Genre: Experimental
Film
To be shown in a gallery
Slow motion, time-lapse, long shots, panning
Monday 13 February 2017
Monday 28 November 2016
Presentation Script (updated layout)
Projector: Images of Jared Leto (Item 19)
Speaker: Throughout this presentation, I will be discussing the use of
method acting and how this style of acting can be linked to Jared Leto’s
individual character roles. However, before delving into Leto’s roles and
whether or not these can determine if the actor can be termed as a method
actor, we must first understand what method acting is, deciding whether the
definition could term Leto as a method actor.
Projector: Transition to following slide with quotes on:
"Involved the performer feeling his/her way into a role
from the inside, temporarily identifying with a character or, in a widespread
distortion of the approach, actually becoming the character while playing
him/her." (Item 17)
"To play truley means to be right, logical,
coherent, to think, strive, feel and act in unison with your role." (Item 18)
Speaker: Both Stanislavski's definition and the educational
definition of method acting refer to the use of identifying and in a way,
becoming the character you are playing- to know their attitudes, behaviour and
the small impulses that make each individual character unique in their own
way.
Projector: “car chase” scene (Item 1)
Speaker: This scene is the first time that Leto appears in Suicide Squad. In this, the actor is playing The Joker, a character which requires a large amount of understanding of the character to play in such an authentic way. From the manner that he holds his hands upon the head of the walking stick to the recklessness of his characters attitude showing throughout his own acting, he adapts the characters mannerisms and attitudes as his own. The psychotic and antagonistic attitude shown throughout the scene is a key example of the use of method acting due to the vast contrast from Leto's own personality to the personality shown throughout this scene. Leto is known to be a kind and caring person, an atti tude that is absent from these scenes; from this, we are able to understand further how Leto has truly become the character that he is playing, believing that he himself is somewhat connected to this character.
Projector: Suicide Squad article
" I saw him out of makeup once and I was actually petrified of him. I was too scared to go up and didn't know who that person was, and when he got back into his makeup I was far more comfortable." (Item 10)
Speaker: This quote is a prime example of how Leto connected to his character in a way that has taken a step further than how many actors connect to their roles. From this quote alone, we see how co-workers of the actor were not aware of who the actor was himself because he was continuously in character throughout the filming process. Leto's method acting within this film became so genuine that his co-workers did not recognise him out of costume to the point that they were even in fear of meeting the real actor. Can Leto be termed a method actor because of this?
Projector: "Joker meeting" scene (Item 1)
Speaker: In contrary to the previous scene from Suicide Squad, this scene displays another side of the character as he is separated from Harley Quinn, causing him to become unstable; this is portrayed throughout the beginning of this scene. As the camera tracks out from The Joker, we are able to see the vast array of knives surrounding the character as well as hearing dietetic sound of the iconic Joker laugh. From this brief scene, it is clear to see how Leto has connected to his character, truly identifying with the character and the struggles he is going through in this point in the film. There are subtle things that we can see throughout the scene which back this up further such as the shakiness of Leto's hand as he holds the gun up or manner by which he speaks- we are able to hear the pain in his voice as he is separated from the one person he loves.
Projector: Jared Leto on playing the Joker in 'Suicide Squad' (Item 14)
Speaker: In the interview which has just been shown, jared Leto discusses some elements that related to him in the film. Leto states that he knew that he wasn't Joker throughout filming, but that the role required commitment and focus; this can be seen throughout this scene as we see the commitment and focus that Leto has within this scene.
Projector: "Chemical Bath" scene (Item 1)
Speaker: Once again, Leto uses method acting within this scene which can be seen through his dialogue, body language and other aspects of his overall character in the scene. Throughout this, we are able to understand Joker's thoughts and feelings towards what is happening in his facial expressions; this can be seen as the character decides to return for Harley. As he begins to walk away, we see the struggle in his expression as to whether he should leave, followed by him rolling his head backwards in irritation as he decides to return to her. Although this can be seen throughout many actors' work, Leto uses the knowledge of his character to accurately portray how his character would feel at this time, creating an effective attitude to portray within this scene as well as his sentiment towards Harley.
Projector: Jared Leto interview (Item 15) [3:23- 4:03]
Speaker: Joker and Harley's relationship is discussed within this interview with Jared as he says describes how their relationship is and how secure it is. As he discusses this with the interviewer, we are able to understand what he is saying as well as being able to see it throughout the chemical bath scene.
Projector: “I’m Rayon” scene (Item 2)
Speaker: This is a key scene in the film, Dallas Buyers Club; in
terms of viewing Leto’s acting, this particular scene is the first time we see
him in the film. Here, we are able to witness the actor’s style as he uses it
to play Rayon, a further challenging role to play due to it being a character
of the opposite sex. However, in this scene we see many subtle changes that
Leto has altered to his personality and mannerisms in order to prepare and
become Rayon himself. From this scene, it is apparent that Leto has adapted his
voice so that it has a higher pitch as well as using a southern accent and elongating vowels. All of these aspects of this change in his voice
allow him to sound more feminine and adapt to the different mannerisms and
characteristics of Rayon, creating the character as realistic as he can,
somewhat becoming Rayon himself.
Projector: Jared Leto on playing Rayon (quote from clip underneath video) [1:05-2:23]
"I couldn't be one way one moment and then the director says action and then my voice immediately jumps up an octave, I remember all of these mannerisms and I'm in this emotional place. It didn't make sense, I had to be where I needed to." (Item 12)
Speaker: Here, we see Leto discussing his reasoning within choosing to go method while playing Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. From the quote above- taken from the interview, we begin to understand the reasoning behind this choice and how we can relate this to the film.
Projector: Jared Leto on playing Rayon (quote from clip underneath video) [1:05-2:23]
"I couldn't be one way one moment and then the director says action and then my voice immediately jumps up an octave, I remember all of these mannerisms and I'm in this emotional place. It didn't make sense, I had to be where I needed to." (Item 12)
Speaker: Here, we see Leto discussing his reasoning within choosing to go method while playing Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. From the quote above- taken from the interview, we begin to understand the reasoning behind this choice and how we can relate this to the film.
Projector: "bed" scene (Item 3)
Speaker: This scene from 'Requiem For a Dream" shows Leto playing another role. The scene shows the actor playing a much more simplistic character than his other roles that have been discussed previously. In this, we see the actor with his mother; we are able to see the affection that his character has for the other and how from one small scene, we can understand the relationship they have with one another. Apart from this, we are also able to see the transformation Leto went through for this role through how thin his body is.
Projector: Elle article (Item 7)
Speaker: This article shows how Leto adapted his life in order to prepare for this role. The actor lost 25 pounds in order to be the right body type for the character he was portraying; although many actors go through this type of process for a various amount of roles, this shows the amount of dedication that the actor had to stay in the right mindset and to connect with his character in on a deeper level.
Speaker: This scene from 'Requiem For a Dream" shows Leto playing another role. The scene shows the actor playing a much more simplistic character than his other roles that have been discussed previously. In this, we see the actor with his mother; we are able to see the affection that his character has for the other and how from one small scene, we can understand the relationship they have with one another. Apart from this, we are also able to see the transformation Leto went through for this role through how thin his body is.
Projector: Elle article (Item 7)
Speaker: This article shows how Leto adapted his life in order to prepare for this role. The actor lost 25 pounds in order to be the right body type for the character he was portraying; although many actors go through this type of process for a various amount of roles, this shows the amount of dedication that the actor had to stay in the right mindset and to connect with his character in on a deeper level.
Thursday 10 November 2016
presentation script
Projector: Images of Jared Leto (Item 16)
Speaker: Throughout this presentation, I will be discussing the use of
method acting and how this style of acting can be linked to Jared Leto’s
individual character roles. However, before delving into Leto’s roles and
whether or not these can determine if the actor can be termed as a method
actor, we must first understand what method acting is, deciding whether the definition could term Leto as a method actor.
Projector: Transition to following slide with quotes on:
"Involved the performer feeling his/her way into a role from the inside, temporarily identifying with a character or, in a widespread distortion of the approach, actually becoming the character while playing him/her." (Item 14)
"To play truley means to be right, logical, coherent, to think, strive, feel and act in unison with your role." (Item 15)
Speaker: Both Stanislavski's definition and the educational definition of method acting refer to the use of identifying and in a way, becoming the character you are playing- to know their attitudes, behaviour and the small impulses that make each individual character unique in their own way.
Projector: What is method acting? (0:41-1:21) (Item 12)
Speaker: These Actors Studio member discusses what method acting is to them and how they prepare for roles. Sally states, "I would walk around and use whatever exercises to find her walk and find her rhythm and be it. So that you were no longer acting, you were behaving." (Item 12) While many actors may find various aspects that make a character their own, those who practice method acting find ways to integrate their lives into the characters that they are playing, becoming the individual to a certain extent. This following clip displays Leto's own personal opinion on why he choses the method acting style rather than any other form of acting.
Projector: "Jared Leto on playing Rayon for Dallas Buyers Club" (1:06-2:24) (Item 11)
Speaker: In this interview, we discover an underlying opinion from Leto on his acting style. To Leto himself, this style of acting allows him to understand and become connected to his character on a deeper level.
Projector: Transition to the following slide containing quote:
"I couldn't be one way one moment and then the director says action and then my voice immediately jumps up an octave, I remember all of these mannerisms and I'm in this emotional place. It didn't make sense, I had to be where I needed to." (Item 11)
"actually becoming the character while playing him/her." (Item 14)
Speaker: This quote taken from the previous interview and part of Stanislavski's definition of method acting further back up the idea that Leto can be termed a method actor. Now that we have linked the definition to his acting style, we can now begin to apply this to the actors roles themselves to observe and determine whether or not these definitions of the style can be seen within Leto's roles across different films.
scene
analysis/opinion
back it up
Projector: "Jared Leto on playing Rayon for Dallas Buyers Club" (1:06-2:24) (Item 11)
Speaker: In this interview, we discover an underlying opinion from Leto on his acting style. To Leto himself, this style of acting allows him to understand and become connected to his character on a deeper level.
Projector: Transition to the following slide containing quote:
"I couldn't be one way one moment and then the director says action and then my voice immediately jumps up an octave, I remember all of these mannerisms and I'm in this emotional place. It didn't make sense, I had to be where I needed to." (Item 11)
"actually becoming the character while playing him/her." (Item 14)
Speaker: This quote taken from the previous interview and part of Stanislavski's definition of method acting further back up the idea that Leto can be termed a method actor. Now that we have linked the definition to his acting style, we can now begin to apply this to the actors roles themselves to observe and determine whether or not these definitions of the style can be seen within Leto's roles across different films.
scene
analysis/opinion
back it up
Tuesday 1 November 2016
City of god- practice question
How far does the impact of the films you have studied for this topic depend on distinctive uses of film techniques?
[35]
One scene which depends on uses of film techniques is the scene in which the character Steak'n'Fries has a decision of whether or not to join Lil Zé and his gang as they confront the Runts. Camera techniques are important in these scenes as it shows us how the decisions of Steak has negative outcomes as well as how the decisions of characters such as the Runts do not matter to those in higher power. Throughout this scene, camera angles are important as they portray each central character and issues that are in this scene in different ways.
As the position of power, Lil Zé and his gang has been filmed with high angles throughout his interaction with the Runts who have in contrast with Lil Zé, have been filmed using low angle shots. This contrast between the two groups of characters displays the positions of power each person is in; the high angles used to portray Lil Zé gives him a higher power in contrast to the low angles used to portray the runts as powerless.
One scene which depends on uses of film techniques is the scene in which the character Steak'n'Fries has a decision of whether or not to join Lil Zé and his gang as they confront the Runts. Camera techniques are important in these scenes as it shows us how the decisions of Steak has negative outcomes as well as how the decisions of characters such as the Runts do not matter to those in higher power. Throughout this scene, camera angles are important as they portray each central character and issues that are in this scene in different ways.
As the position of power, Lil Zé and his gang has been filmed with high angles throughout his interaction with the Runts who have in contrast with Lil Zé, have been filmed using low angle shots. This contrast between the two groups of characters displays the positions of power each person is in; the high angles used to portray Lil Zé gives him a higher power in contrast to the low angles used to portray the runts as powerless.
Tuesday 11 October 2016
La Haine- practice question
How far does the impact of the films you have studied for this topic depend on distinctive uses of film techniques?
[35]
One scene which depends on uses of film techniques is the scene which shows them in the mall as the news of Abdel's death. Camera techniques are important in this scene as it shows the friendship between the three characters and their reactions to the news of a friends death. A close up shot of the three of them looking past the camera, showing the three friends together, however we see the separation which is consistent throughout the film by the way that Hubert is separated from Vinz but instead leaning towards Saïd. By showing this in a close up we see the separation take place without them realizing, showing how they're not proud of what they had done and the attitude Vinz has towards those in power. Therefore Hubert who is represented as equality leans towards Saïd (fraternity) instead of Vinz (liberty).
La Haine- word associations
- Bleak- shot in black and white so that no colour can be seen, the projects are unwelcoming to those outside of it, filled with an overall violent atmosphere to the area which.
- Hopeless- being surrounded by peers that have violent attitudes raises the other youths to have a life of violence. Vinz hopes to be arrested in order to be accepted into the "gangs" more, he has been surrounded by this violence so much that it is the only future he has to look forward to as he does not know anything else.
- Pessimistic- focusing on the worst aspects of the projects, looking over the positive aspects of it (Hubert's boxing gym, helping youths move away from violence and using their time for something else).
- Menacing- the excessive use of guns and violence gives off an intimidating feel to the audience. The film gives a negative stereotype to those living in areas such as the projects and youths such as Vinz, Saïd and Hubert; because of this they are portrayed as threatening and violent.
- Tense- the increasing amount of suspense being built up throughout a variety of scenes cause the audience to feel tense at certain points. For example, in the last scene tension is built up as Hubert is forced to make a decision of whether or not to kill the officer or not, leaving the film on a cliffhanger to cause the audience to question what had happened in the final seconds.
Monday 3 October 2016
Annotated catalogue
To what extent
could Jared Leto be termed as a method actor?
Films:
Item 1- Suicide Squad
· My focus film is the 2016 film, Suicide Squad where Leto plays the character, The Joker. I have chosen this film as Leto’s method acting and other techniques are brought to the surface in order to develop his character and enhance his performance in the final film. This film is useful as it will allow me to discuss the various ways that Leto
uses method acting while the camera’s aren’t rolling through other items that I
will use in my work as well as how he uses these to develop the character that
he is portraying.
Item 2- Dallas Buyers Club
· The first supporting film I have chosen to use is 2013’s Dallas Buyers Club, a film which Leto portrays the HIV-positive transgender character, Rayon. I have chosen this as my supporting film as Leto's method acting is once again present in the film. These techniques are personal to Leto himself, exploring his character in his own way such as losing weight and waxing his body. This film provides a good example of his personal methods being used, helping answer the question of the research project.
Item 3- Requiem for a Dream
·
The final supporting film I have chosen to use
is the 2000 film, Requiem for a Dream. In this film, Leto plays a drug addicted
son who has dreams of becoming a drug dealer. I have chosen this film as a
supporting film as Leto uses method acting once again in this film and prior to
filming, prepared for his role in various ways such as losing 25 pounds for the
role as well as living on the streets for two weeks in order to understand his
character further. This is useful as I can apply these methods of preparation
that Leto has used in order to see whether or not they were successful in his
method acting throughout this film.
Articles:
Item 4- Film School Rejects (https://filmschoolrejects.com/jared-leto-and-how-method-acting-can-go-horribly-wrong-be4d658e2a00#.dc63uinok)
·
This article focuses upon Leto in Suicide Squad,
discussing different ways that the actor applied method acting both on and off
camera to his role and whether or not this was effective in portraying the
character. The article also discusses method acting itself, commenting on what
the style of acting is as well as a brief history of the style of acting. This
article is useful as it allows me to refer to the history of the style of
acting as well as how it can be used in a way which is not seen as effective.
Item 5- ShortList (http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/jared-leto-goes-method)
· I have chosen this article as it contains an
interview with Leto about one of the supporting film I have chosen to look at as well as
some of the things he did in preparation for the role in Dallas Buyers Club
such as speaking to transgender people and going out in public dressed in
drag. This will
allow me to apply Leto’s methods of becoming this character to the bases of
method acting, finding whether or not these techniques can term him as a method
actor.
Item 6- Empire Magazine (http://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/exclusive-jared-leto-talks-suicide-squad-joker/)
· This article contains comments from Leto about his
role in my focus film, Suicide Squad as The Joker. These comments relate to the depth at which he
connected to his character, showing the consequences of method acting in a role
such as this and how it affected Leto at the end of it. This article is useful
as it allows me to discuss these consequences of this type of acting and
whether or not it can aid me in answering my question.
· I have chosen this Elle article as it discusses
Leto’s method acting roles in various films he has been a part of, including my
focus and supporting films. Due to containing information on Leto’s method
acting in each of these films, this article is useful as it allows me to use
this information in order to answer my question.
Item 8- BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/01/16/jared_leto_requiemforadream_160101_interview.shtml)
· This interview from Jared Leto briefly discusses
his state of mind throughout my supporting film, Requiem for a Dream. This article is useful as it shows how Leto’s
method acting affected his mental state while he was in character; by using
this, I can further determine whether or not Jared Leto can be termed as a
method actor.
Item 10- Screen Rant (http://screenrant.com/suicide-squad-movie-jared-leto-method/)
This article that I have chosen to use is one
which contains an interview with Leto's co-star Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie.
The article is useful as it discusses the actor’s personality and acting as he
is in character, opening up about how he adapts his personality to suit the
character that he is playing such as not allowing others to call him ‘Jared’,
yet still keeping his personality between takes.
Clips:
Item 11- FoxFMMelbourne (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgnl9ZLQhAE)
· This clip contains a radio interview with Leto,
discussing method acting and how he stays in character while shooting films.
The item is useful as it uses Leto's own opinions on his acting style such as
being on set while method acting as well as his attitude towards this style,
speaking about how this type of acting is the one which has helped him most in
his acting career.
Item 12- HitFix Live (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRNt9wkY2eM)
· Although this clip isn’t specifically about the
topic I am discussing, it contains elements of the topic discussing Leto’s
choice for method acting in Dallas Buyers
Club and why he chooses this style of acting over other styles of acting.
This is useful to my work as it displays Leto’s own opinion of his acting style
rather than the techniques he uses to become these characters that can be seen
in other items.
Item 13- What is method acting? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MrSndKh1Pg)
This item is useful as it discusses the origins of method acting as well as different actors' opinions on what makes a method actor. The interviewees throughout this clip are part of the Actors Studio, linking their work to method acting and other forms of acting that they study. The clip discusses how they prepare for roles which is useful as I can pair this to Leto's own preparations.
Item 14- Jared Leto on playing the Joker in 'Suicide Squad' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b26Uvgj_-60)
This interview includes various discussions relating to Leto and his role in Suicide Squad as well as his preparation for the role by visiting psychopaths and his thoughts on himself being the Joker. This is useful as I can use this interview and apply it to different point throughout the film in order to show Leto's results from this character and how he uses these preparations throughout his work.
Item 15- Jared Leto interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us-GiIfIsHg)
Once again, this interview discusses with Leto about his role in Suicide Squad as well as his reasonings for what he did throughout the filming process such as the gifts that he sent to his co-workers. This allows me to show how Leto uses the aspects of his character when the cameras aren't rolling in order to keep in touch with his character.
This item is useful as it discusses the origins of method acting as well as different actors' opinions on what makes a method actor. The interviewees throughout this clip are part of the Actors Studio, linking their work to method acting and other forms of acting that they study. The clip discusses how they prepare for roles which is useful as I can pair this to Leto's own preparations.
Item 14- Jared Leto on playing the Joker in 'Suicide Squad' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b26Uvgj_-60)
This interview includes various discussions relating to Leto and his role in Suicide Squad as well as his preparation for the role by visiting psychopaths and his thoughts on himself being the Joker. This is useful as I can use this interview and apply it to different point throughout the film in order to show Leto's results from this character and how he uses these preparations throughout his work.
Item 15- Jared Leto interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us-GiIfIsHg)
Once again, this interview discusses with Leto about his role in Suicide Squad as well as his reasonings for what he did throughout the filming process such as the gifts that he sent to his co-workers. This allows me to show how Leto uses the aspects of his character when the cameras aren't rolling in order to keep in touch with his character.
Books:
Item 16- Cinema Studies- Susan Haywood
· I have chosen this book to use as it discusses the
origins of method acting as well as how actors get into the characters that
that play. This book is useful to my question as it can be applied to Jared
Leto within the characters he plays such as Rayon and The Joker as well as the
method to which he plays them.
Item 17- Film Studies: The Essential Resource- Peter Bennett, Andrew Hickman and Peter Wall
· This book is useful to my own work as it contains
another way in which method acting is applied, but also how actors achieve
this. Although this book is similar to Item 12, I have chosen to use
this book as it includes different ideas that I can apply to my own work of
whether or not these techniques of becoming a method actor can be applied to
Leto and his work, terming himself as a method actor.
Item 18- An Actors Handbook- Constantin Stanislavski
· This book examines different ways to create a
realistic character which makes this book a believable source as it links into
the theme of method acting and creating or becoming the character themselves,
something which Leto achieves in his own roles. The book discusses points of
"living a part" and "what is my system?" which discusses
different acting styles and how it is achieved, which is useful for applying
these aspects to my question.
Item 19- On method acting- Edward Dwight Easty
I have chosen to use this book as it discusses what method acting is as well as a variety of ways actors can achieve it. By exploring this book, I can get an understanding of the process it takes to become method but also find out whether or not these processes can be linked to Leto, terming him as a method actor or not.
I have chosen to use this book as it discusses what method acting is as well as a variety of ways actors can achieve it. By exploring this book, I can get an understanding of the process it takes to become method but also find out whether or not these processes can be linked to Leto, terming him as a method actor or not.
Other Items:
Item 20- Images of
Jared Leto (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d3/97/3d/d3973d66011f925915592d00b49d92ce.jpg)
· I have chosen to use an image of Jared Leto from
three different points of his life from his weight gain in Chapter 27, his weight loss in Dallas
Buyers Club and his average body weight when he is not adjusting his life
for a specific type of character role. This image will be useful to use as it
will allow me to provide a visual element in my presentation for the audience
to make their own initial judgement to whether or not Leto can be termed a
method actor or not.
Rejected Items:
Chapter 27
· I have chosen to reject this item rather than using
it as a supporting film as although Leto used method acting throughout this
film, I find that there are not as many applications I can apply this film to
my question than of the films I have chosen to use and therefore would not be
as useful as the others.
E News (http://www.eonline.com/news/670674/jared-leto-s-gifts-to-his-suicide-squad-co-stars-a-live-rat-a-dead-hog-and-some-bullets)
· I have rejected this item as although Leto's acting
is discussed throughout the article, it focuses on the actions resulting
from his character rather than the acting itself, therefore not relating to the
topic I am discussing.
Clevver
Movies (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GKg13d75Dc)
· Once again, this clip focuses on the actions
resulting from the acting rather than the acting itself. The clip focuses on
many of the actions which Leto performed as the Joker such as requesting his
co-worker- who plays the Jokers henchman, to perform daily tasks. Due to this
not relating to Leto’s acting method directly, I have chosen to reject this
item.
ScreenSlam (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RucBvRgULbc)
· The interview in this clip discusses the film, Dallas Buyers Club as a whole rather
than any specific actor or method of acting. Therefore, I have rejected this
item due to the clip not connecting to my question.
· This item has been rejected as it does
not focus upon Leto’s acting specifically but instead Matthew McConaughey’s
acting also in Dallas Buyers Club which
means that this clip is only vaguely related to my question. Due to this, I
have rejected this item.
Introduction to Film Studies- Jill Nelmes
· My final rejected item is a book which discusses
the definitions and origins of method acting. However, due to having other
items which discuss the same matter, I have decided to reject this item.
Film School Rejects (https://filmschoolrejects.com/32-things-we-learned-from-the-requiem-for-a-dream-commentary-62e5a661031c#.3tkcj7a7g)
·
Although this article relates to my supporting
film, I have decided to reject this item as it discusses the film as a whole,
rather than Leto’s method acting from the film. This article is too vague on
what it is referring to and therefore I cannot use the information from this
article to answer my intended question.
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