Reading & Writing
There was A LOT of reading this week, so I’m going to try to keep it tight:
Chapter One – Basics
Having been doing for photography for so long, all of the camera basics was a nice review. Since I’ve worked with both large format film, 35mm, and digital, I’ve had a lot of experience setting an exposure on a camera. Honestly, I read through it and it didn’t offer anything new for me.
Chapter Two – Composition
This is another area that was a review for me. Towards the end of my undergrad degree, I took a class that required very intense critiques while working towards designing a book that we would each self-publish. This experience really nailed the concepts of good composition in my head so, to take photos for the compositional exercise that were framed in the center was actually more challenging than taking a ‘proper’ photo.
Chapter Five and Six – Camera Moves and Montages
Chpt 5 gave a decent description of tilts, zooms, and pans, all of which are in the basic arsenal of moves that any beginner should know. There was one paragraph that stuck with me, which made note that cameras should move with purpose – which doesn’t mean moving all over the place, all the time. I think that in my mind, the idea of going from stationary photography to motion filming implied that there will have to be A LOT of movement. I’m going to really remember that it all still comes down to the principles of good composition from beginning to end and not worry about how much movement is present.
I couldn’t believe how short the montage “chapter” was – and it was pretty basic to boot. I was hoping that this section would reveal the some hidden ‘wow factor’ that I hadn’t thought about or considered thus far, but it seemingly defined the elements and let you go about your reading.
Video Pre-Production Planning Check-List – 11 Steps to a Successful Project
I’m not sure that I’m going to articulate this properly, but this particular article really defined the pre-production process in a way that was easier for me to consume because it seemed to be written from a slightly more analytical POV, and seemed a bit more business-like. I feel like I tend to gravitate to that style more at times, which was helpful.
It discussed things that weren’t totally flushed out in the text like message development, location scouting, distribution planning, to name a few. It was really helpful to see an extension of the planning process laid out here.
12 of the Most Popular Camera Shots all Actors Should Know
I really loved the examples that were used here – in fact, I was going to use ‘A Clockwork Orange’ for the research to inform section, but opted to look for something else after seeing it listed here.
I looked at these examples in terms of how difficult it might be for me to execute something similar when I start filming my project. Based on my chosen location, an aerial shot is out of the question, but there are many other types (over the shoulder, low angle, and others) that will be easier and perhaps more effective in the long run.
If there is one shot I’m still feeling a bit ‘iffy’ on, it’s the high angle shot, but I’m going to accept that one as a challenge to see if I can work on into the finished piece.
Storyboarding
I understand that storyboarding is a high-priority task, and perhaps more so if you aren’t editing your own footage. As someone who really likes to just do whatever moves me at any particular moment, I have a hard time pre-planning and honestly, don’t put much emphasis on it because I’m the only one working with the footage. If I put it all together and find that I need something else, or that a segment didn’t quite work, I’ll just go back out and shoot it again. This article really made me think a bit more about how it affects others that I may eventually have to work alongside, so I think from here on out, I’ll be putting forth some extra effort in the area of storyboarding and stop thinking that its all about my part in the process.
Research to Inform
Rule of Thirds: I chose this particular clip because I liked the way that the frame kept the actors in line with the rule of thirds, and in the full context of the movie, is a pretty amusing scene.
The Cornetto Trilogy
Color: Okay, so not a clip, but I think equally as relevant and easier to showcase in still images, is Edgar Wright’s trilogy of films featuring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost which feature overtones of a particular color in each of the films:
Shaun of the Dead (Red)
Hot Fuzz (Blue)
Worlds End (Green)
Aside from loving the stories, I was really into the visual elements such as these that made the entire collection of unrelated stories feel cohesive in their own way. Likely drawn from the fact that these three colors, when combined at different intensities and values, can create any color on the spectrum, and used primarily when a video is delivered via a screened medium.
Leading Lines: What Dreams May Come could likely offer an example of beautiful composition and cinematography for nearly every category. However, this particular scene was one of the first that came to mind while thinking about leading lines. The relevant content in the clip is short but meaningful in connecting the previous scene to the one that is about to fade in.
Perspective: The BBC program ‘Peep Show’ gets its name from the POV style that it is shot in. I feel it works really well since the show relies heavily on personal interactions between the characters.
Create:
This was all really difficult for me because I’m just not much of a planner…I’m much more about doing what feels right at the moment. I’ll generally go out with a scribbled list of a few ideas, but being so exact it really hard and too constrictive for me.
The composition exercise was easy in theory. Not all of the shots are from the final filming location, but I believe that they all demonstrate my ability to execute the design techniques. I’ve been doing photography for years, so they are all theories that I feel comfortable with.
Shot List:
Pre-Production Planning: