the ascension - sl- commentary

8/2/2019 The Ascension - SL- Commentary

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Course: IB Film Studies Higher Level

The AscensionCommentary

South Island School

Center number: 003258

Candidate number: 003258-100

Candidate name: Stanley Leung

003258-100 Stanley Leung

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The Ascension - Commentary

The Ascension is a parable inspired by Judas betrayal of Jesus in the bible, the film

attempts to use this context to explore the idea of greed and cruelty of the real world. The

box is a catalyst for betrayal and symbolises power, making it a crucial part of the film.

I chose to be the cinematographer because I was confident in composing aesthetically

pleasing shots, contributing to the professionalism of the film. Along with my familiarity with

cameras and related equipments (e.g. dolly and tracks), I could increase the efficiency

while filming. Understanding the equipment also meant that I allowed myself more

opportunities to compose individual shots carefully, taking care of the mise en scene as

well as the meaning communicated.

We aimed to target audiences from a relatively broad demographic group, especially

people with religious beliefs because they can identify with the religious connotations in

the film. The broad target market makes it obvious to adapt hollywood conventions, as

they too have a wide range of targeted audience. In terms of cinematography, subtle

camera movements, e.g. slow panning or tracking shots are commonly used to make the

visuals more interesting as well as conveying meaning and intensifying the scene.

The TV series Leveragewas our first source

of inspiration. The director and I both agreed

that the distinctive zoom shots (e.g. Fig 1.1)

would be a useful reference for our opening

sequence. At one level of reading, the

opening sequence was intended to show thebox as a piece of mythical artifact that

descended magically to the isolated beggar.

For general audiences, the fast paced

opening provided visceral thrill at the start of the film which would hopefully intrigue them.

During the first informal script conference, I was briefed by the director and scriptwriter

about the story underpinning our film. The director had specific visions, shots and

execution method for certain important scenes (Fig 1.2 and 3).

Fig 1.1 - A digital composite zoom shotfrom Leverage.


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Fig 1.2 - Image that inspired anintended shot for the film.

Fig 1.3 - Shot mentioned in the initial shot list.

The initial script was incredibly ambitious and I felt some of the shots were not possible.

For instance the shot composition (Fig 1.2 and 3) was not used in the film because the

location chose had inappropriate lighting and environment to provide the level of contrast

needed. Some of which I cannot visualise at all. A shot list was developed based upon my

impression of the script (Fig 1.4). Since this was a silent film, the shot list was quite

detailed because the ideas and the narrative would both need to be communicated

through the mise en scene.

Fig 1.4 - Annotated initial shot list and photo of the director (right) and I (left) and ina script conference.


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We then had a location scouting session, aiming to find an isolated area away from city.

This is because the location needed to symbolise the protagonists high moral value (lack

of clutter, isolation, why no one helped), that he lives away from the cruelty of society. Out

of all the possible locations, we chose the one that match our criteria most (Fig 2.2).

Fig 2.1 - Locations that were not isolated enough. (photos taken while location scouting).

Fig 2.2 - Editor (left) and director (right) onthe location that matched our criteria.

Fig 2.3 - Location (isolated setting) used inthe film.

A storyboard of what I had in mind was then developed based upon the chosen location

after the scouting session. This acted as a loose guide during the production process due

to spontaneous changes to the script during filming. Some of the shots the director and I

had in mind after location scouting required special equipment e.g. a mini jib which we had

to rent. The jib was used during the overnight shoot so that I could move the track around

on the road without blocking traffic. Also, a problem was encountered when filming the

opening and ending sequence of the film. Fig 3.1 and 2 shows the intended crop of the

camera and the actual crop. The jib was not tall enough for the intended crop to work. After

discussion, the director removed this shot from the opening sequence.


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Fig 3.1 - Storyboard visualisation Fig 3.2 - Actual footage

Subsequently, a new opening and ending sequence was made with stock photos and still

frames from the film in Adobe After Effects. I felt this was part of my remit as the

cinematographer as it still dealt primarily with the image. Fig 4.1 shows the layering of

different images used (Fig 4.2 and 3) in perspective to achieve the descending and

ascending effects. It was done with 3D layering and synthetic camera motions. Camera

projection was used to simulate the perspective changes that were needed in the film to

give the impression that the camera was actually descending.

Fig 4.1 - 3D layers in Adobe After Effects


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The jib also acted as a replacement for the tracks we originally had because some tracking

shots were not achievable using them. For example the shot below (Fig 5.1) where the

camera is required to track over the box. To achieve this the tracks needed to be out of

frame and the camera above the box. The only possible way to achieve this was to set up

the tracks on the side, push the jib to its lowest point then mount the camera so that

nothing would obstruct either the tracking, the frame or the box.

Fig 4.3 - Clouds (inverted colours forpurpose of commentary)

Fig 4.2 - First frame (extendedwith Photoshop)

Fig 5.1 - Using the jib as a replacement for the tracks.


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There were various motifs containing symbolic meaning in the film which needed to be

communicated through my choice of cinematography. The box as a symbol of power was

conveyed using low angle shots. In Fig 6.2, the protagonist is shown to be powerful

because he is in possession of the box as is communicated through the low angle shot

used. Also, other antagonists were sitting down looking up at the protagonist, emphasizing

his power. This was one of the shots that I had in mind early on in the pre-production

process.

Fig 6.1 - Storyboard of the shot. Fig 6.2 - Low angle shot of the protagonist.

The importance of the box within the narrative was signified through the subtle tracking-in

movements (Fig 7.1 and 2). Inwards tracking towards the box directs the audiences

attention to it through the leading lines (red lines). This puts emphasis upon its importance,

as well as intensifying the mood. The director and I discussed and agreed on repeating the

track-in movement every time the box displayed its power, thereby emphasizing its role as

a magical artifact.

Fig 5.2 - Editor (left), director (middle) and me (right)planning how to solve the problem of tracking over the box.


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Fig 7.1 - Tracking-in to the box. Fig 7.2 - Tracking-in to the box.

I chose the shot in Fig 7.2 for my trailer because of the intensity that was expressed

through the shot. The beggar looks inside the box and simultaneously I hoped to use

enigma as the audience would be intrigued to know what laid inside.

The apple (eaten by the protagonist) was another important symbol of the film. It

symbolises his realisation of power, similar to how Adam in Genesis(The Bible) gains

knowledge after eating the apple, an intertextual reference. As the protagonist ate the

apple, I deliberately chose to have the camera track outwards revealing his surroundings.

Note that he looks upwards and around him as if he is seeing more. This shot uses both

the apple as a symbol and the camera movement to represent his realisation of the power

of the box. I chose to place the protagonist in the center of the frame to show his

importance.

Fig 8 - Camera slowly tracks outwards.


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The shift of control and dominance is a crucial turning point in the film. This was

communicated through the grading, brightness and contrast of the footage. The antagonist

rebels against the protagonist at night because the religious connotations of darkness

suggested evil and temptation. I made use of the flickering lights at the park as a temporal

transition as well as a visualisation of the shift of power (Fig 9). Binary opposition between

the protagonists and the antagonists costume emphasizes the juxtaposition between

morality and immorality.

Colour and grading was also used in the trailer to convey meaning. I colour graded the

footage (see difference between fig 10.1 and 2) again so that the opening and ending was

more saturated than the rest of the trailer. This was done to suggest that the opening of

the box coincides with the cruel reality represented by temptation as the antagonists are

jealous and want to own this new power. Equally, the text in the opening and ending of the

trailer was black on white, whilst being inverted in the rest of the trailer. This enhances the

effect of the juxtaposition, showing the opposing moral values that the box and the

protagonist/antagonist represents.

Fig 9 - Flickering street lamp.


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Fig 10.2 - Other shot from the trailerdemonstrating desaturated look.

The mise en scene and the continuity of the set design was as crucial as other aspects of

production. The set beggars home was designed while drawing the first storyboard. The

set was built from cardboard boxes, newspaper and most importantly a plastic cup that the

director and I both agreed on. The plastic cup is iconic, representing the act of begging

(Fig 11.3).

Fig 11.2 - Set of the beggars homein the film.

Fig 10.1 - Ending shot of the trailer.

Fig 11.1 - Storyboard, establishingshot of the beggars home.

Fig 11.3 - Beggars plastic cup is circled. Coins

were put inside it, showing authenticity andrealism.


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The set required that we clean up every time we finished filming. For continuity, I took

photos and kept the same pieces of newspaper and cardboard to make sure the set would

look the same in post-production (Fig 11.4). The make-up of the talents also caused med

concern as it needed to be consistent throughout the multiple shooting sessions. A photo

was taken of the initial make-up so that the make-up artist could recreate the look each

time required (Fig 11.5). The continuity made the film seamless in terms of editing, which

is important because it helps suspend disbelief.

Fig 11.4 - Resetting set according to photo.

Fig 11.5 - Make-up according to photo(on computer, circled).

I adapted the uses of hand held camera movement from hollywood films to convey action

and disorientation in the chase sequence,. This increased the intensity of the sequence.

Close ups of both the antagonists and protagonist were used, especially focusing on the

eyes, legs and arm movements. These shots were useful as footage for intercutting in post

production to speed up the pace of the sequence.

Word count: 1568


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the ascension - sl- commentary

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