Film Review - The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski Review

 We Decided to go along to a film club going on in our college theatre.  At film club all you basically do is turn up, watch a film and enjoy it. Then You may be asked to write a review about the particular film you watched. We watch 'The Big Lebowski' this week. I was enjoying it until half way through when i could no longer follow it because of the amount of people talking around me. It was very frustrating to have so many people talking around me instead of watching the film. 

Before the screening:

1.     Choosing a film. 

 I I would personally choose a film that has a well planted story and that is entertaining to the current audience.  
2.     Why i Choose this Film.

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      The film, 'The Big Lebowski' was chosen because of the directors, Ethan and Joel Coen AKA 'The Coen Brothers'. Their unique directing style works very well even on very simple story-lines. The main character 'The Dude (Jeffery Lebowski)', is also ranked 7th best character in Film history.  

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During the screening:

3.     The Genre.

      The Big Lebowski is a Cult Comedy film. It has a 'Film Noire' feel but in many ways it is kind of like a 'film noire parody'.  The film has some darker, more intense scenes but also has a at times slightly odd blend of comedy, some of which is a little dark. 
      
4.     The Age Rating

      The Film is rated 18, this is because of moderate violence (played out for comedy), Sex and nudity (some strong references), Lots of swearing, drugs, alcohol and some intense moments.  

5.     How does the film tell its story?

    The Story is told through the eyes of Jeffery Lebowski, AKA The Dude. The Dude is a lazy, pot-head, whose life changes when he gets mistaken for a millionaire who has the same name. He then accepts a once in a lifetime job, guaranteed to pay well. This becomes the start of a string of rather,'odd' events.  

6.    The Main Characters. 

   The names of the main characters are listed below:

•    'The Dude' Jefferey Lebowski
•     Walter Sobchak
•     Maude Lebowski 
•     Theodore Donald 'Donny' Kerabatsos
•     Jeffery Lebowski - The Big Lebowski
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       Overall i feel that the unique directing style of the Coen Brothers alongside the acting qualities of Jeff Bridges, gives this film a special charm which you dont really get with really any other film. It is funny yet dark at the same time, it is witty, but also rather serious, in a way. It has rather morbid humor. Take the scene, Walter, is about to scatter Donny's Ashes into the sea. After giving a small speech about donny, he then goes to scatter them into the sea, the wind then blows and The Dude and Walter get covered in Donny's ashes. I like the dark and morbid humor which you will often find in a Coen Brothers film. I liked this film, or at least the part i was able to hear it. I would love to be able to watch it again without any interruptions as it seemed pretty solid, well made with a very interesting and unique story. 

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Arts Leadership Review.

For this Group Project, we had to work in groups and create anything we wanted as long as it was some form of media, so that could be posters, shorts film, animation website etc.

For this Arts Leadership project, me, Jack Simpsons and Declan Bailey decided to work together. We decided to create an Animation together because we felt there would be plenty to do and we all have experience from creating animations in the past so it all worked out rather well.

At first we struggled to come up with an idea for the animation so we decided that we would Promote the Arts award project itself. We could have made it as long as we wanted but realistically, we weren't going to get more than 20-30 seconds out of it at best. The Animating would be created in iStopMotion and edited in Adobe Premier. Because we were just advertising the Arts Award Project, we wanted to keep it short and simple. I then came up with the idea of have a man crossing the road when suddenly, he gets hit by a vehicle. His splattered body on the floor would spell out the words 'Arts Award'. Then that would be the end. Jack and Declan both liked this idea so we began planning. While Declan started making the Clay Models, me and Jack began making the 'sets'. I helped make one of the models as well. After everything was set up, i began animating while Jack and Declan helped take pictures of some of the Frames.
Then of course after i finished animating, i then passed on all the footage to Jack who began Editing in Adobe Premier.   

I'll be honest, i can't really think of a single moment where something went wrong during this project. The only problem really was the fact that none of us were particularly 'savy' with using the Adobe Premier editing software. As i said, everything seemed to go right for us and ran very smooth and we sailed straight through the whole process. The longest part was really just writing everything down in the planning stages and even doing this review feels more time consuming.   

Overall i feel we all worked very well and efficiently. We worked well as a team and got everything completed in a much quicker time then i think any of us really expected.

Working with Jack was good, we both got on well and he worked well when he built the sets. I think we both worked well together and had good communication as we were both aware of what each other were doing and when and why we were doing those particular jobs at that time.
And it was the same story with Declan. I helped make some of the Clay models with him and we both worked well together because we also had good communication, so we knew which models to make ourselves so we won't both making the same ones as each other. I would happily work with both of them again if the opportunity come about in the future.  

Everything seemed to go right in this project and in the end, i am satisfied with the final product.       

Review of the arts award project

Here you can watch my completed Animation before I decide to review the project.

For this project i had to create anything i wanted from any form of media as long as it showed off some 'skills' and it proves that you can do that form of media. I decided to pick animation because i have a great interest in the subject and would like to learn more. I enjoy animation and expected to do quite well. Although things look good now it's finished, during the production period there were plenty of problems that needed to be dealt with. I put most of them down to poor planning on my side, however there were a couple of problems which were out of my control.    

Some of the problems as previously mentioned were my fault due to poor planning, but the issues that Weren't my fault were the most frustrating. There was a problem with many of the computers that i needed to use to create my animation and complete my project. This set me back a couple of weeks as the problems were rather prolonged and didn't disappear quickly. Then not too long after, some of my Clay models were damaged by someone, that set me back another week because i needed to make some quick repairs and fix everything that had been damaged and broken. Then on top of that i needed to recreate part of my set because the way i had it planned wasn't going to work out too well. 
The other problems that i encountered were caused by poor planning and my miss-judgement. I told myself that i would have the animation completed within a certain time, after the pre-production work of course; i would then have more then enough time to complete other work. However, i did not plan for any problems, I completely miss-judged how long it would take me to finish my pre-production work, and i maybe spent a little too long animating the actual animation. 

Some of the things which went well was the actual animating. I really enjoy creating the characters and seeing them come alive on screen after i begin animating them. I feel i have improved on my model making and think i have greatly improved on my animating. I like to think i get the correlation between how much you need to move an object per frame and the amount of FPS (Frames Per Second) correct, or at least smooth looking which is what you want.  

Overall i am happy with the outcome. I will take this as a learning experience as to how much i need to plan ahead to make sure everything gets completed efficiently and on time as well as looking good. Despite all of the problems, i feel the finished product looks rather nice and am happy with how it  has turned out. Again, i just need to plan for the 'unexpected'.           

Job Opportunities at the BBC.

At the BBC and other similar companies, You can get different types of jobs with different qualifications. With some jobs, you don't need to have any qualifications at all. For example, You can start out as a runner. 

Being a runner, you don't need any qualifications or experience. Being a runner is like getting experience, but you're being paid for it. I say this because when you are a runner you can be told to do any spare job or help out with any other jobs that need an extra pair of hands. From being a runner, you can work your way up into the kind of job you are wanting. But you must be willing, confident and be well presented. You may have to work long hours and probably won't earn too much. (Around £400 for a 48 hour week). 

To become part of a camera crew, you will need to go to university or have good experience. Being apart of a camera crew is not necessarily just using cameras. You will be looking after lighting and other pieces of equipment needed for filming. It is probably preferred if you have good experience and a good portfolio built up to show that your skills would be well used at the BBC. 

You could start doing some work experience with the BBC and if you work well, their may be a chance that you could be offered a job or some kind of placement such as a trainee. You can enter a trainee scheme on multiple parts of Co-operation; from the Technology and business sides of things, to the Production and journalism jobs. And of course, if you do well again, you could be offered a full time placement. If not, then the experience could help you get a job elsewhere.  Many of the BBC's trainee scheme do offer some amount of pay but of course it gives you the experience of working for a big co-operation and will look good for future reference.  

Working hours will be similar to that of a normal fulltime worker. But your responsibilities will be different depending on what kind of scheme you are completing.    

http://craigsmediasectors.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/finding-job-in-media.html


What i have learnt from this research is the kind of things i need to do for certain jobs. If i am wanting a job at the BBC or another TV company I could apply for an internship and get some work experience. If this all works out well, i could then potentially get an offer to stay on and work for the BBC or another TV company. However, you are more likely to go further if you, after college went to University as this would look better for you and would certainly help your chances about getting a job in a specific part of the media sector. 

Updated Padlet here Proof of comunication.

http://padlet.com/craigwatson3/2ljhlrf9txxp
Proof of communication with others.

This is a screen shot of my padlet. My comments and posts are on the left side while other peoples comments and feedback are on the right hand side. My responses to other people's comments are on the left hand side as well as a mini review of the project. 

Below is another screenshot from Declan's Padlet of which i also commented on.

Feedback on My Arts Award Project. Padlet Post.

This is my link to my 'Padlet'. View this for proof of my Communication with others.  

Animation Project

Today we finished off creating the sets and began to animate. We decided to make the vehicle out of Modelling clay in the end, because we thought it would be easier to animate with, and of course it looked in the same kind of style as the Clay Blob.                    

We have completely finished the animation process in just a couple of hours. All there is left to do is to edit the animation. Meaning we are going to add some sound effects, and add a title.

Here is the video below. 

And below are some more photos of the 'Set'. 

Animation Group Project Update.

In just a couple of hours we have come up with a decent idea for a quick animation, made the models and got the background sorted. We will soon be ready to animate.

This is the background that is going to be used.

Animation Ideas/brief

For this Project, we will all have our different roles for this project. This means we will all have some responsibility and all have to work together. I have the responsibility of animating. Declan Bailey is in charge of making the models, and Jack Simpson is in charge of the editing.
Of course, just because we are in charge of our own areas, we can still help each other with other pieces of work. I for instance could help with the model making or set designing etc.

The actual animation will be promoting 'The Silver Arts Award'. The idea is as follows; We don't want to make something too long, so we are looking at no longer than 20 seconds. We are going to be promoting the silver arts award. It will start with a man walking down a road. He will be walking across the street when suddenly he will get run over by a car or a bulldozer. He will get completely flattened and when he comes out the other side of the vehicle it will spell 'Arts Award' where his body would normally be. It could be set out like a bit of a 'sting' similar to what you might find before a television programme on Channel 4.  

Planning Practical Issues

For this animation, we thought it would be best to keep it very simple. This is because if it is simple, it will be easy to make as well as look good.  As we couldn't think of a really good idea, we decided to try and advertise the Arts Award in a funny kind of maner.
We are thinking of the idea of having a small blob crossing the road. While Crossing he gets hit by a vehicle. His Squashed body on the floor then spells, "Arts Award". The real Arts Award logo will then fade into view.

The Software I am going to need to use below.

• Adobe Photoshop - Photoshop is a sophisticated programme which is used to edit photos and images. I am going to use this to edit some of the background images and the road that could be used in the animation.    

• IStopMotion 3 - IStopMotion 3 is a decent piece of Software which is used to make short films using the 'Stop-Motion' technique. Stop-Motion is a way of creating films by taking many pictures. You combine these photos together and play them back and you will be watching a movie.    

• Adobe Premier - Adobe Premier is a Very Sophisticated Video editing programme. We will use this for adding a title to the video and to add in sound effects.       

Unit 2 Arts Leadership

For the next unit, i am going to be doing animation, again. Will will be doing this Second Animation Project with Jack Simpson, and Declan Bailey. We will each be taking up our own jobs in which we are going to be in charge of a particular aspect of the overall Project.

Declan said he would like to work creating and designing the clay models and backgrounds. Jack Said he would be happy to edit the finished video. While that leaves me with the actual Animating. 

Although we are all in charge of these particular aspects of the Animation, we can all do a bit of each other's work. 

Model Making and Designing - This job requires an understanding of how plasticine works, and the different ways you can make whatever you want with it. You need to understand how the 'crafting' works when making a clay model.      

Editor - The editor Must be able to collect all footage and edit it into a masterpiece, or at least a decent(ish) film. As this is an Animation however, there won't be too much that needs cutting. It will be more of a adding effects, sounds and anything else that needs touched up.   

Animator -  An animator is the person in charge of the actual animating. A typical animation tends to be 24 frames per second. You take a picture every frame moving the object just a small amount, then after a while when you play it back, it should look very smooth and you can watch it come to life.          

The particular skills I would like to develop myself through being the animator for this project are being able to time each frame correctly. If you don't time each frame properly, the finished product could either look too slow or really 'jittery'. Either way it won't look very professional.
I would also like to improve on my model making. Although Model making is not strictly an animators job, they may have to do quick fixes or repair a model if something goes wrong. 

Animation Update 11/03

I have Filmed more of my Animation today. You can view it below.

I Think somebody has been tampering with my plasticine models in the past week, because one of them was 'dirty' looking and had strange marks all over it. This meant i had to do my best to fix it quickly and try, get some animation done.
Although there weren't any network errors this week, i was still having problems with the istopmotion Software.
As this is my Arts Award, i think i may have enough animation for this project. But i must still continue with my animation, as it is being used in my other project.

A review of this Project will follow Shortly.

Animation Update 4/03 - 6/03

Today i got another 15 Seconds completed of Animation. Here is the video below.

As you can see, it looks a little rough, and without sound, it is certainly missing something. I plan to re-shoot some of this as it looks a little too rough for my liking. But overall i am happy with the progress i am making with this project. 

Last week i had completed little to no work at all, because the Apple Mac Computers were not working properly. Despite them not working too well this week either, i was able to work around it (just), and get something completed. I am hoping to finish the animating process within a 3-4 Weeks. I will then be able to get on with the editing and begin my evaluation of this project. 

Animation update

Today i started my animation. This animation will be used for not just for my Silver Arts Award, but for my Creative Project as well.
After building the set exactly how i wanted it, i set-up the camera, to make sure that the angles were going to work how i wanted them. I then began animating. I only got around 3 and a half seconds complete as shown in the video to the right here. This had taken me around 15 minutes at most to animate and the video when completed will probably be around the 1 minute mark, probably a little less.
I hope to get this finished within 3-4 weeks, and will hopefully then start the editing at that point which should not need too much work done to it.                
       

Arts Award Update

I have finally got the backgrounds complete and have started printing them out. I am almost completely ready to start Animating.

Planning For Animation

To be able to start the animation process, i first need to plan and create everything i will need, as well as getting used to the software i will be using.

First off, i need to come up with a story and characters. It doesn't have to be a story as such, but as long as something is planned, and i am able to create it with the basic tools and equipment that are available to me. To help me come up with a story, i will watch some tv animations and go on YouTube.com, to watch other people's homemade animations, and claymation's. I hope that doing this will give me some kind of idea as to what could happen in my animation. 

I will have to make sure that whatever tools and equipment i need will be available to me if and when i need them. 

After the planning of my story, i will now need to create the character models. I may want to plan what they look like before hand however, i might just try and make anything and see what i can come up with. I feel that if i just make the characters as i go instead of planning their appearance then trying to replicate it, may be too difficult as i don't have much practice or experience. 

Once the characters have been made, i will begin to create the 'set'. I will either take pictures myself, or just go onto 'Google Earth' and take screenshots of real places to use as backdrop. I may also edit some in Adobe Photoshop. I will only do this if i feel i can make a particular background look better.     

After preparing the characters and the sets, i will then begin to animate. I will Animate using some software called, 'iStopMotion'. I should at this stage already have a good idea about what the finished product will look like, but there could be some last minute changes if needs be. Animating could take a few hours collectively, and even longer f there are any problems, so i must plan for the inevitable. 

After everything is filmed, i will need to edit this. I will edit this in 'Adobe Premier', because it is a good piece of software and i could use some practice with it. The editing will include adding titles and credits, and finding or making any sound effects and/or music that i might need. I could either download and copyright free music and sound effects or attempt to create my own. This will depend on how much time i have when i am editing. 

I will then need to export my animation, and have it reviewed by my peers. After this i will complete a written evaluation on the work i produced.    

BBC Newcastle Trip.

Our recent trip to BBC Newcastle was a good experience. We had an insight into the making of TV and Radio. After being given a brief history lesson of the 'Pink Palace', we were guided into a small box room where they pre-record the weather and traffic updates. We were also shown around the archives room. This is where they store every bit of footage that they have ever recorded. They kept the more frequently used recordings on a shelf by the door for easy access. 

To the left is a picture of a film reel. This reel holds 30 Minutes of footage.      

We were then guided into the Television studio. This is the studio used for the Broadcasting of the North East's Local News Programme. All the walls and even the floor were sound proof. We were then guided onto the set. We were then being told about how the recording of the Live News broadcast works and we were aloud to sit in the newsreaders chairs for photos. That is me in the Picture Below. 

While in there, we were told some facts about the studio and given a little bit of History about this particular Studio. We were told that The Television Series, 'Biker Grove' was filmed in this very studio. We were then told about the equipment. If yo look up, you could see 70 very powerful lights. The reason their were so many lights was because when they are all on, they eliminate, or minimise the amount of shadows you can see on camera. We were then pointed towards the Cameras. The cameras had an 'Auto-cue' system which the Newsreader had to control themselves with a foot pedel placed just under the desk. While The tour guides were talking about the Auto-cue, one of the Presenters came in and began talking to us about his job, and shared some stories about some of the things he has had to do in his job. 

   

Proposal

Proposal.

For my Arts Award Project, i am going to make a Claymation. It will be linked with another animation project that i am currently working on. It will be the same or at least very similar to one another. 

   

The animation is about a friendly blue blob thing that gets attacked by a small green blob, and then itself turns into a 'zombie like' creature which cause havoc. 

Some of the props and pieces of equipment i may need are:

• Modelling Clay (Plasticine)
• Specific background images. (If needed)
• iMovie
• Garage Band
• Photoshop
• Matchbox size children's toys (Eg, Cars and Lego?)       
• Light (lighting effects).  
• Camera
• iStopMotion

    The inspiration for this idea was this YouTube Video below. 

My Animation most likely will have some kind of similarities to the one above, so i am going to make sure that i don't copy it or make it too similar. If i were to make mine very similar or nearly the same, it wouldn't seem right, and it would completely lack any kind of creativity.   

These images below are some of the things i have made at some point out of Modelling clay/plasticine.