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nixontheroad-blog · 6 years ago

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Ernie's Winter Home - A lifetime experience

Time flies so fast during our production month. I still remember the 1st day, we started our class with Dino and now we already finished filming our:” Ernie’s Winter Home”. Looking back at the last 4 weeks, I would like to share some reflections on my experience working as 1st AD for "Ernie’s Winter Home" based on my original goals that I set for this class during Mastery.

My 1st goal is to perform professionally and effectively as Director, 1st AD or DP. I made it. I was so glad to become the 1st AD for our cohort. It was a tough job even though I already tried to prepare myself by working as 1st AD for many productions before:” Ernie’s Winter Home”. However, when it came to a bigger scale with more than 50 crew members and complicated equipment, things became much more difficult.

According to our reading material:” First-time filmmaker F*ch-ups”: Anything happen to cause the shoot to go off schedule, the 1st A.D. is likely to get blamed. Besides making the shooting schedule, keep cast and crew informed about the plan, 1st AD in charge of limiting, enforcing the amount of time for every shot as well as get the directors what she wants. Honestly, it was not easy at all to balance the schedule and also give the DP and Director what they really want. We did not have many shots. However, each shot had very complicated set up and our DP was really meticulous about his lighting. Even though I already schedule plenty of time for each shot and got approval from our instructors, Director and DP, it took ways more time in reality. First thing, I tried to make my PAs team work efficiently as much as possible by getting all the basecamps set up early then moved to help G&E team. However, we got stuck when G&E needed more time to get things done. I tried to utilize those time to make sure other departments were ready to go then got back to push G&E. Our DP wanted the best look for the film so he did not want his G&E to rush and he never compromised until he was satisfied with everything. I think he did his job perfectly but also that made my job more difficult. Firstly, I admit that I was not really experienced with G&E and 1st AD also in charge of safety so I did not want to push them so hard and created safety problems on set. I believed they know their job better than I do and all of them was working hard. If they said they needed more time that means that really needed more time. Secondly, in the end, the bottom line of my job is helping Director and DP to achieve their vision so what is the point to keep everything on time and cannot get the good look for the film. However, we had a time limit and we had to feed our crew on time so it was an endless battle to me when trying to be supportive as much as possible and also get things done efficiently. I kept my eye on my crew every time and provided them anything they need to perform their job because according to the book:” Set Lighting Technician's Handbook”, ADs and PAs can be called upon to help coordinate between departments. For example, if an electrician needed some furniture moved to place a light and the onset dresser was nowhere in sight, the 1st AD would have him found in short order.

I felt awful that due to the company move, we had to feed the crew later than the 6-hour limit on the 1st day. We also went overtime on the 2nd and 3rd day. Although we were lucky that the crew was happy and supportive as well as managing to get all the good footages, I felt terrible at the same time. I tried my best but I truly believe that there are so many things that I should have done better as the 1st AD

My 2nd goal is gaining more experiences about other positions on set and as 1st AD keeping my eye on every department on set, I had such a great opportunity to learn. Obviously, I did not have time to shadow every single position but I 100% understood each position’s roles and how they should collaborate on set. Especially, I did learn a lot from our instructor, Van, about being 1st AD. I was so glad he was there with us on the raining day. I was so panic and I think we could not have made it without him. He showed me what we should do to prepare for the rain and when the rain came, he also suggested us many optional plans to get what we want. The 2nd half of the last day after the rain, he pushed the crew to work much more efficient and we even wrapped early with more than we wanted. He was such a tough and supportive 1st AD that I always want to be. It is right to say 1st AD can be considered as the on-set villain. I should practice my 1st mentality so much more to pursue this tough job.

Even though I kinda achieved my goals so far with our thesis film, there are still so many things that I know I should improve such as filling the reports. I made a lot of mistake with our wrap report every day and that causes a lot of troubles for our UPM. However, in the end, I am so glad that we made it and I never regret being 1st AD for:” Ernie’s Winter Home”. There were a lot of things to get done but also a wonderful experience to learn and become better as a filmmaker.

Box, H. (2013). Set Lighting Technician's Handbook (4th ed.). N.p.: Focal Press. Retrieved from https://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/career-development/9780240810751

Goldberg, D. (2012). First-Time Filmmaker F*ck-ups. N.p.: Focal Press. Retrieved from https://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/video/9780240819235/part-7-crew/042_9781136072055_chapter36_html

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nixontheroad-blog · 6 years ago

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“Don’t be a hero” - Watch and Think

A very common for beginning filmmakers is to make good short films before planning for their first feature film. That is very true. However, in my opinion, making an excellent short sometimes can be even harder than making a feature film due to the limited length. With feature films, the filmmakers have plenty of time to introduce the characters and have the audience rooted for them as well as setting up the story. Meanwhile, with shorts, everything has to more condensed and selective to convey the message. Therefore, it is always exciting for me to watch a good short film and analyze the art behind it. One of the short amazes me lately is “Don’t be a hero” by Pete Lee.

“Don’t be a hero” is a drama short about Lizzy, battles loneliness and boredom by robbing banks on her lunch break but after the adrenaline rush wears off, she still has to deal with her deeply unhappy life. The main theme throughout the short is about the loneliness. It is interesting that the tone of the film is depressing but somehow hilarious at the same time. We see the two worlds of Lizzy when she is the robbery and her usual self. Pete Lee did an excellent job setting up the matching tone of each world by the color palette, cinematography, sound, and production design.

Basically, “Don’t be a hero” applies the 3-act structure besides some creative differences to fit in with the limitation of a short. The film starts with the inciting incident when Lizzy decides to dress up as a cowboy and rob the bank. Then the audience gets to know her daily life as the sale clerk at a thrift store and how she is struggling with her boring life. After all the excitement of the robbery, Lizzy comes back to her loneliness and is encouraged to go out for a date by her mom. This can be considered as plot point one that later leads to the midpoint of the film when Lizzy got stood up and accidentally meets up again with Samatha, the bank teller that got robbed. The rising action is following right after that. Lizzy has a chance to know about Samatha and the two girls really soon start to feel attracted to each other. However, when they are having their first kiss, plot point two happens. The man that Lizzy dates come and talks down on her. That ends up ruining the girls’ night. Different from the usual climax, the moment Lizzy confront herself in front of the mirror is more subtle and also powerful to the protagonist. As the resolution of the story, Lizzy decides to dress up again to live the other part of her life where she feels wild, alive and liberated.

The production design plays such an important role in this movie to emphasize the two contrast part of Lizzy life. The film is introduced in such a retro western world with Samatha’s fashion style, Lizzy’s car, and cowboy’s outfit, the interior decoration of the bank as well as the color palette of the film in general. Opposed to that, when Lizzy gets back to her daily life, the production design attentionally becomes modern, pale and boring to reflect the nature of it. The color palette also changes from vibrant to dull and neutral as we can see at the thrift store, the old kitchen, the man’s house. One of the most impressive set is the bar scene. That is when Lizzy meet Samatha again and actually having fun. The set is a combination between retro and modern, light and shadow.

The cinematography is the most impressive element that makes this short a masterpiece. Pete Lee uses aspect ratios to tell his story. All the scenes of Lizzy in her cowboy appearance was shot with cinematic 2.55 aspect ratio while the rest was shot with 1.8, a more regular, mainstream aspect ratio. This also help reflects the different emotion of Lizzy toward two parts of her life. In the liberated world that Lizzy can do what she wants, all the shots include smooth camera movement. In contrast, in her ordinary world, most of the shots are static and boring. And if not, all of them are shaky handheld to express Lizzy’s unstable situation. I am also very impressed with the framing of the opening scene of the film when Lizzy is first introduced to the audience. The camera dolly into her car between Samatha and the security and in the reverse shot dolly out from her window car to her face. Using the car window as a frame in frame is a very sophisticated decision. Another special element regarding cinematography is letting the lead character out of focus in frame which is applied during the scenes of Lizzy’s real life. This is definitely an artistic choice to simulate her blurriness in her own life.

Personally, I really enjoy watching and learning from a short movie. Specifically with “Don’t be a hero”, there many cinematography techniques that I can apply for my future film. I am always interested in the idea of utilizing different aspect ratios in one film to tell the story like what Wes Anderson did with “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. I tried to use the 4:3 aspect ratio in my most recent film to create the retro feeling of the ’90s. It was not really easy as it seemed. There were so many things should have been put into consideration including lighting, blocking and production design. This artistic choice can make your film special but also can ruin your film. That is what I learned regarding playing with aspect ratios. Honestly, Drew Daniels, the cinematographer of “Don’t be a hero” did such an excellent job when he managed to combine many risky choice such as, multiple aspect ratios, intentionally out focus and handheld shots into a beautiful picture about a lonely woman.

In summary, “Don’t be a hero” is a funny and touching short about a middle-aged woman dealing with her boring life. The success of the film is comprised of a good screenplay, delicate acting, stunning and also production design and especially beautiful creative cinematography. You will never regret spending 15 minutes on this interesting short.

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nixontheroad-blog · 6 years ago

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Looking back at VST!

Visual Story Technique and Technology was a very impressive month for me. Four weeks past so fast and I still feel like there is still so many things that I want to learn. Generally, I would say I got more than what I expected from this class compare to my initial goal during Mastery, regarding both knowledge and practical experience.

My first goal is to understand the names and uses of technical equipment on the film set. We got a whole week with double lectures in the soundstage to learn about the camera, dolly, follow focus and grip gear. After the lecture in the mornings, we had time to get hands-on experience with the equipment in the afternoon. There were a large number of names and knowledge to memorize but thanks to the opportunities that Van gave us to actually practice again and again with the gear, I found my self become more confident dealing with all the equipment. He always there to encourage us and answer all the questions we might come up with.

My second goal is gaining practical experience with the gears by joining at least three productions during this month. I am really happy that I achieved my goal and even more by participating on four sets during for week of VST as different positions Director, 1st AD, Scripty and 1AC. It was a tough month with overnight shoots, assignments, pre-production, and production every day. At some points, I thought I could not make it but at this moment, looking back at what we did, I am glad that we had such a heavy month so that I could push my self to work 200% and learn more knowledge in a shorter period of time. To my point of view, one day working on set equals a week of lectures.

My third goal is to understand and applying the different style of cinematography to storytelling. Our assignment during the whole month is to watch a film every day. Due to the tight working schedule, I did not manage to watch a film every day but I watched plenty of them. I tried to get out of my comfort zone by watching different genres and styles from what I tend to watch before. Thanks to that, I got chances to see things from different perspectives. Instead of watching a film just for enjoyment, I learned to watch a film with the eyes of a filmmaker. I got to see how different directors utilize different tools and technique to tell the same story. I found this is very beneficial for me in forming the visual style for my film. During the process of making the three assignments: Emotion video, story picture, and photo recreation, I realized how that knowledge I got from the lectures about lighting, composition, and framing can become the powerful tools for me to convey my content to the audience.

In summary, Visual Story Technique and Technology is my favorite course during the whole program. I can see my self improved clearly as a filmmaker. Also, thanks to all the assignments that seem really challenging and overwhelming, I got the chance to overcome all the distractions and procrastination to create the artworks that I am proud of and later can be used for my portfolio. I am glad that I achieved all the goals I planned for this class. I found myself is more ready for the pre-production for our thesis film. However, to be honest, sometimes I wish that this course can last longer than just one month.

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nixontheroad-blog · 6 years ago

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Experiemental Filmmaking - Goals and Thoughts

Experimental Filmmaking is one of my favorite courses so far in the program. It was a busy month with lectures in class and soundstages as well as productions. Having a look back to the timeline goal I did in Mastery Class, I would say I totally achieved all those goals and even more than that.

My first goal is learning tactic to utilize iPhone for shooting high-quality products. In class, I learned that to make a viral video, it is not necessary to have an expensive camera. It is more about the content that engages the audiences. By making the 6s videos every week and utilize elements such as mise en scene, cinematography, editing and sounds, I continuously practice creating short contents. I found this even more beneficial for me to develop my mindset when I write an actual screenplay. We do not need too many words to express some good idea.

My second goal is shooting a one minute short with iPhone and a minimal crew. I did not 100% exactly achieved this goal. Instead of shooting a one-minute short film, I shot four 6s shorts every week with a three people crew. Also, I managed to produce a one - minute trailer for my upcoming short named “The Masterpiece” with a proper crew and high-quality production. We did not have much time for pre-production and the schedule was quite tight. Fortunately, everything went well and I gained so many experiences from just one day on set.

My last goal is understanding the concept of experimental filmmaking. I totally achieved this goal. By watching and reading the material before classes, I found it was much easier to understand the pieces of knowledge that JP gave us about the experimental filmmaking. I would say I am still a big fan of traditional filmmaking but what I learned in this class really broaden the way I think like a filmmaker. I really enjoyed the way we captured the single frames and analyze them. I learned so much from those lectures.

Overall, when I first made the goal for this class, I did not expect I will gain so much from it, especially the practical knowledge on set. It was a tough month with many deadlines and projects but I found myself even more motivated to keep moving forward on my journey to become a professional filmmaker.

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nixontheroad-blog · 6 years ago

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The Grand Budapest Hotel: A Masterpiece of Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson is well-known for his unique artistic style that to some extent reflects his hipster and jazzy personality. When people watch a film, they can really tell if it is another masterpiece by Wes Anderson base on the characters, production design, color palette framing. Wes Anderson’s distinctive cinematic look is applied in all of his films. One of the best movies in 2014, The Grand Budapest Hotel ,is considered the most successful piece that showcases Wes’s talent in all aspects of the film. In this essay, I am going to take a deep analysis into The Grand Budapest Hotel, which is referred by Matt Zoller Seitz as “twelve-layer wedding cake”, regarding its genre, tone, director’s artistic, suturing and scenic metaphor.

The Grand Budapest Hotel tells a story about the quirky journey of M.Gustave, a perfectionist hotel concierge and his credible lobby boy, Zero Moustafa in a non-linear way. There are three different periods of time during the film: 1985, 1968 and 1932. It is a story within a story in a book narrating by the writer where we get to know about The Grand Budapest Hotel and M.Gustave from the perspective of Zero. All events happened in Zubrowkan, a fictional Europe country during wartime. M.Gustave is accused of murdering his secret wealthy lover, Madame D and stealing the precious Renaissance painting named Boy with Apple. He has to start his adventure assisted by Zero Mustafa and his fiance Agatha that includes prison escaping to ski-chasing to prove his innocence. To me, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a fairy tale for the adult with meaningful messages about war, refugee, family, romance and loyalty. Above all the complicated layers, the audiences are connected to the special relationship between Gustave and Zero that changes from mentorship to friendship and companionship during their quest.

As the film features the rambunctious journey that involves murder and thefts, The Grand Budapest Hotel can be classified as an adventure, comedy, and caper. The comedic factor of the film is expressed in many different aspects such as the quirky appearance and obsessive personality of the characters, the unexpected reactions and ridiculous lines they have towards the events, the distinguished comedic framing and cinematography with characters entering the frame in a funny way or long tracking shots. However, what makes The Grand Budapest Hotel, or most of Wes Anderson’s film, a special comedy is the emotional tragedy underneath those hilarious moments. The lonely life of Gustave, the sad situation as a refugee of Zero, the devastating war that later leads to Gustave’s death are all shown through such thoughtful comedic lens. That is why in an interview, Wes Anderson even admitted that he could hardly have the answer if someone asks him which exact genre his films are, comedy or drama? They are always a perfect combination between comedy and tragedy.

The Grand Budapest hotel also applied the perfect typical form of the adventure genre. Wes Anderson is considered as the modern adventure directors since 1996 (Acors, 2015). And with The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes proved his efficiency in this specific genre with conventional characteristics such as heroic protagonist, unusual locations, actions, and danger. Throughout the movie, we follow Gustave and his trusted sidekick, Zero to find proof for his innocence from the murder of Madame D. We witnessed them from visiting Madame D mansion, “stealing” the Renaissance art to being imprisoned and then escaping from jail with the help of other prisoners who travelled to the snowy mountain area and the great assistance of the Society of the Crossed Keys. The audiences are involved in the tension of all the chasing and killing of the two accidental heroes, Gustave and Zero and are able to see how the two main characters mature themselves during their journey.

The film also can be categorized as the sub-genre of fictional crime, caper, which usually involves a sophisticatedly planned case that is implemented by an outstanding and charismatic criminal. They have their own reasons that motivate them to go against the law and as the audience, we all root for them and looking forward to their victory. Even though Zero and Gustave have been through the whole sequence of Boy with Apple stealing, the prison break, murder of the cold-blooded assassin, Jopling, we still end up standing on their sides due to their good competencies such as Gustave’s carefulness and dapperness as well as Zero’s honesty and loyalty.

Similar to cooking, the tone of the film is the way you cook your ingredients, which is what makes your dish special. It is always interesting to talk about how Wes Anderson applied his distinguished storytelling style into each of his film by the delicate choices of framing, blocking, production design and cinematography. One of the most unique elements of The Grand Budapest Hotel is the Aspect Ratio. There are three a different aspect ratio used during 100 minutes of the film. A large amount of the screening time takes place at The Grand Budapest Hotel in 1932 in which to reflect the cinematic history of this period, the Academic ratio (1.375:1) is utilized. It does not seem to be a coincidence that the story happened in 1932, the same year when the Academic Ratio is widely introduced as the studio standard. With this 1.375:1 ratio, the frame might not be as wide as usual but the cinematographer had more room above and below for tilt up and down shots. Robert Yeoman, Wes Anderson’s trusted DP admitted that they had a lot of fun dealing with this aspect ratio.

To creat an authentic impression, during the scenes that take place in 1960s, Wes Anderson changes the aspect ratio to 2.40:1, the widescreen format that was popular during the 1950s -1960s, while the most modern common ratio format (1.85:1) is applied in the minority of the film, the opening and ending scenes during 1985. It goes without a doubt that Wes Anderson is a meticulous filmmaker. Every single choice has its own meaning and serves effectively as a narrative tool. Most of Anderson’s film is shot with 1.85:1 aspect ratio as the story happens in the present. And not many audiences notice that he only employs the widescreen ratio (2.40:1) in the Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel, which occurs in the 1960s.

We all know that Wes Anderson is obsessed with symmetrical composition. According to Robert Yeoman, during the making of The Grand Budapest Hotel, his obsession reached the point that every day when Wes comes on set, his first question was: ”Are we at the center?”. Many straight-on views and symmetrical shots are used to emphasize the perspective of a specific character in a film. As mentioned above, the Academic aspect ratio is employed in most of the film. Therefore, to capture all the characters in the frame as well as showing the audience the fantastic set design that highly reflects the atmosphere of the story, the wide lens is heavily used and the vertical space is also utilized by placing the camera at low or high angles. One perfect practice of this method is the shot when Henckels enters the frame from a hole on the floor surrounded by the soldier.

Another distinctive element about the cinematography of this film is Frame in Frame. We see Gustave behind the small hole on the cell door, we also see the other character talking in front of the window. These natural frames are perfectly placed at the center of the screen.

Camera movement also plays an essential part to create Wes Anderson’s extraordinary style. According to Yeoman, whip pans and long tracking shots or massively used throughout the film to reflect the formal atmosphere and the hurly-burly of the hotel. This technique is widely used in Anderson’s former films but with Grand Budapest Hotel, he even makes it 180-degree pan between the two characters. Other signature movements of Wes Anderson is also applied throughout the film such as zooms, tilts, and panning during the dialogs.

The use of color scheme in this movie is terrific. It helps emphasize the different segments of the film and set up the mood for the audience as the story is not told in a linear way. We experience the hotel for the first time in 1968 with mustard, orange and classic brown tone that generates the industrial atmosphere and nostalgic feeling as their glory days were far behind them. In contrast, during the 1930s, everything is bright and colorful with pastel purple uniform, red rugs, and elevator, pink walls that reflect the prosperity of The Grand Budapest Hotel. In this period of time, the color of the objects also symbolizes the personality of the characters. For example, the rose color of the Mendel’s box illustrates the pureness of Agatha as well as the hope from the outside world when it was sent to the prison for Gustave to escape. As the story becomes more serious, the color shifted to a moderated tone of white, blue, grey and brown. Gustave changed from his purple suits to the black and white prison uniform then change to the subdued black and grey outfit to run away. The muted blue and grey prison, the blend white snowy mountain are intentionally created to highlight the contrast between the events that Gustave and Zero have been through. The very last part on the train before the old Zero ends his story is told in black and white. This can be considered as the saddest part of Zero’s memory about Gustave’s death and the continuity of the war. Once again, Wes Anderson uses color as his powerful visual representation and it turns out to be a masterpiece.

In my opinion, the most impressive factor that contributes to the success of The Grand Budapest Hotel is a delicate set design. Everything is sophisticatedly created to the finest details. From the giant chandelier at the center of the hotel to the symbol “ZZ” on the room key, the newspaper, the currency, and even the drink glasses. None of those things really existed before Wes Anderson create them with his imagination. He did an excellent job in crafting his fictional world named Zubrowkan. The whole Grand Budapest hotel set was built at an empty department store in German. To present the hotel in two different periods of time, the production design team decided to create a set within a set. They shot the whole 60’s scenes first and then rebuilt the set for the 30’s scene. According to Wes Anderson, the set designed is inspired by things in reality as the result of traveling to different places in the eastern New York and gathering ideas. It really came to life as a real place with each of more than a hundred extras looks stunning in the costume of their own character.

Besides all the visual tools mentioned above, lighting is utilized to express the emotional status of the characters throughout the film. One of the noticeable examples is the scene in 1968 when the old Zero finally mention Agatha’s role in his story. Before Zero starts to talk about the love of his life, the whole dinner scene is illuminated brightly with high key lighting with very little shadow in the frame. However, the moment the audience heard about Agatha, the lighting is shifted to a dramatic tone with low-ley illumination, more shadow, and backlight. At this point, we can clearly notice the transformation of Zero’s emotion from the colorful memory about Gustave to the sadness of losing Agatha.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a multilayer cake with many messages and Wes Anderson has successfully used numerous interesting scenic metaphors to deliver what he wants to say to his audiences. My favorite one is Gustave’s beloved perfume: L’Air De Panache. This perfume with its fancy name and the super strong smell is the perfect symbol of Gustave’s meticulousness and elegance. On the other hand, L’Air De Panache also plays an important role in the relationship between Gustave and Zero. Gustave insults Zero for not bringing L’Air De Panache. This event forces Zero to tell Gustave his heart broken past that makes Gustave change his opinions about Zero and starts treating Zero as his best friend. At this point, their relationship shifts from mentorship to companionship and they start to share the equal roles in their journey. The moment Gustave share his perfume with Zero on their escape symbolizes their special bonding and Zero steps closer to the classy world of Gustave.

Another interesting metaphor in the film is the birthmark of Agatha and the name “Zero” of the lobby boy. Even though she is an Irish immigrant, the birthmark on her face is similar to the shape of Mexico. This emphasizes the fact of the couple being the refugee. Zero with his tragic past and his family killed, his village destroyed by the war. He has nothing. However, with all the good competencies that are built for these two characters such as smart, pureness and loyalty, Wes Anderson attempt to change the audience’s opinion, especially American, about immigrants.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a thoughtful comedy about friendship, war, and immigration. Wes Anderson with his significant fussiness created an authentic fantasy world as if the world is filtered on Instagram. It is no doubt why the film is considered as the most successful piece of Wes Anderson and earns 11 BAFTA nominations in 2014. I have watched The Grand Budapest Hotel three times and if someone invites me to watch it again, I will never say no.

Reference: Acors, B. (2015, April 26). Modern Adventure Directors: 4 Filmmakers Who Stand Out Read Newsmax: Modern Adventure Directors: 4 Filmmakers Who Stand Out | Newsmax.com Urgent: Do you approve of Pres. Trump? Vote Here in Poll . In News Max. Retrieved from https://www.newsmax.com/fastfeatures/modern-adventure-directors-films/2015/04/26/id/640788/

Adams, S. (2014, March 7). “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Isn’t (Just) Wes Anderson’s Best Movie: It’s a Breakthrough. In Indie Wire. Retrieved from https://www.indiewire.com/2014/03/the-grand-budapest-hotel-isnt-just-wes-andersons-best-movie-its-a-breakthrough-126776/

Chipman, B. (2014, March 14). Is The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson's Best Film Yet?. In The Escapist. Retrieved from http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/moviesandtv/columns/moviebob/11111-Is-The-Grand-Budapest-Hotel-Wes-Anderson-s-Best-Film-Yet#&gid=gallery_2189&pid=1

Cinematography in Grand Budapest Hotel (2015, September 28). In Time in Pixels. Retrieved from https://timeinpixels.com/2015/09/cinematography-in-grand-budapest-hotel/

Eisen, N. L. (2015, February 20). The Grand Budapest Hotel Is a Thoughtful Comedy About Tragedy. In The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/02/how-grand-budapest-hotel-pays-tribute-to-the-holocaust/385264/

HAGLUND, D., & HARRIS, A. (2014, March 6). The Aspect Ratios of The Grand Budapest Hotel. In Slate. Retrieved from https://slate.com/culture/2014/03/grand-budapest-hotel-aspect-ratios-new-wes-anderson-movie-has-three-different-widths-here-s-why.html

Hart, H. (2015, February 18). Shooting The Oscars’ Most Centered Movie: The Precision Filmmaking Behind “Grand Budapest Hotel”. In Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/3042296/shooting-the-oscars-most-centered-movie-the-precision-filmmaking-behind-grand-budapest-hotel

Hicky, D. (2018, January 17). Color and Intertitles: Creating Themes in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’. In Intro to film 2018. Retrieved from http://blogs.iac.gatech.edu/film2018/2018/01/17/color-in-the-grand-budapest-hotel/

Leeds, D. (n.d.). Beauty at a Distance: Cinematic Techniques of “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. In Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@davidleeds/beauty-at-a-distance-cinematic-techniques-of-the-grand-budapest-hotel-1a738924cf62

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nixontheroad-blog · 7 years ago

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Insights about The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel is considered as a breakthrough of Wes Anderson. In this essay, I am going to take a deeper look into the film regarding genre, tone, director’s point of view, suturing and scenic metaphor.

The Grand Budapest Hotel recounts the adventures of M. Gustave, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune—all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing continent. The story takes places in Republic of Zubrowka 1932 and 1985 with the writer as the narrator and the view point of Zero. The film features some specific themes including Inheritance, Class and Civilized Society, Money and Corruption, War and Refugee, Loyalty and Romance.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is an adventure, comedy and caper. The film is a distillation of the Zubrowkan society and the larger-than-life characters who inhabit it. The humor lies both in the outrageous situations—which are so elaborate and ridiculous that we can't help but laugh—and the dialogue, which develops our preposterous characters and gives us plenty of the bizarre and farcical monologues and non-sequiturs.

The Grand Budapest's plot takes the form of an adventure of a framed concierge and his young friend.They "steal" a painting, are accused of murder, go to jail, escape jail, go to a remote mountain location for a secret meeting and, after chasing and killing a murdering thug, infiltrate their former establishment to retrieve their "stolen" art.

The film is also a caper, a sub-genre of crime fiction usually deal with the planning and stealing of something valuable and a super-charismatic thieves that we end up rooting for. The consequences of the missing Boy with Apple, the false murder accusation, and the prison break are what drive the action of the movie. Of course we're rooting for Zero and Gustave… even if they're not always on the side of the law.

Anderson shot the movie using a variety of aspect ratios. Aspect ratio, in a nutshell, is an image’s width compared to its height. Due to changes in technology over the past 115-odd years of cinema history, different aspect ratios have been popular at different times. The bulk of Grand Budapest is shot in the Academy ratio, which is 1.33:1, 1.37:1, or 4:3 depending on who you ask. It was adopted as the standard format for movies in 1932 — the same year most of the film’s action takes place. All of the 1930’s scenes in the movie are shot in this ratio, which is the same as older tv’s and computer monitors. It’s almost square, and frames content in a vastly different way than more modern, wider formats.

Throughout Budapest, Anderson uses lighting cues to reflect Zero’s emotional associations with different points in the story. The most notable example of this technique comes about forty-five minutes into the film, when Zero finally discusses Agatha’s role in the plot. While the author is explaining, through narration, his dinner companion’s emotional state, the scene’s lighting changes noticeably. Immediately after the cut to 1968, the entire set is brightly illuminated by overhead lighting. The mise-en-scene here is characterized by high-key lighting, and so there are very few shadows visible in the frame.

In The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson’s signature film style is well highlighted, especially through his use of color in crafting the mise-en-scéne. Each era and scene had a particular color scheme to help establish the mood for the audience, through the set and costumes. The non-linear nature of the film meant that it could be difficult to follow, and specific color keys were used to aid in distinguishing where the story was at currently. The 1960s had a distinct brown and mustard tone that associated itself with the mellow and dissolving theme of the Grand Budapest being past its heyday. This is in contrast to the pastels and rose colors that are signature of the 1930s hotel. The muted (almost Easter like) hues of the hotel itself, let the brighter more pure colors be reserved for the characters themselves and key objects, like the elevator, highlighting their importance. As the movie progresses and takes a somewhat darker turn so do the colors. Gustave is sent to jail where everything has subdued tones of grey, blue, and brown. The contrast between the world of prison and the hotel is best illustrated when Zero visits in his purple uniform, and even more so with the rose Mendel’s container.

The academy award-winning score for this film, composed by the award-winning Alexandre Desplat, can teach the listener about a few of the key elements to composing a great score. As the song picks up in volume and intensity, the viewer begins to see the hotel as a quirky and eclectic gathering place, quietly set in the mountains of this imaginary Eastern European country. These songs all prominently feature the balalaika, a guitar-like instrument of Russian and Slavic origin. Including this Eastern European instrument plays a large role in creating the movie’s setting and atmosphere. It brings all scenes to life whether they appear in the town, in the monastery, in the wintery estate, or in the ski hill chase scene. Alexandre Desplat uses the film’s score to create a playful atmosphere and develop the film’s comedy while also driving its more passionate moments.

With this film, Anderson undertook some retro methods in the filming process. For instance, he uses miniature models for wide shots of the hotel, an old cinema trick used to create a place without actually having to go on location to film it. Anderson borrows from methods from a bygone cinema in order to create something fresh and unique. Anderson’s dialogue, rhythm, camera moves and editing style creates a near unmistakable tone, at once deadpan and lighthearted. He finds the humor in the mundane elements of life and during moments of crisis. An example of Anderson's quirky sense of humor is the scene in which Gustave speaks to the police who are at The Grand Budapest to arrest him. He goes through their conversation in a courteous way and seems ready and willing to go with them, when suddenly he turns and sprints off. Anderson leaves the camera where it is and allows the action to unfold, thus the frame goes from a medium shot to a long shot of the police chasing Gustave up flights of stairs to apprehend him. It’s simple, but the technique teases out the humor of the moment.

As ever, Anderson's world is created like the most magnificent full-scale doll's house; his incredible locations, interiors and old-fashioned matte-painting backdrops sometimes give the film a look of a magic-lantern display or an illustrated plate from a book. He and the cinematographer Robert D Yeoman contrive the characteristic rectilinear camera movements and tableaux photographed head-on. The film has been compared to Hitchcock and Lubitsch; I kept thinking of Peter Greenaway. It makes the audience feel like giants bending down to admire a superbly detailed little universe: I can't think of any film-maker who brings such overwhelming control to his films. Alexandre Desplat's score keeps the picture moving at an exhilarating canter, and the script, co-written by Anderson and his longtime collaborator Hugo Guinness is an intelligent treat. Watching this is like taking the waters in Zubrowka. A deeply pleasurable immersion.

The film contains numerous scenic mentaphors. One of the most unique things about Gustave is the seemingly feminine care he takes in his own app earance and impression. Not only does he want to look good, however, he also wants to smell good, which is why he wears "l'air de panache." The cologne rather succinctly symbolizes many facets of Gustave's identity: his enduring influence on his environment, his interest in the finer things, and his vanity.

Another mentaphor is the “Boy with Apple” painting. It is a simple, but very valuable painting of a young boy with an apple. As a figure, it can be read as symbolizing Gustave himself; the boy represents Gustave's desire to remain youthful, and the apple represents his desires and pleasures, his artistic refinement and his sexual appetite. As an inheritance, it symbolizes the countess' love for Gustave, for indeed it is her most valuable possession, and it is a very covetable object. By giving it to Gustave and not her own family, the Countess has confirmed that Gustave understood her more than her flesh and blood ever could. The painting represents Gustave and the countess' special bond, and their shared pleasures.

In conclusion, Anderson and his director of photography Robert Yeoman have created not only their most exotic and visually important film, but one of the most visually important films in recent memory. The picture is a perfect example of the symbiosis between visual embellishment and narrative sensationalism.

References:

Bordwell, David, Kristin Thompson, and Jeff Smith. Film Art: An Introduction. 11th ed. New York: McGraw Hill Education, 2017. Print.

Leeds, D. (2017, August 18). Beauty at a Distance: Cinematic Techniques of “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. In Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@davidleeds/beauty-at-a-distance-cinematic-techniques-of-the-grand-budapest-hotel-1a738924cf62

The Grand Budapest Hotel. Dir. Wes Anderson. Perf. Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2014. DVD.

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nixontheroad-blog · 7 years ago

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nixontheroad-blog · 7 years ago

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Directing Talents

The first time reading the course book “Directing Actors”, I realize that I always misunderstand the “directing” and “acting” job. Back in the day, I think directing is to tell the actor exactly the emotion that they need to show and acting is to mimic the real-life action. I was wrong. Luckily, I get all the right answers from “directing talent” class.

I had three goals for directing class and I achieved even more. Firstly, I fully understand the role of a director in pre-production through Uta Hagen questions, vision statement, shot list; on set through blocking, how to talk to actor, how to communicate with camera operator, how to yell, how to manage all questions that people give me; in post-production through editing process and writing reflection. Secondly, with all the new knowledge, I have some reflection about different directors that I had a chance to work with in Vietnam, to review their leadership style and their way to run the set. Thirdly, I experience the pressure and the excitement of a director when I do 3 different directing scenes in the soundstage, with time limitation and content requirement.

Regarding some more things that I achieved this month, I’d love that I learnt many good techniques/ tips to prepare the best for all scripts in my hand and to direct actors effectively. In my directing scenes, I always try to utilize soundstage location, to make it a part of my script. I keep the fresh feeling for myself by coming up with different contexts, different genre for each directing scene. In addition, joining classmate’s scenes as an actress is also a great experience. It’s fun and it’s helpful, I can apply what I learnt about acting and being creative in acting. Last but not least, to me personally, I finally learnt to use Editing software because I had to edit my directing scenes. Each scene gives me different experience in the editing process because I have to find a way to fix my mistakes on set such as lack of shots, lack of time, bad frames, etc.

I recalled the 2ndmonth, in Luke class, when we were required to make a short film with 0 budget, we barely know things. After this class, our set was run in a much more professional way, from time controlling to communication with people around.

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nixontheroad-blog · 7 years ago

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Men don't whisper - Thoughts and takeaways

Being selected as Video Staff Pick premiere, Men don’t whisper was written and directed by Jordan Firstman, a three-time SW featured filmmaker. The comedy is about a gay couple. After being emasculated at a sales conference, a gay couple decides that the only way to regain their confidence and prove their masculinity is to sleep with some women. According to Ivan Kander, when it comes to comically skewering gay tropes, few do it better than director Jordan Firstman.

The short brings to attention the importance of staying true to oneself. Through the main dramatic question: “What does it mean to be a man?”, it delivers the message that attempts to deny one's true identity in pursuit of acknowledgement and acceptance based on other's standards will never end well. By telling the story in a humorous tone, Jordan Firstman makes his short unique by flipping the usual joke: the gay men to pretend to be straight.

The inciting incident that stimulates the two protagonists to start their strange journey is the moment they got emasculated at the sales conference at the first plot point. The second plot point happens when Reese reveals to his partner that he had sex with a girl during high school and the couple ends up competing with each other about their masculinity. When Reese and Payton decide to approach the women they meet in the bar for sex is definitely the midpoint of the plot. The resolution for that journey is when the gay boys admit to the girl that they are gay and they cannot do that. Consequently, they are kicked out of the room as the denoument of the film. Generally, Men don’t whisper includes all elements of a basic story map. The story is developed naturally with the interesting story and excellent acting.

Throughout the film, natural high key lighting is utilized to create the casual atmosphere. There is only one scene that applies special lighting which is the montage when the men trying to do penetration after come back from the bathroom. Different from warm natural lighting, dark red and blue illuminations are used to highlight the sexual mood of the scene.

Regarding cinematography, middle and close up shots are massively applied for many reasons. Firstly, those shots help emphasize various emotions featured in the short from the excitement of the girls or the awkwardness of the couple at the conference to the complicated facial expression of the four characters during that night. Moreover, Men don’t whisper comprises many sexual contents. Thus, showing only the character’s expression during those scenes with middle or close up shots is a clever method of censorship. Furthermore, dolly shots are utilized when the guest speaker makes everyone excited about masculinity as well as when they get in and get out the room to emphasize the enthusiasm or later embarrassment and create the feeling of the audience following the characters on their journey.

In total, there are five sets featured in the film which are the conference room, the apartment, the bar, the hotel hallway and the hotel room. All of them are actual locations so that the filmmakers can save much money on building set from scratch. This strategy is usually applied in the low-budget projects. As I am preparing for my final project film next week, we also utilize the location we have and make the whole film shot in only one to two locations so that we can save not only money tons of time.

Sounds that used in this film are interesting to me. The background music is added into the montages (when they are going to the hotel room, when they are having sex and when they are walking in the hallway after being kicked out) to generate the desired mood from the audience, especially when the characters walk in or walk out somewhere.

Regarding editing, as I mentioned, the montages is one of the most important elements in this film. The sequences of action in slow motion and dramatic background music help to tell the story in an effective and humorous way. Moreover, L cut and J cut is also utilized as the transitions between the scenes.

In our next film for the final project, we will utilize the montages in slow motion with background music to tell the story and stimulate the mood of the film without using many dialogues. Furthermore, limited shooting days as well as the no-budget condition will be the obstacles that we have to overcome. To tackle those problems, we decided to keep the production design as simple as possible and utilize all the props that we have. Since all the scenes are interior, we planning to focus on middle and close up shots to highlight the emotional transformation of the protagonist.

Kander, I. (2018). In Short of the week. Retrieved September 9, 2018, from https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2018/03/23/men-dont-whisper/

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