Category: 4D Foundation – 8

N2230

November 13, 2015 by janjacobchiong·0 Comments

Produced by:

Shoki, Xinyi, Darren, Jacob.

An adaptation of the Truman Show into a 90’s Asian setting:

We got together to pick a narrative we all liked before starting on the plot of our adaptation. We picked The Truman Show because of its dark theme revolving around great powerful corporations infringing human rights and the exploitation of people in difficult circumstances.

With that, we came up with quite a few ideas but decided on what we thought was most feasible, realistic and emotional. We decided to toy with the idea of unethical drug experimentations on people who are in need of quick money. To dramatise the scene and to pull forth the emotional factor, our main protagonists are orphaned siblings.

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS:

Time was an important factor in the process of our filming. To maximise our efficiency, we worked in a systematic procedure that can be summed up as follows:

Researching on existing movies and stories, and deciding on one that we deemed feasible for a 5 minute adaptation.
Drafting the storyline and script.
Creating a storyboard to envision scenes and how they would be filmed. (camera angles, lighting, sequences, time of filming etc.)
Discussing roles, and the availability of props, locations and equipment (especially important since we wanted to recreate the time period of the 90s.)
Finalising a script by splitting it into its respective scenes. This was useful as it allowed us to keep track of all the scenes we could film in each location, as well as the props needed for each scene.
Dedicating a full day to filming.
Editing the recorded footage and researching on appropriate soundtracks to complement the film.
Creating the title near the end of the film.
Presentation!

REFERENCES:

To get the traditional 90s video effect, we used a VHS camera app on the iPhone. Most of everything else that gave the 90s vibe was largely from the props we put together, some of which were inspired by the following:

Taken from: Ilo Ilo, Fighting Spiders, Paranormal Activity, VHS Camcorder app, Remembersingapore.com.

STORYBOARDS:

FINAL SCRIPT:

LOCATIONS:

Fishing area near Changi Beach:

Old and unused security room:

Abandoned Swimming Complex along Andover Road:

USE OF EXTERNAL LIGHTING:

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT:

sound recorder:

makeshift dolly:

CLOTHES & PROPS:

EDITING ON AFTER-EFFECTS AND PREMIERE PRO CC:

sounds and music:

turning footage into a story:

SNIPPETS OF THE SLIDESHOW:

REFLECTIONS:

JACOB:

The difficulties in planning, filming, and acting. All that time and effort spent on a single 5 minute film. I experienced these problems and more in this project, yet I can safely say that I would want to do it again. The satisfaction upon seeing a completed film is simply euphoric. I felt that this was an excellent way for me to learn the ropes of filming as I worked with very talented and dedicated group members, and managed to take away many lessons from working with them.

I’ve always appreciated film, but this project has made me appreciate it to a level far beyond the average viewer. From technical to ideological detail of creating stories that can evoke feelings and emotions in a viewer, this project has reminded me of aspects of why I loved movies so much in the first place.

DARREN:

There were many ideas that we bounced off each other initially. However, the general mood was set when we came up with the initial storyboard for the film, N2230. Through our thoughtful and well-planned pre-productions, I am really thankful for the positive inputs that my group has given to create such a smooth and enjoyable experience throughout. It really helps me appreciate much more how much effort goes into making a short film or a movie.

Looking back, I feel much more experience on our part was needed to visualise how much footage will fit into a time span of 5 minutes as our storyboard had about 12 minutes of footage to be used. To me I feel in this day and age it is important, as trailers and short videos will have to be much better planned to cater to a younger generation with much shorter attention span as compared to what we already are used to.

XIN YI:

This project was truly an eye-opener for me. I never had any experience with filmmaking before, thus, from this, I’ve learned a lot. I must admit it is painfully arduous but it’s really fantastic breathing life into the ideas you have conjured in your head. I have never appreciated filmmaking so much until now.

SHOKI:

I really enjoyed making this film with my group. The story idea was something we were all very excited about, which made the filming process so much more enjoyable. Making this short film made me realise that ultimately, planning is the most important process in filmmaking. I feel that we did a thorough job during pre production to plan out the film visually and logistically. With proper planning, we were able to execute our production in a single day.

Looking back at the short film, I probably would have done some things differently. Regardless of this, I am really proud of our work and I believe that making films is continual learning process. Plus it was so much fun!

Project 2: The Impossibilities of Reality

October 26, 2015 by janjacobchiong·0 Comments

There are many theories about dreams, with some experts claiming that dreams sometimes foretell or mean something that the brain subconsciously knows, or is trying to figure out. For example, dreaming about being chased comes not from the fear of actually being chased, but rather something in life we are running from. In other words, dreams are messages from the subconscious mind. I then considered something that could be affecting me, and I went with the fact that I was staying in a new environment (NTU hostel living) with an old friend and consequentially I realized there were sides of him I didn’t know prior to living with him.

The images show said friend beckoning me to follow him. Upon entering a different dimension (just like Alice following the rabbit into a hole), we spot a wild tiger whose body becomes a humanoid form. My friend runs off without waiting for me, and I get caught and imprisoned. I manage to escape and suddenly I’m chasing after my friend, only to realize that he is the tiger and he means no harm. He then guides me back into our room.

This is representational of how there are aspects of my friend I learn about, and of which I am shocked to find out, but in the end may not be something negative after all. The locations of the images are deliberately incoherent, very much like how dreams never always completely make sense and leaves the dreamer pondering. This is synced with a bizarre song choice to aid a viewer in feeling the mystery and anxiety intended.

I shot the images with a canon G10, and edited the photographs on Adobe Photoshop. Using online stock images, I edited and fitted them into the photographs.

Research:

What is photographic sequence?

Photographic sequence is the use of two or more photographs seen one after another to illustrate something, and can usually carry the intention of the photographer to a larger degree. Legendary photographer Elliott Erwitt realised that “sometimes a story is better told by more pictures rather than one”. In his photographic sequence works, photos are taken just moments apart with a sequence telling a story that is surprising, moving or simply funny.

This might be confused with Sequence photography, which is a technique of shooting a series of images in where the subject is captured in successive motion. Sequence photography is a way of conveying motion in a static image. A merged photo sequence can radically show a different perspective much more than what can be captured in a single image.

Visual Rhythm:

Rhythm, a critical component of music, dance, and poetry, is also a quality of great significance in the visual arts. Rhythm may affect the quality of the viewing experience for your audience and help to draw and keep the eye within the frame. Pattern can be thought of a subset of rhythm in that patterns always have rhythm, but rhythms don’t always have pattern. A general rhythm throughout the frame can also be used to establish an overall atmosphere or mood — the regularity of the rhythm may envelop the viewer in feelings of peace or serenity. The key is that while the rhythm can lull and guide the viewer on a journey through the frame, you usually want to offer something in the way of a visual destination, a focal point, or something that otherwise grounds the rest of the scene. Deliberately interrupting a predictable, soothing rhythm is a compelling way to introduce your subject to the audience.

Composition:

Composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art, as distinct from the subject of a work. The position of the viewer can strongly influence the aesthetics of an image, even if the subject is entirely imaginary and viewed “within the mind’s eye”. Not only does it influence the elements within the picture, but it also influences the viewer’s interpretation of the subject.

For example, if a boy is photographed from above, perhaps from the eye level of an adult, he is diminished in stature. A photograph taken at the child’s level would treat him as an equal, and one taken from below could result in an impression of dominance. Therefore, the photographer is choosing the viewer’s positioning.

Taken from: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17295728

THE 5 CHARACTERISTICS OF DREAMS:

1. Dreams Often Feature Intense Emotions

2. Dreams Are Frequently Disorganized and Illogical

3. Strange Dream Content Is Accepted Without Question

4. People Often Experience Bizarre Sensations

5. Dreams Are Difficult to Remember

Taken from: http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/tp/characteristics-of-dreams.htm

Screen Shot 2015-10-23 at 11.44.08 pm rooster human

Cages in dreams are metaphors for feeling trapped. 1. If you are in a cage, that’s just how you feel in your waking life—locked into a relationship, a job, or a situation. 2. If you see someone else in a cage, you have inadvertently put someone in a difficult situation, or you are aware of a difficult situation that you might be able to do something about. 3. An animal in a cage represents something you’ve tamed—an instinct, an impulse, a bad habit. 4.An empty cage represents your recent freedom.

Cats symbolize independence and a mysterious, hidden side. In dreams, cats represent secrets and autonomy.

Before starting with the camera, I drew out very rough storyboards to have a good idea of what I want to shoot, like so:

This was a slightly challenging project for me, as it was the first time I was using Photoshop to edit my photographs. I was also new to using a camera professionally. That being said, I felt that it was extremely good exercise to know where I stand and the many new technicalities of photoshopping and photography which I learnt because of this project, of which I am confident will be beneficial to me in upcoming projects and in the future.

Anchor VS Relay

September 21, 2015 by janjacobchiong·0 Comments

Anchor: NTU ADM open compound. Shot with a NIKON D7000.

Relay: “I will definitely emerge victorious in the next Mr. Singapore competition.”

Anchor: Dan squinting his eyes on a hot day.

Relay: His nemesis stood in front of him and underneath the furrowed brows was the perfect murder plot.

Anchor: Clean and slick haircut with the ADM grass roof in the background.

Relay: “How can I be so handsome and yet she chose that rich old pervert uncle over me..?”

A Song of Ice and Fire

September 14, 2015 by janjacobchiong·0 Comments

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favour fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

I began on this project by trying to understand the poem and how the poet, Robert Frost, intended it to mean. From various sources, the general consensus seemed to interpret Frost as saying that fire is understood as the feeling of hatred, and ice is the sin of greed and lust.

Using stock images from the hit series “Game of Thrones”, I set out to find screen stills that resonate well with the poem’s intentions. This is due to the fact that it was this poem that inspired the story behind the series, so the scenes may better depict the poem stanzas to a greater degree.

I first found a war scene where two men were engaged in combat. This is representational of how physical conflict can lead to the downfall of humanity. War is a fine example of how ‘fire’ can be destructive in nature. However, while this still holds true, it is a rather straightforward viewpoint, just like how Frost himself concluded rather quickly that it will be the determining factor in destruction of the world, as seen in “I hold with those who favour fire.”. This image was given an orange filter and had it’s saturation increased to intensify the aggressive atmosphere of the situation.

Lust is the next issue that is interpreted in this poem. This image was first set on a grey scale and had the surrounding background coloured red. Coupled with the troubled expression of guilt the woman portrays, the emotions of passion and desire are enhanced this way. Covetousness can be a source of destruction to the world as raw desire blindly guides the mind to commit acts that break down relationships and cause immense emotional conflict. As an added trivia, the couple in the image portray incestuous siblings in the aforementioned series, making their carnal desires even more sinful.

In the third image we see a young king rested on a throne. The dark image and his sombre expression gives the emotion of uneasiness. I used this image as a representation of greed, because the status of a king is what most people want; Power, Wealth, and Fame.

However, I would also like to introduce the notion that it may not always be solely ice or fire that will cause destruction. Here we see a shot taken of the terrorist group ISIS, which has been involved in graphic acts of violence and murder. In this image we see the effects of ice and fire; Extremist militants fight for their delusional idea of religion. This arises from their utter desire to ‘purify’ the world, which turns to hatred for anyone who opposes their beliefs. From this we can see that sometimes both ice and fire go hand in hand to effect destruction.

Natural disasters, or diseases as seen in this final image (the human immunodeficiency virus) may also lead to the downfall of the human population. While these are neither ice nor fire, it is these elements that will catalyse their effects. Rape, prostitution and polyamorous behaviour all aid to spread the aids virus. Greed in industries accelerate the effects of global warming which in turn lead to the rise of natural disasters.

Project 1A

September 14, 2015 by janjacobchiong·0 Comments

4D Project 1

Task 1:

Upon embarking on the first task of this project, I questioned myself: what would be the best way for someone to get to know me? I figured that getting to know my views and the thoughts that affect me most was an excellent way to allow someone to have a deeper understanding of me.

At the moment, the thought that had been gnawing away at me most was my take on my own religion.

As an infant, my parents brought me to a Roman Catholic church to be baptised. I grew up accepting my parents’ religion without giving it much thought. However, things changed as I matured and started to scrutinize and seek out my own identity. I never looked forward to attending Sunday masses or catechism classes. There were far more things that I could have been doing instead. I also started pondering on the existence of a higher being, and became cynical about the whole concept of religion. Yet, I couldn’t help but to feel an increasing sense of guilt for having such blasphemous thoughts. How could I, as a born and raised catholic, even succumb to the notion that attending church was meaningless?

I then started praying for my faith to be restored, but all I could do was to hold an internal debate with myself: “who exactly am I praying to?”. I was becoming agnostic.

My parents were firm believers and expected us as a family to attend church services together every Sunday. One day I gathered the courage to ask them, is it alright if I stop going? That pretty much ruined my mother’s mood and she said I needed to pray more. I felt so trapped. This was the thought that ran through my mind as I decided to take this first shot; this feeling that I’m incarcerated by my family and by my own guilt.

There are times where I wish that I wasn’t born into a Christian family so I could learn to accept Christ on my own accord. There’s always the option of leaving the church now that I am much older and have the freedom to decide for myself, but I lack the resolve to abandon my faith altogether, because a part of me still wants to believe. Until then, I still call myself a Christian, albeit one with an increasing internal conflict.

Using this next image emphasizes my shaken but still present faith that there is someone listening and watching over me. However, the main point of this picture is to represent my ever growing list of regrets. From choosing to take the path of the science stream and the time I retained, to picking up smoking and running away from home when I fought with my mother, I sometimes have regrets that I feel I have no way out and can only implore, ironically, for divine intervention to help me and guide me out of all the messes that I have created for myself or for others. Perhaps my lack of direct answers from above was a cause of my crumbling faith.

The final image in this task exemplifies the appreciation I have for my country. With the election polling day drawing close, I am unable to choose: Do I vote for a government who has Singapore’s interests at heart, or the welfare of Singaporean citizens as their priority? My decision will only be one count in the voting process, but I feel that everyone should take the vote seriously and only make informed decisions. The current government has built this clean and green city, complete with smooth roads and stable buildings, and for that I am grateful, but will the same party always make the right call? Is the party the same when its’ members have changed? These are some of the questions I pose to myself when trying to vote for a country which I have grown up in. I chose this landscape because it shows the various things that the current government has brought about that I appreciate. I also chose this landscape because in the midst of everything, the struggles I face in my religion constantly takes up a place in a corner of my mind, and is something I cannot escape from.

_______________________________

Task 2:

This task required me to pick an object that was of significance to me. I immediately remembered the rock that serves as a paperweight on my desk.

This rock is no normal rock. Okay, it is an ordinary rock. But it was not found just anywhere. During my vacation in the USA earlier this year, I made it a point to go down to Emeryville, California, where Pixar animation studios is situated at.

rsz_1task_2_1

Ever since I was capable of watching cartoons, I adored watching them, even when others my age have long stopped doing so. I loved movies too, so an animated film was like having the best of both worlds. It always seemed like a dream to produce films like that.

Of all studios, Pixar’s works have somehow always found a way to impact me and leave me wanting more every time I leave the cinema halls. I wanted to work at Pixar, and then I found out about ADM.

But I digress. So I took a trip down to Pixar studios. I wasn’t allowed entry into the premises. This I already knew, but it was still worth a shot. After being turned away by the security personnel, I walked along the perimeters of the compound. I could see a pool, and the Pixar ball. I could see employees having a soccer match. It was a tad bit too far to see if John Lasseter himself was among them though. The buildings were made of brown-red bricks and perched atop were some of the seagulls seen in Finding Nemo.

Just beyond the wire fencing was a path of rocks following the fences. I reached my hand through the fence (My hand was officially in Pixar!!!) and grabbed hold of a rock. I didn’t know why I did so. I usually wasn’t so sentimental, but at that moment, I knew this was an important moment.

That rock now rests on my desk, serving not only as a paperweight, but as a reminder for myself not to give up the dream of one day creating stories and imaginary worlds for others to love.

In every shot, except for the one of my desk, I played with the saturation of each image, making it seem like the colours were emanating from the naturally grey-scaled rock (hooray for literary irony). The images are meant to display myself finding my ambition, which has been objectified into this rock, and finding ways to keep that ambition and sustain that drive to one day bring this rock back to where I found it, but this time as a Pixar animator.

Task 3:

I chose the void deck as the focus of “My World”, because I found it to be quite the paradox. To be void, in its definitive meaning, is to possess nothing. Yet, this place holds so many past memories and emotions for me.

As a child, I frequently headed down to the void deck with my neighbours to run about and play. We would come up with many game ideas within the confines of the void deck. Back then, there was no fancy playground for us to utilize, so the void deck was all we had to engage our creativity and entertain ourselves.

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It was also where I learned to ride a bicycle. When I got my pet dog I was so anxious to let it run about in this open space. The pillars at the void deck always served as goalposts for my friends and I to hold our very own EPL football match, and to my pleasant surprise this tradition is passed down to other young boys even up till today. This seemingly empty place holds more than a good portion of my childhood, and I loved every moment of it. task_3_2

Then came my adolescence, where staying out to ‘chill’ aimlessly became the thing to do. (Teens.) The stone and marble tables and chairs became our favourite hangout spot. This was where we usually got screened by police officers doing their rounds as well.

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I softened the image of the flight of stairs at the void deck because that was where a girl kissed me for the first time. It came as a shock and boy, was I ecstatic. It seemed only apt for me to depict it in a surreal, dreamlike state.

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The void deck is a place full of emotion, from going through my great grandfather’s funeral procession, to attending a Malay wedding for the first time. Perhaps the void deck starts off void of anything for each individual, and it is up to him or her to fill it up in the way he best deems fit.

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First Post

August 24, 2015 by janjacobchiong·2 Comments

“Mike Test 1 2 3…”

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