Lyric to Shot

This is a plan for what I want the shots to look like when they sync up with the lyrics:

No sleeper seats, that's a mattress

No sleeper seats, that's a mattress (sleep)

You ain't stingy, split your tablets with me

You won't flinch when camera flashin', flashin' ----- I want the visuals to links with the lyrics so a flashing sequence will occur during these lyrics.

Not fake laid back, no, it's natural

And I think you made for the life I lead

I'm not fake patient, I don't fake sick

That kinda coffin don't need lean, rest in peace

Got this lust for life in me ----- I want the visuals to feature lots of colours, constantly changing to give a chaotic illusion, almost drug like.

Horny for the game, uh

First they kiss, then they bite soft, uh

Then that bitch wanna play it off, huh

Fuck it, I'm pretty still in a pit of snakes

While serpents shake some brand new scales

I need a new face, I'm tired of these weirdos

Acting familiar, took all the rock ---- Multiple different visual effects to show the decrease in their mental state as the lyrics get more and more insane.

And turned it to pop, he think that he Elvis

And he ungrateful, they don't say, "Thank you"

They don't say grace, not even for meals, not even for millions

Fuck it, I'm pretty still, look at my deal

Richard Mille, look at my ears, flooded with diamonds

Look at my skills, running through blocks like 49ers

Forty-nine diamonds, stuffed in my bracelet

That cost a whop, that cost a whopper ---- Multiple different visual effects to show the decrease in their mental state as the lyrics get more and more insane.

And it ain't new, I had a knot at John Ehret in my locker

Pretty still, it ain't no pretty pill, it's either real or real

Real easy on the eyes, green like a soccer field

Skin hot when they tried me like them poppers feel

Hands shaking, norepinephrine levels skyrocket, fuel

Rocket f-

Quit being violent with me (yeah, why, why) ---- Repeated lyrics will be mouthed out during the video to give a more direct effect on the viewer, giving more focus to the lyrics at that moment.

Quit being violent with me

Quit being violent with me

Make me violent ---- Use a lighter for dramatic effect at the end of mouthing the lyrics, used as a statement to represent the mental state during the song.

My room, my room, my room with me

Every night you were in my room

My room, my room with me

I guess I can't state my feelings too soon

I don't know you ---- At the end, lots of visual effects being used to make an insane look to the video, almost as if the end of the song represents how mental health can drive you to go insane if kept quiet.

4 Hour Film Challenge - 'Obsession/Love'

 

New Wave Montage Video and Evaluation

 

Evaluation:

Overall I believe my montage went according to plan and turned out okay but i could have improved it and done better if I was able to go back and shoot more for it. I would have included shots of other people there as well, I believe it would have added something different to it, similar to the one in Band of Outsiders. I would have also just taken some establishing shots and I noticed later on that I made all of them into panning shots that can get repetitive while watching this. While editing this I added some music from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' as when I think of halloween and spooky season, this is my all time favourite so I wanted to include that in some way. While editing as well, I added a fade out of the audio and video to finish the video off, I am happy with this decision because it ends with a shot of a candle so it represents the candle going out and the montage coming to an end. A few better tracking shots could have also been added if I was able to go back again as well.

For all of the pandemic happening at this time, I think my montage video is okay for a first time. I didn't want to overly edit this montage as then I feel like it would move away from a montage video and more into a music video which is what I did not want to happen. Im glad I decided to not take my dslr camera with me to shoot for this montage video because it is a lot more difficult to balance, which would result in even more shaky, uneven footage that would be horrible to watch. So choosing to film on my iPhone was a better choice overall because it can easily be wiped out at any moment and I don't really have to mess around with settings when using my iPhone. Skills I need to develop on for future video filming would be to be more creative when physically shooting, take risks to get different types of angles or style of shooting. I need to be more adventurous with my filming next time.

Health and Safety

In the Studio:

Considering health and safety when working in the photography room is very important. It is a requirement that everyone is aware of the responsibilities while using the equipment in the room and around them. Everyone in the room should be cautious of cables and electrical objects in the studio as it can be a hazard that can result into a worse situation. Staying caution can help prevent any accidents or hazards from occurring. Always make sure that the fire door or emergency exit aren't blocked by anything as well as you knowing where they are in the room., this allows you to have a clear exit if you need to leave the room quickly, ensuring your safety.

Certain Criteria To Stick To In The Studio:

• Making sure that there are no cables or objects on the floor which could possible be a tripping hazard.
• Checking the equipment is hooked up properly with no lose wires or bulbs overheating. If anything did happen to the equipment it is important to alert a technician staff to help resolve the problem.
• The studio is a small room so due to COVID-19, only a certain amount of people are allowed in the room at once. It is required that masks are worn if you're not being the actual subject. Anyone else should wait outside of the room to ensure nobody else enters and makes the studio too crowded.
• No food or drink should be allowed in the studio, this prevents any damage done to the equipment that could have occurred from food or drink being spilt resulting in damaged objects.
• Make sure the studio is kept tidy as it is only a small space so keeping it as tidy as possible ensure more space for the equipment.
• Keeping an eye on the heating in the room, as well as the temperature of the lighting if they are on for a certain amount of time. This has to be checked because the studio isn't a very big room so it can heat up fast especially if a group of people are in their together. The actual lights can overheat or blow if they are on for too long, this can also be a hazard that could be avoid.

My Examples of Different Lighting Techniques

Reflector: 

This clip is how my homemade reflector, it works just as well as a normal reflector and is super easy to recreate. Just using cardboard and wrapping it in tin foil, this allows the light to reflect off of it and bounce back to wherever you angle the reflector. 

A reflector is handy for indoor and outdoor use because it is accessible to use everywhere, before reflectors it would be more difficult shooting outdoors as you would have to stick with the direction of sunlight, however reflectors made it possible to avoid having to do this.

In this clip I purposefully moved around the reflector to make it visible in the clip as to what and where the reflector was reflecting and doing its job. Normally you wouldn't moved the reflector around.

Use Of Colour:

This isn't the best example of colour use in film/photography but it was my first attempt. To create the red colour I used a flashlight and covered the light with red tissue paper. In the future I would hire out a light with specific coloured gels as it would look better but this method works as well.

Low Key Lighting:

In this clip I used a flash light to only enhance one area of my sister face for dramatic affect, which is what low key lighting is typically used for. Lighting one area of the face creates mystery to the audience/viewers like where is she? why is it so dark?. This is a way of engaging the audience.

High Key Lighting:

This example of high key lighting is basic as I could have added more light to enhance it more however I think this normal lighting worked out just as well. Her face is being lit from all areas and no shadows appear behind her. This type of lighting is typically used when innocent characters are filmed as it makes them appear pure with nothing to hide.

Lighting in Film

Edge/Split Lighting:

Edge/Split lighting is a specific lighting technique that has the intention to create a more dramatic shadow in portraits. The light source would be positioned at an angle or from one side of the subject. It defines and separates one side of the face from the other using shadows. This lighting technique can change an ordianary photo into a dramatic meaningful photo. When trying to create split screen, you could also accidentally create a lighting technique called 'catchlight'. This lighting technique is when the light contained in the shadow side of your subject, usually the eyes of the subject.

Spilt/Edge lighting would typically be used for:

• Making a broad/wider face look slimmer.
• Commercial Photography. 
• Different types of themed portraiture photos.
• Fashion photography.
• Or whenever trying to achieve a dramatic look/effect when shooting in general.

Referencing:

West, 4. (2017, February 15). Adorama. Retrieved from Adorama Website: https://www.adorama.com/alc/faq-what-is-split-lighting

Rembrandt Lighting:

Rembrandt Lighting is a lighting technique which illuminates a triangle underneath the subjects eye, the one with less light on that side of the face. It is named after the Dutch painter Rembrandt, who occasionally used this lighting technique. Rembrandt lighting is used because it allows you to experiment and play around with lights. Rembrandt himself used tis technique in his painting because he could use a sharp contracts between light and dark. 

The use of the light triangle under the eyes give the image a sense of mystery. Rembrandt lighting can be used on both female and male models, suiting them both. These images also look very effective if they're edited in black and white.

Referencing:

Minoia, Expert Photography, Retrieved from Expert Photography: https://expertphotography.com/rembrandt-lighting-photography/

Butterfly Lighting:

The butterfly lighting technique that uses key light at a higher angle from the subject to cast down a butterfly type shadow on the subject. This lighting technique was used more frequently in the 1950s for film stars as it was seen as a more glamour look because the shadows framed the face better, giving a more defined look. This technique is ideal for portraits as it highlights the subjects main features, like the nose and cheekbones. it then creates shadows on the face under the nose and chin. Making the subjects face appear slimmer/more chiselled.

 

Referencing:

Robert, N. Expert Photography. Retrieved from Expert Photography: https://expertphotography.com/butterfly-lighting-portraits/

Lighting Task

Three Point Lighting:

Three point lighting is a lighting technique used in video, film, photography and imagery. The technique uses three key light points:

• Key light - This is the main light, it is usually the strongest and has the most influence on the look of the scene. It is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that this side is well lit and the other side has some shadow.
• Fill Light - This is the secondary light and is placed on the opposite side of the key light. Typically it is used to fill the shadows created by the key. Hopefully the lighting will be softer, you can get this look by moving the lighter further or closer to the subject.
• 
  Back Light - This last light makes up the three point lighting and is placed behind the subject, it's purpose is to provide definition and a subtle highlight around the subjects outline. This can also help separate the subject form the backdrop.

These three lights can be used separately as well as together. A fourth light can be added to light the entire background too. The reason why we use three point lighting is to properly illuminate a subject in an effective and pleasing way by simply using three different lights.

Low Key Lighting:

Low key lighting is a lighting technique that focuses on creating shadows by using hard sources of lighting in shots. It aims to increase the contrast through shadows and dark tones. The term 'low key' is used in cinematography and photography to refer to any scene with high lighting ratio. 

It tends to heighten the tension in scenes and build suspense with viewers, so this lighting technique is typically used in horror genre films and dark dramas/thrillers. Leading this lighting technique to be used in cinema to create dramatic, moody effects and in many types of films from romance to drama.

High Key Lighting:

High key lighting is a lighting technique typically used for TV, film and certain photography shoots. They all use high key lighting because it aims to reduce the lighting ration present in the scene. By doing this it means there is less contrast between darker tones and the brighter areas.

 The results you get from high key lighting would be a brightly lit subject with more fill light and softer shadows.

ISO Task

Iso is one of the three main components to how cameras capture images in the right exposure, the other two being shutter speed and aperture. Iso is a camera setting which brightens or darkens a photo depending on getting the right exposure or getting the desired way you want your images to look like. 

Typically ISO is used in darker environments as it allows you to brighten the image without the use of additional lights. However by increasing the ISO, it can add grain or 'noise' to your images so they don't appear as sharp as normal images. So the higher amount of ISO you use in an image, the grainer it will be so the quality deteriorates. 

The faster shutter speed with a high ISO can decrease or remove motion blur, giving the shot a cleaner sharper finish to it rather being blurred as people move around.

The ISO Values:

• ISO 100 (lowest)
• ISO 200
• ISO 400
• ISO 800
• ISO 1600
• ISO 3200
• ISO 6400 (highest)

This video is an example of shots with different ISO setting that we completed in Billy's lesson. You can see the comparisons of how the quality decreases as the ISO increases. For these shots the shutter speed stayed at 1/50. If I was to go back and redo these shots, I would use a tripod as the shots are shaky because I was holding the camera the whole time.

Grainy Effect:

The grainy look is sometimes wanted in clips on purpose, examples such as horror films like Paranormal Activity in the CCTV footage clips. The grain makes the effect of the clip look more realistic so the audience believe it more.

Referencing: 

• Mansurov, N (2019, August 14). Photography Life. Retrieved from Photography Life Website : https://photographylife.com/what-is-iso-in-photography#:~:text=In%20very%20basic%20terms%2C%20ISO,aperture%20and%20shutter%20speed%20settings.

Shutter Speed Task

"As a rule of thumb, you want the denominator of your shutter speed to be approximately double the number of frames per second that you are recording" So if you're recording at around 24/25 frames per second, it is recommended that your shutter speed be set at 1/50th of a second to get the best outcome.

In this clip, we recorded the same fan but with three different shutter speed setting to show the comparison of how shutter speed can effect the way moving objects can appear when being recorded on different speeds. The first one was the slowest shutter speed we tried of 1/30th of a second, then the second being normal shutter speed for moving images which is 1/50th of a second. Finally showing an example of the a fast shutter speed at 1/250th of a second. In these clips i did decrease the speed of these images by 50% so you can really see the changes happening in each clip.

Aperture Task

Aperture affects the Depth of Field and this is turn effects the amount of light entering the lens. So for an example if you're filming a low light setting, it is recommended to use the largest aperture as possible so the f number would be the smallest number it can be. This would be f2.8.

Aperture is known for its 4 key factors that affect it, these being:

• Physical Depth - Having physical depth behind your subject so you can see the effects of Depth of Field properly.
• Focal length - Depending on what lens you're using can effect focal length so the longer the lens, the more shallower of depth is.
• F stop - F2.8 or F22.
• Focal Distance - The distance between you and your subject.

In this clip, we show three examples using all different camera lens such as:

• The first one being F2.8 and we used a 50mm lens.
• The second one being F8 and we used a standard lens.
• The last one being F22 and we used a wide angle lens.

We filmed the same clips so it would show the comparison of the same place, with different aperture settings and we used the college's fencing as a makeshift tripod, so the shots were less shaky than the hand held shots.

Creative Filmmaking Notes - Focal Length

 Different Lenses:

• Telephoto
• Wide Angle
• Zoom

This is out experiment with different focal lengths and lenses. Labelled each image with the type of focal length.

Pull Focus Experiments

 

"Invisible Art" - The History of Editing

 An Editor is in control of the coordination of one sot to the next. They also remove unwanted or useless footage that serves no purpose towards the meaning of the movie.

Shot/Reverse Shot:

This is a filming technique where an actor is looking or having a conversation with another actor off-screen and then the shot focuses on the other actor and vice versa throughout the conversation. This type of filming technique is a part of the Hollywood style of 'Continuity Editing'. They refer to this as eye line match, which is transitions between shots between the two or more characters.

180 Degree Rule:

This next filming technique is where two shots edited together that alternate characters, typically in a conversation situation or an argument scene. Usually having one actors face one direction and then the other actor looking in the opposite direction but still facing each other.

30 Degree Rule:

Another filming technique is a guideline which states that the camera should move at least 30 degrees relative to the subject between successive shots of the same subject. if the camera moves less that 30 degrees, it can look like a jump cut which could distract the audience from the meaning or story, the video is trying to portray.

https://youtu.be/Sud_wMH7L18?t=57 

In this clip, between 0:57 and 1:05, it gives 2 clip examples of the difference between using and not using the 30 degree rule and you can see the noticeable difference.

Cut In:

This next filming technique is created in the post production process while editing the film or clip. The use of a cut is sudden in filming and can be used as a transition into another scene. As editing developed overtime, the cuts can be changed into things such as swiping or dissolving into another scene.

Crosscutting/Parallel:

Crosscutting is the technique of alternating two or more scenes. These scenes are typically happening at the same time in the film however in different locations, comparing the differences.

Establishing Shot:

An Establishing Shot is a extreme long shot or just a long shot, that presents a majority of important figures, objects in the scene may be important and the area they are in, as well as setting the scene. Body language and facial expression are key in this type of shot because that is what people tend to notice first and get a first impression from all the important characters.

These images are from 'The Shining' and this establishing shot give a extreme long shot of the hotel which the whole movie is based and shot around.

Match on Action:

This filming technique is when one shot cuts to another shot portraying the action of the subject in the first shot. Doing this creates a sense of continuity as the action carries on so it creates a 'visual bridge' which draws the viewers attention away from the obvious cuts and focuses onto the action occurring in the scenes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_u0LKmga5U 

This youtube clip give multiple examples of match the action and then examples of how the person who made the video actually used the into his wedding video. Showing how match the action can be used in any type of film or video.

Temporal Overlap:

Temporal overlapping is when you disturb the chronological order of a film or clip, this could be done by adding flashbacks or flash forwards to remind the audience of a memory or is just a key part of the story or meaning of the film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVd6CnKLPgY

This youtube clip is an example of a flashback in Ratatouille that gives the audience an understanding of a characters background which could be important to the storyline.

Kuleshov Effect:

This film editing effect is demonstrated by Lev Kuleshov, a Russian Filmmaker. He used this editing technique in 1910's and 1920's. His experiment consisted of cutting back and forth between a man and three different objects or subjects to see what emotion could be created with each cut. The Kuleshov effect was amazing at the time because it was able to show filmmakers that they could manipulate the audiences emotions with editing.

Eisenstein Montage:

A group of soviet filmmakers, lead by Lev Kuleshove began to experiment with film more intellectually. They used a structural device which allowed them to get to point A to point b without without wondering where you are. They used this idea with time and space in mind. So they applied meaning within a series of interlinking shots, essentially they were manipulating time and space which then became known as the 'Soviet Montage'.

Sergi Eisenstien was a part of this filmmaking group and his film made in 1925 called 'Battleship Potempkin' was known for pushing cinematic language even further. He did this by manipulating the audiences perception of time by stretching out the crowds flight down the steps for seven minutes, this would be much longer than it would take normally in real life.

List of lighting equipment and setups that you would use for the following scenarios.

A small documentary where portability is paramount:

A Tripod - used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. This equipment takes longer to set up.

A Shoulder Mount - This is an easier way to capture shots whilst moving around. However it may not be as balanced as a tripod.

A Audio Recorder - Allows all of the audio in the documentary to be recorded so the use of diegetic sound can be used. However it is extra equipment that would have to be carried around and it can put people off because they realise their audio is being recorded, resulting on awkward body language recorded, which could lead to the whole scene feeling uncomfortable.

A Led Light Stick - This allows you to have better lit shots but bright lights can be distracting during interviewing people for a documentary.

‘Talking Head’ style interviews:

A Soft Box - It allows a soft light for better lighting overall in the shot as a shadow. However it takes time to set up and get the correct lighting just right.

A Reflector - Keeps the light soft and is an alternative to the light box if you want softer, more natural lighting. However they can be difficult to use if you don't know what direction to point the reflector.

A Tripod - This will keep the camera steady for perfect shots, as well as keeping the focus on the subject. However some people can feel awkward or uncomfortable with a camera placed in front of them so it may not be ideal for some people. But this technique allows the filmer to be hands free from the camera so they are able to adjust other things happening at that moment which is useful.

A ‘night time’ shoot:

A Led Light Stick: - Allows the shots to be lit in the dark environment so the shots can actually be captured. However it is an extra piece of equipment that has to be carried around wherever the shoot is being taken.

A Tripod: - A tripod is useful if the shots are being taken at a slow shutter speed, it allows the camera to be perfectly still. However if its super dark it can be difficult to set up as well as carrying it around.

How and why lighting affects camera techniques for moving image.

Lighting is very important whenever filming anything because without the proper amount of lighting for specific scene, the shots can be over exposed or under exposed just because of the lighting levels. Two examples of lighting techniques are hard lighting and soft lighting.

Hard lighting is created from a single point of light that is pointed directly at a subject or object. This is because it creates a hard edge on the shadows to give a clear shape. This is useful if you are trying to create a scene that is moody, edgy, or with a lot of contrast then hard light is probably what you want to use. Or to create silhouettes for films is also useful.

Soft lighting is created from a softer shadow being reflected on the object or subject. This could be by using multiple light sources, all coming from different angles. This technique allows the shadows of the subject or object to be faded to give the overall shot a softer look. In film this technique could be used to represent a 'good character' because the shadows aren't has harsh on their faces. Resulting in a softer, more innocent representation for the shot.