Stuck... HELP!!!

So now basically I'm stuck and I don't know exactly what it is I actually want to do for my dissertation. I know I want to base it on set/ production design but I don't what what exactly in that topic I want to focus on. I can't really design sets for my dissertation coz I won't really have loads to talk about other than what I did but I'd be repeating myself half the time.

I NEED HELP!!!

Designing a set

So basically right now the only thing I can think of which would be reasonable right now would be to actually design a set for someone for my project.

Set design

Ever since I watched the musical Wicked I knew that I wanted to be a production designer. I love how you can design a set to create a different setting and create an atmosphere for a story. I think a set is one of the main things in production because with out it you cannot truly create an atmosphere and shows the visual style of the production. Set design can vary depending on the time period being captured. It makes the genre what it is.


WICKED The musical - Theatrical Production

In the musical Wicked as you can see from the images above it the production designer has really thought about what type of musical it is, what the story is about and has put together an amazing set to go with the story and help the audience capture the visuals and atmosphere of the whole production. As this is a theatre production is it set in one studio set and they have to change the set for every scene.

EastEnders - TV Soap

As you can see from the images above of some of the sets of EastEnders, as it is a TV soap they film interior and exterior scenes. There are multiple places where they will be filming so there will be multiple sets which remain predominately the same. Only if it for an occasion or something different. The production designer has to think of the area the story will be located, what the story is about and the characters to design the set. As EastEnders is about normal ordinary everyday people, the production designer has to make sure it relates to the audience.

Wendy Williams - Day time TV talk show

This is a set design and layout for an American talk show which I watch. This is a very easy set to work around because everything is filmed in one studio but although there is a lot of moving about in this set everything has already been set up like the sofa seating area and the area which has the single seat. This is what a basic talk show set looks like as it is very simple and can be changed around easily when needed.

These are 3 different types of sets which I will be doing more research into.


Stephanie Ndubuokwu x

Topic idea...

After listening to my lecturers in my lectures I have decided to focus on what I am good at and what I want to do after I leave Uni, which is producing and set design. I have decided to base my Double project on production design. 

Right now I am thinking of maybe producing a TV programme as a business plan and creating and designing a set. I was thinking that if I could ask someone who did 3D design last year to help me create my set using the 3D design software. 

For now this is all I have but i am doing research to help me develop my ideas.

Stephanie Ndubuokwu x

Dissertation title...

I think I now finally know what I want to base my dissertation production on... 'Sound effects and visual cinematography - How it contributes to creating an effect in a film'

I have different ideas in my head but they are not all linked as a continuous sequence of events so, I was thinking about making it onto a film trailer.

Film Inspirations

I will be looking at two other films for inspiration:
1. The artist (Silent film)
2. Amelie (French film)

I will be looking at The artist because it is a silent movie and I am deciding whether or not I want to include verbal interaction between my characters. I will be looking at how the director has played on the use of music with no verbal interaction between the characters but with their expressions. Music can be a very powerful source in a film as it can be used to tell a story and I really want to explore this to see whether I can incorporate this into my own production.

I will be looking at the unique visual style of Amelie to give me inspiration of how I can make my piece visually appealing and help strengthen my cinematography.


Stephanie Ndubuokwu x

Film example.... Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo 1958 (Scene)

This film is called Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock. What I love about this scene is that Hitchcock changed the music a lot to fit the mood of the scene and the characters. At the beginning it’s very orchestral and soothing to show their emotion and the love they have for each other, then the music builds and the violins get stronger and sharper. This was to show that something bad was about to happen. The music builds to create an atmosphere for the audience to keep them engaged in what is going on in the scene. Basically in this film the male character that you see (Detective Scottie) has vertigo which is the fear of heights. As he is climbing up the stairs running after the female character Judy he looks down and as he does this the camera pulls up away from the floor giving it more of an elongated look, making him seem higher from the floor than he actually is. This was a very good camera trick Hitchcock used to create more of the feel of vertigo and perspective distortion. Hitchcock was known as the master of suspense and with this he chose the right music to put into this particular shot as he used very fast paced sharp orchestral music to give of this effect.

This is the perfect example of the direction I would like my film to go towards. I would like to be able to use music and camera angles to create a certain effect and create an atmosphere for my audience. I love things that have meaning. I love it when in movies characters do not have to speak but the music, their expressions and the camera angles tell the story for them.

Stephanie Ndubuokwu x