My final Kino Piece.
My second piece for Kino.
This Particular video does not feature any representational shots or shots that pattern to narrative. Ideally, I wanted to create a piece which created a sense of surveillance, through the use of Human Characters, accompanied with a dynamic range of shots. After Being advised to withdraw all human elements from my piece, I believe it made the final outlook less cinematic as I initially intended. One of my tutors made a comment that my 1st submission resembled the opening credits to a television series which was a very interesting comment. I personally deemed the 1st submission to be a quality piece which echoed surveillance and highlighted detail very well. However, If i would have created an original score or complied some studs to gather from scratch, rather than using a generic track, it would have enhanced the Kino level of my overall piece.
We have embarked on our third assigned assignment which is the Kino Project. This process will require me, as a creative, to look, observe and process beyond my “directors” eye or my own personal human eye. It requires me to develop a surveying eye, where i study and assess what i see, beyond that very first encounter where my eye actually sees it.
With the Skill of sound manipulation that I gained through the Sound Project, i must reutilise this to create another original compilation for the Kino Project. Creating sounds of surveillance from scratch may be difficult however there are some established sounds that I plan to adopt in the begging so that i can gage into the standard required for this assignment. These established sounds include; alarms, sirens, the zoom of a scope/lens and the ambient sound within an airport when passengers are checking in and out.
By creating a compilation of these sounds, I will have a montage of quality surveillance sounds which then can be edited via Adobe Audition to accompany the visual shots i gather throughout this process.
Initial Ideas and Techniques.
To create a sense of observation, one particular lense i would like to utilise is the Panasonic 100-400mm or 100-300mm. With this Lense attached to my Panasonic GX8 (or GH4), I plan to capture some shots from an elevated platform, which could either be a rooftop or a high vantage point in a hotel. From these locations, i will be able to utilise the ridiculous zoom capacity of these lenses and also more importantly, it creates a an essences of surveillance and observation, as i plan to track the publics movements from a high vantage point.
Kino Shot list
Extreme close – used to assess the object in detail. This shot can be utilised for smaller objects. This shot will be captured with a 20mm lense.
Wide shot – can be used to capture the scenery all in one before thorough observation begins . This shot will be captured with a 12-60mm or a fish eye lense.
Medium close – can be used to observe the human body in detail. Can also be used in synergy with the extreme close up to enhance the broader scope of the object being observed. This shot will be captured with a 12-60mm lense.
Long shot – can be used to survey the object from a distance. It can act as some sort of surveillance camera to really capture clear and precise movement. This shot will be captured with a 100-300mm lense.
Kino Plot
I aim to find as many long alley ways as possible so that I can exploit the narrow corridors and the depths of field this can potentially create. Surveying from a roof top would also be a location that can really test ones Kino Eye. The observational focus this location would create, is why I believe it is a hot spot to exploit my Kino eye. In terms of surveying the human body, the one place that jumps to my mind are gymnasiums and swimming baths. In these locations, I will be able to utilise the medium and extreme close up, to track the human body and really capture the pulsating veins and drops of sweat.
Day One of Filming
Day One of Filming was an opportunity for me to really explore certain shots and techniques. It was also a chance for me to utilise the marco lense (20mm) in tandem with the bigger glass lense (100-300mm).
A compilation of Shots, that i captured during Day One of filming. (Edited on Final Cut Pro 10)
The 20mm lense was my go-to lense because of the close observation i wanted to obtain. The Depth of field this particular glass creates, has inspired me to really utilise this glass during my observation of the human body. In regards to the 100-300mm lense, It proved to be quite temperamental during filming. I believe this could have been due to the fact that not only did i film in very low light, i also filmed through a double glazed window.
However the benefit of the double glazing, presented itself through the permeating lights, which created a strobe effect as the camera focussed.
This Slide Show reveals the pixelated lights, captured using the 100-300mm, as i filmed through the double glazed utopia. I call this Shot the KINO EYE because of the shape of the light fragments and also, the distinct blue light fragment in the centre, acts as the perfect Iris.
I captured this shot from a high vantage point because i wanted the opportunity to somehow overlook the entire landscape of Manchester City Centre. So when i accidentally bumped into these pixalating lights, it really expanded my thinking in terms of what KINO really is. I was able to see and capture all the fragments of light particles which formulate the master light. If this is not KINO then i don’t know what is. This has inspired me to really focus on the small fragments, that formulate the bigger picture of the subject.
This Shot was captured with the 20mm pancake lense. We are able to assess the water particles which have coated the metal railing. The Focus is intriguing due to the sharpness, the 20mm pancake lense harbours.
F O C U S. A compilation of shots, put together on Final Cut Pro, to create a mock promo.
Day Two of Filming
During this Session, the key practice was to observe human movement. I followed My sister around a public park which really gave me the opportunity to break into the 100mm-300mm glass lense and really put that focal range to work. The Pancake 20mm Lense also played a hand during the session as i was able to attain shots of my sisters features and the 20mm lense allowed me to really study these features in crisp detail.
I still Don’t really have a clear Idea of what my overall Kino piece will consist off, however these sessions allow me to capture a lot of footage and experiment my observation and surveying skills through the lense of the camera. In addition, I have been capturing some crisp still images which also display remnants of the Kino Eye. This has given me an idea to merge the still Kino Images with the Live footage that I capture. I believe It will give the piece a unique feel, moreover some viewers may find it easier to observe (Kino) a still image as opposed to a live moving image.
Compilation of Shots Gathered from Day 2 of shooting for the Kino Project.
To create a feel of surveillance, I opted to incorporate some shaky shots to add authenticity to the story that i am trying to tell. The majority of footage was captured handheld, however by utilising these unsteady shots, it creates frantic movement which replicates someone being watched from a distance.
Wide angle shot captured using the 100mm-300mm lense.
Editing footage gathered from day 2 of filming for kino.
Over the shoulder shot allows the audience to access whatever the subject may be doing.
Day 2 -I Merged Footage with still pictures- watch in 4k)
After Studying Dziga Vertov’s Pioneering Phenomena “The Man With A Movie Camera”, it was interesting to analyse the techniques that the director had adopted to incorporate the Kino approach.
The camera lense resembles the all seeing eye on the american dollar bill. It is in control of everything the viewer can see. Vertov goes to extreme lengths to capture captivating shots, which would have offered audiences in that era, a cinematic experience and taken them on an enthralling journey around 1920’s Soviet Union. (on top of the bridge structure/ underneath the train as the locomotive goes over him).
Vertov also adopts to utilise still images within the production. This is a Kino technique which allows the audience to lock-in and focus on what is being displayed on screen, as opposed to being distracted by human and camera movement.
Key TechNiques Used by Vertov
- Shots of buildings and architecture
- Shots of objects and mechanics
- Specific Soundtracks were used to accommodate the some of the on screen narratives. Such as the Woman giving Birth and the Couple getting married.
Similarities Between My shots & Vertovs film
Following a subject round who has a camera. This is similar to what I have adopted in my own piece..
Surveying/observing people..
Repeated shots for emphasis..
Body movement/ sports shot in slow motion..
No dialogue can be heard from the film, just the actor which plays throughout.
Post Production For Kino
It has dawned upon me that this process of montage and observation, doesn’t allow me to implement a clear narrative structure which i normally opt for and this seems to be taken its toll during the editing stage of the Kino Process.
Screen Grab from My Kino Edit on Final Cut Pro X.
I am personally always methodical when it comes to editing and have a clear indication of what i am to achieve, when i piece certain scenes and transitions together during editing. However this process has somewhat bamboozled due to the fact that i really have to think in depth before i stitch each frame together. I am really having to adjust my ingrained style of working and really think on my feet with this one.
The first minute of My Kino Project thus far…
The 1st Draft of my Kino Project.
Throughout this process, I have taken a literal approach to Surveillance and observation. This is what i have tried to portray through my Kino piece. The framing of the Shots within the video, have purposely been allocated to convey the dynamism, which only adopting the Kino eye allowed me to do.
There are two subjects which I chose to focus on in this Project. The Observer/Surveyor (The Black Male) and the surveyee’/observee’ (The Black Female).
In retrospect, the way in which I edited the 1st draft of the Kino Project doesn’t necessarily convey clear enough, that the black female is being surveyed by the older black male. However if I were to rearrange a few shots/scenes which interchange between both the male and the female, the Kino Style i am attempting will be more successful. Rather than showing two separate stories, which draft 1 currently is.
2nd Draft Of My Kino piece
In this particular edit, i have purposely chosen to utilise the jump-cut on numerous occasions, especially within the same frame and scene. After analysing Vertov’s ‘Man with a Movie Camera’, It is clear to see the effect the jump-cut had within that piece. I personally believe that it brought that film to life and made it more interesting for the viewer to watch. I believe this effect enhances the dynamism, that I’m trying to convey within my piece.
Why Black & White
I have personally only watched just over a handful of Black and White Films, From ’12 Angry Men’ to ‘Schindler’s List’. Due to the lack of saturation on screen, the viewer/audience really have to pay attention to what they are actually taking in. This allows them to really focus on the narrative of the production and in this case, It will allow the audience to be alert to the dynamic shots and cuts i have deployed within my piece.
Class/General Feedback
After a class viewing off our individual Kino pieces thus far, It was interesting to analyse peoples work as i tried to understand, the Kino approach each creative chose to endorse.
In retrospect to my own work, The general consensus around the class was that my Current Kino draft was well put together. Some people praised the completion of shots i used, whilst others applauded the editing technique I endorsed. However, although a lot of people may have marvelled at my Kino Draft, some believe i should experiment even further by stripping away the narrative that my Kino Currently has with the Man and young Lady.
They believe by focusing on the more abstract shots, such us the crying leaf and the dripping rail, It will enhance the dynamism of the overall piece, making it more abstract and less generic.
I will and MUST take these constructive opinions on board, in order to take my piece to the desired and required KINO level.
Final Thoughts
I Have complied a piece of work that I am proud off. I never knew I had the patience to create such an abstract compilation and moreover, i never knew the importance of really accessing your subject with a dynamic gaze, which the KINO EYE inevitably is, before you start filming.
I was able to gage the view of “the fly on the wall” due to the fact that I was able to capture some interesting shots and movements, whilst my Kino senses were activated.
At times, It felt like I was in an old western Classic Starring Clint Eastwood. All because the Kino Process requires you to shoot from the hip. There is no time to capture the perfect shot, you just have to draw your camera and shoot, before you miss a moment that is remarkable.
More than anything, this entire process has enhanced my dynamism and ability to access the beauty in every scene and shot that I capture. All because I am looking with a different eye now. The Kino Eye.
Jacob Collins-Brown 
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