Master with Coverage: Scene from The Founder

NAME: _Matthew Taggart_

DATE: _April 5^th, 2017_

FILM # & TITLE: _Master with Coverage: The Founder_

DP: _Pepe Callejas_

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):

Write an overall response to your film in 2-3 paragraphs: Were you successful at achieving what you set out to achieve? What are you proud of? What would you do differently if you could remake this piece? What did you learn? 

This was a script I really resonated with and I was very excited to make this scene. I feel like I was able to craft a world that was striking visually, and yet believable, nothing seemed to jarring or gratuitous in terms of production design or colors and tone. I’m really happy with how the piece turned out in that sense. I would have changed the curtains if I had to do it again, as well as adjust the angle on the table so that even if you could see the camera in the reflection I would have taken time in After Effects or something else to remove the reflection. I know that seems silly, but I really wanted my original framing of that scene, and I gave up too soon on it.

If I could re-do it, I think I would have attempted a camera move or some small item to add not only energy to the scene, but also make some of the argument more impactful. I had to scrap a shot of Ray’s reaction to what Ethel was telling him because it went against the 180 line. Even so, I would have added a small push to that shot so it would have really hit home. I feel like I had a solid master shot that still conveyed a good deal of emotion and translated the theme of the scene on its own. I plan on moving forward trying to get every shot to be that strong so that when the final piece is assembled there isn’t a shot that seems like filler.

In the editing, I wish I would have used the take when Ethel argues with Ray by talking in very quiet tones. I gave the direction to Emma to act as if Ray were a child who despite everything just isn’t capable of learning from his mistakes. You don’t yell at your kid for spilling milk, but you still need to let them know you are disappointed. I think her performance in that take was stronger, even if there were some technical problems with the take.

Briefly discuss the following:

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

I wanted to communicate the idea that achieving your dreams on a personal level are just as difficult as achieving a good relationship. In this case, between a husband and wife. Based on most people’s responses, I would say that most members of the class understood aspects of this. I feel like I was successful in showing that it’s hard to achieve your dreams, and that it probably comes at a cost. Without being able to see the whole movie or read the whole script, I think everyone was able to see that in order for Ray to be successful, it was going to ruin (or at least highly strain) his already tense marriage.

How, specifically, did you try to communicate this?       

I wanted to communicate this by showing Ray burst in with excitement but then retreat when confronted with what his wife is saying to him. He’s realizing that in order to achieve his dreams, it’s going to hurt his wife, and he needs to determine if he’s prepared to go through with that or not. 

What did you learn about storytelling:   

I learned that there are elements in visual storytelling that may be effective, I’m just not fully confident in using them yet. An example of this would be the dutch angle when Ray yells back at his wife. It works, but I just don’t know if it works in the best way.

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

This scene was a further extension from the last film in that I feel like I was able to help the actors and get them to a place where they were able to convey the meaning of the scene in a way that was accessible for the audience. Upon reflection in class, I learned that I still need to work on helping actors deliver their performances where you can see they are connecting ideas and not just reciting lines. Also, in terms of intensity of performance, it would have been good to have the pace of the delivery increase with volume. I should have considered vocal fights I’ve been in with loved ones and used that to more accurately convey the feeling and emotion of the scene.

What did you learn about blocking the camera and actors?     

We had to change the original set up that I envisioned for the master shot so that our reflection wouldn’t be in the window. This kinda threw me off more than I thought, and as such there are a couple shots we took that didn’t work in the final piece because the 180 line changed. I wish I would have done better in blocking the actors, or having them be active in the frame. I think this would have done more to show the intensity of this fight between husband and wife.

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

In terms of the framing, I chose good and interesting compositions overall, however, I should have been a little more careful once those frames were set to make small adjustments that would have taken the composition from good to great. I say this because it was totally possible to do, it would have just taken a few more minutes to study the frame carefully. It’s a step in the right direction for me, but I’m still in need of practice when it comes to this principal.

What did you learn about design and art direction?     

I was pleased with how the overall look of the scene ended up. That being said, I wish I would have taken a little more time to make sure all the small details worked. I had the time, and I know it could have been stronger. There was something else I tried that no one commented on, and I don’t know if it’s because it was too obscure or just not strong enough, but I put a set of wilting flowers between Ray and Ethel. The colors of the flowers were red and yellow, the color of McDonalds (the only color present besides skin tones), I wanted this to be a symbol and foreshadow how McDonalds was going to lead to the death of their marriage. Again, I don’t know if it was effective, but I would like to continue using little items like this in the future.

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

Pepe was great to work with in the sense that I never worried about how he was going to set up the lights or get the shot I wanted. Again, anything that didn’t work in the film I attribute to me not taking enough time in the pre- or actual production process. I learned that the more you prepare, the better off you will be during production. You will have more confidence and be able to make adjustments faster.

                  

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?  

It was good to watch this with the class. I feel like they were able to understand what I was going for, and they picked up on most of the shortcomings I was aware of and were able to constructively mention other weaknesses that I didn’t see in any stage of production. Everyone seemed to respond favorably to the production design, and that’s great, but I’m not sure that they responded to the acting in the way I would have liked. This is probably because on some level, it’s easier for me to understand how to execute production design better than how to get great performances.

For Film 6 only – After screening in class, watch the actual scene you chose to shoot. How does it compare to your scene? What choices did the director make that were different than yours? What were the same? How did the director address problems you experienced?  

I haven’t been able to view this movie yet as it hasn’t been released on home video. I will watch it as soon as possible and make an amended note though.