Final Blog Post - Class Reflection

Before I took TCF 312 my skills with film were very amateur. I knew only the basics of filmmaking and had not had any much experience with creating narrative films. I had trouble knowing crew positions and jobs, types of cameras and their settings, and even certain aspects of filmmaking, such as camera movement. TCF 312 cleared most of that up and even provided me with more information than before. 

Within the last five months I’ve learned a lot more about film than  had known before. With the team exercises and final projects I learned just how much team work, communication and cooperation play a role in just setting up one shot. If someone is not doing their job, it could ruin everyone else’s. With the in-class labs and hands on, I learned a lot more about different cameras and equipment. Before, I had only used a JVC camera on a tripod. Now, I’ve learn about the EX-3, F3, DSLR, Go Pros and others, as well as new equipment such as PVC pipes to use a tracks, a dolly, the fig rig, LED lights, black wrap, and just gaining more experience with lighting. I also learned of how much time it takes to set up for just one shot with an entire crew of people. It really gave me a new perspective on filmmaking and all of the tremendous work that goes into it. It really is something you have to love and dedicate yourself to.

I also learned a great deal about cinematography. Along with directing, cinematography is another aspect of film that I was interested in, but didn’t know much about. I knew they handled the camera, but this class taught me a great deal more. It taught me that they essentially control everyone on set and run it as well. They say how the lighting should be, or how the camera will move and what the scene will look like. They have a huge responsibility and this profession isn’t for the faint of heart.

From this class I have learned that cinematography is something that I am much more interested in now as a career, having learned more about it, however, directing is still my main interest. For my films I really get a set image in my mind that I follow and rarely change and I want to create that, bring it to life, and I feel that directing is a way to show my vision, rather than my interpretation of someone else’s. It is something that have dreamed about doing for a long time, but never thought possible. TCF 312 showed me how intimidating and stressful it can be, but I saw the pay off as being worth it. This class instilled my dream of creating film, and I am glad it did.

Blog Post #7 - Sizzle Reel and Artist Statement

As an artist, I feel that I am still in the process of discovering myself. Ever since I young and wanted to be involved with film I wanted to make films that I would watch. Now I want to make films that, not only will entertain me, but many others as well. The main point to to create something others will enjoy. Putting a message into my work is something I aways start with; what am I trying to say? Most of the time I find a subject I want to explore, whether it’s political, religious, or historical. But the main reason I want to make films is to tell stories, because stories live on. They have existed for thousands of years, having been told by nearly everyone who has lived. I choose film because it is visual, and I’m a very visual person. I love to show and explore new worlds, time periods, and bring the stories to life for an audience. 

What most inspires me to create is history and time. I’ve always been fascinated by time and its connections to the present and event how it affects the future. I want to tell people about the past and show them a possible future. Show them a different time and in essence, a different world than the one they know. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of untold stories throughout history that people should know about. People know plenty about the present, I’d like to show them something else.

Throughout time, man has left his mark on the world through creation, and that’s one thing I want to do. I want to create not only for the present, but for future generations to see. Creation is immensely important for man. Without it, the world would become stagnant. Fortunately, people create every day, whether it’s technologically or artistically. Some creations are remembered, some not, but the fact that they create is enough. I want to contribute to that. I want to create and add inspiration to whomever views my films. Whether my art will be remembered, I do not know, but how I try I am still discovering for myself.

TCF 312 Sizzle Reel - Seth Melisano from Seth Melisano on Vimeo.

Blog #6 - Final Scene Project and Prep Work

Final Scene

Materials and Final Film

Shot List


Storyboards

 

 

 


Screenplay

 

Visual References

Final Scene

TCF 312 - Final Group Project Scene from Seth Melisano on Vimeo.

Blog Post #5: 5 Stills of Visually Compelling Lighting

Five Stills of Visually Compelling Lighting

Citizen Kane (1941)

Blade Runner (1982)

Only God Forgives (2013)

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Blog Post #4: Scene Assignment

Scene Assignment

Scene Assignment Script

Logline: A mentally unstable man fantasizes about violence towards society, which he believes is corrupted and dying.

Gift of the story: Society can have an affect on anyone, and the most normal looking people can be the most violent.

For my scene I have decided to adapt the mirror scene from Taxi Driver (1976). I plan to have the scene giving a blueish tint to it to show the coldness of the atmosphere of the scene. I also want to give a darker shade to the shadows, showing the darkness surrounding the area. I want to set the scene in a cold and unsettling mood in an attempt to reflect the main characters feeling toward society. The camera movements, I feel will be mostly static shots and some pans of the area and of the character, but I intend to include both wide-shots, medium shots, close ups, and extreme close ups. I may add a dolly-in movement towards the main character, looking in the mirror, to add some emotion to what the character is feeling and thinking. The style will be "auteur" with a crime/physiological feeling.

Documentary Storytelling Assignment

Bryce Hospital Documentary - TCF 312 from Seth Melisano on Vimeo.
My short documentary storytelling assignment for TCF 312.

Director: Seth Melisano

Director of Photography: Nick Simpson

Blog #3 - Shot-by-shot Analysis

Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Here we open with a MS OTS of our main character, Aldo, talking to the antagonistic Nazi sergeant. Aldo gives him a stare while leaning forward, showing an interrogation. The lighting of the scene is a light blue, giving the impression that they are shaded, whether by clouds or by rains. The coats on the characters also shows that it is cool or cold.

Offsides, we see an ECU of another Nazi soldier watching with both fear and curiosity, as he does not know what will happen to them.

We now see Aldo and the sergeant in a medium shot. We can now see the background and setting, establishing they are indeed in a forest, with falling leaves showing it is mid-Autumn. Dead, scalped, soldiers also scatter the background, showing that this was an ambush and that Aldo and his men are brutal.

We see an OTS of Aldo, looking toward the sergeant as he insults Aldo, revealing no information. We see that Aldo still hovers over him, showing that he is still in power.

 Here we see an overhead wide-shot, as Aldo's men laugh, showing us a more precise location, giving us a better look at what the situation is, and shows us the location of Aldo's men.

Here we see a close-up, upward shot of Aldo. This shot mimics what the Nazi sergeant is possibly seeing and could be a POV shot.

Continuing the shot, Aldo stands high over the sergeant, like a tower. This gives the viewer the impression that Aldo is strong and powerful compared to the sergeant. We can also see that Aldo's men are above them, along with the bright sunlight shining through the tree, like angels of death.

Continuing the shot, Aldo sits, still above the sergeant, like a king on his throne, calling out to one of his men, Donny, to kill the officer.

We seeing a CU of the sergeant, nervous, as he awaits his fate. More Nazi bodies are shown in the background. The camera slowly moves forward, building tension.

We see the dark, ominous archway staring back at the sergeant, giving the sense of dread. Like the shot before, the camera slowly moves forward to build tension.

Here we see a two person shot of Aldo and the sergeant. Also still sits above him, will a look of power knowing full well what is about to happen. The sergeant sits in in CU profile shot with a look of sorrow and anger on his face, fearing what lies beyond the archway.

Back to the ECU of the offside soldier, he has now lost his curiosity and has become frightened, fearing for his life.

The camera has now moved to an ECU of the sergeant, showing the fear in his eyes, while remaining calm and dignified.

The camera has now moved to show an ECU of the darkened archway just as Donny is about to emerge from it. At this point the viewer can see nothing, creating the most heightened tension in the scene, as the camera is right in front of the lurking danger, but the viewer cannot see it.

Emerging from the darkness is Donnie in an aggressive stance. We see him emerge in a OTS shot of the Nazi sergeant. The sergeant sits lower than Aldo and Donnie, showing he is the weakest in power.

Here we have an upward shot of more of Aldo's men in applause to Donnie's arrival, but this shot is closer, giving us facial recognition. 

Aldo applauds alongside his men.

Donnie approaches the camera, towering, his bat clearly visible, giving us an impression of how dangerous he is.

The sergeant sits, calm, but nervous. He looks small and frail against the background, giving us another impression of his weakness.

We see an ECU of his medal, confirming his alliance with the German army, as does Donnie.

Here we see the infamous "Dutch" shot, infamous due to its overuse in some films. However, the shot here does not seem out of place. It is an ECU of Donnie as he interrogates the sergeant before killing him. The mixture of both the ECU and "Dutch" angle, with Donnie looking downward, gives the moment and intensity and holds our suspense to what will happen next. Another reason this angle is used is due to Tarantino's homage to German cinema.

Another ECU "Dutch" angle, this time of the sergeant. Again we see him from a downward angle, showing the viewer that he is not in power and is the weaker of the two.

The brawl begins and Donnie is attacking the sergeant violently, as anticipated. Here we see a wideshot of the area, showing the brawl, the captured soldiers, and Aldo and his men cheering on.

With a MS, we now see that there are two captured soldiers as opposed to the one we originally thought. There fear is now at its peak as they watch their sergeant being beaten to death.

Here we have another MS of Aldo watching the beating. We see that he is eating during the event. This tells us that blood is violence is natural to Aldo as watching a man being beaten to death does not disturb him or turn his stomach in the slightest.

After the sergeant is dead, Donnie is full of vitality, yelling boastful comments into the air and at his companions, being met with applause. The camera is at a MS, but, with Donnie's wild and energetic movements, swings back and forth, trying to keep up with Donnie as his moves around the sergeant's body.

In the final shot of the scene, we see a wide shot of Donnie, Aldo, one of Aldo's men, the dead sergeant, and the two captured soldiers. In the same shot, Donnie continues to boast before turning around and pointing at the soldier on the right to be interrogated next, but is instead shot when he tries to run, leaving the soldier from earlier, the last one left to interrogate.