Tony Shepherd
Project: Mise-‐en-‐scene
Photograph Research:
Jeff Wall, Forest, 2001
image from:
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/jeffwall/rooms/room9.shtm
Tony Shepherd
Image and information taken from:
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/jeffwall/infocus/section6/img2.shtm
This image was taken in what looks like a dense woodlands. Within it we can see two figures, a male and a female, with the female making her way towards him. There is also what appears to be a small camp nearby, with something possibly boiling in a pot.
I have chosen this photograph because the location attracted me, and the fact that the couple appear to be alone, with a makeshift campsite. This tells me that camping wasn’t planned, or it was a last minute idea, or possibly that the couple are homeless, with little to their name. This gives me a few routes to take in the form of a storyline, such as how they become homeless, or why they seem to be unprepared and lacking equipment
Tony Shepherd
Possible ideas I can go with include:
- A couple on the run, in hiding
- A homeless couple struggling to survive
- The couple on a spontaneous adventure
- Hunters not wanting to leave much of a trace
I like the idea of either having the couple struggling to survive, with maybe a horror twist to the story, or to have them on the run, after maybe a robbery or other criminal offense.
Tony Shepherd
Moving Image Mise-‐en-‐scene Shot List
Shot 1:
Establishing shot, which is a representation of Jeff Wall’s original image. Here we see a wide shot of couple in the woods, on what looks like a cold autumn day. Tress and branches in the foreground break the vision of the couple. Here the female and male characters are around the boiling water. We see the male character show a sudden amount of anger and aggression, who then walks to the edge of the shot. The female soon gets up and follows. 15 seconds long
Shot 2:
The camera shows a front, mid-‐shot of the male, who is looking upset and angry as he looks into the distance, as though he is thinking. In the background we see the female approach him, who places her hand on his shoulder. When the hand touches the male, he looks down, then back up towards the hand, and feels a sense of re-‐assurance, and he’s face shows less emotion. 5 seconds long
Shot 3:
Now the camera view is over the females shoulder, and focused on the guy as he turns around to face her. The guy, still looking upset, hugs with the female for a moment, as emotion begins to overwhelm him. Once they let go, the male looks at her, then puts he’s head down and walks past the camera, back to the boiling water. The female slowly turns and watches him walk away, and we see that she is also very emotional, with an upset, worried, expression on her face. 15 seconds long
Shot 4:
We now have the guy walk into the frame from the left, and kneel down to the ground back at the camp. 7 seconds long
Shot 5:
We now see a close up of the males face, as he looks deep in thought once more, kneeling down near the camp. After a moment, we see him with a shocked expression, as his eyes widen and he raises his head slightly. The words ‘I’m sorry’ are heard from the female’s voice, which is trembling. 9 seconds long
Shot 6:
The camera switches to a front view of the males face, at an angle so the female can be seen directly behind him. The female has an outstretched arm pointing a gun at the back of the male’s head. The male now looks scared, with the focus still on him. The female is shaking with nerves, looking distressed, as though she is holding back the tears. The shot fades to black, and a gunshot is heard. End. 9 Seconds Long
= 1 minute
Tony Shepherd
Mise-‐en-‐scene project Storyboard
Shot 1
-‐Establishing shot -‐ wide shot -‐ Audio is woodland noises -‐ 15 seconds
-‐My re-‐enactment of Jeff Walls original image. The couple leave the camp and walk to the left of the frame. The guy shows aggression
Shot 2
-‐Mid Shot -‐5 seconds long
-‐Female walks towards guy and places hand on shoulder
Tony Shepherd
Shot 3
-‐Mid shot -‐ 15 seconds long
-‐Guy turns around and hugs the female. He then exits the shot to the right of the frame, as the female watches him walk away
Shot 4
-‐Mid shot -‐7 seconds -‐Guy walks into frame from the left, and kneels down
Tony Shepherd
Shot 5
-‐Close up of face -‐9 seconds -‐Audio: Girls voice, “I’m sorry”
-‐Guy looks shocked, and viewer knows something is wrong
Shot 6
-‐Over the shoulder shot -‐9 seconds -‐Audio: Gun shot at the end
-‐ Girl nervously holds gun, shot fades to black
Tony Shepherd
Recce: Mise-en-scene
The image above is my attempt at mimicking Jeff Wall’s original photograph.
Light:
Although trees surround the area, it is still well lit, even on grey days. Natural light fills this space, and as seen above, brightness may be a slight issue on a sunny day. There is obviously no power supply in the area, and so I will need to rely on daylight when filming.
Sound
The area is genuinely quiet, with distant noises of the occasional car passing by. Other obvious sounds can be heard, such as birds chirping, and the wind rustling the branches. Ideal for any quiet shots.
Power
The biggest issue with filming in this location is that there is now power source available, and so any electrical equipment needed will have to run on battery power. Checks will be needed before filming to make sure all equipment is fully charged. Nearest power supply is at a local farm, a 10-‐minute walk away.
Space
The location is in an open space in the woods, which is surrounded by trees. This allows enough space for all the equipment and crew, without anything getting in the way of any shots.
Tony Shepherd
Evaluation: Mise-en-scene
For this project, I chose to work on a picture by Jeff Wall, in which was taken I a forest, and showed a couple who appear to be living rough. My initial reaction to this was that I could make a horror story out of it, with a hack-and-slash feature within it. However after some discussions, it was decided that I should not follow up this idea. Instead I went with the idea that the couple are in hiding, for a reason that the viewers are free to make up themselves. Furthermore I went with a twist at the end, to make the scene interesting, and hopefully attention grabbing.
I am pleased with the outcome of the video and I feel that there were some strong points to it. I am particularly happy with the location I found to recreate the original image. I think I found a good spot, tried my best to mimic the image with similar objects such as papers and a pan. Furthermore, as I haven’t had too much experience with film before, I felt pleased with some of the shots I acquired. I believe I stuck closely with my idea, and worked well towards the shot list and storyboard. Furthermore I enjoyed experimenting with different shot-types, and storyline ideas.
Although some areas were pleasing, I also believe that some parts did not work so well. One issue was the brightness of my video compared to the brightness of the original photograph. My video appeared to have much more sunlight in it then needed. This is an issue, however I was only able to record the footage at a certain time of the day, as it was difficult getting everybody involved free at the same time. To fix this in the future, I would consider filming at a slightly later time, when the sun starts to set. Another area I had trouble with was the amount of leafs visible on the trees. This is an issue, as the trees in the photograph were bare. This problem is a difficult one to deal with, and can only really be sorted by waiting for the leafs to fall. This was not an option, as I was working towards a deadline. In future, I would maybe consider waiting slightly longer to film if possible.
Overall, I am pleased with the end result. I enjoyed creating the video, and believe I have managed to create a decent story from Jeff Wall’s original image. I enjoyed directing the actors, and taking control on the situation, and I am aware that this is something that I will need to work on in future in order to get the most from my talent.