Miriam Abrahams Video Blog

Finished final film!

2010-05-21T04:55:00.000-07:00

Please make a comment...thank you!

Finishing touches

2010-05-21T02:25:00.000-07:00

I have now finished most of the four-image editing and have increased audio levels where needed. I am very pleased with how it is all looking and the coincidence of how the subjects appear to look and study each other from box to box.

I am now working on titles and possible credits- perhaps paying thanks to everyone who features in the film.

Contextual Reference

2010-05-14T03:19:00.000-07:00

Andy Warhol had a fascination with voyeurism and observing peoples presence. He made numerous films like the one here, simply recording people staring into the camera lens and watching their reactions. I feel this is very close to what I am trying to achieve, however I have created a situation in which I wish my subjects to react to.

Waiting...

2010-05-14T02:31:00.000-07:00

I have now finished shooting all my material and have begun the editing process. Although my film will be presented in its original state (no filters or effects) I want to present four image sequences per screen, overlapping the audio in order to create an active, attention grabbing piece that will (hopefully) keep the viewer engaged and interested; allowing them to study and absorb human reactions.

The actual process of moving around my video and audio to overlap and fit on screen together; is not actually very time consuming. What is however, is rendering each change in order to watch the footage back. Because it is a very 'bulky' piece, with various things happening at once it takes about 15 minutes every time I need to render it, which is key to evaluating the editing process. When it comes to compressing and converting the film to MPEG-4 this will take an even greater length of time. However I am very optimistic that all this waiting will pay off!

Progress report...

2010-04-23T04:25:00.000-07:00

Since changing my concept filming so far has been very successful and I have shot the majority of footage that I will need.

I have set up a large Victorian chair in the corner of a room and used artificial lighting in order to keep a consistency in setting. The camera has then been set up on a tripod, directly in front of the chair in a more or less fixed position (unless I have filmed someone smaller and had to tilt the camera down slightly). As I have been filming on different days; I have marked the floor with masking tape so that the tripod can be set up in the same place.

Because everything is at a constant, it makes the film very interesting and directed as the only thing that changes is the people. This means your attention is much more focused on them and their body language.

MAJOR BRAIN-WAVE

2010-04-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

Although I started shooting for my film last week, I hadn't been getting the desired shots that I was hoping for due to poor lighting and camera quality.

I also realised that my narrative was far too complex for such a short film and it was going to be incredibly hard to achieve something really effective and successful in the long run.

Spending time working on my FMP also brought me to the conclusion that the ideas I'd had for my film would especially not work in my installation; therefore I have decided to not include the film as part of my FMP.

HOWEVER, although most of what I have said so far sounds majorly dissapointing; I have had ideas for a new film and began shooting this morning. Using an old striped jumper that I had planned for my victim to wear in my original film; I have decided to make this insignificant item the main topic of my new film. The concept is to have the camera set up in a more-or-less fixed position on a tripod, facing the corner of a room with a chair in it. I will then get as many different people as I can to wear the jumper and sit in the chair for 30 seconds whilst I film their reactions. They will not be asked to do anything other than sit there. They may speak if they wish but I will not reply to them, sort of like the Diary Room in the t.v show Big Brother.

I will use lots of different people from various age group, I will also use animals. The idea is once all the footage is montaged together; I will have produced a piece of film that will enable the viewer to become a voyeur- watching the reactions of individuals put in an unusual situation. By using a a broad range of 'characters', I am also helping this will make the film rather comical.

Due to these last minute changes, I have had to conduct a strict timetable for shooting so that I will have enough time to edit the footage.

- By the second session back (Friday 30th April) I will have completed all shooting and will be ready to begin the editing process.

Test Shoot

2010-04-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

Revised proposal for film 2#

2010-04-14T05:13:00.001-07:00

Planning and Test Shoots

2010-03-26T03:50:00.000-07:00

1) Use male instead of female as victim: Theo
2) Appearance: 1950's- strange: very formal, shirt, tie, greased back hair?
1950's- Italian/American male: vest, greased back hair, chewing on toothpick, towel around neck?
WILL CONDUCT TEST SHOOTS OF BOTH OF THE ABOVE

3) Setting: My house- Georgian building...will need to style as appropriate...remove certain
props & add others.
WILL CONDUCT LIGHTING TEST SHOOTS OF ALL SETTINGS

4) Sound: Visit Sound FX websites/ make studio recordings of sounds needed. Will need to get old news recordings or murders. Huey Lewis and the News track to make reference to American Psycho.

Opening sequence of Peeping Tom (Powell, 1960)

2010-03-26T03:47:00.001-07:00

Film 2

2010-03-19T03:39:00.000-07:00

I want to try and use film 2 as part of my final major project (FMP). For my FMP I am planning on having a short film playing on loop on a small television set as part of my instillation. My FMP is themed around the exploration of the line between reality and the imaginary, where I am using the 1991 novel American Psycho (Bret Easton Ellis) as a key source of inspiration and starting point.

My proposal for film 2 is that of a short film based on the idea of having a stalker in your house- watching your every move. Ultimately this stalker figure is completely ambiguous; therefore we do not know if it is even human. I believe this idea connects to my theme in the way that it encompasses themes of the un-known and fear which are key responses to someone stuck in between reality and the imaginary- someone in an unstable, confusing and fearful environment and state of mind.

As long as technically I make good choices to produce a piece that esthetically has and emits all of the above feelings and I create the piece to a high standard; then I am sure film 2 will be appropriate for my FMP and will add to the projects overall effect and success.

Reflection on group film

2010-03-19T03:08:00.000-07:00

We made our group film in the first couple of weeks of beginning the course. We were put into groups and had about 30mins to think of a concept and draft a rough storyboard. We then had an hour to go away with a video camera and make the film, which we did using the college as our setting. Our film was of the horror genre, the synopsis:- a girl stays behind late at college to catch up on work. As she goes to leave she finds the door is locked, she helplessly attempts to open it as she sees a dark figure on the opposite side of the door holding it shut. The door flys open and the figure is gone. As she makes her escape she is discovers she is being followed and finally chased. It is left of a cliff hanger as to whether she escapes or not. ...however we didn't want to take it seriously so it became a sort of mock horror film- using all the typical elements of a cheesy horror to make a more humorous narrative.

We used technical elements such as hand held camera and tracking shots to create tension and to build up to the climax of the film. We did not have the option to edit the film so we had to film each shot in order- rewinding and re-shooting where necessary.

I enjoyed working with the group as although we didn't really know each other it was a good way of getting to know everyone and we had a lot of fun making the film.

Group film

2010-03-19T03:07:00.000-07:00

Proposal & Storyboard for Film 2#

2010-03-13T07:53:00.000-08:00

Film 1#

2010-03-13T07:41:00.000-08:00

Contextual References for Film 2

2010-03-12T04:04:00.000-08:00

I want to shoot film 2 in a point of view style from a 'stalker'; similarly to the opening sequences of Peeping Tom (Powell, 1960) and Halloween (Carpenter, 1978).

End of Film 1

2010-03-12T03:48:00.001-08:00

I have finally chosen a soundtrack for my film- deciding to simply use the sound of rain falling through out. The track fades in and is steady through out until about half way through where I gradually increase the volume to a point of climax at the end where the sound then pans from left to right an finally fades out.

I am very happy with the finished product and feel the soundtrack suits the surrealist genre of the film appropriately and effectively.

Progress

2010-03-05T02:41:00.000-08:00

Taking photographs for film 1 was very successful in terms of adhering to my original storyboard. It became apparent that I would have to change one or two frames due to problems with props or unforeseen circumstances, however these were easy to replace. I have now had time to upload my images into FCP and edit them adding transition effects and colour to the 'surreal frames' to indicate a change in mood and to signify a difference between what is real and what isn't.

So far...

2010-02-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

Since composing my storyboard, it has enabled me to visualise imagery for the film much more effectively. I can now plan where I will take my 30 images and what camera angles, props and lighting I will use...

I will use my own house (bedroom, bathroom and hallway) for the images.

Two plastic animal masks I already have.

And either myself or a friend as the main character (probably a friend as I can then take the images).

Storyboard for Film 1#

2010-02-20T09:26:00.001-08:00

Binky

2010-02-05T03:52:00.000-08:00

Ideas for first film...

2010-02-05T02:36:00.000-08:00

For this first film we have to produce a concept that will be made up of photographic stills and then converted into a short 2min narrative.

Themes:

- Animals...My dog (Binky)
- A journey...A walk
- A significant event...Finds something:- a special pebble? a toy?
^too mundane???^

- A dream becoming a reality?
...waking up (daily routine)...keep looking to see things that suddenly aren't there any more.
E.g- squeezing toothpaste on to tooth brush...suddenly look again to see ketchup is coming out instead.

^Could be more effective. Has more depth to it, more interesting? More surrealist approach^

I think the latter idea could work much better in terms of keeping the audience interested and also in terms of being easier to film and control (too hard to get Binky to necessarily do what will be needed). I also think the idea sounds more fun in terms of being able to play with various techniques and materials when 'conjuring' up surreal circumstances.

Test Video

2010-01-15T04:53:00.000-08:00

Session one- Intro to NCFE

2010-01-15T04:28:00.000-08:00

Currently studying Graphic design on an Art Foundation course at City College; I have chosen to do an NCFE in Video because film is a very important part of my life and I hope to pursue a career within the film industry later on in life. I go to the cinema as often as possible as I like to keep track of current media and enjoy the whole cinematic experience.

I take inspiration from a lot of what a watch on television or see at the cinema, as well as what I read. Some of my favourite filmmakers include; Charlie Kaufman, David Lynch, Pedro Almodovar and Luis Bunuel. And some of my favourite writers and poets- Bret Easton Ellis, Tama Janowitz, John Milton and Jonathan Swift.