Production Journal

We are now on the phase of planning the shooting for our project. 

I have accomplished the completion of the soundtrack, which was a hard task in the sense of creating appropriate textures. 

I separated the soundtrack into the following sections:

Independent Study

Question:

In "The Pianist," (Roman Polanski) and "The Downfall," (Oliver Hirschbiegel), how do both movies illustrate a negative optic of WWII?

Rationale:

Analysing a binary cultured set of movies, one from a German perspective, and the other one from a Polish one (co-producted by Poland, France, Germany and the UK), my intention is to conform a study of the kind of optic placed on war and propaganda. My goal is to prove how both sides of the conflict, more than half a century after the conflict, portray a negative impression of war and its experiences. To to this, I'm going to focus on the dramatic impact of these movies, ranging from character presentation, narrative, and filmic approaches (lighting, sound, shot types).

Production Journal

Location Scouting:
Locations are firmly decided:

First part is filmed at Abril CC, second will be at Ortiz de Ocampo and Libertador, a friend's house, in a party mood, to convey a diametrically opposite setting.

Filming: shooting began its process, as we could film the pool scene, in which our actor, Tomas, threw himself into the water. We shot three takes, from different angles and using two cameras (GoPro and Sony HD), trying to keep setting conditions equal.
A complication was the extreme cold conditions in which we did the shooting (it was a tough time). I personally had to remain inside te pool to fill with the GoPro from underwater.

I think it was an effective start. Although the amount of rough footage we achieved was not too long, it was from a crucial scene which was set from the start.

For that first section of the film, shooting will be ended this weekend.

STRUCTURE:
We decided the film should be divided into at least two sections, which would be separed by character and setting differentiation. This relates directly to the theme. Two parallel stories are portrayed, and linked by several fimic and conceptual elements.
(An inclusion of a third, short section is still optional)

Hollywood Golden Age

Hollywood Golden Age

Classical Hollywood cinema is the term used to name a specific epoch characterized by marked styles of making motion pictures, and a production methodology implemented by the American Film Industry. This age is considered to be, roughly, from the 1920s to the early 1960s.

The Golden Age was represented by the classical style, which is characterized by the principal use of continuity editing (meaning the continuity of shots is intended to feel natural and smooth), also called invisible style. Contrary to modernist or insurgent film currents, the camera in Classical Cinema, together with the sound, should never call the attention for themselves.

Between the general genres which predominated the era were included: Western, slapstick comedy, musical, animated cartoon, biopic (biographical picture). Also, the rising power of the cinematographic studios made a sectioning in the market: most of the films made were produced by it, and also genres were usually divided by studios.

Production Journal.

Absolutely no Diagetic Sound, put in Off.
Everything Non-diagetic. 
At party, Distant echoing music. Someone talks to him: annoying high pitched sound, or mouths moving slowly without articulating sounds

Scouting Locations 1

Abril CC.
Capital Federal, Libertador.
Pilar.
Variety of landscapes, city, lakes, biological spectrum. Nice, clear areas.
Entre Rios. River beach, nostalgic place. 

Production Journal: Plan Changes

Part 1

Guy, daily routine, seems stressed out, tired. Use of vague, sombre chromatics. Jump cuts (uncomfortable step in sidewalk and routine at house). Music in reverse, sinister feel.

Part 2

When he goes to sleep, slow motion. Eye shots. Change into sunny setting, bright saturated colouring. ‘Dreamed’ action. Surreal ambience, unconnected shots.  Clear music. He throws himself in the pool (slow motion, uncanny shots), Still, peaceful moment. Eye transition again, ‘waking up.’

Part 3

Same shadowy frames as before, but more melancholic music (strings, slow minor chords). Wakes up, looks himself in the mirror, static feel. Contrast to fast-forwarded shots.

Special, weird shots in mind:

Transition sleep-awakening:  

When throwing himself to the pool, extremely slow motion, detailed fall. 

Superimposition of opening extreme close-up eyes, backtracking of the fall. 

Showing of: 

Reverse water drops on a wall, ice malting and forming back again.

Destruction shots: 

Slow mo cristals to floor, dark background. Falling from above (Quincho Otto) and then reforming again. Drop of water? (If definition and editing program make it possible). 

Black Light shots:

Highlighter ink into water. Paper, glass falling from roof. Tonic Water?

Transition of clorophyll green-red?

Other:

Knife. Fast forwarded city (contrast to stillness). Fast forwarded sky clouds. Fast forward trees shaking in wind. Continuous change from speed.