Our class started the second half of our junior year with Italian Neorealism, and sensibly, proceeded to end our journey at French New wave. It was easy to understand that both film movements, where one (the latter) succeeded the other in terms of time and style, were two of the most crucial moments in cinema history. Surely they now reside in the past and are representatives of the development of cinema, but their elements continue to live on and breathe in films, regardless of borders.
- History/Background
(Image from Bicycle Thieves , 1948)
In the start of our unit of Italian Neorealism, we were assigned to watch the movement’s classic, “Bicycle Thieves”. The film, directed by former Italian film critic Vittorio De Sica and released in 1948, is often referred to as the magnum opus of Italian Neorealism. The film, revolving around the hardships of Antonio Ricci and numerous more Italians after the Second World War, embodied every aspect of the movement, which was fueled by the Italian film critics’ and filmmakers’ rejection of the mass produced “Telefoni Bianchi”. These films, according to them, had failed to tell the truth as its characters of focus did not represent the majority of the people, but instead, only the privileged few.
Their rejection of conformity and will to capture truth through the lenses were carried on by a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The end of WWII lifted Nazi censorship, enabling foreign films to enter French cinema. Group of young filmmakers in French cine-clubs now “became exposed to Italian Neorealism and Classical Hollywood cinema, which offered an alternative to what they saw to be a decline in French cinema.” With their exposure to the realism of Italian cinema, and their recognition of the director’s authorship in his/her film, young French film critics started to pour into the streets and start making films that dealt with real surroundings, realistic conversations, and fictional yet personal experiences. In the center of the movement was the growing emphasis on the directors' creative force in his/her film, establishing the directors as the “auteur” of their film. This sudden emergence of a young generation of films and filmmakers in French cinema was later described as “French New Wave” in 1958, a term first coined by Francoise Giroud. (Coates)
The auteur theory became the core of the French New Wave and was initially declared by the French film critic Alexandre Astuc, in his manifesto entitled “The Birth of a New Avant-Garde: The Camera-Stylo” in 1948. Several of the core ideas that were outlined in the manifesto was later explained by a group of critics in their French film journal Cahiers du cinema, who later grew to become the leading filmmakers of the movement. One of these conceivers was Francois Truffaut, whose work, “The 400 Blows" (Les Quatre Cents Coups) became the inspiration for my film production.
- Themes & Style
This period of French cinema was marked by the filmmaker’s “self-conscious rejection of classical cinematic form and their spirit of youthful iconoclasm." The critics of Cahiers, eventually the directors of the New Wave, equally shared a disdain for the mainstream ‘tradition de qualité,’ which was a type of filmmaking “confined to the studios” and one which “presented run-of-the-mill stories in an old- fashioned and unimaginative glossy style” (Wiegand 14). The French cinephiles and film critics sought for inspiration from the films and filmmakers outside of France, or ones in the earlier stages of French cinema, which were archived and screened in the Cinémathèque in the late 1940s and early 1950s. They searched for directors who “either refused to play the studio game or attempted to subvert it from within,” and the teachings from the directors of the American cinema (e.g. Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock) and Italian neorealist cinema (e.g. Vittorio de Sica) laid the foundation for the New Wave’s ideologies and stylistic features (Wiegand 15). (The first issue of Cahiers Du Cinéma)
In terms of the style, directors of Italian neorealism such as Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio de Sica were highly influential. Their films showed that it was possible “to make dramatic and incredibly moving films outside the studio, working on location, using non-professionals who often improvised their lines.” These stylistic features were adopted by the New Wave, providing them a creative advantage. This aesthetical component also shows the New Wave’s favoring of the realism of mise-en-scene. Unlike films of German Expressionism, films of the New Wave were inclined to give an objective view of the world. In his essay, “The Evolution of Film Language,” André Bazin “argued for realism that employed long takes and deep focus,” making Bicycle Thieves and Germany, Year Zero examples of this artistic leap. (Bazin) “neorealism tends to give back to the cinema a sense of the ambiguity of reality” (Bazin 69) Teaching material for FS5 World Cinema by Fairnie compiles this in terms of technical practice as such:
The auteur director is also the scenarist/ scriptwriter for the film
The director does not follow a strict pre-established shooting script
The director privileges shooting in natural locations
The director uses a small crew
The director opts for ‘direct sound’
The director does not depend on additional lighting
The director employs non-professional actors
The director will direct famous actors in a free manner
All in all, these techniques allow for:
A greater sense of flexibility
Erasing the boundaries between professional and amateur cinema/ fiction and documentary
Creativity in filmmaking - creation of narrative is unrestricted
(Fairnie)
- Influences/Legacy
- Brainstorming
For this project, I intended to produce a short film that carried on the spirits (or aspects) of the French New Wave. However, that doesn’t mean that the film will be an homage to the French New Wave, although it seems as the most conceivable option considering the length limit of 3 minutes. Instead, I plan to make one that embodies several key aspects of the new wave films. One of them, and perhaps the most crucial would be the realism of mise-en-scene. Meaning, I would prefer to shoot the film in a real and natural location without any previous set ups or artificial lighting. With this in consideration, I have already produced several ideas for the filming location (or background), on which I could plan out the plot (narrative). My brainstorming session can be seen in the picture of my notes below: [Insert image] Along with this, there are several themes that I’d like to deal with in my film. Some of them are childhood innocence, friendship, and adventure. My decision of these themes was largely influenced by my experience of watching Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, a film that was also influenced by New Wave films (e.g. Melody (1971)).
(Image from Melody, 1971)
(Image from Moonrise Kingdom, 2012)
Throughout my brainstorming, I was able to draw the connection between a pastoral setting, adventure, and childhood experience. While I was able to create a plot that revolved around those themes, I wanted to see how other New Wave films dealt with the subject of childhood, or at least how they portrayed it. To this, Mr. Hurst recommended me to watch Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows.
- Scriptwriting & Storyboarding
After completing my brainstorming for the film idea and plot, I started the process of producing the script. The finalized version is below:
However, I could not use this simple method as my split screen was comprised of two shots from different locations. So, I decided to simply indicate that the screen will split between the two subjected shots, which was a recommendation from John August, a screenwriter of notable Hollywood films (e.g. Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) (August).
Overall, I believe that the use of the script would be minimal during the actual shooting and will not hold much significance. This is because I intend to only use the script as a basic guideline for locations and actions while the rest of the shots would derive from improvisations of myself and the actress, similarly to how the films of the New Wave were produced.
As for the storyboard, I mainly included panning shots in deep focus, with a minimal amount of cuts. However, the subject of the shots might vary during the shooting.
Pre-production & Post-Production - Director
- Pre-production
During this production, I have fulfilled all the roles of a director, cinematographer, and editor. Here, I am focusing specifically on my experience of being the director of this film’s production. Before the shooting of the film, I wanted to fully understand the responsibilities and skills necessary to a director, especially so because the French New Wave saw the director as the film’s “auteur.”
A film study website defines the director as “the individual who actively oversees the realization of a film from shooting script to finished product, harmoniously coordinating the creative activities of the key personnel involved in the production processes” ("Direction"). The author of this article further goes on to outline the responsibilities of the director during the preproduction stage as such:
“Collaborating with the writer(s) on the development of the script”
“Assisting the casting director in hiring appropriate actors, and conducting rehearsals”
“Cooperating with the producer(s) in developing a practical shooting schedule”
“Planning the overall visual “look” of the film with the production designers and the director of photography”
Because the explanation of the text was coherent to explanations from other sources, yet the most clear among those sources, I used the article’s outline of the director’s four principle tasks during the preproduction as a guideline for my role. Below is my reflection on each of those tasks:
1. Because I was also the sole writer of the script, there was no significant other involved in this process with whom I could collaborate with. Further details on the development of my script can be seen in the screenwriting/storyboarding stage in the pre-production section.
2. Because there was no separate role of a casting director, and as I was the sole person involved in the production of the film (other than the actress), I simply took on the role myself. The process of hiring the appropriate actress was quite simple, as I had written the role for a specific person who had previously showed interest in starring in the film. Her name was Lavender Thomas-Sargent, a younger sister of one of my peers. It had came to my attention that she not only fitted my vision for the character, but was also skilled in acting as she had been involved in her grade’s drama club. She had also informed me about her experience of starring in her previous school’s promotional videos. Considering all of these factors, I found Lavender to best candidate for the role. However, taking into consideration of the potential need for an understudy, I also asked other girls who fitted the character’s age (8-12) if they would like the role. I had made Lavender rehearse the script at home on her own and examined her interpretations at school in the following day. On that day, which was before the shooting, I took her to the shooting locations and rehearsed the trajectories together.
(Photos taken during the rehearsal)
3. I was careful when creating the shooting schedule, and my brainstorming process can be seen in the picture below. As is seen, I have taken into consideration of the population in the shooting location at times when I’m available to shoot. Because I was expecting the playground to be full of children during the school hours, I decided to move that location to the very last during after school.
4. I had planned out the overall visual look of the film as I created the storyboard. As my intention is to make use of the visual elements of the films of the French New Wave, I planned many shots to be in deep focus, with minimal amount of cuts and occasionally tracking the actress.
- Post-production
The same author outlines the four principal post-production areas necessary of a director’s input as such:
Editing
Visual effects
Music
Sound
For this, I will be reflecting on my engagement with the first three stages.
1. Editing According to the website, “in most cases, an editor and director will develop the film’s pace and rhythm, reinforce continuity between shots, trim moments of unwanted excess, and ensure that the montage generally serves to reinforce the work’s intent.” However, my case being that I am also the sole editor of the film, I can say that I have fulfilled both roles simultaneously as I went through the editing process. However, I will not be focusing on the editing process as much as the role of an editor is not my area of focus.
2. Visual Effects The website defines visual effects as a category that “encompasses the manipulation of the raw footage by color timers, processing technicians, special effects designers, and an array of digital artists, compositors, and animators.” In this post-production stage, “a director will convey instructions to supervisors in each of these groups, indicating the specific “look” the director wishes to convey.” While I did not have any technicians to consult, I was, however, fully aware of the “look” that I wanted for my film. Specifically, I was concerned with the color palette of the film and its emotional impact to the audience. This relates to the Film Color Theory, which “is a theory that states that certain colors in film illicit certain emotions from the audience” (Hellerman). Directors will generally make use of this color palette when collaborating with the art department, and the decision of the color palette will also impact the costumes and set designs. One of the directors that uses the color palette to express the overall emotional tone of the scene is Wes Anderson. His examples can be seen below:
As is seen from the shot from Moonrise Kingdom, Anderson primarily makes use of the pastel red to show the character’s eagerness to explore the world with an emphasis on the character’s youth and innocence. Likewise, I made use of colors to convey the various emotions and themes of my film. An example can be seen from how I similarly made use of the pastel green and yellow colors.
As is my responsibility of director, I have asked the actress before the shooting to wear clothes that were in pastel colors, and the colors she wore (beige and sap green) made her blend into the leafy-colors of the natural locations. This proved to be effective in emphasizing the almost inseparable relationship between the character and nature, and, in broader terms, between youth and nature.
Later on, I made sure to emphasize the red color of the treasure box, increasing its saturation level and exposure.
I wanted the red color to stand out from the green in order to emphasize it being the end-product of the character’s journey. The color red was also used to emphasize the emotion of love and excitement, as would have been the emotion that the character would have felt during the moment of discovery.
3. Music In this stage, working with the composer, the director is expected to “intimate how the score reinforces the affective intent of key sequences, accentuates notable action, or even organizes the structure of the montage.” I found this stage to be the most difficult out of all as it was an area in which my role of a director could not provide coverage to the same degree as it was on the role of an editor. For the music, I initially wanted to include the following instruments: piano, guitar, and xylophone. I felt that these instruments would contribute to creating a childlike/innocent tone of the music and would be harmonious with the pastoral settings. Furthermore, I wanted the instruments to work in harmony to create a mystic melody that could suit the fairy-like theme that I initially pursued from the natural setting and the character. However, due to my incapability of playing those instruments or having an effective recording device, I had to reach out for composers. My efforts can be shown in how I have also registered in a film student’s website to post a forum looking for a composer:
Unfortunately, I have not received any replies, leading me to limit the expectancies towards the composers and pursue my search. At that point, I have decided to use classical piano works that would suit the tone of the film well.
Because I wanted the musical piece to emphasize the otherworldly/spellbound sense of the background and the fairylike characteristics of the character, I specifically focused on 20th-century Parisian avant-garde and impressionism. Below is a picture of the list I have made and notes that I have taken after hearing each one of them. Finally, I have decided upon Claude Debussy’s “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair” (“La Fille aux cheveux de lin”) because of its comparatively simple melody and context. Being the eighth song in Book I of his Préludes, it is “an island of calm amid a tumultuous sea of thought” as one puts it. This is because it “stands in marked contrast with the rest of his work, which seems to aspire towards Beauty through ornate textures rather than the impossibly serene and subtle fluidity of “La fille aux cheveux de lin.” (Richmond) Being named after Leconte de Lisle’s poem “The Girl with the Golden Hair,” the piece’s “enrapturing quality” is that of its capability to capture one’s moment of being caught up in the moment of some love (whether that be philia or eros) while simultaneously capturing that person’s deep and hidden realization of the temporariness of that love. With this in mind, I decided upon this particular piece, believing that it would bestow a degree of depth into my film. Through my mother, I contacted a church accompanist, Emiliana Kim, who had a digital keyboard with a USB plug-in. Luckily, the piano sheet for the piece was already in her possession, and I have arranged the deadline for her work to her convenience.
Works Cited
August, John. "Split-screen." John August, 10 Sept. 2003, johnaugust.com/2003/split-screen. Accessed 5 June 2019.
Bazin, André. "The Evolution of Film Language." Qu'est-ce Que Le Cinema?, 1958. New Wave Film.com, www.newwavefilm.com/about/evolution-of-film-language-bazin.shtml. Accessed 4 June 2019.
"Breaking the Rules - the French New Wave | CRISWELL | Cinema Cartography." Criswell, 28 May 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R7R0JHvvgo. Accessed 5 June 2019.
Coates, Kristen. "French New Wave: The Influencing of the Influencers." The Film Stage, 28 May 2010, thefilmstage.com/features/the-classroom-french-new-wave-the-influencing-of-the-influencers/. Accessed 3 June 2019.
"Direction." Film Reference, www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Criticism-Ideology/Direction-RESPONSIBILITIES.html. Accessed 7 June 2019.
Fairnie, Alan. "French New Wave." SlideShare, 23 Mar. 2009, www.slideshare.net/sfa454545/french-new-wave?ref=https://worldtravelingtestamentofmabuse.weebly.com/nouvelle-vague-the-french-new-wave.html.
Hellerman, Jason. "How a Flim Color Palette Can Make You a Better Filmmaker (with Infographics)." No Film School, 18 Feb. 2019, nofilmschool.com/Film-color-theory-and-color-schemes. Accessed 7 June 2019. Richmond. "'The Girl with the Flaxen Hair' by Claude Debussy." Endless Writer, 23 Apr. 2017, www.endlesswriter.com/single-post/2017/04/23/Musical-Writings-The-Girl-With-the-Flaxen-Hair-by-Claude-Debussy. Accessed 7 June 2019.
Wiegand, Chris. French New Wave. Trafalgar Square Books, 2005.