Weather Montage Series

After examining a short film “Walden” (1969) by Jonas Mekas, the students headed out to capture the ‘effect’ of weather – and this time sound and editing were a significant part of the over-all process.

Alberto’s Weather Montage (Harley’s Version):

Reuben’s Weather Montage:

Jonaton’s Weather Montage:

Reuben’s Weather Montage (Version 2):

Thabit and Gabriel’s Working Rushes:

Le Meteo Exercise One: Lumiere Minutes

Week one of this year’s Film Club started brilliantly with a keen group of Year 7 students joining some of our more experienced members.

We got straight to it, and after a chat about the Lumiere Brothers and the constraints present in their film making (both the technical restraints of their early cameras and the more internal restraints of what they imagined was possible) we headed out to the South Bank to explore what a single minute of fixed shot filming could reveal about this year’s unifying idea: Le Meteo, the Weather.

I think you’ll agree that the weather was indeed a strong force in each of the “Lumiere Minutes” captured.

Le Meteo: The Rules of the Game

Understanding Cinema 2015-16

Rules of the Game – Draft version 30-09-15

Drifting Clouds:  The Children of the World Film the Climate 

Exercises

1.  Lumiere Minute – One minute to film the weather where I live.

This can be filmed at school, in the street, in your neighbourhood, in your town, or out in the countryside, wherever you live or spend a large portion of your time.

Each participant will film their minute from a fixed point of view, paying close attention to sound.
An second, optional, minute is also possible, where a long take, lasting a minute, is filmed starting from a fixed point of view, which then pans steadily around, from that point of view, coming to stop at another fixed point of view.

Teachers, filmmakers and cultural partners are all invited to film a minute of their choosing.

2.  Feelings:
Give a representation or impression of a weather event, such as rain, wind, sun, fog, the cold or the heat.  You will do this by filming a series of short shots, which can either be shot in sequence, or brought together through editing.

This exercise is an opportunity to work on sound techniques, both in the creation of sounds to reflect the impression you wish to give, and also in the recording of the sounds of the weather events.

Each impression should last a maximum of 2 minutes.

3.  Seasons:

Film the same simple situation in several different weather conditions.  The scene can be filmed and edited over 2 or 3 shots.  In each version of the film you must have the same location, the same characters, and the same interaction between the characters, but it should filmed and staged according to the weather conditions of the moment in which you film.  This exercise should be filmed between October and March.
If this exercise is filmed in an interior location, at least one shot must contain a view to the world outdoors.

The film should last up to 4 minutes.

Group Film

Make a short film around a love story or a friendship which contains:

  • A shelter. This can be an urban shelter, a hiding place or a shelter constructed especially for the film
  • A scene of solitude or indecision, where the mis en scene, the dialogue and other considerations will be made in response to the weather on the day of filming.  The elements of the weather that you experience when filming should be perceptible to the viewer.

You should break up the action in the film with appropriately recorded moments of weather elements, such as clouds, the sky, rain or snow, which will create an emotional response in the viewer.

The film should be of 5 to 7 minutes in length, including any titles and credits.