Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Saul and Elaine Bass

Who are these people?

<——- Mr Saul Bass himself 

Saul


Saul Bass hugely developed what opening titles were. His career over 50 years, he collaborated with some of the most top director and top movies for example he was asked by Alfred Hitchcock to help with the shower scene from 'Pyscho', which is arguably one of the most famous scene from a film, along with traumatizing my brother! Also he has one Oscar. 

Elaine 

She was born in NYC,  she the youngest of 3 older sisters, they had a singing group 'Belmont Sister'.  She was the lead singer and sang on the radio from ages of 14-18, they stoped due to one of her sisters got married.  She went into the fashion industry in New York, made a small name for herself from her singer she then moved to LA, she found a found in a design apartment but wanted something more difficult. There was a job for Saul basses pa,  she knew some of his work but didn't hugely care for his name. She apply and got the job 

Saul's first big work

Saul Bass is mostly know for his work on title sequences, starting really with Otto Preminger's the man the golden arm 1955  (The Jazz musician who has a drug addiction)
Was one of the first title sequence to be more then just titles and add design while the titles are present. The added animated features the white on black paper of a cut out arm of an addict relating to the style and content of the film. 

Saul's aims for all sequences was to 'try to reach a simple, visual phrase that tells you what the picture is all about and evoke the essences of the story'. 

Saul and Elaine work together

1955 Elaine joined with Elaine and in 1960s she directed and producted this title sequence under Saul (Spartacus). The following year they got married.Then both carry on making work with their latest being Casino (1995) he died the following year. Although after his death people have carried on his style such as movies such as 'Catch me if you can' and 'X-men;first Class' with his graphics and animated sequence. 

Monday, March 14, 2022

2nd editing

Iside was sadly not in so it was just me and Vita! But we did our aim! We sorted the issue with the bathroom, we changed the order of the bathroom sequence, so the continuity would work with glasses in and out of the mirror. We did this may using the tap to break up two shot of Jules looking in the mirror as she enter then cuts to tap and then cuts to placing her glasses down and going to wash her face.

 adding on from what we did the first session ^

We have realised that we have got too much footages as we are nearly at 2 minutes but have not done the flashback yet or ending. We are going to do the whole sequences then edit then cut down afterwards on shots thats are not that strong and taking too long. 

Friday, March 11, 2022

First Editing Session!!

First Editing Session!

Today we got 40 seconds done! We had to sort around our shots as we didn’t shoot it in the right order. We have gotten up to where she enters the bathroom. We found it for the most part easy, we had the shots we need and changed. Such as the opening, we changed what was on our storyboard. It took us a little time to get our head around how to change it. We starts with the the blurred shot to a close up on switch then to a mid shot. We are playing around with what works. We are were starting to struggle with the bathroom as we didn't get haley moving on action, plus her taking her glasses. We got a lot done but will have to fix some of our errors. We have agreed to meet on Thursday activities and Vita will do some work on Wednesday while Iside and Me our on a theatre trip. I started on the computer editing first then Vita and then Iside. We all put input when others where on the computer.

Aims for next session was to get the bathroom part edited and start her exiting the bathroom

This what we got done ^

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Mise-en- scene video


 

history of opening titles and credit research

The opening credits that would classify as an opening title sequence were at the start of paramount pictures film ‘A Farwell to arms’. Opening credits used to be simple cards with text on them. These cards are the next step forwards for silent films. Sheets with credits/ titles were rolled in front of the camera to create a ‘title card’ Later on transparent sheets were for title sequences. 

watch up to 1minute and 15 second, for the opening titles 




‘A Farewell to arms’ started the new trend of making these credits more exciting by having a plane then a explosion then the title edited on the screen and credits with dramatic music in background. as had text on the screen telling what’s happened. Reminded me of star wars.


Walt Disney's Fantasia with opening with credits 



1940 ‘ Walt Disney’s Fantasia’ was first sound film to have NO opening credits, it did how ever have end credits like many movies today. 

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

after shoot report on the day

8:50 The start of our shoot day! We meet by the our classroom to get the fairy lights, props. We went through to the studio to get to the camera equipment and camera. 

9:10am We met with Haley and got on the bus with our props and equipment.


9:25am We got the Hurtwood Inn, left our equipment in the bus to go pick the room. We picked between two rooms. The first room was too nice and looked very much like a hotel. We picked room number 12 the second room we looked at as it was more homely by the window and blankets and desk made it feel like more like a teenage bedroom. We then got the prop and equipment out of the bus.


9:30am Bethan arrived. We began dressing the room. We placed the fairy lights behind the bed frame, unplug an alarm clock/charger. We removed the coffee machine and cups. We unstuck the signs on the wall, we place a calendar on the back of the door as us could not remove a fire safety sign. We place books on the window and one the desk a pencil case so it looked like she does schoolwork. We put all our bags in the bathroom. 


9:40 We finished dressing the room and then explained to the actors the hold shoot, shot by shot. Haley got changed into her the day costume. Started to film the part of her walking out the bathroom to pack her bag and find the box that causes her to have a flashback as Haley had to leave for 40 minutes for a drama performance. We set the camera up facing in the room. We shot two wides, two mids and two close ups on her face expressions and her hands.


10:10am Haley left, we shot Bethan walking towards the door. Then we did the POV from Jules of fake mother walking in. We had to redo this as we forgot the aim the shotgun mic at Bethan when saying the lines. This was all the shots we could do without Haley. We then realised that we would need to change re shoot the close up we did on Haley as her heads needs to look up so we could cut on the action.


10:25am We then shot  part of the room like the calendar and the fairy lights as cut away shots, all to show what the room is like. I shot with Vita the books and calendars. 


10:50am Haley came back we reshot of the previous close up shots as we need haley to look out so we were cutting on action, so in post it would work better to cut on that action. 


11am We then shot Bethan and Haley together. We shot over the shoulder,  we also need shot from Haley's POV of Bethan. We moved the camera to where Haley was sat, and cheated it slight by moving Bethan more to the left, one because of the 180 degree rule, two because it covers the door lock. We need her to cover the door lock cause it didn't work for a bedroom. 


11:30am Bethan was wrapped and Haley changed into nightwear and we did the shoot chronologically order. While Haley was changing i ran through scene and then what types of shots we needed and which to do first. We had to change the idea for the first shot, we were meant to have as it was meant to be a blurred POV of haley opening her eyes, everything out of focus but the issue was the room and decor were all white. So when blurred looks rather plain for an opening shot. We decided to change the shot to a mid/close up on haley getting up with it out of focus until she put her glasses on, then we would change to being in focus. We had another shot of when opening after Haley put the glasses on turns on the lights, for lighting purposes when had it for when she turn one light on all of the lights were on. Vita was filming while Iside and I were ready to press the other lights in the room. 


12:50am we finished the the bedroom shots and then we work on the the bathroom. The bathroom was rather cramped, Vita was standing in the bath for half the shots. One of the last shot we did was POV from the bin as Haley drops the empty pills packet in bin. I lay down under the sink with the camera on my chest as i film the shot, I did shut my eyes every time it came close the packet was dropped.


1:40pm We finished all the shots with Haley and wrapped her. We then packed up and loaded the bus. We took photos before to stick the signs back were they were at the beginning. I put the coffee tray back where it was kept and plugged the machine in. We packed up the camera equipment and then left to loaded every thing in the bus. 


2pm We then had lunch, as we weren't need to be at our next location till 3/4. 


2:30pm We then got on the bus and left the hurtwood inn 


2:45 Arrived at school, we left our bags in the bus and we waited for Annie 


3:10 Annie lesson finished at 3, we left school with Annie to headed to turret


3:25 We arrived at turrets, we dressed the set by removing an another fire safety sign, removing the quick cooker and removed anything that didn't fit in the shot. We spoke to Annie what she would have to do.  We had a view items for Annies costume. We quick pick it out of the clothes we had and then she changed while finished setting the set.


4:10 Karen arrived in costume and makeup done, we talked her through what to do and say. We added a white light, this make every colour in the scene washed out, it looked more like a flashback. We had only 3 part to what we had to do, but as we had alot of time we filmed the piece in slo-mo which was at 50 frame a second. We cut a close up on Karen's hand, as it didn't work while filming. Karen had to do the same thing for 2/3 for every shot. 


4:50 We shot everything we needed to and wrapped the shot day.  





Final sequence