Suspense Film (The Deadliest Game Night)

NAME: _Matthew Taggart_

DATE: __Feb 7^th, 2017_

FILM # & TITLE: _Suspense Scene; “The Deadliest Game Night”_

DP: _Ben Haskin_

TMA 285 DIRECTOR’S REFLECTION

Overall response (2-3 paragraphs):

During this assignment I stretched myself as a filmmaker in ways I hadn’t in the past, which I felt made a big difference in the overall quality of my work. I had gone through two versions of this suspense scene; two and half if you count the version I made after receiving notes from Jeff. It was a lot of work during the pre-production phase, that I felt paid off in the end. My biggest takeaway though is probably that it’s important to simplify as much as you can. I think I tried to create too big of a story and world for these characters to interact in, and that made it a little harder to get a sense of the meaning I tried to incorporate.

On that note, it was difficult for me to really make this about a personal experience. I think I still take things too literally when it comes to injecting something personal into my films. I’m happily married, and not really an angry person, so I don’t relate to the murderer in this film at all, however the theme of not feeling you can trust your friends is something that I’ve worried about, and so I tried to hinge my meaning on that. However, I probably worried more about creating a suspenseful scene in general rather than a personal connection. I do think this weakened the film, and makes me appreciate taking even more time in pre-production. Something I plan to do on future projects.

I did feel that there was a good energy on set, as well as open communication. It felt like there was at least a good enough plan for everyone to grab hold of and bring something to the project. I had an easy time trusting Ben and working with him, the actors, and our additional support crew. I also felt that the pace at which we worked during production was helpful and beneficial.

Briefly discuss the following:

What, specifically, did you want to communicate? Were you successful? Why? Why not?    

I wanted to communicate the feeling of being betrayed by someone you care about. This occurs in the film in two ways, first Glenn betrays his wife by murdering her, and then he betrays his friend Keith by putting him in a position where he will have to now report the crime. I know that there were at least one or two comments in class by classmates who picked up on this a little, but I think most people assumed I was just trying to say that crime doesn’t pay. I think I tried to fit too much into a short, and so it became hard to understand motivations and character back stories. If the piece were longer, it might be possible to communicate what I wanted.

How, specifically, did you try to communicate this?       

Since we didn’t see the murder occur on screen, and we didn’t fully know the motivations of the characters, I had hoped it would put the viewer in an uneasy state. They wouldn’t know who to trust. The characters would appear to be conversing in a calm, and maybe even somewhat humorous manner which would add to that unease. By making the tone of this piece a combination of comedy and horror, I hoped to make people cautious about what was going to happen as each shot progressed.

What did you learn about storytelling:   

I think for me, simplifying has always been a concept I struggle with. In this case, I simplified my original directors plan, to something I thought was very basic, and yet I still struggled to get the point across clearly. I think simplifying even more would have been a better approach. Especially since we are dealing with a shorter story. Simplifying might also allow for more room for personal interpretation by the audience.

What did you learn about working with actors and getting performance:  

In this assignment I was more focused on the composition of the shots and use of space than anything else. I felt this came through in the images, but the performances could have been better had I worked with my actors a little bit more. They were both willing, but my mind was in two places at once. Getting a good performance is just as possible as getting good shots if you are willing to put the same amount of time into it.

What did you learn about blocking the camera and actors?     

The comments made in class made me realize that even when you have a good plan, there is always a better one. I think slowing down a bit could have helped. That being said, I think the blocking in the staircase sequence came out great, especially considering that it was not part of the plan from the very beginning. That was something that changed when I locked the location. The same could be said with the shot where Keith finds the body. That wasn’t how I originally imagined it, but once it became clear my original plan wouldn’t work, the improvised shot worked great. This wasn’t luck; I feel like it was because I had dedicated so much time to thinking about the use of space that my mind was already in that mode, and I was able to think on my feet and make the staircase scene work.

What did you learn about visual elements such as lighting, composition, framing, etc.?       

I don’t think I’ve ever paid as much attention to composition, color, and framing as I did in this shoot. It was exciting to experiment and try different things. I feel like I am still working on getting the rhythm of using space effectively, but I saw first-hand how powerful a tool it is, and how underutilized it is for beginning filmmakers, and myself.

What did you learn about design and art direction?     

Most who have viewed this piece have brought up the production value, design, and art direction, and that has felt good; however, by not having as strong a story and performance from the actors, then it’s just a good looking background with not much else going on. Our location looked elaborate, but for the most part, everything was readily available. This made me realize that with a little forward thinking, you can get better design and art direction than you might think, even on a no-budget film.

What did you learn about the Production Process such as pre-production, collaborating with crew, securing equipment, etc.?    

The thought that keeps getting hammered into my mind is that there really isn’t a time to rest on your laurels when it comes to filmmaking. If you want to make good and interesting films, then you need to work, and work hard. If you do your homework beforehand, you have a greater chance of succeeding. The more you work on pre-production, the greater your odds of having a positive production and post production experience are.

                  

What was it like to watch your film with an audience? Did they understand it? Miss the point? Why did they respond the way they did?  

This was a fun one to watch with the class. I felt like everyone understood what was happening and if they didn’t, they were able to make the jumps, not because they know me or are my friends but because it was fairly easy to figure out any missing information. That being said, I do feel like there were aspects that weren’t clear to the viewer. For example, the relationship between Glenn and Keith wasn’t as clear as I’d have liked. I wanted it to be clear that Keith wasn’t suspicious, just coming over to unwind and then found himself in a crazy situation. It’s obvious to me that it wasn’t as clear to the audience as I wanted. I think part of the reason this didn’t come off as I would have liked is because I didn’t commit to one tone. In other words, if it was a comedy, then maybe Keith’s reaction to the dead body would have been more appropriate. I myself found it hard to figure out how that scene should read, having him scream in terror didn’t seem right, nor did having him fly off the handle in anger. In the end I decided he should just be disgusted, but not shocked. This didn’t read to the audience, and I don’t blame them, it was a little confusing.

Any other observations or notes:

I had a good time working with my cast and crew.  If anything this makes me want to commit to work harder in the future and have an even stronger vision, plan, and personal connection to a project. I also want to take as much time with the actors as I did in planning and visualization.

NAME: _Matthew Taggart_

DATE: __January 30^th, 2017_

DP: ___Ben Haskin_

FILM 2: THE CHASE OR SUSPENSE STORY

DIRECTOR’S PLAN

This document is designed to train your mind, eye and heart to shoot purposefully. You should prepare it well before shooting. After reading the assignment on the last page, briefly—but thoughtfully and specifically—answer the following questions. 

1.     What is the story—the beginning, middle, and end—of this film in three or four sentences? In other words, what happens as the story starts, through the rising action, and as it ends?

The story begins after a murder has occurred. Glenn is trying to drag his now dead wife to the garage to dispose of the body. The doorbell rings and Glenn is forced to temporarily hide the body while he entertains a group of uninvited guests. Finally, after moving the body from hiding spot to hiding spot, the body falls out from behind a cabinet and the guest discovers why Glenn has been acting so strange.

2.     Describe the backstory. (Not all of this information will necessarily appear in your film, but you need to know it.)

Glenn, his wife Mildred and their friend Keith have been getting together for years to play board games on Thursday night.
Who is each character? Give a brief description and backstory for each person.

Glenn-Usually a nice enough guy. Been henpecked his whole life by first his mom and then his wife.

Mildred-Deceased. Wore the pants in the family.

Keith-Good friend to Glenn, also, he’s a cop.What does each character want from life, and in this story?

Glenn wants to have a little peace and quiet in his life, and in this story, wants to keep the body of his dead wife hidden. Keith, just wants to play games with his friends.
Why do they want it?

If Glenn is caught, he goes to jail. Keith, I suppose is just looking for a little break from his job dealing with the criminal element.
Why is this happening to these characters?

Crime doesn’t pay, so Glenn is dealing with making a stupid decision that doesn’t come close to being a proportional response to what he has been dealing with for all these years.

3.     What is the theme or meaning of this story? What will you show to help the audience understand this?

Again, crime doesn’t pay. Lies and crime in general often snowball out control. We will see Glenn getting more and more nervous and anxious in worrying about the body of his wife remaining hidden. He will literally sweat it out, and move nervously about in the frame. Even when he sits still, he will be agitated. 

4.     List the most important details you must show the audience in order for them to emotionally engage in this story. (You do not need to tell the audience everything about the backstory and circumstances, however, they will need to know enough to engage with what’s happening.) How do you intend to communicate each piece of narrative (not emotional) information? 

Showing the dead body wrapped up in that clear plastic right off the bat and seeing Glenn hiding it will effectively engage the audience. Also, some understanding of the layout of the rooms will help so that people can tell where the body is being hidden. I also want to use visual cues such as Glenn’s eye line directing the viewer, dutch angles to show the world being turned upside down, and movement within the frame (namely Glenn moving frantically) to show the anxiety and tension that is building.

5.     What is the progression of emotions that you want the audience to experience while watching this story? Why? How, specifically, do you intend to do this? How will you use performance, camera, lighting, space, sound and music to create this emotional progression?

I really want this to be somewhat humorous along with suspenseful. I think from a cinematic standpoint, we like being scared or being stressed in movies since it’s a way to have an experience through proxy, but we also like that tension to be relieved, and I think doing that through a laugh is best. That’s not to say this is a hilarious piece, I mean it to be more of us laughing at our own tension. I think these two emotions are actually pretty closely related.

6.     What is the first image of the film? What is the final image of the film? Why are you choosing these specific images?

The first image will be Mildred’s feet hanging out the end of the wrappings. The final image will be Mildred’s face with her body still inside the wrapping. This will serve as a metaphor for the beginning and the end of the film, real bookends. This is to start things off with the audience a little in the dark as to what is going on, but clear that there is a dead body. As they get an understanding about what has occurred they also find a laugh in the end when we see the face.

7.     Why is this story personal to you? (Do not answer, “Because I’ve always wanted to make a chase scene!”) Write about one or more personal experience(s) from your life that this scene reminds you of.

I wanted to incorporate the ideas from my original director’s statement (mainly being betrayed by a trusted friend). I’m not so sure I know how to communicate that within this framework, but going back to the idea that terror and laughter are connected in some way it reminded me of the time I was in a car wreck on I-15. Our car hit a patch of ice and spun completely around until hitting the concrete barrier. We then had two semi’s rocket past us. If we had spun just a second or two later, we would have been killed by the trucks. It was really scary, but all I could do was laugh. I felt bad since it was my friend driving his dad’s car and he dinged it up pretty good. I want to try and replicate that feeling on some level for the viewer. Obviously a husband murdering his wife isn’t the same story, but hopefully the audience will get the same reaction from it that I got from the car wreck.

8.     List the 10 subcomponents of space in Block’s The Visual Story. Note which of these subcomponents you will employ.
1. Perspective, 2. Size Difference, 3. Movement, 4. Textural Diffusion, 5. Aerial Diffusion, 6. Shape Change, 7. Tonal Separation, 8. Color Separation, 9. Up/Down, 10. Overlap, 11. Focus.

I plan to use perspective in terms of keeping Glenn claustrophobic with no real lines of perspective, whereas everything else will feel open and deep. I also plan to use color in terms of keeping the space behind Keith flat and contrasting to him so that the walls feel closer and he feels further away, even though he's in front of the walls. 3. Movement, I want to show how far down the hall it feels for Glenn dragging the body.

9.     Articulate the rules for your use space in this film. (For example, will one character exist primarily in flat space while the other exists in deep space?) For each rule, articulate why will you use space in this way.  Be specific.

I plan to use color and tonal separation to create the idea of a “chase”. Glenn will be dressed in dark colors to make him feel farther away from Keith as if he is running away. Keith will be in bright warm colors so that he always feels close to the camera, the audience, and by extension, Glenn. He will be about to catch him in the audiences mind. 

I also plan to use flat space in shots dealing with Glenn so that he feels a sense of claustrophobia, and deeper space for Keith. This won’t always be the case though.

10.  Using these rules, how will you use contrast and affinity within shots and from shot to shot to build intensity in your film? Keep in mind the progression of emotions you wrote about above and how contrast and affinity of space will help you achieve a building intensity.

As I said above, I will use more flat space shots for Glenn and more deep space for Keith, however, when the focus of the shot is movement within the frame, or when Glenn is moving a body or doing something like that, I won’t be as worried about keeping it as exaggerated in the use of flat space. It will still be flat-ish, but not as noticeable. I hope this creates a progression and rhythm in the edit to build intensity.

11.  What focal lengths will you use and when? Why?

I’d like to use 50mm or greater to make things feel claustrophobic for Glenn. 30mm for times when things seem more safe, both for Glenn when he thinks he’s got Keith tricked, and Keith overall when he’s going about his business oblivious to the dead body. I’m sure I will deviate a little from those specific two once Ben and I start talking more, but that gives you a good idea to start off with.

12.  In a bulleted list, articulate two or three potential obstacles to creating a successful film. How can you be prepared to overcome these? Be specific!

1.     My biggest fear is finding the right actors. I don’t think a 20 something or even a 30 something will be able to pull off what I am going for. I don’t want to use make up, and I don’t want to compromise on this one. That being said, I’m confident I can find the right age actor, but someone with good acting chops might be tricky. If they do stink at acting, I will try to rely on the visual humor such as the arms or legs of the dead body sticking out from a hiding space, focus on the actors eyes looking around or the sweat on their forehead. Things like that. Try and limit how much acting they need to do in the memorizing lines aspect and focus more on the visual.

2.     Finding the right balance is another obstacles I foresee being a problem. On the one hand, I don’t really want it to be a hilarious knee slapper, on the other hand, I don’t want it to be super dark and heavy. Finding that balance will be tricky in the acting and filming stages, and it might come down to the edit in the end.