Character study

Yes, I am still taking the directing workshop at UCLA, learning more about filmmaking and enjoying my time fully. This first assignment of the second semester made us focus on characters. We are only allowed to cast one character and study this character's inner world. I came from an art background so I tend to focus on composition and cut way too much:) True, it is important to think about the "languge" of film. But I fully understand the intention of this assignment. What makes great films are not great stories, certainly not great looks-it's great characters.....wait, I guess if you can pull all those things together, it would be ideal.:)

I had the pleasure to work again with the amazing talent Marry Walls.
Terry Lawyer was my D.p and Rus is always a great help.


Ucla_Character film from Nikiyang on Vimeo.

I recently watched Sophia Coppola's "Somewhere"which is a great example of a character film-and  I loved it.- You learned about this character  inside-out in 2 hours. I guess the issue is if you would care for this character or not. In my opinion, "Stephen Dorff"'s character was very believable. What kinds of lives would Coppola know the best? -Celebrities. If she made her movie with some dirty down 50 year old alcoholic characters, I wouldn't buy it. The long tracking sc of Dorff wearing a white plastic mold which covered his whole face was very powerful. That showed who this person clearly is without babling dialogue. He was a faceless, nobody.

I even loved all the shot choices- how simple and steady they were!they made us focus only on the characters. I should shed my "artistic side" off more:) It will take time but in meantime, I will console myself  with what Alexander Mackendrick wrote:
" It's a sound rule: as a beginner you are advised to experiment-if only to 'get it out of your system' and appreciate the value of simplicity."

Whewwww---I talked a lot:)