Mask (Slow Pace)

This is the slow pace of my film. It concludes lots of details of my film. But I cut them out in my final film. I hope you could enjoy it.

The summary of questionnaire

The comments above are open question of the questionnaire.

From testing the audiences, I find that every audiences could get the theme of my film. That is about the lies, promises and the rules. However, majority of people think this is a fantasy film rather than fairy tale film. After a short interview of them, I find the reason almost the same. Because they thought fairy tale film should contain some traditional protagonists, such as Snow White, Cinderella, and so on. What is more, fairy tale for them is made for children, not for adults. The answer also shows that the scripts and the visual effects parts show the fairy tale style most. when I ask which part present the fairy tale features in this film, most of them says the mirror and the mask. They don't know why, but just a feeling.  As for me, these elements are not ordinary things in the normal life. They horror but they are supernatural, they are the key elements of this film. Moreover, the open question surprises me a lot. Because everyone's answer shows their own view of life and they give me ideas that I don't even realise, such as the first picture, she talks about the rule. Pan is the role to set a rule, Ann should obey the rule, however, she doesn't. In our daily life, there are always some invisible rules and visible rules, no matter what is it, we should obey that. That is the condition to make the world orderly.

What I want to talk most is about the moral and how the film relevant to audiences' lives. This is the main part of this test. I hope to see could this film inspire the spectators in their life. Everyone's answer are totally different, someone talk about how to be honest, someone talk about when we face problems we should examine ourselves. They all from different angle of life. These are the worthy comments of my film. It makes my film meaningful.

The reflection of MA

After the whole year preparation, I finished my project finally. I am appreciate everyone who helps me and supports me a lot. From writing the script to the final film. I understand what is practice and I deeply understand what is film.

During the edit process, I always thinking, I thinking about why I make this film, what is my goal of making a film? Just  for learning the technical skills? How to make visual effects? The answer is no. These are the basic of a film, not the key of making a film. I editing day and night, this question always running in my head. Eventually, I find the answer from the chat with my tutor Jools.  He mentioned about the moral, every fairy tale should has a moral behind the story, and he ask: "what is the moral behind your story? " Yes, this is what I should ask myself. I should use my film to reveal, to alarm audiences something that easy to be ignore but significant in their daily life. This is my goal, this is more important than the film itself. This is what I finally find out in MA progress. This is what fairy tale film should be.

After I got the goal of making film. It gives me a sign when I walking on the film road. Before MA, I thought MA is just a piece of paper. However, MA gives me lots of answers in my life. It makes me feel confident to face the future. MA is just a start of my film road.

What is more, about my film, it is to research the visual effects of fairy tale film. In terms of my PGD conclusion, the visual effects features should be based on the scripts with virtual protagonist and super power. He gives audiences a rule, then everyone should follow it. This is the normal fairy tale film. In my film, I set Pan as a spirit to clarify the rule. As for me, he is another part of Ann, because he can only appears in the mirror, and other spaces. He appears when Ann was in some difficulties. I can not say he is bad or good, but there is a pan in everyone's heart. I just use the mirror to reflect Ann's heart. The mirror is where the moral hide inside.

In conclusion, MA gives me a lot, teaches me a lot. Thank to MA. It is a rare treasure of my life. I will keep it in the bottom of my heart.

NEW VERSION OF QUESTIONNAIRE

Questionnaire: The Visual Effects Feature of Fairy Tale Film------MASK

Link to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQiPjjD5Ls8

1.     Ages：

2.     Gender：

3.     Which genre do you think the film is?

a.     Fantasy film

b.     Fairy tale film

c.      Others（    ）

4.     In what extend do you think this is a fairy tale film?

a.     100%

b.     80%

c.      50%

d.     20%

e.     No, why

5.     Which part of the film gives you the fairy tale impression? The visual effects, the script, music or shots…?

a.     Visual effects

b.     Script

c.      Music

d.     Shots

e.     Acting

6.     Does the visual effects help the film generate fairy tale style?

YES/NO

7.     What is the moral behind the film from your own opinion?

8.     Does the film give you any idea about your life？

Questionnaire: The Visual Effects Feature of Fairy Tale Film------MASK

Questionnaire: The Visual Effects Feature of Fairy Tale Film------MASK

1.     Which genre do you think the film is?

2.     Do you think this is a fairy tale film?

3.     Which part of the film gives you the fairy tale impression? The visual effects, the script, music or shots…?

4.     Does the visual effects help the film generate fairy tale style?

5.     What is the moral behind the film from your own opinion?

6.     Does the film give you any idea about your life？

     This is the questionnaire for testing the audiences of my film. These questions is for  proving my conclusion of PGD phase is right. My conclusion is that  apart from animation and parts of 3D model such as the Snow white, the little red hood that people could clearly understand this is fairy tale film. Visual effects could not generate the fairy tale style by itself. It means when you see the graphics that add in fairy tale films, they could also been add in Fantasy film, Horror film. The visual effects do not have its own fairy tale characteristics. However, according to Greenhill and Matrix(2010) 'Fairy tales are fictional narratives that combine human and nonhuman protagonists with elements of wonder and the supernatural." Visual effects is a technique to help the fairy tale narratives becomes to a film. They are the only way to change the fairy tale story into a film in some cases, such as a man with super power, the super power could hardly create in the real world. When you want to let someone fly, visual effects should be the only way that help this frames happen. Therefore, my research subject"the visual effects features of fairy tale film" should relate with the narrative features of fairy tale film.

The cinematic colour change and the feedback of last tutorial.

This video shows the original colour of my shooting footage and the colour that I want. The colour before looks more warm than after, because the actor looks sad and frustrated, so cool colour is better to strengthen the emotion. Because my story is a tragedy so i will choose the cool colour throughout the whole film.

After last week's tutorial. My tutor Jools gave me an inspiration what I want to explain but haven't find a right word. He suggested that fairy tale is not the story itself, it somehow hints the moral under the surface. These are the words I realized but never talked about. It helped me to understand deeper of fairy tale film. Besides, the moral under the story was what every film should be, especially the films in China tended to be. I had seen the documentaries witch named 'A Bite of China'.

They were produced by Chinese Central Television(CCTV). The status of it was equivalent to BBC in UK. In the past, the documentaries in China were like, the cameraman followed some animals and recorded their daily routine. These films are just recorded something but never leaded to some deep aspects. However, 'A Bite of China' is a food documentary apparently, but it contain the meaning that food could be a chain to connect the whole world. For every family, no matter where you go, the taste of hometown will notice you 'know where you are going, but don't forget whence you have come.' This was the highest quality of Chinese documentary so far. Even though, many inspectors commented that 'A Bite of China' is somehow imitated BBC documentaries style. But the depth of films was step forwards.

As for my research, put the pedagogical meaning into my narrative is my new aim. I hope my film could reveal something that helps audience know more about themselves.

New script: Mask

This is totally changed version of the script Mind reader. I've add more conflicts and more wonder elements in the script. I think it is better than the previous one.

          INT. A DARK ROOM

                             
                    Do you love me? Do you love
                    me(echo)...Do you love me (echo)...

          John and Ann stares at each other. The frame dissolve and
          switch between their face constantly. When the last time
          switch to John, he wears a mask.

          INT. ANN'S BEDROOM

          Ann lays in her bed and opens her eyes. She pants for
          breath.

          The door of her wardrobe is cracking. She gets up and creeps
          out towards the wardrobe. She opens it while a spirit stands
          behind her.

                              SPIRIT PAN
                    Hi, Ann. My name is Pan. Do you
                    want to see something you ever seen
                    before? If yes, you should not say
                    anything about what you seen. If
                    you break your promise, you'll....
                    Bangbangbang...(Door knocking)

                              LOTTE
                    Ann.. Ann.. Are you ok?
                    Bangbangbang...(Door knocking)

          While Ann look to the door, Pan goes away.

          Ann opens the door. Lotte points her watch.

                              LOTTE
                    It's 15 o'clock, could you get up
                    earlier? Well, your boyfriend will
                    come and give you something made by
                    his mom later. Your phone is turned
                    off, so he calls me.

          Visual effects: An image appears in front of Lotte's heart.
          The frame split into half, left side is Ann, right side is
          John, they are talking through phones.

          Ann closes her eyes and shakes her head. When she opens her
          eyes, the image is still there.

                              LOTTE
                    Ann, Ann.. Are you hearing me?

          Lotte waves her hand in front of Ann's eyes.

                              ANN
                    No...yeah...yeah... OK..OK.

          Ann closes her door, she turns back and goes to open the
          wardrobe.

                              ANN
                    Pan, are you still there? Pan.

          She rummages through her wardrobe, nobody is there.

          INT. KITCHEN

          Ann is having breakfast. Lotte is washing dishes.
                         Door bell rings

          Lotte wipes her hand and goes to open the door.(Lotte is in
          an her nightdress)

                              JOHN
                    Hi, Lotte.

          John walks in with a bag in his hand. Lotte turns back, face
          to Ann. They stand side by side. John speak to Ann.

                              JOHN
                    You always turn off your phone.
                    Lotte is the only way I can contact
                    you. Here are some dry fruits made
                    by my mum.

          Visual effects: John's heart shows Lotte opens the door and
          give John a big hug. Lotte's heart shows the same picture.

          Ann's eyes are dull.

                              JOHN
                    Ann?

          Ann walks forward bumps into Lotte and John and runs away.

                              LOTTE
                    Ann.. Ann..

          EXT. STREET NIGHT

          She holds a bottle of beer and sits on the road her. Lots
          of empty bottles lay on the street. John calls her
          constantly, she hangs up constantly. She make a phone call
          to Sophia.

                              ANN
                    I want to see you.. Newton...
                    Street, right now.

          Ann hangs up her phone and turns off it. She cries out.

          Long shot from Ann's left: Sophie's back runs into the frame
          and stopped.

          Ann rises her head a bit and looks at Sophie's feet.

                              ANN
                    Do you know John, he...

                              (SOUND)PAN
                    Remember, don't say anything about
                    what you seen.

                              SOPHIE
                    John...John?

          Sophie lower her head.

          Visual effects: Sophia's heart shows she saw John and Lotte
          arm in arm on the street.

          Ann stand up, her tear drops down.

                              ANN
                    You know everything! Why don't you
                    tell me the truth! None of you tell
                    me the truth!

          Ann runs away and cries.

          The traffic lights turns red.

          EXT. STREET SHOP WINDOW

          She runs in front of a shop window and sees her reflection.
       

          Visual effects: She can clearly see her heart broken into
          pieces and being blown away by wind.

          She squats and roars while she becomes to a mask.

          Next morning, someone walks pass by, he pick the mask up and
          looks for a while. Then he wears it and walks away.

          End.

         

                             

         

The summary of case study

According to my previous case studies, the visual effects features is based on the narrative of the story.

Contemporary fairy tale film:

The fairy tale features of this kind of fairy tale is mostly happening in modern city, it should contain some wonder elements that would be created by visual effects, such as the graphics, the 3d modeling, the animation and the saturation colour in Amelie and Micmacs. These wonder elements could add more fairy tale features in films. According to Marcel R(2011),"The association of happy with bright colours and sad with dark colours is established by 3 years of age. " That means, when you were a children, the bright colours could mean happy. When you grow up, when you see the colourful pictures, they will inspire the innocent and childish memory in your childhood. 

(Saturation colour)

Therefore, the saturation colour could help to add the wonder elements in fairy tale films. Animation is basically made for children, it can also create the wonder elements. The graphics are used to create the character's inner thinking. 

(animation)

(graphic)

Traditional fairy tale film:

The features of traditional narratives are nonhuman protagonists, folktale adaption, natural scene and happened in ancient time. The visual effects of this kind of film are help to create the nonhuman protagonists and the natural scene that could not appears in real world. So the visual effects of traditional are 3D models, that help to create the ancient natural place, such as the cave in Pan's Labyrinth and the forest in Jack the Giant Slayer. 3D models could create the vital protagonists in film. 

 (3D character)

(3D scene)

What is more, there is another visual effects that are composite different things together, such as the eyes attached in Pan's hands, it is just a composition, the visual effects does not have the fairy tale features. 

Gothic fairy tale film: 

 It is combine the narrative features of contemporary with traditional fairy tales and add the Gothic vision onto, that are over shadow, dark, leafless trees and odd angular buildings(Heidi Kaye, 2012). The visual effects is the darkness visual style and the 3D buildings. So gothic fairy tale film is consisted by the fairy tale narrative with the Gothic vision.

 (Leafless tree)

(3D building)

In conclusion, apart from animation and parts of 3D model such as the Snow white, the little red hood that people could clearly understand this is fairy tale film. Visual effects could not generate the fairy tale style by itself. It means when you see the graphics that add in fairy tale films, they could also been add in Fantasy film, Horror film. The visual effects do not have its own fairy tale characteristics. However, according to Greenhill and Matrix(2010) 'Fairy tales are fictional narratives that combine human and nonhuman protagonists with elements of wonder and the supernatural." Visual effects is a technique to help the fairy tale narratives becomes to a film. They are the only way to change the fairy tale story into a film in some cases, such as a man with super power, the super power could hardly create in the real world. When you want to let someone fly, visual effects should be the only way that help this frames happen. Therefore, my research subject"the visual effects features of fairy tale film" should relate with the narrative features of fairy tale film.

Beginning shot of my scripts 2nd version

This footage is the second version of the beginning shot in my film. The previous version have the speed problem. The zoom speed becomes slower in the latter half. In AE session, I asked Simon about the problem, he thought it is because of the optical illusion. So the picture looks changing its speed, but its not. Therefore, I adjust the speed curves to keep camera moving in average speed. It looks much better now, but still need more adjustment.

Visual effects is the combination of what you thought and what you can achieve. A good idea is not good if making the effects footage beyonds my ability. Just because I cannot do it, so I should learn it. Therefore, I achieved more than this idea, I get the footage that I want, I get the technical skill and it gives me more possibility to create other ideas. This is what I learn form research the visual effects.

This animation is the mouth zoom in of my script. The mouth, teeth and the tongue are downloaded from website, the tonsil is made by myself. This footage is the connection of my opening shot. That is from the sky zoom into the actress's mouth.

This animation is not for story telling. It is for adding fantasy effects at the beginning of the film. This is the indication that the story will be unusual, because this angle of shot is abnormal. I want to use this extraordinary shot to reveal this fairy tale story.

During the period I constantly making this animation. I realise that I refute my previous opinion of the visual effects of fairy tale film. Before I finish it, I thought animation is the key element of fairy tale film. However, if the audiences only watch this footage, they can hardly understand this is a fairy tale film. Moreover, with reference to the visual effects of fairy tale film, apart from some particular 3D models with fairy tale features, the visual effects itself could hardly show the fairy tale features. Therefore, I combine the visual effects with the story telling, because VFXs is existed for develop stories. So the features of fairy tale story are the way to distinguish the difference between fairy tale VFXs and other genres of VFXs.

This is the heart broken footage I've finished recently.

I use this footage to present actor's heart was broken down by others.


From making this footage I know that, visual effects is a work that hide people's struggle behind. Because such a footage takes me about a month to finish. More over, from making this animation, I find that animation could improve the fantasy effects in film.  It offer people a way to see what you cannot see in normal life. It is a way to show things that people are imagining. People always saying my heart is broken, but our heart have never be broken. It is just an imagine, or a metaphor. That is exactly what Fairy tale film need. Back to my project, this is Ann(the heroine of my script)'s heart, it could somehow be the audience's heart. When it cohered with the plot, the audience can be caused the empathy by the heart when it was broken into pieces.

The extended thinking of making the heartbeat animation

This footage is the heart beat animation of my film. I animate it in MAYA, then composite the lightening background. I have not finish the heart break into pieces part yet.

After making this short footage, I realise that, apart from  3d models could be generated the shape, the appearance, the colour, that can create the fairy tale style. Visual effects could not present the fairy tale style by itself, it is just a method to help the films in fairy tale style, such as the film Big fish, when the fish jump out from the pond. Just from the visual effects, we can hardly define that, this is fairy tale film. However, without visual effects, this film can not be a fairy tale vision. Therefore, visual effects are a way to give the story more fantastic images that help the fairy tale story make the supernatural events come true. Moreover, in Charlie and Chocolate Factory, the pygmy is the vital protagonist in this film. He is fairy tale style, that's not because of visual effects, but because he is in red suite, his action is abnormal, he always use his insane voice to announce something, he wears a super long antenna headphone. However, The pygmy appears everywhere in chocolate factory is visual effects, but this is just duplicate the pygmy, it is hardly to find the feature of fairy tale in the duplication. But without the duplication the fairy tale characters are reduced a lot. Besides,  when you see the explosion in film, it is visual effects, but the explosion is nothing different between fairy tale film and other genres. However, it is necessary for the story telling. Therefore, the visual effects could not create the fairy tale style by itself, it should based on the story, the costume, and the properties.