image, include this information:
a) The
subject of the beat (what/who are we looking at?)
b) The
why. Why is each beat important? What is the purpose of the
shot in terms of story, drama, character? What impact will it have on the
viewer?
c) Include: 1) The type of shot (W, M, CU, ECU,
etc.); 2) the angle and type (High, Low, OTS, POV, etc.); 3) any visual
element(s) you'd lke to take advantage of in the location (Flat or Deep Space,
Horizontal/Vertical/Diagonal Line, Warm or Cool colors, etc.) However, remember
that you are not to manipulate this event by giving direction, assigning
wardrobe, production designing, etc..
5. Review your Beat List and make sure it will tell
the story you want to tell. This will be your first draft.
HINT: To improve your project, refine your Beat
List. After arriving at the location, observe the action before shooting. Check
it against your Beat List. Does the action unfold as you expected? Is something
more interesting than you expected happening? Can you incorporate it into your
approach? Revise your Beat List. Visualize it carefully before you begin to
shoot.
Submit a hard copy of this
assignment twelve days before your film screens in class. Upload to Learning
Suite twelve days before your film screens in class.
4. Beat list
1. A) We are looking at player one as he
serves.
B) We need to see him
serving to get the motion and story of the scene moving. This will begin the
tension of the scene, and help them to immediately feel connected to the
character.
C) CU. This will
probably be as close as we are able to get before the action starts and it
becomes risky to get too close to the characters. Eye-level. Vertical line of
the player reaching to hit the ball, and movement of the player hitting the
ball.
2. A) We are watching the ball hit the
floor and front wall as it begins to be rallied.
B) We need to see this to understand how the game works,
and how the ball moves in the space. This will be a kind of establishing beat,
which will help the audience understand the nature, rules, and space of the
game.
C) W. Eye-level, looking slightly down to see some of the
floor. This will involve movement and space.
3. A) Player two as he returns the ball.
B) We will follow player two so that we can get a sense
of who he is. This will also help the audience continue to understand how the
game is played—this time they will come to understand how the players move to
achieve their goals. This will hopefully also help the audience to connect with
the second player, which will hopefully raise the stakes as they get to know
both of them.
C) Medium wide. This will involve movement of the player,
movement of the camera, and shape of the player as it dynamically changes as he
moves around the space to get the ball.
4. A) We are watching the two players from
the front of the room as they hit the ball towards the front wall.
B) This will allow us to get a nice view of how the two
players interact with each other in the space, as they move to get the ball and
move out of the way when it is not their turn to return. This will hopefully
excite the audience, as they are able to see the interaction of the players
they have begun to get to know, in a very physical and spatial way.
C) W. Slightly low angle, looking up. This will involve
deep space and movement.
5. A) At this point, I will move to the
side of the room and try to follow the ball until it bounces on the floor twice
or hits a player, either of which will end the point. The subject, then, will
be the ball.
B) This will allow the audience to understand how a point
is scored, and how it is lost. It will also carry out the tension of the point
until it is momentarily resolved by its ending.
C) Medium wide. Eye-level, looking down when necessary.
This will involve movement and line as the ball moves back and forth.
6. A) The subject will then be both
players.
B) We need to see both players’ reactions to understand
how losing the point and winning the point made them feel. This will be a point
of low tension for the audience, as they reset emotionally for the next point
to be played.
C) Medium. Eye-level. This will involve shape and
movement of the players with each other.
7. A) The hands and feet of the player who
will serve next, as he prepares to serve.
B) This will allow the audience to get a feel for other
portions of the serving process than the face and shoulders of the server. It
will be engaging as they continue to understand the shape and physical nature
of the play.
C) Medium. High, looking down. This shot will involve
line (the bouncing of the ball and the player’s arms and legs), and rhythm (the
bouncing of the ball).
8ish. Repeat beats 2-6 as the next point is
played, this time following the returns of the player who wasn’t focused on the
first time.
9. A) The player who will receive the next
serve, as the server prepares to serve, and serves.
B) This will show the final part of the service
process—the receiver. It will show the anticipation that inherently comes with
waiting for the serve, and will hopefully finally prepare the audience to
engage for one last point.
C) Medium-CU. Eye-level. Movement and rhythm as the
player bounces back and forth on his feet in preparation for the serve.
10ish. Repeat steps 2-6.
No comments:
Post a Comment