Musical Influences

Deciding the tone for the films score was initially quite difficult as the themes range from comedic to dark and mysterious. In keeping with the contemporary urban setting and light hearted nature of much of the dialogue Christi wanted something upbeat and swanky, ala..

This works for some of the interactions and trip-hop is a good starting point as the slow-tempo beat can be applied to various tones and moods. Trip-hop is universally chilled and often up-beat despite its tempo, however there is still room to create a more sinister ambience within this as mysterious needs require. I also want to create distinct motifs that reflect the nature of each character. Trip-hop has the potential of representing both characters quite well, with the beat and bassier sections reminiscent of the market salesman's wheeler-dealer reality, whilst some of the instrumentation could be representative of the magicians playful and eccentric nature. Some of the jollier influences are as follows

The reggae oriented third track features a prominent bass line with a rhythm that compliments the drum beat and some heavily reverberated sounds. This is the type of orchestration I will try to incorporate into the market salesman's theme and it particularly suits Nick D, the actor playing him.

Surreal comedy Green Wing uses trip-hopesque beats when transitioning between scenes, using camera pans with the characters interactions becoming faster and slower as the speed is ramped accordingly. These interludes gel the bizarre antics of the staff in the same world and compliment the shows offbeat humour. The below clip features an example of such a transition, and it is a device I think will be effective when linking the salesman's mundane and magical worlds.

Whilst these are all fine for the more upbeat elements of our film, there is still the mysterious and more sinister sections surrounding the magician that will need suitable atmospheres creating. The following tracks by Phaeleh are consistent with the contemporary beats previously listed, but feature more exotic instumentation and a more ominous bass line in keeping with the artists dub-step roots.

Phaeleh utilises his classical training to infuse a diverse range of instrumentation with the bass music predominant in modern dance culture at the moment. The result is some relaxing ambient textures with a deep bass and half time beat that can create a multitude of moods depending on the notation used.

I already mentioned this Boards of Canada track as an inspiration for the score on the 2 minute film, it still remains influential in the mysterious and sombre tones it generates through the instrumentation and chord structures.

This song is a better example of the amalgamation of the two characters themes I envision. The intro features a line that evokes a mysterious and crooked character whilst the rest of the song is suitably smooth.

Cliff Martinez' score for the 2002 remake of Solaris creates a haunting and atmospheric world befitting of the dream like manifestations that surround the characters. These atonal melody of these songs is primarily performed on low-pitched bell pads, similar to a xylophone,with reverb applied that gives it an ethereal quality that can at times be both meditative and sinister. Something with tonal shifts like this is very inspirational when trying to conceive a score that conveys several moods and tension levels at different times whilst reflecting the nature of the characters. It is also a little too bleak and desolate however (representative of the character's psychological states) when compared with the world I hope to orchestrate for the magicians.

Although not a huge fan of the films, John Williams' original score for Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (2001) perfectly denotes the sense of wonderment the titular character experiences as he and the audience are introduced into the extraordinary world of magic. I particularly like the first instance of the motif performed on some sort of chimes. There must be something about a glockenspiel that instantly brings magic to mind.

Shooting Day 1 + 2

After getting a little to comfy over easter it was finally time for us to get this project off the ground and start shooting. We were already aware that there would be difficulties as the film uses entirely exterior locations and takes place predominantly at night. There was a busy schedule for the first night which was already delayed with the actor's late arrival from leeds. Never the less it didn't take too long for them to sink into their roles and bring the characters to life, and their performances only improved as the shoot progressed. They should also be commended for the sheer amount of cigarettes they blazed through in each take, and whilst i'm sure there will be a few continuity errors with the lengths of the cigs, their efforts are appreciated none the less. The portable lighting provided sufficient illumination and from what I can tell we got some pleasing shots. There were several technical difficulties encountered that left us with no choice but to call it a night prematurely on both days. On the first night my Marantz went through two sets of batteries far too quickly, and by the time we had replaced them the cameras SD card had filled up.

We took a break to clear the card and have some food but when we returned the marantz died yet again, and the following night the shoot was eventually abandoned when the cameras battery died. 

We thought we would have a spare camera but this turned out not to be the case, but we will definitely make sure we do when we next return. On the first night the shots weren't properly slated which will make the syncing of video & audio more troublesome in the edit, but we made sure to amend this the second time around.

The main issue encountered, especially from a sound point of view, was the difficulty in controlling the outdoor shooting environment. Although we were in a quiet backstreet of town behind the cathedral, there were still frequent interruptions in the form of passing cars, busses, pedestrians and distant sirens, which was to be expected but annoying none the less. There was also a cathedral bell practice for at least 20 minutes and a police helicopter circling over head for  around 15 minutes which made standing in the cold waiting for a take all the more frustrating.

Had the budget allowed it I would have deployed tire spikes and enforcers armed with crossbows at both ends of the adjacent streets to silence any inconsiderate disturbences but alas, this isn't Hollywood.

Pictured: not an enforcer.

Despite the problems faced and the subsequent schedule setbacks its been a valuable learning curve and still been an enjoyable shoot and I'm pleased with the footage so far.

Magicians costumes

After our two minute we intended to have a switch up in roles. I had originally wanted to do the art direction on this film as it offers a lot of creative potential with the characters and a change from doing sound would have been nice. As Amy will be taking art direction in level 6 and I sound it makes more sense to stick to these roles, however I was still able to help with assembling the costumes which was a useful insight.

Above is a sketch I did of how I imagined the Magician to look [sort of like Christi], and the beginnings of a storyboard/comic outlining the final scene that never got finished.

 Some time ago when I returned home my uncle was between moving houses and his stuff was being stored in my room. I found an old jacket from his days in a band that I thought would be perfect for this film.

 I had also coincidently been assembling a Joker fancy dress outfit which offers several valuable resources.

 Between these our magicians should be well kitted out. I think the bright red jacket would be better suited to the Magician's eccentric nature and unpredictability whilst the purple is more befitting of the salesman as according to this gemstone website: 

'Purple is the color of good judgment. It is the color of people seeking spiritual fulfillment. It is said if you surround yourself with purple you will have peace of mind. Purple is a good color to use in meditation. Purple has been used to symbolize magic and mystery, as well as royalty. Being the combination of red and blue, the warmest and coolest colors, purple is believed to be the ideal color. Most children love the color purple. Purple is the color most favored by artists. Thursday's color is purple.' 

 As the salesman will ultimately be tested on his judgement in the films climax and also find fulfilment in his new line of work I think he is better suited to this colour scheme. From this research I've also gained the invaluable knowledge that Thursday's colour is indeed purple.  

 Also lying around was a top hat and cane for the magician to wield. 

Deciding that I probably look the most trampish in the group, the small role of the homeless man was given to me. To prepare for the part I've neglected to shave for the past month, as well as choosing to sleep rough three nights a week. Following some experimentation with hard drugs I now feel confident in the role, and will complete the outfit with a big parka and some fingerless gloves.

Magicians Veil Influences

Although both period pieces, Christopher Nolan's The Prestige (2006), one of my favourite films, and
The Illusionist (2006) both centre around magicians and forces audience intrigue to question the reality behind the illusions. Similarly to our script The Prestige centres many of its plot twists around the use of doubles (Christian Bale's twins and Hugh Jackman's clones). Our film will require the use of split screen in order to have two magicians onscreen at the same time, although we don't have the means to pull it off in quite the same way as this film does. The magician characters themselves also bare some similarities in their own self-assurance over their magical abilities, Christian Bales character in particular has a cocky charm and his methods remain mysterious which is something we hope to convey through our own magician.

This clip demonstrates the revelatory use of doubles in The Prestige

(This dubbed trailer was the only one not blocked on copyright grounds)

Christi's initial description of a gritty northern setting initial brought to mind the work of Shane Meadows on the likes of This Is England (2006) and Dead Man's Shoes (2004).

However when reading the script the larger than life magician character and his bantering exchanges with the somewhat unscrupulous market salesman seemed more akin in tone and style to a Guy Ritchie film, such as Snatch (2000) and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) 

The characters would seem right at home in this universe, all be it with a northern twang replacing Ritchie's signature cockney casting.

The collaborations between Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg on Channel 4 Sitcom Spaced (1999) and later films such as Shaun of the Dead (2004) are another good example of the blending of a supposed realistic setting that allows for an exploration in the fantastic. Primarily about twenty-somthing life in a London suburb, Spaced used this setting to explore and homage different cinematic genres the cinephile  creators obviously adore, often resulting in surreal scenarios  that make this show infinitely entertaining.

Wrights signature use of quick cuts and whip pans is also something Christi has described in his shot lists, which will hopefully aid in the comedic tone we aim to achieve. 

E4 drama Misfits (2009) grounded the superhero genre in a gritty realistic setting, eschewing costumes and capes for prison jumpsuits as the super-powered parolees encounter and overcome other people granted with special gifts from a storm whilst they carry out their community service. This initially worked really well but after a while the formula began to stagnate with nearly all of the original cast eventually leaving. I think eventually moving back towards a more cinematic high-stakes 'save the world' arc would have benefitted the show, rather than just rehashing encounters with other supes' to reflect their own personal crises, which became tiresome by the third season. Its low-key incorporation of powers is possibly a desirable angle for the introduction of magic in our own film however.

Blood Spatter Idea

Magicians Veil will feature gunshot wounds, and having some realistic blood splatter would increase the dramatic impact of the shots tenfold.
Below are some tutorials for creating a budget squib/blood spatter device, the first involves a spring loaded party popper and the second a concealed tube and an air pump. Over easter I will experiment with creating one.
http://www.effectsportal.net/index.php/splatter/

http://uk.ign.com/blogs/wwinfrey/2011/12/22/tutorials-how-to-make-homemade-squibs-and-blood

Magic Attire

When I first read the script I imagined the Magician character to have a steam-punk like appearance, an 18th Century gentlemanly attire with a more contemporary grounding. Below is an amalgamation of possible characters/influences for his costume.

The Joker

 The Mad Hatter (Comic & Wonderland Versions)

Speaking of Jonny Depp Characters..: Willy Wonka

Contemporary interpretations of Sherlock Holmes

Sirius Black

Actual Magician characters from The Prestige/The Illusionist

All of the above feature a fairly consistent fashion trend, a richly coloured velvet jacket/trench-coat, elegant waist coat, pinstriped trousers, top hat, some form of neck/bow-tie, a cain... A fairly stereotypically antiquated look for the magician should create a greater contrast between his world of magic and the grounded realism of the world the market seller inhabits.

A Short Story in Sound Design

Overall I'm pleased with the finished score, it manages to set a suitably dark tone that compliments the visuals. One of our main concerns was that the linear audio and backwards video wouldn't match well when brought together however when combined they were surprisingly effective at conveying our story. 

The piano part was the first thing I wrote, inspired by aforementioned influences, and from there I began adding various layers and textures. I wrote several parts for synthesisers that were eventually dropped for sounding a little too Sci-fi/80s pop before settling on a more subtle sculpture modelling synth that had a greater ambient quality.

After altering the resonance and ADSR I also applied a digital delay to the synths and changed the Tap Delay time to 10000ms for a greater etherial quality.

This delicate drone features throughout the piece's different movements and though initially it has a fairly neutral presence it later adopts a more ominous quality. Through modulation on a midi controller and a slight shift with the pitch wheel I tried to orchestrate Dean's growing mistrust and anger, which I later realised after the fact sounds a lot like the Joker's theme from The Dark Knight (2009), which uses a droning violin gradually increasing in pitch until the tension is brimming. Sorry Hans. 

The foley was a lot of fun to create, from recording the arbitrary movements and objects to making out with my own hand to mimic kissing. The real joy was in bringing the beating to life in a way that would really hit home with the audience in the absence of the visuals. I recorded my experimentations with various foodstuffs and bludgeons for your viewing pleasures despite the fact i look ridiculous doing it.

The melon and chicken provided the most convincing sounds by far, with a nice fleshy slap that still evidenced the force of the impact behind it. In Soundtrack Pro I then selected the best takes yielded from each object and processed them with the channel EQ, suppressing the higher frequencies and boosting the low end for a more resounding wallop. 

I also experimented with overlaying these higher hits with deeper thuds from hitting a sofa arm for a well rounded impact, which sounded fine on its own, but when put into the final mix it sounded too damp and was drowned out by the commotion from the other tracks. I stuck with the original sounds and used compression to maximise their impact without making the volume spike into undesirable decibel territory.

As the beating progressed i also underlayed the punches with the squished banana sounds as his face is turned into a fine pulp and used the baseball bat smashing melon to represent a nose breaking. When combining it all with the actor's performance it paints a convincingly grizzly picture.

The use of non-sync sound gave me the luxury of selecting the best takes of each actors lines and stitching the conversation together without worrying about it not matching up with the visual take used. I also made sure to get ADR of all the lines just incase. The final result is somewhat of a frankenstein job of various takes and ADR, however this was the best way as many of Deans takes were a little quiet on the actors part/the proximity I was able to get the boom without casting shadows in shot.

 I adjusted volume accordingly and had to normalise one or two of his lines to get the level right. I created space through the use of panning on the foley and dialogue as she puts on her coat and walks back out the door.

I reverberated the footsteps for the underpass shot using a Space Designer, altering the wet/dry parameter send-back to give the right amount of echo.

Overall I think I did well to sonically tell the story and create an ominous mood reflecting the events on-screen, with some believable violent sound effects to bring it all to life (or rather, death).