By researching into what a visual style means, I am able to transfer the understanding of the process into producing my Documentary. I feel as though because the Documentary is experimental and will have themes of family, meaning and feminity I should also consider the option of adding in a sense of auteurism so that any potential audiences are able to distinguish a particular style within my animating/filmmaking processess.
What is a Visual Style?
The directors visual style (concept) is how you intend on creating the image structure and style of the film. There are usually a few methods to help kick start the way in which you can plan this within your film:
Primordial Image: What is this image, therefore you have to think of one image to take the audience into the story world you are presenting within your narrative or documentary.
Dramatic Metaphor: This considers the motif, semiotics and symbolism within your film.
Repetition: Can you repeat the motif so it becomes a style and runs through the entire film, deciding whether you want it to be subtle or on the nose.
Audience: You have to decide what the audience is going to see, since you decide where the camera is going to move, you also have to consider what the audience is going to see and not going to see within the film.
Pacing: The pacing and the mood of the story; referring to whether it's fast/slow, dark/moody or light/fun.
Colour: What the colour of the story will be? Whether this will affect the colour of the set or the colour of the characters within your film.
Dialogue: Is there going to be any dialogue within your film? If so, make sure it's important enough to be head well for the audience.
Rhythm: What is the rhythm? Thinking about the story/scene/act; Considering the music and graphing out the rhythm of each scene so you can review it before deciding what the peaks and lows of the scene are. (1)
Auteurship and Visual Style:
The term auteur originates from France which translates as author, which means that a director’s film reflects their creative vision. The Auteur theory was introduced in the 1950’s by French film directors like Francois Truffaut who advocated a focus on the contribution directors made on the style and form of film, he quoted “A true film auteur is someone who brings something genuinely personal to his subject instead of producing a tasteful, accurate but lifeless rendering of the original material”
An auteur is a film maker whose style and practise is distinctive which creates a signature auteur status for them. It is also a film maker who has a personal, signature style and keeps creative control over his or her work. Making any film or in this case a music video the director is the auteur but it would not be possible for them to create the whole production on their own, instead they collaborate with others and team up with; writer, cinematographer and actors but the director is still an auteur in a sense as they control everyone and everything in the production.
The auteur theory is different to 'genre theory' as auteur draws our attention towards what is different between films, rather than what is similar. Many media texts are meant to be considered as a product of an individuals creativity and many are simply 'products. For example, Tim Burton's 'Nightmare Before Christmas' is an auteur development as you can quite clearly recognise his individual style of gothic tones.
Tim Burton 'A Nightmare before Christmas'
Tim Burton 'A Corpse Bride'
Within these two screenshots, you can very clearly identify that these animated films have been made by the same person.
Giving reference to the eye shapes of the character hidden in the first image and the two characters in the second image. Not only that, but the use of 'blue wash' colours enables you to identify that Tim Burton is somewhat involved within this production.
Moreover, he doesn't use his auteurship stamp purely within animation, Tim Burton's live-action films are also very strongly adhered to his usual colour palette. For example, Edward Scissorhands has a blue tint to it aswell.
Tim Burton - 'Edward Scissorhands'
Stylistic Continuity of Auteur Theory:
Truffaut expressed that directors should use mise-en-scene within their films to imprint their vision on their work.
Andre Bazin and Roger Leenhardt also expressed that the director brings the film to life and uses it to express their feelings on the subject matter.
An auteur can also use lighting, colour, setting, staging and editing to add to their vision.
According to Andrew Sarris in his 'Notes on the Auteur Theory'; a director must accomplish technical competence in their technique, personal style in terms of how the movie looks and feels and interior meaning.
Criticisms of Auteur Theory:
Starting in the late 1960's film critics began to criticise the auteur theory's focus on the authorial role of the director due to the collaborative aspect of filmmaking. Aljean Harmetz argued that the auteur theory ''collapses against the reality of the studio system''.
The New Critics argued that speculation about an author's intention was secondary to the words on the page as the basis of experience of reading literature.
Femininity within my Documentary:
Laura Mulvey is a professor of Media and Film at the University of Londong. She is a successful screenwriter, producer and director and has written many books and articles on the topic of contemporary film and feminist theory with practice.
Mulvey suggests that the representation of gender and their relationship between the text and the audience from a soley feminist perspective, women in film are simply objects for 'the gaze' of the protagonist/male audience. I believe that within my Documentary I will be counter arguing that women are not solely on screen to satisfy a male audience, in the case of my production I want to convey the struggles that my nan has been through with 'Joey' whilst also displaying the harsh reality that is often missed when representing a females life on screen.
Usually within film, females are represented with a 'femme fatale' aesthetic and never in a real-life state. Even within Documentaries I believe some are bias towards 'the male gaze' and if they often 'spruce' women up they are attracting a broader audience of males who would be more inclined to watch regardless of the topic being covered.
The use of a Feminist theory is important within my research as I'm presenting a story that focuses on the independence needed from a woman who is a carer for her child; whilst them not being able to see themselves as an independent from their mother due to the nature of the learning disabilities he has. Therefore, Laura Mulvey's feminist film theory fits perfectly within my research because she suggests that children go through a 'mirror stage' where they realise that they are a person independent of their mother.
Considering 'Joey' has never considered himself independent of my Nan I feel as though this is appropriate to discuss and research in further detail. (2)
References:
1. http://filmdirectingtips.com/archives/151 2. Laura Mulvey - A beginners guide (attached as pdf to page)