Overall response
(2-3 paragraphs):
In 2-3
paragraphs, write an overall response to your film: Were you successful at achieving
what you set out to achieve? What are you proud of? What would you do
differently if you could remake this piece? What did you learn?
My shot-for-shot is an
honestly trying attempt to duplicate an original scene from “Hugo”, but a lot
of hang-ups keep it from achieving the same affect, and they mainly have to do
with cinematography, sound and lighting. What makes Martin Scorsese’s film work
is the unique way we look at the characters, and all the sets were lit in very
controlled ways that made it all easy to see. My scene tried hard to match
those shots, but it showed not only lights coming in from the wrong angle, but
some details were completely lost in the process. If I could remake this scene,
I would definitely have exercised more control over the light positions to make
sure enough was lit. I would also redo the middle shot where Hugo runs down the
corridor, with a microphone attached so I could get the authentic footsteps
from the actor’s run, and a smoother hand-held rig to carry the camera.
I am very pleased with my
cast though. Ashley was my first choice early on, as I saw her as both a good
actress and similar in appearance to Chloe Grace Moretz from the original
movie. The male actors were tough to find though; I had an adult actor lined up
to play Georges, but he dropped out the day before. Hugo was the hardest to
cast for, since no one responded to my requests for that role. I gave both the
male roles to my little brother and my father, who both have no acting
experience, but I learned how incredibly versatile they can be if they know
exactly what to do and if they were directed to do the exact actions. I feel
like all the actors knew their blocking as far as they were directed, and they
showed that with impressive dedication.
Briefly answer the following:
What, specifically, did you want to
communicate? Were you successful? Why? Why not?
I wanted to show Hugo’s
emotional transition of innocence into despair at the loss of his notebook. I
pictured losing old personal possessions when I was younger, and tried to
streamline that into the shots of him opening the rag which reveals the ashes.
I think I succeeded, because the exact motions and views of Hugo in the scene
were carried over to my brother, because of camera and his acting.
How, specifically, did you try to say this? What visual elements, techniques, etc. did you
use?
I am most pleased with the
slow-motion shot where me and Howie decided on an 85mm lens, filming at 60fps,
and placing the camera at a very low angle yet far enough away from my brother
to not have any ash fall on the camera. The rest of the scene was of various
focal lengths, but another shot which I think also carried Hugo’s emotion very
well was his run away from Georges after throwing the rag on the ground, which
was filmed with the camera on a glidecam rig. The shakiness enhances Hugo’s
sudden descent into despair.
What did you learn about storytelling:
A lot of the storytelling in
a professional movie doesn’t become clear until the edit comes together in
post. I felt a lot more relieved when I started piecing the random shots we
filmed together and the flow of the story became clear. I think this is because
as film-makers, our actual telling of a story to an audience doesn’t begin
until the film is edited, then the telling becomes coherent.
Working with actors and getting performance:
I was most afraid of my
brother and father cracking up during their performances, because neither had
actual acting experience. I prepared them with the thoughts they were to have
as their characters, and I think that helped them keep it together. Plus, they
had seen the movie several times, so I think that helped them focus.
Blocking — camera and actors:
I actually don’t think I gave
enough blocking directions to my actors, as their movements were a bit less than
that in the clip. There were also a couple of shots (Georges giving Hugo the
rag and Isabelle wiping Hugo’s tears) where I think they moved a bit too much,
which I should have toned down with additional takes.
Visuals — composition, framing, visual elements:
I learned that “close enough”
with composing frames doesn’t cut it, and that I still could have made them
closer to the original frames; meaning with placement of actors, light angles,
and brightness levels of objects.
Design & Art Direction:
I checked out plenty of props
from the prop shop in an attempt to recreate the toy store in the beginning. As
I shot that scene in my pre-meditated location, I discovered that the majority
of the wall wasn’t dark, like in the movie, so my dad wouldn’t be so cast in a
dim part of the frame, which was the intention of the set’s look. I also think
that, although the geography of the location I picked was accurate enough, it
also had major drawbacks, like the ledge for the toy shop being too high, and
the intense light pouring out of the shop doors right in the middle of Hugo’s
run.
The Production Process — collaboration with crew, the logistics of
making this piece:
I learned not to show so much
nervousness on the outside, because I feel like I pushed my DP a bit too much,
and sounded lost to my actors. Getting the location was easy, getting the
actors was a little harder, but actually filming this scene was really
complicated, since not only were we matching shots on my iPad with our camera,
but we had to direct casual citizens who were passing by to keep them from
being held up.
What was it
like to watch your film with an audience? Did they understand it? Miss the
point? Why did they respond the way they did?
Watching the final scene with the class, I could tell many weren’t
impressed by the aesthetic differences between the original and my version. Some
thought the camera shots were spot-on, but others spoke against one or two of
the actors. I do feel like they understood it all right, because the dialogue,
general acting moments, and camera angles communicated the message clear.
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