The Trip - A Trip From the Small Screen to the Big Screen

Creating a Script is an important part of any movie. Writing is very important to drive the narrative and actions in a film. Script also as a profound impact on the feel of the film as well. It is important that the script is kept to during the filming of the movie it is the job of the Script Supervisor to make sure the continuity and script are followed on the set. Depending on how strict the director wants the film to be in continuity things such how much a cigarette has burned, how the actor’s clothes are, as well as how much food is eaten off a plate must be tracked and observed as multiple shots of a scene are taken as well as the shots progress to preserve the continuity of the story. This is important because if for example a cigarette is almost out at the beginning of a scene it can distract and jar the audience from the scene.

Writing is unique in The Trip because it was originally written as an episodic TV series for the BBC. This means that each episode was written with a beginning middle and end but left enough hanging to want to draw the viewer to tune into the next episode. The show was rewritten into a movie in a very smart matter. Each day of the trip is highlighted with a black shot with the day of the week that they are currently on. These title slides are obviously where each episode would of started in the original series. 

one of the Black Screens used to Signal the Progression to the next day

Despite the Structure of being episodic the writing of the film seems to rely heavily on the improv and chemistry of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon to carry the scenes through the restaurant scenes while any lull in the interaction between Coogan and Brydon is filled with documentary esque shots of the kitchen prepping the next course or even drawing out to wide shots of the car moving throughout the country side of the north of England. Using the improvisational scenes does have some drawbacks especially since Coogan and Brydon were very reliant on referencing recently released movies and culture that could be lost to audiences at a later time.

The Trip is a fine example of how a script can introduce feel and move a Film. From translating a episodic script to full length feature script. To the absence of direct lines at times to let the on screen chemistry of the actors to shine through improvisation and their conversation.

Hugo - A Tribute to Editing

The perception of the normal person is that a movie is simply shot in chronological order and then showed on the screen, as if the audience was in the eyes of the camera. The reality is that a movie is shot over several months, with many hours or even days of film to sort through and edit together to make a cohesive and meaningful experience for the audience. It is also important for the editor to work extremely closely to the Director in order to not lose the aesthetic and other qualities that the director was trying to capture during the filming of the Movie. The Editor for Hugo is Thelma Schoonmaker, Schoonmaker has worked with Scorsese on many films, notably Woodstock, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Departed, Shutter Island, and The Wolf of Wall Street. This close working relationship between Schoonmaker and Scorsese could be part of the reason the consistent aesthetic of Scorsese’s Films.

Hugo is an Important film because it is a tribute to film making and the silent era of films and the original camera “tricks” and special effects. Schoonmaker is quoted in Editor’s Guild Magazine as saying “You actually see him (Melies) at work and it’s stunning the way Marty’s (Scorsese) done it. We see what silent film making was like”. This tribute to the original camera “tricks” are actually editing cuts that make the imaginary real. Such as during the scenes where Melies is creating the skeletons he “pauses” the actors in place then removes the skeletons and continues shooting, which is an early version of editing.

Throughout Hugo the cuts and edits are very scenic but personal, Schoonmaker would begin the dialogue of a scene with a scene shot that highlighted the part of Paris that they were in and would then pull in too the characters that were containing the dialogue. As well as the scene where Isabelle and Hugo get separated in the crowd the edits and haste in the scene makes it feel like you are almost lost in the crowd with them. One of the most pivotal editing works in the film is the scene where Hugo get the automaton to start drawing, The movement from the Computer generated images of the robotic hand drawing to the faces of Isabelle and Hugo as they try and figure out what the automaton is drawing shows the emotion and excitement that has been building since the audience is introduced to the automaton.

Overall, It is apparent that the Editor and Editing is very paramount to an aesthetic of a movie. The obvious evidence that Scorsese has worked with the same editor throughout the years shows how much he values her work in portraying his visions. The editing also helps build and enhance the emotions of the characters as well as driving the story home to the audience.