TMA 285: Glen - Recreated Scene (Master & Coverage) from Fargo

This is my Master & Coverage scene, from the film "Fargo."


Glen - Scene Recreation from Fargo from Spencer Plewe on Vimeo.

TMA 285: Photos, Week 13

Thursday

This is an old kids' favorite puzzle at my Grandma and Grandpa's house, and it is currently missing a piece. Both the contrast of the empty space and the rest of the present pieces and the contrast of the shapes of each piece are striking. Each piece is different, but a sudden blue space and not a yellow shape is too much. The rhythm is uneven by that much. The colors are also great, giving us definitions of yellow, blue, and even red. I think a flatter shot can illustrate this clearer.

Wednesday

A puff of smoke, a straight split between two pieces of metal, and my dad holding a quick saw. I think the story is clear, but I also like the stark black shapes and perpendicular lines going on in this shot. It's a clear and epic combination.

 Friday

At the St. George red cliffs, my family looks off to the side and I capture three of them from behind, the tallest (basically Chris Pine's stunt double) in the middle. Their triangular shapes pointing to the clear sky makes them easy to see and tell apart.

TMA 285: Photos, Week 12

Thursday

At a freak random moment in time, it starts snowing dry snowflakes during a clear sunset! The sight of contrast between the dim objects around me and sunlit snowflakes was absolutely striking! I also love how the brightness of the sun draws us toward it and more objects are illuminated in that direction. If I were to do this again, I would have taken it behind my own car, to make it a bit more personal.

Thursday

The direction this dish is pointing is toward the blue sky, where it's clear. With a closer angle, I would have been able to see the dish make a more triangular point upward, instead of down. I also wish I positioned the dish more to the right to be right in between those two clouds.

Friday

The lines work in a very orderly manner in this shot, I think. The horizontal lines are structured to hold the curved lines in place. I wish I shot a bit of this without the window on the left being so bright.

TMA 285: One-Shot Scripted Scene (Psycho) - Director's Reflection

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? 

            I set out to film the Highway Patrolman scene from “Psycho” expecting to make it strong, smooth, and suspenseful, but I don’t think any of those things were achieved. My direction on the day was very relaxed and easygoing, which wasn’t a very healthy decision in this case. The final product doesn’t look refined at all because of the shaky camera, unconvincing performances, and difficulty of seeing inside the car. I do like the look of the location though, and the general camera beats that I planned are still conveyed well.

            If I were to do this again, I would record more takes for more variety and room for refinement. I would have directed Jason, who plays the cop, to be a different kind of person than the tough, steadfast kind that I tried directing him to be; rather as kind that would best fit him. I would also better block the DP to time the beat of looking into Mary Crane’s car window a lot better, not moving until Mary sets the envelope on the passenger seat.

            This taught me a lot on paying attention to what’s wrong with a take so I can make it known before the next one, though I sadly didn’t learn how to find solutions. It also taught me to look for actors and their costumes a lot sooner so I could have better choices for my vision and for accuracy’s sake for their characters.

Briefly answer the following:

What, specifically, did you want to communicate? Were you successful? Why? Why not? I wanted to show the process of being interrogated, with the guilt of having done something really wrong, being a tense experience. I don’t think I succeeded well, mainly because Alexa, the actress playing Mary, appeared more cheeky than nervous.

How, specifically, did you try to say this? What visual elements, techniques, etc. did you use? Aside from acting style, which I could have corrected, but didn’t know how; I did use deliberate lines and space between Mary and the cop, with him higher than her and the space always looking deep, to show how she feels insignificant and trapped by him.

What did you learn about storytelling: The emotion of trying to get away with a crime is meant to be hard and harrowing, but those in authority to punish you for it are meant to drill you when they suspect something.

Working with actors and getting performance: I could tell on set that the actors weren’t hitting a proper tone: Alexa wan’t nervous, Jason wasn’t assertive, but after seven takes of giving them direction specifically to those goals, but not achieving them, I’ve learned that they should either be directed in another direction or have been cast differently entirely.

Blocking — camera and actors: A well-written scene requires good blocking to go with it in order to tell a visual story in the right way. The camera’s movements and changes in angle are essential to making the changes in story more distinctive. I may not know very well how to communicate improvement to my actors, but their blocking is something I can naturally see as essential. If the actors are doing some visually interesting activities as they talk, their characters reveal more details about themselves.

Visuals — composition, framing, visual elements: I learned that deep space while outside can make a good impression of vastness and being lost. I know I missed a huge opportunity for using the car’s mirror to reflect Mary’s face while the cop is checking her front license plate though.

Design & Art Direction: I was able to get a good amount of props I needed from the prop shop, and some from Walmart. I unfortunately lacked access to elements of a police uniform (hat, badge, shirt/coat), and what I improvised for Jason didn’t look convincing. I should have looked earlier for certain costume places or legitimate clothes others may have loaned.

The Production Process — collaboration with crew, the logistics of making this piece: My DP was recovering from an illness, so her shaky footage is partly justified for that, but I think the main culprit was the one-handled shoulder rig she used, and that I’ve used before, and it produced equally shaky footage that was no different from hand-holding the camera. Next time, I’ll be sure my DP knows to either get a glidecam or Steadicam apparatus, or otherwise a two-handled shoulder rig so that the mobile shot will be smoother. My sound mixer also came up with a clever fix for our one wireless LAV microphone not working: putting my recording cell phone in the car and booming the outside sound, and later on getting wild lines with the boom as well.

                  

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?  I could tell that the audience universally felt that Jason was unconvincing as the cop, and they didn’t even know he was one until later in the scene. I was actually surprised that some felt the emotional tension as the blocking of the car starting and the cop stopping it kept going. In a way, it is a good shakeup of actors and camera blocking that gives us variety to look at.

TMA 285: Scripted Scene: Master and Coverage - Director's Statement

1.       What film or TV show is this from? Fargo (1996 film)

            a.       Have you ever watched this film? No

            b.       Do you have the actual script of the film—not a transcript? Yes

2.       After reading the entire script, in 3 sentences, what is the story of the entire film?

A husband and father, Jerry, hires two goons, Carl and Grimsrud, to kidnap his wife and demand a large ransom from her rich father. The operation involves them killing three unexpected witnesses, and Police Chief Marge Gunderson becomes involved in tracing the killers. By the time she catches up to them, Jerry’s wife and father-in-law are dead, and so is Carl, at the hand of Grimsrud; and he and Jerry (who attempted to run away) are arrested.

3.       After reading the entire script, what is the theme or message of this film?

Greed is an ugly thing, as it inspires insecure people to go to any length for their own desires.

4.       In 3-5 sentences, what happened in the story immediately before your selected scene?

Marge Gunderson is a seasoned police chief who is expecting a baby with her husband, Norm; and has been investigating the murders of three people. After the story made the news, Marge received a call at night from an old high school friend named Glen, who saw Marge on TV and wanted to catch up with her. Marge was close to catching the guys responsible for the crimes at the garage they work at, but they pretended not to know anything and got away with it.

5.       In 3-4 sentences, what is the story—the beginning, middle, and end—of this scene? In other words, what happens as the scene starts, as it progresses, and as it ends?

Marge enters a hotel bar where she meets Glen, her old high school friend. They are excited to see each other and see Marge pregnant, then Glen talks about his old married life and how his wife passed away. They toast to better times, but Glen weeps over his now-loneliness and the fact that he always really liked Marge, to which Marge consoles him, saying that it’s okay.

6.       What, specifically, must the audience understand narratively/plot-wise in order to engage in this scene? How will you communicate each piece of information?

They must know, first of all, that Marge is pregnant and married, to show her familial success in her adult years since she and Glen last met. For the actress playing Marge, I’ll have her wear a wedding ring, as well as place a small pillow or fake baby belly under her shirt to show this plot point. They also need to know that Glen is drinking alcohol to help explain why he gradually becomes more emotionally unstable. I’ll provide a glass of apple juice for the Glen actor which he will be drinking from throughout the scene. An emotional point that is essential is that Glen likes Marge more than as a friend, and she is trying to steer it back to the friend zone. I’ll direct the Marge actress to look uncomfortable as he lays it on her thick, but I’ll also block the camera angles to push in closer to their faces as their conversation progresses, illustrating how personal the subject matter is getting.

7.       What is the narrative and thematic purpose of this scene within the larger story?

This is hard to answer since Joel and Ethan Coen are known for including random subplots in their films that really have nothing to do with the main plot, but it does have Marge branching out to other things in her life besides talking with her husband and investigating a homicide case. This visit with Glen was intended to be a bit of escape from her frantic side of life and allow her to reminisce to her younger days. Instead, it becomes an emotional blow to her to see an old friend fall apart.

8.       What emotion do you want the audience to experience while watching this scene? Why? How, specifically, do you intend to do this?  

I want the emotion to start out as warm, friendly, and relaxed, because that is exactly as Marge, our main character, feels. I’ll look for an indoor location that has warm colors, and hopefully bright, warm lights. The camera shots in the first half will also be wide, giving us comfortable space between us and the characters. As the scene progresses, I want the emotion to become awkward, then heartbreaking, because Marge sees Glen gradually become distracted in thought and cry over the “loss” of his wife; putting her in a very awkward situation in which it’s hard to know how to react. This section will be covered with tight medium close-ups and regular close-ups on the characters’ faces.

9.       What is the first image of the scene? What is the final image of the scene? Why do you think the director chose these specific images?

The first image is a wide of the hotel bar (or restaurant) interior, and Marge enters through a door in the middle of the frame. She looks around the place for Glen. This is to give us the space we need to establish this unique location, and that Marge is coming here probably for the first time, looking for someone familiar. The final image is Marge walking around the table and placing a hand on Glen’s hunched up shoulders as he weeps, and she tells him “it’s okay, Glen.” This is shot as a medium, facing Marge’s front. I choose this image to convey true friendly support when it’s needed, and a significant step to combating the awkwardness of the conversation.

10.   Why is this scene personal to you? What specific personal experience(s) does it remind you of?

I feel connected with Glen. Ironically, I very recently went through a loss of a young woman I liked as well. She didn’t die; it was a break-up, but the result still left me with an empty feeling, like I was as lonely as Glen. Carrying that forward to when Glen is talking to Marge about his loss, and revealing that he really liked her a lot even after all this time they’ve been separate, that makes me think of how much I would like to be with the woman I know again, despite the fact that she (and Marge) have chosen someone else.

11.   How should the lighting feel in this scene? Why? You may include sample image(s). (Not from the actual film!)

The script describes the hotel bar as being low-lit, but I also want it to be clearly warm, because compared to the horrific nature of the rest of the film, this is meant to be a modest respite among friends. As Marge and Glen sit down together, I want Marge’s face to be cleanly lit with white light to show that she’s grounded and happy where her life is, but Glen’s face to be more yellowish, to convey a sickly, slightly drunken aura about him.

12.   Which two specific visual elements—line, shape, space, tone, color, rhythm, movement—do you intend to use to purposefully communicate the emotion of the scene? (You will be graded on your execution of this plan)

·         Color: I want Marge’s appearance to be cool, relaxed, optimistic, so her lighting and outfit (blue police uniform, even though the script says it’s beige) will appear on the cool side of the color spectrum. Glen, on the other hand, will appear as a generally yellow color, to show uneasiness and need for attention.

·         Movement: Marge will remain still and properly postured on account of both her pregnancy and her usual straight-faced requirement as an officer. Glen will start slowly swaying left, right, backwards and forwards partway through the scene to show how tipsy, and unsettled, he’s getting. As their movements grow more different, the emotion becomes more intentionally awkward.

13.   In a bulleted list, describe three potential obstacles you may face in creating a successful scene. Describe how can you be prepared to overcome these? Be specific!

·         Finding a location that matches this scenario may be difficult, as well as getting permission to shoot at a time for it when there’s not a lot of people. It doesn’t need to specifically be a bar, though, it can be a restaurant with circular booths.

·         Blocking the characters’ actions during their long conversation may be challenging, since no one wants to see people just sit and talks for three minutes. I’ll have to figure out different mannerisms and activities that they can fill their time with, such as slightly tipping their glasses, staring off at certain objects, or pumping their hands in certain rhythms to accentuate their topics.

·         As the emotion dives into tragic as Glen starts weeping, getting this emotion right for the actor will require giving him some personal space, and keeping the atmosphere of the set quiet for him. As is always important for actors in emotional scenes, it’s best to leave them alone to prepare for it until they’re ready.

TMA 285: "Psycho" - One-shot of a scripted scene

This is my scene of choice that I remade as a single-shot version. It is the highway patrol man scene from the beginning act of "Psycho".


Psycho - One-Shot of a Scripted Scene from Spencer Plewe on Vimeo.

TMA 285: Photos, Week 11

 Tuesday

I was a big fan of the symmetrical lines this view offered - everything's flat, yet extends far into space. I also loved the sight of the fog along the bottom of the mountains, giving it a cool atmosphere. I probably would have moved to the left more so that the fade into white would be on its own on the right side.

Saturday

I still love clouds, and this ocean-wave-like formation caught my eye particularly. I wanted to capture the white in the bottom half and the blue sky in the upper half to give a nice even divide. I put this light pole in the middle to give it a stronger rhythm, and a contrasting foreground object. If I took this again, I would have cropped off the top horizontal flagpole.

Saturday

I placed this signal light in a spot where it would be as much in the middle as possible, and its strong orange color would stand out from the pale off-white background. Even though it's not turned on, this can still signal eyes toward it because of it's popping contrast. I'm sure a red circle would work better at that though.

TMA 285: Photos, Week 10

Friday

This photo uses color to tell its story. The clues for what it really is we're looking at are hidden in the details, because at first glance, this seems like an ordinary green plant, but by paying attention to its details, we see that it's just plastic. I took this purposefully close so we can see the dirt splotches on the foreground leaf.

Saturday

I caught this view out of sheer surprise. I thought it striking to see the dark letters contrast with the light reflecting in the stainless steel, and their reflections in it too. The tonal difference was possible through the right angle. Though, I don't see "real" as being the right word to be caught; if I could do it again, I would have tried finding another, more poignant word to contrast.

Saturday

I took this photo noticing its rhythm of lines, seeing how the people's bodies and the posts were parallel (in 3D space) but the wooden board was perpendicular to them. The rhythm suggests an order to this line the people are in, but also a slight haphazardness going on, like noise. I do wish I took this at a more straight angle to make the lines more perfectly perpendicular.

TMA 285: One Shot of an Event: Director's Reflection

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? 

I am always interested in behind-the-scenes videos of the making of big movies, so this short documentary kind of appeals to me in that way. I wanted to shoot plenty of moments where the director of this swimming video would be giving instructions on acting, or at least, swimming, in a way that shows this as a challenge for her. It turned out that she was so committed and prepared that she handled all the segments with ease, telling her actors precisely what to do and how to do it. They would also come to her with questions on details and she knew the answers. It wasn’t “dramatic” in the conflict sense, but it was more like watching a seasoned instructor.

I am definitely not proud of the shakiness of most of the footage I got, which I mainly blame the awkward shoulder rig I was using for, but I think I could have fixed that with at least trying to hold the camera with both hands, maybe without the rig, and see if that makes a difference. One thing I do like in the final result is the angles I take when I’m not walking, how they are well-composed and easy to look at and interpret. I also think the rack focuses I was doing all the time were essential to these angles in telling us which part of the image to look at, though it could have also used some more practice.

Briefly answer the following:

What, specifically, did you want to communicate? Were you successful? Why? Why not?

I wanted to tell the process of amateur filmmaking, which I don’t think is shown very often, especially not as much as the process of Hollywood-studio filmmaking. I believe I was successful in showing what lengths filmmakers go to get certain shots, direct their actors, and what sheer confidence and power they can have in their attempts. The female director at the center of my film showed all those things because she was depicting something she knew well and loved very much.

How, specifically, did you try to say this? What visual elements, techniques, etc. did you use?

I kept the camera on the director the whole time to tell that she was the subject, and she was always on top compared to her actors, because she was the boss. Using a shoulder rig, I followed her wherever she walked around the pool, and found angles at which we could see her talking to her actors. Her bright green shirt helped her pop out as well, compared to the rest of the environment.

What did you learn about storytelling:

From a documentary stand-point, I learned to be very spontaneous and ready to act on what’s happening around me, so that I can capture it from the right angle and make everything as clear as possible.

Working with actors and getting performance:

While recording the director, I wanted to be as out-of-the-way as possible so that her efforts to make her film weren’t hindered in the slightest. Even then, it was hard for me to decide at certain points whether to go over her shoulder, looking at her actors, or looking at her face so we can tell she’s talking.

Blocking — camera and actors:

I was not smooth in my transitions between each position; it was very shaky and not focused on my subject all the time. I had to consider how fast I would walk and what angle I wanted to look at when I got there.

Visuals — composition, framing, visual elements:

My focal length at the time was too tight, I believe; I was on a zoom lens, so I could have zoomed out a bit more to allow more room to look at my subject and decrease the shakiness effect.

Design & Art Direction:  

I had no control here, but I do appreciate how the director wore a bright green shirt which popped out from the bright walls, blue water, and bleaker areas around her.

The Production Process — collaboration with crew, the logistics of making this piece:

There was thankfully no difficulty at all in getting permission to shoot at the RB pool, since I wasn’t going to be swimming in it. The extras that were standing by the pool definitely took notice of my being there and asked about it during the shoot, which I think hampered their performances and Jessica’s direction a bit, so I wish I explained my intentions to them earlier.

                  

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?  

I feel like the class understood it well enough, that they figured out that it was a film I was documenting being made, that I was following the director, and that the process was very engaging and intellectual to watch. I am not surprised that most of them thought it was simply a swim team photo shoot, since it easily seemed like that; but it was an aspiring film student filming her Media Arts entry film; though Jessica is indeed a swim expert.

TMA 285: One-Shot of a Scripted Scene - Director's Statement

1.       What film or TV show is this from? Psycho (1960)

a.       After reading the script, in 3 sentences, what is the story of the entire film? A runaway criminal, Mary, stops at a small motel in the desert and befriends the manager, Norman Bates. Norman, consumed inside by the memory of his dead mother, and conflicted by his feelings for Mary, murders her in her shower at night, and cleans any evidence of her being there. Mary’s sister, Lila, and Mary’s boyfriend, Sam, launch a search for Mary at the motel, discovering Norman to be the murderer and he confesses where he hid the evidence, but his own mind has been completely destroyed by his mother’s personality.

      After reading the script, what is the theme of this film? While most times, crime is committed with vile or selfish intentions; sometimes, horrible crimes are not committed intentionally by the person who did it, because people can cease to be themselves.

2.       Do you have the actual script of the film (not a transcript)? Yes

3.       In 3-5 sentences, what happened in the story immediately before this scene? Mary and her boyfriend, Sam, discuss getting married after he pays off all his work debts and previous divorce alimony. She steals $40,000 from her work in Arizona, stores it in an envelope, packs it in her handbag along with an envelope of her own personal documents, and drives off toward Sam’s home town in California. She feels terribly guilty and becomes paranoid of her boss or anyone else watching and following her. She drives on through the night and becomes very tired.

4.       In three or four sentences, what is the story—the beginning, middle, and end—of this scene? In other words, what happens as the scene starts, as it progresses, and as it ends?

At dawn, Mary is asleep in her car, parked off the side of the highway, when a highway patrolman arrives and walks to her car. Mary wakes and tries to get away, but the Patrolman stops her, reassures her, and asks for her license. Mary tries to hide the money-filled envelope and the important-papers envelope, but she has no choice to expose them in order to give the patrolman her wallet. He checks it out, gives the wallet back, then she drives off quickly down the road.

5.       What, specifically, must the audience understand narratively/plot-wise in order to engage in this scene? How will you communicate each piece of information?

They must understand that Mary doesn’t want to talk to the cop out of fear of getting caught. I will direct the actress playing Mary to keep her hands firmly on the steering wheel to show her readiness to peel out at any given moment. They must also understand that the two envelopes are both distinguishable and secretive to her. I will make sure both envelopes are big, different-colored, and that Mary tries whatever she can to hide them from the cop.

6.       What is the narrative and thematic purpose of this scene within the larger story?

This scene shows how Mary was alone, afraid, and untrusting while she was on her way to the Bates’ Motel. She wanted to get to Sam’s place quickly without anyone catching her with the stolen money.

7.       What emotion do you want the audience to experience while watching this scene? Why? How, specifically, do you intend to do this?  

Anxiety over Mary’s tight attitude toward the cop, and a desire for her to come clean to him. The camera will always be outside the car, alternating between high angles from the cop’s eye level to flat angles at Mary’s eye level, looking at Mary most of the time as she fidgets and acts defensive.

8.       What is the first image of the scene? What is the final image of the scene? Why do you think the director chose these specific images?

The first image is Mary’s car, parked off the highway shoulder, and the final image is Mary’s car finally driving forward, growing smaller, as the cop dashes back to his patrol car.

9.       Why is this scene personal to you? What specific personal experience(s) does it remind you of?

I have been a liar and hider before. As a young teen, I’ve used my personal devices for lascivious purposes, and I could always tell my parents were hovering over my shoulder about it. I would try everything I can to hide it and squeeze myself out of the topic if they brought it up.

10.   Which two specific visual elements—line, shape, space, tone, color, rhythm, movement—do you intend to use to purposefully communicate the emotion of the scene? (You will be graded on your execution of this plan)

Color: Mary will have a red outfit on, while her surroundings, and the appearance of the cop, are contrastingly bleak. This will give the allusion that she is the center of the scene, and she is repelled by everything else out of fear.

Line: The connecting line between the cop’s and Mary’s eyes will shift from diagonal to straight sideways. It will be diagonal, with the cop on top, when he has the upper hand of the conversation to give him a looming dominance, and straight when Mary has the upper hand to give her strength to escape.

11.   In a bulleted list, describe three potential obstacles you may face in creating a successful scene. Describe how can you be prepared to overcome these? Be specific!

   Making the appearance of the patrolman and his patrol car seem realistic – finding an adequate costume and car decorations may be difficult. I’ll ask other film students/professors if they’ve had experience with these things and where I may find them, maybe even finding an overstocked police outfit at a costume store.

         Since this scene takes place at dawn, the appearance of the sun may make things difficult for the actors in terms of the sun shining in their faces and the camera in terms of shadows. Since mornings around Provo have the sun not come out from behind the mountain until later than usual, I can control whether this morning scene is before or after the sun peaks out.

         Finding a piece of road where not many cars would be driving by may be difficult, but I know there are a lot of country roads around this county and locating one to film at shouldn’t be impossible if I look through all of them.