The Abridged Version:
- In the real world Archie kills Sean, Zoe and Perry due to drug and alcohol-fueled paranoia.
- His guilt and the emotional trauma suffered, causes a bout of psychosis: leading to Real Archie developing a form of delusional disorder where he thinks he's in a world where it never happened and everyone is still alive.
- Real Archie, now inside his false world, assumes the identity of Sean. Archie does not exist in this false world.
- Real Archie is split into two persons: Delusional Archie (who is pretending to be Sean) and Guilty Archie.
- Guilty Archie infiltrates Delusional Archie's false world in an attempt to snap him out of this and to confront what they have done by making Perry go 'missing'. This causes disequilibrium within the false world.
- A battle happens within the false world as Guilty Archie tries to repeatedly remind Delusional Archie of the murders, whilst Delusional Archie does the opposite and tries to ignore these attempts by deviating the scenarios or changing them completely (e.g. the ransom note location changes name)
- Ultimately Guilty Archie wins by making Delusional Archie so suspicious of him, that Delusional Archie follows Guilty Archie to the location where the murders happened. Thus forcing Delusional Archie to confront the crime scene (which has been projected into the false world).
- Delusional Archie, however, fights right up to the end, still convinced that Guilty Archie is behind the murders and that he is the reason Perry went missing. Delusional Archie Stabs Guilty Archie.
- We snap back into the real world, the first and only time we see it. Real Archie is dead: a knife stuck in his chest. A self-inflicted wound caused by himself thinking he was stabbing someone else, this is not the case though as Sean and Archie in the false world were always the same person. Whatever happened to one would also happen to the other.
Ultimately the film is about two-halves of a troubled man's mind, battling against one another to confront and at the same time escape from the horrific crime he committed.
Thursday, 28 April 2016
Major Production Unit: Post-Production - One Last Synopsis
With the film now finished, this post is one last run-through of the film's events and explaining exactly what is going on throughout. There is an abridged version as a separate post titled 'One Last Synopsis - The Abridged Version'.
The film starts in Sean and Zoe's house, Perry is with them playing cards. We are already in the Delusional World; with the real Sean, Zoe and Perry having been killed by the real Archie an unspecified amount of time ago.
There is a knock at the door and Sean answers it: it's Archie disguised as a pizza delivery man. This is the Guilty Archie: who is trying to snap out of his own delusion by confronting his Delusional side, who is pretending to be Sean. Sean (aka Delusional Archie) tries to ignore this attempt but the damage to the Delusional World has already begun: he returns to the others holding a manuscript instead of pizza which confuses the three of them.
As Zoe and Perry are dead in real life and this is all inside the real Archie's mind, Archie is controlling Zoe and Perry's actions and uses their quick dismissal of the pizza/manuscript mishap to ignore Guilty Archie's first attempt at confronting the murders he has committed.
The film starts in Sean and Zoe's house, Perry is with them playing cards. We are already in the Delusional World; with the real Sean, Zoe and Perry having been killed by the real Archie an unspecified amount of time ago.
There is a knock at the door and Sean answers it: it's Archie disguised as a pizza delivery man. This is the Guilty Archie: who is trying to snap out of his own delusion by confronting his Delusional side, who is pretending to be Sean. Sean (aka Delusional Archie) tries to ignore this attempt but the damage to the Delusional World has already begun: he returns to the others holding a manuscript instead of pizza which confuses the three of them.
As Zoe and Perry are dead in real life and this is all inside the real Archie's mind, Archie is controlling Zoe and Perry's actions and uses their quick dismissal of the pizza/manuscript mishap to ignore Guilty Archie's first attempt at confronting the murders he has committed.
The following day Sean and Zoe are out at Flared Owls Park
soaking up the beauty and tranquil environment. Sean is interrupted by a text
from Perry inviting him and Zoe over. Sean obliges and tells Zoe, who expresses
her interest in going.
The couple arrive at Perry’s house and knock, however, an
unfamiliar figure answers the door: Archie Veryl. The confused duo are let in
and inquire about the whereabouts of their friend. Archie is none the wiser and
proposes they wait around a bit longer to see if he returns. Some time passes
before it is decided that Perry isn’t coming back anytime soon, so he gives Zoe
his number saying he’ll contact her if Perry isn’t home by the end of the day.
His friendly demeanour agitates Sean and he squares up to the man. The
confrontation is defused and Sean leaves, Zoe shortly after.
Sean begins to put up some missing posters around the area
after an unspecified amount of time has passed. The next day the couple meet up
with Archie to discuss further after Perry doesn’t return. Sean mishears something
Archie says and, again, confronts him, this time getting more violent. Archie
leaves and Zoe argues with Sean, confused as to why Sean’s behaviour is so
rash.
We appear at the front corridor of the couple’s house as a
letter drops through the letterbox. Sean comes downstairs and opens the letter:
it’s a ransom note. Sean rushes out of the house and waits at the location given
in the note, he watches as a stranger crosses the road and tears off one of the
missing posters that Sean had put up. Sean gives chase but gives up are losing
the stranger down a wooded path. He
returns home and tells Zoe about the ordeal, she questions about the posters
and is unhappy that Sean has gone this far. Sean hands her the ransom note and
Zoe loses her temper: it’s a pizza leaflet. Sean remains adamant he has handed
her the ransom but she has had enough. Zoe tells him that she is going to live
with her parents until Sean begins to grow up. This doesn’t settle with him as
we hard cut to a sequence in which Sean is drinking and becoming increasingly angrier
as he wanders the streets.
Sean wakes up the next day, hung-over and tired. There’s a knock
at the door and Sean answers it to find Archie stood there looking annoyed. He
informs Sean that Zoe has asked him to help Sean search for Perry. Sean
reluctantly accepts and they arrive at a large field where they begin their
search. Archie forgives Sean for the other day’s misunderstanding and Sean
doesn’t respond. He expresses his hopes for Perry’s well-being and takes a
drink from his water bottle. Sean notices a label on Archie’s bottle that is
identical to the ones on the ransom note he received. Archie walks away to
answer a phone call whilst Sean continues to search the field. He finds a
mobile phone on the floor and picks it up: it’s Perry’s phone. He unlocks it
and checks the contacts list to find that Archie’s name isn’t on there, he
speeds over to Archie about to confront him but Archie interjects: he needs to
leave. Sean decides to stay and keep searching, feigning his discovery of the
phone.
A day passes and we join Sean in the living room as he tucks
into some food. A text message from Archie attracts his attention: ‘Watch the
news’ it reads. Sean switches the channel to see a report detailing the
discovery of a body. The reporter interviews a man who claims to have found the
crime scene: Archie. Sean leans forward in shock, Perry is dead, and Archie has
found the body. He launches the TV remote at the screen: smashing the TV. He
calls Zoe stating he knows Archie is behind Perry’s disappearance and he has
proof. He rings another number, Archie’s, and asks if he can come over.
Archie and Sean are seated in awkward silence, before Archie
decides to break it with some condolences. Sean shuts him up and accuses him of
killing Perry. Archie denies wholeheartedly, and an argument ensues. Archie,
fed up of Sean’s paranoia, storms out of the house. Sean decides to follow him.
Sean maintains his distance as his tailing of Archie leads
him to a campsite in the woods. Archie then addresses Sean as if he knew he was
following him. Archie invites Sean to open one of the tents: Sean does so with
caution and finds the dead bodies of Zoe and himself inside. Confused he
demands to know what is going on. Archie toys with Sean, asking why he is also
inside the tent. Sean proclaims his innocence and Archie responds, “You had
everything to do with Archie.” Sean stops, asks Archie to repeat himself.
Archie proceeds to tell Sean that the world they are in is false and that they
are the same person. Sean reaches his boiling point and chases Archie through
the woods. Archie continues to reveal more information on the truth before Sean
finally kills Archie with a knife from the campsite.
We appear back in Sean and Zoe’s house, but this time things
are different. A news broadcast details three bodies having been identified at
a campsite: Sean, Zoe and Perry. The sound of panic and breathing fades in and
we see Archie lying on the sofa: a knife in his chest. We watch as he breaths
his last breaths and falls silent.
Major Project Unit: Post-Production - Sound Design and Music
The sound design was discussed with the Editor during the Post-Production stage:
- Constant buzz tracks relevant to the location to immerse the audience into the world and believe it is as real as Sean thinks it is.
- Foley for footsteps, breaths, any form of movement or interaction, again for the immersion.
- Minimal soundtrack used throughout: to highlight key moments that don't seem right and to help emphasise tension between Sean and Archie.
I went into Garageband and played around with different instrument, altering the pitch, audio levels, frequencies and speeds to create a dark mysterious soundtrack that I believe fits with the whole theme of Grit. My personal favourite being the credits music: it's a perfect, eerie way to end the film and the breaths resonating through create a sense of uneasiness.
- Constant buzz tracks relevant to the location to immerse the audience into the world and believe it is as real as Sean thinks it is.
- Foley for footsteps, breaths, any form of movement or interaction, again for the immersion.
- Minimal soundtrack used throughout: to highlight key moments that don't seem right and to help emphasise tension between Sean and Archie.
I went into Garageband and played around with different instrument, altering the pitch, audio levels, frequencies and speeds to create a dark mysterious soundtrack that I believe fits with the whole theme of Grit. My personal favourite being the credits music: it's a perfect, eerie way to end the film and the breaths resonating through create a sense of uneasiness.
Wednesday, 27 April 2016
Major Production Unit: Social Media Marketing - Lead Up To Release
For the social media page a video and image were scheduled to go up once a week basis in the lead up to the film 'premiering' on May 11th.
There are 4 images in total and three videos. The images are a still from the film with a key quote in the film's font overlaying it. The aim is to promote the disappearance of Perry and suggest that Archie is a suspicious character so that when the audience comes to watch the film, they are in the same mindset that Sean is in. This means that the audience will root for Sean until the end when they realise the truth.
There are 4 images in total and three videos. The images are a still from the film with a key quote in the film's font overlaying it. The aim is to promote the disappearance of Perry and suggest that Archie is a suspicious character so that when the audience comes to watch the film, they are in the same mindset that Sean is in. This means that the audience will root for Sean until the end when they realise the truth.
Tuesday, 26 April 2016
Major Project Unit: Production - The Posters
The design of the posters for Grit remains the same as they did back in the Pre-Production Unit, below is a screen recording I did whilst I made the Archie poster.
Major Production Unit: Production - Directing Style
This production has definitely brought out my style, so much so that I can identify and establish what that style is.
1. I let the actors perform with a little amount of direction and THEN alter/add to it afterwards.
I would let the actors do their own take on characters based on their understanding of them in both the script and the bios and how they feel the character behaves/is. And if I feel they need to go in another way then I would inform them of this.
I feel this method worked as it allowed the actors the freedom to be creative in their performance. I didn't restrict them with phrases like 'I want this specific emotion or approach/motion" and instead gave them the reigns to do with the character what they felt was best for the scene.
2. I wouldn't call cut until the scene's segment was over; even if I knew we had passed the point where the editor would be cutting the shot. This was so the cast could understand the scene and get a feel for the moment as well as acting off of one another. It also help block out the next scene as we knew their actions for the next take. Doing this allowed me to watch their actions and performances and see if any of the dialogue didn't work and plan the next shot with the D.O.P easier.
1. I let the actors perform with a little amount of direction and THEN alter/add to it afterwards.
I would let the actors do their own take on characters based on their understanding of them in both the script and the bios and how they feel the character behaves/is. And if I feel they need to go in another way then I would inform them of this.
I feel this method worked as it allowed the actors the freedom to be creative in their performance. I didn't restrict them with phrases like 'I want this specific emotion or approach/motion" and instead gave them the reigns to do with the character what they felt was best for the scene.
2. I wouldn't call cut until the scene's segment was over; even if I knew we had passed the point where the editor would be cutting the shot. This was so the cast could understand the scene and get a feel for the moment as well as acting off of one another. It also help block out the next scene as we knew their actions for the next take. Doing this allowed me to watch their actions and performances and see if any of the dialogue didn't work and plan the next shot with the D.O.P easier.
Monday, 25 April 2016
Major Production Unit: Production - Perry's House Rewrite
Prior to shooting Scenes 5-8A at Perry's house, I decided to rewrite it. This was for two reasons:
- Firstly, Post-Production had already started and the running time for the film was just under 30 minutes: our target duration. This meant we were going to overrun regardless and a shorter sequence at Perry's house would result in less footage having to be cut.
- Secondly, the sequence was very long: 7 pages to be exact, which for a 38 page script is a large chunk of it. The pacing seemed to be too slow and would be following two already slow-paced scenes.
I needed to quicken things up and get to the point rather than forcing the audience to watch Sean and Archie search the entire lower floor of Perry's house and make sure the total running time didn't exceed the goal as much as it was already going to.
I much prefer this version to the original: gone are the slow and, to be frank: boring, parts of the sequence and now more focus is put on Sean's disliking towards Archie.
UPDATE:
Having now filmed the new version and watching it back in the edit the scene is very strong. It has a very nice pace to it and the tension is maintained throughout. I'm glad I rewrote this sequence and it's a step up from the original one, which would probably have clocked in at 7-8 minutes, maybe even more. It's good to have things like this happen as, an earlier version of me would have fought to not change the sequence, and is a good lesson to learn for when I next write a script: get to the point!
- Firstly, Post-Production had already started and the running time for the film was just under 30 minutes: our target duration. This meant we were going to overrun regardless and a shorter sequence at Perry's house would result in less footage having to be cut.
- Secondly, the sequence was very long: 7 pages to be exact, which for a 38 page script is a large chunk of it. The pacing seemed to be too slow and would be following two already slow-paced scenes.
I needed to quicken things up and get to the point rather than forcing the audience to watch Sean and Archie search the entire lower floor of Perry's house and make sure the total running time didn't exceed the goal as much as it was already going to.
I much prefer this version to the original: gone are the slow and, to be frank: boring, parts of the sequence and now more focus is put on Sean's disliking towards Archie.
UPDATE:
Having now filmed the new version and watching it back in the edit the scene is very strong. It has a very nice pace to it and the tension is maintained throughout. I'm glad I rewrote this sequence and it's a step up from the original one, which would probably have clocked in at 7-8 minutes, maybe even more. It's good to have things like this happen as, an earlier version of me would have fought to not change the sequence, and is a good lesson to learn for when I next write a script: get to the point!
Saturday, 23 April 2016
Major Production Unit: Production - Second Week
The second week of filming saw us shooting all of the exterior scenes and turned out to be a very successful week. We finished on the Thursday, a whole day ahead of schedule and with no setbacks or compromises.
The new location for the woods was the perfect setting for the campsite and really gave the sense of isolation that Sean begins to increasingly feel over the course of the film.
Shooting in exterior scenes is very tricky to do as you have to work around a lot of noises that are out of our control. This forced me to become more efficient in my directing and was a good challenge to take on. Because we had prepared for each scene and knew they would work, having considered the conditions in the locations, the production was a lot smoother than the first day was in the previous week.
Overall it was a great two weeks of filming. I was very tired mentally at the end of each day but there was this astounding sense of achievement, knowing it was one part of a bigger thing and that the final product would be a piece to be proud of. I've definitely learned that directing is a lot more complex than it first appears and being around very strong and professional actors was a fantastic opportunity to be a part of.
There were only a handful of scenes left to shoot, spread over 3 days over the course of the next couple of weeks which we also got without any issues (aside from bad weather during one of them). A reshoot was required for the final scene (38) as a single, floating shot wasn't good enough to give the right impact the film needed to finish on. Originally the camera would start facing the wall as the end of a graphic match and move down and to the left, revealing Archie dead with a knife in his chest. It would then finish by moving backwards to a wide shot before fading to black. Although the shot looks nice in concept, it didn't in practice. The reshoot resolved this with lots of different angles and shots for the Editor to piece together a lingering death scene that finished with a close up on Archie as he dies in front of us, a much harder impact as the audience can't look away (something they could have done with a wide shot) and creates an overall uncomfortable moment: exactly what I was after.
The new location for the woods was the perfect setting for the campsite and really gave the sense of isolation that Sean begins to increasingly feel over the course of the film.
Shooting in exterior scenes is very tricky to do as you have to work around a lot of noises that are out of our control. This forced me to become more efficient in my directing and was a good challenge to take on. Because we had prepared for each scene and knew they would work, having considered the conditions in the locations, the production was a lot smoother than the first day was in the previous week.
Overall it was a great two weeks of filming. I was very tired mentally at the end of each day but there was this astounding sense of achievement, knowing it was one part of a bigger thing and that the final product would be a piece to be proud of. I've definitely learned that directing is a lot more complex than it first appears and being around very strong and professional actors was a fantastic opportunity to be a part of.
There were only a handful of scenes left to shoot, spread over 3 days over the course of the next couple of weeks which we also got without any issues (aside from bad weather during one of them). A reshoot was required for the final scene (38) as a single, floating shot wasn't good enough to give the right impact the film needed to finish on. Originally the camera would start facing the wall as the end of a graphic match and move down and to the left, revealing Archie dead with a knife in his chest. It would then finish by moving backwards to a wide shot before fading to black. Although the shot looks nice in concept, it didn't in practice. The reshoot resolved this with lots of different angles and shots for the Editor to piece together a lingering death scene that finished with a close up on Archie as he dies in front of us, a much harder impact as the audience can't look away (something they could have done with a wide shot) and creates an overall uncomfortable moment: exactly what I was after.
Friday, 22 April 2016
Major Production Unit: Pre-Production - Woods Scouting
Our initial location for the woods scenes at Barming Woods was lost due to not being able to get permissions as there were plans to tear down the place for a quarry. This meant a new location or the final chapter was needed. Myself and our D.O.P went out to two woods given to us by Kent Wildlife Reserve.
Location 1
The 2nd photo was the location we thought would be best for the campsite sequence (Scene 33) due to it being the most open area we could find and the 4th & 5th photos to be the settings for the hunt (Scene 36). This location was very nice and felt eerie but the only way to access it was through a 5-10 minute walk across some very boggy terrain: not great when 7+ people and equipment need to get through.
With this in mind, we set out to the second location.
Location 2
The second location was a huge improvement to the first one we visited: the trees were gnarled, and seemingly endless when shot at the right angle which was how I envisioned the location when writing the script (First three photos). The 4th photo was a large open space with a steep hill surrounding half of it which we saw as a perfect spot for the campsite scene to be set in. The 5th was a few minutes away with a very high hill which, when stood next to, looks very intimidating and gives the feel of being trapped.
After an hour at this place we agreed that this was definitely the woods we would use, and with permission having already been granted by Kent Wildlife Reserve we had it fixed.
Below are some test videos we shot whilst at the second woods to help picture what the hunt scene would look like. The location itself consists of several sections of woods, each with varying levels of density. The one we shot the tests in was the most densely packed:
Location 1
The 2nd photo was the location we thought would be best for the campsite sequence (Scene 33) due to it being the most open area we could find and the 4th & 5th photos to be the settings for the hunt (Scene 36). This location was very nice and felt eerie but the only way to access it was through a 5-10 minute walk across some very boggy terrain: not great when 7+ people and equipment need to get through.
With this in mind, we set out to the second location.
Location 2
The second location was a huge improvement to the first one we visited: the trees were gnarled, and seemingly endless when shot at the right angle which was how I envisioned the location when writing the script (First three photos). The 4th photo was a large open space with a steep hill surrounding half of it which we saw as a perfect spot for the campsite scene to be set in. The 5th was a few minutes away with a very high hill which, when stood next to, looks very intimidating and gives the feel of being trapped.
After an hour at this place we agreed that this was definitely the woods we would use, and with permission having already been granted by Kent Wildlife Reserve we had it fixed.
Below are some test videos we shot whilst at the second woods to help picture what the hunt scene would look like. The location itself consists of several sections of woods, each with varying levels of density. The one we shot the tests in was the most densely packed:
Thursday, 21 April 2016
Major Production Unit: Production - First Week
The day before filming, and the following in fact, I was very nervous about starting production: it had been over a year since I last directed a project and none with as big a cast and crew as Grit's. The first day of filming was, in all honesty, rough. We were scheduled to film the first three scenes where Sean, Zoe and Perry play cards, which was to be shot in two long takes with some reverses for the painting segment. Unfortunately, due to lack of space, the D.O.P was unable to move around freely enough to achieve the desired shots. This meant I had to improvise and ultimately resulted in some shots being missed: such as a reverse shot for when Sean collects the pizza at the front door and another reverse after he returns from over Zoe's shoulder. These would have helped the Editor in putting together a better sequence but with them overlooked, some of the mystery over the pizza man and the boxes changing to a script was lost. A tough lesson to learn.
Sound quality wasn't as good as it could have been as the room wasn't treated with some blankets to dampen sound, something (along with the overlooked shots) I feel to blame for. I believe I could have been better prepared in knowing the conditions of the location.
This tough start to the week dented my confidence coming into the second day but it was a much more successful shoot along with the rest of the week. I feel this was down to me becoming increasingly more comfortable around the cast and crew and being able to settle into my job better. By the end of the week I was really enjoying the production and we stayed on schedule throughout.
I learned a lot this first week: firstly from mistakes made and secondly from the actors, watching them interact with one another taught some ways to communicate with them. Working closely with my D.O.P taught me a lot about lighting and how to light up a shot to match the time of day and with other shots from the same scene.
Targets for Week 2:
- Communicate more with the cast.
- Don't be afraid to say something.
- Have a backup plan for shots incase we can't shoot the ones we wanted.
 |
| Photos were taken by set photographer Alex Roberts. |
Sound quality wasn't as good as it could have been as the room wasn't treated with some blankets to dampen sound, something (along with the overlooked shots) I feel to blame for. I believe I could have been better prepared in knowing the conditions of the location.
This tough start to the week dented my confidence coming into the second day but it was a much more successful shoot along with the rest of the week. I feel this was down to me becoming increasingly more comfortable around the cast and crew and being able to settle into my job better. By the end of the week I was really enjoying the production and we stayed on schedule throughout.
I learned a lot this first week: firstly from mistakes made and secondly from the actors, watching them interact with one another taught some ways to communicate with them. Working closely with my D.O.P taught me a lot about lighting and how to light up a shot to match the time of day and with other shots from the same scene.
Targets for Week 2:
- Communicate more with the cast.
- Don't be afraid to say something.
- Have a backup plan for shots incase we can't shoot the ones we wanted.
Major Production Unit: Research - Directing Research
Having researched into how to direct and communicate to actors, I looked into a different part of directing: the visuals.
To begin: I watched some of the films listed in my Director's Statement (Birdman, Heat, and La Haine) to see how the Directors shot their visions. I focused on camera angles and ways to tell a story visually rather than using dialogue to force it.
One sequence in Heat shows the protagonist driving down a motorway after a suspect, the use of quick edits of the road, passing traffic and rushing noises create a disorientating and confusing effect to create a sense of the fast speeds he is driving at.
A couple of weeks later The Revenant was released which was directed by the same person who helmed Birdman. I went to see the film and noticed that several scenes consisted of the protagonist making their way through some woods cautiously. I paid close attention to these sequences as Grit contains a hunt that takes place in Scene 36 and was curious to see how Iñârritu created tension through the framing and sound.
In Grit there are several scenes with three interacting characters, framing a three-shot is something I wasn't entirely sure about as it becomes very easy to cross the line. Birdman tackles this scenario and I made note of how to potentially achieve this.
By making the triangle more compact, the camera can get closer in and make the shot seem smaller than it actually is. With three people in one shot, the frame can get busy but the smaller triangle helps with establishing space between the characters and if the camera stays on one side (like it does in the scene the still is taken from) then the line will not be crossed.
On top of visual research, I conducted some written ones to find more on the process and responsibilities of directing.
In Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthestics, author Michael Rabiger explains the process of filming a take:
To begin: I watched some of the films listed in my Director's Statement (Birdman, Heat, and La Haine) to see how the Directors shot their visions. I focused on camera angles and ways to tell a story visually rather than using dialogue to force it.
One sequence in Heat shows the protagonist driving down a motorway after a suspect, the use of quick edits of the road, passing traffic and rushing noises create a disorientating and confusing effect to create a sense of the fast speeds he is driving at.
A couple of weeks later The Revenant was released which was directed by the same person who helmed Birdman. I went to see the film and noticed that several scenes consisted of the protagonist making their way through some woods cautiously. I paid close attention to these sequences as Grit contains a hunt that takes place in Scene 36 and was curious to see how Iñârritu created tension through the framing and sound.
 |
| Tom Hardy in The Revenant (2015) http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/611517-the-revenant-still-not-done-shooting-dicaprios-character-says-almost-nothing |
In Grit there are several scenes with three interacting characters, framing a three-shot is something I wasn't entirely sure about as it becomes very easy to cross the line. Birdman tackles this scenario and I made note of how to potentially achieve this.
 |
| Still from Birdman [Iñârritu, 2014] |
On top of visual research, I conducted some written ones to find more on the process and responsibilities of directing.
 |
| http://filmg.co.uk/files/downloads/Directing-Resource-Notes.pdf |
In Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthestics, author Michael Rabiger explains the process of filming a take:
 |
| Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthestics [Rabiger, 2013] |
Major Production Unit: Research - Directing Actors
Directing actors: on paper it sounds straightforward enough - tell them what you want but it's this level of thinking that raises some questions; such as 'what to say specifically' and 'how to describe it'. Questions that I needed the answers to.
I have only ever directed one actor prior to this unit: and that was my lead in my Fiction Adaptation film 'The Death Bed'. That experience was pivotal as it was a lesson in communication to someone I'd known for about 10 minutes. But it was to be the set up for this unit, and this time I wanted to be prepared.
As someone who is strongly introverted, communicating to friends and family can be a tough challenge in itself. So to prepare myself for the process of directing I initially targeted the topic of speaking to actors first.
I started out a simple search online: "how to direct". Quite vague, but this allowed the widest possible amount of sources and articles to be discovered, but it did return an interesting result.
http://nofilmschool.com/2012/01/director-objectives
This is a guest article from D.O.P and Filmmaker Randolph Sellars, whom which provides detailed information and advice on Directing in one part of a series of articles on the website.
Sellars provides a scenario as an example of the advice he gives. This concept of establishing an objective for the character is something I will implement into my Directing of the cast as it gives the actor a motive to form their performance around.
He also recommended a book called Directing Actors by Judith Weston, which I found and browsed through. She provides some very useful information:
I found this book very helpful in understanding how to communicate and direct an actor and will definitely be trying out the advice given.
Randolph Sellars wrote another article in the Directing series: Learning How TO Talk To Actors.
http://nofilmschool.com/2012/01/director-learning-talk-actors
In the article, Sellars recommends attending an acting class, something I had been advised to do in the past and I have considered it but never carried through. Although I never got round to attending a class, I will make sure I do at some point in the near future. To learn what an actor does and to be on the receiving end of direction would be very useful information and a great experience.
Additional parts to the series:
http://nofilmschool.com/2012/01/director-power-collaboration
http://nofilmschool.com/2012/02/directing-gaining-trust
An article that states the six questions a Director should be able to answer if asked by an actor:
http://www.filmunderground.com/98/Article/NWFS/Working-with-Actors.htm
1. Who am I?
2. Where am I coming from?
3. Where am I?
4. Whom am I with and how do I feel about him/her?
5. What do I want from this person?
6. What am I doing to get what I want?
Some more articles and sources that I found:
http://nofilmschool.com/2013/10/character-performance-what-is-your-focus-as-director
http://spaciousacting.com/2014/02/06/directors-use-adjectives-actors-use-verbs/
http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/action-verbs/
http://www.gregpak.com/entries/001275.shtml
I have only ever directed one actor prior to this unit: and that was my lead in my Fiction Adaptation film 'The Death Bed'. That experience was pivotal as it was a lesson in communication to someone I'd known for about 10 minutes. But it was to be the set up for this unit, and this time I wanted to be prepared.
As someone who is strongly introverted, communicating to friends and family can be a tough challenge in itself. So to prepare myself for the process of directing I initially targeted the topic of speaking to actors first.
I started out a simple search online: "how to direct". Quite vague, but this allowed the widest possible amount of sources and articles to be discovered, but it did return an interesting result.
http://nofilmschool.com/2012/01/director-objectives
This is a guest article from D.O.P and Filmmaker Randolph Sellars, whom which provides detailed information and advice on Directing in one part of a series of articles on the website.
Sellars provides a scenario as an example of the advice he gives. This concept of establishing an objective for the character is something I will implement into my Directing of the cast as it gives the actor a motive to form their performance around.
He also recommended a book called Directing Actors by Judith Weston, which I found and browsed through. She provides some very useful information:
I found this book very helpful in understanding how to communicate and direct an actor and will definitely be trying out the advice given.
Randolph Sellars wrote another article in the Directing series: Learning How TO Talk To Actors.
http://nofilmschool.com/2012/01/director-learning-talk-actors
In the article, Sellars recommends attending an acting class, something I had been advised to do in the past and I have considered it but never carried through. Although I never got round to attending a class, I will make sure I do at some point in the near future. To learn what an actor does and to be on the receiving end of direction would be very useful information and a great experience.
Additional parts to the series:
http://nofilmschool.com/2012/01/director-power-collaboration
http://nofilmschool.com/2012/02/directing-gaining-trust
An article that states the six questions a Director should be able to answer if asked by an actor:
http://www.filmunderground.com/98/Article/NWFS/Working-with-Actors.htm
1. Who am I?
2. Where am I coming from?
3. Where am I?
4. Whom am I with and how do I feel about him/her?
5. What do I want from this person?
6. What am I doing to get what I want?
Some more articles and sources that I found:
http://nofilmschool.com/2013/10/character-performance-what-is-your-focus-as-director
http://spaciousacting.com/2014/02/06/directors-use-adjectives-actors-use-verbs/
http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/action-verbs/
http://www.gregpak.com/entries/001275.shtml
Wednesday, 20 April 2016
Major Production Unit: Pre-Production - Updated Character Bios
In preparation for the filming that would be happening in several weeks time I went back to the character bios created during the Pre-Production unit and re-wrote them to include mannerisms, likes, dislikes, how they emote to specific scenarios and their opinions on certain topics and people. This was mainly because they were going to be handed to the actors to get a better understanding of the role they will be partaking and also for myself for when it came to directing the cast: I too could also have a deep understanding of each character.
Major Production Unit: Pre-Production - Easter Egg Compilation
The definitive list of all easter eggs and background information hidden in the film
1. In Scene 18 Zoe is reading the book 'American Psycho'.
2. In Scene 2 Sean is handed a pizza box with the company titled 'The Unreal Pizza Co.' it's slogan being 'So Good It's Unreal!'
3. Archie's Phone Number is 09131791454, and, if converted into letters, spells out 'imagined'. 09 = I, 13 = M, 1 = A, 7 = G, 9 = I, 14 = N, 5 = E, 4 = D.
4. Pewauk Road, visible on the ransom not, is an anagram of 'Wake Up'.
5. The pizza leaflet Sean hands to Zoe in Scene 18 contains several secrets.
- The phone number (09131791454) is the exact same as Archie's, an allusion to the constructed world.
- The address is Pewauk Road and the postcode 'DE49 5AD'. Removing the numbers leaves the word 'DEAD' and the numbers when converted to letters spell 'DIE'.
- On the left side of the leaflet are three messages. Order no. 5 has "Wake The Fuck Up!"; order 9 is "Murder Spree - Dead Girlfriend & Best Mates'; and order 12 reads "You Are Archie - This Isn't Real". Additionally if the order numbers are converted into letters, they spell EIL which backwards is LIE.
- On the right hand side are two more secrets: inside one of the blue boxes near the centre is the message 'She's Dead' and meal order no. 13 is called "Killer Meal 1- 3 Friends; 2 Tents; 1 Mistake; 1 Knife; Lifetime of Regret".
6. The values of the playing cards during Sean, Zoe and Perry's game of 21's are significant. Sean has a King of Clubs and an Ace of Hearts: symbolic of the real Archie killing the others (him being the king and the three killed represented by the heart as they are his loved ones). Zoe's cards are a 4 of Diamonds; 5 of Hearts; Ace of Clubs; 4 of Spades and a 9 of Diamonds. Translating the numbers into letters gives DEADI or 'I DEAD'. The 9 is technically there to get her card total to over 21 as in the script she loses the game. Perry's cards are an Ace of Clubs; 3 of Diamonds; 10 of Diamonds and a Jack of Spades: Zoe referring to them as "A one, three and two-tens". Doing the same translation to letters again gives ACT.
7. The labels on the Beer bottles that Sean drinks from are called "Es Ist Nicht Echt" which translates from German to "It's Not Real"; a reference to the truth behind the world the film is set in.
Alongside this: an image of Archie holding up a bottle is printed above the lettering on the label. Another way of him attempting to infiltrate and shake up the false world Sean has created.
8. In Scene 1 Zoe shows Perry a painting she has done: it is an exact copy of Edouard Manet's 'Le Suicide' and the imagery foreshadows the final scene of the film.
9. In Scene 30 when Sean watches the news one of the news bites along the banner at the bottom reads "Sales of the drug Respidoral have risen significantly in the last quarter"
Respidoral is a play on the word Risperdal, which is a prescription drug used to treat Schizophrenia:
It has also been used to help with other psychosis' like Delusional Disorder: the condition that the Real Archie suffers from.
10. A DVD copy of 'Fight Club' can be seen on the shelf above the TV in Scenes 30 and 38: [Spoiler for Fight Club] the two protagonists in the film turn out to be the same person; just like in Grit.
11. Every location named in Grit is an anagram of a message linked towards the truth about the world:
Lieafstalk [Woods] - It's All Fake
Fit Fishes Lake - This Life's Fake
Pewauk [Road] - Wake Up
Flared Owls [Park] - False World
12. The Chapter Titles are also anagrams:
Chapter 1: Sound Lie - Delusion
Chapter 2: Flared Owls - False World
Chapter 3: Aiding Me - Imagined
Chapter 4: Early Exit - Ex Reality
Chapter 5: Lieafstalk Woods - It's All Fake
The first letter of each chapter spells 'SFAEL' which is itself, an anagram of 'FALSE'.
13. In Scene 5 along with the normal photos of the protagonists, there is a third photo of Perry with an Archie's either side of Perry:
14. In Scene 26 Sean finds Perry's Phone: the password for which is 4514. Converted into letters spells DEAD. An allusion to Perry's fate in the film.
15. Among the names on Perry's contacts list in Scene 26 are those of the cast and crew for Grit.
16. In some pieces of the film's soundtrack, a breathing noise can be heard. This is actually Archie's dialogue in Scene 33 when he says "Archie". The audio is slowed down significantly and a reverb effect added to it. This is a reference to Archie being the only real person and his Guilty side (the one infiltrating the delusion) trying to communicate to his Delusional side.
17. Throughout the film words and sentences flash up and twitch. These are to signal key pieces of information that stick out to Sean. One in particular is in Scene 11 when Archie talks about finding Perry's wallet:
As Archie talks about finding the wallet a secondary conversation appears behind the trio: this is the real conversation that happens between Zoe and Archie but Sean imagines a different one due to his desire for Archie to be behind Perry's disappearance. It reads as so:
"So how did you get on?"
"Nothing, no-one can remember."
"I think you two were the last to see him."
Additionally: to further indicate that this is a thought of Sean's, Zoe and Archie 'break' and 'glitch':
They both jolt and stutter like a broken screen to signal that something isn't right in combination with the second conversation. Sean doesn't jolt as it is him imagining the other two's discussion.
18. Another aspect of the text that appears is that some of the words and letters change to a more accurate message.
In Scene 10 Sean's line is "I'm just concerned, that's all."
In Scene 33, "He did it" changes to "We did it." another sign that the two parts of the Real Archie's minds are battling with each other.
19. In Scene 30 when Sean throws the remote at the television the broken up image of Archie changes for a split second:
Backstory ones
1. "Fucking hate dogs" is an off-the-cuff comment made by Archie in Scene 11 after he almost steps on some dog shit. This is an actual character trait of Archie's.
2. In Scene 5 when Sean, Zoe and Archie are inside Perry's house, there are some photo frames on the mantelpiece:
One is an easter egg (see above) but the other two showcase the main characters' relationships with each other. One depicts Archie and Perry whilst the other is of all four of them seated and smiling for the camera. A nice and subtle way to A) liven up Perry's house and B) to establish how close the four are with one another.
3. A book titled 'Writing A Dissertation For Dummies' can be seen on the shelf above the TV in Scene 30. A hint towards why the Real Archie struggled at university and eventually turned to alcohol and drugs.
4. In Scene 22, as Sean wakes up on the sofa, some bottles, lighters and a burnt spoon rest atop the table beside him. This alludes to the Real Archie's Heroin addiction he suffers from in the real world.
5. The DVD stack that can be seen in Scenes 30 and 38 detail the Real Archie and Zoe's film taste. A sign of the real world slowly seeping into the delusional one.
6. Scene 26 contains a moment when Archie receives a phone call from someone called Trigg. Trigg is the Real Archie's drug dealer and whom he gets his Heroin from. The words "I am running a bit low, yeah" and "Black Sugar" are said by Archie during his phone conversation. References to this addiction; Black Sugar is a slang term used for Heroin.
7. When Sean and Zoe are at the park in Scene 4, Zoe explains her love for Camping and how used to go when she was younger. This is to provide some extra backstory and development for Zoe.
1. In Scene 18 Zoe is reading the book 'American Psycho'.
2. In Scene 2 Sean is handed a pizza box with the company titled 'The Unreal Pizza Co.' it's slogan being 'So Good It's Unreal!'
3. Archie's Phone Number is 09131791454, and, if converted into letters, spells out 'imagined'. 09 = I, 13 = M, 1 = A, 7 = G, 9 = I, 14 = N, 5 = E, 4 = D.
4. Pewauk Road, visible on the ransom not, is an anagram of 'Wake Up'.
5. The pizza leaflet Sean hands to Zoe in Scene 18 contains several secrets.
- The phone number (09131791454) is the exact same as Archie's, an allusion to the constructed world.
- The address is Pewauk Road and the postcode 'DE49 5AD'. Removing the numbers leaves the word 'DEAD' and the numbers when converted to letters spell 'DIE'.
- On the left side of the leaflet are three messages. Order no. 5 has "Wake The Fuck Up!"; order 9 is "Murder Spree - Dead Girlfriend & Best Mates'; and order 12 reads "You Are Archie - This Isn't Real". Additionally if the order numbers are converted into letters, they spell EIL which backwards is LIE.
- On the right hand side are two more secrets: inside one of the blue boxes near the centre is the message 'She's Dead' and meal order no. 13 is called "Killer Meal 1- 3 Friends; 2 Tents; 1 Mistake; 1 Knife; Lifetime of Regret".
6. The values of the playing cards during Sean, Zoe and Perry's game of 21's are significant. Sean has a King of Clubs and an Ace of Hearts: symbolic of the real Archie killing the others (him being the king and the three killed represented by the heart as they are his loved ones). Zoe's cards are a 4 of Diamonds; 5 of Hearts; Ace of Clubs; 4 of Spades and a 9 of Diamonds. Translating the numbers into letters gives DEADI or 'I DEAD'. The 9 is technically there to get her card total to over 21 as in the script she loses the game. Perry's cards are an Ace of Clubs; 3 of Diamonds; 10 of Diamonds and a Jack of Spades: Zoe referring to them as "A one, three and two-tens". Doing the same translation to letters again gives ACT.
7. The labels on the Beer bottles that Sean drinks from are called "Es Ist Nicht Echt" which translates from German to "It's Not Real"; a reference to the truth behind the world the film is set in.
Alongside this: an image of Archie holding up a bottle is printed above the lettering on the label. Another way of him attempting to infiltrate and shake up the false world Sean has created.
8. In Scene 1 Zoe shows Perry a painting she has done: it is an exact copy of Edouard Manet's 'Le Suicide' and the imagery foreshadows the final scene of the film.
 |
| 'Le Suicide' (Manet, 1881) |
9. In Scene 30 when Sean watches the news one of the news bites along the banner at the bottom reads "Sales of the drug Respidoral have risen significantly in the last quarter"
Respidoral is a play on the word Risperdal, which is a prescription drug used to treat Schizophrenia:
 |
| https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Treatment/Mental-Health-Medications/Risperidone-(Risperdal) |
10. A DVD copy of 'Fight Club' can be seen on the shelf above the TV in Scenes 30 and 38: [Spoiler for Fight Club] the two protagonists in the film turn out to be the same person; just like in Grit.
 |
| Still from Scene 30 |
Lieafstalk [Woods] - It's All Fake
Fit Fishes Lake - This Life's Fake
Pewauk [Road] - Wake Up
Flared Owls [Park] - False World
12. The Chapter Titles are also anagrams:
Chapter 1: Sound Lie - Delusion
Chapter 2: Flared Owls - False World
Chapter 3: Aiding Me - Imagined
Chapter 4: Early Exit - Ex Reality
Chapter 5: Lieafstalk Woods - It's All Fake
The first letter of each chapter spells 'SFAEL' which is itself, an anagram of 'FALSE'.
13. In Scene 5 along with the normal photos of the protagonists, there is a third photo of Perry with an Archie's either side of Perry:
14. In Scene 26 Sean finds Perry's Phone: the password for which is 4514. Converted into letters spells DEAD. An allusion to Perry's fate in the film.
15. Among the names on Perry's contacts list in Scene 26 are those of the cast and crew for Grit.
16. In some pieces of the film's soundtrack, a breathing noise can be heard. This is actually Archie's dialogue in Scene 33 when he says "Archie". The audio is slowed down significantly and a reverb effect added to it. This is a reference to Archie being the only real person and his Guilty side (the one infiltrating the delusion) trying to communicate to his Delusional side.
17. Throughout the film words and sentences flash up and twitch. These are to signal key pieces of information that stick out to Sean. One in particular is in Scene 11 when Archie talks about finding Perry's wallet:
 |
| Still from Scene 11 |
 |
| Still from Scene 11 |
 |
| Still from Scene 11 |
"So how did you get on?"
"Nothing, no-one can remember."
"I think you two were the last to see him."
Additionally: to further indicate that this is a thought of Sean's, Zoe and Archie 'break' and 'glitch':
 |
| Still from Scene 11 |
18. Another aspect of the text that appears is that some of the words and letters change to a more accurate message.
 |
| Still from Scene 10 |
 |
| Still from Scene 10 |
 |
| Still from Scene 33 |
 |
| Still from Scene 33 |
19. In Scene 30 when Sean throws the remote at the television the broken up image of Archie changes for a split second:
 |
| Still from Scene 30 |
 |
| Still from Scene 30 |
Backstory ones
1. "Fucking hate dogs" is an off-the-cuff comment made by Archie in Scene 11 after he almost steps on some dog shit. This is an actual character trait of Archie's.
2. In Scene 5 when Sean, Zoe and Archie are inside Perry's house, there are some photo frames on the mantelpiece:
 |
| Still from an used shot. |
3. A book titled 'Writing A Dissertation For Dummies' can be seen on the shelf above the TV in Scene 30. A hint towards why the Real Archie struggled at university and eventually turned to alcohol and drugs.
|
| Still from Scene 30 |
5. The DVD stack that can be seen in Scenes 30 and 38 detail the Real Archie and Zoe's film taste. A sign of the real world slowly seeping into the delusional one.
6. Scene 26 contains a moment when Archie receives a phone call from someone called Trigg. Trigg is the Real Archie's drug dealer and whom he gets his Heroin from. The words "I am running a bit low, yeah" and "Black Sugar" are said by Archie during his phone conversation. References to this addiction; Black Sugar is a slang term used for Heroin.
7. When Sean and Zoe are at the park in Scene 4, Zoe explains her love for Camping and how used to go when she was younger. This is to provide some extra backstory and development for Zoe.
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