Final Reflection

This semester in TCF 312 is truly one I will never forget. I learned so many invaluable lessons that could only be taught through the medium of film. One of the biggest lessons I learned is that you haven’t done anything until you’ve picked up a camera and tried to go shoot something yourself. Once you put yourself behind the lens, everything changes. Complications may arise that you didn’t anticipate before, however you have a crew to help overcome them. My skills as an artist increased dramatically throughout the semester as I progressed from project to project. I shot more scenes and places then I ever have in my life, which was a great experience. The best way to learn something isn’t to read a book or watch a help video; the best way to learn something is to do it yourself. This is exactly what shooting my first scene assignment did for me. I had never directed anything before in my life and was excited for the challenge. As I developed my script, storyboards, and shooting plans, I realized how much more of a challenge it was going to be. The logistics that are involved in directing a set are somewhat overwhelming at first, but doable. Before shooting the scene, it is impossible to foresee what problems you may have from your particular set. Whether it’s the lighting, the set, or the actors, there is always some variable that is going to make your job as a director that much harder. This is where the real learning begins. Through the readings and other homework assignments, I learned that being a successful filmmaker is dependent on your ability to adapt quickly. I had no idea that fast decision making was going to be such an important part of my job, but it helped me learn that much faster. My skills, of course, still need dramatic improvement in order to get to where I want to be as a director, filmmaker, or editor. I realized my visual storytelling skills weren’t my best asset but also learned how important they are. Not only is the individual skill of visual storytelling important, it’s also its relationship with the rest of the components of film that matter.  A good director has the ability to make these components come together into one complex narrative. Looking forward, im very excited to start my career in the film industry. Hopefully, it will start this summer with an internship and develop from there. I have no specific or set goals of what I want to do for the rest of my life so my options are open. I do know, however, that film will always be a part of it and that I will love continuing to work on projects that are others or my own. 

Artist Reel

Artist Reel from Will Wendel on Vimeo.

 Artist Statement

As a young filmmaker, I still feel like I’m figuring out what exactly my unique artistic style is. I discover new things that inspire me everyday; therefore I never want to limit potential influences by staying within my comfort zone. I learned in this class that it is as important to try new things as it is to not judge things you might not agree with or understand. Everyone has different styles, which is what makes filmmaking a completely distinct experience for everyone.  I love gritty television series such as True Detective, Boardwalk Empire, and Peaky Blinders because they all glorify a key protagonist to a god-like level. I like this style of television because of the constant struggle that the god-like character faces to stay on top of his world within the story. Constant undermining, attempted assassinations, and betrayal are major themes in these series that particularly peak my interest as a viewer. At the other end of the spectrum, I enjoy crude, raunchy comedies like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Trailer Park Boys. All of these shows have characters with very defiant and quirky personalities that always seem to get themselves in a sticky situation. I love watching how these situations develop throughout the episode and how the different characters handle the situations individually.  What I find entertaining is how these characters constantly dig themselves into holes and then hilariously try to get out of them, causing some sort of fiasco along the way. As far as movies, I like to stick to cinematic thrillers with lots of striking visuals and intense moments such as Interstellar, Pulp Fiction, and Silence of the Lambs. I learned in this class how important it is to use every single one of your tools as a director to captivate the audience and make them think what you want them to think. From lighting to sound to blocking, each plays a specific and influential role in enchanting the audience and keeping their attention. I realized it’s the relationship between all these components that truly matters. Without one, the others are useless. This class taught me how to properly piece together these elements to evoke emotion and responsiveness from the viewer.

Shot list

storyboard

Floor plan

Shooting script

5 Visual References

Lethal Interrogation from Will Wendel on Vimeo.

Scene analysis

The scene opens on a MS of an anxious Clarice Starling who is trying to get the infamous serial killer, Hannibal Lecter, to help her with an investigation. The scene is dimly lit with plenty of shadows in the background to emphasize the eeriness of the prison. She is positioned on the right third to give her plenty of talking room.

We then switch to an over the shoulder shot of Dr. Lecter as he begins to thumb through the documents. Once again the director uses plenty of shadows and keeps a mundane color pallet with all dark and dull colors to set the mood of the prison. They use a few key lights in the back to show the limits of the cell walls giving a perception of Dr. Lecter confined in this small space.

Next, we move in to a ECU of Dr. Lecter thumbing through the documents. The director shows the significance of the item by using a shallow depth of field so the audience is not distracted by what's in the background.

Then, we move to a bust shot of Dr. Lecter ask he gives his reaction to the documents. Once again the character is positioned of the right third to give him plenty of talking room.

Clarice's reaction shot comes next. The shot is tighter than the previous medium shot she was shown in, making it a tight shot. This allows the audience to see more of her facial expressions which makes the scene more intimate and evokes more emotion.

We then move to a bust shot of Dr. Lecter. The camera slowly moves in on his face and tilts slightly up, giving a sense of fear to the audience. It slowly pulls closer to Dr. Lecter, using a shallow depth of field to really focus in on the character and give him prominence over the rest of the shot. The shadow on the right side of his face contrasts the rest of his well lit face to add a lighting dynamic to the shot.

Clarice is positioned on the left third of the shot this time in an even tighter CU then before which, allows the audience to see the old radiator in the background that almost look like prison bars. The CU allows us to see more facial expression from her. The light is hitting her face on the left side creating harsh shadows on the right side of her face, similar to that of Dr. Lecter in the previous shot.

We transition to a panning MS. Dr. Lecter then moves across the room, from right to left, to give something to Clarice. As he does this, he makes eye contact with her as the shadow from the metal beam crosses his body. This adds to the feeling of being captive that the director is trying to communicate to the audience.

Now Clarice is positioned in the middle of the shot making her the center of attention. The camera moves back a little bit from her previous shot to communicate the audience distancing themselves from her as the scene begins to end. The shallow depth of field further focuses the audience on her.

The shot then switches to an ECU of Dr. Lecter as he responds to Clarice. Having the metal beam with the shadow in the shot communicates to the audience that there is still a barrier between the two characters. The lighting emphasizes the character's eyes to demonstate a heightened sense of insanity.

Now Clarice is in a tight shot the center of the fame again with a shallow depth of field to make her the center of attention.

The next shot is a panning tight shot that transitions to a medium shot as Dr. Lecter walks away from the camera. There isn't anything else in the shot besides the beam making him our focus.

As the dialogue ends, we switch to a wide shot with Clarice in the foreground. The hallway is very dimly lit and long making Clarice seem isolated from anything that is positive due to the lack of color. The camera tracks her as she stands up and walks away from the camera to make the audience feel like they have a fly-on-the-wall view of her. The scene ends on a very despairing note as she slowly walks away from the chair down the long, dark prison hallway. 

Jurassic Park T-Rex Breakout

Examples of Motivated camera movement