Post 31: Narnia Evaluation
1.a
Our task was to recreate a scene from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, our scene being the one the Pevensies meet the Beavers, and discover their fate in the land of Narnia. There were many things to take into account when making it, with each role assigned to one or two people, who then worked purely on this so that we could achieve it to the best of our ability.
When filming, we decided to film without a tripod, there was too much movement in the shots - the actors would need to move, and the cameraman would also need to move during a shot, whether it was panning from one place to another, or having to walk at the same pace as the actors so that they remained within the same area of the frame, whilst moving. When actors would say lines within shots, generally they would say all of their line within a whole shot, but there are a few moments when the actor had an especially long line, where this line would be split between shots. For example, when the second Mr. Beaver is telling them about the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve, there is the initial shot of his face, then followed by a shot of Peter and Edmund, then Susan and Lucy. This makes the visuals more interesting for the viewer, whilst still listening to the line. Those in the shot also link to the audio at this point, so it also makes more of a connection than just the speaker's face.
The style of the filming wasn't in the specific style of any director or director of photography, but simply in the way we thought would best visually tell, or accompany, the story. There generally weren't any wide shots because the set wasn't entirely Narnia-esque when zoomed out, like how you could see a fence leading to a next-door neighbour's house outside of the Beaver's house, and you could see a field if you looked too far past the tree of the forest. We liked using close-up shots of the face, as this allowed the actors to show their emotions through their voice and facial expressions more clearly. The medium shots were used so that you could also see the surroundings of the actor, or their arms if they used them for their line. The composition was thought about in different shots too, like how most close-ups were more centred, and the wider shots could use the rule of thirds.
The setting was more reliant on the inside set than the outside, the Beavers' house was more designed than the exterior shots, as we had less control over the environment there. The wooded area was good for the outside, though, as there weren't too many trees as to fill the shot too much, but there were enough for Mr. Beaver to pop out from behind one and talk to them. The filming took place on a cold day too, making the natural lighting and colouring suit the coldness of Narnia. The colours were changed in the editing process, but the lighting was still effective.
The Beavers' house is supposed to be cosy and warm, showing both how the couple deals with the harsh winter of Narnia, as well as their warm and welcoming personalities. This is why we tried to use reds, oranges, and browns within the interior- we covered the windows with hung up blankets, one brown, one red. This made their house appear slightly higgledy-piggledy, which matched their homely ways, as well as linking to Mr. Beaver's line "It ain't finished yet." The 'mantlepiece' of their home was made up of piled up logs, this created both a centrepiece to their house, as well as providing a more dam-like texture to the house. On the mantelpiece were several random things to imply that someone lived there, the piled up books (mainly fairy tales or old stories), the clay jug and pottery pieces, as well as the portrait of them. These all helped create the feeling of a home.
The issue with filming the inside scene within a summer house, was that there wasn't much space, the shot angles felt limited, as there was only so much room for the cameraman to move around in, and the space was just as limited for the actors, so they couldn't express themselves as much as they could in their movement as they would in a larger space. The small area did make the dam look more cosy, however, but it was still difficult to fit all that we wanted to include in there.
The sound from the inside scenes was quite good, there was no wind effecting the audio, but there was still a slight static from the camera, as we did not have a proper microphone available. This became more apparent in the outside shots, as the shots facing Mr. Beaver were also facing the wind, making the in-camera microphone pick up the sound of the wind.
The lighting on the inside started off well, but as the outside became darker throughout the filming, it was less effective. The lighting was made with bedside lamps, as they gave off a soft, warm glow, however they only lit from the floor, lighting from below the actors, and they didn't allow the lighting to remain consistent throughout all the shots, as at first natural light was also making an input. To have made the lighting more powerful we could have used studio lights, however these would have given a cold, harsh effect, rather than a gentle and warm effect. If we were to have softened the lights with something like a sheet, however, and then changed the colouring within editing, it could have been more effective and consistent.
The costumes for the Pevensies were quite simple, as the main part of their clothing was their coats, hats, and scarves, as they needed to be warm in the cold land of Narnia. From there they needed clothes that passed as from the period, which could be supplied by the actors - shirts, jumpers, and plain trousers and skirts could work well. The Beavers were slightly different, as obviously they needed to present themselves as less human, or at least not as ordinary as the Pevensies. We settled with brown fur coats for them because it could be a replacement for their fur, but could also be a way of emphasising the cold of where they live. Other than this the Beavers wore ordinary clothing, as they would be covered up by the fur coat.
Comparison of original sketches and final costumes:
When it came to the casting of actors, we had to bare in mind what part of the script they'd be acting out, how they would suit this situation, how confident they were, and how much they suit the character. We had several people auditioning for Lucy's role, which made it very hard to choose. They all displayed great qualities for the character, but we chose the girl that we felt fit how we saw Lucy's character most. She was gentle and a little shy, but she wasn't afraid to be louder and more passionate when it came to a faster part of the script. She understood Lucy's views on the situation and conveyed them very well, especially through her voice. The other roles didn't have as many auditions, but we still thought about the characters they'd be portraying and how well they would fit that role, especially in this part of the script. Peter was certain in what he said, fitting the role of an eldest brother well, as he wants to protect and reassure his younger siblings. Susan is the second oldest, and obviously has a say in what the four siblings do, Peter respects her views and she often comes up with the more reasonable solutions. For this reason we thought that it would be good to have an actress that delivered her lines confidently, and also conveyed her concern for their position. Edmund has very few lines in this part of the script, but needed to continue being in role even when not saying anything. He's slightly disconnected from his siblings at this point in the story and needed to show this physically as well as in the way he said his lines.
The Beavers had to be welcoming, especially the second, as he offers the children food and tries to make them feel comfortable. Mr. Beaver is less like this, however, as he wants to tell them about the state of Narnia and the prophecy that involves them, often forgetting that it may scare them. They needed chemistry, as they're playing a married couple, and be comfortable with one another, which is why we cast people that already knew each other. They had to move around the set comfortably too, which I think they did. Their expression and movement were probably the best and most clear of the cast, as they were standing whilst the Pevensies were sitting most of the time, but they also clearly thought about how the Beavers would move and how they would move in relation to their words. The two of them would communicate with other characters not only through their words, but also through their movements.
The editing needed to keep the dialogue at the correct pace, with it going faster at times, but knowing when to keep the pauses to create the right mood. The colouring was also changed, mainly in the outside shots. We wanted it to look cold and mysterious, as when they are outside they are confused and scared, as in the scene before they found that Mr. Tumnus had been taken by the white witch. It also needed to be apparent for when Edmund leaves that he is leaving to the same cold and eerie atmosphere to meet the white witch.
1.b
The planning was effective, we each had our separate parts to plan, and then we would ask others of their opinions, incase they saw a better way of doing it that we hadn't seen by ourselves. We brainstormed different ways to create Narnia, whether it was through the set or through the costumes. For example, we had several options for what we could use as he set, meaning that we had backups if we couldn't film in one place, or it was too difficult to get to. In the end we chose the summer house as it was the easiest to get everyone to, there would be less of a limit on how long we could film there, and adding props would be easier. Whilst this sort of planning was happening, the rest of the group would be looking up other aspects of it, or sketching costumes or props to be included.
We communicated well throughout the task, all making sure that each of us knew what each other were doing. We set up a group chat so that we would all know the plans people were making, and so that there could be easy communication between the roles. Several of the different roles needed to communicate between one another to make sure that everything fitted together, like the story-boarder and the editor, so that they knew when to cut something, or when to continue the sound from one shot to another, or when the set and the props needed to be coordinated, and the props would have to fit into the setup in a smooth way.We got contact numbers from the cast too, allowing us to keep them up to date with the timings and places, as well as if they wanted to ask any questions. We all worked well together, and when it came to the actual filming, everyone helped where they could and worked together to achieve our best outcome.
Our organisation in the end was good, and the outcome was better for it, however, leading up to the filming took a little too long, and gave us a smaller area of time to actually film. We got past this however, and when it came to the days of the filming we had as much already prepared as we possibly could. The set of the Beavers' house had set up a couple days before, making sure that everything would stay up and that it looked right with others of the group. We managed to film everything quite quickly too, not having to return half way through some dialogue - which would have created lighting inconsistence, as well as separating the actors from the scene for a long period of time, potentially making them loose the current mood.
When we started this task the first thing we did was read the script through together, this allowed us all to get an idea of it's narrative, and how that could fit with each of our own creative styles. The roles were allocated evenly, when someone though that they could be especially good in a particular area it was given to them, and sometimes more than one person would work on a job together if it was bigger, or if they all thought that they could contribute to it well. The props were provided by many of us; the 'Woodios' were made by Lauren as we all felt they would be easier to make than the 'fish and chips' mentioned, and she really liked the idea of 'Woodios'. The handkerchief was made by Justine as she has experience with textiles, and other props like books were provided by those who had old ones which matched the cosy set of the Beavers' house.
Our task was to recreate a scene from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, our scene being the one the Pevensies meet the Beavers, and discover their fate in the land of Narnia. There were many things to take into account when making it, with each role assigned to one or two people, who then worked purely on this so that we could achieve it to the best of our ability.
When filming, we decided to film without a tripod, there was too much movement in the shots - the actors would need to move, and the cameraman would also need to move during a shot, whether it was panning from one place to another, or having to walk at the same pace as the actors so that they remained within the same area of the frame, whilst moving. When actors would say lines within shots, generally they would say all of their line within a whole shot, but there are a few moments when the actor had an especially long line, where this line would be split between shots. For example, when the second Mr. Beaver is telling them about the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve, there is the initial shot of his face, then followed by a shot of Peter and Edmund, then Susan and Lucy. This makes the visuals more interesting for the viewer, whilst still listening to the line. Those in the shot also link to the audio at this point, so it also makes more of a connection than just the speaker's face.
The style of the filming wasn't in the specific style of any director or director of photography, but simply in the way we thought would best visually tell, or accompany, the story. There generally weren't any wide shots because the set wasn't entirely Narnia-esque when zoomed out, like how you could see a fence leading to a next-door neighbour's house outside of the Beaver's house, and you could see a field if you looked too far past the tree of the forest. We liked using close-up shots of the face, as this allowed the actors to show their emotions through their voice and facial expressions more clearly. The medium shots were used so that you could also see the surroundings of the actor, or their arms if they used them for their line. The composition was thought about in different shots too, like how most close-ups were more centred, and the wider shots could use the rule of thirds.
The setting was more reliant on the inside set than the outside, the Beavers' house was more designed than the exterior shots, as we had less control over the environment there. The wooded area was good for the outside, though, as there weren't too many trees as to fill the shot too much, but there were enough for Mr. Beaver to pop out from behind one and talk to them. The filming took place on a cold day too, making the natural lighting and colouring suit the coldness of Narnia. The colours were changed in the editing process, but the lighting was still effective.
The Beavers' house is supposed to be cosy and warm, showing both how the couple deals with the harsh winter of Narnia, as well as their warm and welcoming personalities. This is why we tried to use reds, oranges, and browns within the interior- we covered the windows with hung up blankets, one brown, one red. This made their house appear slightly higgledy-piggledy, which matched their homely ways, as well as linking to Mr. Beaver's line "It ain't finished yet." The 'mantlepiece' of their home was made up of piled up logs, this created both a centrepiece to their house, as well as providing a more dam-like texture to the house. On the mantelpiece were several random things to imply that someone lived there, the piled up books (mainly fairy tales or old stories), the clay jug and pottery pieces, as well as the portrait of them. These all helped create the feeling of a home.
The issue with filming the inside scene within a summer house, was that there wasn't much space, the shot angles felt limited, as there was only so much room for the cameraman to move around in, and the space was just as limited for the actors, so they couldn't express themselves as much as they could in their movement as they would in a larger space. The small area did make the dam look more cosy, however, but it was still difficult to fit all that we wanted to include in there.
The sound from the inside scenes was quite good, there was no wind effecting the audio, but there was still a slight static from the camera, as we did not have a proper microphone available. This became more apparent in the outside shots, as the shots facing Mr. Beaver were also facing the wind, making the in-camera microphone pick up the sound of the wind.
The lighting on the inside started off well, but as the outside became darker throughout the filming, it was less effective. The lighting was made with bedside lamps, as they gave off a soft, warm glow, however they only lit from the floor, lighting from below the actors, and they didn't allow the lighting to remain consistent throughout all the shots, as at first natural light was also making an input. To have made the lighting more powerful we could have used studio lights, however these would have given a cold, harsh effect, rather than a gentle and warm effect. If we were to have softened the lights with something like a sheet, however, and then changed the colouring within editing, it could have been more effective and consistent.
The costumes for the Pevensies were quite simple, as the main part of their clothing was their coats, hats, and scarves, as they needed to be warm in the cold land of Narnia. From there they needed clothes that passed as from the period, which could be supplied by the actors - shirts, jumpers, and plain trousers and skirts could work well. The Beavers were slightly different, as obviously they needed to present themselves as less human, or at least not as ordinary as the Pevensies. We settled with brown fur coats for them because it could be a replacement for their fur, but could also be a way of emphasising the cold of where they live. Other than this the Beavers wore ordinary clothing, as they would be covered up by the fur coat.
Comparison of original sketches and final costumes:
The Beavers had to be welcoming, especially the second, as he offers the children food and tries to make them feel comfortable. Mr. Beaver is less like this, however, as he wants to tell them about the state of Narnia and the prophecy that involves them, often forgetting that it may scare them. They needed chemistry, as they're playing a married couple, and be comfortable with one another, which is why we cast people that already knew each other. They had to move around the set comfortably too, which I think they did. Their expression and movement were probably the best and most clear of the cast, as they were standing whilst the Pevensies were sitting most of the time, but they also clearly thought about how the Beavers would move and how they would move in relation to their words. The two of them would communicate with other characters not only through their words, but also through their movements.
The editing needed to keep the dialogue at the correct pace, with it going faster at times, but knowing when to keep the pauses to create the right mood. The colouring was also changed, mainly in the outside shots. We wanted it to look cold and mysterious, as when they are outside they are confused and scared, as in the scene before they found that Mr. Tumnus had been taken by the white witch. It also needed to be apparent for when Edmund leaves that he is leaving to the same cold and eerie atmosphere to meet the white witch.
1.b
The planning was effective, we each had our separate parts to plan, and then we would ask others of their opinions, incase they saw a better way of doing it that we hadn't seen by ourselves. We brainstormed different ways to create Narnia, whether it was through the set or through the costumes. For example, we had several options for what we could use as he set, meaning that we had backups if we couldn't film in one place, or it was too difficult to get to. In the end we chose the summer house as it was the easiest to get everyone to, there would be less of a limit on how long we could film there, and adding props would be easier. Whilst this sort of planning was happening, the rest of the group would be looking up other aspects of it, or sketching costumes or props to be included.
We communicated well throughout the task, all making sure that each of us knew what each other were doing. We set up a group chat so that we would all know the plans people were making, and so that there could be easy communication between the roles. Several of the different roles needed to communicate between one another to make sure that everything fitted together, like the story-boarder and the editor, so that they knew when to cut something, or when to continue the sound from one shot to another, or when the set and the props needed to be coordinated, and the props would have to fit into the setup in a smooth way.We got contact numbers from the cast too, allowing us to keep them up to date with the timings and places, as well as if they wanted to ask any questions. We all worked well together, and when it came to the actual filming, everyone helped where they could and worked together to achieve our best outcome.
Our organisation in the end was good, and the outcome was better for it, however, leading up to the filming took a little too long, and gave us a smaller area of time to actually film. We got past this however, and when it came to the days of the filming we had as much already prepared as we possibly could. The set of the Beavers' house had set up a couple days before, making sure that everything would stay up and that it looked right with others of the group. We managed to film everything quite quickly too, not having to return half way through some dialogue - which would have created lighting inconsistence, as well as separating the actors from the scene for a long period of time, potentially making them loose the current mood.
When we started this task the first thing we did was read the script through together, this allowed us all to get an idea of it's narrative, and how that could fit with each of our own creative styles. The roles were allocated evenly, when someone though that they could be especially good in a particular area it was given to them, and sometimes more than one person would work on a job together if it was bigger, or if they all thought that they could contribute to it well. The props were provided by many of us; the 'Woodios' were made by Lauren as we all felt they would be easier to make than the 'fish and chips' mentioned, and she really liked the idea of 'Woodios'. The handkerchief was made by Justine as she has experience with textiles, and other props like books were provided by those who had old ones which matched the cosy set of the Beavers' house.
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