Unit 1

 

Film 101 - Basics 

Task 1 

12 September 

First week of College!

Today was fun I started to learn about camera shots and angles. In the picture, I identified all the camera shots. I didn’t find it that difficult to identify them the only ones I really struggled with was The Master Shot and The Mid Shot since there kind of similar but in a Mid Shot you can’t see past the hip which you can in the Master Shot. We learnt the importance of camera angles. If can really change the dynamics of the scene from a simple high angle to make a subject look more vulnerable  or and Establishment shot to show where the characters are so the audience doesn’t get confused. We also learnt a few practical basics which included taking the camera battery out, setting up the tripod and putting it on different levels. Trying out some camera features like zooming in and out, manual and auto focus which was really cool. We looked at the new lights which was fun. 

Staying safe on set 

Risk Assessment 

It is important to make sure you do a risk assessment as any accidents can happen. To do a risk assessment you would check your filming location was safe to fill at. For example if you were filming somewhere where the camera man had to move back on and there was a step there, that could be a danger hazard. You would them put something in place so things like that shouldn’t happen if you checked the location and made sure everything was safe.

Set Calls

Quiet on Set

Assistant Director

This is important everyone listens to this call as it’s letting everyone know that they are going to start filming a scene soon. It’s important not to make any noise during filming as that could ruin audio which can slow down the process if you have to keep re filming. 

Recording

Camera Operator

This lets everyone know that they have now started to record. This also lets the actors and everyone know that the scene is going to start playing out.

3..2..1.. Action

Assistant Director

This is the final countdown for everyone that they are filming the scene now. Everyone should be ready and everyone should do their job role.

Cut

Director

This is a creative decision which is made by the Director only. The director may prolong the scene if it goes along with their visions. Somebody else saying cut will interfere with that and mess up his vision.

Task 2

What is the purpose of Shot Sizes?

Camera shots are very important in film making. Getting the right shot can make the films go from a 1 to a 10. It can really bring out the emotions if you get the right shot. For example you wouldn't do an Establishment shot if you wanted to captures someone's emotion so its important to know them so you don't bring down production diary.

Shot Sizes 

Establishment Shot

To introduce the environment. It transitions us to a different scene so the audience doesn’t get lost. This can also trick an audience if that’s what you planned on doing. E.g. You show them in one location to make the audience think they’re still there.

Wide Shot 

This is good to show the relationship of the object or person in the environment. If you have a person walking alone in a Wide shot where you can see a big background of the environment it can make the person look lost and alone.

Master Shot

Shows all the characters in the scene and the relationship to one another. This is also good to get for every scene as, if you lose lines from the other camera angles The Master Shot is a safety net as all the dialogue would be said in this shot. Which is a dream for a editor. 

Long Shot 

Just above The Head to The Bottom of The Body 

This can be really good to show the wardrobe of the character. This is good because the audience can get a sense of the character, as how you look on the outside represent how you feel on the inside. It is also just right enough to see body without the face getting lost so you can see everything. 

Cowboy Shot 

Top of The Head to The Waist 

This shot is called a Cowboy Shot because it was used a lot in western movies. The camera would show the gun on the hip. When you film a cowboy shot  upwards it can give the person who is being filmed more power.

Mid Shot 

Above The Waist to Top of The Head

This is most used because it’s just a standard shot. It’s like a eye level shot, similar to how we see people in real life. You can see the characters body language in this shot.

Mid Close Up

Shoulders to Top of The Head 

Want less focus on the environment and more focus on the person reactions and interactions. 

Close Up

The Face 

Typically at Eye Level. This is great to see the characters choices they are making in their mind through the facial reactions.

Extreme Close Up 

Certain Feature or Object

Eyes are typically the focus again for the Extreme Close Up because they can tell us so much in a situation without even speaking. This being the dramatics up by 100%.

What is the purpose of each Shot Type?

Shot types can change the dynamics of the scene. For example a two shot shows the relationship towards two people and if you have the two people together it can show intimacy whereas if you have them further away then it show discomfort and tension between the characters.  A Dirty shot is also included in some of the framing shots. A Dirty Shot means something being in the frame which isn't just the one character.

What are the different Shot types called?

One shot/Single     Two Shot

Three Shot               Four Shot

Five Shot                  Crowd Shot

POV                            Insert

Over The Shoulder

One shot/Single

Only one person in the shot

This framing gives the full attention to the one character in a scene. Using this framing could make a character look isolated.

Two,Three,Four and Five Shot

The amount of people in a shot.

If you say you are filming a four shot then that means you are filming a shot with four people in it. Using a these shot framings can show the relationship between the characters. If you films the characters far away from each other then that can make them look like strangers or maybe they have a difficult relationships towards each other. If you show them together it can show they are united.  Also a two shot is when both faces are visible.

Crowd Shot

There is a large group of people in the shot

when there is to many people in a shot you would just call it a crowd shot. Using this shot is great to cover loads of people talking and no cutting back and forth when every single person is taking, that could make the editing a lot harder and jumpy. 

Over The shoulder

Shot over the shoulder 

Over the shoulder shots focuses on one character. When you use over the shoulder shots you get to see the perspective on both sides. This is also good to kind of make the audience feel like there watching the conversation as if they were there.

POV

POV of Character/Object

This is where you show the audience what is happening from the character’s point of view. This is great to bring the audience in by seeing and understanding exactly what the character is seeing. You can also use POV audio so the audience can hear what the character is hearing as well as watching.

Insert

Detail 

Inserts are great to set a scene or to give details to the story. An Insert shot is good so the audience don’t miss a part of the story that may be crucial to the story line which will end up confusing the viewers. Things like that could bring down Production Value.

                                                               

What is the purpose of Shot Angles?

Getting the right angle for a scene is important because it can really change the way the audience is viewing the characters or the situation that is happening in the scene.

High Angle

Shot above The Eye Level.

This makes the thing your looking down on more vulnerable or small. It can be really good at making the audience feel bad for the character. This could just add a bit extra to the scene for example, if a child was getting bullied and you shot it at a high angle then the child looks even more vulnerable and it all ties in together.

Low Angle

Shot below The Eye Level

Shooting something at a low angle can make the object or person look more powerful. Shooting a Hero from a low angle after they won makes them look even more heroic or it could do something different. It could make a villain look more threatening.

Overhead

Like a Bird's Eye View

This angle is above the head looking down. Over Head shots are good for things like a fighting scene and crime scenes. You get to see the characters and the set. This angle is good for movement.

Eye Level

Most natural to The Eye

This is the most natural angle to shoot at. It’s where the eye sees things in normal day to day life. It feels like you’re watching the characters do the thing they’re doing or feel like you’re in a conversation with them. 

Dutch

Turned Vertically

Using this angle makes the scene feel out of place. It's really good to use when you have a character that is not mentally stable and use this angle to show it as it creates more of a manic state.

Knee Level

Shot from The Knees

This shot is good to follow a character. They could be on a bike and were following them that way or it could be them walking. This could also reveal more about the character, as you can tell a lot about a person by the way they are walking.

Ground Level

Shot from The Ground and can be Underground 

This shot could be good for when there is stuff on the ground that would have an impact on the scene. For example, if their were dead bodies on the floor that would effect the scene, the audience can see that from a ground level shot. 

There is also Shoulder and Hip Shots.

Task 3 

Mise En Scene 

The aesthetic or the visuals on set. Set Design, Props, Makeup and Costume.

A lot goes behind the visuals on set. If the lighting or props don't match what is going on in the scene it could bring the production value down.

We all know costume can easily show you a characters personality. If the character is wearing bright or pastel colours as a audience they are going to immediately assume that the character is a bubbly, kind character. 

That's why you always see villains dressed in dark colours, it's all connects together and makes the audience feel like they should be weary of them.

Camera shots. Why have they been shot like that, what does it do for the scene.

We looked at the opening scene of Stranger Things and we did an analysis of it https://youtu.be/UUqzBK3_10A - 8 seconds 

                                                                   Thor, Love and Thunder

Context 

- Movie is Thor, Love and Thunder 

The photo is a bit blurry so there is a link under the photo

In this shot there is a father and daughter surrounded by nothing

Camera

In the photo they used a wide shot. Using a wide shot made them look even more powerless. The clear background made them look lost in their surroundings.

Set

You can see there is nothing for miles in the shot which shows the viewers how isolated and stuck the family is. 

The rocky ground shows us it’s the dessert and in the scene he had no shoes on which as a viewer they might feel bad for

the character because they’re walking on hard rocky ground.

Costume & Makeup 

They are wearing ripped, destroyed up clothing. Visually we can see that they have been through a hard travel. We an assume by the clothes that there poor/lower class and that they are lost. 

Everyone knows Marvel do science fiction, fantasy, action movies. From the makeup you can tell its from a different time period and they are also maybe from a tribe/clan as that looks very similar to tribe/clan tattoos.

                                                               Doctor strange MoM

Context 

- Movie is Doctor strange, Multiverse of Madness

16 seconds on the video

In this shot there i

Task 4 

180 Degree Rule

https://youtu.be/UUqzBK3_10A - 10 seconds 

The 180 degree rule is where there is a line between characters which you don't cross because it confuses audiences. you can cross it if that's what you intend to but majority of the time it makes more sense to just stick to the rule. In this picture I sketched a little scene which is set in a bedroom. There are two actors which are A and B. Then there are two cameras which are following the 180 rules they are on one side of the actors. Even the camera movement follows the rule as it still doesn't cross the  line.

Rule of Three

Nine imaginary lines are placed on each shot to help as a guide for the framing.

This picture is from A Star is Born. 

https://youtu.be/UUqzBK3_10A - 13 seconds 

In this photo is is split up into three lines. Bradley, Lady Gaga and the sheet of music. They way it has been set up means we can focus on all three things because the spacing is right. If the sheet of paper was closer to Lady Gaga then some audience might miss it. It's important to get framing right because it could make valuable object goes missing in the scene and can make the visuals not look as good.

Here is a video which I created in a group. It uses The 180 degree rule and the Rule of Thirds. I didn’t really find it difficult to film, the only thing was the height difference but we manage to do it. Alex edited for us which she did a really good job on. 

https://youtu.be/n4eEQynGlGo

Task 5 

Editing 

Cutting 

Layers

Adding Music

Adding Text

Adding Effects

Colour Grading

Exporting Footage 

Those are some of the basic editing tools that you will need to use. 

We got a shot sunset clip of YouTube and put it through a mp4 converter so we could edit it. Kane introduced us to Premier Pro which I have never heard of before since I'm new to editing. Unfortunately my login wasn't working and a lot of other peoples weren't either so Kane showed us on the screen. He showed us how to do everything listed at the top.

I was able to have a little go in a group project we were working on. We had to edit our table scene which is still under progress. Alex who edited the 180 degree video was helping me and Hollie edit. She showed us how to mute audio which we needed for the start of the video.