Ittiphol Srirachanikorn (4089)
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david william harrison
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THERE ARE LOADS OF COOKIES BELOW.
PLEASE
REFRESH AT LEAST TWICE
BEFORE SURFING TO ENSURE ALL CONTENT
Relate; In order to successfully create our desired short film consisting of metaphoric meanings and the codes and conventions that makes a comedy film, I first need to look back to the basics and accumulate some skills for the master project.
DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS
Research Reflect Relate
Piecing together a masterpiece, one .AVI file at a time.
FIRST TOUCH WITH PREMIERE PRO CC
Research; This was my first time using Premiere Pro to edit a video as the title of 'editor'. Before this, I had created various short-films and videos using the iMovie app on IPad, which heavily assisted the user, and taking away all aspects of what it means to become an editor. I took upon a car commercial project that I was assigned to present, and requested any excess footage from production to make a behind the scenes video. I had to manoeuvre between buttons and files; it was a trial and error process.
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Eventually I got there, learning how to insert a sequence and import files, as well as selecting the perfect and desired bits of the video through the short-cut of letter " i ' and " o " (in point and out point) to select the parts accordingly. Apparent to prior editing projects, music is very important to me as an amateur editor; it drives me to work through the project when it becomes dull, or simply, the physical peaks of volume correctly cue me in to insert a file at that time to create a pace of rhythm and continuity. However, I found the obstacle of the music and raw files' volume being too noticeably loud or quiet at specific parts of the video. I found a solution from the internet and hovered the mouse over "Audio" of the video file and pull down to expose and manipulate the sound levels by moving the yellow line to my wish. With this, footage instability was another obstacle. Frustrated with this, and mashing buttons for a "still video option", I had once again found my answer through research on the web to the best editing tool ever: Warp Stabilizer.
Phew. Saved me there.
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Reflect; Now knowing the basics of premiere, I am now more comfortable and assured to use the program more frequently and to explore more editing skills. In addition, this insight has given me a chance to experience the post-production world of editing in a professional and unassisted manner that iMovie that nurtured within me for too long. And not to forget... my first encounter with every editor's enemy: THE RENDER BAR. (that crashed thrice)
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Relate; Learning the basics of premiere to become better editor will be crucial to me as the director and writer of our short film, as I will be able to physically create my vision on the editing software in specific and complicated shot sequences that I have pre-visualized, without having to paint it through words and waste time for another person to try and attempt it slightly to the reality of the cinematography intended.
December 8th 2016
LEARNING TO KEY FRAME
March 20th 2017 - present
Research; Eager to explore more editing techniques on Premiere beyond assembling and arranging clips of videos, I wanted to learn and understand how exactly the movies, Youtubers, and T.V. game shows perform a gradual zoom close-up without the camera (post-production), to create a 'pregnant pause' for comedic effect.
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Ryu gave me a few pointers, and so did a member of staff. I learnt to select the clip needed and travel to the wanted portion for the zoom effect in the editor bar. Then, selecting the razor tool to crop the wanted portion from zooming to end of zoom. Then, on the top left workspace, selecting the bar of "Effect Controls" would allow me to select or deselect the clock icon on either Position and Scale under Video Effects tab, would give me full control to start a key frame on the timeline, and as I moved the bar across and increased the proportions of the sections, another key frame would indicate the change of post production that would end on up screen, which amazed me for years.
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Reflect; Once the technique of key framing and knowing how to perform it correctly and efficiently is learnt, only practice and time is needed to finish the mastering. Lucky for me, I manage my school's news team as an editor and presenter, the head of media to promote the prefect team I am part of, and my own YouTube Channel in my possession to practice upon. Somewhat over-used, I had avoided the repetition and used it only when necessary to create or break light for laughter and comedic touch.
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Relate; Since then, the technique of key framing has been cooperated in all of the videos that I edit. It has also made me much more comfortable in editing, despite the amount of 'heavy editing' and my feelings about it. A simple yet powerful technique learnt has truly shaped the way I see and film, producing a much higher sense of awareness in comedic value, but also the practices in production such as the framing, composition, acting duration before saying cut that crucially impacts editing and editors.
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Key framing has given a significant impact on the way I edit.
It has defined, shaped, and helped me find my voice in editing, finally.
1. SELECT IT.
2. CROP IT.
3. FRAME IT!
December 5th 2017
TITLES AND TEXTS
Research; Sick with the same default text of the program, I was keen to 'spice' up the the film and projects with visual qualities of the text that could shape the theme and mood of the edited video.
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Following the online instructions, selecting "File" from the top bar of the computer and choosing to add new legacy title will produce a small box to name the title for ease in workspace from "Title 1". Once entered, finding the file in media browser in the bottom left work area of the program and double clicking it will allow for text modifications of colour, size, space, rotation, font, and opacity.
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Reflect; Alike the key framing technique, only practice is needed to perfect this long lasting skill that can truly impact and boost the intended meaning or theme in the editing of the video, visually.
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Relate; I have tried out many various fonts and text modifications on various types of videos. This has increased the efficiency of text adding prior to learning this skill, in which I had to manually write and decorate the text on photoshop as a .png file with high opacity as a layer, and having to export and then import it into premiere individually. This time costly method is perished once and for all, thanks to legacy texts!
December 5th 2017
FILE LAYERING
Research; After a lot of editing I have found myself to be in a similar situation which obstructs with the efficiency and availability of my workspace. The problem: having too many files to manage, to layer on top of each other, and frequent overlaying of files, causing clashes in image and sounds.
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This isn't an official technique, but is rather my personal way to deal with projects containing a heavy load of files to edit with. If there needs to be an overlay over more than 2 files, I turn the intended into a converted image or .png file and place it on the highest video row in the timeline, over the video files below. As for a still or moving image to be shown but with other audio, I recently learnt how to select the raw file and unlink the audio and video; deleting the video file and placing another or a .png will complete the cross-layering.
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Reflect; This technique in itself is also time-consuming, but works best for me personally as it requires going through every file as a detailed inspector in editing. Not only does it remind me of the files prior and what could follow after, but ultimately it is worth the time put into going every frame as mistakes or continuity 'hiccups' are less likely bound to happen as detail is taken account on every file re-arrangement.
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Relate; Once again, as a simple but significant technique, this process allowed me to edit more efficiently and fasten the process when editing official videos on the interview with the school's Head Master and other professional media responsibilities.
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the phonological perceptions of
AMAZING AUDIO
AUDIO MIXING
January 4th 2018
Research; As a composer and music student, the factor of audio and music are crucial and important to the makings of a film. Requiring specific layers of diegetic sound to create various ambient throughout the film in building mood, creating gratification, and also a build-up for climax, audio can be said to be very important in the film's shape and structure of its narrative.
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Reflect; Using 'Logic Pro X' on Macbook Pro, I imported raw sound files from Ryu's selection and placed them into the timeline of the program. Layering each file on top of each other by 2 bars and put on loop created an array and compilation of accumulated sense of disruption and confusion is caused.
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Relate; The build up to the climax of the toilet fight in the transition scene between the dolly zoom of society, and the attack of the dominant ideology pen, requires a soundtrack that compliments the visual image of the protagonist's facial expression of discomfort and hallucination. The use of reverb and volume manipulation aims to create a sense of weariness and instability-- reflecting the delusion the protagonist has of his clones.
the spectacular vision of
THE VISUAL MEDIUM
DIRECTION OF THE VISION
Job; As Director and story creator of many past projects as such GRATIFLY, maintaining the progress and accuracy to covey the intended meanings behind the vision from the story board to the screen is a huge job. I often have to act and manage the framing of each shot, before and after the shoot. This puts me in a position to prepare and perfect the intended meaning before through blocking, during by acting, and after in editing the scene.
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Challenge; A specific scene proved to become more than an obstacle on paper, where the meetings with Ryu and Toy captured the idea I was intending to create, but failed to accurately establish on paper with as much detail on how and where to shoot from. This was the scene in the opening sequence of the short-film, to which I was maintaining the hinting of power the protagonist has on physical levels as well as controlling the audience and the film's cinematography in this 180 degree full horizontal turn to diagonal tracking shot.
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Overcome; After many failed attempts and time running out, I decided to shoot it myself with Toy as a stand-in, and Ryu- the cinematographer- to spectate the sequence from different angles to understand the actor's positions and the precise cinematographic manipulations. However, this proved to work, as Ryu took the perfect shot after 16 tiring "warm-up" (but worth-it) takes.
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FRAMING THE FRAME
Job; Responsible for the choreography in the film through acting and placing actors and mise en scene to compliment the scene, I have to be concise and detailed in the placing of the object, which could make or break the scene ultimately.
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Challenge; To create and build the mood of conflict in the climax, I had to think which shots to shoot the actions from, and the whereabout and positions within each scene. The scene where the protagonist meets the social masks and stereotypes of society needs to read uncomfortably and the BOY being out of place. The toilet scene needed to contrast with the opening scene where the cinematography follows the protagonist's every move to suggest dominance; the toilet scene does the opposite to read vulnerability and threat. Finally, the breakfast scene needed to show and imply the metaphor of illusion of choice with too much food on screen without looking repetitive, while having little plates to cleverly fill the space and making it look 'full' of food.
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Overcome; The social scene had me to place three large sofas on eye level to take up space of the frame by aiming to cover all centre points, added with replications of my clones with exact masks to look near-identical, the attention is rather spread and not focused on one unique character which does not exist in the scene. Other extraneous factors such as bystanders are also asked to leave the set to not cause unwanted attention that could have damaged the continuity of the shot. Finally, the protagonist is seen acting nervous to already imply the uncomfortable nature of this encounter, but he is also positioned on the far right corner, almost out-of-frame, to become a physical on-screen direct metaphor to an "out cast" he is.
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As seen earlier, the social scene tracked all angles and body parts of the protagonist in a rhythmic and predictable pace. This gives him stability which connotes to control and order. On the other hand, the disruption in the toilet scene causes him to panic and look up the stall on both sides. The camera does the same sequence in following his sudden movements, but instead capturing his head turning the other way. This small change- instead of capturing his face towards the direction he is looking to- gives a significant impact on the mood and acts as a turning point where the protagonist is losing control over the cinematography. In addition, seeing a character from behind almost links to the feeling of being spied upon, becoming vulnerable. Also, as this sequence is shot from a high angle and looking down on the BOY, it majorly degrades the power he possessed earlier, and somewhat symbolizes the act of the camera being a predator... ready to pounce and attack the prey below.
Very, very, very proud of this specific sequence and the analysis of it.
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The sofas filling up the centre space of the screen, the large proportions that the characters take, the absence of any bright colours, weird objects or other people except Toy (in a subtle black) as the PERFECT BOY; all contribute to taking importance and attention away from the protagonist.
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Also, the BOY is larger than the rest on screen to suggest his remaining power over the society entities, before later losing it by sitting down and becoming physically smaller.
Taking drama in IGCSE works as an advantage to me, as I had studied and performed the topics of stance and levels which this scene perfectly demonstrates.
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The actions of sitting, leaning, bending, and standing are used to fill up the screen in various ways by suggesting activity of the entities, their power over the location, in a small amount of time in the establishing shot.
SYMBOLISM
Job; Detailed in every shot and the importance to create meaning through the micro elements, I intend to frame every shot with enough mise en scene to express an extent of what is aimed to be achieved.
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Challenge; Creating the initial conflict between the protagonist and the society entity (antagonist), the objects in the breakfast seen had to express these means without being too explicit.
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Overcome; Thinking on the spot, I got captured by the sharp and straight edges of the bread in a dry run. I thought for a while and told everyone to get ready for the shoot. It was experimental but worked out very well. The food was supposed to be the representation of hegemonic forms (media products), but placed and seen in the appealing way by the manipulative media and its illusion of choice, making the protagonist as the consumer see them as delicious food- even as a necessity in his life to have- before getting them taken away.
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The bread became a commentary through representation of social order and the preserved rules that society instills: stable, symmetrical, untouched. However, as the protagonist- an outcast- takes a taste of this, he ends up messing up the orientation of the bread, causing it to be in an awkward angle, half eaten, and broken into crumbs. This aims to show the conflict between the protagonist and the norms he is residing into of the school's hegemonic structure.
The bread becomes visibly damaged, eaten, crumb-filled, and disorientated to symbolize the status of society's order and rules after the protagonist's involvement.
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I proposed to the cinematographer to shoot the scene from a bird's eye view, giving the bread a clear view for the audience and placing higher importance on the bread as it is centre positioned and attention focused.
Another proud visual imagery. The mistake of the appliances are not just for comedic value, but to place a metaphor on the protagonist as choosing the wrong tool on the first arrival; "starting with the wrong foot" kind of metaphor to support the outcast character development of the BOY.
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Also, I had insisted to retake the scene to accentuate the forks over the BOY's face and in focus with close depth of field. This supposedly symbolizes a prison where he feels trapped in this environment.
The near identical placing of the food, plates and drinks between before and after the revealing transformation of the hegemonic forms to consume aims to symbolize that the camera lens, newspapers and leaflets are the modified version of the food illusion of choice. This is done by carefully referring to the shot on the left and comparing the placings of each plate and drinks to create a mirroring effect.
THE DOLLY ZOOM PROBLEM
Job; A challenge for everyone, the dolly zoom was a technical challenge for the cast and crew to pull off in pre and during production to create the effect of shock in the revelation of the protagonist finally finding a true group of friends, and for the first time in his viewing, a female.
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Challenge; The dolly zoom needed to be sudden but subtle, quick but not shaken, and most of all, it wasn't done in the stationary position; as actor, I was required by the script to perform a walk up and stopped specifically to do a quick and precise turn to the camera before Ryu does the Dolly Zoom with the criteria above. It was a mess. 16 takes and going, the bell rang and I had to do something.
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Overcome; I've always trusted the camera. Let the camera do the work. But I thought, if in this case the camera is doing its work in performing perfect dolly zooms, yet retakes are called... it must be another factor involved. I then decided to not let the scene make me, but to make the scene mine.
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I told Ryu to stay where he was, still, and only perform a dolly zoom. I then did the work to perform the exact sequence, but instead I walked up towards the camera to help stabilize and calibrate Ryu's movement in the fragile dolly zoom.
The results were- let's just say it was done in one take. :-)
LADIES AND GENTS:
THE WORLD'S FIRST
MANUAL DOLLY ZOOM
SOFT SKILLS
The Detailed
STORY-BOARD AND LOCATION SCOUTING
December 7th 2016
Research; This was an official commission from the executives of the school to create an effective, polite and short informercial about taking less time as possible to drop off students to release traffic tension. Therefore, to fit everything in a concise time, we definitely needed a story board.
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Reflect; I was never a big fan of the story board method, especially doing it myself. However I found that it can be very useful in projects that call for specific shots in a limited production and final media product time. It had reminded the crew with how to angle and film various shots that will add up to the continuity of the cinematography created.
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Relate; As a one minute informercial, we had about 30 annotated blocks that made up a story board which helped us majorly at times of need. With our A2 short film intending to last around 4 minutes, I think that employing this technique in pre-production, whether I will refer to it during production or not, will at the very least- give the crew an ounce of security of what we're doing.
MANAGEMENT AND NEGOTIATIONS
October 16th 2017 - present
Research; As production manager of the crew, I am responsible for schedules and arrangements for the cast and crew during shoots of GRATIFLY. Organising the times of the shoot in call sheets and text messages to remind actors, asking for props and booking locations are the tasks in my role.
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Reflect; Being production manager requires good judgement and realistic time management skills. It also requires a tone of etiquette and awareness when approaching people politely for props and location bookings. The role itself reinforced my personal working life as a busy student in juggling between academic and co-curricular commitments that benefits from the skills learnt in this role, applying the job of a line producer in GRATIFLY directly to my school's news program as a producer.
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Relate; The request for masks as a prop in the social scene saw Toy as line producer to ask the drama teacher that I had kept him in touch with. The bookings of the sixth form were also pre-arranged in a face to face request I had with the Head of Sixth Form, and the nurse for the sick bay in the bed scene.
PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION AWARENESS
August 10th 2017 - present
Research; As studio presenter of my school's first news program "Lionview News", I had the chance to become confident in presenting, a skill I consider as my ever growing forté, but also a chance to become familiar with the camera's presence and the terminologies and routines used in a production environment.
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Reflect; Being head writer, executive producer, and studio presenter, I had the fortunate opportunity of a holistic perspective in the pre, during and post production stage of a news broadcast. This came with the practice of writing scripts for the show, adjusting and becoming aware of the lighting in the studio, the power of mise en scene, and an understanding and appreciation of the crew's cues of "silence on set", "take 2 on that", "that's a wrap", "sound rig on second camera"...etc. This was such a valuable experience that will help me the dream team and myself during production, as well as useful future knowledge if media were to be apart of my career.
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Relate; The experience from LionView News has transferred its teachings, lessons, precautions, and further knowledge and adjustments to gear and aspects of the set into the production of GRATIFLY, making the process smoother, easier and more practical for everyone. Also, I was now truly on the same page as Ryu and Toy in terms of my newly learnt knowledge in the fields of their expertise of cinematography and mise en scene. Collectively, this has also improved my awareness as a director too.
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