Finished Result

Looking back at the footage from the previous blog I am overall pleased with my final product. Gordon Willis’s style was challenging to achieve as there was no room for even the slightest of overexposure. Grading could do little to hide these faults as they often looked to colorised afterwards. This also relates to shots where the light had been pointed on the walls making them brighter then the subject which is very distracting.

Before going further into the film, google blogger has been easy to use save one aspect, the pictures. They had to be ordered one beneath the other which made for a slightly messy looking layout and if done again I would more than likely using a different software.

Back to the film, I also feel that I could have done more camera techniques, especially Martin Scorsese one's. Though I have been under the impression that the more subtle the camera work the better, I may have been too subtle in some shots. This refers to the dolly zoom at the end when the lights are turned on, the boxer raises his hands and he is actually growing larger, giving the sense of a champion. This is too slow however and if done again I would have made it more noticeable. 

That being said I was happy with my pull focus during the bathroom shot at the beginning, which is first focused on the subject's reflection, then the piece of paper, until finally the actual subject. This was completely inspired by Scorsese's shot in Casino as mentioned in previous blogs and I find it to be similarly effective. There is also a shot of the boxer trying to skip but failing to do so whilst the camera slowly moves to the side. This is similar to the Martin Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver' when the camera moves away from Travis who is being rejected on the phone by his lover. This unconventional camera technique I found was effective as it further established how weak the boxer had become, that it is a struggle just to watch him.

I am also extremely happy with certain trademarks of Willis's that I managed to incorporate. The overhead lighting for the shots in the office created that great darkness around the subject's eyes and the yellow/black were balanced well to create a brassy atmospheric feel. 

Although I'm aware I was not being assessed on any aspects other then cinematography, I was overjoyed at how determined and talented the boxer Ben Fitzegerald was. This actually motivated me further in creating this film. With his help I managed to secure a Gym to film in which was also a great lesson on how to secure a location. All of these aspects along with the story and the appropriate song has made me feel confident that it stands out amongst other student films, encouraging me to show others this piece of work, including film critics across the Internet. Thus far I have had quite a positive feedback.

What I have gained most out of this module is how important lighting is to a cinematographer's job. It is this that can change a film's look from amateur to pro and I look forward to further developing my skills and using them for future films.