Film 4: Foosball Fight! (one take of a dramatic event)

NAME: _Matthew Taggart_

DATE: _March 13^th, 2017_

FILM # & TITLE: _Foosball Fight_

DP: _Matthew Taggart_

TMA 285 DIRECTOR’S REFLECTION

Reflect on how your film turned out. Have the courage to evaluate your work not just with a self-congratulatory eye, but also with a critical eye. Step back; pretend the film wasn't made by you. Be exacting. Be demanding. Don't let yourself off the hook. Be completely honest about your performance!

- Turn in a hard copy of this statement the next class session after your film screens

- Post this to your blog with your film the day after your film screens

Overall response (2-3 paragraphs):

I felt like this was one of my less successful films this semester, not due to a lack of effort, but because I focused those efforts in the wrong places, and/or became distracted when things didn’t seem to be going to plan. I felt like in the version of my head that existed in the planning stages, the people playing would have been more excited and energetic. When that didn’t happen, I lost enthusiasm and therefore focus.

In addition, it’s hard for me to think in terms of a one take due to my experiences shooting for other projects where you are allowed to focus on one thing in terms of the main point. In this way, I did manage to film this event in a way where if I was to edit those attempts together I would have a strong piece since the first time I focused on the players, next their hands, and then the game, with the version we saw in class being a version where there was a little bit of everything.

If nothing else, I was reminded to slow down and observe before doing anything else. This has been a principal that I’ve come to understand in terms of planning a fictional film, but I think is just as applicable to a live event. I should have taken more time to watch this group of players go through a game or two before filming them so that I could determine how my plans on paper could translate effectively with what was actually happening.

There were several moments and shots that I was happy with, shots I felt conveyed the feeling I was going for, but I’m not really satisfied with just moments or shots anymore so it’s hard for me to be more praiseworthy than that!

Briefly discuss the following:

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

I wanted to show how much we invest in simple games, and that while we are playing them, they seem to be much more important than they actually are. The overall piece itself was a little too disjointed, and so I feel like some of that intention was lost.

How, specifically, did you try to communicate this?       

I tried to communicate this by filming the players at angles to emphasize both the importance they were injecting in the game, as well as the importance that was actually there in the grand scheme of things. I also tried to communicate this by showing people getting excited when they scored a goal, or angry when they lost control of the ball to an opponent.

What did you learn about storytelling:   

Similar to telling a good story while in the car with friends, it’s important to be concise. No one needs to know about the life history of a character if the story is about them tripping and spilling their food. Unless there is a family history of this type of thing happening. Get to the point, and tell a funny story. In my case, the film wasn’t funny, but I should have picked what I wanted to tell the story about, and stuck with it.

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

In this case, I would have been better off to watch the “actors” play a game before filming so that I could observe what they were going to bring to the table. From there I could have adapted my shooting plan better to capture what they offered. Since I couldn’t ask them to do anything, this would have been a much better way to focus the viewers’ attention on aspects of their performances that I felt would communicate my intention best.

What did you learn about blocking the camera and actors?     

Similar to the above, but in addition, I should have watched what was going on and moved away from my shot list. Not forget it entirely, but not worry so much about capturing what I had written down if it wasn’t going to help tell the story.

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

With the framing of some of these shots, I felt like I chose good angles, only to see once in post that I was just a little off. It reminds me of some advice I once read to aspiring photographers; “If you think you are close enough distance wise, take two steps forward and then shoot.” I seemed to have fallen victim to this for several shots where I think I almost had it, but wasn’t close enough.

What did you learn about design and art direction?     

For this exercise, I wish I would have found a more interesting foosball table and location to use. That being said, I think the dorm room aesthetic did help remind people of their own experiences playing foosball or similar games at this stage in their life. In this way, it did connect the audience and bring them into the world I was trying to communicate.

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

In my mind’s eye, there were a lot more foosball tables around than I thought. Before committing to this idea, I should have scouted more and found a place that I was excited to shoot in.

                  

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?  

I actually think they did understand the overall piece. There was some confusion if the piece was about the game or the players, which is understandable since I didn’t commit to one specifically. I do think that everyone seemed to think back to when they have played foosball or other games, which was a smaller part of my intention, so in that sense I think part was communicated successfully.

Any other observations or notes:

I shot several takes of this, and just couldn’t wrap my head around it while shooting. In this case I just got into my own head too much.