Misdirection and Reveals

I enjoy it when "things" come together and on Friday night two of my recent explorations came together.

Early last year I attended a introduction to film making run by Raindance, a company that amongst other things runs film festivals. It was certainly stimulating and I still use bits of what was said in other parts of my life. And of course once they have your email you "hear" lots more. So it was that last week they asked if anyone was interested in attending the test screening of their first feature film.

I quickly reserved two tickets for my daughter and me and on early Friday evening we found ourselves with 60 other people in an increasingly warm basement viewing room watching an unfinished (their admission) low budget fetaure film.

The low budget mainly manifested through the small cast (three main characters and one bit part - Sadi Frost!) and limited locations (the rooms in one house, a shop and a couple of street pieces). The final music was not applied and there were still doubts about title, poster, etc.

To me it tried too hard to be arty with loads of soft shots, half shots, obscure shots, etc, but when my daughter and I spoke about it after that was not the problem. The problems were more to do with the script and/or its translation onto film.

The pace was pretty uniform/slow throughout and most of the plot(?) twists were telegraphed. For example think about a man (victim?) in a bath immobilised by rope, but with fingers splayed, when the "baddy" walks in with a pair of bolt cutters...what do you think will happen? Yes, you got it the victim lost a finger. And when he went in with a pair of pliers in his hand, out came a tooth.

There were elements of the film that appeared to have no purpose or if they did when they were "used", it was unclear exactly what and why. Some key dialogue was not clear and some key shots made it too hard for the viewer to take in critical information.

I don't feel it right to give the plot away, but in the end the film showed how the "baddy" did what he did, but not why. Well at least we did not see it.

We were asked to fill in a questionnaire after the viewing and then my daughter and I had dinner where we discussed it further. It was during this dinner I noticed the link between what I had recently learned on my standup comedy course.

There were three things that I took from the standup course and they were:-

• The power of misdirection
• The need for a clear reveal
• Every element must have a purpose/value - else ditch it

As I said too many plot elements were obvious and would have benefitted from greater misdirection - the impact of the reveal would have been so much more effective if we had not seen it coming.

Likewise the reveal has to be maximised, both in terms of how it is delivered to the audience and indeed when. By way of example there was key information that was contained in messages and pictures on a phone. The film limited the reveal to angle shots of the phone screen held in a hand. Given the fact that the audience needed to read the text and see the pics, a full screen shot would have been much clearer.

As for the third point, there were elements that were never explained or developed. For example the female lead was bound while the "baddy" dealt with her husband. For some reason she was bound and suspnded in an elaborate form of Japanese rope bondage know as shibari. Why was this so? Apart from a few lines of something like oriental wisdom this was not explained or developed. And if one was intent on quickly immobilising a victim, it is doubtful the first thought would be complex rope work.

Overall it was an interesting evening that linked some of my personal explorations and gave rise to good conversation with my daughter.

We both agreed that this showed how hard it is to create "entertainment" well, whether it be film, comedy or theatre, and we can appreciate that a little better now.

Having a rethink about Mr Depp.

Strangely and to her mother's mystification one of the things my daughter and I share is Doctor Who. There are a few more for another day, maybe, but they include Deep Purple and Hawaii Five-O

Regarding Dr Who, I used to watch it as a kid - in black and white. I was THAT kid who hid behind the sofa when the Daleks came on, but I seem to recall the scariest for me were the cybermen.

Anyway when the new run started I watched them all and my daughter started to too. It seems that many of her friends did also. In recent years it has been a fixed date for us to watch Dr Who, live if possible, and if not then as soon as possible.

Ellen and her friends exchange text messages as the plots unfold and comment/rate an episode at the end. Fortunately neither of us go to the extreme of conventions or dressing up in character, but she has been enthralled with each change of Doctor. The latest one was no exception.

I think it fair to say that that particular jury is still out over the choice of Peter Capaldi. I am rather more optimistic, but only time will tell.

Before the announcement I had been thinking about who else might fit the role and quite liked the idea of Jonny Depp. Part of me still does, but having seen The Lone Ranger on Friday and being gently amused I am wondering if Mr Depp can pick up the pace at all. It seems as if Captain Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka and Tonto all have something of the humour and quirkiness required for Dr Who, but all lack the energy and pace that also plays a key part in the Doctor's character.

I would certainly be interested to see Jonny screen test for the Doctor and I think that it would be an interesting development for him as an actor. Who knows (pun intended!), maybe next time?

Bullying - Memories of an unlikely(?) victim.

I was one of the largest boys in my school and playing county level rugby as a lock forward and while I did not think it at the time, I was the victim of bullying. The main perpetrator was a smaller boy who we will call "Deano". I had known him since I moved the area at the age of 11 and we both moved through the end of infant school, through two years of secondary schooling before both moving to a grammar school at age 13. While he did not live next door he lived close and for the latter two schools we both bus'ed to school using the same bus.

He was more the artist (quite literally) and I was the geeky scientist. I will also admit that I stood out being almost freakishly tall (5'10" at age 11 and 6'1" by 13). I was also rather socially naive, somewhat ungainly and if I am honest had some Tourette's type physical tics. I tried hard to talk about music and football, but I knew little about either and it showed. I made some classic faux pas'. I had no girlfriend (are you honestly surprised?).

I was probably scholastically smarter than him, but he was far more street smart and cooler than me. He was part of a group and something of the leader. He was a great artist, always drawing in his books copies of comic book heroes and fantasy cars. Skills like this impress other boys at that age. He was certainly skilled and I believe that he went on to paint matts (the fantatstic backdrops used when Green Screening for major films) at Pinewood!

But he was a bully. Mainly verbal, after all I was bigger. That said I was something of a gentle giant off the rugby pitch and rarely got angry or lost my temper. As such I guess I was someone he could poke and make fun off quite safely. And he did. I took it as the price of being part of the group.

In those days bullying was really seen as only a physical activity. The psychological perspective was not really recognised.

I can't say that it came to a stop, but it lessened severely one day about the age of 15 or 16 when I snapped. Waiting at the bust stop to come home, something was said, done, I really don't know what, and I lost my temper for one of the few times in my life. All I recall now was that in very short order I had Deano lying on the ground and me sitting on his chest with every opportunity to pummel his face. I didn't pummel him, at least I don't remember that I did, and the red mist lifted, but I think the shock I gave him in downing him physically after all the years I had just taken his poking was enough to change it.

I can't say that we are best mates, in fact I haven't seen him in 30-odd years, but our respective mother's occassionally exchange information. They may have known of the bullying, but if they did it wasn't because of me telling them.

I have always been a physically large person, but there was then and, if I am honest, there have been other occassions since when I was susceptible to psychological bullying. That I started to recognise the problem meant I could deal with it and avoid vulnerable situations.

I write this not for any sympathy, I am over the problems and happy with who I am and where I am, but rather as a reminder not to assume that the victims of bullying are the small and weak and not all bullies are large. All it needs is someone to be different in some way and another person to be prepared to take advantage of that for whatever reason (jealousy, guilt, fear, ......)

A sad sign of the times

I am a man of a certain age who feels he is well behaved and safe to leave with young children, but it seems that the modern world puts every man, no matter who he is, under suspicion.

The incident that triggered this post happened this morning as I walked to the station. I walk down a wide open road in broad daylight at around 7:30. While it is not busy there are houses down both side and small but regular flow of cars, cyclists, runners, dog walkers and other commuters walking the same route as me. There is no record of trouble and I think it is very safe (as am I).

This morning I was walking down the left hand side when I heard some footsteps behind me (I am one of those who doesn't keep earphones in as I walk!). I looked back and about 20 yards behind me was a young woman. I will guess she was mid-to-late twenties, around 5'10" in flat shoes and dressed in business attire.

I didn't look back any more but heard her cross to the right hand side of the road. She was walking faster than me and gradually passed me, me on the left, she on the right; in doing so she passed a dogwalker. I did wonder why she crossed over? If she was going to the station like me then teh shortest route would be to stay on the left like me.

I watched her draw ahead and watched when she had 20 yards on me, yes you guessed, she crossed back onto the left and carried walking in froont of me all the way to the station.

I can only conclude that she crossed the road to avoid walking up to me and passing on the same pavement. So how does this make me feel? Well I am not quite sure, but I know it makes me feel uneasy.

In part I am angry that someone should judge it necessary. I am also sad that the world has come to this. Had it been a cold dark night with poor lighting and no others around I could have understood it, but at 7:30 in broad daylight with the normal population moving around it annoys me that anyone should feel they needed to do it with me as the other party.

OK rant over.

OMG Shoreditch was heaving!

I have worked in or around the City of London for over 30 years but it still has the capacity to surprise me. Last night was a case in point.

I was invited to a "summer party" in the roof top bar of what I guess is a new boutique hotel. It was just north of the City in Shoreditch, a short walk from Liverpool Street Station.

This is an area I cannot say I have visited much. I think that the last time I ventured that way was during general rail strikes of the 90's when I drove into town and found a place to park in the side streets there. It was pretty run down and there was always a risk that your care, or at least its wheels, would not be there when you returned.

What a contrast. To be fair last night was a) Thursday night - the night when many/most people go out and b) was rather mediterranean in its feel. Not only had the day been warm the breeze that was blowing was warm, reminding me of an evening on the Algarve or similar.

So last night we had a trendy bar, with entry via a doorman and elevator. It seemed OK when I walked up at around 6, but when I walked back at almost 9pm the area was heaving, crowds of young, fashionable people, queues to get into packed bars and outside areas, music on the street and spilling out or windows and restaurants and food on most corners. Oh yes and some rather Parisian sets of bistro tables on the pavements.

It was still warm and that must have helped - it might not have been so up tempo had the temperatures been more down beat, but it was what it was and I was surprised.

It is certainly up and coming (or maybe it has alread come?) and I suspect that I will go back there again. It felt a little like Spitalfields did after it was redeveloped and before it became as "corporate" as it currently is.

I can recommend a visit and I have no doubt that I will be back.

Putting last years challenge to use.

I am often asked "Why? Why did you do that?" Mostly this relates to the challenges I have been setting myself these last few years, especially the most recent one of stand up comedy.

Well the simple answer is because I think it is good to keep learning new things and it is amazing how much can be used in either my personal or professional life.

Last year I looked at film making. I was an interesting experience and while I have not yet (and probably won't) write a script or produce a film, I have just put together a montage video for my daughter's 18th birthday. It took me plenty time, but I am pretty happy with the results. I think that some of what I heard last year rubbed off and the Serif MoviePlus software helped with the rest.

Apart from a couple of the pics/clips my daughter was happy too and has shown her friends, so I feel I can share it here. It is a little over 9 minutes long so won't take too much of your day.

 

I know this posting is a little self-indulgent, but as a father I think one can do that once in a while.