RTVF 10 Group Project: Single-Shot Movie Production

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this assignment is for you to work in small groups toward the goal of shooting a single-shot movie production. You will model your shot after any of three long takes (described below) in Annie Hall, The Graduate, and The Conversation, respectively, but beyond that you will decide as a group the cinematography (framing, mobile framing, etc.), mise-en-scène (setting, actors, lighting, blocking, costume/makeup, props, etc.), sound (dialogue/voice, diegetic/non-diegetic sounds, score, silent, etc.), narrative (characters, beginning and end of shot, narration, etc.), and the film’s genre/format (for instance, drama or non-fiction/documentary, horror or comedy, puppets or people, etc.). As a group you will have to come up with how best to take advantage of this long take, depending upon your purpose as filmmakers. You may wish to make your audience laugh or feel sympathy or sorrow; to challenge your audience with more experimental and artistic material; to teach or educate your audience on some issue; or even to advertise something. Again, you may work within any genre you choose, and the movie need not be fiction; music videos, ads, and documentaries are permitted.

GUIDELINES You will begin by selecting which long take you wish to model your movie after. Consider why and how the long take is being used in the scene and the film and how you as a group would like to use it in your movie. Then, begin to formulate your movie. How will it look, where will it be set, what will be the plot, how will it narrate story information, who/what will be featured, how long will the shot last, and what movie format will it be (documentary, music video, drama, comedy, TV ad, etc.)? Try to come up with a situation, format, and staging/blocking and other film techniques that take advantage of the long take you choose to emulate. Once your group has settled on the movie it is making, you will need to plan for the shoot. You might want to diagram the shot, sketch out the scene, write up any dialogue, etc. Then, you can begin rehearsing the shot and eventually shooting the film. As with any movie, big or small, expect to make several attempts before you get the shot as you like it. The last stage will be for you to present your movie to the class. After screening your movie, you will take questions from your audience.

A FEW RULES 1) These one-shot movies have to be 1-3 minutes in length. 2) I expect everyone to work equally on this project from start to finish; if someone is slacking, try to work it out as a group first, but if that fails, your group must address the issue with me. 3) Editing is not allowed in any conventional sense, except out of opening credits and/or into closing ones (and credits are not required). 4) post- production sound work is allowed but not required — do make sure that your movie is clearly audible, regardless. 5) You may use any motion picture camera you have access to, including a digital camera that has a movie function. 6) You need not copy every aspect of the shot you choose to emulate, but it should be clear to your audience which one you have chosen to model your film after. 7) Either static camera or mobile framing of your choice is permitted; you may shoot the entire film hand-held, or you may fashion your own tracking/craning devices and vehicles. 8) Each group is responsible for formatting the movie such that it can be shown on the big screen in our classroom; I strongly suggest coming to class with two formats (e.g., one on disk/computer, the other on youtube.com), in case one fails. MODEL SHOTS TO CHOOSE FROM Shot I: ANNIE HALL — This long take happens early in the film. The camera is perched on a Manhattan sidewalk, as people walk in and out of the frame. Alvie (Woody Allen) and his friend are at the far end of the block (in view but unrecognizable at first because of the ELS), walking along the street toward the camera and discussing Alvie’s paranoia. We hear their conversation throughout the shot, but we are not sure from where the sounds originate, until they get closer to the camera. Once they catch up to the camera, it begins to track out in front of them. Prior to that, there was a static camera. This shot is in relatively deep focus. Approximately 1 min., 30 sec. in length.

Shot II: THE GRADUATE — This long take also happens early in the film, just after Ben (Dustin Hoffman) has arrived at his parents’ house. Here Ben sits on his bed, in close up, with his fish tank behind him. His father enters from stage left (to the right of the frame) and sits down in front of him, partially blocking our view of Ben’s face. Then, his mother comes in and completely blocks our view. The camera is static until they all leave the room, when the handheld camera rises and backs out of the room, panning and tilting as they wind through the hallway and down the stairs. The shot is in relatively deep space. Approximately 1 min., 30 sec. in length.

Shot III: THE CONVERSATION — This long take occurs in Harry’s apartment and is the first glimpse we have of his personal space. The camera is perched statically in his living room, gazing at the wall that leads to the front door (to the right) and his kitchen (to the left). Harry walks into the shot and then off-screen (when he goes to the kitchen), back into and then again off-screen (when he goes into his office). He eventually walks off-screen to enter the living room and sit on the couch. After not moving at all, the camera pans over to him as he makes a call to his landlady. Then, Harry stands up and walks off-screen with the phone in his hand, before taking his seat again. The shot is in relatively deep focus and hovers between LS and MS. Approximately 2 min., 10 sec. in length.

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Length: 1-3 minutes (not longer or shorter than this range)

Due date: All groups will screen their movies during our final exam slot