Ancient Promises

Rochester Institute of Technology

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Thesis/Dissertation Collections

2004

Ancient Promises

Mohamad Rozi Mohd Nor

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Recommended Citation

Ancient Promises

By

Mohamad Rozi Mohd Nor

Submitted in partial fullfillment of the requirements for

the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Imaging Arts

/

Computer Animation

School of Film and Animation

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester

,

New York

July 2004

Stephanie Maxwell

Duane Palyka

Permission Granted

I

,

MohamadRozi, hereby grant permission to the Wallace Library ofRIT to reproduce my

thesis

in

whole or in Dart

.

Any reproduction will not be for commercial use or profit.

Acknowledgements

Iwish_especiallytothankProfessor Stephanie Maxwellwhohas become mygreat

advisor. Herconcern and contributionto thisworkis

highly

appreciated. Ifeel indebted toher

kindness

_{for proofreading}thisreport which made methink thatsheismorethana

teacher. Iwillrememberherwords and wishherallthebest!

Inaddition, Iwishto thankthe

following

_people,Professor Duane

Palyka,

Tereza

Table

of

Content

Acknowledgements

Thesis Report

Introduction

ConceptandThesis Proposal Process

Story

Idea

Movie Title: Ancient Promises

Why

Live Action?

Acting

Actor/Actress/Extras CostumesandAccessories

Make

Up

Crew Members

Finding

theTurtles

Shooting

Locations Preproduction

1. Script

2. StoryboardandAnimatic 3. ToolsandTechniques

4.

Shooting

Experience 5.

Cinematography

6. The Visuals Line 7.

Using

Pan Shots 8.

Using

TiltsShots

9. Problems

During

Preproduction 10. Solutionsto theAboveProblems Postproduction

1. ToolandTechniques 2.

Editing

and

Compositing

3. Visual ColorsandEffects 4. Critiques

5. Music 6.

Continuity

7. Basic PrincipleofContrast 8. Visual Elements

Tableofcontents

(continued)

Appendix

A

Original Thesis

Proposal

Appendix

B

Complete Storyboard

Appendix C

Production Stills

Appendix D

Shot List

Introduction

My

exposuretonotable

filmmakers

like

OskarFischingerandNormanMcLarenin liberalarts classes

had

opened _mymindto

try

anovel

idea

and new alternative mediafor

mythesisproject. Their

films

were so phenomenal andinnovativeand _{really influenced} meto

imitate

their

free

approach. I wouldnot have known aboutthese artistsif had I not

attendedRIT. The experienceIgained in

implementing

this project was _really

meaningfulto mebecause it changed_mywayof

thinking

tobemorecreativeandboldto propose newideas for my

future films.

Thisassignment wasa real challengebecause it

trained metobea professional filmmakerwhile

teaching

methe twists andturns ofthe

preproduction and postproduction processes. It was notas_easyasI expectedittobe.

SinceIwillbean educatorat ahigher institution in Malaysia somedayI hopeto servethe

youngnation withthisnewrevolution.

Concept and Thesis Proposal Process

The story isabout agirl whoachieves hermythological

destiny

throughher

metamorphosis fromahuman formto thatofaseaturtlewhich symbolizesuniversal

love,

fertility

and desire.

During

preproduction theoriginalconcept (see Thesis Proposal in Appendix

A)

tookadramatic_shift,

becoming

lessofatraditional narrativeworkand

evolving more

into

avisual lyrical

form.

Ancient Promises begins withthe

female lead

character_appearingrestless

during

her

strangely frantic investigationsonabeach. She hearsvoices whichsurprise and

intrigue

her. Her

discovery

ofaturtleand thelossof_{her ring}

increases

the tensionofthestory.

Ultimately,

thegirlwill discoverthe_meaningofthe turtle'sappearance and swim

into

the seatobecome aturtleherself. Iwantedtoevoke a mysterious

transformation,

as

if

a

spiritualtransformationof an individualto hertrueand naturalself. I

especially

wanted

theaudiencetobe active(not passive)participantstodiscover the

meaning

ofthestory.

Story

Idea

Theoriginal ideaofthe _storycametomeina script_writingclasstaught

by

Professor

Skip

Battaglia. This was

during

_my

first

quarterinthegraduate programatRIT. The

story gradually changedovertimeand after

being

reviewed intheGraduate Seminar

class, itwas

finally

approved

by

thethesis proposalreview committee onOctober

25,

2003.

The story inmorevisual detailrevealsamysterious

lady

who ownsaspecial ring. As usualshe sits

by

the

beach,

_staringatthe_ringand theocean.

Suddenly

she hearsastrange voice _{calling for help. The}voice draws herattentionand she goes

looking

its

source. She

finally

finds

an

injured

fishonthebeachtrappedinafishnet. Shemanagestosavethe

fish

by

_releasing

it into

theocean,

but

unfortunately herring, which she putonthebeach

during

herwater release ofthe

fish,

has

vanished. The ringwas so meaningful toherso she searcheseverywhere aroundherto

find

it.

Suddenly

aman appears fromtheocean

andreturnsher lostring. The

lady

realizeswhothe man_really

is

and

finally

decides to

follow him

into

themysterious oceanheaded for "home".

Ireceived great feedback fromthecommittee andthought abouthowI

'could

improve

the

story. InNovember

2003,

I decidedtoswitch _mythesisadvisorfrom Professor Duane PalykatoProfessorStephanie Maxwell. Thiswas dueto_my experiencein Stephanie's

class(Experimental

Animation)

which ledmetobelievethatherexpertise in

live

action,

animationand experimentalprocesseswas morealigned withhow Iwishedto approach

mywork. Herclasscontent andherunique personal works_really

inspired

me. What madeherso specialto mewasherwillingnessto hearand shareother people's

ideas. She

had

creativethoughtsand alwaysgave me constructive comments on_my work. The meetingsI hadwithher everytwoweekshelped metorestructure and

develop

the_story

into what

it is

today. I madealotofchangesto

improve

the_storyandthis_ultimately

The_story, which

involved

a

fish

in

its

_preliminary

idea,

waslaterchangedtoincorporate

aturtle. Ithought aturtlewas abettercharacterthana

fish,

because fishappearsooften in

films

that

they

have

become

cliche. Theprojectcamejust intime_{because my}

family

and Iwere_planningtoreturntoMalaysia

for

summerbreak. Thiswas agreatopportunity

formetoget

footage

because Malaysia

is

oneofthefewcountriesintheworld where turtlesgotonest.

Movie Title: Ancient Promises

Thistitlewas

discovered

withthe

help

of_my advisorStephanieMaxwell. Her ideato

look up poemsontheinternetwasthebest solutiontofindtheright_{title, because} most

poems

typically

use rich andbeautiful phrases. I am so

happy

withthe titlebecause

it is

so symbolic and corresponds sowellto the content and _meaningofthestory. _{It really}

madetheaudience curioustoknowwhat wasthepromiseswere.

Why

Live Action?

One generallythinksthatavideographermight

haveabackground in photography. Thisistruefor

mebecause I loved capturingstill pictureswhenI wasateenager. I became familiarwith video cameras when Iwasin New Zealand

during

_my

undergraduate studies. In

1992,

Iboughta

Sony

Camcorderandused it forsome school_projects,

family

_vacations, personal video clips

and_weddingceremonies. Thatwas nine years ago. Since studyingat

RIT,

_my

interest

and _{understanding}of motion pictures productionhas flourishes.

But,

I _really

became

inspired aboutproduction when I boughta newMini DVcamera. Itisa small video camera with excellent picturequality, andthe

transferring

process

is

so quick and easy.

Thiscamerahas helped metowork with

freedom,

independence

and withouttime

constraints.

I neverattended_{any acting}or

directing

_classes, but I felt confidentto do liveaction

becauseof_my

informal knowledge

and_mypast experience. Iregardedthisproject as a challengetoprepare myselfwithvarious skills. I had

formerly

produced 2D animation

workfor my

Spring

2001 project and a3Danimation for myWinter 2002project. For

my finalthesisproductionI

decided

todo an experimental work. Sincethiswork

concerned

humans

and natureIthought

live

action wouldbethebest approachto tell the

story.

Experimental filmand experimental animationhave been my favorite subjects since _my

studiesforthebachelor's degree.

Unfortunately,

Ineverhad a chanceto_{do any}

experimental workbecause mymajor _study atthat timewas computer graphicsdesign.

When Iwas _workingat TV3 in Malaysia I still didn'tget a chanceto do

it,

because my

job

was_producingtraditionalcomputer graphics for TVprograms. So Ithought that_my thesis project wouldbethe_{best opportunity for}meto experimentbothwithtechniques

and expressions_using animation and liveactionproduction.

Therewereafew factorsthatencouraged meto do liveaction:

1)

Liveaction was anewchallenge forme since _{my former}works wereanimations,

2)

Live action showsnatural humancharacters and facialexpressions,

3)

Liveaction can show representational

"reality"

(space,

colors,textures, etc.),

4)

Liveactionallowed meto experimentwithnaturalelements

(water,

fire)

tocreate more _engagingeffects,

5)

Liveaction can show subtledetailsof

figures/objects,

etc.

6)

Liveaction wouldtrain metobeamore professional

director,

7)

Liveaction was an enjoyable

"job"

because forthisproduction I

intended

toshoot

Acting

I

- _*w

\j

Acting

in apublic spacewas _challenging

for bothoftheactorswho werenot

professionallytrainedandwho neededto

perform naturally.

They

sometimes

felt

uncomfortablewhenpeoplewere _staring

atthemwhile_acting a shot. These situations

decreased

theirconcentration

and

increased

theirchances tomake mistakes. Iknowthat_{acting is}ahard job for anybody, especially forthosewhoare newcomers to thisfield. Therewere several shots

and scenesthatcould notbe performed

by

theactors andI hadto

find

on-the-spot

solutionstobeableto completethe_shootingand maintaincontinuity. For

instance,

I

wouldgivethemexamplestoletthempractice priorto the shoot or changetheactions.

Fortunately,

therewas no dialoguewhich wouldhavemadethisproduction_very difficult.

However,

Iwas soimpressed withthe

actors'

spiritandtalent

during

the

filming

days,

evenifthiswastheir_{first acting debut.}

In critiquing myworkI have foundthatalarge drawback intheshotswas_{my lack} of

emphasison facial expression.Facial expressionis important inacting, because itshows theinterna] and psychological state of_{the character,} and it helpstheaudienceto

appreciateandunderstandthestory. I didn't really spendenoughtime toexplainto the

actors much aboutfacial expressionbecause Ithought that_mimingwas good enough. But Iwas wrong. Facial expression should alwaysbeemphasized_{especially for}non-lip-synch

inorderto increaseaudience understanding. Hadtherebeena stronger emphasison facial

Actress/Actor/Extras

Finding

actorswasn't an_easy

job.

They

needed topossesstherighttraitsand have

the _abilityto do arangeoffacial expressions

and

body

gestures. Physical appearance

needsto appealto theaudiencewhotends to

wantto see good

looking

characters.

-. --.

Sincethis _story

involved

loveand passionIthought teenagerswerethebest age_groupto

playtheroles.

They

area_young, exuberantand energeticgroup. Theturtlesalso were

young, both onlytwoyears old which Ithought approximatedthesame age astheir

humancounterparts.

Thereweretwopotential actresses

during

the selection, andI

finally

picked Siti Nuras

themain character. Thiswas dueto the_personalitythat shepossessed. Shewas _mywife's

cousin, whois 1 8 yearsold andhad just finished high school. Foran actorIpickedZakri

Shaari. Hewas _{my brother}

in-law,

and 16 yearsold, and until_recentlystill a studentin

highschool. InAncient

Promises, they

_practically seemed aperfect match

Siti Nurwasa great actress. She was_very cooperative and never seemed_unhappy

during

the _{shooting days.} Iwas_{very impressed}withherspirit

during

the_{first shooting day. The}

temperaturewas

blazing

hot,

and shedidn'tmind _walkingaroundbarefootona_very

hot

beach. Zakriwas atalented _guytoo.Hewas a great swimmerand _very

brave

to actinthe

water scene.

Last but notleastwere_mytwinboys.

They

were6years old.

They

were so excitedtobe

filmed. Theirrole wasto swim nakedinthepoolas iftheactress andthe actor were

Thiswas a simulated scenethatwouldbe impossible ifattempted

by

theadult actors. On

the

day

ofthe shoot

they

were_competing against each othertoshow offtheirswimming skills. Itwas a

funny

day. Forthisunderwater sceneIbought alargeportable pool- 110L

x67Wx 18H

inches.

This

blue

pool was

big

enough toletthechildren swim backand

forth. Tomakethescene appeartobe

like

areal oceanI released about20small fishes in

thepool andtheresult was_very

impressive

Costumes andAccessories

Inthiswork Iwantedto showthe

identity

ofthe traditional costumethat

is

typically

worn

by

Malaysianwomen. It'scalled a"BajuKebaya". It haswhitefloral motifswith ablue

background. I alsobought a_necklace, earringsand abraceletthatweremadeout ofsea

shells fortheactresstowear. Thiswould strengthenthe ideathat the

female

main

characteris

intrinsically

connectedto the ocean, whichshe will

finally

inhabit.

Make

Up

"Carefully

applied _make-up

is

_necessarynotjusttodisguisealess-than-perfect

face

but alsotohightlight a subject'sgood

features,

such asbone _structure, shape of_eyes,

forehead,

nose, and so on. Thisappliestomale as well asfemale_subjects, although when

dealing

with a male subjectthe_{make-upusually}needstobe 'invisible'

-just sufficientto

do

the

job,

butnot so muchasto beobvious." (Reference

1)

Beforethe_{shooting began I} made suretheactresshad therightlook for mystory. How

shelooked inthefirst shot wouldbemaintaineduntil theendoftheshots.

Shooting

startedintheafternoon whenthesun was downat 45

degrees.

Usually

atthis

condition caused problemswiththeactress make_{up it began}to smudge. So fromtime to

timeherappearance wouldbecheckedtomaintain animportant_continuitythroughout

theshoot. Thiswas_{especially important because}the shots were createdina sequential

manner

paralleling

the _story

development

and _any changesinthemake_up would createa

discontinuity.

Generally

make_up

is

importanttoavoidthe _shiny skin caused

by

perspiration.

By

applyingmakeup, theactresswill lookmore natural and elegant. Ononeoccasion, I

ignored

themake_up fora series ofshots andIthoughtit wouldn't affecttheactress's

appearance onthevideo. But Iwas wrong. Theactress looked so differentwithout make

up. But Iam

fortunate

because I usedabluecolorfilter inpostproductionwhich gavea

uniformblue pallorto theflesh tones of allthe shots

Inadditiontofacial make_upthehairstyle also needed great care.

Long

hair is hardto

control _especially

during

thewind. Since hairnever stops_growingtheactorslooked

slightly different fromweektoweek. I didn't noticethatuntil Iwasinthe

post-production stage. I hoped nobody wouldnotice the

difference,

and

fortunately

_nobody

everhas. Ilearned thatphysical change might confusethe audienceaboutthe _reality of

thefilm. I took thisas a goodlessontobe more careful inthefuture.

Crew Members

Iwas sofortunatetohavesuchagreatteam_workingwith meto ensurethe successof

AncientPromises.

My friend,

Jasni whoisnow_workingasagraphic artist atthe

Motorola

Company

inMalaysia sacrificedhis freetimeto

help

meonthe

first

_shooting

day. Hispresence_{really increased my} confidence and_workingspirit. Hewas

formerly

myclassmate atthe_university and_mycoworkerina multimedia _{company in}

Malaysia

My

wife,

Zairani,

hasalso made a

big

contributionto thework. She becamethemake_up

artistandalso coached theactressintermsofhernatural performance. Shetook care of

the

actress'

appearance

during

all ofthe_shooting

days,

and shealso prepared foodsand

drinks

for

everybody

_{and assisted me whenever needed.}

Finding

theTurtles

"The seaturtle's

body

is

_wonderfully

adaptedto

life

intheocean. Their shells

arelighterand more streamlined than

thoseoftheir terrestrial _{counterparts,} and

their

front

and rear

limbs

have evolved

into flippers

_makingthem efficient and

graceful _swimmers, capableof_swimming

long

distances

ina_relativelyshort period of

time.

Sea

turtles have been knownto movethrough thewaterasfast as35 mph. When

active, seaturtles swimto the surface_{every few} minutesinordertobreathe. When

sleepingor _resting,which _usuallyoccurs at_night,adult seaturtles can remain underwater formorethan2

hours

without

breathing.

This

is

dueto thefactthat turtles are capableof

containing higher concentrationsofcarbondioxide intheir bloodthan mostother

air-breathing

animals, enablingthemto usetheiroxygen_veryefficiently. Bothmuscles and

blood

areableto storeoxygen in large _{quantities, allowing}seaturtlestoremain

underwaterforsuch

long

periodsoftime. Juvenileseaturtles havenot

developed

this

abilityaswell as adultsandmust _sleepafloat atthewater'ssurface".

(Reference

7)

Malaysiaisoneofthefewcountries in theworldwhereturtlesgotonest. Rantau

Abang

inthe state of

Terangganu

ontheEast CoastofMalaysiaisa

famous

_{beach for watching}

Leatherback

turtles,

the

biggest

turtles intheworld. It isaboutan eight-hour

drive from

IwentbacktoMalaysiawith_my

family

in November 2003. Afteraweek ofjet

lag

I

began

research onturtlelocations in Malaysia. I

found

outthat theDepartmentof

Fisheries

wastheresponsibleorganizationtodealwith. I calledtheofficerincharge, En.

Khalil,

and explained_my

intentions

and askedhim aboutthenearestturtle location from

whereI live. Hetold methat Segari Turtle Management

Centre,

inthestate ofPerakon

theWest CostofMalaysiawastwo

hours

away. He also gave mepermissiontousea

turtle, but disallowed meto

bring

theturtle out ofthe area as

they

are aprotected animal

in Malaysia. The shootingand _anyotheractivitiesthat

involved

theturtlewould haveto

becompleted intheturtle'snatural locations. In

Malaysia,

those who arefound

possessingaturtlewill

be

prosecuted. This

is

becausethe turtle has been documentedas

an endangered species, dueto a

decline

intheir population all overtheworld

After agreeingwith alltherules and_regulations, heasked metomake arrangements with

Pak

Tarn,

whoistheresponsiblekeeper intheCentre. The appointment was setfor

December

20,

2003.

Shooting

Locations

The first shooting

day

I was wraught with anxiety. Thiswasthe time that Iwas_waiting

for. We leftatteno'clockinthe morning, crossingthe_countrysideto theWestCoast.

The shooting location was_{away from}thecommotion ofthecity. Nowonder

it

has

becomeaplace populated

by

turtleswhotravel therefornesting. Turtlesare _solitaryand

need aquiet anddiscreet beach sothat

they

feelcomfortable and safe.

The Centrewas_nearbythebeach andhas becomeatourist attraction in Malaysia. We

reachedthereat noon_time, and received awarmwelcomefrom Pak Tarn. He

is

the_only

personwhoisappointedtoworkthere, and he

is

responsiblefor

taking

care oftheCentre.

Hewas

informed

by

theofficeroftheDepartmentofFisheriesabout _myintentionto

"borrow"

aturtle. Itook a momenttoexplaintoPak Tarnabouttheproject so attheleast

he knewwhat _my

intentions

and goalswere. He lookedso excited about_myproject and

pledgedto

help

mewheneverpossible.

Aftera

long

_{conversation,} Pak Tarn broughtustosee a_groupof adultturtles. I couldn't

waitto seethem

because

I hadnever seen a real turtle_{in my life.}

They

were Green

Turtles! The

first

sight ofthemwas so inspiring.

They

are suchbeautiful and unique

marine creatures. Wewere_eventually taken to see

baby

turtles intwo small pools. This

was whatIwantedto see. Therewerehundredsofthem _{energetically}swimming. The

first

pool wasfor brandnew_turtles, and the secondpool wasfortwoyearoldturtles. I

picked one ofthem_upand lookatitcarefully. Turtleshave

long

front

flippers,

ahard

shell, and _sharp teeth.

They

arealso _veryclean reptiles.

They

arebeautiful animals.This

experience made methinkabouthowgreatGod is for creatingsuch creatures

Thereare seven speciesofmarineturtlesinthe worldand fourofthese specieslandand

lay

theireggs onMalaysian beaches.

They

aretheLeatherback

Turtle,

Hawksbill

Turtle,

Green Turtleand theOlive

Ridley

Turtle. The_{Centre only keeps Green Turtles}and Olive

Ridley

Turtles. Idecided tousethe twoyearold Green Turtlewhich isthe size of a

saucer.

"The Green Turtle (Chelonia

Mydas)

isso calledbecause ofthepresence ofa green

colored

fat

withinits body. Its outside

body

isof adark brown shade. Anadulthas an

average size of about 1.2 metersin

length,

and itcanweigh_upto270kg. It

is

the_only

speciesthat

has

ahookonbothofits front swimming flippers. It

feeds

mainly on sea

grasses and sea weed. Its nestingseason

is

between April and Septemberand eachturtle

can

lay

between 100to 140eggs per nesting. Theeggs are_round,with soft

leathery

shells

and haveadiameterof about5.0cm. Itcanbe

found

in most statesinMalaysia."

(Reference

2)

The shooting locationwastobeatthreedifferent beaches. The

first

day

wasat theTurtle

Management

Centre,

inthestateofPerakandtheotherthreedayswereatBatuFeringgi

Beach,

in

Penang

IslandandPantai Merdeka

Beach,

inthe state ofKedah. Iwas

lucky

because

mostofthewaves onthese beacheswere consistent andweren't wild with

swells. This evenessofthesurfis dueto Sumatra Island in Indonesiawhichblocksthe

Malaysia coastlinefromtheextremewaves oftheIndian Ocean.

We spent mostof our _shootingtimeatBatuFeringgibecausethebeachwas_{relatively flat}

andwassafeforswimming. Therewerehundredsofhugerocks onthebeachandI was

pleasantly surprised to

find

that therewasonerockthatlooked likewhat Ihad illustrated

onthestoryboard. Itwastherock wheretheactress standson

top

and praysfor

help

from

God

Thebeaches are_usuallyfull of people

during

theweekendsand

during

school holidays.

Thebesttime to go

is

during

theweek. Therewerealotofactivities onthe

beach,

like

picnicing, swimming, sun-bathing,

fishing

and a_varietyof watersports. I was_constantly

faced

withtheproblem of

keeping

thebeachvisitorsoutoftheshots, and_{especially for}

long

shotsthatshowthegeneral_{landscape. The only way}to solvethis problem wasto

checkthat thebackgroundwas withoutbeach-goers before recordingeach shot.

Any

unwanted element inthebackgroundwouldbe hardto remove ortouch_{up in}

postproduction.

Shooting

alsotookplaceinthewater. Itwas difficultat

first

becausetherewere

invisible

rocksunderneaththewaterthat preventedmefrom_{walking smoothly,especially causing}

aproblem for hand-held

tracking

shots.The job became evenharder

because

some rocks

were covered with_{sharp barnacles}whichcaused injuries toall of us.

Thecameraworktookfive

days

to accomplish.

During

thepostproduction stage ofthis

workIthoughtback abouttheshootand cameto the conclusionthatIhad beenremiss

about _safetyconcernsforthe_{actors,the crew,} and myself. The

beach,

I thoughtwasa

safe placeforswimming,

but

thereare several

thing

thatI shouldhave donepriorto the

shoot, namely:

1

)

Checkthewatercondition

before

letting

the actorsenterthe water, andthe

steepnessand depthofthewatertoknow how far

they

can go in fromthe

beach,

2)

Checktheseafloor

its

structure andfor

dangerous

obstacles,

3)

Preparerescue

breathing

skills and

have

a

first-aid

kit,

and

4)

Bring

life

jackets

andotherflotation devices.

Thesewereimportant

factors

to ensure everybody'ssafety. Therewas no_predictingwhat

mighthave happened

during

the_shoot, andfurthermorethereweren't_anylifeguards on

thebeach.

What really hasmotivated meto thinkaboutthese_{safety issues is}aterrible

tragedy

whichhappenedthreeweeks after_my shoot. Inthe_verysame location a swimmer

drownedafter

being

trappedbetween submerged rocks.

Following

the_{shooting locations for Accient Promises.}

"*

ffLsK

Shooting

Locations

Preproduction

1. Script

The motivations

behind

_producinga script were_many and varied.

Firstly,

_workingfrom a

script made meplan inadvance ofshooting. I was abletounderstand and plan for

personnel

(technical,

aswellas _actors), equipment and locations.

Secondly,

ascript

imposes

structure and

logic,

sotobeabletoproduce avideointhe most efficient and

cost-effective manner. For_{example, shooting}all scenes

involving

thesame

locations,

actors and equipment atthe same_time,

irrespective

of wherethose scenes will _eventually

be editedinto thefinal tape.

Thirdly,

a script

helped

theactorstounderstandtheirrolesin

relationshipto their_{gestures, movements,} metaphonical actions andovert and subtleplot

development. Priorto the_shooting

day

Igave Siti NurandZakrithescriptto _studythe

plot ofthe_storyandto givethembetterclueson what

they

might expectto do

during

the

shooting days.

2. Storyboard andAnimatic

The basic

idea

behind thestoryboard wastoplan before_shooting, tounderstandthebasic

directionthevideo production will _take,tovisualizesome ofthemostimportant

details

thatwould needtobecovered, andtoapproximatethat

timing

of each sequence. The

animatic ofthe storyboard was more

interesting

than the still storyboard

because it

contained music and picturesthat"moved" or changedinaprogressionthrough the

sequences ofthestory. Theanimatic also allowedthe actorstobetterunderstandtheir

rolesand mood andtheprospective environment. Theanimatic and storyboard expedited

the _shootingprocessbecausetheactors were_{already familiar}withtheactions andthe

progression ofthe story.

3. Toolsand Techniques

Sincethe_shooting

location

was atwo-hourdrive from whereI

lived,

and far away from

any city, I wantedtobewell prepared sotheshootwould go well. I plannedahead,

jotting

downall the

important

thingsthatneededto

bring

fortheshoot. Imadesurethe

cameraswerein working _order,the

lenses

were_cleaned,thebatterieswerecharged, and

thatI

had

extra DV_{cassettes, tripod,} etc. ThereweretwotypesofcamerasthatIusedfor

the shoot.

My

own digital video cameraPanasonic PV-DC152D

(NTSC)

and a

Sony

DCR VX2000E

(PAL)

which was _my

friend's

camera. Ipreferred_{using my}video

camerabecause it

is

a compact andlight camera and itwas easiertohandle onthebeach

andwhen _shootingthewaterscenes. It wasagreat_camera, butthe_{eyecup forviewing}

wastoo small for myeye andtheviewfinderis too small aswell. To solve_{the problem,} I

used aLCD screen which I

felt

awkward _workingwith atthebeginning.

My

friend's

camerawas more comfortabletouse. Itis amore expensivecamera, whichmakes me

wonder,

does

theprice matter9

4.

Shooting

Experience

Onthe_{first shooting}

day,

we wereattheTurtle Management Centre. I wasasked

by

Pak

Tarn_{how many}turtlesIneeded fortheshoot. Hewas_willingto givemehowever_many

Iwanted. Forme, thatwas ahilarious question. I can't imaginewhatI wouldhave

done,

if he hadgiven meaflockofturtles. I

finally

askedfortwo turtlesand putthem inan

aquarium.

Shooting

time_usually startedat 3pm andlasteduntil 7pm andwearrived

home

at around

1 1:30pm. Thesewere_exhaustingdays because

they

demandedalotof_energyand high

concentration. It wasn't apleasurablejob for anybodytospend so _many

hours

underthe

hot

burning

sun.

Beforethe shootstarted, Itook a walk onthebeachtofind thebest location. The beach

was_messy with

debris,

so we

had

torake andclean _upthelocation. Itwasimportantto

avoid_anyunwantedobjectsthatmight spoiltheshots. Pak Tarnwas_very helpful

assistingus withthisjob

Thebeachpanorama was scenicbut italso was not likewhat 1had drawn inthe

storyboard. Imadesmall changes onthe storyboardto adaptto theactualenvironment.

Before shooting started Imade surethat the actresswas attheright angleto avoid

silhouettingagainst thesun orsky. Iwas careful withcamera anglesto avoid

'crossing

theline'. And

finally,

theactress appearancewas also checked for continuity fromshotto

shot

"Lighting

is

much morethan_{simply recording} a

fully

detailed,

descriptiveimage. It

is,

above all, thegreat determinerof mood and atmosphere. Appropriate

lighting

-artificial

or natural

-canbeusedto indicate heator_cold, openness or_{secretiveness,} happiness or

sadness,

furtiveness

or _candour, and _manyshadesof

emotion."

(Reference

3)

Thebest time foroutdoorlight souces is inthe_morningor afternoon.

During

this time the

light sourcecauses objectsto appearin_{contrast, creating beautiful forms} and shadows

Ihad an

interesting

experience

during

thesecond _{shooting day. On}the_{first shooting}

day,

we were onthewestcoast,wherethesun sets onthewesthorizon. The shots were

pannedtoward theocean and theactions moved fromtherightto theleft. On thesecond

day,

we were on an

island,

which

is

acrossfromthewest coast,and theshots were made

onthe east sideoftheisland. So

during

the shootthesun cast shadows ina

different

direction. Thesituation becameworse after 5pm, becausethebeach is

blocked

by

the

hills.

5.

Cinematography

Thecameraisthemeans

by

which wecapture movement and itwill dothisevenifwe

remain _stationaryand lettheactionflowpastthelens

-and oftentheresults willbe far

more_{aesthetically pleasing}too. Mostof_myshotswere_stationary shots, because it

is

how

we_mostly seethings. Theseshots I

felt

would makeit easy fortheaudienceto

understand what was

happening

inthespace. It's like howwe watchtheaction on a

stage.

Therewere several

basic

shotsthatIused forthis work.

They

were _very

long

shot,

long

shot, medium _shot, closeup, extreme close_upand

tracking

shot. The useofthese shots

were essentialforthe movie:

1

)

To

help

theaudienceunderstandthe_{story clearly,}

2)

To give moreinformationaboutthe subject andthe scenes.

3)

Tocreate

interesting

compositions between theforegroundand

background,

and

4)

To createbetter continuitywith multiple shots.

In_{this work,} most oftheshotsare mediumshots, becausemedium shotsdiminish any

unwanted elements. It also drawstheaudienceintotheforeground morethan the

background.

6. The Visuals Line

"A vitalaspect of_video-making

is

toestablishthe_geographyoftheshot

-inother

words, where people areinrelationto each otherandtofeatures ofand objectsinthe

particularly aware of when _shooting,

but

also when_editingyourwork, since

it is

all too

easyto puttogethersequencesthat

leave

theaudienceconfused astotheprecise

geographyof a

scene."

(Reference

4)

The"line" is an

imaginary

_{line alongwhichtheaction movesor an}

imaginary

line

established

by

a subject's eyeline. All of_my

images

moved fromtheright to theleft

crossingthestationary shots. Thereweretworeasons_{why I}chosethatdirection.

Firstly,

the _existing

light

source

(sun)

was ata

right

angle

-toavoidbacklighting.

Secondly,

this

direction createdtension and

disquiet

and

implied

_somethingwas aboutto happenon

screen.

7.

Using

Pan Shots

Panshots cannotbeused in sequenceortoooften

because

it wouldmaketheaudience

feel dizzy. Iusedhand-held panning movementwhena single, static shot wasinsufficient

to

include

all of a particular scene orsubject and when Iwanted theaudiencetodiscover

the scene_{progressively} asthecamera movedaround. The_{best way}tojudgethe meritsof

aparticular pan wastorehearse theshotfirstwithoutthetaperunning. In_{this way,}I

wouldbeableto seeintheLCD screeniftherewere_anyvisual elementsbest _omitted,

and iftherewere_anythecamera shouldlinger onforasecondortwobeforecontinuing.

Thiswas also goodpractice toestablish a smoothcamera panning.

8.

Using

Tilts Shots

Inthe same_waythat_{panning is}usedtoencompass a_{strongly horizontalsubject,}

tilting

canbeusedto capture all of a _stronglyverticalsubject thatcan not_{easily be}takeninwith

a staticcamera. An obvious example of whereIusedthe tilttechniquewas whenthe

actress was _standingontherocks. I focusedonherfeetand tilted_up allthe_wayto reveal

her

face,

and then tilteddowntoherhand

holding

the_ringtodraw attentiontothering's

importance.

I usedthis tilt

idea

tobreaktheconventionofcamera shotsfrom left toright/righttoleft

and also toadda_{little mystery}orsuspenseto thework.

9.

Problems

During

Preproduction

These

were someoftheproblems and concernsthatwere encountered

during

preproduction:

1

)

Weather determinedthe_shooting

day,

e.g. rainand _{cloudy days}were_undesirable,

2)

Time constraints

-shootingtimeoccurredbetween 3-7pm; inordertopreservethe

color attributes ofthis period ofthe

day,

3)

Re-shootingcost more

time,

_energyand _money,

4)

Equipmentneededto

be

cleaned after_{returning from} thebeach

-sand mightjamthe

camera and saltwatermight rustthemetal _parts,

5)

Shaking

shots occurred

because

of unevenbeachesand _strongwinds, and _especially

during

zooming, and

6)

Actors could not performthe_challengingshots.

10. Solutions to theabove problems:

1

)

Watching

theweatherforecast forthe_{best shooting days.} Even_{cloudy days may} ruin

theshots.

2)

Leaveearlier. Incase_{anything happens}onthe_{way, there}isampletimetowork

it

out

3)

Let actors_clearly knowhowmuchtime

they

will

be

on locationuntiltheproject is

completed. Take as_many shots as possible.It

is

recommendedto

have

at

least

two

cameras_recordingat differentangles/positions. Thiswillgive more options and

preparationforshotsin hand incaseone camera isnot _workingoractors"breechthe

contract"

(refusetocontinuethereshoot).

4)

There are_{many factors}thatI needed

be

awareof while_shootingontheshore.

Strong

seabreezes_usually cause

tiny

sand particlesto float intheairand create problems for

eye sight and cameralenses. This

happens

more whenthecamera

is

closerto the

ground. So checkcamera

lenses frequently.

Blowsand_away and wipe_{very gently}with

asoft cloth. _{If necessary}vacuumthe camera!

Before shooting inthe water, make suretoknowwhatthecurrent tideis. Is it hightide or

lowtide?It is safe to

do

_{shooting in low}tide becauseofthelowpressurefromthewaves.

I

felt

much steadier withthe camerain lowtide.

Shooting

wasmore_challenging

during

hightide

because

thewavesize isgreater and causeswatertosplashontothecamera.

Thiswould makeme uncomfortable

because

I_{kept raising}thecamerafrom

being

hit

by

approachingwaves. _{The possibility} of

falling

was also

high,

especiallywhenI was on an

uneven seabedwhich hasrocks and _{sharp barnacles. An}underwater camera would have

maybeworkedbetter inthese situations.

5) My

cameracouldzoomto 700X. Asthemagnification ofdigital _zooming

increases,

the_qualityofimage deteriorates. The

balancing

feature doesn't really help. Soavoid

extreme_{zooming if}not necessary.

6)

To solve _{the problem,} I askedtheactorsto _{listen carefully}to_my

instructions,

andif

she/he still could notdo it I foundother similaractionsthat were easierforthem.

Postproduction

1. Tools and Tehniques

To have agoodpostproduction workstation with optimum_performance, thecomputer

hadto bea reliable computer

-soI usedaDell Dimension 8200with_{Pentium 4. This}

was important because editingprograms need ahigh RAMspeedfor rendering and a

high-capacity

data

storageand retrieval. BesidesthatI installed anew_operating system

(Window

XP

-Professional

Edition),

and Iboughtaninternal hard drive

(Seagate)

with

1 1 1 GB and an externalhard drive (Acorn

Data)

with 120GB. The size ofthe storage

was

important

because it helped metowork

freely

without _worryingabout available

space.

The softwareprograms were also critical forthepostproduction process. Therewere

five

types ofcomputerprogramsthatIusedtoproduceAncient Promises:

1

)

Adobe Premiere (nonlinearvideo_editingprogram for

transferring

shotsfrom

theMini DVcamera intothecomputer

hard

drive),

2)

Adobe After Effects (motiongraphics and special_effects),

3)

Adobe Illustrator (text andvector_graphics),

4)

Adobe

Photoshop

_{(image retouching}- film strip)

5)

Maya(special effects

-particles)

Priortotransferring,the shotswerepreviewed onamonitortoseehowsuccessful the

camerawork was. Thiswasthemoment oftruthbecausethe tapeswould revealthe true

caliber ofthe_actingand

directing,

and thecinematography. The review ofthe

footage

sometimes made me shake_my

head,

and sometimes itmade megiggle.

Watching

the

shots attheirfull sizehelpedmeto

identify

whichshots neededtobe

kept,

reshot or

discarded.

Occasionally,

thereviewprocessgave me abetter

idea

onhowto

improve

the

camerawork andmakelittle changesinthe story.

The shooting process was completed on

February

1

5,

2004. Ibrought allrecordedtapes

andequipment backto the US forpostproduction work. I also

brought

theactress

dress

and accessoriesincasethere were_anyredo shots tobefabricated with astand-in actress.

Itook thisprecaution

because

thisprojectinvolvedtwo continents

-Asia

(preproduction)

and America (postproduction).

My

biggest

concernwas thefootageswiththeactress

becauseshe playedthemostimportant roleinthismovie and appearedin most ofthe

shots. What Iwas_worryingabout_{unfortunately}occurred. Theshotwherethe

ring

is hit

by

awavefailed and hadto

be

redone atLake

Ontario

Beach.

Before

transferring

theshots

into

thecomputer,I made sureIhad sufficient storageto

accomodateall thefootage. I savedthesame shotsintotwo drives

-DriveCand the

ExternalHardDrive. IusedtheExternalHard Driveas aback_up drivetoretrieve all

important files

incase _anythingwent_wrongwithDrive C. Itookprecautionto avoid any

problems

like

computer malfunctionortheinvasionofavirus. The storages sometimes

were still not enoughtoretrieve all ofthe

files

soIhadtobeprudent andwise in

managingthespace.

The utmost

thing

tobear inmindbefore capturing a shotwastomake surethat thevideo

setting was setto 720x 480resolution sothatwhen

transferring

the

imagery

back into the

Mini DVthe _quality andtheaspect ration wouldremainthesame. Failuretocheckthe

sizewould havecausedthe imageto deteriorate

during

the_editing and

transferring

process. Thevideo defaultresolution was 72and wasinadequate forenlargement and

caused pixellation ofthe imagery. The image inthedigitalstill camera could be set in

variousresolutions however.

The softwarethatI usedfor

transferring

shotsfromthe videocameraintothe computer

wasAdobePremiere 6.0.

Looking

forthebest shots requiredanample amount of_time,

patience anddiscipline.

Occasionally,

itmade me feel

dizzy

as_myeyes andbrain kept

searching,

translating

and_picking outtheright _moving images. Intenseuse ofthe fast

forward controllersometimes almost mademe_physically nauseated. Itwas criticalthat

clips be labeledand organized with proper namesand placedinproper

folders

for easeof

use. TheMini DVcassettes were also labeledwithproper namesfor future referenceand

toavoid confusion.

Thetapesneeded a great dealofcarebecause

they

werethe_only available sources until

theprojectwas done.

Itwashardto estimateinthe

beginning

how

long

the final moviewouldbe. It mighthave

been shorter orlonger. Butafter_placingtheshotsonthe timelineIgotarough

idea

ofthe

lengthofmovie. Here I could seethe success andthefailureoftheshots whichIcould

not seeinthe_previewingprocess. I could

determine

thesuccess of

jump

cuts and

crossingtheline _shots,for

instance.

OnthetimelineIcould also seetheentire movielaid

out and

judge

therelationshipsbetween shotsandtheir functionwithinthewhole.

2.

Editing

and

Compositing

Thesoftware programthatIusedfor editingwasAdobe After Effects. Thisis oneof_my

favorite

programs as

it

offersunlimited effects,multiple color_choices, speed_remapping,

transformation_effects, etc. Theprogram interface is_veryuserfriendly. To makethe

job

easierand faster I dividedthemovieintotensections. Eachsection was

typically

short

and containedlittle layerswhichincreased my

focus

on particularscenes. The shorter

timeline ofthesections also reducedthe headacheof

having

to scroll_up and down

looking

for hidden clips.

During

this phase ofediting, theclips weretobe imported andordered ontothevideo

track_accordingto thestory. Thereweretwo_editingtechniques thatIused, which I

termed as eitherQuick CutorDissolve. Quick Cutwasthebesttechniqueto sorttheclips

fromonetoanotherbut sometimes wouldn't workfor

jump

cut shots. _{The only way}to

solve

jump

cutswastousetheDissolvetechniquewhich_{sleekly blended}the tail andthe

headoftwoadjacent clips. Theresult workedwell asit disguised and soften changes

between

jump

cuts.

However,

thedissolvetransformationcould not

be

too

long

asthe

audience might misunderstandthe_meaningofthe

dissolve,

perhaps _{misconstruing it} asa

timeor place transition.

Inthiswork, Itried toinitiatetwo _editingstyles.

First,

at certainpoints

during

themovieI

inserted

twoclipsthatwerepositioned side

by

sideandhad _similarityin formor

movement. SowhenI playedthose clips, thetransitionmight produce an

interesting

movement or_seemingchangein

form

as ifa_morphing effects.

Second,

the_remap

technique allowed meto changethespeed oftheoverall _clipor_varythespeedwithinthe

clip. This isa_contemporarytechniquethat

is

_widelyusedinmodern

day

commercials.

Thismotioneffect oneneversees inreal

life,

but it cinema itcan create an

interesting

experiencefortheviewer. Computers have madethispossible.

During

the_editingprocess, therewere shotsthatneededtoberepairedtohadtohave

unwantedelements removed. ThereweretwowaysIusedto touch_uptheimage: the

"mask"andthe"film strip".

"Mask"

isa

feature

in After Effectswhile"film

strip"

is an

export _{clip from After Effects}toPhotoshop. Thesetwotechniquesdid

help

_greatlyto

removeunwanted elements ontheclips, but unfortunatelyitwasnot a perfect clean up.

Sometimes it seemedthat thebest_waywastoredo_{the shot,} becausetouch_upreallytakes

long

hoursand was_{unpredictably}rewarding.

3. Visual Colorsand Effects

The first

thing

that Ididafter

transferring

thefootagewasto think aboutthecolor ofthe

work. Sincethiswas an experimentalworkIdecidedtoignorethenatural color ofthe

clipsandI begantoexplore otherunusualcolorswhichwould strengthenthe

mysteriousnesswithinthestory. After Effectswasa wonderful programbecause it

allowed metoexperiment withthecolormode, suchascolorbalanceand hue. These

featuresallowed metofindthebest color and IaccidentIfound blueasthemost

appropriate color. This bluecolormadetheactors skinso special asif

they

were actual

oceancreaturesthemselves. Ilikethecolor_verymuchbecause it reinforcedtheconcept

andmadetheviewercurious about who

they

wereandwhere

they

were. The color mode

allowedthescenestobemore atmospheric asif in adreamworld, especiallynoticeable

inthecolor ofthe_sky andthe

beach:

orange_sky, blue beach.

However,

at certain points

ofthemovieI alternatedtheshotswithred colortoincreasethe tensionand _energyofthe film.

My

idea

_{for alternating}thered shotswastogive cluesto theaudiencethat

somethingwas aboutto

happen.

Itwas

interesting

tosee cold colors versus hot colors,

especially

during

the

turtles'

transformation. It waslikea vivid motion painting. Tomake theactressappearmore mysteriousI added special effects onthe

actress'

handwhen she

cuddles and prays for Godtosavethe turtle. Special effects is a magictermin film

making, because itreferstothe

imaginative

tricks and illusionsthat

bring

ooohsand

aaahsfromtheater audiences. Thehand effects were created_{using 3D} software

(MAYA),

and theresultwas so magnificent. Thereweretwo typesof effectsthatIusedinthis

scene:

lightnings

andparticles. Theseeffects

help

givethe impressionthat theactress was

not an_ordinaryperson butgood _{hearted in saving}the injuredturtle.

4. Critiques

My

thesis advisorStephanie Maxwell isan active experimental filmmaker. Imet her

during

thepostproduction processtogether feedback asI was

building

thework. These

meetings were importantto mebecause itgave methe _opportunitytohear hercomments

and allowed metopropose anddefendwhatIwantedtocreateinthework. I _greatly appreaciatedher comments, which

truly

madesense and _really made me consciousofthe

possible pitfalls ofthe work, some ofwhichIdidn't realize wouldbeaproblem.

5. Music

Sometimesthesuccess of an experimental filmrelies ontheconnectionand the_creativity

ofthe aural _component,

i.e,

the soundtrackand/ormusic. The combinationsofboththe

visual and aural components can make awork bothuniqueand

distinctive.

I am so

gratefulto know Christopher

Brakel,

who

is

a studentattheEastmanSchoolofMusic

Heis an _{exceptionally}gifted composer who managedtocreatethemusicforAncient

Promiseswithin an_extremely short periodoftime. Inthe_earlystages of_workingwith

Chris,

I

felt

_uneasy withthe music

he had

proposed because I had a certainkind of music

inmind forthiswork. Ialsotoldhimthat

his

proposed musicdidnot seemtomatch_my

work,but after

hearing

hisexplanationI

felt

morecomfortableand agreedwithwhat he

wanted toconvey. Perhaps I have been

influenced

by

other_music, whichmade me

reluctantto agreewith

his

uniquepointsof view. Maybethiswork wastoo personalfor

me and Ireactedtoo_{conservatively} toother people's

ideas.

Oneimportant lesson I

learned in makingthisworkisto

keep

_mymind_open, to

learn,

share andappreciatethe

talents and

ideas

of otherartists. Afterdays of_wondering aboutthe music, I

finally

acceptedwhatChris wantedtocreateforthiswork. Andthefinal musicwas

beautiful,

magical, and

increased

theoverallimpactofAncient Promises. Chris! innovative

contribution_reallycaused a

big

change_{in my}perspective about_working more

collaboratively and aboutthepowerand

beauty

of experimentalfilm.

After

finalizing

the edits, thework wasrendered in

its

full size 720x 480 withno

compression. This dimensionand compression wouldbe consistentwiththemovie

quality as

it

had beenfirst shot. Allrendered sections wouldbegathered and sortedin

Premiere according to the_story andthenbere-rendered as one single movie. Forthe

creation ofthe music, the composer_onlyrequired asmall movie size of320x

240,

just

large enoughfor himto see_{the visuals,} and

it

was also anideal sizethatallowed the

composertohandletheaudio and visualwithout _affectingthecomputer's_competency

during

themusic creation. Themusic software, namedVegas

technically

works_exactly

thesame as After Effects

by

_usingmultiple layers. Inthefinal stage the

layers

are merged

as a singlelayerwhichbecomesthefinal audiofile. Themusic filewasput onthe_editing

timelineand wassynchronizedto thevisuals priorto_mastering onMini DV cassette.

6.

Continuity

"Continuity

hasto dowith _maintainingthe

illusion

of reality: theaudience should not be

forced

toquestionthe

feasibility

or

logic

of what

they

arewatching.

Paying

close

attentionto_{continuity is} thusan

important

aspectof_manipulatingaudience reaction".

(Reference

5)

"Maintain_continuityofaction. Thistypeof_{continuity is} more subtle anddifficultto

achievethan the_usuallyunderstood

"make-sure-your-actor-wears-the-same-tie"

definitionofcontinuity.Thismeansthat_anyactionmade

by

theactorsinone shot should

becontinued inthenext one. Ifan actorraises hisright

hand

tohis head and you cut ashe

is

_raising

it,

the

following

shot must pick_up withhis hand inthe sameposition. This

meansthat_anyaction made

by

theactorsinone shot shouldbe continuedinthenext

one". (Reference

6)

Continuity

errors_usuallyoccurbecauseofthe time

delay

between shots. I alsohad

continuity errors

during

the shoot.Forexample, whiletheactress was_walkingonthe

beach,

shewas _actually

holding

a ring.

During

some shots sheforgot to _carrythe_ring and

thiswas noticeable. Thiskind of

discrepency

cantriggerconfusionintheaudience. After

Irealized the_{missing ringproblem,} I askedtheactressto repeattheaction withthe _ring

in her hand.

The other_continuity errorhad todowiththe

actress'

hair.

Long

hair is hardtocontrol

outdoors. This error_usually happenedwhenwe were on thebeach becauseof_strong

winds and

during

thewater sequences.

Point ofview_continuityproblems occurred whenI wantedtomakethe

lens

substitutefor

the

actors'

viewpoint. Inthese casesI hadtoknowtherightdistanceand angle

between

theactor's eyeandtheobjectthat theactor was

looking

at. Itwasimportant toestablisha

logical

distanceand anglebecausewhenthistechnique

is

usedtheactor's viewbecomes

theaudience'sview.

Since

thisworkinvolved thebeachandthewaterI

had

to make suretheenvironmental

features

occurredinordertoestablishcontinuity. Itbeganwiththebeachshots and end

upwiththewater shots. Thiswas

important because

oncetheactressgot wetI could not

returnto thebeach shots.Thewaterruinedthe

actress'

makeupand physical appearance.

Any

beach reshooting had tobe

done

aftertheactresswas

dry

again and re-madeup.

7. Basic PrincipleofContrast

Filmworksthe same_wayas _photographyand

functions

on

basic

photographic_principles,

forexamplethe usecontrast. _{The only difference between} motionpictureand

photography isthatoneiscomposed of_{moving images}andtheotherisstatic imagery.

The definitionofcontrastinart varies for different formalaspectsofthe image

composition. For

instance,

theuse ofcolor,thesizeofobjects, theposition of

forms,

the

balanceoflight and

dark,

andtheevocation ofmood and atmosphere areall subjective

In_{this work,}thedress worn

by

theactresswas contrastedtoa clearbackground. This was

importanttoensurethatshe (the main _subject) stoodout fromthebackground. Thesize

difference

betweentheactress andthe

turtle,

thedistinction betweenthesexesofthe

actress and theactor,the_originalityofthebottle versustheshell andthe

differences

betweenthe landandtheunderwaterworld were all contrastconsiderations. These visual

aspectshave helped meto augmenttheoverallrichness ofthework.

8. VisualElements

Sincethisfilmemphasizedthe

relationship

betweentheshore andthe ocean, I made sure

thechosenvisualelements were_only associatedwiththose twoworlds. For example, the

useof_shell, drifted_wood, a

bottle,

a coconut andthe crabhole. Thesemysterious

elementsbecomemetaphorical

links

thatconnect onesceneto anotherastheactress and

audience search fortheirmeanings.

Determining

the

best

visual elementswas

important

in creatingand _maintainingthemood

ofthe_{story because} eachelementhas

differing

meaning. Not all elements were shot at

thesamelocations. Forexample, I shot seagulls atthebeach ofLake Ontario justtogive

thefilm morevariety. When Ilinedthisfootage_uponthe_editingtrack topreview

it,

the

footage

_completely affectedthemood ofthestory. It createda_strong sense of conflict

betweentwoworlds. Itried _manytimes to_add, removeand also placeclips atdifferent

locations but itstill conjuredthe sameinterpretatious.

Eventually

thebirdswouldcreate a

feeling

offreedom and cheerfulness instead of mysterious.

Mostofthevisualbackgroundelementsinthemovie were intendedtobe simple. For

example, theuse ofbackdrops likethe ocean, the skyandthebeach. These simple

backgroundsmadethe main subjects stand out_{significantly}

by

contrast andhelpedthe

viewertofocus ontheiractionsandtheir meanings

Pick

Up

Shots

Previewing

thefootageonTV wasimportanttochecktheoverall _qualityofshots

before

proceedingto post-production work.

During

thepreview_time, I

jotted

downallthe

failed

shotsandthoughtabout howtoimproveand re-shootthem. Most ofthe shotsthatneeded

to bere-shot hadcommonproblems, like incorrectangle,

backlighting inconsistencies,

awkwardcameramovements and poor composition. I amfortunate because most ofthe

failed

shots werebeach shots_using alowangle _close-uptechniquewhich IthoughtI

could re-do laterat a nonbeach

location.

My

unclehasa pileof sand onhisproperty. I

could flattenthe sandtomake it look like areal

"beach"

closeup.

Shooting

this_way

allowed me tonot

have

to spend more_money and

time,

_especiallysincetherewere_only a

few

shotsthatneedto

be

reshot.

However,

theshotswere restricted toalowangle and

close _up

because

theareawas surrounded

by

trees and buildings.

Trick Shots

Computer

technology

has helped

filmmakers

tocreate special effects and achieve actions

thathumans cannot_{realistically}perform. Somecommercial examples arePearl Harbor

andthe_{running dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. Animation} tricks

help

toreduce production

costs and thepersonnel requiredtomake sets and propsbelievable. Itwas_{my intention in}

myworkto maketheaudiencebelievewhat

they

see. Iputthe turtlesin an aquarium and

shotthemas if

they

wereina real

deep

ocean. Theunderwaterscenes were_amongthe

hardest shotsto achieve.

My

ideaof

having

the turtlesswim intheaquarium was agood

one,butthereflection of_my silver cameralensglass onthe aquariumbecomea

big

concern. Itwas _{extremely hard}to dampenthereflection ontheglass

during

theshooting.

The only waythat I coulddo itwasto_wrapthe camera withdark_cloth, paintthelens hood blackand makesurethatthereflection was nottooobvious. Thisworkedforthe

most _part, and whereI notice_anyreflectionI am also convincedthat theviewer doesnot.

The most_challenging shots werefortheunderwatersequence. Iplaced thecameraina

clearplastic

bag

and made

it

leakproof. Thiswastheeconomical_way

because

I don't haveanunderwatercamera housing. Thiswasa_verycomplicated part oftheproduction because I couldn't seethe image

during

theshooting. The only waythatI could achieve

shootingthis

footage

wasto

drown

thecamera inthewaterandletthecamera record whatever_randomlypassedthe

lens

inthewater. Thiswas an _exhaustingjob because I

hadto _continuallymake surethat therewasn't water

inside

theplastic

bag

whichwas well stretched. I alsohad tocheck

for

wrinklesthat might interferewithimage in

front

of

the

lens.

Conclusion

I am proudof myself

because

I

believe

that_my

imagination

andhandworkmade Ancient

Promises successful, unique and great

learning

experience. Fresh_{in my} mind still is how

the_storytransformed from a sketchand developed intoacolorfuland meaningful motion

picture.Thisworkhas

truly

been alaboroflove.

Iwould liketo take this _opportunityto thanks_mysponsor(Universiti Sains

Malaysia)

for

theirconsiderationin allowing meto _{study in}the"LandofOpportunity".

My

clear

statementto the_university abouttheadvantages of_{studying here has become}a_realityas

I return homewithnew ideasand skills. Forme, my decisiontostudy intheU.S. was a

gooddecision because I knowthemerit oftheAmerican in film industry.

They

pioneered

thisfield and hascontinuedtodosowiththeappearance of computertechnology.

Titanic,

The Spiderman andthe Shrek show computer application_{in movie-making}at

their mostdeveloped and creative potential.

High demand onexpertiseinthis

industry

hasencouragedthe establishment offilm

schoolslikeRIT. I foundthat theprogram offeredat RITcorrespondsto thecurrent needs forskilled practitionersinproductionstudios. Thecourses offered _really

deepen

student _creativityto producegoodwork andtousefilm and animation

history

asan

inspiration. Agoodintegration betweenstudentsand lecturersalso

determine

the success

ofthestudents. Lecturers play animportantrole because

they

have

more experience and

knowtheir fieldswell.

They

become like

ahub forstudentstoobtaininformation and to

practice theirart form. Exposuretopreviousfilmmakers inclass enlightens about what

peopleinthepast

have

contributedtotheart. Lecturersalsobecamepartners withwhom

we can

discuss

a problemwithto

find

a solution. _{The university}atmosphere also

encourages, supports and

demands

studentstospeakout about personalideasand defend

those

ideas.

A good_relationshipamongst classmateshas been important because it wasa_wayto

acceleratethe

learning

process, especiallywhen relatedto technical problems. Each

individual has

different

skillsand intelligencequotients when itcomes tolearning. In

discussions

weexchange

ideas

and critique eachother'sworks. Whetherthecomments

are positiveornegativeI

have

to acceptthemand I haveto evaluate whatis meaningful

anduseful ornot. Peercolleagues _{actually boost my} spirittocompeteforthebest.

Withoutthemwecanfeel inactive andlazy. Ourcolleague friendsalsoprovide support

when we needto talk aboutour problems. And especially for foreigner likemewho

sometimes needsconversationtorelieve thestress.

The

learning

process offilm making, whetherfor liveaction or animation

film,

is

essential fornewcomerslike me. Thisis a_challengingproject and I feel sograteful thatI

could handleit evenifsometimesit frustratedme whenI

found

myself

faced

with serious

problems.

My

principle"nevergive has helpedmetoovercome

failure

because

nothingwould changeif I didn't fighttodiscoverand

find

solutions. The mistakes are

part ofthe

learning

process and canbea measure of_{understanding} and progress

The knowledge thatI gained at RIThas been reallymeaningful

because it

_completely

changed who Iam now. I'm not conservative anymore.

Studying

in awestern_country

wherepeople appreciateart and are _competingfornew

ideas

and

technology

has

opened

my mindtobemoreoptimistic andbraveabout change. I

hope

the

invaluable

exposure

and experiencesthatI

have

hadwill

help

metobe abonafidecreative, skillful,

knowledgeable and dynamic

filmmaker.

It startedwithasmall

floating

turtlewho isnow

References

Reference 1: John

Hedgecoe's,

Complete Guide

toVideo - The

ultimate manual of video

techniquesand _equipment, page

236,

Make up.Published in 1992

by Sterling

Publishing

Company,

Inc

Reference 2: Segari Turtle

Management

Centre,

Departmentof

Fisheries, Perak,

page 4.

Pushished in Dec

2000,

Sasyaz

Holdings

Sdn. Bhd.

Reference 3: John

Hedgecoe's,

Complete

Guideto Video- The

ultimate manual ofvideo

techniquesand _equipment, page

84,

Lighting

Effects. Published in 1992

by Sterling

Publishing

Company,

Inc

Reference 4:

ibid,

page70.

Reference 5:

ibid

page 76

Reference 6:

ibid

page 223

Reference 7: Hawaii's Marine Wildlife

-Whales, Dolphins, Turtles,

and Seals

Based onacurrciulum written

by

Emily

Gardner,

M.S. for Earthtrust andthe Hawaii

Appendix

A

Working

Title: A

Ring

ofLove

Producer: MohamadRoziMohdNor

Client:

Actual Budget: $913

StartDate: Jun

1,

2003

End Date:

April,

25 2004

Running

Time: 6:30

Release Format:

DVC, DVD,

VHS/SVHS. BETA SP

Story

"A

Ring

_ofLove "

isthe _storyof a

lady

whosacrificesher lifetosaveaninjuredfishandin return

isrewardedwith_{her lost ring}and a

happy

life.

Synopsis

Farinthecountrvsidethereisa

lady

namesSarahwho livesalone. She_{is sitting}closeto the

window and

looking

attheocean. She lookssad and mourns. Inherfistsheholdsa ring. She

holdsthe_ringclosetoherheartandbecomeslost inthought.

Suddenly

shehearsavoice_crying

out"help"! She looksaroundtofindthe voiceand

finally

findsafish

flopping

ontheground. She

catches thefishandcarefully

looking

atit.Shewonderswherethefishcamefrom. Shethenholds

thefishandrunstotheocean.

Unfortunately,

whensheputsthefishinthewater, her ringslides

off ofher fingerandplunges intothewater. Sarahbecomespanicked. She_quicklysearched

aroundbutcould notgetthering. The fish is seriouslyinjuredandcannot swim anymore. It is

Whenshereaches

home,

she

immediately

putsthefish intoabottle. Itseemsasthoughthefishis

goingtodie. Forthesakeofthe

fish,

Sarah decidestofindantidote.She knows wheretoget it.

Thereisa

frightening

island where she canfindmagicpitcher plantthatcan save life.

Whenshereaches

home,

she_quicklypoursthemagicliquid fromtheplant intothebottlewhere

thefish is. Sarahthenfalls_asleepandbeginstodream. In her

dreams,

thefishasks Sarahfora

wish. Sarah wishes she wants ahappier life. Afterawhileshe awakesandfindsthefishalive and

smilingather. She's sohappy. Sarahthenreleasethefish back intotheocean. The fish knows

Sarah isupsetbecauseofthelostring. The fishthenswims

deep

intotheoceantofindthelost

ringand_eventuallyfindsit. The fishthenswallowsthering.

Meantime,thereis amannamedNorman

fishing

inthepond. The fishthenswimstoward

Norma