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Creating A Dream Atmosphere
- Thread starter Semiazas
- Start date
Some of he ideas i coming up with are....
1. sound >>> so many ways, fade in & out, echos, speed up , slow down
2.camera action...soft focus, odd angles
3 fast action ?... fast cuts
4. repetition
5 . lights .. soo many things, colors, strobe effect, flash, dark, spots
6. editing.... perspective, transitions, use out of place material
Thanxx you made me think of what Im going to use in my next short
OHHHH......................... A #1 ..... be creative. Don't be afraid to mess up
1. sound >>> so many ways, fade in & out, echos, speed up , slow down
2.camera action...soft focus, odd angles
3 fast action ?... fast cuts
4. repetition
5 . lights .. soo many things, colors, strobe effect, flash, dark, spots
6. editing.... perspective, transitions, use out of place material
Thanxx you made me think of what Im going to use in my next short
OHHHH......................... A #1 ..... be creative. Don't be afraid to mess up
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All great stuff being mentioned. I too and brainstorming a short film project that will have a fair bit of dreamlike, imaginative, hyper-reality sequences. Some thing I've thought of that haven't been mentioned.
Music is a huge one. The music selection along has an enormous ability to give a dreamlike feel. Something kind of trippy, repetitive, surreal sounding. It would vary greatly, depending on what type of dream it is.
The other one I'm focussing a lot of my thought on is camera angles and movements. I think a good combination of dolly, crane and steadicam movements, working in close with a wide angle, to give the viewer the feeling that they too are floating within the dream. Really high camera angles seem to make think of looking in on a dream. Odd angles and things that would otherwise be not great looking, but are allowable because it isn't reality. Dutch angles, maybe something like pushing in while rotating the camera on it's Z-axis. Whatever is cool and weird. I envision my sequence being very surreal, and kind of being shot in a quick-cutting montage style of just a lot interesting, in-tight, moving, incomplete shots. Never really showing the whole story in one shot, maybe never having a master shot at all.
Music is a huge one. The music selection along has an enormous ability to give a dreamlike feel. Something kind of trippy, repetitive, surreal sounding. It would vary greatly, depending on what type of dream it is.
The other one I'm focussing a lot of my thought on is camera angles and movements. I think a good combination of dolly, crane and steadicam movements, working in close with a wide angle, to give the viewer the feeling that they too are floating within the dream. Really high camera angles seem to make think of looking in on a dream. Odd angles and things that would otherwise be not great looking, but are allowable because it isn't reality. Dutch angles, maybe something like pushing in while rotating the camera on it's Z-axis. Whatever is cool and weird. I envision my sequence being very surreal, and kind of being shot in a quick-cutting montage style of just a lot interesting, in-tight, moving, incomplete shots. Never really showing the whole story in one shot, maybe never having a master shot at all.
lol, Ernest! I totally forgot about that movie! Hilarious 
And I second the 'soft focus' feel and fog machine as well.
And I second the 'soft focus' feel and fog machine as well.
In "Carrie" the last scene was shot in reverse - Amy Irving walked backwards, etc. - then was played "forward" to make it a bit dreamy/nightmarish. It's also, obviously, slowed down. Subtle, but effective. Starts at about 5:00 in this clip.
In this classic Police video the audio playback was sped up about 25% and the visuals subsequently slowed back down to normal to give it that "low gravity" look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypmTJklGpng
In this classic Police video the audio playback was sped up about 25% and the visuals subsequently slowed back down to normal to give it that "low gravity" look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svWINSRhQU0
Put a dwarf in it.
Living in Oblivion, anyone?
I hear they're in short order these days.
Wow. It really really sounded like that woman was in labor or having sex, not dying. But I guess that's just how some people die.
I like the dream sequences that feel totally real until something really f'ed up happens, but there are so many styles that it all depends on the context of the film: who's dreaming, why are we seeing it, what is revealed, how does it advance the story, what's the motivation, etc.
The sequence in Rosemary's Baby is great. The Shining is very dream-like. The Science of Sleep employs some cool techniques. Fellini, Gilliam... on and on. The Cell was awesome.
Exaggerated and theatrical costumes, odd set design, bizarre sounds, wild visuals...
But sometimes a dream can feel real, play real and have quite the impact. They need not be out of the ordinary.
* forgot Tarkovsky
The sequence in Rosemary's Baby is great. The Shining is very dream-like. The Science of Sleep employs some cool techniques. Fellini, Gilliam... on and on. The Cell was awesome.
Exaggerated and theatrical costumes, odd set design, bizarre sounds, wild visuals...
But sometimes a dream can feel real, play real and have quite the impact. They need not be out of the ordinary.
* forgot Tarkovsky
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Most film representations of dreams are not like actual dreams at all. Some of the optical effects are good, but more importantly is the dream logic and representations that pop up.
Some practical staging can be helpful, such as in that Old Spice commercial, bathroom turns into boat turns into beach turns into horse...
Another important element is to limit the view and limit the information available to the viewer, as information about place and time are limited to the dreamer. Having it mostly at night may help.
Some practical staging can be helpful, such as in that Old Spice commercial, bathroom turns into boat turns into beach turns into horse...
Another important element is to limit the view and limit the information available to the viewer, as information about place and time are limited to the dreamer. Having it mostly at night may help.
This is absolutely cool... soo many ways to do this. Pick you r way and do it. Do it w/ sound, editing, shooting the talent move backwards, slow motion...BE CREATIVE !!!! Break the mold and make it your own. Im excited about shooting the below scene in my next short. Im going to shoot hot & fast, slow, slow & silent, mix the dialog / ambience from each, reverse the footage, mix & match and create a slow dreamy scene. below is a rough rehearsal footage from the scene... wait till i get it right.......... The only thing I want anyone to get from the scene is to hate the aggressor. If I do that.. I have succeeded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTSPM__wjtk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTSPM__wjtk