Media language research
Technique Master Class - 21.11.2018
1. Long Shot - Forest Gump
A long shot is a view of a scene that is shot from a considerable distance, so that people appear as indistinct shapes. It would mostly have one or more subjects in it but also showing the audience the environment or surroundings they're in. This is different from a full shot which also shows the subject in full body like this long shot, because a full shot would fill the frame width with the actor's body as a subject, but a long shot is most stagnant and filmed from a far distance.
2. Medium Shot - Indiana Jones
A medium shot, also a mid shot or a waist shot, is when the frame is filled only from the waist and above. It focuses more on the subject and the audience is able to see what goes on with the actor's expression and acting more clearly.
3. Close Up - Jaws
Close ups are usually always focused on the actor's face or somewhere the director wants the audience to focus on. It gives the impression of something very dynamic is happening or the actor's facial expression and meaning is conveyed more strongly this way.
4. Extreme Close up - Blair's witch Project
Extreme close ups is when the camera now only focuses only on one part of the actor's face or facial expression. This is when the director tries to create suspense or mystery through facial expressions and acting. It is useful when emotions plays a huge role in conveying the meaning to the audience.
Short Film Project: Using 10 shots.
What Went Well:
1 . A good use of continuous shot.
2. Good acting.
3. Had nice cinematography.
Even Better If:
1. Had more time to edit: put in the label/title.
2. Narrative had no starting and no ending.
an improved version after the EBIs
Now includes:
1. Background music
2. Title / label included.
Not included:
1. a full story line
Cinematography
Watch the following montage; what 3 words do you associate what you have just seen?
(( Watch Peaky Blinders on Netflix ))
solo single shots, in the center, subject stays still and the background is moving or vice versa. one subject in most shots, takes the best of color grading. always on the center focus. most long shots. make use of environment. rule of thirds. emotional. authentic, making the ordinary extra. aesthetically pleasing. enigma.
Cinematography is the art or technique of motion-picture photography.
It is a micro element in the film industry. The use of camera positions and movements in order for the director to establish changes of situation and mood. While making his new horror film, Steven needed to use cinematography to communicate the narrative to the audience.
Director of Photography
1. There are Heads of Department. DOP provides the unique fistula identity, or look.
2. They must discover the photography heart of a screenplay.
3. They create the desired look using lighting, framing, camera movement.
4. After reading the screenplay, DOPs work with the Director to discuss the visual style of the film, help. create the Director's vision. They research and prepare for shooting.
5. During post production, DOPs attend the digital grading of the film.
**rushes = raw footage
Camera team
Grip
Electrics
gaffer
rigging gaffer
best boy
electricians
sparks
video operator
key grip
key rigging grip
best boy grip
dolly grip
clapper/loader
Camera operator
1st cam assistant
focus puller
still photographer
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGTRAPHY
CAMERA WORK
Camera Shots Exercise - Jan.1.2019
Produce a 30 sec film based on the images (The Exorcist).
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We were only allowed to use XLS, BCU, Low Angle, High Angle, Zoom In, Crab left
Our title - Road to Mrs P Office - video down below
WWW:
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Acting
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Creating tension - slight build up
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Followed the brief
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Using two sound track
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tried to paid of at the end
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Continuity of the editing
EBI:
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Try to have made to follow the picture
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Put more effort in thinking outside the box - both camera work and editing
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Planning needs to be effective - no clear narrative
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some shot don’t serve a purpose
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Need more creative typography
WWW:
Clear narrative
All usage of the shots - followed the brief plus label
Had the title and the credits/crew
Typography
Creative shot in the beginning - thinking outside the box - creating mystery (using the Enigma Code - Barthes
Nice background music - Emotionally manipulating
Continuity editing
Lighting - the theme of light and dark. Creating dramatic tension.
EBI
A bit too obvious due to the SFX
The build up was nice but then the ending was a bit a let down.
iPhone in dark light.
Better typography of the label of the shots
EVALUATE HOW THE MEANING IS COMMUNICATED THROUGH THE CINEMATOGRAPHY ?
Clip watched - Jaws, 1975 - Get Out of the Water
Firstly, the mood and setting is accomplished through the lighting of the scenery. Lighting could be used outside (natural) or studio lighting depending on how the mood is going to be created. There is also soft and hard lighting which creates different meanings. Outside natural lighting is used for when trying to communicate the meaning of bright, nature, life, or tell the audience that the setting is based on the real world outside. Studio lighting is used when a certain object is needed to be intensified by using hard lighting or when the background is made dark and the subject is focused. In the movie Jaws, the scene where Captain Brody guards the shore with a group of family and children, the scene takes place in a real beach location which makes full use of the natural available to create the meaning of reality and tries to engage the audience into the movie as much as possible by trying to make it realistic so that the audience will be able to relate. This makes the audience drawn into the scene and creates mysterious effect or tension which may add to the meaning that the Director of Photography wants to make.
The DOP works with the editing and lighting and grip team to create the whole look/cinematography of the film as he tries to fulfill the wish of the Director.
Camera movement also plays a huge role in trying to create meaning. Every shot needs to serve a purpose in progressing the movie. The shot where they used Dolly In, Zoom Out to focus on Captain Brody, they made the subject stay in his frame where as the background moved further away creates an dramatic effect. It creates a suspense motion which manipulates the audience into feeling the tension and the feeling of fear as the character itself is feeling the same when the scene was about the danger of shark feeding on children.
LIGHTING
What is Lighting?
Lighting is the use of various light sources, both artificial and natural, to achieve some aesthetic or practical effect while illuminating a scene. Lighting in film is a micro element that helps convey the narrative, theme, mood, characters and genre.
What types of lighting set ups are there in film productions?
Three Point Lighting, High Key, Low Key, Mid Key, Silhouette, Golden Hour
Three Point Lighting
"Standard lighting set up for most films. "
Key Light: Lights the subject. Main and strongest light. In the natural world the light is the sun.
Fill Light: Diffuses/removes shadows created by the key light. Scatter and less bright than the key light.
Back light: Lights the rear of the subject. Adds definition and the three dimensional quality to the subtext.
High Key Lighting
High-key lighting is a style of lighting for film, television, or photography that aims to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene. The picture is bright, there is a lack of contrast, there is a lack of shadow. High Key images are considered happy and most convert positive emotions. B right, even and balanced lighting that is similar to daylight. Shadows are less defined. Can be created using a three point lighting set up.
Low Key Lighting
A low-key image is one that contains predominantly dark tones and colours. Lots of dark area, give special attention to contour lines, emphasizing them with highlights. The tone is darker, and the controlling color is usually black. Low Key images are darker, more dramatic and present a lot of atmosphere and tension. High contrast, more dramatic lighting. Shadows and highlights are more defined. Cn be created using a two point lighting set up using only the key and back lights.
Mid Key Lighting
Mid key keeps the photograph tones right in the middle of high and low key – not too bright and not too dark. Mid key lighting focuses on the middle tones in a photograph, while still keeping the subject brighter than the background. Medium key lighting can be achieved with a single light.
Silhouette Lighting
Can be created by backlighting a subject.
Golden Hour Lighting
The golden hour is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset, during which daylight is redder and softer than when the Sun is higher in the sky. The opposite period during twilight is blue hour, just before sunrise or after sunset, when indirect sunlight is evenly diffused
Watch the following Sicario clip and evaluate how effectively the meaning through the lighting aspect to cinematography ?
The scene in Sicario where it shows the time at dusk before entering the tunnel, meaning is created using natural lighting techniques while creating suspense and a sense of mystery to the audience. - this is an introduction sentence.
The Director of Photography uses the time after Golden Hour (after sunset) at dusk, which is the blue hour or the twilight hour, to create the meaning of the darkness approaching or evil/danger rising in the situation. In the first few seconds of the scene, the main color in the video used is blue and the environment is captured as a reflection of the car which warns the audience about the approach or the entrance of a certain group of characters. The natural lighting captured during dusk includes the color of (mainly) blue but also a hint of orange which are the normal standard Hollywood colors which creates the pop and the vividness of the subject but in this scene, it focus more on the could and the sky rather than the characters which creates a sense of mystery towards the actors and maybe show the meaning that they are part of the darkness, like how they are trying to camoflague in the dark, and not to be seen by the normal naked eye. This meaning is further enhanced by the usage of thermal camera lens to create the gratification of indifference which makes the audience as part of the troupe itself to see it’s following members in the dark. Roger Dickens does a really good job in using the nature time effectively to get all the shots and meaning due in a limited time pressure period.
As the characters are members of the dark or shadows, the DOP uses the Silhouette technique to show the movement/blocking of the characters against the horizon which creates a contrast; one which is the dimming light and the characters, and another which is the horizon and the vertical standing movement of the characters. We as the audience feels as though something of two opposites is about to crash and it creates a meaning of a fight or a war/conflict is about to approach. The camera allows a wide depth of filed to capture the characters as well as the background to receive full (deep) focus so that the audience can know what’s going on. As silhouette is created, it is only natural the the brightness is low to accompany with the meaning of moving in the shadows and in the dark. It only further adds to the meaning where something evil or dangerous is approaching due to the character’s movement and the time of the day they are moving in.
topic sentence - is important as it shapes the paragraph.
Don’t forget to use the form PEEL - point explaining evidence link back to the creation.
You need to evaluate - answer the question.
