AS Film Sequence Evaluation - Screenshots needed
The part I played in the process of creating our short film was that of director. This meant that I had to brief the actors on the day of filming to create a chosen effect during scenes, and help choose the appropriate setting along with choosing some of the props. This also meant being in charge of the ‘Mise en scene’. The most prominent emotions that I wanted the characters to portray during filming were desperation, unity, a level of discipline, and specifically in the last segment of our sequence, I wanted to show fear and weakness in the character who cannot bring himself to shoot the final German soldier. I then wanted to have that contrasted by the ease in which the officer who is with him, guns down the fleeing German, to show the greater experience and power in military hierarchy.
The genre of our film is War and this meant that I was given some specific requirements to include in my direction. First when we found our filming location, I went to see it with another member of the group to think about where the scene would take place. To one side of the area there was an obvious train track, so we had to structure the filming on the other side of the field near a small grouping of trees, used as the forest in our first scene. I also talked with our editor, who was luckily part of a re-enactment group about authenticity of props we could use to give the audience a more realistic performance, allowing them to focus more on the emotion of the piece rather than the authenticity. On the direction of acting, I watched several war films including “Hurt Locker”, “Letters from iwo jima” and “Saving private Ryan” to get an idea of common emotions. The discipline and control combined with the subtle desperation of the soldiers when things on the battlefield get tough was a common factor through all of them, and as I said earlier, these were my primary intentions.
Being the director, I had a large impact on the narrative, as along with the other members of the group we watched a number of assaults from “Band of Brothers” films. After I put forward to the group my intentions, and we adapted a storyboard we had all contributed to, to have moments which could make these main emotions obvious.
With the attitudes of the actors set, I wanted the audience to respond in a similar pattern to the change of the soldiers. At first, the drop and the alerting of the Germans should make the audience feel on edge, but the calm and direct nature of the higher officer should make the audience feel relieved. This feeling of relief and confidence should carry on into the next scene where I tried to tell the actors to seem focused and ready for the mission they were being briefed on. When the attack starts, the audience should feel excited with the action going on, seeing the aggressive Germans opening fire, and the soldiers embarking on their flanks. When the two officers towards the middle of the scene get shot down simultaneously, the concern that I made the officer show, and the further opening of fire, were intended to give the impression of desperation, and for the audience to feel the desperation whilst watching. When the grenade is seen being passed down the line, the feeling of anticipation should be at its key moment for the viewers, and as the soldiers approach during the action, the anticipation should continue. However, when the rookie soldier is seen to pause, I directed him to shudder and hold his gun, building tension for the audience, and have the return of desperation as the German sprints away. But then a huge relief and feeling of triumph should return when the officer with the rookie soldier shoots the fleeing German. I directed the officer to deliver the last line of “Next time, don’t hesitate” with a stern but understanding tone, to give a lasting effect of sympathy and relief when the audience see the relief in the rookie.
Most of the feedback that I gained about my work was good, as it showed the viewers had understood my intentions. The fact that I have been involved in theatre in the past and directed in musical events in and out of school helped me describe what I wanted from the actors clearly and precisely without confusing them.
