Time Code is a 2000’s film, directed by Mike Figgis. It is a movie that is simultaneously showing four screens of continuous single shots, following characters, with sometimes even the cameras overlapping each other. The film sections were shot in real time, with no editing, and was shot with hand-held digital cameras. When Figgis wanted the viewer to focus on one section of the four, he would use the dialogue audio to be played louder to draw attention, or quieter, to give attention to the other sections.
The reasoning behind this choice of film technique was, as Figgis says, “Editing is a huge series of gimmicks with which we’ve all become overfamiliar”. He states this, as movies around the 2000’s was starting to overly edit their films, leading to the viewer become disengaged and go to the bathroom without worrying if they’ve missed an important plot point. This gimmick can be translated to present movies now, as they are all highly edited and do not enhance or contribute to the story but seen just as a “cool shot”.
The film’s use of camera angles adds dimensions to the film, as Figgis uses still shots, medium shots and even using two screens to simultaneously show only one character’s interactions, such as using space from filming looking outward to the street from inside the building with the second screen waiting for the character to show in the frame. This technique conveys the viewer how quiet and still real life is compared to highly edited movies trying to portray real life. This is similar to Figgis’s use of audio overlapping each other, conveying how conversations in a loud crowd project over each other.
I have attempted to use this technique in my film, by incorporating the two shots from different camera angles, having still shots, and a normal medium shot to have the same atmospheric tone Figgis creates with portraying everyday life. I have also shot my scenes on one day during the same time around 10am, to emulate Figgis’ use of natural lighting and timing, to highlight the quiet and mundane moments in life, as most present movies do not and rely heavily on constant action and abundant editing.
References
Barbosa, P. (2013, February 20th). Timecode 2000 Mike Figgis [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXr8W9i-Bz8
Ebert, R. (2000). Time Code. Roger Ebert.com. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/time-code-2000
Williams, R. (2000). Once upon a Time Code. Is it a laboured gimmick, or a ground-breaking technique that will revolutionise the cinema industry and leave thousands of technicians jobless? Richard Williams asked Mike Figgis the truth about Time Code. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/aug/11/culture.features
