STUDIO SHOOT

EVALUATION


Our production began by first arranging ourselves into groups of equal amounts. We then proceeded to delegate ourselves to our chosen roles. It gave us the opportunity to pick our strengths and work with them in order to better contribute to the team as a whole. A few amendments had been made when presenting our roles to the tutors in order for people to maximise the most out of the roles and even some had to become part of both groups, to fill out the spaces still available.

I chose to be the head of the sound department in the production as the sound editor and mixer. This, in turn, made me the head of a two-man team with Luca becoming sound editor and grip. Although these roles were ours. Both Luca and I made the decision to spread out the responsibilities of each role helping each other in the tasks that were ahead. This was a smart and effective strategy to our team as this meant that both of us would work to our strengths and exercise them where necessary without the need to pressurise ourselves with tasks, not best suited to us. This made us both an efficient team in the group production.


During the start of the production when it came down to moulding the idea into form for the group video. We arranged many meetings primarily based in the library, to discuss and communicate ideas and develop our thoughts on storyboards and scene by scene layout with the director (Joe) and the producer (Suzanne.) As we proceeded to finalise the idea which was later called 'Push and Pull before Cohesion.' Inspired by Ying and Yan. I then took to discussing the proposed music that would become part of this piece. What would it be like, what genre, would there be foley work, would all sounds be made in post-production and will there be sound needed during the shoot.

As Luca and I had done our research and gathered materials necessary for making the piece, understanding where the idea was going we took to hiring a composer to create a short piece using subtle violins and piano in a slow-paced, discussed with the composer during the meetings we had with him. The good news we had was that the composer was uni based (accessible to the music equipment.) and more than willing to help us out with the group production. The bad news is that we had already done all our tasks sooner than we anticipated. Adding to this, on the day of the shoot we would have very little to do in terms of work.

which then made us suggest foley work to the director as a way of perhaps incorporating sound with more abstract features. Long story cut short, we managed to get the green light go ahead and Luca arranged and booked out the foley room on the days of the shoot.

Despite both Luca and I being well managed in terms of time and scheduling we did face some difficulties as any good team would. The composer had unfortunately stopped communicating with us which then led us to presume they had opted out of the task and so landed the pressure of coming up with an alternative plan B. Eventually after we had resolved the issue, the composer recently got back to us with a piece that unfortunately had little relation to what we intended originally. As good as it was it wasn't the piece we originally set out to create. However, we did manage to provide Foley based sounds that could be altered and fit into the scene that the avid team could incorporate into their cuts of the video. Adding to this we also faced complications with exporting sound from the foley room to the point where some of the sounds itself wouldn't work.

Overall the experience was an eyeopener to what may be expected from us in year three and the future in particular where id see myself working. I know this is only the taster of what to expect in the film industry but to me, it gives me the indication of where I want to be and perhaps where I want to start out. Personally, I don't feel this was too much for me due to good organisation and quick response (which I understand a large part of the ease is down to preparation.) it was relatively easy and I'm quite pleased as a whole that Luca and I worked really well with ease through it, which definitely benefited our work.

TEAM B SOUND BRIEF

SOUND BRIEF

The overall theme for the studio project is based on the idea of Ying and Yang, we've called this piece 'Push and pull before cohesion.' Two opposites both equal to each other, played by two actors in a curtain covered room who perform a choreographed piece on their movements between the two. The end conclusion is that they come together and coexist in a harmonious fashion. 

 The idea for us is to get one of each. A violinist, guitarist and pianist (possibly only two out of the three.) this is to give Ying and Yang their own theme tune in a sense. Speaking with the team and the director, we’ll also create an abstract element to the piece by adding more unusual sounds such as a spring noise, rainmaker, heavy breathing, whooshing sounds etc... giving it a more artistic form. 

Some of the research below are references to some of the ideas we have presently for the piece, mostly being sound art installations. The idea first is to create a piece using two or three instruments and then tweak each of them to give it a different take on the tune. Each piece will be 2mins long so it gives us more variety when we go to post-production.

As part of doing the sound, we need to be aware of the musicians and instruments available to us, ensuring they have equipment and consider their fees covered. This is the first risk we need to be aware of before we began. Next, we’re considering if the instruments worked well with the genre or theme the conclusion will come to a combined tuned ending came using a violin for the positivity and piano for the negativity of the Ying and Yang symbol.

For the mix of sounds that will be played to an action or reaction, we’ll collect a set of common sounds during Foley room time on Tuesday 21^st Nov to 23^rd Nov and then enhance them through adobe audition or Pro tools by adding reverb or changing the speed in post-production. This will hopefully give the artistic form of sound we need to be abstract with the theme.

TEAM B SYNOPSIS & TREATMENT

PUSH-PULL BEFORE COHESION




Synopsis

Using Ralph Meatyards image title ‘Untitled, 1962’ we intend to create an abstract moving image piece, involving two actors to portray the joining and harmonising of Yin and Yang entities embody by two performers. The performers will blend a mixture of dance and theatrical movement to traverse the studio set that blends hectic nature of the two spiritual forces along with their tranquillity.





 

‘Untitled, 1962, Ralph Meatyard’





Treatment

In the shoot, we want to craft the convergence of Yin and Yang coming together after being in separation for an undetermined amount of time. The shoot will explore four stages of this convergence: first the emptiness of the setting, the setting will hold this ethereal nature to it with the movement of the curtains establishing a flow of the film; second is the first stage that introduces both Yin (Played by Nina Sayuri) and Yang (Played by Alice Ball), their stances are split into ‘Fast (Yin) and Slow (Yang)’ and their choreography and movement will reflect these stances/ tones/ characteristics of Yin and Yang respectively. Each of these performances for Slow and Fast will be performed a solo by Yin and then Yang, from different shot choices to then be edited together in post with some pick-ups collected once primary shooting has wrapped in the middle of shoot day two. The next stage is ‘Hide (Yin) and Seek (Yang)’, which is a direct influence from the resource image, and once again the choreography and movement will reflect the positions that Yin and Yang both hold within the scene and within a spiritual context. The next stage is the first stage in which both Yin and Yang perform together and interact with each other; ‘Pull (Yin) and Push (Yang)’ begins the physical bonding of both entities (both performers) as one whole. This leads smoothly into the final stage that is ‘Pull and Push Together’, in which we establish the final moments of the bond finalising in an embrace, as both performers come together as one statue within the space in an embrace.


In terms of the set, the walls will be covered in a fairly thick oatmeal/cream coloured fabric with the desire of it looking like curtains hanging. The reason we have gone for an off-white colour is due to how we light the fabric, if it was pure white it wouldn't show up as well and be very washed out. Therefore an oatmeal colour will be more achievable to get the look and effect we want. In the middle of the set, there will be a thin transparent material in the same colour, they will be attached from the top of the set walls, along to a c-stand hung on a net curtain wire. These curtains will be hung on the wall and the curtain wire in a loose manner that gives us some slack for when we use the fan on set, as we want the curtains to have some movement to them to create a living space. Space itself will hold a surreal and ethereal sense of purpose and place, in that the setting is acting as the capsule in which Yin and Yang are converging. This surreal and ethereal vibe will be achieved through the soft lighting, that will hopefully cast the set and the performers within a glow. While the sound crafted to accompany the dancers shall bridge the surreal with the tranquillity of the space, in that the flowing of the space may be otherworldly (as the source exists outside of the frame) but is mimicking almost the pull and push of a coursing stream/ river.