Storyboarding

I absolutely love this video from IndyMogul on how to storyboard a film. Their YouTube channel features helpful hints and videos on DIY film making for movie fanatics. Check out the website here:



Storyboarding

Why is a storyboard an essential part of the film making process?

-It is a graphical representation that enables the film director to visualise how the narrative will flow in a sequence.

-A story board provides information of location, characters, props and setting for each shot and captions detailing action, camera directions, lighting directions and basic dialogue.

-It is the first step a director will take in visualising a script or screenplay and therefore makes it easier for them to see if their ideas will work

-It helps the director and DoP (director of photography) to decide the sequences of shots, composition the lighting and camera directions, the movement of the actors and equipment needed to achieve the right look and feel for the movie

-It can help to break down complicated action or special effect sequences and tricky camera moves

-It provides clarity and a visual depiction of what the director is trying to convey

-The film crew refers it to in order to ensure they are all on the same wavelength with the director’s vision

-It is also essential for actors shooting green screen or special effects sequences that are altered in postproduction to know where they need to be and what to react to for a convincing performance

-Editors use them for special effects sequences where timing is precise

-It serves as a blueprint of the director’s original intentions and a framework against which spontaneous changes during filming can be compared against

'P' is for Psycho

a)      What is happening in the opening sequence of the film?

First, we see a low angle wide shot of a toilet door with low key lighting, already creating an intimidating and tense atmosphere and establishing the location. The shot mixes into a low angle of a man’s legs and tilts upwards until he is revealed bending over a sink. The sequence cuts sharply to a high angle close up of various objects (the sudden low to high angle switch creating an uncomfortable feel for the audience) including a photograph, a watch and a wallet, panning very slowly from left to right, encouraging us to really absorb the relevance of these objects. The sequence then cuts to a close up of the sink with blood flowing into the plughole and before the audience can speculate on what has occurred, cuts to a CU of the man bandaging his hand allowing us to deduce it is his blood. The next shot is a CU in a mirror of the mans clenched, bandaged fist (the mirror isolating the character from the audience).  The camera pulls out of the shot to tilt up the mans torso and finally revealing his face. The characters head turns quickly creating a blur and a sense of sudden panic perhaps suggesting that someone has entered the bathroom. The shot cuts to a MS of a boy entering the room and pans right to left, following his movement. The man at the sink is shown tucking his gun into his belt in a MS before cutting to a sharp shadowed ECU of his narrowed eyes and the line “bad move kid” before fading to black and hearing gun shots. We can only assume that this man has shot the boy who at this point in the story is seemingly innocent; already suggesting the main protagonist is a villain.

b) How is the narrative flow established?

The sequence is chronological but begins ambiguously, raising questions such as who is he? Why is he here? And why does he have blood on his hands? Immediately in doing so, manipulating the audience’s curious nature leaving them to want to continue watching. The sequence features a range of shots from close ups to wide shots and ECUs to keeps the audience interested. Close ups are the favoured shot choice in this scene so we can establish a connection with the character and feel involved in the action. Sharp cuts from differing shot types help to keep the pace quick not allowing time for the audiences minds to wander. However, this is juxtaposed by slow pans and tilts that draw attention to vital clues, perhaps foreshadowing later events and building tension by d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g the scene out.

c) If you were directing this sequence, what aspects of the storyboard would you like to change?

I would start the sequence with a fast, slight HA CU forward track of the characters feet walking towards the toilet hurriedly, blood drops splattering on the floor every few steps. This would just introduce an element of danger and edge to the film and create the illusion he is escaping from somewhere. Instead of a close up of the clenched fist in the mirror, I would have a MS of the man leaning on the sink counter looking at his reflection, contemplating himself and his actions. In this we will hear the noise of the door creaking and as the characters head turns sharply the camera would do a whip pan to reveal the door opening but not see the person walking in. The camera would cut sharply to a steadicam forward track in the boys POV accompanied by footstep sound FX. I would keep the ECU and dialogue but would then have a CU of the gun, just allowing the audience to make out a blurry reflection of the boy before seeing it fire and BANG BANG. This would be followed by a sound FX of a body dropping to the floor and a cut to a long shot of where the boy was previously standing if he were in profile, in his place behind a toilet chain swinging like a pendulum.

The Usual Suspects- Opening Sequence Analysis

The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer) is a neo noir crime thriller and one of my all time favourite films. The first scene opens in medias res on a boat in the middle of the night. The plot of the film is about what, exactly, has happened on this ship. This short opening sequence is set up to pull the audience into the story and grab their attention. It not only moves us forward along the story's plot line but is also littered with clues that foretell crucial occurrences later on.

The events of the opening sequence occur chronologically and relate clearly to each other as the scene does not defer from this location. The establishing shot is an ECU of a book of matches struck alight- the fire already pre-empting danger and juxtaposing the water surrounding the boat. We are introduced to a character named Keaton (although at this early stage the audience is yet to learn his name) with a MS on a burning ship with several dead men about. Immediately, the contrast between the ECU and MS disrupts the narrative flow, making it uncomfortable for the audience. Keaton lights a cigarette and starts a fire that will kill him and another man on the ship. The fire snakes along a line of oil, passing a dead male before being extinguished by a shadowed figure (Keyser Söze) standing above Keaton who urinates on the flame. The symbolism from the high position of Keyser and his actions form a sense of power and also suggest he is the villain of the scene as he is either in shadow or silhouetted and we cannot make out any of his features. Keyser descends the stairs and lights a cigarette in front of Keaton. "How you doing, Kid?"

Keaton, "I can't feel my legs, Keyser."

One element that plays out later in this story is whether Keyser Söze exists so this opening dialogue is incredibly significant to the audience even if they do not know him by sight- a revelation left to the very end of the film.

Keyser flicks down the lid of the lighter and pulls a gun out of his pocket.  Keaton asks the time which becomes even more poignant when seconds later Keyser fires two shots, leaving the words to resonate like a doctor calling a time of death. Singer creates ambiguity by cutting to various LS and VLS of the boat and its immediate surroundings so although we do not see the violence or Keaton’s death we can infer it- reminiscent of Hitchcock’s Physco Shower scene where we never actually see the knife stab the skin but let our imagination fill in the blanks- a powerful technique used in thriller movies. 

Throughout the whole sequence, the score by John Ottman (in this scene 'Keyser Appears') emphasises the edgy, anxious and dramatic atmosphere. The camera focuses briefly on a leaking water pipe, which exacerbates the tension, suspense, but also futility as the camera then cuts sharply to a CU of Keyser's gloved hand dropping a cigarette, reigniting the boat. Keyser’s silhouette is seen climbing down the ladder and escaping before it explodes.

The camera slowly zooms into a large spool of rope, cutting away to snaking flames past dead bodies and flumes of smoke. The camera continues to zoom in on the ropes perhaps tricking the audience into a sense of entrapment; however the lingering final shot serves another purpose: a vital clue to the identity of Keyser Soze.  It is not the rope itself but what is behind it, or rather lack of… Only later on in the film do we discover that the absence of an individual behind the rope reveals the identity of Keyser himself and is a key clue in the renowned twist of the final scene. But of course, the audience has no idea of this…yet!

Reflections on my Film Still Shot

MODEL: JESS W LIGHTING: ODELIA & ROBBIE

1. Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be described as representing your chosen genre.

My desired genre was thriller/ horror/ slasher and the shot MCU of a young white female in a toilet cubicle. Her pink converse, skinny jeans and black nail varnish all help to connote her age and gender and demonstrate the teenage sub-genre. The image is slightly obscured by the bottom of the door creating a sense of voyeurism from the uncomfortable angle of the shot and obvious intrusion into a place of privacy. The picture is very dark and shadowy due to the sparse lighting which is in keeping with the conventions of the horror/thriller genre. The models finger is covered in blood and is hanging limply as though the character is slumped over the toilet.

2. What did you actually do to achieve the effect?

For the intense shadowy effect, the only source of light was a small pag light, concentrated by shutting the barn doors to create a thinner beam pointed directly at her feet. I used the cameras manual settings to shoot with a fast shutter speed and fairly small depth of field to create extra darkness and make sure the background though clearly visible to display the mis en scene did not detract away from the model. The model had unfortunately (but fortunately for me!) cut her finger earlier in the lesson during an unsuccessful attempt at an ambitious 'hanging shot' so her finger was covered in blood which I used to my advantage to convey the slasher genre. I had deliberately asked the model to wear her pink converse for this lesson and untie the laces as I thought it would really add to the vulnerability of the protagonist. I wanted to create the sense of entrapment hence why I chose to do an MCU instead of a CU so the audience can see there is no way out and the camera is looking in (created by me lying on the floor and pointing the camera underneath the toilet door).

3. Identify what is successful about your shot.

I think the shot is successful because it outlines the genre pretty clearly. The lighting is very atmospheric and the models position and costume (particularly the black nail polish- which was not actually deliberate) work well together to display the typical conventions of my desired genres.

4. What would you do differently in hindsight?

If I were to re-shoot this I would DEFINITELY make sure the horizon wasn't wonky (it's a massive pet peeve of mine!). I would also clear the tissue on the RHS of the picture and the piece of hair on the LHS as I find them really distracting as they don't help to signify the genre and could be misinterpreted as red herrings! Overall however these are quite minor things that could be edited in post production-my real priority would be to make sure Jess didn't actually hurt herself on the day and that the blood was fake!