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watch Roundhay Garden Scene

T

thejellygraph

Hello there!

I have never posted on here before! I am a 6th form student who is interested in pursuing film and television production, but have never had any formal education in the area. I have made a short three minute film, based on the filming of the Roundhay Garden Scene to enter into a competition and I would love your views and opinion on it! Thanks a lot!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fdqqC-KqlQ


Jennie :)
 
Hullo!

I really liked it, genuinely didn't see much to criticise. You obviously know how to compose a shot, use natural light to your advantage and edit well - perhaps some of the cuts could've been a little snappier, but I think the pace suited the mood and subject matter. Only advice I can offer is to keep it up, really!

Re: the formal film education… I think it's safe to say most of the people here have never stepped foot inside a film school, so I wouldn't worry :)

Edit: Just noticed the description on the video, are you in Sheffield too? Half the IndieTalk Brits seem to be living here atm.
 
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chilipie said:
Hullo!

I really liked it, genuinely didn't see much to criticise. You obviously know how to compose a shot, use natural light to your advantage and edit well - perhaps some of the cuts could've been a little snappier, but I think the pace suited the mood and subject matter. Only advice I can offer is to keep it up, really!

Re: the formal film education… I think it's safe to say most of the people here have never stepped foot inside a film school, so I wouldn't worry :)

Edit: Just noticed the description on the video, are you in Sheffield too? Half the IndieTalk Brits seem to be living here atm.
Click to expand...

I agree, straight down chilipie's post.

I'm afraid I need a cultural translation. What's "6th form"? Over here, we have preschool, then kindergarten, but that's just glorified daycare. Elementary school is grades 1-6. Middle school is grades 7 & 8, then we have high-school, grades 9-12. Typically, you're 18 years-old when you graduate from high school. After that, you have college, but that's optional, and not cheap. So, what's 6th form the equivalent of?
 
Cracker Funk said:
I agree, straight down chilipie's post.

I'm afraid I need a cultural translation. What's "6th form"? Over here, we have preschool, then kindergarten, but that's just glorified daycare. Elementary school is grades 1-6. Middle school is grades 7 & 8, then we have high-school, grades 9-12. Typically, you're 18 years-old when you graduate from high school. After that, you have college, but that's optional, and not cheap. So, what's 6th form the equivalent of?
Click to expand...

Sixth form is the equivalent of grades 11 to 12, then - you start at 16 years old and leave at 18.
 
On the subject of the film, which I have just watched, I actually really liked it.

Never been a big fan of those fade over cuts, but that still looked pretty good. Not much I can recommend! :D Other than to keep working at it.
 
Yes, back on subject, there is one more thing I thought of. I didn't see very many cuts that showed continuous action, wherein the action needs to match from one shot to the next, like the cut at the :39 mark. As simple as that kind of cut may seem, it's actually a very important skill to work on, both shooting and editing, and I think your early pieces should be really heavy with these kinds of cuts, so that you get good at them, quickly.
 
Good point C-Man. One thing that makes it easier is to cut on a movement. A jump cut will be much more noticeable if the person is just standing there talking or not doing much. But if you do it when they get up, or run their hands through their hair or something, it'll bridge the two shots.

This is why blocking is really important when you film. Why don't we talk about blocking much on here? It may not be quite as important as lighting, but it is still a piece of the puzzle to make something really great.
 
Dreadylocks said:
Good point C-Man. One thing that makes it easier is to cut on a movement. A jump cut will be much more noticeable if the person is just standing there talking or not doing much. But if you do it when they get up, or run their hands through their hair or something, it'll bridge the two shots.

This is why blocking is really important when you film. Why don't we talk about blocking much on here? It may not be quite as important as lighting, but it is still a piece of the puzzle to make something really great.
Click to expand...

Good question. Why don't we talk about blocking? Actually, I think it's one of many things that are important to directing that we should talk about more.
 
chilipie said:
Hullo!

I really liked it, genuinely didn't see much to criticise. You obviously know how to compose a shot, use natural light to your advantage and edit well - perhaps some of the cuts could've been a little snappier, but I think the pace suited the mood and subject matter. Only advice I can offer is to keep it up, really!

Re: the formal film education… I think it's safe to say most of the people here have never stepped foot inside a film school, so I wouldn't worry :)

Edit: Just noticed the description on the video, are you in Sheffield too? Half the IndieTalk Brits seem to be living here atm.
Click to expand...

Hi guys - thanks so much for all the tips and advice! It's such a huge help! However, I'm not in Sheffield - just a little further down south in Lincoln actually, but this competition is part of the Doc/Fest they do there :) And the formal film eduction... yeah! I don't think I could afford a film school even if I wanted to go! But I'm applying for a couple of university courses in film and television production which I'm hoping to get on to because it's something I want to learn about so much! Although by the looks of it I could probably learn a lot just reading a lot on this site!

Thanks guys! :)
 
Cracker Funk said:
Yes, back on subject, there is one more thing I thought of. I didn't see very many cuts that showed continuous action, wherein the action needs to match from one shot to the next, like the cut at the :39 mark. As simple as that kind of cut may seem, it's actually a very important skill to work on, both shooting and editing, and I think your early pieces should be really heavy with these kinds of cuts, so that you get good at them, quickly.
Click to expand...

Sorry, haven't quite learnt how to multi quote yet! Thanks for the advice! Definitely something I will work on. And can I be a total beginner and ask about blocking; how, what, why? I'm assuming it's similar to blocking in theatre but would love more detail!

:)
 
thejellygraph said:
Sorry, haven't quite learnt how to multi quote yet! Thanks for the advice! Definitely something I will work on. And can I be a total beginner and ask about blocking; how, what, why? I'm assuming it's similar to blocking in theatre but would love more detail!

:)
Click to expand...

I must admit, I found myself at a loss to answer your question regarding blocking. The only thing I could think of to say was that it involved choosing where to put the camera, and a large part of each one of those decisions involves (at least for me, anyway) imagining in my head how all of my shots will cut together.

Perhaps the reason I had a difficult time answering your question is because, if you're a "beginner", I think it'd be fair to say that I'm "intermediate", so I thought we should see what an "expert" has to say on the subject.

I did some googling, and found this link:

http://indiefilmla-directors.blogspot.com/2007/07/blocking-scene.html

Though I wasn't able to write this basic tutorial myself, as I was reading it, I kept nodding, saying to myself, "yep, that's how I do it". So, at least on that level, I can confirm this article as good advice.
 
At the expense of causing an echo on the thread, it was a valid first effort, the critiques are minor.

You should be proud of this.

Note: The costumes were a delight.
 
insert_cliche_here said:
I liked it :) I wouldn't have guessed that was your first film. Great work. Good luck :)
Click to expand...

Cracker Funk said:
I must admit, I found myself at a loss to answer your question regarding blocking. The only thing I could think of to say was that it involved choosing where to put the camera, and a large part of each one of those decisions involves (at least for me, anyway) imagining in my head how all of my shots will cut together.

Perhaps the reason I had a difficult time answering your question is because, if you're a "beginner", I think it'd be fair to say that I'm "intermediate", so I thought we should see what an "expert" has to say on the subject.

I did some googling, and found this link:

http://indiefilmla-directors.blogspot.com/2007/07/blocking-scene.html

Though I wasn't able to write this basic tutorial myself, as I was reading it, I kept nodding, saying to myself, "yep, that's how I do it". So, at least on that level, I can confirm this article as good advice.
Click to expand...

chilipie said:
Ditto, it's quite unusual to see more seasoned indie directors putting props and wardrobe together that effectively, never mind a beginner.
Click to expand...



Thanks so much guys! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I did this all with help from a variety of people, from actors, to advice on shots and lighting, so it wasn't all me! And the costumes were a stroke of luck! Pauline Loven, who provided them, used to make costumes for museums (rather than film and television), so the periods are very specific! It was great fun to make actually - passers by were a bit bemused! :)

Thanks so much as well for all the help and advice on blocking - can't wait to get started on my next project!
 
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