Final Assignment: Movie Scenes and Styles
For my final project, I decided to do a photography collection inspired by iconic movie scenes and styles using a variety of scenery, lighting, and editing techniques. The pictures are inspired from the following: Lolita, Home Alone, Film Noir, Schindler’s List, The Shining, Psycho, and The Graduate.
Production Journal
Part 1: Brainstorming (November 23-26)
To start my project, I first decided what I wanted to do. Wishing I had the opportunity to take on more photography projects during the semester, I almost immediately knew that I wanted to do a photography collection. Since I also enjoy film, I wanted to think of a way to combine the two into one project. First I thought to take a certain filming technique – such as film noir – and create a photo collection entirely inspired by that. Thinking that to be a bit ubiquitous, I thought of capturing various genres of film (comedy, drama, action, etc.) but wasn’t entirely sure how to convey that in a convincing and obvious manner. So after that I landed on photographing famous shots from movies using my own ideas and interpretive twist to it.
Part 2: Research (November 27-December 6)
What exactly makes a movie scene iconic? According to FilmSite.org can consists of one or more of the following: 1) a cinematically beautiful shot, 2) spectacular action sequence, 3) a well-designed or innovative opening or title sequence, 4) a plot twist or unexpected shock, 5) a memorable death scene, 6)an emotional ending, 7)brilliant special effects, 8) memorable song and dance, 9)a dramatic entrance, 10) a romantic or sexually charged scene, 11) unique characterization, 12) a transcendental moment, 13) famous quote or monologue, 14) comedic scene, 15) memorable kiss, or 16) something shocking or controversial. From here I looked for specific examples that could be feasibly shot, recognizable, and visually interesting. Furthermore, research was an important part of my project up till the very end where last second changes had to be set forth in the photography schedule.
Part 3: First pictures (November 30-December 3)
After asking around for people who had time to model for a couple shots during the last week of classes, I settled on a few scenes that I thought would fit both the models and my time frame for the assignment. My ideas were the following: garden scene from Lolita, Singin’ in the Rain from Singin in the Rain, Girl in Red Coat from Schindler’s list, smashing the printer in Office Space, serenade scene from Say Anything, shower scene from Psycho, and something Film Noir. When I first took out the camera and tripod from AU the weather was quite nice so I took the opportunity to get the garden scene from Lolita out of the way (where my roommate wouldn’t freeze). The shots were good and when I got inside my condo I notice the venetian blinds creating that particular lighting often seen in film noir movies and decided to take that opportunity to take a couple pictures of myself as a femme fatale. Another one of my roommates gladly volunteered to do the shower scene from Psycho. With a little photo-editing in grayscale and contrast, I ended up really liking my first round of photos.
Part 4: Scheduling Problems (December 4-6)
Since it was the last week of classes, it was a bit difficult to find time to photograph people at the most opportune times. Because it is winter and because many students are not free until the early evening, I could not do many of the scenes I had in mind during the week because it would get too dark before I could take a picture. So I scheduled many of the pictures of the final weekend before the project was due. Unfortunately, the snow storm also put a damper on many of the images I wanted to do since many of these scenes were not weather-neutral. So I had to make a few last minute changes. Instead of the serenade scene from Say Anything, I ended up doing something based off the seduction scene from The Graduate. Instead of Singin in the Rain, I ended up doing something based off the after-shave scene in Home Alone. And the printer scene from Office Space was ditched all together due to scheduling conflicts and weather, so I took advantage of the wintery wonderland and did the ending scene of The Shining.
Part 5: Overview
Overall I was quite excited with what I turned out. I found it was much easier and the pictures turned out much better with natural lighting techniques than with artificial indoor or flash lighting. I also found that putting together a project dependent on the schedule of not only others but the weather is very difficult, especially if you’re going for a particular type of lighting or mood for the shot. But regardless, I’m proud of my work and hope others enjoy it too.
Assignment 12 Pt II: Cake
Shot list:
| Shot # | Type | Time | Description |
| 1 | MS | 0:01 | Liz looks at Kate with intimidation |
| 2 | MS | 0:01 | Kate looks at Liz |
| 3 | MS | 0:05 | Liz pulls out milk |
| 4 | MCU/High Angle | 0:04 | MCU on shot glasses being taken out |
| 5 | MS | 0:18 | Liz fills glasses with milk |
| 5 | MS/OS | 0:07 | Kate picks up knife |
| 6 | CU/High Angle | 0:09 | Kate cuts through cake |
| 7 | MS/OS | 0:04 | Kate pulls up sleeves/pulls back hair |
| 8 | MS | 0:02 | Liz pulls back hair |
| 9 | MS | 0:01 | Kate lifts glob of frosting |
| 10 | CU | 0:06 | Kate smudges frosting under one eye |
| 11 | MS | 0:02 | Kate lifts glob of frosting |
| 12 | CU | 0:02 | Liz asks “What?” in confusion |
| 13 | CU | 0:03 | Kate smudges frosting under other eye |
| 14 | CU | 0:02 | Liz is confused |
| 15 | WS/Two-Shot | 0:10 | Two girls bite into cake and take a shot of milk |
| 16 | MS | 0:03 | Kate “shows” off to Liz |
| 17 | CU | 0:02 | Liz does not take shot well |
| 18 | MS | 0:06 | Kate takes bite of cake |
| 19 | MS | 0:02 | Liz takes bite of cake |
| 20 | CU | 0:02 | Kate takes a shot |
| 21 | CU | 0:03 | Liz takes shot |
| 22 | CU | 0:04 | Next pieces of cake are cut |
| 23 | CU | 0:01 | Shot glass is slammed on table |
| 24 | ECU | 0:02 | Cake is being stabbed at |
| 25 | CU | 0:03 | Shots of milk are poured |
| 26 | CU | 0:03 | Another piece of cake is cut |
| 27 | CU | 0:01 | Kate takes another shot |
| 28 | CU | 0:01 | Liz takes another shot |
| 29 | CU/High Angle | 0:01 | Knife is set on table |
| 30 | CU | 0:04 | Kate struggles to take another bite |
| 31 | CU | 0:03 | Liz struggles to take another bite |
| 32 | CU | 0:03 | Kate struggles |
| 33 | CU | 0:03 | Liz struggles |
| 34 | CU/High Angle | 0:03 | Another slice of cake is taken |
| 35 | MS | 0:06 | Kate struggles to eat more |
| 36 | MS | 0:05 | Liz struggles to eat more |
| 37 | MS | 0:04 | Kate struggles to eat more |
| 38 | WS/Two-Shot | 0:19 | The two girls struggle to finish off the cake. Kate passes out on her plate. |
| 39 | MS/High-Angle | 0:02 | Liz falls out of her chair |
| 40 | WS/High-Angle | 0:01 | Liz lies motionless on the floor |
| 41 | MCU/Pan Up | 0:11 | Kate wakes up disoriented and sees Liz dead |
| 42 | WS/High-Angle | 0:01 | Liz lies dead |
| 43 | MS | 0:02 | Kate response with a shock, fade to “The Scream” |
Assignment 12: The Scream
For the next video assignment, my group is doing a movie based off the painting The Scream by Edvard Munch. The scene is as follows:
Two girls are sitting on the couch watching television. Both appear bored and lethargic. On the coffee table in front of them sits a large chocolate cake. Finally the girls look at the cake, look at each other, and nod their heads decisively. The girls move to the table. Girl1 pulls out a carton of milk and two shot glasses. The two girls look at each other with intimidation. Girl1 fills up the two shot glasses and slides one over to Girl 2. Girl 2 picks up a large knife and cuts two slices. The girls lift up their forks, and glare at one another. The begin eating their cake. More shots of milk are poured. Two more slices of cake are cut. We que-in a montage of taking milk shots, cutting the cake, slamming down the shot glasses, and eating more cake. The girls visibly grow more and more worn out.Girl1 tries to fill up one more for the both of them and Girl2 shakes her head, showing she can take no more and would like to stop. The girls finally reach the last slice of cake. Neither want to go through with this final piece, but they both attempt anyhow. They both dont take it very well and Girl 2 passes out into her cake. Girl1 falls out of her seat. Girl2 wakes up the next day and finds her friend motionless on the floor. She checks her pulse, and realizes she’s dead. Que-in “The Scream.”
Assignment 11: Double Indemnity
For this assignment, I decided to analyze a scene from the Film Noir classic “Double Indemnity.” In this scene, Phyllis – the femme fatale who seduced Walter into a plot to take out life insurance for her unbeknownst husband and kill him for the claim – asks Walter if she can come over to his apartment. Before she makes it, the insurance investigator Barton Keyes stops by to explain his suspicions about the apparent “suicide” case. Phyllis later shows up and listens in on the conversation. When Phyllis and Walter realize they may be in big trouble they decide they can’t be together and end the scene with a passionate kiss.
I feel like this scene in particular exemplifies the genre of film noir for multiple reasons: lighting, subjects, and characters. Like all film noir movies, the lighting is low and there is a lot of contrast in color. I feel like the shot in this scene that best portrays this comes at 4:13 in the video below where Phyllis is hiding behind the door. Like virtually all other movies in the genre, the subject of this film deals with greed, sexual attraction, and raised suspicions, and the characters match likewise: a femme fatale (Phyllis), the man who gets seduced into a shady plot (Walter), and a detective who figures the who thing out (Keyes). The themes also match the genre as the femme fatale seduces Walter into murdering her husband for an insurance claim with a promise of wanting to be together. After the plot they come up with isn’t as convincing as they thought it would be, an insurance investigator, as shown here, raises his suspicions and lets Walter know he’s going to figure the whole thing out. I believe this scene in particular highlights all of these aspects of film noir.
Starting at 0:25
1 WS Walter exits elevator and walks across the hall to open apartment door, 0:07
2 WS Walter enters apartment, turns on light, pan left, phone rings, zoom to MS, it is Phyllis 0:18
3 MS Phyllis is on a public phone 0:04
4 MS Walter asks where she is 0:02
5 MS Phyllis responds that she is at the drug store and would like to come over 0:04
6 MS Walter says yes, hangs up, pan left, closes curtains, pan right 0:57
Door bell rings, pan right, Walter answers the door, it is Keyes
Keyes enters apartment, walks forward to MCU/Two-shot
Keyes walks forward and back explaining the improbability of Phyllis’s husband’s “suicide”
Walter pulls out a cigarette, puts it in his mouth but does not light it
7 MS/Over-the-shoulder Keyes says there’s got to be something wrong 0:12
Walter stares blankly at Keyes while Keyes brings up the possibility that the husband didn’t know he was insured in the first place
6 MS/Over-the-shoulder Keyes looks at Walter confused thinking he sold the insurance to him directly 0:06
7 MS/Two-shot Walter says he did and lights cigarette, Keyes walks in and out of frame0:20
8 MS/Over-the-shoulder Keyes further explains the shadiness of the situation 0:11
9 MS/Two-shot Keyes further explains improbability 0:15
Keyes walks out of shot, to show MS Walter looking nervous
10 MS/Two-shot Keyes paces and the two men walk backwards, Walter picks up a drink 0:08
11MS/Over-the-shoulder Walter pours drink, asks Keyes if he thinks it was murder 0:03
12 MS/Over-the-shoulder Walter changes subject 0:05
13 WS Cuts to hallway where Phyllis gets off elevator and walks across to Walter’s door 0:09
Phyllis hears talking in the apartment and listens in from outside
14 MS/Over-the-shoulder Keyes states that he suspects the wife would be in on it 0:09
Walter takes a drink
15 MS/Two-shot Keyes wraps up the conversation 0:08
Two turn to and walk to door with zoom
16 WS From the hallway Phyllis hears Keyes exiting 0:07
She steps aside to hide behind the door when it opens
Keyes walks back towards elevator, all three can be seen
17 MS/Two-shot Walter watches as Keyes leaves 0:05
Phyllis is seen hidden behind the door
She gently opens it wider to let Walter know she’s there
18 MS Keyes exclaims that he wants to catch her 0:03
19 MS/Two-shot Walter listens nervously as Phyllis continues to hide 0:06
Walter gently opens door more to conceal Phyllis
20 WS all three can be seen 0:13
Keyes walks forward towards Walter asking to light his cigar
21 MCU Phyllis looks fearful from behind the door 0:03
22 WS All three are seen, Walter continues to light Key’s cigar 0:17
Keyes walks back towards the elevator, enters the elevator
Walter signals to Phyllis that it’s clear to come out
23 AS/two-shot Phyllis and Walter enter the apartment 0:50
Walter walks forward to MS, saying they can’t see each other
Phyllis walks up behind Walter asking how long
Slow zoom in as Walter explains how persistent Keyes is in figuring out cases
Zoom continues, Phyllis grabs Walter’s arm in fear of their separation
Zoom continues, Phyllis turns him around by his jacket lapels
Zoom ends with CU, Walter and Phyllis kiss
Assignment 7: Poster Analysis
The post I am doing an analysis of is for the recent mockumentary hit “Paranormal Activity.” I saw this in theaters and thought it was a fairly good horror flick so I thought I’d give the poster a look.
Truth be told, the entire effect of the poster is underwhelming. While its best to go into this film with little knowledge of what happens, the poster alone would not entice me to see this film. While the typography is suggestive of horror and the sort of “homemade” look that the film strives to acheive, the image is too vague in telling me what the movie is about. and does not have very good balance of black-space, typography and imaging.
I can tell the poster was trying to create mystery in what the movie is about, so if I were designing this poster, I probably would’ve left out the image all together and just stuck with text, or downplayed the image as focal point so the viewer is directed more towards the minimal description of the film and reviews rather than the visual content.
Assignment 8: True Blood Opening Sequence
For this assignment I decided to analyze the opening sequence to HBO’s hit series “True Blood.” I feel like it really sets the tone and mood of the show. Using a series of stock footage clips, we a presenting a potpourri of footage that is dark, sexual and/or dirty, and shows stereotypical images of the deep south and of segregation in America.
To understand the title sequence’s relation to the show, you first have to know a little about it: “True Blood” is about a fictional town in rural Louisiana that is coping with the recent development of synthetic blood that has allowed vampires to be out in the open as they no longer need to suck blood from humans. It centers around a telepathic mind-reader Sookie Stackhouse and her wide-array of human and non-human friends and collegues.
The concept of vampires and their gaining of rights in the south is an allusion to three things: human sexuality and aggression, and the emancipation of African-Americans. The nature of vampires are sexual in themselves: the seduce their “feed”, suck on the flesh of their victims, and because they’re immortal they’ve had many years to practice and perfect their sexual abilities. They’re need to feed on flesh has led many of them into violent murder and aggression. Furthermore, because they are seen as unhuman and because of their reputation for being dangerous, as a whole they face discrimination from the prejudice human world, especially in the stereotypical rural southern town depicted in the show.
This title sequence touches on all of these things: we see images of sexuality (0:21 and 0:51), violence and aggression (1:04 – 1:07), and allusions to racism and segregation (0:18 and 0:27).
Assignment 6: Stop Cletus
I am campaigning to end the use of the CGI dancing robot during NFL broadcasts. I can’t be the only one who hates this thing. I used multiple filters (including “sketch”, black & white, lighting, and contrast) on a real life image a Cletus to make him a dark, black and white cartoon character along with the magnetic crop tool to isolate the character. I put that as a background where I over-layed it with text, an image of a football field, and an additional box to create the section at the bottom. I used the gradient tool on the image and box to fade the layers into each other.
I seriously hate this thing.
Assignment 5: Smithsonian Castle
For assignment 5, I visited the Smithsonian Castle to view the winners of their 2009 photo contest. This exhibit was interesting because of the diversity in theme, lighting, and style of all the photographs. 
The image that stood out to me the most of the entire collection was the winner of the “Americana” category, taken by Gordon Stillman at the Virgina State Fair. What struck me most about this photo was the use of light and movement to capture the meaning of “Americana.” Most obviously, the fact that the (presumably young) riders are flying through the air on swings suggests freedom and happiness in a playful, carefree setting. The fact that many of the people on the ride – particular the individual in focus in the center – have their arms spread out like a bird further highlights the traditional American idea of childhood innocence and freedom from responsibility. Furthermore, the use of lens and shutter speed makes the center of the photograph more in-focus than the rest and adds movement to the riders. This somewhat in-focus somewhat out-of-focus image hides the identities of the individuals so one can look at the movement and feeling of the riders rather than the people and the surroundings itself. According to the photographer:
“I took photographs of many rides, but I was drawn to this one in particular because I wanted to capture the motion and excitement people feel when they are on the ride. Like in a memory, some parts of this photo are clearer than others.”
Assignment 4: Annie Leibovitz
Cover of Rolling Stone, January 22, 1981
As the former chief photographer of Rolling Stone for 10 years, famed photographer has created a collection of art that is edgy, innovative, and designed to give a voice to the subjects involved. Throughout the years, her photography has been inspiring, thought-provoking, and controversial. She uses striking colors, lighting, and poses to make a statement with each photograph she takes.
The image that brought Leibovitz to quick fame was the Rolling Stone cover featuring The Beatle’s John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono, photographed on December 8, 1980, only hours before Lennon was murdered. The image was taken to portray the love shared between the couple, despite their clear physical differences. Leibovitz portrayed this by photographing Lennon in the nude while canoodling with a fully clothed, but embracing Ono.
Another famous magazine cover that Leibovitz photographed was that of a nude and seven-months pregnant Demi Moore. While intended to portray Demi Moore’s role as a mother rather than as a “glitzy” Hollywood star, the Vanity Fair cover was both celebrated by those who interpreted it as “pregnancy as sexy and beautiful” and criticize by those who believed it to be an objectifying view of women.
More recently, Leibovitz was chastized for a controversial Vanity Fair image of Miley Cyrus in which the 15 year old singer appeared to be nude and was thought by many to be a sexualized image of the teenager. Leibovitz later explained that the photograph was a collaboration between her and Cyrus and that it was meant to be “simple, classic portrait” that was simply taken out of context.
Less controversially, Leibovitz did a series of Disney-inspired photos using A-list celebrities. These photographs create a fantasy-like image using bold colors, whimsical backgrounds, and various forms of lighting.
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- Cover of Rolling Stone, January 22, 1981
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- Cover of Vanity Fair, August, 1991
Sources:
http://www.john-lennon.com/1980rollingstoneinterview.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/11/style/chronicle-317491.html
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20195876,00.html
http://missgeeky.com/2008/01/29/annie-leibovitzs-disney-dream-portrait-series/
