Freud

Structure of The Personality 

Freud's iconic work on the subject of abnormality was recognised as pioneering, particularly his model of the human personality. He suggested that the human psyche is constructed of three interacting elements;

The id:

The reservoir of unconscious and instinctual psychic energy that we are born with. The most integral aspect being the psychic energy's libido, or life instincts, however this energy may also direct itself into aggression. 

The id operates upon basic principles of pleasure, constantly attempting to gratify the these instincts through pleasurable activity. 

The Ego: 

Represents our conscious self and develops during early childhood, regulating interactions with our immediate environment. The ego is also responsible for trying to balance the demands of the id for self-gratification with the moral rules imposed by the superego of conscience. 

The ego operates upon the reality principle, in that it constantly balances the demands of the real world against the instinctive drives of the id.

The Superego:

The personal moral authority, or conscience, developing later in childhood through identification with one or other parent. At this point, the child internalises the moral rules and social norms of society. 

References:

Green, S. McGinley, R. Willerton, J. Wilson, J. Bailey, J. (2008) AQA AS Psychology. Cheltenham. Nelson Thornes. 

Lacan

The Mirror Stage

Lacan and The Mirror Stage (1966)

We often see that infants observe themselves in the mirror and believe that the image they see is superior in comparison to them. The baby fails to identify as the image they see, hence they set this mirage as a worshiping icon and will strive to correspond to this vision of themselves.

In the same way, women often elicit the same behaviour in cinema; the 'ideal' depiction that they see on screen is a representation of a superior being which they wish to transform themselves into.
This internalisation of ideals, results in a hyper awareness of ones self as an object to be watched. Hence people often develop body dysmorphia, which ultimately supports Laura Mulvey's concept that we have been exposed to a very patriarchal kind of cinema. 

New Wave - Film Evaluation

Evaluation and Health & Safety

My new wave sequence was constructed of an array of shots that I had captured in various locations, structured in the form of a montage. By doing this, I have given the viewer the ability to derive meaning from the film based on their own interpretation. I felt that this was a key theme surrounding a majority of the New Wave texts that I had looked at for my contextual study. In terms of concept, this style provides a loose narrative which makes the film easy to follow, but not too conventionally organised.  

When conducting on location shoots, I was sure to consider the practical elements of health and safety. I ensured that all of my equipment was correctly put away when not in use and whilst shooting, I had to be sure that both myself and my apparatus were not obstructions which could lead to potential physical harm for pedestrians or those around me.

When assembling the footage together, I wanted to make sure that the rough trademark of new wave editing was made apparent, therefore I was not too careful in selecting where to cut the shots. With long takes, I transformed them into a series of jump cuts, adding a sense of discontinuity.

Similarly, I was sure to keep a consistent flow throughout the sequence, by maintaining the choppy editing style. I also incorporated elements that were featured in the New Wave, such as having the subject look directly at the camera, ultimately breaking the fourth wall and acting as a reminder to the audience that they are simply watching a film. This was commonly demonstrated in French new wave films, shedding new light onto the world of cinema and transforming film making from the conventions of classic, large scale productions.

I also experimented with the use of colour, taking inspiration from Daisies (1966) and the creative use of filters used within the iconic nightclub scene. Shifting between exotic hues adds a sense of the unconventional as well as enhancing the surreal essence of the film. In addition to this, colour has the potential to influence the audiences feelings towards what they view on screen, as each shade holds personal connotations, hence every viewer may develop varying interpretations.

'Daisies' (1966)

However, I did not want to make the effect so drastic within my own film, so I altered the colour levels slightly, just enough to add a slight tint to each shot. I did so with purpose, although the effect was predominantly done for aesthetic purposes, I ensured that the colour complimented the tone of the shot, in order to enhance the focus of it. For example, for a location shot of a secluded area of Digbeth, I added a cold filter, to represent the solitude felt when present there.

 Overall, I found that I was able to manage my time effectively; by documenting my planning for each shoot, I was able to express the developments in my ideas and then elicit them in a practical sense. Such as altering the fundamental concept so that it was not too heavily based around a narrative, as this would not have been true to the nature of new wave. Most new wave productions emitted a sense of spontaneity in terms of their content and I wanted to be as authentic as possible when making my film, hence created a montage of scenes which were loosely connected, so that the viewer is able to derive their own interpretation of events.

 As a result, I was able to produce a new wave montage sequence that combined various elements displayed by the movement. I felt that this project particularly allowed me to explore and strengthen my editing skills, as there was a vast amount of footage to sift through and implement into a sequence. In addition, the fact that I edited to audio and a poem also stretched my ability to edit in time.  

New Wave Film

New Wave - Video Planning

Shooting Plan 3

In terms of editing, I have decided to cut my footage in time to the poem 'Ode' by Arthur O'Shaughnessy, as a majority of what I have already shot corresponds lyrically and conceptually with the poem. By doing this, the creatively surreal element will be significantly enhanced, creating a vivid depiction of events, from which the viewer is be able to draw their very own interpretation.

When conducting the research for my contextual study, I analysed a selection of films from the Czech new wave movement. From doing this, I found that although each text had a different director and concept, the underlying similarity stood out in a visual sense; surrealism was the common undertone.

With this in mind, I plan to conduct my third shoot in Birmingham and Digbeth. Within this shoot, I will not be focusing so much on the subject, instead I will be filming the location itself and any objects that I find are relevant to the context of the poem. Combining this footage with what I have already shot of the subject will provide a good array of scenes to create the surreal ambience that I wish to achieve.

In regards to health and safety elements, I must ensure that my equipment is correctly packed away when not in use and that I am mindful of pedestrians, as I do not want me or my apparatus becoming objects of obstruction which could lead to potential harm. 

New Wave - Video Planning

Shooting Plan 2

By altering my concept slightly, so that the film is not too heavily structured upon the foundation of a narrative, I have decided to compose my film in the style of a montage. Therefore, for this shoot I planned to collect shots of the subject that I could use in a surreal style montage. I intended to capture in the style of new wave, hence making use of natural light/sound, filming long takes that could be edited as a series of jump cuts and all shot using a handheld camera, as seen in Godard's "Breathless'.



This shoot took place within Manchester as I had planned to capture a selection of settings to feature the subject in. As the film I am creating is a montage and an expression of creativity, I visited galleries, having the subject look at the art itself, suggesting that as they begin exploring a pleasantly aesthetic world, they are inducing their own creative energy.

In addition to this, I captured the subject around the city of Manchester itself, this not only allowed me to capture the setting, it also provided me with the opportunity to utilise natural lighting and make explicit use of handheld camera. Which worked, in both an aesthetic term and a conceptual one.

New Wave - Film Brief 2

By conducting shoots, I found that the initial concept for my new wave sequence was based too heavily around a structured narrative. Hence, I have decided to adapt my work so that it is more visually surreal, yet explicitly illustrates all the recognisable features of the new wave.

In order to achieve this, I intend to collate my footage into a form of montage, something that was done prominently within a variety of new wave films. Using jump cuts and other discontinuity techniques, which will provide the distinctive and somewhat imaginative flavour of such alternative film making. In doing so, I do not want the film to become confusing and difficult to follow, therefore, I intend to have the same subject, so that there is some consistency and an almost narrative. So combining shots of the subject and various other location shots, I will produce a creative montage that explores the elements of the new wave as a whole.

Overall, I want to convey an expression of creativity, as it appears to be the foundation upon which a majority of new wave movements were constructed. Like the texts I had studied for my contextual essay, from the Czech movement, the viewer is able to develop their very own interpretation, as a result of the loosely structured narrative and abstract depiction.