BLACKMAIL

SOUND IN . . .

Sound is used throughout this film to accentuate the mood of each scene.

To think, this was Alfred Hitchcock's first film made with sound, is amazing in itself and that only 45 miniutes of the ~84 min. film was filled with dialogue and if we hadn't been clued in before hand, I would have never have thought the lead character had a double speaking for her. For 1929, this film seemed very advanced, as I'm sure it was revolutionary.

During the other 39 minutes of this film, music takes the place of dialogue. Where one would yell, the music becomes loud and very pronounced.

It carries us through each scene mirroring the actions taking place. For example, as the attorneys sat around deciding what the verdict was, Hitchcock uses music to show us the passing of time, this music complements the visual he gives us as he cuts to an ash trey of one cigarette butt, and the scene fades to multiple cigarette butts. Another example is as the the affair takes place, the two walk up the stairs, and each flight the tone of the music gets higher and higher and higher . . .

A great use of diegetic off screen sound is after the murder has taken place and Alice sits to eat breakfast with her family. A friend who has stopped by to talk, is speaking " blah blah blah KNIFE blah blah blah KNIFE, blah blah, KNIFE, blah, KNIFE KNIFE!!" Hitchcock was very clever to lower and heighten the sound in just the right places, it was almost comedic to the audience because it was so over done. The only necessary part for us to hear, of what the women had to say, was about the Knife. So he made sure, thats all we heard.

Another clever use of Off-screen sound is of the birds, I wouldn't say chirping, but maybe screeching, not allowing her to get to bed after she has committed the murder. The birds chirps are overly dramatic as the film cuts to an eye-line match of her looking at the out of screen photo of her boyfriend. The birds song remind us of his constant whistling, but now in an eerie way.

sidenote: All of these photographs were uploaded via google images so copyright to them.

Back to Basics

Its been a while since I posted some good ol' surf shots, and with my recent overflow of Film posts, I wasn't about to let you forget what this blog is about. So I decided to take a day off of the hectic life I currently lead and dig into the archives. This shoot was from this past summer, at the surf spot we call home. Churches.

not much else to say, just there for pure enjoyment.

CRASH BOOM POW

Hiroshima, Mon Amour

The opening of the film was so visually pleasing, the editing briliantly guides the viewer

down a path of mystery.

Although, we (as the viewer) aren't quite sure what we are

looking at just yet, that is where the beauty lies. The scene of two bodies, endless skin, neither can be told where it begins

and where it ends, intertwined so tight like rolling hills.

one scene covered in ash, you have to wonder, is this the aftermath of Hiroshima? . . . are they lying there togehter, at their last breath?

What are we about to feel when the camera decides to pan out?

The rain of ash has turned to water, glistening skin, like sparkles from the sky.

Then to smooth clean skin, we see their full of life bodies move as one. And we all can take our own deep breath, a sense of relief comes over us.

Minute 2:22 - 3:33 in this clip is the scene I am talking about. . .

its interesting to think all of this can go through ones mind, within a clip that last no more than a minute.

Here is the link to the opening scene:

(I had to take it out because of the sound and replace with still images, but these images still get the point across)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgh5zH0yZXo

This sort of editing is inspiring.

Another thought I found interesting.

Someone in the class had brought up, could she have been imagining her entire past?

Is she insane? What leads us to believe that her memories of the past are true?

In my other film class, gender and global cinema, we have been talking about the notion of

pathologizing women in films. Would it be right of us to go ahead and judge her? Or is her story of the past

geared to guide us to simply view and understand her life story?

Editing

Elements of

Onscreen & Offscreen space

Spacial & Temporal Relations

Continuity Editing breaks down scenes into multiple, in a way that is legible. It is economically productive & time efficient providing visual interests because of usage of different angles.

The 180 degree rule, for instance,

is prevalent in any given scene where there will be an axis of action

Eyeline match is when a character is looking out of frame at something or someone and we know exactly where.

Match on action is when the action flows into the next cut and our eyes naturally follow the action.

Parallel Editing

suggest simultaneity within multiple cuts and cross/inter cutting

MIS.EN.SCENE

FRENCH FOR STAGING.

These are visual elements placed in front of a camera before filming begins.

Elements composed of (to name a few)

.props.character blocking.lighting.

&

COLOR

The colors in a scene or throughout a film, have the ability to shape it, to give us insight into whats going on within the minds of our characters,

what their motives are or next move may be. The color red could be read by anyone as one of love or lust. Where color could also be used to foreshadow upcoming events, red blood could be used to give us clues into a murder or future death.

"Light is the paintbrush of a Cinematographer"

It organizes our gaze within the image by purposefully highlighting & lowlighting different aspects of the frame. Hard or Soft light can achieve different emotions, such as the feeling of "magic hour" in the above photograph.

Three Point Lighting combines the key, fill, & backlighting to blend naturally the distribution of a light in a scene. Where the Key light is the main source, bright with few contrasts. The Fill light can be used to balance out the key lighiting or emphasize other spaces or objects in a scene. And the Back light or edgelighting, illuminates a person from behind, giving a silhouetted glow.

Does anyone hear "Fight the Power!" when they see this image?

Props: Short for property; an object that functions as a part of the set or as a tool used by the actors.

These brass knuckles Radio Raheem used throughout the film Do The Right Thing, worked as a prop specifically placed throughout different scenes to visually clue us in to the stories underlying themes.

Character Blocking

is the arrangement of characters in relation to each other.

Are they touching?

Far a part?

High?

Low?

Does architecture impede placing between characters?

Are they blocking each other?

All of the these can, without verbally stating, tell us what sort of relationship the characters within a scene share.

The placement of each implies something to the viewer,

each angle and position are purposeful.

While the rest of these elements that make up Mis-en-scene (i.e. sets, settings, & costumes) tie into these mentioned above, each serves its specific and necessary purpose.

Sidenote: All of these photographs & video were uploaded via google images so copyright to them.

The Piano.

Cinematography.

. camera distance. camera angle. aspect ratio. depth of field. lenses .

. frame composition. camera movement. shot duration .

All of these elements are just a short distance from the world I am used to.

but each intertwine like the black and white keys on a piano.

In this weeks screening of The Piano.

I was inspired to do a shoot, in an attempt to recreate a similar scene created by the relationship between Aida and her piano, Aida and Flora, & Aida and Banes. Low dim lighting, as vibrant and warm as I could pull from the candle light, as much skin as my muse could bare; as his fingers flow across the keys the soothing sounds ease tensions. Comparing back to one of Banes and Aidas most heated encounters, he sternly forces her to play anything she pleases, while he strips away layers of her clothing, he strips away layers of her fears, layers of bottled up emotions, and she begins to release as he frees her of these heavy burdens she bares.

and as the first sights of her pale skin peak through, she slowly becomes liberated.

As she escapes back to Banes to give more & more "piano lessons", we observe as she lets her hair down, becomes more playful with her daughter Flora, and plays her piano as if she is finally comfortable with her sexuality and unique means of communication.

The colors of the film turn from a cool gray to a warm and fiery palate of reds and golds suggesting the shift and growth beginning to take precedence in Aidas life.

As I began to think of how to compose this shoot, Feist came on shuffle. (For those of you have never heard of her, I suggest looking her up) her album Let it Die's cover photograph is what inspired the feel for how the photographs would pan out, their grainy texture represents the rawness that embodies the story line of the film, while the deep red screams heat, sex, and passion (& as we find out later in the film, sometimes blood).