I wanted to make my directing style convey this in the sequence because it is her main aim, whilst also incorporating the styles of the TV shows I picked to research, Feud:Bette and Joan and Vanished by the Lake, as well as using the directors Harry Winer, Steven Spielberg, and Sofia Coppola I researched as influences to enhance and refine my own style. I also wanted to use elements of the directing style of Once Upon A Time so that while my film is a different interpretation, it still has a similar atmosphere to that as the show, keeping it distinguishable as the source material.
Locations/Casting:
When scouting for locations filmmakers 'must strive to find locations close to the needs of the script and which express the tone and approach of the Storyteller’s point of view’ because ‘locations can add a great deal of information, context, and even thematic meaning to each scene, and the story as a whole’ (Rabiger and Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013).
When scouting for locations I kept this in mind, but also thought about these factors also listed by Rabiger and Hurbis-Cherrier (2013:289-290) in their book, Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics:
This is why when deciding on a cafe to film at for the first scene I went through so many different options before selecting the Waterside Cafe at Hawkhurst fish farm.
I decided on the Waterside Cafe because it had the terrace overlooking the water which looked similar to the one in the original sequence, but also because I filmed there in the winter there was no one who wanted to eat out there so it was quiet enough.
There were good facilities there, such as the marquee which could be opened and could protect the equipment, as well as provide warmth for the cast and crew in between takes because of the heaters inside.
I also wanted to film at a cafe that overlooked water because of how it reflects light. This is because when scouting at the location I knew I was going to rely on the natural light and wanted the location to have a dull, overcast look to reflect Emma's somewhat negative outlook because she can't find what she is looking for. However, as the water is reflective I thought it could act as a reference to Emma's direct opposition as the daughter of Snow White, The Evil Queen, because of the connection to her mirror and The Evil Queen being the reason Emma was separated from her parents and ending up at the cafe in the first place. Another aim was that the cafe was isolated to show Emma's loneliness and the interruption of this by Cleo. Therefore, the cafe's already remote location as well as the cafe customers being inside because of the weather helped to achieve this.
Throughout filming I planned to use the master scene method, which is the traditional technique of filming a wide master shot and then closer shots of the characters and important objects because of how ‘despite all the cutting and new angles involved in master scene technique, this style remains remarkable invisible. Applied simply and appropriately, it can be used to support the dramatic intentions of the director while never distracting the audience with overt stylisation' (Rabiger and Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:296), as I aimed to keep the audience immersed in the world of the film to promote their identification with the characters since the narrative is character driven.When scouting for locations I kept this in mind, but also thought about these factors also listed by Rabiger and Hurbis-Cherrier (2013:289-290) in their book, Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics:
-Aesthetics: does the look of the location fit with the script? How will it affect the film’s tone and theme?
-Logistics: Is it accessible? Are there enough facilities on site such as toilets/electricity supply?
-Access: Will this location be available to film at? Will the owners/council agree?
-Sound: What are the normal sounds of the location? Is it quiet enough to film at? This is why when deciding on a cafe to film at for the first scene I went through so many different options before selecting the Waterside Cafe at Hawkhurst fish farm.
I decided on the Waterside Cafe because it had the terrace overlooking the water which looked similar to the one in the original sequence, but also because I filmed there in the winter there was no one who wanted to eat out there so it was quiet enough.
There were good facilities there, such as the marquee which could be opened and could protect the equipment, as well as provide warmth for the cast and crew in between takes because of the heaters inside.
I also wanted to film at a cafe that overlooked water because of how it reflects light. This is because when scouting at the location I knew I was going to rely on the natural light and wanted the location to have a dull, overcast look to reflect Emma's somewhat negative outlook because she can't find what she is looking for. However, as the water is reflective I thought it could act as a reference to Emma's direct opposition as the daughter of Snow White, The Evil Queen, because of the connection to her mirror and The Evil Queen being the reason Emma was separated from her parents and ending up at the cafe in the first place. Another aim was that the cafe was isolated to show Emma's loneliness and the interruption of this by Cleo. Therefore, the cafe's already remote location as well as the cafe customers being inside because of the weather helped to achieve this.
For the second scene in a hotel, I aimed to find a room that although it looked like a hotel room in that it was generic and plain, it also felt homely and somewhat enclosed as this foreshadows that Emma finally finds her way back home because of her meeting with Cleo, but is trapped by Cleo in the room by handcuffs. This is why I picked the Hilton hotel in Maidstone, as although the white walls and bedding was plain, the room was quite small and had tones of red, which I felt gave it more of a rustic feel. There was also a TV in the centre of the room which acted as a point of focus due to the action in the script, but extra action could also be added by the actors when Cleo comes back and turns this off, as a TV can make a room feel more comfortable by brightening it, but Cleo doesn't want Emma to get comfortable, her only aim is to turn Emma in so she can get paid rather than become attached. There were also mirrors in the room, which I planned to use to frame my characters in, again foreshadowing that The Evil Queen has some control over events as without her involvement Emma would not have ended up in the real world.
Since the third scene was set in a clothing store, I decided to use a lecture room at the studios as it was an open space I could then dress accordingly. However, it was important it looked believably like a clothing store, so as to make the world of the film credible for the viewer. Therefore, I used props such as clothing rails with clothes, a countertop, and included things already in the space which could not be removed, such as the projector and computer, which I projected a logo onto, to achieve this.
When casting, I kept in mind that as Lenore DeKoven (2006:75) states, 'it is imperative to have a clear idea of what you want to find before you begin the casting process’ so as not to waste time when finding actors, or to waste their time. However, I found I also had to remember to 'not believe that it is best to wait until the character as you have visualised him or her walks in the door with the right height, the right color hair, the right “look”. You may be waiting for a long time and working with this predisposition will most likely prohibit you from more interesting ideas than you would have thought about’ (Rea and Irving, 2015:129). This was particularly useful as although the sequence was an adaptation from an already established show, it needed to be my interpretation of it, so I needed to find actors I felt were right to perform the scenes, not just actors who looked like the ones from the show.
Firstly, I aimed to cast the main character, Emma Swan, because of how much the narrative revolves around her story. However, this was difficult as after I had already cast actors they were then unable to make the filming days so I had to reschedule quickly. By keeping an open mind though, I managed to cast an actress in the part who was a friend of a friend, even though I had never seen her act before. This was risky, but I knew that she would get along with the crew on set since she already knew them, and casting her payed off. This was because she brought her own interpretation to the character of Emma since she had never seen the show before, but still captured the emotions of the character such as the cynicism she is known for, even though she looked more like the character than I had originally planned to aim for.
Because the waitress character was such a minor role, I decided to use my sister, as she was already helping out with the lighting in the later scenes, and there was no lighting required during the first scene. I also could dress her in a costume to look like a waitress, and she looked young enough to have been working as a waitress as a part time job so it was credible.
To cast the roles of Cleo and Tasha, I managed to contact actors through StarNow.com. I knew that these actors would be playing mother and daughter so at least had to have somewhat of an age difference, even though the actresses I cast didn't look very alike. However, I didn't think this mattered as Tasha has been adopted so doesn't even meet her mother, therefore she could have grown into her adopted family so resemble them more instead.
I managed to cast the role of Tasha before having to reschedule as this actress stuck with me, so this became the first role I cast. I picked this actress not only because she looked quite young and girly so it would be credible that she had a job in a clothing store maybe part time to fit with studying, but also as from her video audition I could see that she was well suited to emotional acting. Originally, I had thought that this would be a difficult role to cast because of it only being for one scene but requiring such emotion, but the actress I cast was able to pull it off successfully during every take.
For the role of Cleo I picked an actress who was in her early thirties, which is younger than the original character, but I wanted to pick someone who had the knowledge to act like a mentor whist still being able to get along with and relate to my other actors and crew. I found that the actress I cast acted like a mentor both during the film and behind the scenes, which I think came across well in the film and helped unite the crew and cast as the risk with the actress playing Emma already knowing some crew members and using my sister to play the waitress was that they could have been closer to the crew rather than the others actors. This however, therefore wasn't the case but instead both cast and crew were always mixing with one another, which I think helped make the film better because everyone was comfortable around each other.
Camera Approach:
Taking the advice from Lenore DeKoven (2006:149) that ‘the best way to ensure sufficient time with your actors on the set and a successful shoot is to be meticulously prepared', I created storyboards. According to Steven D. Katz (1991:24) ‘storyboards serve two purposes: First, they allow a filmmaker to pre-visualise his ideas and refine them in the same way a writer develops ideas through successive drafts; secondly, they serve as the clearest language to communicate ideas to the entire production team.’ Therefore, I was encouraged by his advice that ‘Even directors without a particular skill in drafting...occasionally make stick figure drawings to explain a specific composition or staging' (Katz, 1991:24) as it made me realise the drawings do not have to be to the standard of that of storyboard artists as long as they conveyed my directing intentions.
Scene 1:
Throughout this scene I intend to use natural light, influenced by Sofia Coppola and her trademark 'romantic, dreamy aesthetic' (Yunuen Lewis, 2011) as this can also create a surreal feel and even wash the picture out, blurring elements due to over exposure. However, I want this to add to the effect that Emma is unsure of where she is going as she searches for her parents, clinging to even the smallest bit of information about them. The effect of surrealism also reflects the fictive nature of the fairy tale world which Emma does not believe in because she is so cynical, even though this is where she comes from and where she is going.
From Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation (2003)
To open my first scene I wanted to make the emphasis on Emma clear, as she is the main character and character whose aim is most important to this narrative. Therefore, I was influenced by the directing style of Once Upon A Time to place her in the middle of the screen in her position as 'The Savior' as she typically is. This is in reference to the position she will eventually hold when she does find her parents, because of how this story of her meeting Cleo Fox causes her to change her life and eventually find them.
From Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)
However, I decided to open like this on Emma instead of showing the location first as I wanted to highlight her isolation by showing her in an unspecified place, similar to the director Sofia Coppola's opening shots. Like Sofia Coppola's shots, I thought that this could also show her mental state to the audience as by having Emma boxed in the frame in a location the audience are not familiar with it highlights her confusion at not knowing where she comes from and imparts this on the audience as they are confused to where they are.
From Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides (1999)
I think this could further the audience's identification with her, especially since the perspective of the shot is on the inside so none of the other characters are visible, similar to the focus on Lise by placing the camera in the middle of the action in Vanished by the Lake.
From Vanished by the Lake (2015-)
Although, I did decide to tilt up from the newspaper article to reveal Emma as this helps to reveal some details about her and why she is in the location, therefore confusing the audience less as they are led into the opening. This was inspired by Harry Winer's style, which shows details to the audience by slowly revealing them through panning and tilting, but is also similar to the way Sofia Coppola's corridor shots lead the audience into the narrative of her films.
From Sofia Coppola's Somewhere (2010)
The focus on the newspaper article is also similar to how Steven Spielberg focuses on inanimate objects to show and emphasise the action.
From Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)
However, Emma is visible in this shot of the waitress and Cleo, as this makes it looks as if she has trapped the waitress in the frame by asking her so many questions. It also helps retain the focus on Emma, similar to the shared close-ups used by Harry Winer.
From an episode of Veronica Mars (2004-2007) directed by Harry Winer
I then plan to go from these shot reverse-shot mid close-ups to a wide master shot to establish to the audience where the narrative is and to reveal all the characters in the scene as the conversation progresses.
However, Cleo is still a mystery to Emma so by having her walk into the shot with her back to the audience, she suddenly becomes evident to the audience and Emma at the same time.
With my master shot, I plan to bring it in closer to the characters as Cleo sits down so that there is not so much empty space and it is more focused on the characters, similar to Harry Winer and how he moves his master shots.
I also wanted to position Emma and Cleo at a 90 degree angle to each other, similar to Steven Spielberg, as this hints at the fact they will be directly opposed to one other, Emma being the criminal Cleo is after so they are in conflict. However, as Cleo is quite sympathetic towards Emma and they actually have a lot in common, by positioning them like this and bringing the master shot in closer also creates a very intimate feel at first, luring the audience into a false sense of security, shared by Emma in the narrative.
From Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985)
This reflection of the character's relationship in their positioning was inspired by Feud: Bette and Joan as at first Emma and Cleo are in conflict with one another when Emma realises she is after her, but later their relationship becomes much more personal when Emma discovers Cleo has given up her daughter, similar to how Emma was given up by her parents.
From Feud:Bette and Joan (2017)
I then plan to cut to shared close-up shot reverse-shots of Emma and Cleo. By having them share close-ups it means that the actors can move within the frame whilst they react to the lines which shows the change in the character's relationships, similar to the style of Harry Winer. Therefore, when Cleo begins to figure out why Emma is at the cafe, even if Cleo is the character whose close-up is being shown, the audience will still be able to see Emma pulling away from her.
From an episode of Felicity (2000-2002) directed by Harry Winer
I will get coverage of when Emma stands in the master shot and by following her in the previous shared close-up, but then when Cleo begins to tell Emma who she really is I plan to use a Dutch angle so the frame is tilted. This not only slightly confuses the audience, but also makes them feel off balance and therefore on edge, as Emma begins to feel when she realises who Cleo is. I was inspired by Harry Winer to use this similar to how he does in his work on Veronica Mars to cause this effect, but also by German expressionism. Because of the imbalance in the frame it can 'make the viewer feel how unstable the character or environment really is' (Bowen and Thompson, 2017).
From an episode of Veronica Mars (2004-2007), directed by Harry Winer
For the moment of realisation that Emma has I plan to zoom into her reaction, similar to Steven Spielberg's zooming in and out for emotional identification with his characters. This was also inspired by Harry Winer, Feud:Bette and Joan as well as Once Upon A Time, as has become a common technique since Spielberg begin regularly using it in his films. I plan to use it to speed up the pace of the scene from the relatively slow pace that occurs during most of it, since this is just before the moment Emma runs off.
From Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)
From Vanished by the Lake (2015-)
Scene 2&3:
Throughout this scene, I plan to use sounds such as the noise of the TV in the background along with Cleo showering to show Emma's confinement in the room.
To open the second scene I plan to use a shot parallel to the one that ends the first scene, so that the audience and their focus are still on Emma's reaction, and therefore what she is thinking and feeling. This is often used in Once Upon A Time when transitioning from flashbacks to the present narrative, but I wanted to use it here primarily to keep the focus on Emma so the audience see her as their point of identification.
From Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)
I also plan to shoot Emma's close-ups in this scene from a high angle so the audience are looking down on her, since Cleo is in control in this scene so Emma appears small and powerless. Cleo also will later become visible in Emma's close-up showing how trapped in Emma is by Cleo as she boxes her in her own frame.
From Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993)
However, this is also similar to Sofia Coppola's attention to detail, emphasising the importance of the handcuffs, and how Emma is trapped by the tight framing.
From Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides (1999)
I want to reinforce this power by using a low angle for Cleo's close-up with Emma not visible in the frame, as Cleo is not confined, and therefore appears more significant than the surroundings in the position of authority. These high and low angle shots were inspired by Once Upon A Time and how these are used in the show to express power between characters, and between characters and their surroundings.
From Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)
I then plan to use the camera to follow the action by cutting to the master shot as Emma gets a hairpin out of her pocket, then cut back to the close-up of the handcuffs to see her break the lock, and go back to the master as she gets out of them and goes over to Cleo's bag. This creates the illusion of the audience being like a invisible observer in the fictional world, similar to the effect Harry Winer creates with his directing style.
From Vanished by the Lake (2015-)
However, because of this identification I then decided to use a point of view shot to place the audience in Emma's position, similar to Harry Winer. I wanted to place the audience in Emma's position at this point as not only is it an important moment in the narrative, but it is also a point that could be quite vulnerable for Emma considering her history with her parents. I want the audience at this point to think about what Emma is thinking and feeling, but also by placing them in her position I aim to cause them to think about what they would do in her situation if it were them.
From an episode of Felicity (2000-2002) directed by Harry Winer
As Emma turns around from the table to leave, I plan to use a shot where she is looking at something the audience are not yet aware of, similar to Steven Spielberg. This creates tension because of the uncertainty, especially since this is the last shot of the scene as the audience are left wondering for longer.
From Steven Spielberg's E.T. (1982)
This shot also allows Cleo to be framed by the bathroom door, which was inspired by Feud:Bette and Joan and how the characters are framed in that show by their environments. I think that this will emphasise the power she holds and build on how it was established in the low angle shot from the previous scene. The doorway also could be used to symbolise how she is trapped tracking down Emma as it is her job to do so.
From Feud:Bette and Joan (2017-)
By having Cleo exit this frame to the left also disrupts the established screen direction, which was inspired by Once Upon A Time, as up to now I have aimed to keep Emma as the hero on the left, and Cleo as the villain on the right. However, I want her to exit this frame here on the left as it foreshadows she will bring good news to Emma later in the scene when she agrees to take her to the courthouse to see if they have any information on her parents. It also means that Cleo is looking towards the edge of the frame which is closest to her, which also makes her seem boxed in.
From Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)
To make clear what Cleo is looking at and what has happened to the audience, I plan to use some point of view shots as there is no dialogue to tell this, only action. This also serves to place the audience in Cleo's position so they may think about what they would do in this situation.
When the audience first see Emma in this scene, I plan for her to have her back to the camera so her expression is hidden, as well as what she is looking at. This is similar to how Sofia Coppola hides the expressions of her characters, as I wanted to continue distancing the audience from Emma so that they might begin to identify with Cleo now more is known about her. In this scene, Cleo changes from being Emma's opposition and an obstacle in front of her main aim of searching for her parents, to agreeing to help her take steps to try and find them. Therefore, I want the audience to focus on Cleo and how she changes so her intentions are clear to them, as up until this point she has been so mysterious.
From Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides (1999)
From Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun (1987)
Also, I decided to have both characters facing the camera, which was inspired by Harry Winer, as this creates the impression that the audience are together with the characters, which furthers their immersion and can help with identification. I wanted to achieve this effect here as I want the audience to think about what Emma is asking of Cleo, therefore both characters had to be on equal ground with each other so that the audience can make a fair evaluation of the situation and see it from both of the characters' points of view.
From an episode of Hart to Hart (1984) directed by Harry Winer
However, once Emma is done with trying to persuade Cleo and Cleo is seen thinking, I wanted to cut back to a shot of Cleo, with Emma still visible in the frame so it appears she is stuck thinking about what Emma has presented her with as Emma has taken some power in the situation, but this is also the last time the audience will see Cleo. Therefore, I think that the audience should have a lasting impression of her because she is such an important character but only appears for a short amount of time. I also wanted to focus the audience on her decision as her final word and have it represent her taking some power back in the situation by doing the right thing for Emma as a mentor figure, allowing Emma to become the hero she is in the present narrative of the show.
Scene 4:
To open my last scene, I decided to have Emma walking through the door entering the clothing store to bring the audience into the timeline of this scene being a year later, influenced by Sofia Coppola's corridor shots, but also by her openings of characters in unspecified places as I wanted to show Emma's isolation now Cleo has died.
From Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled (2017)
For this, I intend to use quite wide framing to further emphasise her isolation as she is dwarfed by her surroundings, and emotionally distance the audience from Emma as upon the opening of the scene they are not yet sure of her intentions after the jump of a year.
I also want the characters to be in an L pattern for this, as they are distant and unknown to each other at the moment, and this is the furthest apart two people can be positioned unless they are arranged in an I. I think this would make it look like there was conflict between them which I don't want to aim for, as Emma goes to the clothing store to help Tasha.
By having Emma enter through the door, she will also be framed by the environment, similar to that in Feud:Bette and Joan, emphasising her presence because she has changed a lot from the last scene, and showing her power as she brings knowledge of Tasha's mother to her. This is why I want her to move from left to right, as although the knowledge she brings is not necessary good news, she is bringing it to Tasha with good intentions, helping both her and Tasha let go of their pasts and move onto brighter futures.
However, this pattern changes from an L to an I when Emma goes over to talk to Tasha as the conversation is intimate and personal to Tasha, plus the situation is quite a formal one considering the two characters do not know each other very well. Changing the pattern to accommodate the action and relationship of the characters was inspired by Once Upon A Time, as often in scenes there will be many characters who are constantly moving.
L pattern
A pattern
From Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)
From Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides (1999)
I have decided to place Emma in the centre to again foreshadow the place she will take as 'The Savior' when she does find her parents, and Tasha on the left, as although she does not receive good news she still seems grateful and optimistic about the fact she at least now knows something about where she came from and can move on.
From Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Overall, I aim to focus on Emma, her struggle, and how this meeting with Cleo and her daughter, Tasha, influence Emma greatly in the long run. Therefore, I plan to frame Emma in the centre with select focus for most of the piece, as well as using shots to show power shifts through angles and framing, and how each character is trapped within their own struggle through an emphasis on squares, inspired by Steven Spielberg's emphasis on circles to achieve the opposite effect. By doing this, I hope that the audience will identify with Emma and understand the impact of the final moment when she gets her signature jacket, and transitions from who she was in the past to the hero that is seen by the audience in the show's present narrative.
However, due to getting extra coverage during production, changing the plan slightly once getting to the location and collaborating with the actors, and picking different options in the edit, some of these frames that were planned in my storyboards were slightly changed in the final film.
Production design:
‘As she embraces the story as her own (unless she is also the writer), the director supplies her own interpretation of the words on the page. This will define her vision' (Rea and Irving, 2015:155). Essentially, production design is an important aspect of production because of how it allows the world of the film to be created, making the piece more credible to the viewers. This is put together by the director along with the art director and their team, creating a specific look for the film.
As pointed out by Rea and Irving, colour is an important aspect of this, but ‘what must also be thought out and planned carefully is the meaning of color in your story. There is no one set formula' (2015:178). Although I have researched colour theory for this project, this made me think about and attach new meanings to colour for my own film that fit with the world and characters. Given the content of the narrative I chose to recreate, I decided to give the following colours the following meanings, influenced still by colour theory and how these colours can make the audience feel:
Red- energy
Blue- stability
Green - growth
Brown- security
Purple- ambition
Grey- loss
White- goodness
Therefore, this influenced my decisions about colour whilst making mood boards for the locations of each scene and the costumes of my characters.
For my locations I came up with colour palettes on each mood board using muted colours to achieve the washed out look I aimed for to create a surreal feel as I wanted this to reflect the uncertainty Emma feels about her situation.
At the waterside cafe where we filmed scene 1, I already knew that there were green railings there so I built the rest of my colour palette around this. In my film, I wanted the colour green to symbolise growth, so this fit with the context of the scene because this is where Emma meets Cleo for the first time, a meeting which changes her life and allows her to move on from her past, to grow. Along with the brown of the tables and the blue of the water, symbolising security and stability, I knew also that the water reflected grey, especially if it was overcast, but I found that this represented Emma's loss, especially since where I positioned my characters on the terrace meant they seemed surrounded by water on all sides. I did this to create a false sense of security and make it easy for Cleo to box Emma in, as although in the end Cleo intends to help Emma, at first all she wants is to turn her in so she gets paid.
At the hotel in scene 2, I wanted to include a lot of red for energy, as this is when Emma breaks out of the handcuffs and tries to get away from Cleo to continue her search. Again, I included brown to create a false sense of security, so that the atmosphere of the piece was consistent in both scenes since they take place on the same day. However, I wanted the beginning of this scene to be darker than the light in the first scene, which is also why I decided to have Emma end up sitting on the floor, as she has been thwarted by this stranger who is now more powerful than her, even though she is typically the powerful hero character in the narrative since she primarily drives the story. Therefore, once she escapes, by having her go over to the window the scene is made brighter reflecting that she has again taken control and feels more positive about being able to get back to her search. This brightness is foreshadowed by the flickering of the TV when Cleo leaves, and also by the computer screen which acts as a distraction for Emma, but leads to Cleo agreeing to help her.
To create the flickering of the TV I decided to use the real TV in the hotel room, because it looked more authentic in the frame than I thought a light would have because it was subtle. The light was also always coming from the correct place in the room as I didn't have to move the TV at all because it didn't matter if I caught it in the shots as it looked natural.
For the clothing store in scene 3, I wanted the colours to be brighter within the logo to reflect that it is a company aimed at young people, such as Tasha who works there as this makes it more credible that she has a job there. I wanted the white walls to also show how by helping Tasha, Emma finds her jacket and is one step closer to becoming 'The Savior' the person who possesses the most light magic, when she does return home. Therefore, despite the greys, which I included to reflect both girls sense of loss, I wanted this scene to be the brightest, as I think this will create a shared sense of optimism between the audience and the characters for the future, in contrast to the more washed out, uncertain feeling of the previous scenes.
Clothing can be 'a coded projection of its owner’s social status, self-image, and intentions. Think through what personality and mood each character manifests at different times, and how their clothing might contrast with that of other characters. Think not of color and design alone, but of overall tone in relation to surroundings’ (Rabiger and Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:291). I considered this when creating these mood boards for my characters costumes, especially the contrast, because of how similar Cleo and Emma become and how different this is to Tasha, even though Cleo is her mother.
When thinking about the type of clothes Emma would wear, I immediately thought about how she is constantly on the run so would need to be equipped to deal with all kinds of weather. Therefore, I aimed to create practical look for her by using layers, such as a jumper which would keep her warm under a rain coat which would keep her dry. I decided to have her wear a red jumper under a blue raincoat to symbolise how her want for stability, represented by blue, drives her and undermines her energy, represented by red, which usually causes her to be constantly on the move, as she stays with Cleo much longer than she ever has with anyone else, which is why they become quite attached to each another. I chose light blue specifically so the brightness made her stand out as she is the main character and 'the brightest area will usually attract a viewer’s attention first, especially if there isn’t any movement' (Block, 2008:121). I decided to have her wear boots rather than shoes as they are more practical.
I also decided to keep Emma's glasses and tattoo from the show, as the glasses show that this is Emma when she was younger and help distinguish the jump of a year when she doesn't wear them in the last scene, and her tattoo links her to her parents, although they have not met yet, showing her want to get back to them. Her hairstyle also had to fit her look as Rabiger and Hurbis-Cherrier (2013:291) state, ‘hairstyles tell us much about a character at first glance.’ Therefore, because Emma is quite unkempt I decided to have her wear her hair up in a ponytail because again of practicality, but also because it shows she does not care about her hair, or how she looks, and just throws it up, as all her time is occupied with her thinking of her search. This is also why I wanted her to wear little makeup.
The way Emma's look is so attuned to being outside shows that she is used to it, and that she fits in her surroundings of being outside in scene 1, but seems out of place in scene 2&3 inside the confines of the hotel, furthering the impression she is trapped in an alien environment.
Emma's practical look contrasts with Cleo's as her leather jacket is less suited to the rain or cold. However, her jacket makes her seem more powerful and authoritative because of the associations of this type of clothing with action heroes, which is why I decided to include so much leather in her look. The way she always keeps her jacket close to her at all times highlights its importance to her, and also gives the impression she cares about how she looks, not excessively, but enough that she wants to appear professional and in control. This is furthered by the fact that it is brown leather, representing security, as she seems more sure of who she is than Emma because of how her look is neater and more put together. It also implies she has refined the way she dresses over the years as she is older than Emma, which is why I decided to have her dress in darker colours, as they are more neutral and formal.
I also decided to have her wear her hair up neater than Emma's and wear more makeup than Emma, because these both show she is also practical but business-like, wanting to look presentable but not in sacrifice to not being able to effectively catch criminals like Emma. This is also why I wanted her to wear boots, as they are fashionable but more practical than shoes for running and tracking.
However, in the first scene, Cleo wearing her jacket outside makes her look out of place at the location, showing how she intrudes on Emma there. It fits in the hotel later, representing how she has the power in these scenes because she is in her own environment.
Although there is this contrast between Emma and Cleo at first, when Emma appears in the last scene, she has changed drastically, and does during the scene, making the impact Cleo has on her clear.
I wanted to make this change visible straight away to make clear that a year has passed in the narrative, therefore, I aimed to have Emma look more put together. I aim to achieve this by having her wear her hair down, with more makeup than she has previously worn, as this gives the impression that she has begun to care about her appearance and has her own look she has refined. By her not wearing glasses it furthers the impression she cares about how she looks as it shows she has bothered to get some contact lenses.
However, I wanted to stay with Emma wearing the blue and red, because of her want for stability and her energy, but also add some grey to show her loss, as after meeting Cleo she changes her life and settles down into a job, not pursuing the search for her parents so aggressively. I wanted Emma to enter in blue to show how her career has given her stability, but have this be displaced by the red of her trademark jacket, showing how the energy and determination she has will not go away, but has even been inherited by her son who eventually helps bring her home.
This is in contrast to Tasha who, working at the clothing store, has a much more feminine and glamorous style. Therefore, I wanted her to wear soft colours, such as pink and even lighter denim jeans, to reflect this and make the contrast evident. Because she is a character who cares about how she looks, I aim to show this through her hair and makeup, which although her hair is down it is styled, and she wears more makeup in light colours than Emma and Cleo. Her look makes her fit in with her clothing store surroundings, but also the light colours reflect her youth and optimism.
For the waitress character, I decided on a plain black and white look, because it still looked formal but was minimalistic and therefore practical to work in. I got the actor to wear her hair down with some makeup so that she seemed as if she cared about her appearance in an understated, professional manner.
Sound design:
Sound design can make the world of the film more credible as in real life nothing is ever silent. Therefore, recording good sound during production, adding sound during post-production, and planning during pre-production is essential as ‘the realistic consistency or continuity of the final soundtrack is the goal of the entire production and postproduction sound team. It all starts with the dialogue recorded on set’ (Rea and Irving, 2015:228). Without this consistency the world of the film is not as credible.
Therefore, during pre-production I planned the sound I was going to add later in post-production, as well as considering what sounds would already be present at the locations during production.
Therefore, during pre-production I planned the sound I was going to add later in post-production, as well as considering what sounds would already be present at the locations during production.
Scene 1:
To add atmosphere to the cafe scene, I decided to add the sound of other customers talking in the background, because although none of the other customers except for my characters are visible during the film, this makes it seem more like a functional cafe.
I also added in the sound of birds chirping to go underneath the sounds of wind and other birds that were evident during production to add to the ambience of being beside the lake.
When Emma runs away from Cleo, I also added in a piece of music as, not only is this something that traditionally happens in Once Upon A Time, I thought that it helped give Cleo power, and add emotion as it helped create a sense of urgency as it builds before smashing to black at the end of the scene.
Scene 2:
For the scene in the hotel, I mainly added the sounds during production, as my character turns on a TV so I wanted to ensure that this would be authentic and that the cartoon sounds would actually sound as if they came from the TV. I did this by keeping the phone that the cartoon was playing on as close to the TV as possible during filming. However, during post-production, I did tweak the cartoon music slightly so that it was continuous across each take and the volume was right.
In post-production I also added in the noise of a shower running as one of the characters goes to take a shower, and this made it more authentic but also meant I could more easily control it than I would have been able to if I added it in production.
Scene 3:
At the beginning of the scene in the clothing store, I decided to add the sound of a bell ringing as she enters, since this makes it more credible that this is a working store. This is also why I added a cash register noise towards the end of the scene. I added these both in post-production, again so I could have more control over the volume of them, but also so that I could have a wider range of options by downloading them from the internet.
I also did this when I added some shopping mall exterior ambience of people talking as they walk past. I attempted to make it sound as if it was outside the store by making it suddenly louder when Emma opens the door and enters, but then make it muffled as she shuts the door, enters into the store, and begins talking to Tasha.
When Emma gets her signature jacket at the end of the scene, I added some music to heighten this moment because it is so important. However, I picked this particular theme, titled Hope Will Return, because of how it relates so strongly to the character Emma is in the present narrative, as during the first season of the show it is used to symbolise hope, which Emma is prophesied to help return. It is also part of her parents theme, so it helped with my intention of showing her main goal of searching for them by creating a connection between them.
I also did this when I added some shopping mall exterior ambience of people talking as they walk past. I attempted to make it sound as if it was outside the store by making it suddenly louder when Emma opens the door and enters, but then make it muffled as she shuts the door, enters into the store, and begins talking to Tasha.
When Emma gets her signature jacket at the end of the scene, I added some music to heighten this moment because it is so important. However, I picked this particular theme, titled Hope Will Return, because of how it relates so strongly to the character Emma is in the present narrative, as during the first season of the show it is used to symbolise hope, which Emma is prophesied to help return. It is also part of her parents theme, so it helped with my intention of showing her main goal of searching for them by creating a connection between them.
Mood/tone/visual style:
‘Each film projects the specifics of a way of life, and each by design expresses a point of view on the enclosed world it presents. Everything is involved: locations, casting, lighting design, furnishings, clothes, props, music, sound design, and even the weather.’
(Rabiger and Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:293)
This quote shows how important it is for films to each have a distinct tone and mood which are created through the visual style the director decides to use, as each film is its own enclosed world, with the narrative showing a specific point in time in that world.
Therefore, when planning my storyboards I kept in mind that the choices I made for each shot would define how my style was created, and in consequence how the world was portrayed to the audience.
Because of the theme of the narrative being Emma looking for her parents constantly, as well as Cleo being trapped by having to turn Emma in to get paid in her job, I decided to go against Steven Spielberg's use of circles, and instead use squares throughout the film to trap my characters. For example, as seen above, the mirror traps in the character of Cleo as the audience only see her reflection, the laptop creates a closed frame to hide the website that could help Emma, and Emma is trapped by the edge of the frame and Cleo's reflection. This is also shown in the first scene by how close Cleo purposely sits to Emma, shutting her in more than if she had sat further away. This created a boxed in, enclosed feel to the world, symbolising each of the characters' challenges, but also helping the audience to feel what they are going through.
However, in the fourth scene, I purposely used less squares and trapped the characters less in their frames by using close-ups from an inside perspective, and using a wider open space. This is because of how Emma changes and stops searching for her parents so she is no longer trapped, and even helps Cleo's daughter to be less trapped by helping her find out who she is.
I also aimed to put the audience on edge at certain points during the film, such as when it is revealed how much Cleo knows about Emma during the first scene. To do this, I used the Dutch angle, which was inspired by German expressionism, as this unbalances the frame, and sets the world on a tilt, making the audience uneasy. I also used high and low angle shots in the second scene to show the power Cleo has over Emma, making the audience uncomfortable because they are forced into the perspective of looking up at Cleo, who seems unnaturally tall, and looking down at Emma, who suddenly seems small and helpless.
Therefore, when planning my storyboards I kept in mind that the choices I made for each shot would define how my style was created, and in consequence how the world was portrayed to the audience.
Because of the theme of the narrative being Emma looking for her parents constantly, as well as Cleo being trapped by having to turn Emma in to get paid in her job, I decided to go against Steven Spielberg's use of circles, and instead use squares throughout the film to trap my characters. For example, as seen above, the mirror traps in the character of Cleo as the audience only see her reflection, the laptop creates a closed frame to hide the website that could help Emma, and Emma is trapped by the edge of the frame and Cleo's reflection. This is also shown in the first scene by how close Cleo purposely sits to Emma, shutting her in more than if she had sat further away. This created a boxed in, enclosed feel to the world, symbolising each of the characters' challenges, but also helping the audience to feel what they are going through.
However, in the fourth scene, I purposely used less squares and trapped the characters less in their frames by using close-ups from an inside perspective, and using a wider open space. This is because of how Emma changes and stops searching for her parents so she is no longer trapped, and even helps Cleo's daughter to be less trapped by helping her find out who she is.
I also aimed to put the audience on edge at certain points during the film, such as when it is revealed how much Cleo knows about Emma during the first scene. To do this, I used the Dutch angle, which was inspired by German expressionism, as this unbalances the frame, and sets the world on a tilt, making the audience uneasy. I also used high and low angle shots in the second scene to show the power Cleo has over Emma, making the audience uncomfortable because they are forced into the perspective of looking up at Cleo, who seems unnaturally tall, and looking down at Emma, who suddenly seems small and helpless.
To further this, and make the world of the film feel slightly surreal, I also aimed to use washed out, muted colours, and as much natural light as possible, as even if the frame is over exposed it still creates the feeling of being in a dream. The sun helped with this during the first scene, and during the second and third scene I made sure that lamps were on in the hotel room, even though it was daylight outside, because the window was so small that not much light could get in. In the final scene, I used the lights on the ceiling, as well as having my character stand against a plain white wall, as this helped to make her the focus, and brighten the frame.
Although, I purposely used natural light because I knew it would make the film look more like a documentary than a narrative, as it is less stylised. This was because, although I wanted some surrealism, I also wanted the story to feel realistic and grounded in this world but headed towards a fantasy world. This was inspired by how many of Sofia Coppola's films, such as Lost in Translation, often have a documentary-like feel, but are also somewhat surreal in places also.
The weather helped when filming outside as well. On the day I filmed outside I wanted it to be overcast, as Emma's feelings throughout the narrative are mainly negative, as she is cynical, and seems fed up to be constantly searching only to have this interrupted by Cleo. The overcast day helped to reflect these negative feelings because of the grey sky, making the mood of the film during this scene somewhat unhappy, but not dark or drab because the sun was still shining so it could act as a key light to separate the actors from the background, and made the scene still feel as if it could be hopeful.
This was the mood I wanted to achieve with the other scenes, as through the picture Cleo has of Tasha in her wallet, the desperation of Emma to go to the courthouse to see if they have any information that could help her search, and her transformation into the familiar hero she is in the show at the very end are all hopeful of reconciliation and a brighter future ahead of the characters. For this reason I used natural light in scene 1 with the overcast sky, the lamps in the hotel in scenes 2&3, and the bright ceiling lights in scene 4, as well as the music at the end when Emma gets her jacket to create hope for the audience. However, as I didn't want to transition too fast from the unhappiness of scene 1 to the more hopeful later scenes, I tried to achieve this more consistently by having Emma sit on the floor in the second scene, where it is darker than the rest of the room, and then walk into the lighter part of the room where she finds the computer with information about the courthouse on it.
Although, I purposely used natural light because I knew it would make the film look more like a documentary than a narrative, as it is less stylised. This was because, although I wanted some surrealism, I also wanted the story to feel realistic and grounded in this world but headed towards a fantasy world. This was inspired by how many of Sofia Coppola's films, such as Lost in Translation, often have a documentary-like feel, but are also somewhat surreal in places also.
The weather helped when filming outside as well. On the day I filmed outside I wanted it to be overcast, as Emma's feelings throughout the narrative are mainly negative, as she is cynical, and seems fed up to be constantly searching only to have this interrupted by Cleo. The overcast day helped to reflect these negative feelings because of the grey sky, making the mood of the film during this scene somewhat unhappy, but not dark or drab because the sun was still shining so it could act as a key light to separate the actors from the background, and made the scene still feel as if it could be hopeful.
This was the mood I wanted to achieve with the other scenes, as through the picture Cleo has of Tasha in her wallet, the desperation of Emma to go to the courthouse to see if they have any information that could help her search, and her transformation into the familiar hero she is in the show at the very end are all hopeful of reconciliation and a brighter future ahead of the characters. For this reason I used natural light in scene 1 with the overcast sky, the lamps in the hotel in scenes 2&3, and the bright ceiling lights in scene 4, as well as the music at the end when Emma gets her jacket to create hope for the audience. However, as I didn't want to transition too fast from the unhappiness of scene 1 to the more hopeful later scenes, I tried to achieve this more consistently by having Emma sit on the floor in the second scene, where it is darker than the rest of the room, and then walk into the lighter part of the room where she finds the computer with information about the courthouse on it.
Editing:
Before editing my footage together, I first thought of what my intentions were for showing the narrative - was it plot-driven or character-driven? After thinking about the narrative I was telling I decided that because of how it revolves around Emma and her search it was more character driven than plot. The book The technique of film and video editing: history, theory, and practice prompted me to think about this, where it states that, ‘The character-driven film often relies on screenwriting and performance to convey the complexity and dramatic intention of the characters…Not only does the editor have to edit for a clear, coherent performance, but she also has to pay attention to tonal consistency’ (Dancyger, 2011: 248).
Therefore, throughout the editing process, I have aimed to focus on the actor's performances more than the action by picking the takes where their performance best conveys the characters' struggles.
Assembly cut:
First, I cut together an assembly cut, which involved just the master shot of each scene so that I could see the action and order that the scenes were going to be in before cutting into it with different angles and shot sizes. This was helpful because it also meant I could see how the sound was at each location during each take, which affected my decision of also cutting into the sound in late cuts, especially during the first scene.
Scene tests:
Before finishing my rough cut, I first exported out all of my scenes separately to see if each of the cuts in relation to each other and fit my original intentions. The only scene I took a cut out of after this was scene 1, scenes 2, 3, and 4 did not change. This is because my intention for the whole film was to keep the focus on Emma, but in the test for scene 1 I included a cut that showed her running around the side of the table so that Cleo was focused more on in the frame. I thought that this not only didn't match what I wanted to aim for, but also was unnecessary to show as this piece of action was already conveyed in the cut where her reaction to Cleo is seen and then the jump cut, so it was only there to fill in a gap that didn't need to be filled.
Rough cut:
When making this cut I kept in mind that when editing, ‘You can’t really know if a cut will work until you make it. When in doubt, make the cut and move on. The more quickly you make one cut, the sooner you can move on to the next one. There is no point agonizing over each cut’ (Rea and Irving, 2013:278). This helped me to make quicker decisions when editing which I think in the end turned out better as they seemed to naturally fit into the flow of the edit.
Although, I did use my storyboards to see where I wanted to make cuts and which angle I wanted to use to achieve my aims. This helped as because of the storyboards even when directing during production I found I was still thinking about what I wanted to show in the edit, meaning that this cut came together without me losing my initial planned intentions. However, I did make some changes during production which affected the edit, such as changing how Emma and Cleo sit in relation to each other during the first scene being in an L shape, rather than an I. This meant that the master shot ended up looking different than planned which I had to accommodate in the edit when covering all the action. However, this didn't change what I had planned too much, but just meant that I added in a close-up of the character of Cleo when she first approaches Emma.
What I didn't like about this edit was that I crossed the line during the fourth scene, which hopefully could be fixed by flipping the image.
Some other challenges I had during this cut were that the shot of the exterior of the hotel was at first too overexposed, which I fixed by changing the exposure, contrast, and highlight settings of it on PremierePro until the colours looked sharper.
Although, I did use my storyboards to see where I wanted to make cuts and which angle I wanted to use to achieve my aims. This helped as because of the storyboards even when directing during production I found I was still thinking about what I wanted to show in the edit, meaning that this cut came together without me losing my initial planned intentions. However, I did make some changes during production which affected the edit, such as changing how Emma and Cleo sit in relation to each other during the first scene being in an L shape, rather than an I. This meant that the master shot ended up looking different than planned which I had to accommodate in the edit when covering all the action. However, this didn't change what I had planned too much, but just meant that I added in a close-up of the character of Cleo when she first approaches Emma.
What I didn't like about this edit was that I crossed the line during the fourth scene, which hopefully could be fixed by flipping the image.
Some other challenges I had during this cut were that the shot of the exterior of the hotel was at first too overexposed, which I fixed by changing the exposure, contrast, and highlight settings of it on PremierePro until the colours looked sharper.
Left: before Right: after
I also found that when creating the jump cut I had to be aware of when I wanted the cuts to happen, as if they occurred to fast the audience could become confused, but if they were too slow it would be boring:
This is why I picked the speed of 45% slowed down to create my jump cut, as I thought it wasn't too fast or too slow compared to the other speeds.
Fine cut:
In the fine cut, I then refined the cuts I had already made and added extra sound for ambience and authenticity as well as credits and titles to make it more completed.
To pick a title card, I considered how Once Upon A Time uses a different object or person behind the title to hint at what the episode will focus on. As my narrative focused on Emma and her search, I looked at different title cards which have been used before in the show to represent the episodes which centre on her story:
However, I decided to pick one which I don't remember being in front of an episode, but that I found when looking at press releases about season 6 because of how it featured a bird which reminded me of a swan, Emma's last name being Swan, and that it was mainly blue, representing not only the typical title colour, but also Emma's want for stability. The water is reflective which fits my intention of making clear The Evil Queen's presence through mirrors in each scene. I also thought the bare tree branches made it look as if it is in winter and the somewhat overcast sky fit better with the look of my production, as it looks similar to the fish farm because of how it fits with the same weather that we had on the day of filming.
What I liked about this cut was that it began to have the feel I wanted to achieve with the music and cleaner cuts. However, the sound also helped with this as during this cut I split the sound up further so that it was more continuous than it had been in the rough cut with regards to volume and background noise, which made the film feel more real and less choppy. This is what I wanted to achieve as I aimed to tell the story with 'inflection; that is, having an active and critical eye for contradictions and ironies, raising questions, and implying a critical mind and heart at work’ (Rabiger and Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013:300), so that it seemed that the world was being viewed by someone active, like the viewer, and took the place of the more passive still camera which was evident in the assembly cut.
To fix the problem of crossing the line in the fourth scene I flipped the videos, but also was able to use an opacity mask to cover up objects in the frame that were out of place when the video was flipped, such as the shoes on the counter, and then replace them with the plain white wall behind my character so that it was not noticeable.
What I think wasn't working was that during the first scene one of the close-ups is slightly overexposed making it seem blurry, and that to make the shop seem more authentic more ambience needs to be added in the background.
Final cut:
What I liked about this cut was that it has come a long way from my first rough cut, allowing me to realise my intentions, as well as build on these more by slightly changing some of the things I had originally planned. However, there were some things I had to fix before this cut was completed such as attempting to add a moving shot of the point of view shot of the newspaper in the first scene. I used three different cameras to test this, a DSLR, a FujiFilm camera, because I hoped the added grain and pixels would make it look like it was moving, and my phone. This was difficult because of how I found that the videos from the phone and FujiFilm camera were too blurry due to the aspect ratio they were filmed in being too small. However, I found that the video from the DSLR worked as the aspect ratio was correct, therefore this was the one I picked to use in my film after some colour correction to make it more white and less orange:
Also, because I added the UCA TV Production intro before my own Once Upon A Time title sequence, I found that the static caused the title card to blur slightly before appearing:
Therefore, I fixed this by changing the cross dissolve before my Once Upon A Time title card to a straight cut in order to solve the blurring.
References:
Block, Bruce A. (2008) The visual story: creating the visual structure of film, TV and digital media. (2nd ed.) Amsterdam; Boston: Focal Press
Bowen, Christopher J. And Thompson, Roy (2017) Grammar of the shot. (4th ed.) New York: Taylor & Francis
Dancyger, Ken (2011) The technique of film and video editing: history, theory, and practice. (5th ed.) New York: Focal Press
DeKoven, Lenore (2006) Changing direction: a practical approach to directing actors in film and theatre. Amsterdam; London: Focal
Katz, Steven D. (1991) Film directing: shot by shot: visualising from concept to screen. Studio City, Calif.: Michael Wiese Productions
Rabiger, Michael and Hurbis-Cherrier, Mick (2013) Directing: film techniques and aesthetics. (5th ed.) New York: Focal Press
Rea, Peter W. and Irving, David K. (2015) Producing and directing the short film and video. (5th ed.) New York: Focal Press, Taylor & Francis Group
Yunuen Lewis, Caitlin (2011) ‘Cool Postfeminism: The Stardom of Sofia Coppola’ In: Holmes, Su (ed.) and Negra, Diane (ed.) In the limelight and under the microscope: forms and functions of female celebrity. New York: A&C Black
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