N.22 | "The Verdict" (using a red scarf to direct the attention), do not think like the amateur artist plus more

JOURNAL ENTRY

Jan 12, 2025: I’m working on a few different things at the moment. My number one priority is finalizing the script assignment for film school. It’s very good practice, and I enjoy the writing time. The deadline is anytime between now and Jan 18 — which is when school starts again.

I also want to keep practicing with my camera, with composition and more. I’ve been watching the films by Akira Kurosawa and Edgar Wright. I’ve thought of a nano film where I want to practice with cut to movement (Kurosawa’s often used technique) and fast editing (Wright’s style).

I’ve already started doing tests. I hope to get this done in a matter of a few weeks.

FILM STORYTELLING

The Verdict (using a red scarf to direct the attention)

Here’s a scenario. You want the audience to focus on a specific point in the picture.

What do you do?

A great example of this is a scene from The Verdict, the 1982 drama directed by Sydney Lumet: watch 1 min 23 sec clip here.

We start from outside a hospital where two characters are talking. In this first scene everything is almost entirely monochromatic with browns, greys and blacks. After Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) jumps in the air in excitement, we cut to the following scene.

Here, the woman’s red scarf punches you right in the face.

You cannot not see it.

The fluorescent colors in the window are aligned with the woman — adding even more emphasis.

Lumet throws something in that doesn’t fit the scheme of the current and previous scene. He creates discordance.

He includes a saturated color into a scene that is almost entirely monochromatic. That’s how he gets your attention. Lumet is directing your focus on the woman because something is about to happen and she’s gonna be at the center of the action.

Such a great example of film storytelling.

So, remember, the audience will always notice what doesn’t quite fit in. And color is a great tool to help you achieve that.

TIDBIT I’M PONDERING

Do not think like the amateur artist

In The War of Art, Steven Pressfield talks about the difference between the professional artist and the amateur artist.

How does a professional artist think?

When someone asked W. Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or on inspiration, he replied:

Now, that’s a reply you only hear from a professional.

Consider the following.

The amateur plays for fun. The professional plays for keeps.

The amateur plays part-time. The professional plays full-time.

The amateur is a weekend warrior. The professional is there seven days a week.

As a filmmaker, I cannot afford to do movies full-time. I have a day job. But, I’m committed full-time with my mind.

Source: From The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (paraphrased and/or quoted).

FILM STORYTELLING

All Quiet On The Western Front (clean single shot example)

A single shot features one character alone in the frame. A single can be any shot size. It can be a full shot, a medium closeup (like this example above), a medium shot, an extreme closeup or anything else.

There are two ways to frame a single.

A clean single, which is when no part of any other character is visible in the frame. The individual character is the primary focus. It's best used when you want the audience to focus on the action of the character. It can convey a character's isolation as well.

You can also have a dirty single, which includes a limited presence from another character in the frame.