{"id":387,"date":"2018-06-11T00:58:52","date_gmt":"2018-06-11T00:58:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardy-lavoie.com\/?p=387"},"modified":"2018-11-11T02:27:56","modified_gmt":"2018-11-11T02:27:56","slug":"module-three-visual-composition-i-visual-montage-pre-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardy-lavoie.com\/?p=387","title":{"rendered":"MODULE THREE: VISUAL COMPOSITION I \u2013 VISUAL MONTAGE (PRE-PRODUCTION)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reading & Writing<\/strong><\/p>\n

There was A LOT of reading this week, so I\u2019m going to try to keep it tight:<\/p>\n

Chapter One\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Basics<\/p>\n

Having been doing for photography for so long, all of the camera basics was a nice review. Since I\u2019ve worked with both large format film, 35mm, and digital, I\u2019ve had a lot of experience setting an exposure on a camera. \u00a0Honestly, I read through it and it didn\u2019t offer anything new for me.<\/p>\n

Chapter Two<\/strong> \u2013 Composition<\/p>\n

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 \u2018proper\u2019 photo.<\/p>\n

Chapter Five and Six<\/strong> \u2013 Camera Moves and\u00a0Montages<\/p>\n

Chpt 5 gave a decent description of tilts, zooms, and pans, all of which are in the basic arsenal of\u00a0moves that any beginner should know. \u00a0There was one paragraph that stuck with me, which made note that cameras should move with purpose \u2013 which doesn\u2019t 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\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t believe how short the montage \u201cchapter\u201d was \u2013 and it was pretty basic to boot. I was hoping that this section would reveal the some hidden \u2018wow factor\u2019 that I hadn\u2019t thought about or considered thus far, but it seemingly defined the elements and let you go about your reading.<\/p>\n

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Video Pre-Production Planning Check-List \u2013 11 Steps to a Successful Project<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure that I\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n

It discussed things that weren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

12 of the Most Popular Camera Shots all Actors Should Know<\/strong><\/p>\n

I really loved the examples that were used here \u2013 in fact, I was going to use \u2018A Clockwork Orange\u2019 for the research to inform section, but opted to look for something else after seeing it listed here.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

If there is one shot I\u2019m still feeling a bit \u2018iffy\u2019 on, it\u2019s the high angle shot, but I\u2019m going to accept that one as a challenge to see if I can work on into the finished piece.<\/p>\n

Storyboarding<\/strong><\/p>\n

I understand that storyboarding is a high-priority task, and perhaps more so if you aren\u2019t editing your own footage. As someone who really likes to just do whatever moves me at any particular moment, \u00a0I have a hard time pre-planning and honestly, don\u2019t put much emphasis on it because I\u2019m 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\u2019t quite work, I\u2019ll 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\u2019ll be putting forth some extra effort in the area of storyboarding and stop thinking that its all about my part in the process.<\/p>\n

Research to Inform<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule of Thirds<\/em>: 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.<\/p>\n