I confirm that the attached assessment is all my own work and does not include any work completed by anyone other than myself and sources have been appropriately referenced.
Practical Response
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For my practical response, I would like to focus on lighting. Therefore, I would like to create a short experiment influenced by the contrast in lighting in this sequence. Considering that this scene was inspired by 'Rose's Turn' from 'Gypsy', the scene uses theatre lighting. By this, I mean that, the performance focuses heavily on one subject, there is no prominent background and the performer is always well lit. In contrast, when she is in the hospital room, there is even, soft lighting. I might not try to recreate part of the scene, rather just try to emulate the lighting. This is mainly because I believe that this style of lighting will help emphasise the musical theatre elements in my final project.
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During a quick experiment earlier in the week, I realised that I would like to try and include an in-camera transition to show the difference in reality and dream. There was only a small change in my appearance in the transition, but I think that I should include a revised and more drastic change between the two scenes. I had a little bit of trouble trying to make the transition between the two clips work, as one was out of focus and was further away from the tree, than the other. Luckily, I was able to fix these in my edit, as I just needed to scale one of the original clips a bit larger and add a keyframed 'gaussian blur' effect, so it just appeared to be a rack focus.
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Footage - Before & After:
Practical Response - Feedback & Evaluation
In the practical response, I tried using lighting and experimenting with effects, in order to create some theatre-inspired lighting. I used the '4-colour gradient' effect to try and create a spotlight but, unfortunately, it did result in looking a bit too prominent in some of the shots. I especially had trouble in the part where the light shines from behind, as my masking was a bit too messy, so it caused me some issues to try and make it look a bit more natural. In some of the shots with the spotlight, I think I tried to use it too much, so the end result is the clip looking washed-out, rather than being reminiscent of a stage light. I also wanted to try some coloured lighting, also using the '4-colour gradient', as certain productions will use colours, in order to convey a certain mood or emotion. I tried panning and key framing the opacity of those effects, as I wanted them to look more fluid and natural, rather than just a static colour.
Considering that I would like some of my Final Project to be set on a stage, I think that this test with lighting will help me understand how to fully convey common elements of theatre. Also, I think that my attempt at creating lighting in post will help in making something more dynamic, as even though it could have been more polished, adding the effect in afterwards helped brighten the rest of the figure, as some of the raw footage appeared a bit too dark otherwise. In the future, I may add another light, in the TV Studio, as I only had one overhead light and another angled a bit too the side, otherwise some shadows were too dark. Even with the second light, some shadows were still too dark, therefore I'd like another to the opposite side, and maybe some floor lights, if available to me, in order to create lighting that is more reminiscent of the theatre.
Considering that I would like some of my Final Project to be set on a stage, I think that this test with lighting will help me understand how to fully convey common elements of theatre. Also, I think that my attempt at creating lighting in post will help in making something more dynamic, as even though it could have been more polished, adding the effect in afterwards helped brighten the rest of the figure, as some of the raw footage appeared a bit too dark otherwise. In the future, I may add another light, in the TV Studio, as I only had one overhead light and another angled a bit too the side, otherwise some shadows were too dark. Even with the second light, some shadows were still too dark, therefore I'd like another to the opposite side, and maybe some floor lights, if available to me, in order to create lighting that is more reminiscent of the theatre.
Pre-Production
Multi-Camera Test
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For this test, we used one stationary camera and another on a gimbal, so that I could experiment with using a different set-up. This is due to the fact that in my previous projects, I've really only ever used one stationary camera. Therefore, I decided that I should try and include some more variety for my final project, in order to make it more visually appealing. Also, I believe that using another camera will make my project more reminiscent of a recording of a stage production, combining those elements with film musicals.
Also, we had a few issues with the gimbal's focus, as seen in the test, so we will probably need to do some practice and alternate takes, in order to try and perfect the sequence. Therefore, filming both the stationary and gimbal shots gives me the ability to go through both versions of footage and decide which parts work. This test also highlighted some of the issues with my initial lighting. The shadows are clearly too dark in some areas, so even though I'd like the background to be black, I sometimes blend in. Therefore, this cements my idea that the lighting needs to be reworked. Preferably, if I included another dim light shining from another angle, so that I can be clearly visible. |
Initial Ideas:
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One of my initial ideas is to recreate this scene from 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'. This is because it implements all of the elements that I would like to use in my project. By this, I mean that extreme differences in location and costume
My most glaring issue with this idea is the use of the piano and what I could use instead. Even if I don't use this song, I definitely want to draw inspiration from its mise-en-scene, as I feel that it's the perfect example of what I would like to achieve with my project. Another idea is to create a scene for 'The Ballad of Sara Berry'. Unlike 'Tell Me I'm Okay, Patrick', the narrative is contained in the one song. The production that it is originally from is a type of compilation show, where all the songs are unrelated and are based on photography. Therefore, I wouldn't become influenced by any existing versions and be able to create my own interpretation of its story.
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Similarly to 'Tell Me I'm Okay, Patrick' this sequence features very clear and distinct differences between reality and the dream. Therefore, I may try and recreate or implement elements from this scene into my project. Considering that this song also features an extreme mise-en scene change, of which I may be able to emulate, so it will be clear what the character's perception of reality is.
Also, this sequence features an in-camera transition between reality and the introduction of the dream sequence. |
Final Idea:
The Ballad of Sara Berry: Narrative
The story of 'The Ballad of Sara Berry' is that it's about a popular high-school girl with a desirable life whose main ambition is to be prom queen. Although, another girl in school, Julie, gets amputated, so Sara thinks that she will win, due to pity. She begins to lose her mind, determined to become perfect, and isolates herself from her friends and boyfriend. When her boyfriend tells her that he's taking Julie to prom, Sara decides to kill the other candidates. The song ends when Julie call the police and Sara gets arrested.
Therefore, I would like to have the dream sequences, during the chorus, where Sara is in her prom dress because it will eventually build up to the final part of the song, where her illusion breaks and she is now covered in blood. |
One notable issue is that while typical musical segments are about one moment, this song features an entire narrative. Typically, the songs will only be about a single scene, with the rest of the production to fill the plot. However, considering that this song is from a musical lacking a narrative, meaning that each song features its own story, there is an element of closure not normally found in the typical musical number, that's not a finale song.
At the beginning, I think that the Sara in reality shouldn't be lip-syncing along with the song, while 'dream' Sara does. However, I think it may be effective if the real Sara does start interacting with the music, further into the song, showing how dream and reality merging together in Sara's mind. Also, I think it may be effective to have Sara's dream self start off as pristine and perfect, until the song progresses and she starts losing that part of herself.
However, one problem I may face that the song features an ensemble cast, especially near the end of the song, before the last chorus. Due to COVID guidelines, I decided that I didn't want to include too many cast and crew members. Also, trying to get a relatively big cast to play the role of the ensemble would probably prove to be difficult, due to conflicting schedules. Therefore, if I tried to prioritise using only a small crew, production would hopefully go a lot smoother, without trying to accommodate several different schedules. Due to these restrictions, I've decided that for the more prominent moments with the ensemble, a segment of Sara getting ready for prom will be used. Also, during the ensembles backing moments, I'd like to create a silhouette of 'dream' Sara, so that this concept is introduced before the chorus.
At the beginning, I think that the Sara in reality shouldn't be lip-syncing along with the song, while 'dream' Sara does. However, I think it may be effective if the real Sara does start interacting with the music, further into the song, showing how dream and reality merging together in Sara's mind. Also, I think it may be effective to have Sara's dream self start off as pristine and perfect, until the song progresses and she starts losing that part of herself.
However, one problem I may face that the song features an ensemble cast, especially near the end of the song, before the last chorus. Due to COVID guidelines, I decided that I didn't want to include too many cast and crew members. Also, trying to get a relatively big cast to play the role of the ensemble would probably prove to be difficult, due to conflicting schedules. Therefore, if I tried to prioritise using only a small crew, production would hopefully go a lot smoother, without trying to accommodate several different schedules. Due to these restrictions, I've decided that for the more prominent moments with the ensemble, a segment of Sara getting ready for prom will be used. Also, during the ensembles backing moments, I'd like to create a silhouette of 'dream' Sara, so that this concept is introduced before the chorus.
'The Ballad of Sara Berry' is a part of the '35MM: A Musical Exhibition' album. All of the songs on this album were based on the photography of Matthew Murphey. Therefore, before planning, I used this as a reference for my development.
In my project, I was planning to have a scene with a pin-board featuring pictures all of the other candidates, in order to make a call-back to the initial inspiration of the song. |
Moodboards:
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I think that using a spotlight will help show how I've been inspired by theatre and how you can find those elements in recent film musicals as well. Although, I think that by using this in the dream, I can show how Sara isolated herself throughout the song, as spotlights are typically used for solo performances and soliloquies. In the song, she was stated to have pushed everyone away in pursuit of becoming prom queen, I think that the spotlight will solidify how her desire for perfection led to her downfall. For Sara's costume in reality, I would like to have it based mostly on women's' fashion found in teen films from the 90s and 2000s. This is because this is when the archetype of the 'popular and mean girl' was the most prominent, even though they cold be found before this time frame. Considering that 'The Ballad of Sara Berry' seems to be about these tropes and presenting them in a darker manner, I think that by paying homage to these films, I can emphasise the inspiration behind the song. Also, since Sara is stated in the lyrics to be a popular girl, I think it makes sense to highlight the trends in fashion, at the time, as these characters were known for being trendsetters and stylish, in their respective films.
Considering that Sara will get covered in blood, later in the song, I would like to have a lighter-coloured, almost-cute dress to serve as a contrast. If I used a dress that was too dark or a shade of red, the blood may blend in and not have enough emphasis, when in shot. Also, by using a lighter dress, I think that it could create the illusion of innocence and purity, as pastel colours are usually associated with youth. Therefore, by essentially corrupting that, I think that it could create an interesting contrast.
The light dress will also help Sara stand out from the dark background, as I noticed this to be an issue in my practical response, where the dark clothing blended in too much. |
Shotlist:
Storyboard:
This storyboard highlights some of my most prominent ideas for the camera angles and techniques, while my shot list goes more in-depth with what I would like each shot to convey. Considering that the majority of the dream sequence is rather repetitive, of Sara alone under a spotlight, with the storyboard, I wanted to show the different ways that I could make this sequence more interesting for the audience.
Risk Assessments:
Location Recce:
Reality:
For reality, there will be a bit more variety in location. Near the end of the reality sequence, the most prominent location will be my garage, where Sara creates her plot. I think that the dark space will create a more menacing atmosphere, in contrast to the pink, almost-harmless appearance of Sara. Other times in the song, she will just be in her bedroom, which is rather pink, as well, suiting the theme of the 'mean girl' archetype, I think. I've chosen these locations because I think that contrast will be an important theme in my project. Considering that the song is about teen movie archetypes being flipped on their heads, I would like to try and show this theme through the location, as well, in order to develop my mise-en-scene further. Dream: For the dream segments, I would like to film primarily in the TV Studio. This is because these moments have a strong emphasis on theatre lighting, primarily spotlights. Therefore, I believe that using the resources most readily available to me would cause the production to go a lot more smoothly, rather than if I tried to create a spotlight by myself and it looking less than what I envisioned. Also, the TV Studio has a large array of lighting equipment, so if I needed anything to change, or if I had another idea of what to do, I could implement those with relative ease. |
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Costumes
Reality:
In reality, I have opted for Sara to wear a pink jumper and a black skirt. This is because I wanted to emphasise my influence from teen movies, specifically 'Mean Girls'. I took inspiration from The Plastics' fashion, including how a lot of their more notable outfits contain pink. Pink became such an iconic colour associated with them to the point where the original poster for the Broadway adaptation had all the Plastic wearing bright pink dresses. In the film, their wardrobes did contain a lot of other colours, but in the musical, the majority of their costumes involve a lot of pink. I also took inspiration from 'Scream Queens' which is a parody of the 'popular girl' trope and the main characters are known for having very pink, feminine clothes. |
Dream:
For the dream sequence, I have decided to have Sara a light purple, floor-length prom dress. As noted in my mood-board, I wanted the dress to be a light colour, so that it could stand out from the background and give an initial impression of innocence. In my practical tests, the subject wearing dark clothing meant that it could be rather hard to differentiate between the subject and the background. Therefore, I decided that not only would a light dress help convey the theme of the song, but also help the subject stand out, against the background. Also, considering that I'll be using fake blood, using this light dress will help that be more prominent. |
Props:
During the dream sequence, I will not be using too many props, and try to keep it more minimalistic, in that sense, with the exception of a microphone. I would like to include this, in order to emphasise my musical theatre influence, alongside the spotlight, will hopefully resemble a soliloquy.
However, in reality, I would like to keep my props more varied. For example, I would like a phone to be a prominent prop, as she is a modern teenager, and I would like her surroundings and possessions to reflect that. Also, during the plotting scene, there will be a pin-board, in order to convey the plan to the audience, while potentially omitting enough details, in order to maintain a sense of mystery. I will also be using a few mirrors, in order to try and portray my theme of vanity. I may be using a few different mirrors, so that it may convey that even though the reality sequence takes place primarily in her bedroom, she views being able to see her reflection as a necessity.
However, in reality, I would like to keep my props more varied. For example, I would like a phone to be a prominent prop, as she is a modern teenager, and I would like her surroundings and possessions to reflect that. Also, during the plotting scene, there will be a pin-board, in order to convey the plan to the audience, while potentially omitting enough details, in order to maintain a sense of mystery. I will also be using a few mirrors, in order to try and portray my theme of vanity. I may be using a few different mirrors, so that it may convey that even though the reality sequence takes place primarily in her bedroom, she views being able to see her reflection as a necessity.
Marketing - Drafts & Ideas:
Initial Ideas:
Poster:
Thumbnail:
For my thumbnail, I had an idea of using a picture of the bloodied prom dress. This is because I wanted there to be an element of mystery and take the attention away from Sara, as a character and rather focus on how she affected the plot. Also, I think it can build intrigue, if I keep as much of Sara hidden as possible.
Countdown:
Trailer:
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For my poster, I have a few potential concepts. Considering that a prominent theme, in my project, is the difference between dream and reality, I thought that creating a poster with a split-screen, featuring both versions of Sara equally, would be a decent way of conveying that to the audience. I decided to use this font for my draft because it reminded me of a young person's handwriting, with it not being too extravagant or messy, tying back to who the main character is and my target audience.
I think that having a dark background will help have Sara stand out, while also having the background be plain will ensure that the focus is placed on her, so it becomes more noticeable, rather than if it was clunky. This background also keeps the theatre-style lighting of which I'm trying to centre my piece around, therefore, the poster can convey one of my main targets effectively. Also, in order to show how my specialist study has influenced me, I had a brief idea of creating two separate posters, taking inspiration from 'Hairspray'; with one version featuring the Sara in reality and the other with her dream self. However, I do believe there is an issue of my design being a bit too plain. I may need to add to the foreground, so that it becomes a bit more eye-catching, but not so much that it becomes messy. It's because of this that I believe using a split-screen will convey my narrative and the tonal shift in a relatively simple way. One idea that I had, to further my marketing is a countdown. Typically, in order to build interest, companies may post countdowns on social media, using teaser photos. Therefore, considering that Sara's plan is what the song builds up to, I felt that it may be effective to use it prominently. However, I think that my initial design will need quite a few adjustments, as I don't think it's very eye-catching and is a bit plain. Therefore, I will need to spend more time creating a design that can build interest in my project and convey the tone that I'm trying to create. |
Production
Reality:
Over the course of the Easter holiday, I made progress with some of the scenes based in reality. In order to make a reference to the original photograph which inspired this song, I created a pin-board, which will appear in several different scenes. I decided to not try and make it too intricate, otherwise, I would spend the majority of my time trying create the board, rather than trying to film. Therefore, I decided to film mostly close-ups, so that its purpose would get its intention across to the audience, while also trying to retain a sense of ominousness or mystery.
I had a bit of trouble whilst filming some of the reality scenes, as I am using my bedroom for the main location and it was a bit limited in making my shots look interesting. Also, considering that I wanted to include some transitions that weren't just jump cuts, I tried to film an in-camera transition with Sara closing the notebook and the shot changes to her wardrobe opening. However, the wardrobe shot took a large chunk of time to film, and I wasn't satisfied with my final shot. This is because the only lens available to me, at the time, was a zoom lens, and there wasn't enough space in the wardrobe to push the camera back. The final shot was unnecessarily close to my face, and you could hardly see the fact that the shot is meant to be Sara opening the wardrobe. Therefore, I will need to re-shoot this transition, with a different lens, so that it looks a bit more natural and the audience can see where the shot is actually taking place. |
Dream:
For the dream sequence, I was able to get it all filmed within one day. First, we set up the lighting, where I tried to create a spotlight, with a light directly above my head and two more either side of my head. Therefore, this was able to solve the issue in my practical response, where the shadows were too harsh on the subject's face, due to only using two lights. Also, I marked which shots that I needed first, with the original dress, so that I could ensure that I had all of the footage I needed before I altered the dress and be unable to re-shoot. One issue that I came across is that I wasn't entirely sure of how to ensure that this segments would be visually interesting enough, in order to fully convey that it is a dream. Therefore, in post, I may try and enhance the spotlight effect, similarly to what I tried to do in my original practical response. By doing that, I think that I'll be able to emphasise my theatre motif, of which I've been largely influenced by.
In order to alter the dress, we first placed some cardboard on the ground, for me to stand on, so that I wouldn't stain the ground, and tried to apply the blood to the dress in different ways. Originally, since the fake blood was rather thick, we tried to dilute it with water, in a spray bottle. This intention was for to have the blood to be applied, like a splatter.
However, this ended up not working, as they didn't mix properly and it only just made the dress wet. Therefore, we decided to try and apply it manually. For a large portion, we used the thin tube from the spray bottle to have the blood be in thin drips, and look more realistic. Also, I placed a few handprints in a few places to try and make it look like there was an actual fight or struggle, rather than just placing blood in random areas.
In order to alter the dress, we first placed some cardboard on the ground, for me to stand on, so that I wouldn't stain the ground, and tried to apply the blood to the dress in different ways. Originally, since the fake blood was rather thick, we tried to dilute it with water, in a spray bottle. This intention was for to have the blood to be applied, like a splatter.
However, this ended up not working, as they didn't mix properly and it only just made the dress wet. Therefore, we decided to try and apply it manually. For a large portion, we used the thin tube from the spray bottle to have the blood be in thin drips, and look more realistic. Also, I placed a few handprints in a few places to try and make it look like there was an actual fight or struggle, rather than just placing blood in random areas.
Post-Production
Whilst editing, I realised there were a few shots that needed filming again, as there could be a bit of inconsistency in the quality. By this, I mean that the amount of grain increases and decreases between shots, of which makes my edit look messy and unprofessional. Therefore, I will re-shoot some of the shots that I am unhappy with, as I have given myself enough time to film them in a way, that will be satisfied with. Also, in terms of colour, I decided to make the dream scenes, especially, quite cold. This is because I wanted to try and emphasise how isolated Sara has made herself.
One problem I did encounter was that for some scenes where Sara is using her phone, I wanted to green-screen some images in post, rather than just record the screen. This is because there may be a chance of the camera appearing in the reflection and the detail may be hard to see, if it's recorded off of the screen. However, when I tried to edit the picture in, I didn't realise how shaky the shot would be, and even though I tried to track the footage, the end result just looked unrealistic and unprofessional. Therefore, I may try and film the shot again with either less shake and still with the green-screen or film the picture straight off the phone and try and edit it to be a bit clearer.
When I used the phone for all of the moments where the audience needed to see what Sara sees, I ended up deciding to just record the image straight from the phone, as the result was clear enough for the audience to see the details, without too much trouble.
Also, for the final chorus, I decided to include some red and blue flashing lights, as the lyrics state that she's being arrested and I wanted to allude to that in the visuals, without detracting from the concept of a stylised dream. Using the 4-colour gradient effect, I was trying to continue using visuals that would convey theatre-esque lighting, while still looking like police lights.
One problem I did encounter was that for some scenes where Sara is using her phone, I wanted to green-screen some images in post, rather than just record the screen. This is because there may be a chance of the camera appearing in the reflection and the detail may be hard to see, if it's recorded off of the screen. However, when I tried to edit the picture in, I didn't realise how shaky the shot would be, and even though I tried to track the footage, the end result just looked unrealistic and unprofessional. Therefore, I may try and film the shot again with either less shake and still with the green-screen or film the picture straight off the phone and try and edit it to be a bit clearer.
When I used the phone for all of the moments where the audience needed to see what Sara sees, I ended up deciding to just record the image straight from the phone, as the result was clear enough for the audience to see the details, without too much trouble.
Also, for the final chorus, I decided to include some red and blue flashing lights, as the lyrics state that she's being arrested and I wanted to allude to that in the visuals, without detracting from the concept of a stylised dream. Using the 4-colour gradient effect, I was trying to continue using visuals that would convey theatre-esque lighting, while still looking like police lights.
Social Media Posts:
For a few scenes, I would like to include aspects of social media, in order to enforce my modern setting. By this, I mean that, I'd like the other characters to only really be present through social media posts. This is because most of the reality segments take place inside my house and, as of right now, I'm unable to have anyone else inside. Therefore, I thought that having the rest of the characters be present through social media may be an effective way of portraying the modern teenager.