I Saw The Devil

I'm a big fan of Korean cinema for the way in which it's cinematography isn't restricted by the 'Hollywood' mould.

I recently watched I saw the Devil and on several occasions was inspired by a number of shots/sequences.

The first screen grab is more of a technique than a shot type, however it got me thinking as to how to catch an audience unaware and make them jump. The sequence starts with a peaceful shot of an illuminated car, the fact that the headlights are on, illuminating the car in front, lulls audiences into believing the character, whose POV this is, is safe.  

Then, very quickly, the shot whip pans to the right, revealing a man with a raised knife. In conjunction to this dramatic camera movement, sound is used to heighten the surprise factor. A simple technique such as this would easily be mimicked in my film, it's also taught me that sound is everything, in this sense my communication with the groups sound recordist/editor must be upheld as I starboard the project.  

From the very beginning its been suggested to me that the best way to introduce a new scene is though the use of an establishing shot, often a wide angle, letting the audience know what/where they are looking at. What I like most about this next sequence is the fact that this rule is reversed, opening with an extreme close up then cutting to a revealing shot. I'd like to copy this style when changing scene's in my own film.

It works in the context of I saw the Devil due to the fact that this character is almost always smoking, by this point in the film, the cigarette becomes something of a signifier for the character. Essentially, this means that it becomes more than just an interesting shot and justifies the transition into the scene. While I could through this kind of shot in anywhere in the film by way of changing scenes, it would ave less intent and therefore have less of an impact. Perhaps if there was something of significance to the plot that appeared as art direction in a scene I could use that as something to focus on before pulling back to reveal the location surrounding it.   

The screengrabs below depict a shot that tracks the to left, following the character as he crossed the road before breaking into an apartment. What I like about the shot is that unusually it doesn't follow the actor but waits until they've left frame before quickly tracking sideways as if to catch up.  

I like the idea of using a similar shot to introduce our protagonist as he starts his rounds once the market is empty. The shot would start as a static, looking down a low lit hallway, the character would then briskly walk through shot, the camera then tracking sideways, panning at the same time to reveal another hall way toward which the character is heading.

The way in which the camera seems to react to the presence of a character suggests you could be watching some kind of warped POV, appropriate given our script and subject.  

Storyboard Ideas

A few places within the script call for long periods of dialogue, back and fourth between two characters. Rather than filming these scenes with a one-two, back-and-fourth, style, I'd like to take inspiration from The Shining and use simple long takes to shoot these conversations. I believe my approach is justifiable as just as with The Shining the location is an important element of the story, so is the castle market in our own film. Due to the interesting and large spaces in which Kubrick's story is told, it was important that as much of the building was shown off as possible. This is much the same with our film, we chose the market and built a story around it due to its interesting architecture therefore not to show it off would be a big mistake.

One such shot I have in mind imitates one seen in The Shining;

The characters are across the room from the camera, walking and talking as they are shown around the hotel, the camera following the action by way of a sideways track. They then reach the back wall art which point they change the direction of they are waking and move towards the camera, finishing the conversation stood just a few meters from the camera. Aside from showing off the hotel, the shot gives the impression of being a POV, like much of the film, its cinematography suggests an entity that constantly watches the inhabitants. Since our 'ghost' is going to be somehow linked with or trapped in the market, i'd also like to incorporate shots that hint at being someone's or something's point of view. 

The pictures below depict where in the market I would hope to achieve a similar shot. It would be easy to use several track and dolly kits to create a very long track on which the camera can move along, following actors as they share long conversations.

 Here is how I envisage the shot working in a practical sense;

The beginning of the screenplay calls for the depiction of our protagonist walking through a busy market, on his way to a meeting with the manager, aka, his new boss. With regards to my wish of including a number of long takes I looked for inspiration as to how I could film his walking around without needing to cut. Instantly I thought of The Shining and Kubrick's long takes, made possible though the use of a steadicam. The most obvious shot to imitate would be the one that follows Danny around as he cycles through the hallways.

After being introduced to A Single Man (2009) in class as part of the two minuet character study, I discovered further material that would, in part, inspire elements of the ten minute film. The scene inn question includes a lovely looking shot that follows Firth's character as he walks though a busy school. The scene grabbed my attention for a number of reasons, firstly, the crowded location makes for a visually interesting shot, a sharp contrast to the desolate Overlook hotel. Secondly, unlike Kubrick's framing, Ford's shot is composed much higher up the body than the example above. Obviously this is partly because the actor is taller but it has the effect of the camera seeming to be looking down at Firth, resulting in a completely different feel to the 'eye-level' framing of Danny (above).

I imagine that the beginning of the film would start as a tracking shot of the floor of the market then, as the actor enters frame, begin panning up, dissecting his appearance before resting at a similar height as the examples above. As seen in the screen grabs, when the character reaches his destination the camera will start to pull back, allowing him to get smaller in frame before going through a door at which point the camera will stop completely and cut to the next scene.   

The Shining

There are a few ways in which Kubrick's The Shining has inspired the production of our ten minuet film, for me, mostly in the way the cinematography portrays a supernatural entity within the film.

Famously, Kubrick's use of a Steadicam to 'chase' Danny around the hotel has the effect of giving the impression its the hotel itself that's tormenting the residents. This is amplified by the slight shakiness of the shot, employed to give it a human manifestation. A more obvious tactic used to show Danny's powerlessness to the hotel is the way in which the camera is often looking down at him, a well established technique though poignant none the less.  

Taking from Kubrick's use of long takes, when appropriate, it's my intention not to shy away from holding one shot for a long period of time. As there are a few places in the screenplay that are fairly dialogue heavy I'd like to simplify the production by making use of long static and moving takes in which the actors move through the interesting space that it castle market.  

A recent trip to the market confirmed our belief that there would be easily accessible power sources for lighting equipment. Even throughout the night these sockets remain live. I spoke to the managers and they've given us free usage of any mains power outlets we find around the market. 

Shot List

This is a shot list I made following the storyboard process - This picture was taken after shooting therefore the handwriting represents alterations that occurred out of necessity in order to work around problems faced when on location.

Storyboards

I apologize for the sketchy drawings but you get the gist...

Change of Plan

Due to unforeseen circumstances we've had to change the location for the two minuet exercise at the last minuet. Fortunately the new kitchen setting is very similar to what we had been working with so the purposed story boards can be more or less kept the same.