Evaluation

Evaluation



Our group's film entitled the Guitarist’s way (2010) uses forms and conventions from real media products such as The School of Rock (2003) in that camera shots and angles used are not dissimilar in both film’s performance scenes, showing close ups midshots and establishing shots from various angles without distracting the audience from the music that they are hearing. The music that appears in both films is not dissimilar either for example both films incorporate loud rock music to drive their characters forward. Comparing the films in terms of mise en scene both films include scenes showing guitarists playing on stages and both show struggling artists apartments/rooms. We tried to incorporate both the success that a guitarist can get from both school of rock and also the youthful aspect of it by showing what Steven was like playing guitar as a child. We did this because we thought the audience would sympathize with him more than they would otherwise, because they would’ve seen what background he was coming from.



The technical aspects that the group explored included editing techniques like a rewind effect from a video camera used in the film, an animated credits sequence showing everyone who was involved in making this media project and a tracking shot across the top floor of the theatre we were using to perform, although the group explored these aspects we were not able to implement them fully into the final film due to technical and time limitations, for example the rewind effect had to be cut from the film because the software we were using did not have it as an available scene transition option, instead we as a group decided to use quick cuts between the three scenes that would’ve used this effect but keep the intended scenes within the film, although this does not produce the same effect we were satisfied that it didn’t distract the audience from the plotline of the film. Another of the aspects that were not included because of limitations was the animated credits sequence, originally the idea was to have credits appear over the guitarist’s performance scene but to appear as part of the opening scene as signs. However the idea soon changed as it would’ve been too difficult and time consuming as well as the software limitations to implement fully, we changed our idea so that credits would appear on some music book pages as writing when the main character flicked through his music book. This I believe was an altogether better idea, perhaps not as technical but it showed a guitarist’s music book which in the context of the film I think it suited it better. The final technical aspect that wasn’t included was an establishing shot at the start of the performance scene that was going to be a tracking shot that would go across the theatre area showing the audience a crowds eye view of what was happening. We filmed the tracking shot as planned but later in the editing stages as a group we noticed that within the tracking shot however steady the cameraman held the camera there was quite a lot of screen shaking. Whilst we felt that the camera shaking may have been good as it would’ve shown the ordinary chaos and anarchy oh a rock concert we felt that it wasn’t very good viewing material as the audience wouldn’t have liked watching the movie if the camera seemed to be darting about. Instead of the above we decided to exclude the tracking shot and reshoot using various camera angles.



An aspect that we had to cut out of the film was the full performance scene, with all of the recording that we did we had roughly 6 minutes of performance footage that we had to condense into just over 1 minute, as the guitarist in the group I found this part difficult because I wanted to keep the best parts but also I wanted it to flow almost like no editing had been done at all to give the most realistic performance, and although ideally I would’ve wanted to keep all of the footage in the film I think a very good job was done in editing by the whole group who offered suggestions for what to keep and what to delete.



The Guitarist’s way also challenges its genre as it’s not an all out comedy like Dogma (1999) that has laughter and jokes at every turn, The Guitarists way also has its dramatic moments where the audience can see how the Guitarist Steven’s (Stephen Wilcockson) life begins to collapse before he finds the website YouTube. Whilst these dramatic moments are normally associated with more serious drama I believe this film is still a comedy. Other comedies have dramatic moments as seen with the comparison to school of rock here:



Guitarists are represented in a positive way in the film The Guitarist’s way; it shows that with gritted teeth and determination they can achive whatever they set out to do. Whilst initially guitarists are represented in a stereotypical sense in that the main character is overconfident and arrogant about his abilities, through the film that stereotype is slowly removed and the audience sees a more in depth version of the main character, through the choices he makes, the people he knows and his actions towards them.
As this media institution distributed this film’s main inspiration, The School of Rock (2003) I believe Paramount would distribute The Guitarist’s way (2010) as the films have similar references and plotlines.



I believe the film the Guitarist’s way (2010) would be given the certificate 12A due to its content not being offensive and its limited amount of mild language heard within the film. Giving the film a 12A certificate also allows it to be seen by anybody which from the start was something that the production team wanted and tailored the film for. Advertising for the film would take place using both the usual TV advertisements using trailers and an online viral marketing campaign hosted on a YouTube profile where guitarists can upload video responses to the trailers showing their guitar performance YouTube profiles, the goal being to find the greatest guitarist in the world. This will attract artists from around the world to see the film but also will advertise individual artists on YouTube that may just as in the film gain success from their YouTube profiles.





Through this project I have looked in detail at media technologies and how they influence the production and creation of real media products and have applied these technologies to the production of the film The Guitarist’s way as best I could with the resources that were available. These media technologies include HD cameras, video editing software and high quality DVD burning these technologies give the best quality in both video and audio giving The Guitarist’s Way the best possible experience for its audience.


The guitar playing within the film was heavily influenced by a few of my own favourite guitarists and performers including Jordan Bracewell and Kyle Gass. The guitar Car start/Gear change solo was based heavily on Jordan Bracewell’s performance in Vampires rock when he played the “blood solo”.




Also later in the solo my technique flipping quickly from one fret to another was similar to the solo played by Kyle Gass in the movie the pick of destiny (2005) during the band Tenacious D’s performance in the dream sequence that Jack Black has.



As seen in the above pictures the playing style I tried to include was very similar to both Jordan Bracewell and Kyle Gass.

Detailed treatment of the guitarist's way

Detailed treatment of The Guitarist’s way
The Guitarist’s way (2010) is a film about how one man can change if given the opportunity. The plot focuses on a guitarist called Steven and his eventual success in the music industry. The film begins with a mid shot of a man with his head in his hands. This instantly shows the audience that the character on the screen is either upset about something or is concerned, this sets a tone for the audience that something is wrong in this scene.

The next shot is a mid shot of another man apparently trying to console the first character; he then asks if the other character is ready. This shows the audience that he is either the other mans friend or simply that they know each other.
The camera then quick cuts back to the original character who lowers his hand from his head, sighs and says that he “has to be”, implying that there is an upcoming event that this character is stressed about and that regardless of whether his is ready or not the event will happen.

The camera then cuts to an overhead shot that tracks this character as he moves across the room towards a guitar case that is propped against a wall, this shows the audience that this is the main character of the film as it is now revealed that he is the guitarist of the film. This scene also allows the audience to sympathize with the main character as he is clearly stressed about whatever the upcoming event is and the audience could bring their own experiences from life to make their own interpretations of his character.

The camera then zooms in on the guitarist’s hand as he grabs the guitar case, this is done to reinforce the idea that this is the main character of the film and also to bridge the gap between this scene and the next.

The scene fades out and then fades in to the next scene with the sound of an electric guitar and a mid shot of Steven playing his guitar on a stage. This completes the bridge to this scene showing the audience that the events in the scene before were only shortly before the events in this scene, as it is presumed that from picking up his guitar case in the last scene he was transported to his location in this scene. This idea is further confirmed when the audience realize that playing on stage is the event that he was stressed about earlier providing an easier link between the two scenes.

The next shot is a quick cut from the last shot moving to an establishing shot of where the guitarist is, this confirms to the audience that he is performing on a stage and further establishes that this was the event that he was stressed out over earlier in the film. The lighting used over the course of the guitar playing scene should connote to the audience the sense of achievement the guitarist feels as he is playing on the stage as the light is very bright and gives everything within the scene a warm coloured glow.

The next shot is a mid shot/close up of the guitarist as he plays; this was another quick cut from the last scene. This was done intentionally as we felt watching other performances that quick cuts were necessary in order to connote to the audience the high rate of speed at which the movie is progressing at.

From this the camera returns to its establishing shot view in order to again show the audience the whole stage as he plays. The sound heard should connote to the guitar players of the audience that playing this solo on the stage is something that gives the main character a sense of relief, as though this is something he has wanted to do for some time. They should pick up on this connotation through the style and the speed which the guitarist is playing, as to another guitarist it would appear that he is putting all of his skill and practice into playing this solo in the best way he possibly can.

The camera then moves to another establishing shot from a higher vantage point and at another angle as if looking down on the guitarist from above. Although not fully expressed in the film there are hidden Christian connotations here as though god or someone he knows who has passed away is looking down upon him. Also the sound now heard within the scene is the guitarist’s voice in narration speaking over the now quieter guitar playing. From his voice it sounds as though the guitarist is either accepting an award for the movie or is watching it in a cinema and bragging about it, saying how he “loves this movie” and that he is “in it by the way.” The guitarist then quickly realizes that what the audience is seeing is actually the end of the movie and quickly tells the audience that “they didn’t see that part” and that they have to go back.

There is then a quick cut from the stage scene altogether and the audience can only see a black screen. The audience then hears “Let there be light!” shouted in a way that will connote to them that this is god talking at the beginning of time further developing the earlier connotation of the stage performance of god or someone he once knew watching over him. The screen then turns white as light is created, the audience then hears the guitarist quickly say “oops too far” as the scene quickly changes.

The quick cut to the next scene shows a mid shot of the guitarist sat in his room playing an acoustic guitar. It is quickly revealed by both the narration and the horrible guitar playing as the guitarist struggles to play happy birthday that this scene was indeed a long time before the stage or opening scene of the movie. The narration goes on to talk about how this is his “youth” playing his “first guitar”. This should connote to the audience that he is very young at this time and that he wasn’t a natural at playing like every guitarist would like his audience to think. The lighting used in this scene is opposite to the light in the stage scene, so where the stage scene’s lighting connotes his sense of achievement in finally reaching his goals at the end of the movie, the lighting here is darker and connotes his lack of achievement and at the time lack of skill and therefore ambition to be a guitarist.

Steven then comments in narration on the state of the guitar playing by saying in an annoyed way that he was “born with talent”, he then talks to the audience directly, breaking the fourth wall by asking them “what they were expecting” going on to say “A movie about a guitarist?” the scene then quick cuts to an unspecified time with Steven stood against a white wall looking directly at the audience he then asks finishing his earlier question “Who’d pay to see that?” he then points towards the audience and walks away. This shows him criticizing the audience for buying the ticket but also joking about it by pointing at the audience. This brings the film back to its comedy genre by joking with the audience rather than moving straight into the film in a dramatic way.

The film then fades out and moves onto its title sequence showing an over the shoulder shot of the guitarist in his youth looking through one of his music books. The pages have been edited digitally to show the credits of the movie instead of musical notes. As he then turns the page over, the next page is filled with the logo for the film. The sound that is heard as this last scene unfolds is a metal guitar riff played by the guitarist upon his success as if it was an echo through time to the young Steven of what he would one day become. The film then cuts to black.