on the day of the lesson I was absent and then later in the holidays I was told the homework. "what skills did i learn and develop?" at first this made no sense to me.. until I was later told it was about the short film that we done.
The main skills i learnt was team work and I realised that from doing this short film our group would need to work better on team work.. when we first started to make the plan for the film we worked together well in designing the plan.
Then it came to who was going to act, I said that I didn't want to be in the film and i made it very clear this was because i do not liked to be filmed and i didn't feel up to it at the time. Even though i did appear in the film for a short amount of time.
when it came to the editing i was absent on one of the days so Nadine and Bima started which i was happy with because it meant we wouldn't have been behind, but it then meant i didn't now how to use the software so when we next went to complete the editing i didn't no what to do so i was helpless so Bima and Nadine carried on. i have now had a chance to look at the software and am aware on how to use it but i would need help.
Our group for it hard with the communication because i was away and from when i came back i didn't no what had been done or what i was to do. from not knowing what to do i felt like i was being left out so i didn't have any participation in the editing because i wasn't really given the chance and i would have probably made a mess of it because i didn't know what i was doing.
i felt the group could have work better together on this because of the absences and we could have met up and done some work together so that i new what i was doing.
from being the camera woman i learnt how to do the different techniques such as Zoom, tilt and panning this made it easier and i will be able to learn more about filming
the main thing that our group needs to develop is team work because we need to communicate more with each other.
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Teamwork Experiences
During our preliminary video I learnt a lot about how a team should work together and that next time we should improve what we do together.
When coming up with ideas about what the film storyboard should be me, Nadine and Deanna came up with a few ideas together and I found that there wasn't any problems with communication at first. When it came to allocating whats jobs we should do, there was a problem as Deanna didn't want to act. I found this unfair that she was allowed to film with out any proper discussion, but in able to work together well, we let her film. Nadine was therefore allocated the part of the teacher and I was the rebellious student.
I realised that within a group everything should really be discussed properly, because in the end to be able to work together and be sociable about it, everyone should be happy with what they're doing during an assignment, otherwise problems arrise and arguments happen. This is one of the things we need to improve on.
When filming we didn't have much of a plan, apart from a script, but when we actually started acting and filming it all clicked in to place as we did try and work together. Nadine set up the desk where we were going to act and I helped, the only problems we had were that we could have been more serious, but seeing as this was a practise it was ok, next time during our coursework film we will do better. I think overall the filming went well, with a few hiccups, but we got through them.
When it came to editing our film our team weren't as co-ordinated, during the lessons only me and Nadine helped out, whereas Deanna either wasn't there or didn't come to us to help. It was no problem for us as we were able to manage without her, it just means she wont get as many marks if she carries on like this, but we spoke to her and tried to sort it out. We thought that as she did the filming we would let her off that time.
For our coursework film, as we're in the same group again, we will need to have proper discussions all together and if any of us are not in a lesson, we will need to contact that person. We are going to have to be more organised and work together much better, meaning no one should be doing everything or nothing.
I think that our teamwork experience was one to learn from and by improving, we will be able to get a decent film made and get good marks.
When coming up with ideas about what the film storyboard should be me, Nadine and Deanna came up with a few ideas together and I found that there wasn't any problems with communication at first. When it came to allocating whats jobs we should do, there was a problem as Deanna didn't want to act. I found this unfair that she was allowed to film with out any proper discussion, but in able to work together well, we let her film. Nadine was therefore allocated the part of the teacher and I was the rebellious student.
I realised that within a group everything should really be discussed properly, because in the end to be able to work together and be sociable about it, everyone should be happy with what they're doing during an assignment, otherwise problems arrise and arguments happen. This is one of the things we need to improve on.
When filming we didn't have much of a plan, apart from a script, but when we actually started acting and filming it all clicked in to place as we did try and work together. Nadine set up the desk where we were going to act and I helped, the only problems we had were that we could have been more serious, but seeing as this was a practise it was ok, next time during our coursework film we will do better. I think overall the filming went well, with a few hiccups, but we got through them.
When it came to editing our film our team weren't as co-ordinated, during the lessons only me and Nadine helped out, whereas Deanna either wasn't there or didn't come to us to help. It was no problem for us as we were able to manage without her, it just means she wont get as many marks if she carries on like this, but we spoke to her and tried to sort it out. We thought that as she did the filming we would let her off that time.
For our coursework film, as we're in the same group again, we will need to have proper discussions all together and if any of us are not in a lesson, we will need to contact that person. We are going to have to be more organised and work together much better, meaning no one should be doing everything or nothing.
I think that our teamwork experience was one to learn from and by improving, we will be able to get a decent film made and get good marks.
17th December 2009
On the 17th of December only me and Nadine were in the lesson, as Deanna was ill. During the hour we went on the Macs and finished editing our preliminary video. Once we did that we posted a blog about the film Disturbia, showing a clip of the trailer, we didn't need to write about it as Nadine has already analysed it. After that we began to blog about our preliminry video and we will finish it together in our free time at school.
We had jobs allocated to us which were:
Bima - wWhat were your teamwork experiences ?
Nadine - What story and messages did you communicate and how ?
As Deanna wasn't in this lesson, we contacted her telling her allocated question which was : What skills did you learn and develop ?
Over the holidays, we shall answer these questions and blog them.
We had jobs allocated to us which were:
Bima - wWhat were your teamwork experiences ?
Nadine - What story and messages did you communicate and how ?
As Deanna wasn't in this lesson, we contacted her telling her allocated question which was : What skills did you learn and develop ?
Over the holidays, we shall answer these questions and blog them.
Friday, 18 December 2009
Story and messages communicated
Okay, to be totally honest, I don’t have a clue what is meant when asked ‘what story and message did you communicate and how?’ However, I will give it an educated – or as close to smart as I can – guess and let you know as much as I can, as to the ‘message’ we tried to give to the audience of our short clip…
…well…
…erm (see what I mean by as close to educated)…
…Well, the moral of the story was meant to be – try hard at school. When the teachers want to see you in their office, or whatever it is they do that you think as nagging, they are trying to help you. Teachers are not here to make our lives harder, they are trying to help and when we act as the character Bima played did (which is most people) we are making their lives harder. And just because a student gets work in on time, it does not mean that they are a ‘fucking suck up’.
I thought that we used mise en scene rather well in order to make this scenario as realistic as possible. We moved things around in the business room to have a separate desk at the front and borrowed things from our head of Sixth form’s office – Flower, tissues – and then threw a pile of books on the edge and some paper work – the script to be precise – to make it look a little more like an office. We did initially plan to just use Miss Menzie’s office but it was too small to fit everything in and get good angles with the camera. It was also too dark, this was not supposed to be a nasty scene, we wanted the audience to stay in the feeling of calm.
I think that we got the moral of the story across due to the script and the teacher’s – me – reaction. The teacher was as nice as possible to the student, clearly just concerned about her and the student snaps at everything the teacher says and very rudely walks out before the conversation was over.
As the teacher I tried – not exactly a drama student – to keep sympathetic expressions on my face and for most of the times that I was responding there was a medium close-up on my face to show this to the audience. There were also over-the-shoulder shots on Bima’s character to show how little she cared through her body language.
We were very careful when using our body language. We made sure to have the rebellious student always leaning away from the teacher, showing to the audience that she did not care about the teacher, she barely made any eye contact. The eye contact could be construed as the student lying - maybe she was having problems at home at the teacher was right in trying to help. The lack of eye contact could also be construed as the student just not paying attention or caring about what the teacher is saying to her. As the teacher I tried to be more formal at the beginning – keep it business like – but as the scene progresses it is like my mask crumbles. I lean toward ‘Mercedes’ to show to the audience that, as a teacher, I really do care about this student and her well being. There is also a medium close-up that shows the annoyance some teacher’s feel when their tolerance for some students falls to pieces and they are just getting annoyed with the way they are treated. This is also shown as the volume of my voice slowly builds.
…well…
…erm (see what I mean by as close to educated)…
…Well, the moral of the story was meant to be – try hard at school. When the teachers want to see you in their office, or whatever it is they do that you think as nagging, they are trying to help you. Teachers are not here to make our lives harder, they are trying to help and when we act as the character Bima played did (which is most people) we are making their lives harder. And just because a student gets work in on time, it does not mean that they are a ‘fucking suck up’.
I thought that we used mise en scene rather well in order to make this scenario as realistic as possible. We moved things around in the business room to have a separate desk at the front and borrowed things from our head of Sixth form’s office – Flower, tissues – and then threw a pile of books on the edge and some paper work – the script to be precise – to make it look a little more like an office. We did initially plan to just use Miss Menzie’s office but it was too small to fit everything in and get good angles with the camera. It was also too dark, this was not supposed to be a nasty scene, we wanted the audience to stay in the feeling of calm.
I think that we got the moral of the story across due to the script and the teacher’s – me – reaction. The teacher was as nice as possible to the student, clearly just concerned about her and the student snaps at everything the teacher says and very rudely walks out before the conversation was over.
As the teacher I tried – not exactly a drama student – to keep sympathetic expressions on my face and for most of the times that I was responding there was a medium close-up on my face to show this to the audience. There were also over-the-shoulder shots on Bima’s character to show how little she cared through her body language.
We were very careful when using our body language. We made sure to have the rebellious student always leaning away from the teacher, showing to the audience that she did not care about the teacher, she barely made any eye contact. The eye contact could be construed as the student lying - maybe she was having problems at home at the teacher was right in trying to help. The lack of eye contact could also be construed as the student just not paying attention or caring about what the teacher is saying to her. As the teacher I tried to be more formal at the beginning – keep it business like – but as the scene progresses it is like my mask crumbles. I lean toward ‘Mercedes’ to show to the audience that, as a teacher, I really do care about this student and her well being. There is also a medium close-up that shows the annoyance some teacher’s feel when their tolerance for some students falls to pieces and they are just getting annoyed with the way they are treated. This is also shown as the volume of my voice slowly builds.
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Preliminary coursework assignment
For our first assignment we had to make a video demonstrating our camera and editing skills. We were given a general plot that somebody is sitting and another person enters the room, sits down and they have to exchange in a two way conversation. We had to come up with a script then film while we acted out the sequence. We had to think about the Mise En Scene to make the scene seem as realistic as possible.
The first lesson we were given our assignment we spent that time making up a comic strip to use for our script, we drew pictures of what we wanted the shots to look like, the type of shot, the angle and any extra sounds that we want to hear. Below the pictures we wrote what dialogue we would use and how long we would film the shot for.
The first lesson we were given our assignment we spent that time making up a comic strip to use for our script, we drew pictures of what we wanted the shots to look like, the type of shot, the angle and any extra sounds that we want to hear. Below the pictures we wrote what dialogue we would use and how long we would film the shot for.
To make the scene as realistic as possible, we made the lighting soft and natural by simply opening the blinds and turning off the lights. Then Nadine set up the tables and chairs to make a teachers desk and by putting it at a certain point of the room it was perfect for filming and the lighting too. To make the desk look realistic we used props like a flower, a box of tissues, stationary and paper.
Deanna was in charge of the camera control we had already decided where to put the camera and what techniques to use. There were a few problems which made it harder when it came to editing, like when she panned across the room, it was too fast and we were both too far away to see our acting more in detail.
For sound, it was quite easy to do, all we had to do was talk and slam a door, we did these shots quite a lot as when we came to editing we had to bridge in the sound of the door slamming. We made the video during lesson time, which made it less realistic as there were no people in the background talking or running about, as usually students come to see teachers at break or lunchtime. However it also meant that we didn't have people screaming over us, this also joins in with continuity because if we cut a shot during a person screaming outside, this sound would eb very obvious to hear.
Throughout editing we used trial and error as we weren't too sure how to use the programme properly still, and we slowly learnt how to get better at it and the outcome, we think is at a good standard for beginnners.
Overall we have learnt a lot from our preliminary video and we can use these skills for our coursework and hopefully get a good outcome.
Deanna was in charge of the camera control we had already decided where to put the camera and what techniques to use. There were a few problems which made it harder when it came to editing, like when she panned across the room, it was too fast and we were both too far away to see our acting more in detail.
For sound, it was quite easy to do, all we had to do was talk and slam a door, we did these shots quite a lot as when we came to editing we had to bridge in the sound of the door slamming. We made the video during lesson time, which made it less realistic as there were no people in the background talking or running about, as usually students come to see teachers at break or lunchtime. However it also meant that we didn't have people screaming over us, this also joins in with continuity because if we cut a shot during a person screaming outside, this sound would eb very obvious to hear.
Throughout editing we used trial and error as we weren't too sure how to use the programme properly still, and we slowly learnt how to get better at it and the outcome, we think is at a good standard for beginnners.
Overall we have learnt a lot from our preliminary video and we can use these skills for our coursework and hopefully get a good outcome.
groupvenus sent you a video: "Disturbia Trailer"
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Disturbia
Disturbed has been said to be "...sick, savvy and suspenseful", but the beginning scene is much different to those that we have been shown in lesson.
Disturbed begins with a very nice scene, where everything is nice and cheerful. It is just the back-story to show the audience why Kale Brecht reacts the way he does to specific things.
Before the movie begins the background music is very tense, Erie. It is very low but adds in a couple of high notes - this draws the attention of the audience as it resembles a female’s scream. Human ears have developed to hear high pitched sounds better; this is because in the past it was the male’s job to protect the female. So if a female was in trouble she would scream and a man would be expected to save her. This is why alarms are so high pitched - our ears are more attuned to it.
This music informs the audience what type of genre the movie will be - thriller.
The 'scary' music dies down as there is dialogue. The screen is still blank and the audience does not know what is going on. However, the dialogue is very calm and you can hear water in the background.
As the image fades in the water sound becomes diagetic and other sounds are introduced. We can hear birds, the fishing rail plopping into the water and calm, happy music fades in slowly. The music is very upbeat but in a calm way, suggesting the feeling of relaxation. The camera tilts up following where the fishing rail is coming from and shows two men standing in a lake with grass and mountain behind them. This establishes the time - day, due to the sunny sky. The place - in the country side, isolated by fields and mountains. The mood - happy and relaxed, due to the weather (sunny), the music (happy) and the two people are laughing and appear to be relaxed.
The relationship between the two men is made apparent straight away through their body language and the dialogue that is shared between the two characters. They are not near each other but they do lean toward one another. Their facial expression is a mix between relaxed and concentration. This shows that they are fairly close. The dialogue - "Pop? Oh, that's a big one, Pop." They are farther and son. Through the father's response it also shows that his father is very supportive of Kale. The activity that they are doing also suggests to the audience that they have a relatively close father-son relationship.
The dialogue tenses and speeds a bit and the background music slowly weaves into a more adventures sound. The background suggests happiness and freedom.
When the fish gets away the music weaves back down a couple of notches and the farther, once again, shows his support through reassurance. There is a lot of joking around and the image dissolves into another of the two in the car.
The son is driving and on the phone which suggests to the audience that something may happen. The music has faded out the image dissolves into one that is outside a house and tracking toward the house. It switches to inside the house and it is a woman on the phone. The audience realizes that she is talking to the boy driving the car as his voice replies to what she said but it sounds as if it is coming through a tunnel. The image is cross-cutted to the car again where another, unidentifiable, car overtakes Kale and the emphasis on this car makes the audience think that the car may be the cause of what ever may be coming. The car is black - black is a very dark color, death.
The phone is passed over to Kale's father and the mood is still very light as they both joke around with Kale's mother. All of a sudden there are breaks screeching (the black car going around a stationary one), the music cuts out and the screen cuts to Kale's father's face while he shouts for Kale to turn. The editor uses the word 'Kale!' to add in music without the audience realizing when it begun to sound. The music has long, dragged out notes and very tense. The screen cuts to in front of the car as half of it goes over the car in front and is flung into the air. The audience can hear the engine rev with no effect. This just makes it all realistic. As the car impacts with the ground the audience can hear the bodies hitting the seats and sides inside the car and the glass smashing. The car slides along the concrete and we can hear metal being scraped.
This event not only gives the audience a reference for the rest of the film but it also emphasizes the love between the two and how much Kale depends on his father. Kale's Father is shouting for Kale and this emphasizes the love he feels toward his son as when both their lives are in danger, he is worried about his son. The first thing the audience hears when the car is finally stationary is "Kale, you okay?”
There is a lot of grunting and panting of pain to make it realistic.
There is panic in Kale's voice when he replies "Dad", this tells the audience something bad is about to happen but we are unaware as to what as the camera is still on a close-up on Kale - showing the fear.
The camera cross cuts onto Kale's father's side and as he turns his head a pick-up is revealed. Once again he shouts for Kale. Even when he is in the most danger it is his son he is worried about.
The music stops as the pick-up impacts giving even more emphasis. The audience realizes that they have been breathing in time with the music and now that it has stopped, so have they.
We can hear the brakes of the pick-up, the glass, the metal scraping on the ground and bits falling on to the floor.
There is no gap of silence - as soon as the car has stopped moving the background - tense - music sounds again. We can hear gas coming out of the car.
Can hear movement from the car but the audience can not see who it is moving around. There are grunts of pain and as kale crawls out of the driver's window we can hear the glass he is rubbing against and his clothes scraping on the ground. We can hear him hitting the metal as he tries to use the side of the car to pull himself out.
When he drags himself and gets up we can see the prosthetics used to create a big gash on his leg. And he hobbles over to the other side of the car.
The music gets louder as the footage progresses.
When Kale looks into the passenger window the music is loud and so the transformation is very noticeable. The music turns from tense to sad - raising Goosebumps on your arm. Kale's face is drowned in pain and sadness. His breathing slows dramatically but gets much heavier.
Everything fades out and the title fades in to the middle of the black screen, but the music stays the same so that the audiences stay in the same mood - sad.
I think that this beginning is very good to think about when making our own thriller opening as it actually introduces the character and shows the audience why he acts the way he does and explains how he gets into the situation he does. I think it is also very good as we want variety and this is very different to all other thrillers that I have watched recently.
Statistics:
These ratings are out of 10.
Males rated Disturbia a 7 on average, with 49, 622 votes.
Females rated Disturbia a 7.5 on average, with 10, 381 votes.
Disturbed begins with a very nice scene, where everything is nice and cheerful. It is just the back-story to show the audience why Kale Brecht reacts the way he does to specific things.
Before the movie begins the background music is very tense, Erie. It is very low but adds in a couple of high notes - this draws the attention of the audience as it resembles a female’s scream. Human ears have developed to hear high pitched sounds better; this is because in the past it was the male’s job to protect the female. So if a female was in trouble she would scream and a man would be expected to save her. This is why alarms are so high pitched - our ears are more attuned to it.
This music informs the audience what type of genre the movie will be - thriller.
The 'scary' music dies down as there is dialogue. The screen is still blank and the audience does not know what is going on. However, the dialogue is very calm and you can hear water in the background.
As the image fades in the water sound becomes diagetic and other sounds are introduced. We can hear birds, the fishing rail plopping into the water and calm, happy music fades in slowly. The music is very upbeat but in a calm way, suggesting the feeling of relaxation. The camera tilts up following where the fishing rail is coming from and shows two men standing in a lake with grass and mountain behind them. This establishes the time - day, due to the sunny sky. The place - in the country side, isolated by fields and mountains. The mood - happy and relaxed, due to the weather (sunny), the music (happy) and the two people are laughing and appear to be relaxed.
The relationship between the two men is made apparent straight away through their body language and the dialogue that is shared between the two characters. They are not near each other but they do lean toward one another. Their facial expression is a mix between relaxed and concentration. This shows that they are fairly close. The dialogue - "Pop? Oh, that's a big one, Pop." They are farther and son. Through the father's response it also shows that his father is very supportive of Kale. The activity that they are doing also suggests to the audience that they have a relatively close father-son relationship.
The dialogue tenses and speeds a bit and the background music slowly weaves into a more adventures sound. The background suggests happiness and freedom.
When the fish gets away the music weaves back down a couple of notches and the farther, once again, shows his support through reassurance. There is a lot of joking around and the image dissolves into another of the two in the car.
The son is driving and on the phone which suggests to the audience that something may happen. The music has faded out the image dissolves into one that is outside a house and tracking toward the house. It switches to inside the house and it is a woman on the phone. The audience realizes that she is talking to the boy driving the car as his voice replies to what she said but it sounds as if it is coming through a tunnel. The image is cross-cutted to the car again where another, unidentifiable, car overtakes Kale and the emphasis on this car makes the audience think that the car may be the cause of what ever may be coming. The car is black - black is a very dark color, death.
The phone is passed over to Kale's father and the mood is still very light as they both joke around with Kale's mother. All of a sudden there are breaks screeching (the black car going around a stationary one), the music cuts out and the screen cuts to Kale's father's face while he shouts for Kale to turn. The editor uses the word 'Kale!' to add in music without the audience realizing when it begun to sound. The music has long, dragged out notes and very tense. The screen cuts to in front of the car as half of it goes over the car in front and is flung into the air. The audience can hear the engine rev with no effect. This just makes it all realistic. As the car impacts with the ground the audience can hear the bodies hitting the seats and sides inside the car and the glass smashing. The car slides along the concrete and we can hear metal being scraped.
This event not only gives the audience a reference for the rest of the film but it also emphasizes the love between the two and how much Kale depends on his father. Kale's Father is shouting for Kale and this emphasizes the love he feels toward his son as when both their lives are in danger, he is worried about his son. The first thing the audience hears when the car is finally stationary is "Kale, you okay?”
There is a lot of grunting and panting of pain to make it realistic.
There is panic in Kale's voice when he replies "Dad", this tells the audience something bad is about to happen but we are unaware as to what as the camera is still on a close-up on Kale - showing the fear.
The camera cross cuts onto Kale's father's side and as he turns his head a pick-up is revealed. Once again he shouts for Kale. Even when he is in the most danger it is his son he is worried about.
The music stops as the pick-up impacts giving even more emphasis. The audience realizes that they have been breathing in time with the music and now that it has stopped, so have they.
We can hear the brakes of the pick-up, the glass, the metal scraping on the ground and bits falling on to the floor.
There is no gap of silence - as soon as the car has stopped moving the background - tense - music sounds again. We can hear gas coming out of the car.
Can hear movement from the car but the audience can not see who it is moving around. There are grunts of pain and as kale crawls out of the driver's window we can hear the glass he is rubbing against and his clothes scraping on the ground. We can hear him hitting the metal as he tries to use the side of the car to pull himself out.
When he drags himself and gets up we can see the prosthetics used to create a big gash on his leg. And he hobbles over to the other side of the car.
The music gets louder as the footage progresses.
When Kale looks into the passenger window the music is loud and so the transformation is very noticeable. The music turns from tense to sad - raising Goosebumps on your arm. Kale's face is drowned in pain and sadness. His breathing slows dramatically but gets much heavier.
Everything fades out and the title fades in to the middle of the black screen, but the music stays the same so that the audiences stay in the same mood - sad.
I think that this beginning is very good to think about when making our own thriller opening as it actually introduces the character and shows the audience why he acts the way he does and explains how he gets into the situation he does. I think it is also very good as we want variety and this is very different to all other thrillers that I have watched recently.
Statistics:
These ratings are out of 10.
Males rated Disturbia a 7 on average, with 49, 622 votes.
Females rated Disturbia a 7.5 on average, with 10, 381 votes.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
""The Strangers" Trailer (Better Lock Your Doors!)"
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Camera techniques
These are different types of shots and angles and their meanings.
Long shot (LS) - A shot that shows all of a fairly large subject (e.g. a person) and usually much of the surroundings. This is useful to give a perspective and context for a scene, for example a long shot of a robot framed in a laboratory would give a different interpretation of events to a shot of the same robot framed in an old people's home.
Extreme long shot (ELS) - Sometimes used as an establishing shot. In this type of shot the furthest distance from the subject, emphasising the background and reducing the importance of the subject. For example, the use of an ELS at the beginning of a round in the weakest link acts as a marker to differentiate the new round and to start the build-up of tension to he end of that round, while also indicating how many contestants are left, how dependant they are on Anne Robinson, who is centre frame and raised above contestants (back to audience), reduces size and thus importance of individuals against the set, and so forth.
Establishing shot (ES) - Used at the beginning of a sequence to define the location and to give the audience a perspective on the action to come. At the beginning of the weakest link we see a shot of the studio, fully lit, with the contestants waiting; this sets the context for the show to follow.
Master shot (MS) - Used at the beginning of a sequence as a reference point for the rest of the sequence to follow. It shows the composition and the key relationships between the subjects and enables the audience to contextualise the action before it happens.
Medium long shot (MLS) - In case of a standing actor, the lower frame line cuts off his feet and ankles.
Mid-shot (MS) - In such a shot the subject and its setting occupy roughly equal areas in the frame. In the case of standing actor, the lower frame passes through the waist. More body language can be seen as the face, chest and hands are in frame.
Close-up (CU) - A picture that shows a fairly small part of the scene, such as a character's face and neck, in great detail so that it fills the screen. It abstracts the subject from the context. There are also: MCU (medium close-up) - head and shoulders; BCU (big close-up, sometimes referred to as extreme close-up), ECU - forehead to chin.
Close-ups focus on emotions or reactions, and are sometimes used in chat shows to show people in a state of emotional excitement, grief or joy. BCUs are rarely used in quiz or chat shows; MCUs are less intense, the camera maintaining a sense of distance and thus maintaining a sense of dignity for the guest.
Angle of shot - conventionally, in 'factual' programmes, the subjects should be framed at eye-level only. In a high angle the camera looks down, making the viewer feel more powerful than those on screen, or suggesting an air of detachment. A low-angled shot places the camera below the subject, exaggerating his or her importance.
Point-of-view (POV) - A shot made from a camera position close to the line of sight of a subject, to imply that the camera is 'looking with their eyes'. This is a very rare device for quiz/game/chat shows, but it can be effective, such as the POV used to imply the viewer is a member of the audience at the beginning of the Jerry Springer show, or the POV that shows us Jen's 'defenceless position' as she watches the slaughter of her bodyguards by Dark Cloud in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
These are different types of camera movement and their meanings.
Zoom - When zooming in the camera does not move; the lens is focused down from a long shot to a close-up whilst recording. The subject grows in the frame, and attention is concentrated on details previously invisible as the shot tightens. It may be used to surprise the viewer. Reverse zoom reveals more of the scene (perhaps where a character is, or to whom he or she is speaking) as the shot widen. Zooming is unusual because of the possible disorientating effects.
Tracking (dollying) - When tracking, the camera itself moves (smoothly) towards or away from the subject while the focus remains constant. Tracking in (like zooming) draws the audience into a closer relationship with the subject; moving away tends to create emotional distance. Tracking back tends to divert attention to the edges of the screen. The speed of tracking may affect the viewer's mood. Fast tracking (especially when tracking in) is exciting; something such as the expression of a contestant. During chase sequences the camera will often 'track' with the action to emphasise the sense of speed.
Pan - The camera moves from right to left or left to right (often to follow a moving subject). A space is left in front of the subject to ensure that the seconds of still picture to give greater impact. The speed of a pan across a subject creates a particular mood as well as establishing the viewer's relationship with the subject.
Hand-held camera - A hand-held camera can produce a jerky, bouncy, unsteady image, which may create a sense of immediacy or chaos. The hand-held cameras on stage during confrontations on the Jerry Springer show add to the tension being built with their unsteady images.
Steadicam - The steadicam is a hand-held camera worn as a kind of harness by the (highly skilled) cameraman. It uses a gyroscope system to ensure the camera remains perfectly level and smooth as the cameraman moves. For example, a steadicam was used at the beginning of Gladiator to film the battle scene, so the camera could be within the action to engage the audience more directly.
Long shot (LS) - A shot that shows all of a fairly large subject (e.g. a person) and usually much of the surroundings. This is useful to give a perspective and context for a scene, for example a long shot of a robot framed in a laboratory would give a different interpretation of events to a shot of the same robot framed in an old people's home.
Extreme long shot (ELS) - Sometimes used as an establishing shot. In this type of shot the furthest distance from the subject, emphasising the background and reducing the importance of the subject. For example, the use of an ELS at the beginning of a round in the weakest link acts as a marker to differentiate the new round and to start the build-up of tension to he end of that round, while also indicating how many contestants are left, how dependant they are on Anne Robinson, who is centre frame and raised above contestants (back to audience), reduces size and thus importance of individuals against the set, and so forth.
Establishing shot (ES) - Used at the beginning of a sequence to define the location and to give the audience a perspective on the action to come. At the beginning of the weakest link we see a shot of the studio, fully lit, with the contestants waiting; this sets the context for the show to follow.
Master shot (MS) - Used at the beginning of a sequence as a reference point for the rest of the sequence to follow. It shows the composition and the key relationships between the subjects and enables the audience to contextualise the action before it happens.
Medium long shot (MLS) - In case of a standing actor, the lower frame line cuts off his feet and ankles.
Mid-shot (MS) - In such a shot the subject and its setting occupy roughly equal areas in the frame. In the case of standing actor, the lower frame passes through the waist. More body language can be seen as the face, chest and hands are in frame.
Close-up (CU) - A picture that shows a fairly small part of the scene, such as a character's face and neck, in great detail so that it fills the screen. It abstracts the subject from the context. There are also: MCU (medium close-up) - head and shoulders; BCU (big close-up, sometimes referred to as extreme close-up), ECU - forehead to chin.
Close-ups focus on emotions or reactions, and are sometimes used in chat shows to show people in a state of emotional excitement, grief or joy. BCUs are rarely used in quiz or chat shows; MCUs are less intense, the camera maintaining a sense of distance and thus maintaining a sense of dignity for the guest.
Angle of shot - conventionally, in 'factual' programmes, the subjects should be framed at eye-level only. In a high angle the camera looks down, making the viewer feel more powerful than those on screen, or suggesting an air of detachment. A low-angled shot places the camera below the subject, exaggerating his or her importance.
Point-of-view (POV) - A shot made from a camera position close to the line of sight of a subject, to imply that the camera is 'looking with their eyes'. This is a very rare device for quiz/game/chat shows, but it can be effective, such as the POV used to imply the viewer is a member of the audience at the beginning of the Jerry Springer show, or the POV that shows us Jen's 'defenceless position' as she watches the slaughter of her bodyguards by Dark Cloud in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
These are different types of camera movement and their meanings.
Zoom - When zooming in the camera does not move; the lens is focused down from a long shot to a close-up whilst recording. The subject grows in the frame, and attention is concentrated on details previously invisible as the shot tightens. It may be used to surprise the viewer. Reverse zoom reveals more of the scene (perhaps where a character is, or to whom he or she is speaking) as the shot widen. Zooming is unusual because of the possible disorientating effects.
Tracking (dollying) - When tracking, the camera itself moves (smoothly) towards or away from the subject while the focus remains constant. Tracking in (like zooming) draws the audience into a closer relationship with the subject; moving away tends to create emotional distance. Tracking back tends to divert attention to the edges of the screen. The speed of tracking may affect the viewer's mood. Fast tracking (especially when tracking in) is exciting; something such as the expression of a contestant. During chase sequences the camera will often 'track' with the action to emphasise the sense of speed.
Pan - The camera moves from right to left or left to right (often to follow a moving subject). A space is left in front of the subject to ensure that the seconds of still picture to give greater impact. The speed of a pan across a subject creates a particular mood as well as establishing the viewer's relationship with the subject.
Hand-held camera - A hand-held camera can produce a jerky, bouncy, unsteady image, which may create a sense of immediacy or chaos. The hand-held cameras on stage during confrontations on the Jerry Springer show add to the tension being built with their unsteady images.
Steadicam - The steadicam is a hand-held camera worn as a kind of harness by the (highly skilled) cameraman. It uses a gyroscope system to ensure the camera remains perfectly level and smooth as the cameraman moves. For example, a steadicam was used at the beginning of Gladiator to film the battle scene, so the camera could be within the action to engage the audience more directly.
Mise En Scene
Mise en scene: everything on scene.
It is everything that appears before the camera. This includes; the setting, the costume and make-up, the use of figure, expression and movement, and the lighting.
Mise en scene is used for a large number of reasons. The main, being, to make the footage more realistic and to set a mood. We want to make the footage appear as real as possible in order to make the audience forget that it is a representation. This is the dominant style of most films, and is sometimes referred to as ‘the style of no style’.
The setting gives the audience a sense of place and time. It is good to analyse the set as it provides clues as to the nature of the film, such as:
• the mood
• the genre of the film
• the characters
• where
• when
The costume and make-up are often thought of as part of the set because they can present to the audience:
• the period
• the state of society
• social class
• cultural backgrounds
• character traits
Differences in costume indicate differences in characters. For example, rich and poor.
The type of clothing a character wears is important in showing the audience who they are. For example, Goths and depressed people would wear dark colours and often more layers; they would cover more of their skin.
The characters figure, expression and movement include things such as:
• body language
• appearance
• facial expression (very significant in close-ups)
• sound elements
The way a character stands and moves is very important as it shows how they are feeling – sometimes to who they are feeling it toward.
It is also importance as it shows their importance or how relevant they are to that shot.
• if they are in the foreground they may be considered more important
• if they move against a stationary background attention is drawn to them
• distribution of characters makes for balanced shot, whereas uneven distribution is unsettling to the eye.
• Positioning of characters within the frame may even indicate emotional distance.
It is everything that appears before the camera. This includes; the setting, the costume and make-up, the use of figure, expression and movement, and the lighting.
Mise en scene is used for a large number of reasons. The main, being, to make the footage more realistic and to set a mood. We want to make the footage appear as real as possible in order to make the audience forget that it is a representation. This is the dominant style of most films, and is sometimes referred to as ‘the style of no style’.
The setting gives the audience a sense of place and time. It is good to analyse the set as it provides clues as to the nature of the film, such as:
• the mood
• the genre of the film
• the characters
• where
• when
The costume and make-up are often thought of as part of the set because they can present to the audience:
• the period
• the state of society
• social class
• cultural backgrounds
• character traits
Differences in costume indicate differences in characters. For example, rich and poor.
The type of clothing a character wears is important in showing the audience who they are. For example, Goths and depressed people would wear dark colours and often more layers; they would cover more of their skin.
The characters figure, expression and movement include things such as:
• body language
• appearance
• facial expression (very significant in close-ups)
• sound elements
The way a character stands and moves is very important as it shows how they are feeling – sometimes to who they are feeling it toward.
It is also importance as it shows their importance or how relevant they are to that shot.
• if they are in the foreground they may be considered more important
• if they move against a stationary background attention is drawn to them
• distribution of characters makes for balanced shot, whereas uneven distribution is unsettling to the eye.
• Positioning of characters within the frame may even indicate emotional distance.
Analysis and Representation
When analysing a video clip there are 4 main aspects that we need to be paying attention to; Camera, Editing, sound and mise-en-scene.
When looking at the camera aspect we need to be keeping an eye open for the type of shots, angles, movement and composition used. In order to understand what message the producer is trying to get across to the audience and how it is effective we must look at the relevance of their techniques - they don't do these things by accident, so why?
Types of shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot (POV), over the shoulder shot, and a mix of these shots together.
Types of angles: high angle, low angle, and canted angle.
Types of movements: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, handheld, zoom and reverse zoom.
Types of composition: Framing, rule of thirds, depth of field - deep and shallow focus, and focus pull.
When looking at the Editing aspect we need to be keeping an eye open for the types of transitions used for images and audio. When making our own clips we would have to be extra careful to be sure that we have complete continuity.
Types of cutting: Shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway, and insert.
Other types of transitions: dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, postproduction, and visual effects.
When looking at the sound aspect we need to be keeping an eye open for two types of sound - diegetic and non-diegetic. Sound is very important for setting the mood of the scene. A movie can be completely ruined through simply picking the wrong soundtrack.
Diegetic sound is sound that matched what is on the screen - almost all the time the audience can see the source of the sound on screen or are about to. E.g. Dialogue and ambient sounds are diegetic.
Non-diegetic sound is sound that is added in over the top, source is never seen on camera (apart from in some spoofs when it becomes diegetic). E.g. Soundtracks and voice overs are very common non-diegetic sounds.
Other things to look out for in sound: synchronous/asynchronous sound, sound effects, sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing, and sound perspective.
There is much to look for when analysing and covering the mise-en-scene aspect. It is very important in establishing things, such as where, who, when (century and time), what. Mise-en-scene covers the production design and lighting. The mise-en-scene plays a major part in the representation of things like; gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, status, physical abilities/disabilities, and regional identity.
Product design aspects: location, studio, set design, costume, make-up, and properties (props).
Lighting also includes the colour used. The colour is another good technique for controlling the mood.
When looking at the camera aspect we need to be keeping an eye open for the type of shots, angles, movement and composition used. In order to understand what message the producer is trying to get across to the audience and how it is effective we must look at the relevance of their techniques - they don't do these things by accident, so why?
Types of shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot (POV), over the shoulder shot, and a mix of these shots together.
Types of angles: high angle, low angle, and canted angle.
Types of movements: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, handheld, zoom and reverse zoom.
Types of composition: Framing, rule of thirds, depth of field - deep and shallow focus, and focus pull.
When looking at the Editing aspect we need to be keeping an eye open for the types of transitions used for images and audio. When making our own clips we would have to be extra careful to be sure that we have complete continuity.
Types of cutting: Shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway, and insert.
Other types of transitions: dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, postproduction, and visual effects.
When looking at the sound aspect we need to be keeping an eye open for two types of sound - diegetic and non-diegetic. Sound is very important for setting the mood of the scene. A movie can be completely ruined through simply picking the wrong soundtrack.
Diegetic sound is sound that matched what is on the screen - almost all the time the audience can see the source of the sound on screen or are about to. E.g. Dialogue and ambient sounds are diegetic.
Non-diegetic sound is sound that is added in over the top, source is never seen on camera (apart from in some spoofs when it becomes diegetic). E.g. Soundtracks and voice overs are very common non-diegetic sounds.
Other things to look out for in sound: synchronous/asynchronous sound, sound effects, sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing, and sound perspective.
There is much to look for when analysing and covering the mise-en-scene aspect. It is very important in establishing things, such as where, who, when (century and time), what. Mise-en-scene covers the production design and lighting. The mise-en-scene plays a major part in the representation of things like; gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, status, physical abilities/disabilities, and regional identity.
Product design aspects: location, studio, set design, costume, make-up, and properties (props).
Lighting also includes the colour used. The colour is another good technique for controlling the mood.
The strangers
During the beginning clip we noticed different techniques that put the audience on the edge of their seat straight away.
Statistics:
These ratings are out of 10.
Males rated The strangers a 6 on average, with 24, 772 votes.
Females rated The strangers a 6.3 on average, with 4, 684 votes.
The screen starts completely black and orange text fades-in on to the screen. The main credits are shown and when they have faded out a man begins to speak. The things he says have also faded-in to the screen. His voice is very low and very slow. Like it has been dragged out during editing.
The man talks about crime rates in America and appears to be beginning the story of what happened in this specific event.
All goes quite and black, and the background music fades in. The music is very eerie. It is very low notes blended in with some high. The background music is very important for setting the mood at the beginning. It makes you get goosebumps up your arms. Clips fade in and out of houses. The technique, dollying, is used to make it appear as if a car is driving down the streets, looking at ll the houses. Many different types of house appear on the screen and for each house shown it is getting later and later in the day. It becomes apparent to the audience that the film will be set in the country side because as the houses are shown, they look more and more isolated. This also gives the audience the idea that it will not just be a murder, but also a chase. The more isolated the victims are, the harder it will be for them to escape.
The housing clips eventually stop - the music stays on in the background - and all is black. Voices come on and it is a 911 call. The boys on the phone are very panicked and are talking about there being blood everywhere. This has the audience trying to work out what has happened - we know that something terrible has happened but we are clueless as to what. The picture fades back on and it is apparent - straight away - that this is the end. There are two Mormon boys that are slowly walking toward the house. A whole through the car window and then the door is open. The music and dialogue is still playing in the background. Them Walking through the door is dissolved into a bloody blade and then again into a shot gun and again into a big splodge of blood on the wall.
The images fade out with the phone call. The music is still playing and the title of the music fades-in the middle of the screen.
This beginning is so affective because it has the audience wondering what happened. It is very different to other Thrillers that i have watched lately because it starts by showing the devastation. It forces the audience into the right mood, already on the edge of their seat and already anticipating the blood and murder.
Statistics:
These ratings are out of 10.
Males rated The strangers a 6 on average, with 24, 772 votes.
Females rated The strangers a 6.3 on average, with 4, 684 votes.
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Example on Thriller techniques
Over our past few lessons we have watched the openings of different thrillers, then practised analysing them afterwards. Even though the introductions were all slightly different in their own way, I noticed similar techniques used in each to help them fall into the Thriller genre such as: The Davinci Code, Se7en, Silence Of The Lambs and The Usual Suspects. I have learnt that the tension in a thriller can be created by all four: Camera work, Mise En Scene, Editing and Sound.
An example of Camera work, could be using a Point Of View shot; making the camera seem like the victim or criminal and grabbing the audience more in to the film, giving it a lot more emphasis on the danger.
In Mise En Scene, lighting could be used as a way to create the Thriller effect in a film. For example, using a dark setting with a small spot of light enables shadows to be created to reveal a mysterious figure without actually showing who the character is. This makes the audience question what is happening and maintains the tense atmosphere.
The cutting rate is a way of Editing the film, if there is a high cut rate, it means that the jump cuts occur more frequently than usual creating more tension. For example, in a chase scene the cutting rate would be more frequent, so the audience can identify the danger the victim is in and that they are rushing. Also more frequent cuts tend to give the impression of a heart beat, therefore making the audience's heart beat increase too, making them feel more tense as they sense the danger. If the cuts were slow, then the effect would be very different and not give the impression that it is exciting yet scary and the genre is a Thriller.
Lastly, the use of sound within Thrillers is incredibly important as from this the audience can sense the mystery from music and can tell when the danger is coming. This can be done by adding a crescendo to the music, where the volume gradually increases and by using sustained chords played by a string section, also the use of minor keys allow things to sound more gloomy and mysterious.
An example of Camera work, could be using a Point Of View shot; making the camera seem like the victim or criminal and grabbing the audience more in to the film, giving it a lot more emphasis on the danger.
In Mise En Scene, lighting could be used as a way to create the Thriller effect in a film. For example, using a dark setting with a small spot of light enables shadows to be created to reveal a mysterious figure without actually showing who the character is. This makes the audience question what is happening and maintains the tense atmosphere.
The cutting rate is a way of Editing the film, if there is a high cut rate, it means that the jump cuts occur more frequently than usual creating more tension. For example, in a chase scene the cutting rate would be more frequent, so the audience can identify the danger the victim is in and that they are rushing. Also more frequent cuts tend to give the impression of a heart beat, therefore making the audience's heart beat increase too, making them feel more tense as they sense the danger. If the cuts were slow, then the effect would be very different and not give the impression that it is exciting yet scary and the genre is a Thriller.
Lastly, the use of sound within Thrillers is incredibly important as from this the audience can sense the mystery from music and can tell when the danger is coming. This can be done by adding a crescendo to the music, where the volume gradually increases and by using sustained chords played by a string section, also the use of minor keys allow things to sound more gloomy and mysterious.
First Blog
welcome to the first blog from venus :) we have just created the google mail account and the blogger account.
we had a lesson with miss map and she taught us about how to create a blog.
Saturday, 12 December 2009
Analysis of questionnaire
From analysing our questionnaire we found out that we found out that most people prefer mystery or suspense in a thriller with surprising twists. In our plot the killer is not revealed. the only thing that we know about him is the song he hums. people prefer that as little as possible of the story line is revealed but our plot shows that from the very beginning who the killer could be and what he does. The main thing that builds up suspension in the thriller is the music we will make sure that this is included in our movie. most people think that the film should challenge the audience and the most important element in the films are the plots.
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Self evaluation of skills
Organisation /deadlines/reliability
-present strengths/weaknesses
- what is needed
Bima
Organisation 4
Deadlines 4
Reliability 4
Strengths Key terms,editing
Weaknesses writing
Camera steadnesses
editing
understanding of light and sound
strengths
Deanna
Organisation 4
Deadlines 3
Reliability 3
Strenghts Acting, M-e-s
Weaknesses writing
Camera steadiness
Nadine
Organisation 4
Deadlines 3
Reliability 4
Strengths editing, acting
Weaknesses -
Camera steadiness
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