Film and Audio Piece Links

Here are the links for the completed Experimental film and audio for my Experimental Portfolio

Audio - Sense Of Space Completed

https://soundcloud.com/user-610057065/sense-of-space-completed

Film - Experimental Film (Tom's Edit)

https://vimeo.com/195802272

Experimental Portfolio Presentation

Experimental Portfolio Presentation

This is the presentation for the experimental film we did for our project. It outlines the strengths and weaknesses of our film, our intentions and achievements, the type of film it is, our influences and my own individual contribution to the project:

Ballet Mecanique - A Non-Linear Pure Abstract Film

Ballet Mecanique - Fernand Leger (1924)

Ballet Mecanique is an incredibly influential piece of abstract film created to contrast a conventional ballet, but by using inanimate objects and machinery as opposed to the beautiful natural flow of a human dancing. The film would easily fit into a non-linear category, having no conventional structure; the narrative is almost non-existent, instead replaced by abstract images, and using editing and inventive camera techniques to portray the imagery of dancing and movement. There is no real beginning, middle and end, instead, similar to a painting, it just exists to be marvelled at without any real understanding of what is going on. Bordwell and Thompson attempt to explain that Ballet Mecanique has nine segments to it, almost giving it structure, but follow up on this explanation by saying "With these expectations set up in the short introductory section, the film goes on to vary its sections." The film's "sections" are constantly shifting in tone, imagery and themes which create this incoherent structure. Therefore, this film could also fit into the category of pure abstract, it's inventive use of sound, mixed with its use of imagery, and without a true narrative makes it more abstract than coherent. This decision at the time it was made was not uncommon, a more experimental view of film making was far more acceptable, people trying to break the boundaries of film making and see what it was capable of. However, while initially exciting for a director or producer, these ideas and stylistic decisions can confuse an audience. This is likely more true of a modern audience as opposed to a contemporary audience. A modern audience has certain expectations, a coherent narrative, understandable visuals and clear sound, which this film lacks greatly. It would be difficult to release a film such as Ballet Mecanique to the audience, as a film such as this would likely bore or confuse a modern viewer. Had the film maker decided to create a coherent narrative and make it less abstract and yet include the creation of an unnatural ballet, then the effect on the audience would differ drastically. However, for the time this was not the case for a lot of films. Films were more experimental, and those that had narrative, such as 'Metropolis' (1927) remained very abstract and often incoherent, deciding to convey a theme or message through more abstract imagery than a narrative. 

Audio Logs and List

List of sounds recorded by Tom Wilson and Amy Smith for the Experimental Audio Project:

• Electric buzzing of light
• Washing dishes
• Crying
• Elvis song
• Supermarket trolley
• Supermarket beeping 
• Gas cooker
• Microwave
• Kettle
• Footsteps
• Ambient People 
• Dripping water
• Hairdryer

These sounds were all recorded using:

1. H5 Zoom
2. Audio Technica AT8015 Rifle Microphone

These sounds were recorded in the following locations:

• Barnsley 
• Sheffield 
• Sheffield Hallam University

These sounds were recorded over several weeks, and recorded by both myself and Amy independently of each other and then discussed and agreed upon once collected. This, we felt, was the best strategy as it ensured that we had all the recordings done quicker, and left time to improve upon them if we felt it was necessary. 

Inspirations

Below are six paintings or pictures that inspired the style of film that I had visioned before we began filming:

These two paintings were done by Rene Magritte who's art was being displayed in a museum in Belgium. I was, since I saw these pieces of art, greatly inspired, not only by the surreal nature of the content of the art, but also in some cases the simplicity. The painting on the right reads "This is not a pipe" when a pipe is being clearly shown. This sort of obscurity and almost random nature of his art has inspired me and a lot of my own work. I was not sure how to incoporate that, but I always like to keep it in mind when making a film. I was more inspired by his vivid use of colours, for instance in the painting on the right, and also the simplicity of the art work, yet full of colour and beauty. This would be more applicable to the more "Lynchian" side of our film, in the latter half, which all of the following images are related to. I was more interested in this aspect as I am more familiar with David Lynch and many other surrealist directors, as opposed to British New Wave whom Richard Ayoade is my only reference point.

Although most of my influences came from artwork, one Japanese photographer has been an inspiration since I saw his art work in 2016 in an exhibition in France. Daido Moriyama's work is so varied in style, but his photo's in colour are incredible, full of life and detail and often very surreal. A lot of his work is outdoors, capturing the life of passersby and Japan itself. However, this picture in particular interested me as it is very isolated and specific. This allowed me to think more about the "Sense of Space" notion behind our work, as well as a potential shot for the bathroom scene we had planned.

This is a comic book cover for a comic named "The Vision". I bought this purely with the intention of keeping the cover. It stood out immediately as the right balance between the British New Wave housewife we had planned and the surrealist David Lynch like elements. The mixture between the boring task of cleaning up and the dead bloody body being the thing she's tidying is what initially caught my eye. It is a reference point whenever I consider the film's production and also a very beautifully drawn image which blends lots of vivid colours with a dull background, imagery perfectly suitable for our film.







 The following two pictures, one
from Satoshi Kon's 'Paprika' (2006) (the right) and the other Salvador Dali's 'Metamorphosis of Narcissus' (the left) are perfect examples of the crowded painting-like cinematography that I wanted for the film. I always envisioned a film which used similar cinematography to that of Stanley Kubrick's 'Barry Lyndon' (1975) but with the art style and madness of Salvador Dali's more surrealist work. I have always enjoyed the animation of Satoshi Kon, and his experimental film Paprika has some beautiful imagery similar to Dali, which also encaptualtes this painting-like cinematography. Once again, these are two reference points when shooting the film.

Not only was I inspired by these six images but by a range of short and feature length films, some which links are provided below:

Maya Deren: Meshes Of The Afternoon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSY0TA-ttMA&t=3s
Salvador Dali: Impressions De La Haute Mongolie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xEIMY4wBi8
David Lynch: Rabbits - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxKPBLjHAEA&t=852s
David Lynch: Steps - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc-nZbhN_Dw
Luis Bunuel: Un Chien Andalou - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7xTjeLG5SM
Andrei Tarkovsky: The Violin And The Steamroller - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3jgeo9
Jonathan Glazer - Under The Skin

Film Progress

Film Progress

Throughout our filming progress we have encountered various issues that we have begun to overcome. Most of these were technical such as on the day of the shoot we had poor lighting and we needed to re shoot the entire sequence of shots we had gathered. However, the shots we had gathered we treated as test footage which we will base our end product on. Other issues were being ill or being unable to shoot. We quickly began to manage our time and completed the audio project (being very pleased with it) and are starting to re shoot. We still feel very confident and passionate about the project and constantly update each other on our individual progress and both give as much input into the projects as we can.

Below is the test footage that we got, some of it was shot together in Amy's house, the other was shot in Aldi in Sheffield with the help of my friend Will who lent us his GoPro. Experimenting with new unfamiliar technology was important to us in our film as we wanted to break away from our comfort zone. The GoPro enabled us to get some interesting shots and the supermarket we filmed in gave us some interesting lighting giving the shots a dream like feel. (Before filming we asked permission from the staff in Aldi to film, including the member of staff who kindly agreed to scan our GoPro for one of the shots). We won't necessarily use all or any of the footage we got, but we are trying to experiment as much as possible as we believe this is the core aspect of the film making we are undertaking. 

Here is the link to the test footage for our film:

https://vimeo.com/194695513

First Draft: Experimental Audio Project

First Draft: Experimental Audio Project

Here is the link to the first draft of our experimental audio project:

https://soundcloud.com/user-610057065/sense-of-space-amy-tom

We were able to successfully experiment with our first draft, include most of the sounds we want to include in the final product, and experiment with layering. During our presentation of our first draft we discussed the changes we'd need to make in order to improve it. There was a lot we want to change, some minor changes like adding a crying sound to the bathroom scene, and major changes such as the layering which we want to build up gradually so that the audience are taken from the outside space into her mind. However as this is our initial first draft we are very proud and are now set in the right direction for our final product.

Meat Factory Ear Worms Critical Response

       Meat Factory Ear Worms: Critical Response

In this audio piece a man recounts his job working in a meat factory, the memories he had while he worked there and the music (earworms) that he remembers during that time. What makes this piece of audio so powerful is the repetition of certain sounds, and the songs used. The sounds of the meat factory are almost played throughout the whole piece which immerses the audience into his world, allows them, along with his vivid descriptions, to picture the meat factory he worked in. This allows the audience to see his memories from a more personal point of view. On a more simplistic level it allows the audience to understand the experience of having an earworm, hearing the same three songs throughout the entire piece. The audience also understand the effect on him as he sings it while the same lyrics are either synchronized to his singing, or are played immediately afterwards. 

          
      What is also interesting is the way he successfully blends the brutality of the meat factory, the repetition of the sawing and the cows screaming and the machinery at work, as well as his own visceral and bloody description of his job, with the sweet melodies of his earworms. This extreme contrast helps the audience to visualise it further, the world that he inhabits, as it creates a distinct tone and atmosphere. Despite the brutality of his job, it becomes clear through the music that he is in an environment he is comfortable in. The music is slow and well paced which indicates he is happy or relaxed. Even when he describes stabbing himself in the leg and the pain he was experiencing the situation never feels tense. 

        

  

Discussions of our Experimental Sound and Film Project

Discussions of the Experimental Projects

During the discussions on our film me and my project partner, Amy, have both suggested films (feature and shorts) that we should watch as inspiration and preparation for our own projects. I suggested short films by Maya Deren such as 'Meshes of the Afternoon' which we had watched in our Film Theory lecture. This was because the style and editing of that film among her others have inspired our vision of the surrealist approach we wish to take in our film project. We also discussed the short and feature length films of David Lynch who has inspired us both. We discussed his use of uncomfortable sounds which inspired our ideas behind our sound project, for example in his short film 'Steps', and the way he tackles narrative structure in his films, for instance in 'Lost Highway'. 

I also have been looking at the art work of Salvador Dali. After having researched him a little I came across 'Un Chien Andalou' as well as Dali's own (fake) documentary 'Impressions de la Haute Mongolie'. This was helpful as it showed how Dali's own artistic style can be adapted for film as his artwork is quite difficult to achieve without the use of animation. 

We discussed the sounds needed for our experimental audio project as well. When we showed our initial draft to our group we decided that there were some sounds that needed to be replaced, and others added in. We also did, as a test, layering of all of our sounds which we intend to improve for our final project. 

Short Film Analysis: Gasman and Salaryman 6

Short Film Analysis:
Gasman (Lynne Ramsey 1997) and Salaryman 6 (Jake Knight 2002)

By Tom Wilson

Salaryman 6 (Jake Knight 2002)

The film Salaryman 6 by Jake Knight takes a look at the life of a Japanese salaryman and the monotonous repetition of his life. It's cyclical structure ensures that the film ends without resolution which alludes to this repetition of a meaningless life. Where some directors may have chosen for the script or dialogue to show the repetition, Jake Knight decided to use sound and imagery to convey this. The use of diegetic sound, the humming of the air conditioning in his office, the murmuring in the corridor, not only shows that he is repeatedly hearing these sounds, but also are familiar to us as an audience, common sounds we encounter every day. As such we are able to co
nnect more with this man and his suffering. Knight introduces the sound of a camera part way into the film, a new unfamiliar sound, a sound connected to a something new the protagonist uses, something to change his life. However this sound too becomes overly familiar, and eventually blends in with the monotonous sounds in the background. 

The film is in no way exciting. The colours used are grey or brown which add to the boring nature of the man's life; his dull monotone voice serves to show almost disinterest. There is no non-diegetic music to build tension, suspense, action as the film lacks all of these elements. The only music in the film is diegetic and is flat and reminiscent of elevator music. Even the final scene, possibly the only exciting event to happen in his life, the only different event ends with the characters walking off to continue their jobs (seen at the beginning of the film). The film is not exciting but for a reason; it helps to further reinforce this notion of a boring and dis-interesting life, which the character sadly realises toward the end when he develops his photographs. It is a social comment on the lives of many white collar men and women in Japan and the strenuous amount of work they put in. There are many documentaries covering this topic, but Salaryman 6 adds a personal touch to the topic, as through the very little dialogue there is in the film, we are able to see true emotion of one of these salarymen. 

Gasman (Lynne Ramsey 1997)

Lynne Ramsey's Gasman is a fantastic short film which explores themes such as family, poverty and one could even argue the coming of age. The character Lynne in the film (a clear reference to the director, a possible memory of hers) comes to the realisation that she may have another family outside of her own. Lynne's anagnorisis is in the final moments of the film in a powerful display of not only self-control, but an almost adult awareness of the situation she is in. This moment is similar to an earlier scene in which Lynne's brother throws a rock at the dad; Lynne laughs and here we can see that this is a childish moment in her life, a moment in which she is oblivious to the effects of such an action. It is such a contrast to the final scene and it is this that shows not only how much she has matured in mere hours, but how much she has come to appreciate. Furthermore one could compare the final scene of maturity and self control to the scene in which Lynne attacks her possible sister as she is jealous of her for sitting on her father's lap. This scene is full of jealousy and rage which Lynne displays in front of all the adults and children there at the party. This same jealousy could easily have been displayed in the final moment, but Lynne knew not to. 

There is an interesting use of sound in the film Gasman. For instance the use of music throughout the film is purely diegetic; at the beginning of the movie the music is used to convey the setting, a Christmas song being played over the radio. Later in the party music is also played, once again diegetic, and this music the children dance to. It is interesting to note that the songs used in the film are only used in scenes of chaotic movement. In the opening scene the camera shots are constantly changing and we hear over the music the shouting of the mother. In the party the camera is no longer steady and there is movement all over the screen. Furthermore the music doesn't play in any other moment in the movie, these all being moments involving the other mother or the anagnorisis of Lynne. Moreover the music fades out when Lynne discovers her other sister sitting on her father's lap. In this moment of jealousy and anger we see all the other children dancing, but the music has been removed. This could symbolise that she is no longer paying attention to the fun bustling of the party, nor the music associated with her having a good time. 

The use of atmospheric sounds is also interesting. In the scenes when they are on the train tracks we see the wind blowing through the character's hair, but the sounds of the wind are almost absent. This lack of atmospheric sounds helps to add to the solitude of the scene and possibly the detachment Lynne feels to these new strangers. 

The camera is used in interesting ways, mainly to portray feelings for certain characters. The main instance of that is the low angled shots of the mother. In the beginning scene no characters' faces (apart from Lynne once) are seen, and the mother is hidden away even in the very final shot of that scene where the audience expects to see her face but the sun blocks it out. This could be to portray the father's feelings towards the mother, or perhaps to add to the confusion that Lynne experiences at the end as she battles with the realisation of another partner for her father. The camera is also very intrusive and personal, the whole film being prodominently made up of close ups. This allows the audience to get a grasp on the emotions of the characters, but also to understand them making it even more relatable. The whole film felt like a relatable experience, from the music to the party to the fun times with a parent. 

First Lesson

First Lesson 

I had my first seminar in Creative Project Development And Realisation in which we discussed the module and the projects for the future. Those included:

• Experimental Sound
• Experimental Film
• Documentary

Having had discussed Experimental Sound I began noticing sound in films for instance in the film Oldboy, the way sound is used in various scenes and not in others, (one example being the song used at the beginning of the movie when he is kidnapped -Farewell My Lovely- which is later used to trigger our memory and his own, being both diegetic and non-diegetic.) It also helped me with my own project (Scarlet Fever) which I made with a friend in which I considered the use of music at the beginning to set the tone and tell the story far more subtly rather than exposition, and then the use of the atmospheric sounds for instance the noise of the city in the background to add the effect of being surrounded by those the character is paranoid of. I even kept in the laughter of passing people as it added to the paranoia of the character as it could be inferred (by both the audience and the character) that they are laughing at him. 

During the seminar we also discussed in groups what film means to us and what we hoped to get from the course and module, the picture below displays out thoughts during this. 

Our thoughts on the board in the seminar room

The seminar was both useful in terms of learning what was ahead, but also in terms of getting to grip with sound and it's uses. It was also helpful to mix in the sound design and recording module which I do along side it, which enables me to learn the technical aspects I refer to at the top of the image. It will enable me to be able to experiment with sound freely and create whatever I can imagine.