Respond to the following prompt in the form of a COMMENT regarding our current film, Peter Weir's Witness. (To write your comment, click on the link below that says "## COMMENTS ON THIS TOPIC.")
For full credit on this home work assignment, your COMMENT must be completely original and a minimum of 1 well-developed paragraph (5-7 sentences). COMMENTs that are not proofread will receive a zero. (Remember that after you publish your comment it will not immediately appear, but I will be able to review it. After the deadline I will publish all comments simultaneously.)
HOMEWORK TOPIC #1: Look back to Viewing Guide #3, Question #1. Witness is often considered a blend of genres including Thriller, Drama, and Romance.
Take one of these genres and explain what expectations you have for a film of this type.
Give an example of another film in this genre and how it fits the expectations of the genre. Be specific.
Make a prediction for Witness based on the expectations of one of these genre categories (Thriller/Drama/Romance). Be specific using appropriate character names, etc.
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Throughout the semester, I had spent eighth period every school day studying the elements and concepts that go into filmmaking. My class and I learned about the intricacies of cinematography and the great time and effort necessary to produce a film. For our final project, we were given the task of creating our very own original works of film.
From the very beginning, Spencer, Gabe, Steven, and I were out to make an unforgettable class film. Being a group of jokesters, it came as a surprise that we decided to branch out from the typical humorous class films and create an emotional drama. As a group, we handed Gabe the reins and, a week later, received the original screenplay that is In Blind Sight.
With the story set, we assigned each group member a role in both the production of the film and the cast. Steven was set to play Alex, however complications later shifted this role to Spencer. Instead, Steven played the doctor, as well as being the group’s main cameraman. Spencer played Alex and was given the job of head editor. Gabe, the author of the screenplay, was also set to play Alex’s father, and I, the director, played the role of the priest.
On the first night of filming, we all met at Spencer’s house to film the first scene. We knew we needed to start the film off right, with a subtly powerful shot to go along with the touching narration. In the fashion of all great directors, I envisioned the shot we began filming. The shot is backlit with a candle shining through the photograph of Alex and his mother. This focuses the attention on the photograph, which sets up the movie in synergy with the opening narration.
The dialogue of the movie is mostly non-diegetic narration. We felt that this technique would be able to give the audience insight into Alex’s feelings. Another technique that we employ in the film is cutting between camera angles during conversations. In both the kitchen and doctor’s office scenes, the camera cuts back and forth between shots of Alex and his dad or doctor, depending on who is talking. This enhances the contrasting viewpoints of the kitchen scene and enables the viewer to see all the emotion of the doctor’s office scene.
The scene in which Alex first opens his eyes after surgery is my favorite scene. This is due to the cinematography of the shot. For this scene we once again use backlighting, but also make use of a first-person subjective viewpoint. This allows the audience to feel as Alex feels and sympathize with the character. A final important technique we made use of in the film was an eyeline match. This technique was employed when Alex arrives at the park. We first see his disbelief and sadness, then the shot cuts to a visual of the barren park, and back to Alex’s face. This sets up the feeling toward the park and satisfies the audiences curiosity of what Alex is seeing.
All of these techniques come together to create the beautiful film that is In Blind Sight. I am very pleased with the outcome of our work and I think we successfully made a great student film. Throughout this semester I learned the techniques needed to make a film and the process through which this is done. By means of this project, I was finally able to apply this newfound knowledge and reap the benefits of Rhetoric of the Moving Image.
