Critical reflection

This year I decided to focus on the cinematography aspect. My work started off at a slow start with Still memories. Due to some personal issues, I was unable to create a film about myself, and instead decided to explore a narrative within my family by interviewing my father about his side of the family. As he refused to do video interviews I settled with audio as well as using vintage archive photos my family had collected. This film was challenging on a personal level, as most of my family members had passed away. The interviewing of my father proved difficult as we didnt have a close connection, but I found during the creation of this project that I had learn a lot, not just personally, but in aspects of sound, and editing as I had to create this project alone.

The second unit was Narrative film. The task was to create a non-linear film, displaying storytelling skills. I partook in 2 different projects, both my roles being cinematography. I conducted an in depth amount of research for these roles as both were very ambitious and due to my low confidence in my skill. However through the use of workshops, lectures and self-directed study I soon became confident as I had learnt a great deal.

Working closely with Directors such as Aynoa Alvarez and Toby Garside were very valuable experiences and I felt I had grown as a cinematographer by the end of the unit with their help, as well as develop my own style of cinematography. From this unit I discovered a passion for lighting set up and film frame composition and look forward to improving my practice more.

This year has been a challenging year for me, especially with the increase of my own self-directed study. However I worked through these problems and learnt skills in my practice that I look forward to refining, especially through camera work and lighting.

This year unfortunately I didn’t gain any work experience due to personal health problems, but with avid research and practicing shoots for the projects within the course, I feel I have grown a great deal as a filmmaker. My favourite part of filmmaking is the research, workshops, self-directed study and the actual process of filming. I found that even though I could be filming out in the cold at night, the thrill of preforming creatively would overshadow any negative feelings. For the next unit I hope to challenge myself as a Director, and think that the experience of directing my further improve my practice as a cinematographer, as I feel that is the practice I am leaning towards. I have written a few treatments in my own time for future projects and hope to create these over the summer holidays, as well as apply for work experience once my health improves. On the whole I have found second year a valuable and challenging experience, giving me plenty of room to grow and the opportunity to work with excellent fellow students who I feel are valuable teachers.

Mia

Logline - Mia awakens, locked in her apartment. Unbeknownst to her, she is already dead, trapped in Limbo. She must recollect her memories and discover how she died to move on and escape, but can she let go of the past?

Mia

Mia awakens on the floor of her flat with no memory to the sound of the answer machine message and phone ringing. Peeling herself from the floor, her body heavy, she forces herself into the living room to find the source of ringing. Alone, Isolated and confused, a path seems to appear before her through the opening and closing of doors and little clues in the apartment. Though these little clues, her memories start to flood back, each time the force of them hits her, she again awakens on the floor. Mia realises that she has committed suicide, and continues to search for clues hoping the reason becomes clear. As she uncovers her memories, she suddenly sees the death of her son through her bedroom door. She tries to reach him however the door slams in her face, locking her out. Mia then realises she is trapped. As she faces this truth the bathroom door opens and reveals her son Danny in the mirror, but behind her is the echo of herself grieving her despair. Mia must let go of her grief and face the pain to move on and be with her son, or face the endless repetitive cycle of purgatory and self-destruction.

Through the repetition of repeated events such as Mia waking up and the walking to and from different doorways, it was our intention to express her confusion, isolation and the infinite loop of purgatory. Every time a new memory was presented, as if a puzzle piece, Mia would re-awaken again. As if starting again but with new information. Though the walking to and from rooms was tedious, it was necessary to represent visually as this confirmed her feelings of isolation and imprisonment within limbo. The symbolic nature of the doors closing and being locked was representations of what her mind had mentally blocked from her. At the beginning Mia is empty of memories like a shell, and must slowly recollect them, but any rush would result in psychological trauma and so each piece of her puzzle would slowly have to be fit into place.

In producing this film as a non-linear format we were able to reflect to the audience Mia’s confusion, and that they would learn about her as she was learning about herself. Though this film is slow paced by nature, it builds to a climactic end where both Mia and the audience finds out information about her past at the same time. Through other repeated events like the phone ringing and answer machine, more information is slowly becoming apparent to the audience and Mia as if layers are being peeled to reveal what lies beneath.

If this film were created as a linear narrative the result would be much different as the story would unfold quite easily like a drama, but while produced in a non-linear way really reflects the character Mia’s confusion and isolation, allowing the audience to really empathise with Mia.

Folie à Deux

I created this treatment in first year but didnt feel I was skilled enough to start production. However after filming Fire in the Snow, I felt more confident in my capabilities, and recycled the treatment for the thematic unit.

Folie á deux

Logline

The reunion of two sisters triggers a dormant insanity. As the force of the world seems to be against them, they must decide either to break apart their strong bond – ending their relationship but saving themselves or stay together and face self-destruction.

Research

o Folie a deux

o Shared psychosis

o Induced delusional disorder

o Emotional contagion

o Lasègue – Falret syndrome

o Folie imposèe

o Folie simultanèe

Existing products

o William Fredkin’s Bug (2006)

o Jean Carlos Fresnadillo’s Intruders (2012)

o Apart (2011)

o X-files episode

o Simpsons – Lisa the drama queen

o Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue (1997)

o A tale of two sisters

o Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures

o Bridge to Terebithia (2007)

o Natural Born Killers (1995)

Film Relevance

Perfect blue (1997) 3 people share the same delusion

Bridge to Terebithia (2007) 2 children share the same fantasy

Natural born Killers (1995) a Shared psychosis and murderous intent

Shot Ideas/Visual imagery

Psychology

Lasègue-Falret Syndrome by Jean-Pierre Falret

With psychiatrist Ernest-Charles Lasègue (1816–1883), he diagnosed a communal psychotic disorder sometimes referred to as "Lasègue-Falret syndrome" (folie à deux). The syndrome is characterized by the coincidental appearance of psychotic symptoms in family members while living together, as well as retention of the symptoms when the individuals are separated. This syndrome can also involve a situation where a diseased family member transmits psychotic symptoms to healthy members of the family. The two doctors published their findings in a treatise called La folie à deux ou folie communiquée[i]

[i] Wikipedia