Thursday, December 5, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Mis-en-scene Black Swan
The Director of Cinematography for Black Swan
was Matthew Libatique. He did an astounding job taking Nina through
her struggles to transform her into the black swan. He did such a good
job, that he won 8 first place awards for best cinematography, 3 2nd
place awards and nominated for 11 others. Past movies that Matthew
has done include Iron Man, The Wrestler, and The Number 23. The Number 23
reflects his work done in Black Swan. The story is about a man who has
an obsession about a book he thinks is written about him. In Black
Swan, Nina obsesses over being perfect for the role of the black swan.
Her obsession drives her mad enough and ends up destroying her in the
end.
From an interview, Matthew said that the
influence for the movies looks came from “the collaboration with Rodarte,
the fashion designers who created the movie’s costumes. The image was a cube
that was pristine on the outside, but had all of these spikes within it. That
provided the central metaphor for the movie: a beautiful ballerina who’s
holding this pain inside her. There was a yin-yang to the concept that’s
reflected in the movie’s black-white chiaroscuro.”
It was interesting to find out that most of
the film was shot with a Super 16mm. They chose this because
the 16mm creates interesting texture, especially if you expose it
correctly. Also, the directors said that it was easier to carry around
and get real shots in real time.
Looking further into the
main contributors to this film. Matthew Libatique has worked with the director
of the film, Darren Aronofsky in several films in the past. The
first film that these two worked together on was “Requium for a Dream”
(2000). The next was “The Fountain”(2006). They teamed up
again because Black Swan has a dark feel to the film just like the movies they
worked together on in the past and they wanted that same energy.
This website is an interview done with
Matthew. It talks about his ideas and motives behind why he shot what he
shot and what some of his influences were. http://www.theasc.com/ac_magazine/December2010/BlackSwan/page1.php
Special Effects:
The
scenes leading up to this climatic ending frame are amazingly put together and
established for a fantastic feel of this transformation . In this ending scene
the star ballet dancer, (Nataie Portman), is becoming the black swan that she
so desperately wants to be. This formation and change is the main story line
for this production. so you can imagine the intensity that lies within this
climatic scene.
throughout the movie it reveled that “there is a
mirror or a reflective surface in nearly every shot of the film. The only
noticeable place where there isn't one is when Nina is on stage, during the
films climax, performing the Black Swan, when her 'dark side’ has taken over.”
(trivia from IMDb).
As we have studied, “The
function of contrast in defining meaning can be explained by comparing
fundamental opposites: dark/light, soft/hard, fast/slow. Examples like these
are useful because everyone understands the extremes they imply, but while
there are extremes, there are no absolutes. The values are merely
relative." This is perfectly executed in this frame as well. The contrast
of symmetrical black swans on the back stage wall contrasted with the lighted
ballerina in the center of the stage. The chandeliers add to the frame in
multiple ways. they fulfill the law of similarity and continuity, leading us to
the main stage and the highlight of the production.
“Natalie Portman drew
on her ballet training from ages 4-13 for the role. She resumed ballet training
a year before principal filming began. She trained with Mary Helen Bowers
(formerly of the New York City Ballet) and the regimen included fifteen minutes
of toe exercises (for her to be en pointe for dance scenes), substantial muscle
toning, and swimming a mile a day. However, Portman has acknowledged having dance
doubles (unnamed) in some interviews. Professional ballerinas Sarah Lane and Kimberly Prosa were
the dance doubles for Natalie Portman. The special effects team also digitally
placed Natalie Portman's head on Sarah Lane's body in several dance scenes.
Lane did most of the heavy tricks, while Kimberly Prosa did the rest of the
dance shots that were needed. According to both Prosa and Lane in separate
interviews, Portman's dance scenes in full body shots were actually the dance
doubles. Prosa and Lane also said Portman was filmed dancing from the waist up,
showing only face and arms, while the rest of her body dancing were that of the
dance doubles." (quote from IMDb trivia section)
this is just some of the examples of what took
place for the special effects team that helped produce this film. In this clip
it shows briefly some of the intricate effects that took place.
This film production had listed 5 special effects
artists (according to IMDb) and another
75 visual effects for the team that it took to
create this amazing film.
Special Effects:
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special effects technician
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special effects coordinator (as Conrad Brink)
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special effects technician (uncredited)
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special effects contact lenses (uncredited)
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special effects technician (uncredited)
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Visual Effects:
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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flame artist: Look Effects
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visual effects producer
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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visual effects compositor
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects (as Cyntia
Buell)
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3d supervisor: Look Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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roto/paint: Look Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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data management: Look Effects
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2d supervisor: Look Effects
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main and end titles designed by
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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visual effects executive producer: Look Effects
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president: Look Effects (as Mark Driscoll)
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additional visual effects supervisor: Look
Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects (as Katherine
Filtrani)
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digital compositor: Look Effects (as Kelly
Fisher)
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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3D artist: Look Effects
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flame artist: Look Effects (as David Geoghagen)
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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2d supervisor: Look Effects
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3D artist: Look Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects (as Danny Kim)
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3D artist: Look Effects
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main and end titles designed by
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visual effects coordinator: Look Effects
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3D artist: Look Effects
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3D artist: Look Effects (as Jessica Y.C. Lai)
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visual effects compositor
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digital imaging
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manipulated and designed by: club images
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3D artist: Look Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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roto/paint: Look Effects (as Jose Lopez)
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digital imaging
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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roto/paint: Look Effects (as Martin Mcgreevy)
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digital imaging
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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visual effects producer (as Jodie Brown)
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visual effects coordinator: Look Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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data management: Look Effects
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visual effects editor: Look Effects
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flame artist: Look Effects
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visual effects supervisor
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3D artist: Look Effects (as York Schueller)
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digital compositor: Look Effects (as Greg
Silverman)
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visual effects compositor
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visual effects editor: Look Effects
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data manager
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3D artist: Look Effects (as Antonello Stornello)
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3D artist: Look Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects
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visual effects coordinator: Look Effects
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additional visual effects producer: Look Effects
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visual effects artist
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roto/paint: Look Effects
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digital compositor: Look Effects (as Chris
Wesselman)
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digital intermediate engineer
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visual effects compositor
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roto/paint: Look Effects (as Melissa Widdup)
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digital artist (uncredited)
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visual effects executive (uncredited)
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motion capture producer (uncredited)
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concept illustrator (uncredited)
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motion control operator (uncredited)
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digital restoration (uncredited)
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Costume
Designer: Amy Westcott
-Won
Costume Designers Guild Award in 2011
-Excellence
in Costume Design for Film Contemporary for Black Swan
Other
Works:
The
Wrestler (2008)
Entourage
(2004)
After
Earth (2013)
Night
Crawler-filming-(2014)
**Amy Wescott wanted to reboot the classic imagery of "Swan Lake" Looking for contemporary designs with a darker (almost Gothic) touch to keep in line with the film's themes.
Wardrobe
Costume Supervisor: Jennifer Ingram
Brains
behind the Wardrobe: Kate and Laura Mulleavy of
Rodarte.
Inspired
by both ballet and horror film related imagery prior to the filming of Black
Swan.
Make-up
Designer: Margie Durand (Head) and Judy Chin
Other
Works Together:
Sex
and the City (2008)
The
Dictator (2012)
The
Wrestler (2008)
Margie
Durand; "We applied a pale ivory foundation with a white cream highlight
on the forehead and cheekbones. To create the swan eyes we used M.A.C.
Chromaline in Black Black. Using M.A.C Pigment in silver combined with Mixing
Medium we applied feathery brushstrokes over the Black Swan's eyes. The lips
were lined with M.A.C Lip Pencil in Vino and topped with M.A.C. lipstick in
Dubonnet. We then lined the under-eye with a thin line using M.A.C. Chromline
in red."
Swan
look: Mainly dark make-up and special effects
Design
Principles: Color: Dark costume and makup, red eyes, to fit with the over all
theme of the "Black Swan"
Law
of Pragnaz: All of the feathers are grouped together to create her wings.
Law
of Continuity: The eye make-up is dramatic and shapes her eyes in a way that
makes you stare right into them, enabling you to focus on her red eyes. The
make up also makes her eyes seem like they have feathers/small wings on them.
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