In this post I am going to be talking about Steve Neale and his theory of Repetition and Difference.
Steve Neale said that genres are instances of repetition and difference and that difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre.
Steve Neale says that a film and it's genre is defined by two things:
How much it conforms with its genres stereotypes and conventions. He says that a film must conform to these conventions enough that it can still qualify and be identified as a film of that genre.
How much a film subverts the genres stereotypes and conventions. He says that a film must subvert these conventions enough that it is still viewed as a unique film, not just a copy or a clone.
Steve Neale argues that Hollywood's generic regime performs two inter-related functions:
To guarantee meanings and pleasures for the audiences.
To offset the considerable economics risks of industrial film production by providing cognitive collateral against innovation and difference.
Much of the pleasure of popular cinema lies in the process of difference in repetition i.e. recognition of familiar elements and in the way those elements might be orchestrated in an unfamiliar fashion or in the way that unfamiliar elements might be introduced.
Genre is constituted by 'specific systems of expectations and hypothesis which spectators bring with them to the cinema and which and which interact with the films themselves during the course of the viewing process.
To producers of films genre is a template for what they make
To the distributor genre provides assumptions about who the audience is and how to market the films for that specific audience.
To the audience, it is a label that identifies a liked or disliked formula and provides certain rules of engagement for the spectator in terms of anticipation of pleasure e.g. the anticipation of what will happen in a scene.
Here is a powerpoint slide on Steve Neale's Theory.
In this post I am going to be talking about Propp's character theory.
Vladimir Propp believes that the same essential types of characters exists in all stories. The Hero - This is the main character whom the audience will recognise as the key person in the story. This character is usually a good person, who we want to succeed.
The Villain - This character is the opposite to the hero and is often there to create the disruption (Todorov) in the story. This character is usually bad. This can sometimes be a situation rather than a character.
The False Hero - This character pretends to support the main character in the story, and generally the audience will know this. However, the main character does not (dramatic irony). Sometimes this character also turns out to be the main villain.
The Helper - The main character usually has a companion who helps the main character, gives advice and supports them throughout their journey.
The Donor - This character is similar to the role of the helper. The character will give the main character something which helps them repair (Todorov) the problem in the story.
The Princess - This character can be the reward for the hero or the person whom the hero and false hero are in competition for. Just as with the villain, this could also be a situation rather than an actual person.
I am now going to show you a real life example of Propp's character theory. The film I am going to use is Batman.
The Hero - Bruce Wayne. He plays Batman in the Batman films. He is the character that the audience recognise as the main character. He is the good character in the film who we want to succeed at the end.
The Villain - Cillian Murphy. He plays the scarecrow in the Batman films. He is the opposite to the hero and he is there to create disruption in the story. He is the bad character in the film.
The False Hero - He pretends to support the main character in the story which is Batman. The audience will generally know this but the main character which is Batman does not. He then turns out to be a villain but not the main villain.
The Helper - Michael Caine. He is the companion to the main character which is Batman. He supports and helps Batman through their journey.
The Donor - Morgan Freeman. He is similar to the helper. He gives the main character something which helps him repair the problem in the story which is batman.
The Princess - Katie Holmes. This character is the reward for the hero or the person that the hero and the false hero are in competition for.
Below I am going to embed a video of Propp's character theory for you to watch if you would like to understand more on the subject.
My next post will be on Steve Neale's theory of repetition and difference.
In this post I am going to talk about Todorov's theory. He believed that his theory could be applied to any film. He believed that all film followed the same narrative pattern. They all went through stages called the equilibrium, disruption, recognition, repair and new equilibrium.
Below I have created a power point telling you about Todorov's theory. Hope you enjoy.
I am now going to give you a real life example of Todorov's theory being used in a film. The film i am going to be talking about is the longest yard.
1. Equilibrium - Paul crewe has an amazing job as he is a pro American football quarterback, he has a wife and lives in a big house.
2. Disruption - He gets drunk at a party that his wife throws and drives out in her car, he crashes the car while in the middle of a police chase and gets arrested for drink driving, he then lands himself in jail.
3. Recognition - He meets a friend in the prison called caretaker and starts to realise what he is missing on the outside and what he has lost.
4. Repair - Paul crewe's friend caretaker dies after being murdered by another prisoner. The warden then asks Paul crewe if he wants to set up a football team in the prison (Prisoners Vs Guards), after some hesitation he agrees. He recruits prisoners to play in the team. They spend everyday on the prison grounds practicing for the big game. Paul crewe playing the quarterback in the team.
5. New Equilibrium - The prisoners play football against the guards and in the end they win. Paul crewe then serves his time in prison like he wanted to do before being let out and sent home to start his life again.
In my next post i am going to be talking about Propp's character theory.
In this post I am going to be talking about Film Classification and why it is important for film makers to use and stick to certain specifications.
Film classification is a non-governmental organisation founded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films within the united kingdom. For more information about film classification click here.
All films rated by the BBFC receive a certificate detailing references to sex, violence and bad language. If a certificate specifies that a film is only suitable for someone over a certain age, then only those over that age may buy it. For example, if a film clearly states that it is for 18's only then anyone under the age of 18 is illegal to watch it. All film makers have a certain target audience and if the content of their film doesn't fit in with their target audience then they could lose out on viewers watching their film and could build up a bad reputation with parents in the future if children have watched a 18 film that they weren't supposed to this is why it is important that film classification is made clear.
The BBFCis the British Board of Classification provide age ratings for films in the UK. They decide whether certain films are suitable for all age ranges or just a certain select few.
Below i am going to embed images of the different film classifications and explain what each of them mean.
An example of a U rated film would be Monsters Inc.
The U symbol stands for Universal. A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. However, it is impossible to predict what might upset a particular child.
At U they only allow use of very mild bad language like damn and hell.
Violence will also be very mild it may contain a mild fight scene or characters placed in a mildly dangerous situation.
Sexual references will also be very mild, characters will only be seen kissing and cuddling but nothing more.
An example of a PG film would be Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The PG symbol stands for Parental Guidance. This means that a film is suitable for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. A PG film should not unsettle a child aged around 8 or older.
A PG film will not contain any theme which is inappropriate for a child. PG works can explore challenging issues such as bullying, bereavement or racism.
There may be mild bad language. In a PG film the context and delivery is always important. For example, if the language is used aggressively or if there is a great deal of bad language it may be passed at a higher category.
Sex references are unlikely unless they are not detailed.
Violence will be used mildly. There should be not detail of violence in a PG film, there might be some blood, we would not see how the injury had been inflicted.
An example of a 12A filmn would be Jurrassic world
12A films contain material that is not generally suitable for children aged under 12. No one younger than 12 may see a 12A film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult. Adults planning to take a child under 12 to view a 12A film should consider whether the film is suitable for that child. To help them decide they recommend that they check the BBFC for that film in advance.
The 12A requires an adult to accompany any child under 12 seeing a 12A film at the cinema. This is enforced by cinema staff and a cinema may lose its license if adult accompaniment is not enforced for children under 12 admitted to a 12A film.
The overall tone of a film, and the way it makes the audience feel may affect the classification. For example, work with very dark and unsettling tones which could disturb the audience would be less likely to be passed as a 12A even if the individual issues in the film were considered acceptable under the BBFC guidelines. This works the opposite way too if a work is particularly positive or reassuring this may stop it from being pushed up a category from a 12A to a 15.
The BBFC guidelines state that strong language may be passed at 12 or 12A, depending on the manner in which it is used and who is using the language.
At 12A moderate violence is allowed but not in detail.
An example of a 15 film would be speed
No one under the age of 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a 15 rated video.
The types of things you might see in a rated 15 film is strong violence, frequent strong language, portrayals of sexual activity, strong verbal references to sex, sexual nudity, brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence, discriminatory language or behavior and drug taking.
There could potentially be a great deal of language. At 15 there is no upper limit on the number of uses of strong language. Occasionally there may be uses of the strongest terms depending on the manner in which they are used.
At 15 violence may be strong.
Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable.
A good example of an 18 rated film would be the shining
Films rated 18 are for adults. No one under 18 is allowed to see an 18 film at the cinema. No rated 18 works are suitable for children.
The sort of issues that might arise in an 18 film is very strong violence, frequent strong language, strong portrayals of sexual activity, scenes of sexual violence, strong horror, strong blood and gore and discriminatory language and behavior.
There is no limit the the amount and the extent of the language being used in a rated 18 film.
Violence can be strong and be portrayed with strong detail.
The R18 category is a special and legally restricted classification for explicit works and films may only be shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas.
As an AS Media student i must consider classification when producing my own film because i need to decide what certificate i want my film to be and what is suitable for our age range and then make sure that no one under that age range can see the film as they could be exposed to explicit material for their age.
For my next post i am going to be talking about Todorov's narrative theory.
In this post i am going to be talking to you about film idents. Idents is the little bit of video that plays a few seconds before a program/film starts.
The purpose of Idents are for the distribution company to identify themselves to their audiences. They use it to brand and market themselves. The design of the ident is also very important because it is the main way a company will get across their message.
I am now going to embed 3 videos of 3 different idents and i am going to evaluate and explain them.
The first ident i am going to show you is Dreamworks.
Dreamworks is a distribution company that specializes in children's films. This film ident is very good at portraying this because they use clouds, balloons etc. This are kinds of things that children like. The music is quite soft and magical which fits in with the ident as there is a man that is sitting on the moon which is also quite magical. They also use white and blue colours which remind me of fairy tale kind of colours. The music links in with the title because the music reminds me of being in a dream.
Dreamworks adapted their ident to fit in with the film that they were representing here is a video of some of the ways dreamworks adapted their ident.
The second ident I am going to show you is Warner Bros.
Warner Bros is a distribution company that specializes in many different films. They are very well-know with an iconic theme tune. If you heard the theme tune without looking at the screen then you would know that it is Warner Bros. They have a gold logo. Gold is a very powerful colour and symbolizes that they are a very big and well-known distribution company. Gold stands out to every other colour. The Warner brothers ident is very clever as well because it changes depending on the genre of film or the type of film they are representing.
For example, harry potter. The ident changes for harry potter and becomes very dark and dull colours like black and grey which is what harry potter is magic, fighting etc. Here is an image of the Warner Bros ident for harry potter.
This is to engage the audience and give them a feel of what the film is going to be like. Like the example i gave with harry potter.
The final ident i am going to show you is 20th Century Fox.
20th Century Fox is a distribution company that specializes in all different kinds of films from children's films to more action packed films. Here are some examples of films that they do.
There are a few of the films that 20th Century Fox represents. They do just do one genre of film they do all sorts from children's to comedy to thriller etc.
Their logo is set out to make them look important and powerful. It is set out like Hollywood with the lights surrounding the logo and the name in big gold letters.
The music at the start of the ident is a drum roll and then a fanfare which signifies something important. It is like when a celebrity or a well-known person is about to be introduced to a crowd of people they have a drum roll and a fanfare to create suspense. This is what 20th Century Fox are trying to achieve.
Here is an example of how they change their ident to fit in with the film. In this example the ident has been changed to fit in with the Simpsons whereby one of the Simpsons characters is singing the theme to the ident.
For my next post I am going to be talking about film classification and why it is so important for film makers.
In this post I am going to explain what a title sequence is and show you examples of different title sequences ..... hope you enjoy.
A Title Sequence - The method by which films present their titles. Key production and cast members use visuals and sounds. It includes the text of the opening credits and helps to establish the tone and the setting of the program. For more information on title sequences click here.
I am now going to embed 2 title sequences from 2 different films and then I am going to evaluate them.
The first title sequence I am going to look at is from the film catch me if you can. I am going to embed a video below of the opening title sequence.
First, we are shown a black title and black figures on a light blue background which could signify that the black figures that are shown are characters from the film and that they play really important parts in the film.
The black figure that is closest to the front of the shot and always in the shot throughout the title sequence could signify to the audience that this is portraying the main character in the film.
In each shot of the black figure he disappears and then reappears again wearing something completely different each time we see him. This could signify to the audience (if they have never seen the film before) that the main character has a split personality or he has many different jobs throughout the film.
The titles of the film suggests that this main character is on the run from someone or something and he is disguising himself in several different ways in order for him not to be caught.
The next part of the title sequence we see a motorway with several cars on it. We then see a car speeding along the motorway as if someone is involved in a car chase and like someone is trying to escape from someone. A police chase.
We then see the black figure walking around by a pool which suggests that while he is on the run imposing as these different people he is living a life of luxury and earning a lot of money from what he is doing.
We then see him in a doctors uniform which suggests that this is one of the jobs he is imposing as.
We then see the detective that is after him getting closer to catching him.
We then see him working or imposing as a musician.
At the end we see the detective closing in on the culprit.
This title sequence shows the audience the plot of the film and what will happen in the film before it has even begun.
It fits in with the genre of the film as it is very fast paced and active and there are a lot of things going on which reflects on what the film is like.
The music that is used creates mystery and suspicion and it sounds like it being played by a jazz band.
The next title sequence I am going to look at is from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I am going to embed a video below of the opening title sequence.
The first thing i notice is the colours they are very dark and dull colours this could signify that something is going to happen whether it be good or bad.
Throughout the whole title sequence there is chocolate being shown which signifies to the audience that this film is obviously about chocolate in some way.
The genre of this film is a comedy, drama, fantasy. This isn't really shown in the opening title of the film because all it is showing is chocolate and the colours throughout the opening titles are brown and black.
The titles that appear throughout the opening titles are yellow on the dark and dull background this makes the titles stand out to the audience.
It is effective because it doesn't give much away so it keeps the audience guessing about what it could be and then it keeps the audience watching.
They could have used chocolate as an effective way to keep people watching as everyone likes chocolate and therefore if they think the film is based on chocolate people will want to keep watching.
The pace of the titles are quite quick which portrays the pace at which the film goes. In the film when willy wonka is taking charlie around the factory it is quite fast paced an things happen really quickly which the opening titles are portraying.
The music that is being played is quite happy and family orientated which could encourage the readers to watch.
I am now going to embed a video giving you a brief history of the art of the titles.
For my next post I am going to be talking about film studio idents and why they are used and why they are so effective.
In my previous post i embedded a photo of all of the class's collective data that was put together. We all had to research the opening titles of three different films. I am now going to explain what I found. What I found out was that at the bottom of the list was always the director ...... well in most cases anyway. After looking at the class's collective data the director didn't appear at the bottom most commonly in musicals.
I also found out that near the top of the list and one of the first titles to appear was the distributor of the film. For example, Warner Bros, Lionsgate etc.
The actors and actresses most commonly appear in the middle of the titles list at the beginning of the film along with the composers and the editors.
As a whole group we gathered the data by listing the example from three different opening titles of three different film genres. The reason we used three different genres was to see if the order of roles that appeared in the titles would change depending on the genre of the film.
It was very easy to see and to categorize the different title elements into title sections. Everyone in the class clearly stated who the people were in the titles and their role. The distributors were very easy to spot as they were different to everything else and appeared mainly at the top of the list.
Below i have embedded a video that i have made on emaze and it explains what a opening titles is and it shows you the order in which my opening titles would appear in my own film.
For my next post i am going to be talking about film title designs and explaining why they are used and why they are so effective.
We
have been looking at film opening titles in lessons as a class. We are looking
at these because we need to use them in our final product for our own film that
we are going to be producing for our AS Media course. We are using this
research to help us as we are going to need to create our own opening titles
for our own film.
As
part of our out of hours learning we had to look at 3 different openings to 3
different films and then create a list of the titles and idents that appear in
order. We then put them altogether as a class to compare them as to which ones
appeared where. Below i am going to add a picture of the class's research.
The three films that I researched were Back to the future, Twilight Saga: Breaking dawn part 2 and Grease. I posted my research on my previous post.
Title Sequences and Opening Credits sometimes get confused and mixed up by people. Below I will explain the difference between the two.
Opening Credits - In a motion picture the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are sometimes shown as text superimposed onto a blank screen or sometimes they are shown on top of action in the show. There may or may not be music accompanying it. For more information on opening titles Click here
Title Sequence - This is the method by which films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members. Using visual and sound aspects. It typically includes the text of the opening credits and helps establish the setting and the tone of the program. For more information on Title Sequences Click here
For
my next post I will be researching and talking about film title conventions.
For this task i am going to watch the opening of three contrasting live-action films. For example, Comedy, Thriller and Horror. I will then list the idents that appear at the start and the titles in order.
Idents is the little bit of video that plays a few seconds before a program/film starts.
The first opening titles i am going to watch is from the film back to the future. Below i am going to make a list of the order that the idents and the titles appear.
The film distributor
The Director
Screenwriter
Who the film stars (Actors and Actresses)
Casting directors
The opening song and songwriter
Composer
Editors
Production designers
Photography
Executive producers
Writers
The second opening titles i am going to watch is from the film twilight saga: breaking dawn part 2. Below i am going to make a list of the order that the idents and the titles appear.
The film distributor
Film title
Actors and Actresses
Casting director
Costume designers
Composer
Editors
Production designers
Photography
Producers
Screenwriter/screenplay
Director
The third opening titles i am going to watch is from the film Grease. Below i am going to make a list of the order that the idents and the titles appear.
Film distributor
Producers
Actors and Actresses
Choreographer
Composer/Music by
Editors
Production designers
Photography
Screenplay
Directors
My next post will be lighting and camerawork workshop
In this post I am going to be talking about Tracking shots and Dolly shots and I am also going to be talking about 3 point lighting.
A Tracking shot, as I talked about in one of my earlier posts titled "Basic Camerawork: Camera Movements," is where the camera is mounted on a dolly and follows the subject/object while always keeping the subject/object in frame. In the lesson on the 5th October we learnt how to set up a track in order to film a tracking shot and then we put our skills into action and filmed myself being shot using a tracking shot. Below I am going to show you the video of what the outcome was.
The next video I am going to show you is of a tracking shot being used in a real film. This is what a tracking shot looks like from an extract of a real film. You only have to watch from 0:38 to 1:19 to see the tracking shot being used. This extract is from a film called Nostalghia.
The next thing we did in the lesson was we learnt how to set up the camera on a dolly in order to film using a dolly shot. Where we filmed an arc shot with Tamarin in the middle of the frame. We then filmed an arc shot of Tamarin using a dolly. Below I will show you the video of what the outcome was.
An arc shot is when the camera moves around the subject. The camera moves in a rough semi-circle around the subject.
The next video I am going to show you is of a arc shot being filmed using a dolly from a real film extract. This extract is from a film called Black Hawk Down.
The last thing we looked at in the lesson was 3-point lighting. This lighting technique uses 3 lights. The key light, the fill light and the back light. Below I will add a picture of the 3 different lights.
All three lights have different purposes which I will explain below.
The Key light - The main light. This is usually the strongest light and has the most influence on the look of the subject and even the scene. It is placed at an angle on one side of the subject. This is so one side of the subject is well lit but creates a shadow on the other side of the subject.
The Fill light - This is the secondary light. It is placed on the other side of the subject opposite the key light. It is used to fill in the shadows on the one side of the subjects face that the key light created. This will create a softer look to the subject and to the scene.
The Back light - This is placed behind the subject and is lit up from behind. Rather than providing direct light. The purpose is to provide definition and highlights to the subjects outlines. This stops the subject from fading into the background.
We carried out this task in the lesson where Tamarin acted as the subject in the middle of the shot and then in the background Emily explained what each of the lights was and what their purpose was. I am going to show you the video below.
My next post will be film title conventions research
Film Distributors set the release date of a film and the method by which the film is to be made available for viewing. For example, directly to the public (DVD, video on demand, download, television programs through broadcasting). Below i am going to attach a video telling you all about UK Film Distributions if you didn't understand my worded description above.
The two films i am going to be talking about is Insidious chapter 3 and the Bad education movie.
In the picture above there is a film guide about Insidious Chapter 3 telling you when it was released. The genre of this film which is Horror, the price, the estimated box office etc. The one that we are focusing on the most though is the film distributor which in this case is E1 Entertainment.
In the picture above there is again a film guide about The Bad Education movie telling you the same as the one above that (Insidious Chapter 3). The genre of this film is Comedy. It tells you when it was released, the price, the estimated box office etc. but again the one that we are focusing on the most is the film distributor and in this case it is Entertainment.
There are three steps in the making and producing of a film.
Step 1 - Production. Production refers to the tasks that must be completed during filming or shooting. This includes things like; Setting up scenes, shooting raw footage etc.
Step 2 - Distribution. Film distribution is the process of making a movie available for viewing by an audience.
Step 3 - Exhibition. This is publicly screening the finished product after all of the production and distribution has taken place then come the exhibition of the film.
My next post will be about researching film opening titles.
Maybe you spotted some of the basic rules while watching my preliminary task. I am now going to look back at my preliminary task and evaluate the work that we have done. If there are any continuity errors etc.
The first mistake that I have spotted is at 0:11 seconds. There is a continuity error whereby I was in the reflection of the window when Sarah one of our actors was walking through the door. This was spotted as a continuity error by myself and several of my peers that gave me feedback on my preliminary task.
The second mistake that I have spotted is at 0:17 seconds. There is a continuity error because there is a jump shot in the middle of the preliminary task. This happens when Sarah one of the actors walks through the door and then just jumps straight to a different scene of a close up shot of her face. To fix the continuity error we should have included a match-on-action shot when we were doing the editing of our task and then gone to the close up shot of her face. This would have made the video run much more smoothly and there would have been no continuity error at this time.
The third mistake that we have made is at 0:23 seconds. In this part of our preliminary task we broke the 180 Degree rule. When Sarah walked in she was on the left but at 0:26 when Sarah and Nareece were exchanging their lines of dialogue Sarah was on the right and Nareece was on the left. Therefore, breaking the 180 Degree rule. The camera should always be filming over the same shoulder of each actor. For example, Actor 1 the camera should be filming over the left shoulder and then actor 2 the camera should be filming over the left shoulder.
At the end of the preliminary task when Sarah and Nareece were exchanging their lines of dialogue the film got cut short. This could have been fixed in the editing by making the end of the film slightly longer so it didn't cut off so quickly at the end this would have given the film a little bit more suspense and tension.
In my next post I will post my preliminary task. It will be my full video of the film that I produced with my group. Here is the Specification needed to complete a good preliminary task taken straight from the OCR specification: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom he/she then exchange a couple lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.
My next post will be my preliminary task evaluation.
I am going to be going through several filming rules. I will input some videos and pictures along the way to help you understand the basic rules of filming. These rules include; Rule of thirds, 180 Degree rule, continuity and 30 Degree rule.
Rule of thirds - This tells us where to place a subject and how to compose the picture so that it is more balanced, interesting and pleasing to the eye. This technique is where a picture is divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically like the picture below.
The 180 Degree rule - Wherever the subjects are placed when they are having a conversation should be where they are always placed when filming them on camera like the picture below.
In the image above the woman is on the right and the man is on the left so when the 180 Degree rule is being used in filming the man should always be on the left side of the shot and the woman should always be on the right side of the shot. When filming over the mans shoulder the woman should always be on the right and when filming over the woman's shoulder the man should always be on the left. If the 180 Degree rule is broken it could cause confusion for the audience watching.
Continuity - In filming there are sometimes some continuity errors. For example, if a conversation is being filmed and the woman's hair is on the left side of her face and then when we come back to her and her hair is now on the right side of her face then this is a clear continuity error. Here is an example in the picture below.
30 Degree rule - This is where you have a shot of a character and then you shoot him from a different angle without intervening the shot. The camera angle should always change by at least 30 Degrees. If the rule is obeyed then there are no disruptions to the shot. Here is an example of the 30 Degree rule below.
In my next post i will input and explain my preliminary task. I will explain what the task was.
In this post I will be taking you through the different types of editing skills which appear in all aspects of film making. These are things like; straight cuts, split edits and match-on-action. I will add multi-media examples for people who want a more visual understanding of what these editing techniques are.
Split edit - This is a transition from one scene to another where the sound and video do not cut at the same time. However, the sound remains synchronized to the video. Sometimes the sound from the next video will appear before the actual scene does.
Straight Cut - A instant cut between two shots can be used to move within a scene or between scenes. There will be one scene and then it will cut to a completely different scene without warning.
Match-on-action - This is where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the shot's action. For example, someone walking through a door. The shot needs to match from all different angles whether it is from the front or from the back. The subjects feet and hands need to be in the correct place and in the same place. By not doing this it could lead to a continuity error which I will talk about later on in my blog.
In my next post I will be talking you through the Basic Filming rules.
Here I am going to be talking to you about and showing you the different types of camera movements. Camera movements are used to add excitement and suspense to a scene whilst taking the audience on a journey.
Pan - The horizontal movement of the camera. The camera is mounted on a tripod and the camera is rotated from left to right to create a pan.
Tilt - The vertical movement of the camera. The camera is mounted on a tripod and the camera is rotated upward and downwards.
Dutch Tilt - The camera is set at an angle so that the shot is composed with vertical lines at an angle. Horizons will not be parallel to the bottom of the frame. This creates suspense to the shot and is used a lot in thrillers and horror films.
Tracking Shot - The camera is mounted on a dolly and follows a Subject/Object keeping the Subject/Object in frame.
Dolly Shot - The camera is mounted on a moving platform, often pushed on rails.
Crane Shot - The shot is taken by a camera mounted on a crane or a jib. This is used for high up shots. For example, from a cliff edge.
Pedestal Shot - The camera moves vertically with respect to the subject. the camera remain flat at all times and doesn't tilt. The camera follows the subject without tilting the camera.
Hand-held Shot - The camera is not mounted on a tripod or any other base. It is held in the operators hands. It is sometimes referred to as "Shaky cam."
Steadicam - This is a stabilizer. It stabilizes the camera so it doesn't shake. This allows smooth shots to be filmed.
Dolly Zoom - This is an effect that appears to undermine normal visual perception and distorts the viewers thoughts and feeling on the shot.
My next post I will be talking about Basic editing.
Here is an image of the basic shot distances. As you can see from the images as they go along they get closer and closer to the subject, hence the name of the shot distances, they go up in extremes.
Now I am going to add a video as well as the picture to help you understand the basic shot distances more.
Those were the shot distances now here are the different basic shot types.
An establishing shot - This is usually the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is usually a very wide shot or an extreme wide shot.
A Montage shot - A montage is a technique in which a series of short shots are edited into a sequence to condense space, time and information.
A shot/reverse shot - A technique where one character is shown looking at another character and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character.
Two shot - A shot of two people together. The subjects do not have to be standing next to each other. They could be standing in front or behind each other as long as they are both in the shot.
Graphic match shot - A cut in a film between two different objects in two different spaces that match graphically (Look similar).
Aerial Shot - A shot taken from a plane, helicopter or drone. It doesn't always have to have camera movement but sometimes does.
Point of view shot (POV) - A shot which shows the scene from the specific point of view of one of the characters. For this video look from 0:50 seconds to 1:29 seconds for the point of view shot.
High angle shot - A technique where the camera looks down on the subject from a high angle. This makes them look they are being intimidated by something or someone and makes them look inferior.
Low angle shot - A technique where the camera looks up at the subject from a low angle. This makes them look superior and like they are in charge.
Eye-level shot - An eye level shot is where the camera is level with the subjects line of view. Therefore, making them look on equal terms with everyone else unlike the high and low level shots.
For my next post i will be talking about the different types of basic camera movements.
In the lesson me and Elisa worked together to predict what a workflow would look like and this is what we came up with. This isn't necessarily in the correct order it is just what we think is right. We will then use this workflow when we are creating our own films.
In my next post i will be talking about basic shot types and camera movements.
Hello, My name is Emma Lawley. I am in year 12 at Great Wyrley High School and currently studying A-Level Media with the OCR exam board. Over the year i will be documenting and sharing all of my work throughout the Media course. I hope you enjoy coming on this journey with me! ....
