After developing a first draft for my script and image sequence I have been able to capture a lot of footage. Now that I know what I need, I have a direction for my filming. Many of my shots deal with tracking shots, and without access to a car it has been interesting thinking up ways to get the tracking shots or create footage that got the point across when tracking was not an option. Certain shots were easy since I was able to catch a bus or S-bahn that allowed me to capture what I intended. Other methods that have proven usable were 180 degree pans of a street from one point, walking with the camera and time-lapsing it, and slowly zooming in down a street. I had also considered using a bicycle, but we didn't have any pegs for the person with the camera to stand on.
Most of my other types of shots were either choreographed scenes are simple stationary shots that may have consisted of some zooming. For the latter, I used the same composition thought process that I would use for a photo. This tends to work well. The choreographed scenes, however, have been much more fun.
Two scenes in particular are interesting to discuss. The first is a scene at a bombed church on Engeldamm with a playground adjacent to it. I never see anybody using the playground, so it struck me as an interesting setting to shoot. I wanted to use this setting as a scene in which the two characters may be discussing something about the past they may be a bit difficult for one to talk about. The initial sequence would create a frame of reference and greater context for where the setting is, that being a church bombed back in WWII with a neglected playground. Interestingly, they choose would choose the swing sets of this playground as the place to discuss this topic. The swing sequence would begin with a motionless shot of the swings. This would symbolize a repressed memory. The image would then cross-dissolve into them swinging on these swings, representing them stirring up the past. Finally, the image would cross-dissolve into the swings swinging without anyone on them. The playground has been disturbed. The first attempt at this has failed since the two swinging shots do not cross-dissolve into each other very well, so I must go back to re-shoot.
The second scene I wanted to choreograph was a representation of us all being lost in Berlin and then meeting Berlin. This would be a variation of the meeting scene where the main character walks back and forth across the Berlin character and then walks up to as for directions. Instead of one person walking across the screen each time, we had one person take each leg. By cross-dissolving these legs we seemingly create a blur of one person that represents the group. The part where we ask for directions would work similarly with a repetitive movement toward the Berlin character. Josh suggested that we do this scene with us all acting and walking backwards. We could then reverse the footage and create an affect that makes the character seem awkwardly lost. So this should be exciting to see the outcome.
During our departure scene at Brandenburg Gate I had decided that a new setting would be needed all together since the set was too powerful and a very unlikely place for two people to part. I did however notice an angle that may be an interesting shot to look at later. This angle, different from our bookend angle, creates a juxtaposition between cranes and the Gate. This could be symbolic of Sitka's "synthetic city" and the Berlin character's disconnection with the past (the past represented by the Gate). This angle could imply that the Gate setting was merely coincidental and they did not even notice that they were underneath it, pointing to disconnection with the past.
Another shot that seems choreographed, but was actually by chance takes place on Bernauer Strasse. Here is where many people died on Barbed Wire Sunday attempting to jump from their apartments to the west. I was filming a construction site taking place right where the wall used to be on Bernauer. There was the bricks on the street and an interesting contrast between the east and west architecture. An older man came up to watch the construction and stood right next to the wall. It proved to be a very strong scene.
Deciding upon specific different locations around the city to create place has been difficult, so I have gone for a more theoretical route instead. I will incorporate ideas from writers such as Sitka to help me present settings that demonstrate the idea, from which if we did actually create the fictional film we could take these ideas into account for particular scenes. Areas such as Potsdamer Platz's modern architecture, old buildings with bullet holes, cafe's, etc., have been places I've been filming for a variety of shots to choose from.
Another problem I've been facing has been deciding upon so locations to demonstrate cultural aspects of Berlin that transcend any perceived division. By showing these I can prevent the ability to discern the section of the city the shot is in, and in affect create a unified city.
Filming has been an exciting new activity that becomes a source of much creativity. I have enjoyed the days filming so far, even if they have been long and tough in the cold weather.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Week 9 Continued
How do we create a film that truly takes place in Berlin, such that the story and setting intertwine in a manner that they are complementary to each other? How can we use the external world as a backdrop to demonstrate the internal world? In asking these questions, we present ourselves with the challenge of defining a context for our characters and story through its setting, or in other words, the challenge of creating place.
There are many symbols of Berlin, such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Siegesäule, or the Fernsehturn, that create a greater context for the story but may not portray the more subtle aspects of context we are striving for. Therefore, it is functional to consider everyday locations in Berlin and examine these surroundings in order to find meaning in them as they relate to aspects of our experiences in and coming to know and understand Berlin.
We are essentially playing with time and space in order to achieve our goals of conveying the city of Berlin as we experienced it. Most peoples’ lives can become fairly localized to a few areas within a city, but ours happen to have been broadened to a larger area as a result of wanting to explore our new and unfamiliar surroundings. The setting for our story will attempt to encompass all of Berlin, thus location sequences may be geographically awkward to those familiar with Berlin. That is, the camera and characters will seem to jump around the city as we utilize geographic creativity. Our purpose in this is not to create confusion, but rather to use architecture, site significance, and atmosphere to create place. Our choice of setting locations are unique in that the meaning of these attributes prevail over the implications of it particular location in the city. In using such techniques, we are paralleling different layers of time, in which aspects of the developing relationship between the characters are drawn in comparison to the more familiar aspect of Berlin’s history.
Take, for example, a relatively abandoned church that was bombed during a time generally repressed by Germans. A neglected playground accompanies it in its shadows. Stirring up or discussing each other’s past may cause disturbances.
As we begin to understand the Berlin of our generation, referred to as “Generation Berlin,” we learn though that they are relatively disconnected to Berlin’s bitter past. Members of this generation may be inattentive to older buildings and their significance. An old central library, riddled with bullet holes, could be used by our Berlin character to prepare for the future rather than to confront the past. Generation Berlin live their day-to-day lives unconcerned with and unaffected by reminders of shameful cruelties of the German past that previous generations may not be able to pass by without reflection. Particular locations of new construction, or crossing a particular street where others had died attempting to cross in the past, may have lost their meaning.
This new generation has constantly been associated with the quote, “Berlin will never have an identity, because it is always striving to become.” Where most people may discuss their ambitions with each other in an arbitrary café setting over coffee, this film may benefit from a backdrop of a university or a construction site as they walk through the city during this particular discussion. Similarly, we have experienced modern Berlin culture by exploring the city via every open door, and maybe even attempting to involve ourselves in what we find.
Some locations may function differently in order to demonstrate aspects of the relationship that pertain to more simple cultural interactions between the two characters rather than to their development. Culture hubs of Berlin, where both locals and foreigners can enjoy themselves, serve the purpose of displaying that of Berlin which transcends any conjectured divisions across the city. By using culture hubs prevalent throughout Berlin, a certain area of the city is prevented from being discerned in the scene, functioning in conveying a unified culture of Berlin. Use of repetitive setting types, but at different locations throughout the city, may play with space to enhance this sense of a unified Berlin.
We use backdrop to create our own city, that is, our own perspective of Berlin based on our memories ad experiences. In response to the question of reason behind choosing Schönhauser corner as a setting for his movie, Wolfgang Kohlhaase simply stated that it was the most obvious place to shoot. It was cultural center, aesthetically pleasing, and not in rubble like most of the city. Most importantly though, was that the setting wasn’t too strong or overpowering for the story.
With this in mind, we are forced to reevaluate the settings of our bookend scenes that we had originally chosen. The meeting scene takes place in a garden, of which its former and prevalent use as a hunting ground is evident in the sculptures that our American character passes by. In addition, we see the Siegesäule, erected in celebration of Germany’s unification. Do these frames of reference put forth unintended implications? Are they too strong for the scene? Also, it seems rather unlikely that a Berlin local would go all the way to the center of Tiergarten for some casual reading. An alternative park bench setting would be a quiet, non-touristy, neighborhood location in which background architecture may subtly represent Berlin.
Again, is our use of Brandenburg Gate for the departure scene too strong, and/or cliché, of a setting? And still yet, even if we were to change the angle in order to juxtapose the construction site cranes with a symbol of the past as a means of suggesting that they simply did not notice being at Brandenburg Gate and that it was merely coincidental? This is a bit far-fetched though, and considering its precise location within the city we now realize that this would not be a considered place of departure in modern day Berlin. Technology has developed means of transportation, such as the U bahn, which is a much more likely point of departure. The U bahn is a part of Berlin that we have used everyday and will be engrained into our memory, of which any particular sound or resemblance will spark association. This part of Berlin will also most likely be the location of our last memory in Berlin.
We must find ourselves fortunate to have had the opportunity to film in this saved city, where so many other filmmakers did not have the same freedoms to film where and what we want that we have enjoyed. We can take pleasure in the moment during a walk along the grave of the structure that symbolized a time of oppression. Our film though, will capture that moment and preserve it throughout time as a memory capsule containing our experiences here in Berlin. It is important that through place that we create in our backdrop, we properly convey the Berlin that we have come to know and will always remember.
There are many symbols of Berlin, such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Siegesäule, or the Fernsehturn, that create a greater context for the story but may not portray the more subtle aspects of context we are striving for. Therefore, it is functional to consider everyday locations in Berlin and examine these surroundings in order to find meaning in them as they relate to aspects of our experiences in and coming to know and understand Berlin.
We are essentially playing with time and space in order to achieve our goals of conveying the city of Berlin as we experienced it. Most peoples’ lives can become fairly localized to a few areas within a city, but ours happen to have been broadened to a larger area as a result of wanting to explore our new and unfamiliar surroundings. The setting for our story will attempt to encompass all of Berlin, thus location sequences may be geographically awkward to those familiar with Berlin. That is, the camera and characters will seem to jump around the city as we utilize geographic creativity. Our purpose in this is not to create confusion, but rather to use architecture, site significance, and atmosphere to create place. Our choice of setting locations are unique in that the meaning of these attributes prevail over the implications of it particular location in the city. In using such techniques, we are paralleling different layers of time, in which aspects of the developing relationship between the characters are drawn in comparison to the more familiar aspect of Berlin’s history.
Take, for example, a relatively abandoned church that was bombed during a time generally repressed by Germans. A neglected playground accompanies it in its shadows. Stirring up or discussing each other’s past may cause disturbances.
As we begin to understand the Berlin of our generation, referred to as “Generation Berlin,” we learn though that they are relatively disconnected to Berlin’s bitter past. Members of this generation may be inattentive to older buildings and their significance. An old central library, riddled with bullet holes, could be used by our Berlin character to prepare for the future rather than to confront the past. Generation Berlin live their day-to-day lives unconcerned with and unaffected by reminders of shameful cruelties of the German past that previous generations may not be able to pass by without reflection. Particular locations of new construction, or crossing a particular street where others had died attempting to cross in the past, may have lost their meaning.
This new generation has constantly been associated with the quote, “Berlin will never have an identity, because it is always striving to become.” Where most people may discuss their ambitions with each other in an arbitrary café setting over coffee, this film may benefit from a backdrop of a university or a construction site as they walk through the city during this particular discussion. Similarly, we have experienced modern Berlin culture by exploring the city via every open door, and maybe even attempting to involve ourselves in what we find.
Some locations may function differently in order to demonstrate aspects of the relationship that pertain to more simple cultural interactions between the two characters rather than to their development. Culture hubs of Berlin, where both locals and foreigners can enjoy themselves, serve the purpose of displaying that of Berlin which transcends any conjectured divisions across the city. By using culture hubs prevalent throughout Berlin, a certain area of the city is prevented from being discerned in the scene, functioning in conveying a unified culture of Berlin. Use of repetitive setting types, but at different locations throughout the city, may play with space to enhance this sense of a unified Berlin.
We use backdrop to create our own city, that is, our own perspective of Berlin based on our memories ad experiences. In response to the question of reason behind choosing Schönhauser corner as a setting for his movie, Wolfgang Kohlhaase simply stated that it was the most obvious place to shoot. It was cultural center, aesthetically pleasing, and not in rubble like most of the city. Most importantly though, was that the setting wasn’t too strong or overpowering for the story.
With this in mind, we are forced to reevaluate the settings of our bookend scenes that we had originally chosen. The meeting scene takes place in a garden, of which its former and prevalent use as a hunting ground is evident in the sculptures that our American character passes by. In addition, we see the Siegesäule, erected in celebration of Germany’s unification. Do these frames of reference put forth unintended implications? Are they too strong for the scene? Also, it seems rather unlikely that a Berlin local would go all the way to the center of Tiergarten for some casual reading. An alternative park bench setting would be a quiet, non-touristy, neighborhood location in which background architecture may subtly represent Berlin.
Again, is our use of Brandenburg Gate for the departure scene too strong, and/or cliché, of a setting? And still yet, even if we were to change the angle in order to juxtapose the construction site cranes with a symbol of the past as a means of suggesting that they simply did not notice being at Brandenburg Gate and that it was merely coincidental? This is a bit far-fetched though, and considering its precise location within the city we now realize that this would not be a considered place of departure in modern day Berlin. Technology has developed means of transportation, such as the U bahn, which is a much more likely point of departure. The U bahn is a part of Berlin that we have used everyday and will be engrained into our memory, of which any particular sound or resemblance will spark association. This part of Berlin will also most likely be the location of our last memory in Berlin.
We must find ourselves fortunate to have had the opportunity to film in this saved city, where so many other filmmakers did not have the same freedoms to film where and what we want that we have enjoyed. We can take pleasure in the moment during a walk along the grave of the structure that symbolized a time of oppression. Our film though, will capture that moment and preserve it throughout time as a memory capsule containing our experiences here in Berlin. It is important that through place that we create in our backdrop, we properly convey the Berlin that we have come to know and will always remember.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Week 9
Since there is no screening or reading this week, I will use the time effectively to develop a rough draft of a film clip sequence for my part of the film and a script for the voice over explanation of the reasoning behind including the different locations in the fictional film. All this will be inserted by the end of Thanksgiving break, so as to allow myself time to piece together some footage and organize my thoughts into a written script.
Week 8
The screening and reading this week opened a well of ideas for my part in the film. We screened “Lola Rennt,” by Tom Tykwer, which is famous for its fast pace, its main character Lola, and its use of backdrop. The use of backdrop is of particular interest to me. Tykwer stated that since Berlin is always striving to become, there could be many different ways in which someone can experience and view the city. This flexibility allowed him to create his own idea of Berlin and convey that through its setting. The most striking technique he used is the toying with place and time. As noticeable to people aware of Berlin geography, the montages of Lola running are a bit odd. Her routes to her destinations can be a bit indirect and puzzling and she will jump from one spot of the city to another within a split frame. The starting point itself, her home, is more on the eastern side of Berlin in the Kreuzberg/Friedrichshain area, in which she arrives at the Bolle supermarket in Charlottenburg within 20 minutes. All while stopping at her dad’s bank to ask for money, or in the third attempt stopping to win money at a casino. It isn’t possible. Tykwer’s intent, however, was to demonstrate a unified Berlin, where it is difficult to distinguish between east and west on film. This is similar to an aspect that I intend to convey, so the technique is one to note.
Sitka provides further analysis to the backdrop Tykwer decided upon for “Lola Rennt.” To major aspects of the buildings she runs by alludes to Berlin as a “synthetic backdrop” and to Lola as a member of “Generation Berlin.” He defines the synthetic backdrop as one that is being constructed, or that is not fully complete. Lola runs by many buildings with scaffolding and many cranes doing construction work. Once again, a common theme, this symbolizes the city of Berlin as a city still in the process of becoming. Construction may be an interesting detail to attempt to capture in certain scenes throughout our film. The “Generation Berlin” applies to a younger generation that is more disconnected to Berlin’s dreadful past, yet still aware. Unlike the “’68 Generation,” their disagreements with previous generations pertain more to generational differences rather than actions they performed in their past. This is symbolized when Lola runs by buildings of modern architecture, nonreminiscent of architecture from previous eras. Also, it is present when she runs into her father’s bank, one that is seemingly old, and has a common parent-child argument over money. It may be of use to choose some settings within the city that portrays the Berlin character’s generation.
Many ideas are swimming around in my head as to how I can use backdrop to symbolize aspects of the characters, of their relationship, and of their place in Berlin, though I am working on picking out the ideas that will be effective and developing a solid understanding of how they should be captured on film. I have put some thought into our bookend scenes that will be included in the documentary. These scenes are arguably the most important scenes of the movie.
The meeting scene takes place in Tiergarten. The Victory Column is used as a frame of reference. Is the Victory Column too powerful of an image to begin the film? What are the implications of using a park that was historically used as hunting grounds for Berlin’s upper class as the setting for when the American boy meets the German girl? The setting of a park, however, may be interesting in that it is a place where people go for relaxation and a means of getting away from the chaos of the city. Meeting in such a setting may be fitting since it would effectively separate them from crowds. It may be in our interest to scout out alternative park settings that are easily identifiable and not overpowering. Schlossgarten?
The parting scene takes place at Brandenburg Gate. At first we had chosen this with the thought that this used to be a gate to the city. Walking west through it would have been an exit from the city; therefore he would walk away from her to the west as she stood at the gate. This may be a bit overpowering of a location considering the gate’s diverse history. It may be a bit cliché as well, right in line with a kissing scene in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square. On top of all that, it seems a rather unlikely place to say good-bye nowadays. Alternatives could include the American stepping onto an S/U bahn and being taken away, or a bus. The bus could leave from a spot with Brandenburg Gate in the background if the leaving the city aspect of the gate is still desired. The scene is a bit more difficult though and will require more thought and experimentation.
We have began filming locations around the city for scenes throughout the movie and I hope to have a more narrowed down focus of how to create my own idea of Berlin soon.
Sitka provides further analysis to the backdrop Tykwer decided upon for “Lola Rennt.” To major aspects of the buildings she runs by alludes to Berlin as a “synthetic backdrop” and to Lola as a member of “Generation Berlin.” He defines the synthetic backdrop as one that is being constructed, or that is not fully complete. Lola runs by many buildings with scaffolding and many cranes doing construction work. Once again, a common theme, this symbolizes the city of Berlin as a city still in the process of becoming. Construction may be an interesting detail to attempt to capture in certain scenes throughout our film. The “Generation Berlin” applies to a younger generation that is more disconnected to Berlin’s dreadful past, yet still aware. Unlike the “’68 Generation,” their disagreements with previous generations pertain more to generational differences rather than actions they performed in their past. This is symbolized when Lola runs by buildings of modern architecture, nonreminiscent of architecture from previous eras. Also, it is present when she runs into her father’s bank, one that is seemingly old, and has a common parent-child argument over money. It may be of use to choose some settings within the city that portrays the Berlin character’s generation.
Many ideas are swimming around in my head as to how I can use backdrop to symbolize aspects of the characters, of their relationship, and of their place in Berlin, though I am working on picking out the ideas that will be effective and developing a solid understanding of how they should be captured on film. I have put some thought into our bookend scenes that will be included in the documentary. These scenes are arguably the most important scenes of the movie.
The meeting scene takes place in Tiergarten. The Victory Column is used as a frame of reference. Is the Victory Column too powerful of an image to begin the film? What are the implications of using a park that was historically used as hunting grounds for Berlin’s upper class as the setting for when the American boy meets the German girl? The setting of a park, however, may be interesting in that it is a place where people go for relaxation and a means of getting away from the chaos of the city. Meeting in such a setting may be fitting since it would effectively separate them from crowds. It may be in our interest to scout out alternative park settings that are easily identifiable and not overpowering. Schlossgarten?
The parting scene takes place at Brandenburg Gate. At first we had chosen this with the thought that this used to be a gate to the city. Walking west through it would have been an exit from the city; therefore he would walk away from her to the west as she stood at the gate. This may be a bit overpowering of a location considering the gate’s diverse history. It may be a bit cliché as well, right in line with a kissing scene in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square. On top of all that, it seems a rather unlikely place to say good-bye nowadays. Alternatives could include the American stepping onto an S/U bahn and being taken away, or a bus. The bus could leave from a spot with Brandenburg Gate in the background if the leaving the city aspect of the gate is still desired. The scene is a bit more difficult though and will require more thought and experimentation.
We have began filming locations around the city for scenes throughout the movie and I hope to have a more narrowed down focus of how to create my own idea of Berlin soon.
Week 7
After running my idea to focus on cuisine and atmosphere by Eric, it came to realization that, though an interesting aspect of Berlin to examine, it may be too complex and difficult to effectively and properly convey all of its components within such a small block of film. This is considering that I was in fact actually able to complete the footage in time. So, we began from scratch and brainstormed as to what the underlying aims of our film were. We need to create two characters that embody groups of people. We need to create a relationship that symbolizes our experiences in Berlin. We need to create a construction of Berlin for the characters. Well, the one aim that has not been addressed yet is the construction of Berlin. This entails finding a place, or context, for the film and the story’s components through location and set design, which so many films have performed so well. This will, in effect, create a sense of place for the audience. By achieving a meaningful set, we can solve the issue of our objective to avoid creating a film that just happens to be in Berlin when we want the film to be about Berlin. Thus, my part of the film will be to pick out settings of the city at which the fiction film will be shot.
This task has proved to be a bit more difficult than anticipated. It made me become aware of the things I walk by everyday and take for granted. I began to look for meaning and significance in my own setting. What did I walk by each day that truly gave me a sense of place? There are the obvious landmarks, such as the TV Tower or Brandenburg Gate, but do these really represent any aspect of the fictional relationship in our film? Or for that matter, does it represent any aspect of my experiences in Berlin?
We were fortunate to have Wolfgang Kohlhaase, a famous Berlin movie screenwriter with an incredibly interesting background. Many of his films revolve around characters that embody young individuals of the different social classes in Berlin and their interactions with each other and the city. He is able to implement into his stories very effective settings to create a meaningful backdrop for the movie.
I inquired as to the basis of his decision for Schoenhauser Corner as the setting for his most famous film Ecke Schoenhauser, to maybe get an idea of his thought process for choosing setting. He answered with a sense that it was almost obvious and hadn’t really taken much thought at the time. The city had been mostly in rubble during it’s filming (post-war period), and that intersection was one of the few untouched spots in Berlin. He also liked how the intersection looked, a standard four-way with a diagonal cutting through. It happened to be a popular hang out spot with a lot going on and a variety of shops, cafés, and buildings. There was no other place better to shoot. The most important thing to consider is that the setting is not too strong for the story. This prompted me to be a bit more open-minded to what a location in Berlin can represent. I decided to begin by analyzing our “book end” settings and offer alternatives locations to the scenes.
The screening and reading this week gave me an appreciation for the opportunity I have been given, despite the frustrations of developing a solid idea for the film. The reading, “The Documentary Work of Juergen Boettcher” by Kilborn, and Boettcher’s film Die Mauer really brought attention to the hardships that filmmakers in the former GDR experienced. Boettcher enjoyed documenting “mysterious” subjects, but unfortunately the GDR government did not approve of such films. In their eyes, something mysterious was open to more than one interpretation, and propaganda, which they saw film serve only, must be one-dimensional to achieve its persuasive aim. Clearly, he disagreed with art’s position in a socialist society. The opening of Die Mauer with birds flying freely above the wall and its closing with the sound of free birds may be a symbolic statement of his to represent his newly established artistic freedom with the fall of the wall.
Wolfgang Kohlhaase experienced similar pressure, though he learned how to adapt and create films that served the government’s propaganda agenda as well as his own artistic motives. There were, however, a few films that were blacklisted still. Clause referred to Kohlhaase and the director he worked with as “rebels with a cause.” We may not have a cause per say, but we can film what we want in Berlin now.
This task has proved to be a bit more difficult than anticipated. It made me become aware of the things I walk by everyday and take for granted. I began to look for meaning and significance in my own setting. What did I walk by each day that truly gave me a sense of place? There are the obvious landmarks, such as the TV Tower or Brandenburg Gate, but do these really represent any aspect of the fictional relationship in our film? Or for that matter, does it represent any aspect of my experiences in Berlin?
We were fortunate to have Wolfgang Kohlhaase, a famous Berlin movie screenwriter with an incredibly interesting background. Many of his films revolve around characters that embody young individuals of the different social classes in Berlin and their interactions with each other and the city. He is able to implement into his stories very effective settings to create a meaningful backdrop for the movie.
I inquired as to the basis of his decision for Schoenhauser Corner as the setting for his most famous film Ecke Schoenhauser, to maybe get an idea of his thought process for choosing setting. He answered with a sense that it was almost obvious and hadn’t really taken much thought at the time. The city had been mostly in rubble during it’s filming (post-war period), and that intersection was one of the few untouched spots in Berlin. He also liked how the intersection looked, a standard four-way with a diagonal cutting through. It happened to be a popular hang out spot with a lot going on and a variety of shops, cafés, and buildings. There was no other place better to shoot. The most important thing to consider is that the setting is not too strong for the story. This prompted me to be a bit more open-minded to what a location in Berlin can represent. I decided to begin by analyzing our “book end” settings and offer alternatives locations to the scenes.
The screening and reading this week gave me an appreciation for the opportunity I have been given, despite the frustrations of developing a solid idea for the film. The reading, “The Documentary Work of Juergen Boettcher” by Kilborn, and Boettcher’s film Die Mauer really brought attention to the hardships that filmmakers in the former GDR experienced. Boettcher enjoyed documenting “mysterious” subjects, but unfortunately the GDR government did not approve of such films. In their eyes, something mysterious was open to more than one interpretation, and propaganda, which they saw film serve only, must be one-dimensional to achieve its persuasive aim. Clearly, he disagreed with art’s position in a socialist society. The opening of Die Mauer with birds flying freely above the wall and its closing with the sound of free birds may be a symbolic statement of his to represent his newly established artistic freedom with the fall of the wall.
Wolfgang Kohlhaase experienced similar pressure, though he learned how to adapt and create films that served the government’s propaganda agenda as well as his own artistic motives. There were, however, a few films that were blacklisted still. Clause referred to Kohlhaase and the director he worked with as “rebels with a cause.” We may not have a cause per say, but we can film what we want in Berlin now.
Week 6
After last week’s blocking of our two “book ends” for the documentary, the meeting and parting scenes of the fiction film, we seem to have taken a bit of a hiatus in filming. Instead, we have stepped back to set for ourselves a more solid understanding of the structure and goals for the film. In addition, we wanted to help each other develop our ideas for the individual parts. I still have yet to define a central focus for my part, though would like to convey an aspect to the city’s culture and diversity during the off-hours. Through this, I hope to demonstrate that even though the city may seem to still be divided in appearance, there is that which transcends the now arbitrary borders that divide city sections and unify the people as Berliners (local people, not donuts).
My thoughts immediately gravitated towards cuisines and restaurant atmospheres, as always. Restaurants, cafés, food stands, eateries, pubs etc., are everyday locations to enjoy the company of friends and family, satisfy your hunger cravings, and take in the atmosphere that surrounds these settings.
I would structure this part into two major sections: 1) a montage that displays a day’s general structure and routine in regards to visiting locations listed above, and 2) clips of selected locations that I find represent and interesting and diverse variety of cuisines and atmospheres. The brief clips of the montage would progress as a function of appropriateness to the time of day, that is morning to night. Throughout the montage, I would imbed brief clips that kept a sense of time throughout the sequence, such as people rushing to trains and buses with coffee in hand during the morning, bell towers that showed the time, city lights in the evening, etc. In addition, sections of the montage would provide frame of reference as I jumped around the city. This in particular would allow me to demonstrate the cultural diversity within and across sections of the city. Cross dissolves of clips of similar venues in different sections of the city would be effective in showing the culture that transcends the sections.
The longer clips involved in studying the locations of deeper interest would strive to portray that location’s particular cuisine, atmosphere, and the diversity of people it caters.
These two sequences combined will serve the purpose of portraying how cultured a local of Berlin can be, which would shape our Berlin girl. It would potentially create ideas for scene settings for the fiction film as well.
A large aspect of our film is essentially creating parallels between two different time scales, that of Berlin’s history and that of this brief relationship. The film screened this week, “Wings of Desire,” has the same aspect as Harvey discusses in “Time and Space in the Postmodern Cinema.” An angel, who lives an eternal life, becomes fascinated with a human woman’s life, each of which see and experience the world differently. He desires to experience “how good it is to live in the flow of human time” and to show her how to be and live in the moment rather that always longing to become. As Damiel transforms into human, their experiences together accomplish these desires.
Many say that Berlin is a city that is always “striving to become,” whereas Seattle is fairly established. As we discuss the development of our film, it would be interesting to find an aspect that would allow us to draw parallels between the Berlin’s history and the relationship to give reasoning behind some of the occurrences.
Harvey also discusses the use of place in “Wings of Desire,” in which Damiel as an angel can seamlessly jump from one spot of the city to another, as well as across the Berlin Wall. With regards to our film, this technique can be used to allow the camera to jump around the city in order to make more obvious that of which transcends any perceived divisions, as discussed earlier.
Another aspect we must consider, as brought up by Hooks in her article “Representing Whiteness,” is how we represent a city, its people, its culture, and its history. What are the implications of feminizing Berlin with a female character, who may happen to be white? How can we degenderize, deracify, decreedify, etc., the character that is meant to embody Berlin?
My thoughts immediately gravitated towards cuisines and restaurant atmospheres, as always. Restaurants, cafés, food stands, eateries, pubs etc., are everyday locations to enjoy the company of friends and family, satisfy your hunger cravings, and take in the atmosphere that surrounds these settings.
I would structure this part into two major sections: 1) a montage that displays a day’s general structure and routine in regards to visiting locations listed above, and 2) clips of selected locations that I find represent and interesting and diverse variety of cuisines and atmospheres. The brief clips of the montage would progress as a function of appropriateness to the time of day, that is morning to night. Throughout the montage, I would imbed brief clips that kept a sense of time throughout the sequence, such as people rushing to trains and buses with coffee in hand during the morning, bell towers that showed the time, city lights in the evening, etc. In addition, sections of the montage would provide frame of reference as I jumped around the city. This in particular would allow me to demonstrate the cultural diversity within and across sections of the city. Cross dissolves of clips of similar venues in different sections of the city would be effective in showing the culture that transcends the sections.
The longer clips involved in studying the locations of deeper interest would strive to portray that location’s particular cuisine, atmosphere, and the diversity of people it caters.
These two sequences combined will serve the purpose of portraying how cultured a local of Berlin can be, which would shape our Berlin girl. It would potentially create ideas for scene settings for the fiction film as well.
A large aspect of our film is essentially creating parallels between two different time scales, that of Berlin’s history and that of this brief relationship. The film screened this week, “Wings of Desire,” has the same aspect as Harvey discusses in “Time and Space in the Postmodern Cinema.” An angel, who lives an eternal life, becomes fascinated with a human woman’s life, each of which see and experience the world differently. He desires to experience “how good it is to live in the flow of human time” and to show her how to be and live in the moment rather that always longing to become. As Damiel transforms into human, their experiences together accomplish these desires.
Many say that Berlin is a city that is always “striving to become,” whereas Seattle is fairly established. As we discuss the development of our film, it would be interesting to find an aspect that would allow us to draw parallels between the Berlin’s history and the relationship to give reasoning behind some of the occurrences.
Harvey also discusses the use of place in “Wings of Desire,” in which Damiel as an angel can seamlessly jump from one spot of the city to another, as well as across the Berlin Wall. With regards to our film, this technique can be used to allow the camera to jump around the city in order to make more obvious that of which transcends any perceived divisions, as discussed earlier.
Another aspect we must consider, as brought up by Hooks in her article “Representing Whiteness,” is how we represent a city, its people, its culture, and its history. What are the implications of feminizing Berlin with a female character, who may happen to be white? How can we degenderize, deracify, decreedify, etc., the character that is meant to embody Berlin?
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