Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Power Centers & Personality

In animation, as in life, personality is relative and powerfully unique. The best way to point out personality is to contrast it with another personality. So when you have two characters with distinct personalities in the same movie/setting it's easier to see their personalities (if you do it right). Even so, you can still show personality in isolation as well. If you want to imbue your characters with a strong sense of personality, then there are a few little tips you can keep in mind. One of them is to define you character's default power center, and to use it to help define their unique personality.

Here's my attempt to try and define what a power center is. A power center is the place in a character that seems to be the source of their energy and exerts the primary influence over their posture, gestures and actions. A normal person's power center will emanate from a place the Japanese call the "hara". It's generally right above your hips and overall kinda corresponds with your center of gravity when standing still. Power centers will tend to play themselves out in the kinds of poses you choose.

Here's some verbal examples taken from some animated films. As you read along, try and visualize in your head how the character is shaped and driven by their power center. In the animated film Ice Age Sid the Sloth has a power center that's behind his butt. When he walks he waddles with his butt cheeks squeezed together, like he has this force pushing him from right behind his bum. In Monsters Inc., Mike Wazowski's power center seems to generally be a bit above his head, like he's being pulled along by it, making him light and flittish. By contrast Sully's power center is lower, around his midsection or hips. When he stands still he kinda settles into it and he has a greater sense of gravity pulling him down. Putting those two characters next to each other is a great exercise in contrast. Thus you have distinct personalities that are easily defined. In the Toy Story films, Buzz & Woody are another great example of matching contrasting power centers to get distinct personalities from the characters. Buzz Lightyear's power center is generally around his chest. He stands tall and proud and confident, shoulders back, chest out, chin up & hands firmly planted on his hips. Woody has a higher power center around his head. His gestures tend to be lighter and higher up, sometimes even pushing his shoulder forward in a mild stoop of anxiety. Meanwhile Buzz's hand gestures tend to be stronger and more central to his torso, not rising above the shoulder except in rare moments. He is the epitome of reserve and self control, and by thinking about his power center you can use that as a filter for how you think about your character. Power centers are like lenses thru which you can look at your characters to help define who they are.

And here's some visual pose examples of how moving a power center around on the same model can evoke a very strong impression of personality.



Like I said before, the very silhouette and structure of the poses for your characters will tend to illustrate their power centers. And while a character will have a default power center to help define the personality, it's not absolutely fixed. You can move it around in a character to great effect. Sliding it up higher and behind the shoulders for anxiety or nervousness. Or you can shift it out front and down lower and make it very heavy, like an invisible burden which will pull the character down into a hunched feel of sadness or depression. You can sink it lower for a low powerful threatening effect (Shan-Yu in Mulan often had his power center down low and was this seething brooding hulk of a villain, downright scary.) You can even move it around in a single shot to show a strong change in the inner emotional state of your character. Going from hopeless to hopeful, from confident to insecure, etc. A simple shift of the power center within a character in an isolated shot can carry a real emotional wallop. For a great animated example, watch Toy Story when Buzz Lightyear comes to realize that he's just a toy. Watch as the confidence and swagger drains right out of him as his power center shifts lower. Then keep watching as he tries to reject the idea, in his decision to try and prove he can fly. Watch him straighten up, bringing that power center right back up to is chest, filled with defiance and pride. It's a wonderful example of this simple technique.


Overall I think that just watching live action acting as well as animated films with a discerning eye will be very useful to you in trying to grasp this concept. Try and spot where the actor or
the animator has chosen to put the power center for their character, and see how that plays itself out in that character's personality. The trick is to be able to SEE it when you watch and try to break down the motion.

-k

ps: For some reading on power centers, Ed Hooks' fine book "Acting for Animators" has a pretty thorough section on this. Thanks to Ed for helping to bring topics such as these to mind. These thoughts expressed here come mainly from Ed's work in teaching animators the principles of acting. I'm only expanding on the topic in the hopes of helping folks understand it a little easier.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Pencil Test Depot

http://www.penciltestdepot.com/

pencil tests...coolness!

will find time to read these tomorrow

http://mayersononanimation.blogspot.com/2006/12/importance-of-sympathy.html
http://mayersononanimation.blogspot.com/2008/01/conflict-and-tension.html
http://mayersononanimation.blogspot.com/2009/11/clarity-logic-and-entertainment.html
http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=280#more-280

some more on camera angles

Camera Angles

Camera angles and movements combine to create a sequence of images, just as words, word order and punctuation combine to make the meaning of a sentence. You need a straightforward set of key terms to describe them.

Describing Shots

When describing camera angles, or creating them yourself, you have to think about three important factors

— The FRAMING or the LENGTH of shot

— The ANGLE of the shot

— If there is any MOVEMENT involved

When describing different cinematic shots, different terms are used to indicate the amount of subject matter contained within a frame, how far away the camera is from the subject, and the perspective of the viewer. Each different shot has a different purpose and effect. A change between two different shots is called a CUT.

Framing or Shot Length


1 . Extreme long shot

Extreme Long Shot showing Hollywood sign

This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is generally used as a scene-setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an EXTERIOR, eg the outside of a building, or a landscape, and is often used to show scenes of thrilling action eg in a war film or disaster movie. There will be very little detail visible in the shot, it's meant to give a general impression rather than specific information.

The extreme long shot on the left is taken from a distance, but denotes a precise location - it might even connote all of the entertainment industry if used as the opening shot in a news story.

Long shot

2. Long Shot

This is the most difficult to categorise precisely, but is generally one which shows the image as approximately "life" size ie corresponding to the real distance between the audience and the screen in a cinema (the figure of a man would appear as six feet tall). This category includes the FULL SHOT showing the entire human body, with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom. While the focus is on characters, plenty of background detail still emerges: we can tell the coffins on the right are in a Western-style setting, for instance.

Medium shot of a street musician

3. Medium Shot

Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action. Variations on this include the TWO SHOT (containing two figures from the waist up) and the THREE SHOT (contains 3 figures...). NB. Any more than three figures and the shot tends to become a long shot. Background detail is minimal, probably because location has been established earlier in the scene - the audience already know where they are and now want to focus on dialogue and character interation. Another variation in this category is the OVER-THE-SHOULDER-SHOT, which positions the camera behind one figure, revealing the other figure, and part of the first figure's back, head and shoulder.

close up

4. Close-Up

This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or a specific detail of mise en scène. Everything else is just a blur in the background. This shot magnifies the object (think of how big it looks on a cinema screen) and shows the importance of things, be it words written on paper, or the expression on someone's face. The close-up takes us into the mind of a character. In reality, we only let people that we really trust get THAT close to our face - mothers, children and lovers, usually - so a close up of a face is a very intimate shot. A film-maker may use this to make us feel extra comfortable or extremely uncomfortable about a character, and usually uses a zoom lens in order to get the required framing.

Extreme Close up of a cat's eye

5. Extreme Close-Up

As its name suggests, an extreme version of the close up, generally magnifying beyond what the human eye would experience in reality. An extreme close-up of a face, for instance, would show only the mouth or eyes, with no background detail whatsoever. This is a very artificial shot, and can be used for dramatic effect. The tight focus required means that extra care must be taken when setting up and lighting the shot - the slightest camera shake or error in focal length is very noticeable.


Camera Angles

The relationship between the camera and the object being photographed (ie the ANGLE) gives emotional information to an audience, and guides their judgment about the character or object in shot. The more extreme the angle (ie the further away it is from eye left), the more symbolic and heavily-loaded the shot.

1. The Bird's-Eye view

This shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural and strange angle. Familiar objects viewed from this angle might seem totally unrecognisable at first (umbrellas in a crowd, dancers' legs). This shot does, however, put the audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action. People can be made to look insignificant, ant-like, part of a wider scheme of things. Hitchcock (and his admirers, like Brian de Palma) is fond of this style of shot.

Cameraman gets a high angle shot
A cameraman, raised above the action, gets a high angle shot

2. High Angle

Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant (or scary). The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.

3. Eye Level

A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the focus. The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the ground.

4. Low Angle

These increase height (useful for short actors like Tom Cruise or James McAvoy) and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. The background of a low angle shot will tend to be just sky or ceiling, the lack of detail about the setting adding to the disorientation of the viewer. The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who is psychologically dominated by the figure on the screen.

5. Oblique/Canted Angle

Sometimes the camera is tilted (ie is not placed horizontal to floor level), to suggest imbalance, transition and instability (very popular in horror movies). This technique is used to suggest POINT-OF-View shots (ie when the camera becomes the 'eyes' of one particular character,seeing what they see — a hand held camera is often used for this.

Camera Movement

A director may choose to move action along by telling the story as a series of cuts, going from one shot to another, or they may decide to move the camera with the action. Moving the camera often takes a great deal of time, and makes the action seem slower, as it takes several second for a moving camera shot to be effective, when the same information may be placed on screen in a series of fast cuts. Not only must the style of movement be chosen, but the method of actually moving the camera must be selected too. There are seven basic methods:

1. Pans

A movement which scans a scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned, often to follow a moving object which is kept in the middle of the frame.

2. Tilts

A movement which scans a scene vertically, otherwise similar to a pan.

3. Dolly Shots

Sometimes called TRUCKING or TRACKING shots. The camera is placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action, generally following a moving figure or object. Complicated dolly shots will involve a track being laid on set for the camera to follow, hence the name. The camera might be mounted on a car, a plane, or even a shopping trolley (good method for independent film-makers looking to save a few dollars). A dolly shot may be a good way of portraying movement, the journey of a character for instance, or for moving from a long shot to a close-up, gradually focusing the audience on a particular object or character.

4. Hand-held shots

The hand-held movie camera first saw widespread use during World War II, when news reporters took their windup Arriflexes and Eyemos into the heat of battle, producing some of the most arresting footage of the twentieth century. After the war, it took a while for commercially produced movies to catch up, and documentary makers led the way, demanding the production of smaller, lighter cameras that could be moved in and out of a scene with speed, producing a "fly-on-the-wall" effect.This aesthetic took a while to catch on with mainstream Hollywood, as it gives a jerky, ragged effect, totally at odds with the organised smoothness of a dolly shot. The Steadicam (a heavy contraption which is attached a camera to an operator by a harness. The camera is stabilized so it moves independently) was debuted in Marathon Man (1976), bringing a new smoothness to hand held camera movement and has been used to great effect in movies and TV shows ever since. No "walk and talk" sequence would be complete without one. Hand held cameras denote a certain kind of gritty realism, and they can make the audience feel as though they are part of a scene, rather than viewing it from a detached, frozen position.

Crane
A crane in use, following the path of a balloon floating into the sky

5. Crane Shots

Basically, dolly-shots-in-the-air. A crane (or jib), is a large, heavy piece of equipment, but is a useful way of moving a camera - it can move up, down, left, right, swooping in on action or moving diagonally out of it. The camera operator and camera are counter-balanced by a heavy weight, and trust their safety to a skilled crane/jib operator.

6. Zoom Lenses

A zoom lens contains a mechanism that changes the magnification of an image. On a still camera, this means that the photographer can get a 'close up' shot while still being some distance from the subject. A video zoom lens can change the position of the audience, either very quickly (a smash zoom) or slowly, without moving the camera an inch, thus saving a lot of time and trouble. The drawbacks to zoom use include the fact that while a dolly shot involves a steady movement similar to the focusing change in the human eye, the zoom lens tends to be jerky (unless used very slowly) and to distort an image, making objects appear closer together than they really are. Zoom lenses are also drastically over-used by many directors (including those holding palmcorders), who try to give the impression of movement and excitement in a scene where it does not exist. Use with caution - and a tripod!

7. The Aerial Shot

An exciting variation of a crane shot, usually taken from a helicopter. This is often used at the beginning of a film, in order to establish setting and movement. A helicopter is like a particularly flexible sort of crane - it can go anywhere, keep up with anything, move in and out of a scene, and convey real drama and exhilaration — so long as you don't need to get too close to your actors or use location sound with the shots.

more on camera angles

QUESTIONS TO ASK:
-What is the best viewpoint for filming this position of the event?
-How much area should be included in this shot?

SCENE – defines the place or setting where the action is laid
SHOT – defines a continuous view filmed by one camera without interruption
SEQUENCE – A series of scenes or shots complete in itself.

TYPES OF CAMERA ANGLES
OBJECTIVE – The audience point of view
SUBJECTIVE – The camera acts as the viewers eyes-movement
POINT OF VIEW – What the character is seeing

CAMERA ANGLES – Are the most important factor in producing illusion of scenic depth. Which angle the object is photographed.

FIVE BASIC ANGLES

EYE LEVEL SHOTS – Provide frames or reference. Audiences sees the event as if in the scene. Most scenes in movies are photographed from eye level. 5 to 6 feet off the ground. Capturing the clearest view of an object.
-Treating your characters as equals. Discourages viewers at judging them and permits audience to make up their own minds.

BIRDS EYE VIEW – Photographing a scene from DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. Hovers from above like all powerful gods. Idea of fate.

HIGH ANGLED SHOTS – Camera is tilted downward. Movement is slowed down. A person seems harmless and insignificant photographed from above.-The higher the angle, the more it tends to imply fatality

-Heightens the importance of a subject. Scenes depicting heroism

OBLIQUE ANGLE – Lateral tilt of the camera. As though the object is about to fall to one side. POINT OF VIEW SHOTS.
-Suggests tensions, transitions, impending movement
IMAGE THAT SLANTS TO THE RIGHT – Acting forceful
IMAGE THAT SLANTS TO THE LEFT – Weak, static

ASK YOURSELF
-How much should be included in this shot?
-Where should the camera be positioned to view this particular part of the action?

A shot should be held no longer than required to make its point.

Approach each sequence with a fresh attitude and strive to treat the action in an individual matter.

A definite change in camera angles will assure a smoother flow of images.


SIX BASIC SHOTS


1) Extreme Long Shot – Taken at a great distance. Almost always an exterior shot and shows much of the locale. Establishing shots usually
2) Long Shot – The distance between the audience and the stage in the live theater
Full Shot – Barely including the whole body
4) Medium Shot – Knees to waste up. Useful for exposition scenes, carrying movement and for dialogue
5) Close-Up – Concentrates on a relatively small object. HUMAN FACE
6) Extreme Close-Up – Might just show eyes or mouth

CLOSEUPS
-Are among the most powerful storytelling devices available to the filmmaker
-Allows removal of tedious or repetitious action
-Can be used to provide a time lapse
-Bring that dramatic punch

FRAMES
-Area near the top of the frame can suggest ideas dealing with power, authority and aspiration
-Left and right edges of the frame can suggest insignificance

DOMINANT CONTRAST – Area that immediately attracts our attention because of a conspicuous and compelling contrast

SUBSIDARY CONTRAST – Structured image so that specific images are followed in sequence. Whatever character or object that is most dramatically important will assume dominance.

The HUMAN EYE scans pictures from left to right

HORIZONTAL LINES – Move from left to right
VERTICAL LINES – Move from top to bottom
DIAGONAL OR OBLIQUE LINES tend to sweep upward
TERRITORIAL SPACE – movie images must tell a story in time. A story that involves human beings and their problems.
THREE VISUAL PLACES – MIDGROUND, FOREGROUND, BACKGROUND

SPACE is one of the principal mediums of communication in film

Dominant characters are almost always given more space to occupy than others are.

You can define, adjust and redefine human relationships by exploiting spatial conventions

ACTOR CAN BE PHOTOGRAPHED IN FIVE BASIC POSITIONS
1) Full Front – Facing the camera
2) Quarter turn
3) PROFILE – looking off frame, left to right
4) Three quarter turn
5) Back to Camera

FULL FRONT – Most intimate, vulnerabilities exposed
-Audience agrees to become their chosen confidante.

QUARTER TURN – Involves a high degree of intimacy but with less emotional involvements

PROFILE – More remote.
-Character lost in their own thoughts.

THREE QUARTER TURN – More anonymous. Rejecting audiences

BACK TO CAMERA – Characters alienation from the world. Sense of concealment, mystery.

TIGHTLY FRAMED SHOTS – Confined

LOOSLY FRAMED SHOTS – Freedom

PROXEMIC PATTERNS – Climax, noise level and the degree of light all tend to alter the space between individuals

1) INTIMATE – Eighteen inches away. Distance of LOVE, COMFORT, TENDERNESS between individuals

TRACKING SHOT
-Used to follow a subject or explore space
-A dolly moves towards a subjects face can be used to emphasize a character’s moment of realization. A dolly always tends to isolate the subject as well
TRIPOD SHOTS
-Usually is used only in stable and relatively predictable shooting situations
-Makes very controlled transitions from subject to subject possible
-Makes very controlled image transitions possible
-Makes stable close-ups possible at the telephoto end of the zoom lens
-Conveys the cool, assured view

HANDHELD SHOTS
-Can react to events, much as we do in life
-Implies a spontaneous event driven quest
-Conveys a subjective, even vulnerable point of view

How to turn your boring movie into a Hitchcock thriller...

STEP 1: It's the Mind of the Audience

Change everything in your screenplay so that it is done for the audience. Nothing is more important than how each scene is going to affect the viewer. Make sure the content engages them and reels them in. Use the characters to tease the viewer and pull them along desperately wanting more.

Hitchcock knew why people are drawn to a darkened theater to absorb themselves for hours with images on a screen. They do it to have fun. In the same way people go to a roller coaster to get thrown around at high speeds, theater audiences know they are safe. As a film director you can throw things at them, hurl them off a cliff, or pull them into a dangerous love story, and they know that nothing will happen to them. They're confident that they'll be able to walk out the exit when its done and resume their normal lives. And, the more fun they have, the quicker they will come back begging for more. (Gottlieb)

STEP 2: Frame for Emotion

Emotion (in the form of fear, laughter, surprise, sadness, anger, boredom, etc.) is the ultimate goal of each scene. The first consideration of where to place the camera should involve knowing what emotion you want the audience to experience at that particular time. Emotion comes directly from the actor's eyes. You can control the intensity of that emotion by placing the camera close or far away from those eyes. A close-up will fill the screen with emotion, and pulling away to a wide angle shot will dissipate that emotion. A sudden cut from wide to close-up will give the audience a sudden surprise. Sometimes a strange angle above an actor will heighten the dramatic meaning. (Truffaut)

Hitchcock used this theory of proximity to plan out each scene. These varations are a way of controlling when the audience feels intensity, or relaxation. Hitchcock compared this to a composer writing a music score - except instead of playing instruments, he's playing the audience!

STEP 3: Camera is Not a Camera

The camera should take on human qualities and roam around playfully looking for something suspicious in a room. This allows the audience to feel like they are involved in uncovering the story. Scenes can often begin by panning a room showing close-ups of objects that explain plot elements.

This goes back to Hitchcock's beginnings in silent film. Without sound, filmmakers had to create ways to tell the story visually in a succession of images and ideas. Hitchcock said this trend changed drastically when sound finally came to film in the 1930's. Suddenly everything went toward dialogue oriented material based on scripts from the stage. Movies began to rely on actors talking, and visual storytelling was almost forgotten. (Truffaut) Always use the camera as more than just a camera.

STEP 4: Dialogue Means Nothing

One of your characters must be pre-occupied with something during a dialogue scene. Their eyes can then be distracted while the other person doesn't notice. This is a good way to pull the audience into a character's secretive world.

“People don’t always express their inner thoughts to one another," said Hitchcock, "a conversation may be quite trivial, but often the eyes will reveal what a person thinks or needs.” The focus of the scene should never be on what the characters are actually saying. Have something else going on. Resort to dialogue only when it’s impossible to do otherwise.

"In other words we don’t have pages to fill, or pages from a typewriter to fill, we have a rectangular screen in a movie house,” said Hitchcock. (Schickel)

STEP 5: Point of View Editing

Jimmy Stewart looks at dog and then we see him smiling. Jimmy Stewart looks at a woman undressing and then we see him smiling. Those two smiles have completely different meanings, even if they are the exact same smile.

Putting an idea into the mind of the character without explaining it in dialogue is done by using a point-of-view shot sequence. This is subjective cinema. You take the eyes of the characters and add something for them to look at.

- Start with a close-up of the actor
- Cut to a shot of what they're seeing
- Cut back to the actor to see his reaction
- Repeat as desired

You can edit back and forth between the character and the subject as many times as you want to build tension. The audience won't get bored. This is the most powerful form of cinema, even more important than acting. To take it even further have the actor walk toward the subject. Switch to a tracking shot to show his changing perspective as he walks. The audience will believe they are sharing something personal with the character. This is what Hitchcock calls "pure cinema." (Truffaut)

Note: If another person looks at the character in point-of-view they must look directly at the camera.

STEP 6: Montage Gives You Control

Divide action into a series of close-ups shown in succession. Don't avoid this basic technique. This is not the same as throwing together random shots into a fight sequence to create confusion. Instead, carefully chose a close-up of a hand, an arm, a face, a gun falling to the floor - tie them all together to tell a story. In this way you can portray an event by showing various pieces of it and having control over the timing. You can also hide parts of the event so that the mind of the audience is engaged. (Truffaut)

Hitchcock said this was "transferring the menace from the screen into the mind of the audience." (Schickel) The famous shower scene in Psycho uses montage to hide the violence. You never see the knife hitting Janet Leigh. The impression of violence is done with quick editing, and the killing takes place inside the viewer's head rather than the screen. Also important is knowing when not to cut. (Truffaut)

Basic rule: anytime something important happens, show it in a close-up. Make sure the audience can see it.

STEP 7: Keep the Story Simple!

If your story is confusing or requires a lot of memorization, you're never going to get suspense out of it. The key to creating that raw Hitchcock energy is by using simplistic, linear stories that the audience can easily follow. Everything in your screenplay must be streamlined to offer maximum dramatic impact. Remove all extraneous material and keep it crisp. Each scene should include only those essential ingredients that make things gripping for the audience. As Hitchcock says, “what is drama, after all, but life with the dull bits cut out…” (Truffaut)

An abstract story will bore the audience. This is why Hitchcock tended to use crime stories with spies, assassinations, and people running from the police. These sort of plots make it easy to play on fear, but are not mandatory for all movies.

STEP 8: Characters Must Break Cliché

Make all of your characters the exact opposite of what the audience expects in a movie. Turn dumb blondes into smart blondes, give the Cuban guy a French accent, and the criminals must be rich and successful. They should have unexpected personalities, making decisions on a whim rather than what previous buildup would suggest. These sort of ironic characters make them more realistic to the audience, and much more ripe for something to happen to them.

Hitchcock criminals tend to be wealthy upper class citizens whom you’d never suspect, the policeman and politicians are usually the bumbling fools, the innocent are accused, and the villains get away with everything because nobody suspects them. They surprise you at every step of the plot.

STEP 9: Use Humor to Add Tension

Humor is essential to Hitchcock storytelling. Pretend you are playing a practical joke on the main character of your movie. Give him the most ironic situations to deal with. It's the unexpected gag, the coincidence, the worst possible thing that can go wrong - all can be used to build tension.

In Marnie, Tippi Hedren is stealing money from an office safe and is just about to leave when she notices the maid happens to be cleaning in the next room. The maid is completely innocent and unaware. Hedren will get caught if the maid sees her, but the audience is already hoping that she gets away with it. The more happily the maid mops the floor and the closer she gets to seeing Hedren, the higher the tension.

You'll also find that Hitchcock tended to use comical old women to add a flavor of innocent humor in his films. They will usually be opinionated, chatty, and have a highly optimistic view about crime. If someone were committing a crime they might even help with it!

[MORE about use of humor]

STEP 10: Two Things Happening at Once

Build tension into a scene by using contrasting situations. Use two unrelated things happening at once. The audience should be focused on the momentum of one, and be interrupted by the other. Usually the second item should be a humorous distraction that means nothing (this can often be dialogue.) It was put there by you only to get in the way.

When unexpected guests arrive at the hotel room in the Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day are in the midst of a tense phone-call. The arrival of the guests laughing and joking serve a dramatic counterpoint to the real momentum of the scene. In Spellbound (1945) Ingrid Bergman sees a note which has been slipped under her door. Just when she grabs for it, her colleagues walk in and speak with her about the disapearance of Gregory Peck, completely unaware they are standing on top of the note from him! The end result is - the audience pays more attention to what's happening.

STEP 11: Suspense is Information

"Information" is essential to Hitchcock suspense; showing the audience what the characters don’t see. If something is about to harm the characters, show it at beginning of the scene and let the scene play out as normal. Constant reminders of this looming danger will build suspense. But remember - the suspense is not in the mind of the character. They must be completely unaware of it. (Schickel, Truffaut)

In Family Plot (1976) Hitchcock shows the audience that brake fluid is leaking out of a car well before the characters find out about it. In Psycho (1960) we know about the crazy mother before the detective (Martin Balsam) does, making the scene in which Balsam enters the house one of the most suspenseful scenes in Hitchcock's career.

“The essential fact is to get real suspense you must let the audience have information." --Alfred Hitchcock

STEP 12: Surprise and Twist

Once you've built your audience into gripping suspense it must never end the way they expect. The bomb must never go off! Lead them in one direction and then pull the rug out from under them in a surprise twist.

In the climax scene of Saboteur (1942) Norman Lloyd is cornered on the top of the Statue of Liberty as Robert Cummings holds him at gunpoint. Just when you think it's over, Cummings begins to speak, startling Lloyd to fall backwards over the edge!

STEP 13: Warning: May Cause MacGuffin

The MacGuffin is the side effect of creating pure suspense. When scenes are built around dramatic tension, it doesn’t really matter what the story is about. If you've done your job and followed all the previous steps, the audience is still glued no matter what. You can use random plot devices known as the MacGuffin.

The MacGuffin is nothing. The only reason for the MacGuffin is to serve a pivotal reason for the suspense to occur. (Schickel) It could be something as vague as the "government secrets perhaps" in North by Northwest, or the long detailed weapons plans of Mr. Memory in the 39 Steps. Or, it could be something simple like the dog blocking the stairway in Strangers on a Train. Nobody cares about the dog. It's only there for one reason - suspense. It could have just as easily been a person, an alarm, a talking parrot, or a macguffin!



Continue to Part 2: How Hitchcock used humor...



This list is by no means comprehensive. We invite your comments and additions. Our goal is to be an Internet source easily found to help those in need of quick introduction. You can also find more by reading the books listed below. They include much more detail on these theories and provide a lot more examples. These books are essential reading for any filmmaker or Hitchcock fan.

Written by Jeff Bays, June 2004 Updated: July 2004, January 2006, December 2007. Jeff Bays is a graduate of the Webster University School of Communications, and is an award-winning radio producer and independent filmmaker.

Contact: info@borgus.com



Book Sources:

Truffaut, Francois. "Hitchcock" Revised Edition. New York. 1985.
Gottlieb, Sydney. "Hitchcock on Hitchcock: Selected Writings and Interviews" Los Angeles. 1997.
Spoto, Donald. "The Art of Alfred Hitchcock: Fifty Years of his Motion Pictures" New York. 1992.

Video Source:
AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE DOCUMENTARY "ALFRED HITCHOCK: MASTER OF SUSPENSE" City Center of Music and Drama by Richard Schickel, Fox Lorber Associates, Inc. 1973

Screen shots:
Family Plot, Torn Curtain, Rebecca, Psycho, Rear Window, Man Who Knew Too Much

All images are copyright each respective studio, and are most likely copyrighted under the Hitchcock Foundation.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

what red balloons signify

copied and pasted from various sources

99 Red Balloons by Keegan Jones.

Letting go in memory of a child
The loving thoughts and message of a loved one.
A very sad provocation of a child who had passed this life.
That the dreams were still undone, but the message was on the string of a red balloon..
The heart of a child..that symbolizes the red balloon.

the song... 99 red balloons... meaning freedom.. letting go of the bad and letting in the good

support

A red balloon is round when filled and flat when empty.
A red balloon is often filled with exhaled air or with helium.
A red balloon is colored red (reflecting red light frequencies).
A red balloon is made of rubber.
A red balloon is knotted where the air goes in to keep the air from escaping.
A red balloon is often connected by a string at the knot.
A red balloon is light as a feather and may float.
A red balloon is temporary as it can pop and will eventually lose air.
A red balloon is something I can probably afford.
A red balloon is basically useless except as decoration.
A red balloon is something signifying a celebration.

commitment

The "red balloon" - signifies how fragile love and happiness can be - especially the ease with which it is burst.

Now imagine your fingers holding a string attached to a red balloon. u r holding the string tightly. this red balloon signify people/ circumstances giving u hard time/ stress. u may need 4, 5, or ten red balloons in ur situation.
7.As you name each balloon(as per the persons/ circumstances which embarrass/incite feelings of bitterness/hatred,negative felings,etc), let the string go free. u r now letting go of, relinquishing (releasing/ forgiving/ forgetting what is behind to move ahead in life) that situation so that the person/circumstances(past/present/future worries) does not have a hold/control on u anymore.
8.Repeat the same for all the red balloons in your hands.As u let go each one, breathe out and bless them wherever they r and say a simple prayer of thanks that all is well now; getting better. Most importantly, u take back control of all situations in your life(above n over circumstances& not under the circumstances!)

The color red is usually seen in dream interpretation as either a warning sign, or a representation of passion or strong feelings. Balloons represent either childhood or your hopes, especially of love.

Interpretation 1: You have let go of some childish ways, you are growing up and quickly. The childish things you once held close, seem unimportant to what you've discovered recently.

Interpretation 2: You have decided to end a relationship that once made you hope for love. You worry that you have let go of your feelings too quickly.

more to come...

chat log

hoa says:
how should i make the thorns of the cactus
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
?
modelling
in 3d
i presume
hoa says:
yeah
how do i model them
just make one then copy and paste
and rotate and resize them a bit
to make them not too similar
?
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
nope
u extrude
them out

You have just sent a nudge.

hoa says:
sorry
didnt mean to do that
oh
that does sound much smarter
extruding one by one?
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
yeah
definitely
or
they can be seperate geometry
just moved into position
depends on ur diesn
design
I would go for the seperate one
easier
hoa says:
i want them randomly all over
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
just place them urself
takes like 10 minutes
maybe 15
u sure u want to do 3d ?
what about stop motion ?
hoa says:
im very sure
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
cool
u know the style yet ?
u heard of pocoyo ?
hoa says:
nope
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
google it
hoa says:
oh
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
or youtube it
hoa says:
not my style
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
ok
u need to collect
references
for ur moodboard
as well as for the style that u want to do
heaps
hoa says:
i know
doing it now
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
ok
u will need to brush up on
your 3d skills
i tihnk working at this intern ship will help
hoa says:
only on animating
im not doing modelling
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
exactly
if u can animate
then u need to concern about
the other aspect of it
lighting
renderinf
texturing
hoa says:
when do you think everything should be done by
i mean ready to be animated
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
hmm..
by the term break
concept and story developement by week 3-4
and then the rest is just production
until end of term break
definitely
if u can
hoa says:
until end of term break?
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
yes
hoa says:
the next term?
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
end of week 8 of next semester
hoa says:
confusing
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
ok
next semester is 15 weeks right ?
hoa says:
yeah
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
in between is a 1 week term break
or study week as you call it
so u got to do the modelling/texturing/storyboarding
developement
before the break ends
and spend the rest of the 6 weeks or so
animating, rendering
compositing
hoa says:
ok cool
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
making music and sound
yes
so u need a head start
hoa says:
i need to plan really carefully this time
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
during the holidays
i.e now....
u need to do the pitch and proposal
the reference and research
as well as a storyboard
of how u want to
do the work
i mean the story
even if its rough
draw it down
its easier to work on the story
in storyboards
and discuss with chris
hoa says:
tomorrow is already the 13th
argh
time flies
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
draw ur boards using post ad notes
its easier to move stuff around
yup
13th
scary
u got 4 weeks
so shall we plan ur schedule for the next 4 weeks
for you ?
hoa says:
please
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
ok
how far are you away from a story
?
or a premise ?
hoa says:
i only have a rough idea
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
ok
hoa says:
got the characters down
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
good
style ?
hoa says:
cute but not too cartoony
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
ok
the background ?
is it going to be live action ?
hoa says:
whats that
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
have u considered that ?
i.e
the background is
photos
u just need to model the
cactus and ballon
the background is photograph
hoa says:
hmm
or i can model the bgr 1st
then render it out
use it as a photo
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
what I mean is
take a photo of a window sill
and use that as the background
then u will need to blend the 3d cactus to the
hoa says:
not quite what i have in mind
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
background
ok
hoa says:
but ill consider that if short of time
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
well
its a challenge
i thought u said u wanted to incooperate some
visual effects to it
or compositing
hm...
maybe u can even paint the background
rather then having to model it
might be easier
and showcase ur ability
hoa says:
i know but i dont want to ruin the mood of the animation
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
as an artist
ah
but u dont
hoa says:
actually
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
hmm..
hoa says:
what i really want is
to render everything out
then trace them
to give it a feel of
hmmm
hand drawn?
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
hmm...
hoa says:
maybe i can just do the cactus
then trace it and put it over a drawn bgr
but then the lighting would be difficult to do
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
yup
hoa says:
still
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
i think u should draw the background
hoa says:
i can add lighting when i trace them
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
or at least paint it
if u want a drawn or painterly look
u should draw the background
or digitally color it
hoa says:
but how do i make the 3d stuff blend in with the bgr
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
dun worry
it can be done
the textures that you use
can be painterly
after rendering
u can run it through a few filters in after effects
or photoshop to give it a painterly look
hoa says:
k
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
do u know aftereffects ?
hoa says:
not much but i can learn now
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
ok
hold on
so what u need to do now
write it down pls
storyboard out ur rough idea
tomorrow
hoa says:
i cant
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
why ?
hoa says:
i dont have a full story yet
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
its ok
hoa says:
incomplete layout
no camera angles
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
yes
great
hoa says:
how can i do a storyboard
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
because u got a rough idea
draw out this idea
in ur mind right now... u already got a seed for a story
a visual image of the idea
this happens, then that happens
then i am stuck here
but i know that after that, this happens
so the parts that u do not know,
leave it blank
or write on the post ad pad -> something happens here then the ballon
hoa says:
oh...
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
flys away
etc...
hoa says:
cool
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
so that u got a little storyboard to help you think
great
make sure to use post ad pad
to draw on
and also write on
once u got everything in front of you
its easier to think and visualise
right ?
and use it for discussion
there is a visual anchor
to relate to
hoa says:
yeah
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
ok
so u do that tomorrow ok ?
hoa says:
i tried to do a small mindmap today
on the cactus and the balloon
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
good
hoa says:
but i havent tried that on the story yet
im also thinking on
maybe the cactus will tell the balloon a lot of stories
but then i would have to do a lot of different scenes
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
dun limit urself yet
because that idea may lead u to other ideas
u nvr know
when u draw ur board
u also draw the possible alternatives and situation
so u can play around and arrange it in different order
to give u something that u might not have think of or considered
hoa says:
ok
ill do a rough storyboard tmr
then send to you and chris
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
no
before u send to chris
gather more reference and do more sketches
hoa says:
hmm
ok
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
different cactus design
different balloon design
have u considered the different shapes
example if the balloon is an animal shape
hoa says:
yeah
ive got 3 on my list now
plain
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
or tthe cactus looks like a shape of a cat
hoa says:
star shaped
heart shaped
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
for example
haha
hoa says:
dont wanna do animal shaped
too distracting
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
good
then at least cosider more shapes
hoa says:
and also i need a why for it
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
tall and thin
hoa says:
which i dont have
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
fat and stout
there u go
hoa says:
cool
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
if the cactus is fat and stout
hoa says:
ill do a page on this
yeah
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
it can reflect the personality
hoa says:
i actually wrote fat and stout
on my list
lol
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
of the cactus
great
then exaggrate it
not just round overall
some cactus have lumps
so u can even shape it in a like snowman shape
to give it character
branches for arm
etc...
when u think of the cactus
which person do u think of
hoa says:
nerdy boy
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
who is representitive of the personality
hoa says:
shy and lonely
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
find reference for that kinda of personality
that kind of character
michael ceras in juno ?
that is tall and lanky
hoa says:
thats too much
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
good
then u have an idea
explore
dun just sterotype
so draw different and experiment different shapes
for the cactus
is it going to have arms
short and stouty ones ?
or longer ones
different combination
of body shape and branches
u should have at least 10
to warm ur self up
hoa says:
ok
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
u are taking all this down right ?
same for the ballooon
then we will proceed witht he color tone and palette for the short
hoa says:
yeah
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
the style of the backgrounf
the color script
http://louromano.blogspot.com/2009/06/up-color-script.html
have a look
ur background can be like this
and this
http://www.area-56.de/
all these colors and images
should give u more insipration
as well as reflect the mood of how we want the auidence to feel or how the character feel
when u are drawing the storyboard
draw what u see in ur head
the camera that ur head use to frame that paricular shot
hoa says:
do you have anything on color to recommend me to read?
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
dun
not now
now just go with ur initial instinct
when u see the color script
look at the colors used
and ask urself what are u feeling
when u see that image
then u can use it
hoa says:
ok
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
color is subjective
but also it is natural
for you
cool ?
have a read of the sevencamels blogspot
the latest entry about framing
sorry i meant staging
its really easy to understand
and apply
most of it is instinctive
hoa says:
cool
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
and common sense
but we seldom think about it
hoa says:
he just posted up a new one
ive read the two posts on staging
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
awesome
when u draw ur board
its got to be like that
not side view like on a stage
unless intentional
OH
before anything else
set up a blogspot
to document
ur progress
ur ideas etc
so that i can see the images
hoa says:
im thinking about that
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
and so can chris
do it
hoa says:
ok
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
its easier for organisation
cool !
so the plan is
by tomorrow
u got a rough storyboard
then u start doing many many concept design for the characters
by the end of next week sat
u should have 10 differeent cactus designs
and 10 balloon design
the balloon will be tricky
because u need to show it as an object of desire
the classic lady in red
hoa says:
red should be basic and effective
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
so u will need to think of how to convey that acroos
camera angle and how u stage the shot
is also important
close up of the curve of the balloon
cut back to the cactus
cut back to another part of the balloon in slow mo
cut back to cactus camera slowly pulling into the cactus
haha
u get the point
as u design the cactus
ideas will go into ur head
write them down or even better
draw them dowm
cool ?
hoa says:
cool
so camera angles also should be instinctive?
or should i read more on this
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
nope
should be instinctive
for ur 1st board
always
we can change them later
hoa says:
ok
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
u got a good sense of it
can see from ur last animation
hoa says:
really
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
but apply what u learnt from the staging notes
or at least think about it
on top of the concept designs of the characters U will spend the whole of next week
coming up with different ideas for the theme
and the story
alternatives
Chris's strength is in story telling
so what u want to give him is also options and stuff to bounce ideas from
we will not lock down the story before the start of term
but should definitely have a theme or several possible alternatives that is considered and justified
so when u sit down with chris, he can guide you
as well as the staging of it
not much of a social life I am afriad
for you
hoa says:
not a problem
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
cool
hoa says:
ill be posting here
http://hoadanganimates.blogspot.com/
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
copy all these thought there
as well as your thoughts
so that people can see
and comment as well as yourself
a few weeks later, u will revisit ur thoughts and rememeber something
ok
the week after next
u will be doing color concepts for the background
and envornment
lots of little color scripts/color mood board
for the environment
as well as the images
that u will use
for reference
when u collect these references for locations
u will come up with ideas to the story
and will have more ideas bouncing off
to the style and feel of the animation
colors are very powerful enomtions
i mean contribution to ur emotions
so u will get ideas for the story when u see them
when u collect reference images
and look at the different concept images
once u get all these ?
then u can send to chris
cool
am i talking too much ?
hoa says:
no
very helpful
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
the http://www.area-56.de/ website have a lot of color concept
that is really nice
hoa says:
im looking at them now
dun care sky long ground long, only care got have it b4. says:
great
good inspiration
focus
on what choice of color h used
combined
to get a particular feeling
from you