S2S - Camera Workshops
YEAR ONE - CAMERA WORKSHOPS
11th October 2019
Today was our first Camera Workshop with Ferg in which we got to use our year one cameras and learn about sound and white balancing. I really enjoyed the class today as it showed how the cameras can be used to create great visuals.
-SWEFF is the things to do and work on before you start filming.
SOUND
WHITE BALANCE
EXPOSURE
FOCUS
FRAMING
FOCUS - You can use both Peaking and Expanded Focus to ensure that the shot is fully focused. Peaking uses red to show that you're fully focused on the image. Expanded focus zooms fully in to the image to allow you to gain the focus on a zoomed in spot to ensure it is fully in focus also.
WHITE BALANCE - White balance is used to ensure that the camera is picking up the correct colour of the surrounding area and skin tone. To white balance, you need to zoom in to a colour and ensure it is in focus. The difference in colour you use determines what visual the picture would create. If the camera senses the colour is more blue, it will add red into the picture which can create a high contrast. If the camera senses the visual is more red, the camera will add blue which can create a cold feel. Once you have zoomed into the colour and focused the image, you are able to push the white balancing button on the camera that will then balance the camera colour.
EXPOSURE - The more open the IRIS is, the more exposure the camera will have.
18th October 2019.
The Chair
Video - The Chair
This is my finished version of 'The Chair'. I really enjoyed this project within the camera workshop as it was a great way of making a short video with the things we had already been taught, white balance, exposure and focus. The idea behind my film, was the idea of having to overcome the wet floor. This was also a great way for us to be able to make up a film full of lots of different shots, trying not to gain any jump cuts. I am happy with my edit and feel it runs smoothly.
During the Camera workshop we watched a clip from Shawshank redemption, it was really impressive to see how many shots and camera angles were used within 2 minutes to set the scene. There was 16 different camera angles all together which made up the 2 minute section. Having the 16 different camera angles really told the scene and set up the tension.
What went well?
I really enjoyed this project and I feel my video also went well, I was really happy with the shots I chose to take, I feel I had the perfect amount of coverage for the short video. I had a mixture of close up, mid shots and the focus pull at the beginning of the video, I feel works extremely well. All which was learnt within the first few camera workshops.
What didn't go well, what would I do next time?
I enjoyed the editing process; however, there are a few shots I feel could have been edited better, the close up of Georges feet is used until he leaves the shot. I feel like the viewers eye could have taken the feet out of the shot themselves and the shot could have been cut down more. I have definitely learnt from this project that I shouldn't over cut my work. If I was to do the filming and editing again, I would also look to re-film the first opening shot of George, I would re-film this due to the fact I didn't get George to walk into the shot, which didn't give me a long enough clip to fully get him walking into the shot. This has taught me to start any walking clips earlier, so they walk into the scene, instead of it potentially looking false in the edit because you have started the clip from the actor being stationary.
Margin Call
Video - Margin Call
During this camera workshop we also got into groups of 3 and filmed a short scene with dialogue, this was so we could see the difficulties of having actors, dialogue and movement. It was a lot harder to keep the camera in focus and ensure everything was in shot when the actors were moving. I think this was a really important part of the workshop today as the video we created was a lot harder then I thought it would be. Also, dealing with different shots it was hard to create the video without continuity issues or jump cuts. My finished video is linked above.
What went well?
I really struggled with this video and I think it is shown above within the edit. Although this project did not go to plan, I really enjoyed giving directions to the actors and I am happy with how I directed the actors to perform. The scene in which George comes into the shot and sits down, pulling the chair closer to Jacobs character shows the intense conversation they are having. Which is what I wanted to happen.
What didn't go well, what would I do next time?
As I mentioned above the video itself is not cut correctly. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to do as many shots as I would of liked due to being the last member in the group to film my video. As you can see from the video, the cut continues to go from long shot to a close up and back. Which throws the video off massively. It makes the tempo of the video feel fast and uneasy, which is the opposite to what should have been achieved. If I was to do the video again, I would ensure I shoot more then two angles, enough angles and types of shots to allow me to edit the video in a smooth manner that does not make the viewer feel uneasy or confused. The conversation taking place is intense and is a critical part of the film it has been taken from, therefore, there should be fewer cuts to ensure the viewers are engaged in the conversation between the characters and not thrown off by the way it is edited together.
25th October 2019.
180 Degree Rule - Crossing the line
Video - 180 Degree Rule
In todays workshop we were taught the 180 degree rule when filming, this is used to ensure the position of the characters remains the same throughout the scene and does not confuse the audience. If the 180 degree rule is broken, it can confuse the audience by moving the characters position. For example, if Character 1 is on the left and Character 2 is on the right if you break the 180 degree rule it means the Characters switch positions and it can disorientate the audience.
The only time for example the 180 degree rule is broken in specific types of films, if the director wants you to feel on edge, or tension is rising, they may chose to break the rule to purposely make you feel a certain way.
We was given a project within the workshop today, to create a video without breaking the 180 degree rule, this also included a small amount of dialogue. My video is linked below. I have been made aware of the 180 degree rule previously and have always used this within filming over the last 5 years, so although I find this interesting, I did not find this challenging as this is something I was aware of.
What went well?
I really enjoyed this video and felt the edit was smooth and came together nicely with the shots that had been made. I enjoyed the editing because there was many shots to choose from and was able to take the time, to think and explore all shots to see what fit the best and had the smoothest transition. I also thought the part in the video where Evie is speaking; however, the camera cuts to Ben's reaction, works really well.
What didn't go well, what would I do next time?
Unfortunately because my group ran out of time, a few of us had to share clips because we used the same actors, although there are 3 shots I lined up and filmed myself within the video, the other shots I completed the sound on while George filmed. Although I feel the sound and audio is good within the video, I was unaware that turning the mic to each character as they speak has a big impact on the clarity on what that actors are saying. As I did not do this while filming this video, I will make sure I use this moving forward to ensure that when the characters are speaking I am getting the most out of the boom mic by turning it to each character once they're taking, which means the mic is directed towards them to pick up the sound perfectly. I would also make sure we wisely allocated time to each group member to ensure we did not run out of time and we all had enough time to shoot our films. I also did not apply the warm up rule for the actors while shooting, we filmed the close ups and over the shoulder shots before the long shot, this meant it did not give our actors the time to warm up.
Framing Sequence
Video - Framing Shots
In today's workshop we looked at how the framing of the camera can make you feel a certain way. For example, if you wanted to show the actor as lonely, you can position the camera in a certain way, to give the audience the sense at home that the character may feel lonely and alone. Our task set for the workshop was to create 6 difference shots, with no emotion that give you a sense to the characters situation or how they're feeling. Below is the shots I created which feature the emotions of Happy, Lonely, Thoughtful, Lost, Fear and Power. I have linked my video below.
What went well?
I really enjoyed this camera workshop as it taught me how the camera alone can set the tone or show the mood of a scene. I'm happy with the shots I used and feel they show the moods I was attempting to set. I'm particularly happy with the 'scared' shot, I feel like the use of the boxes in the studios helps perceive 'scared'. As Evie is looking round the corner, it helps the indication that the character doesn't know what could potentially be there, which is what we see in most horror films. The viewer sees the threat or the action first.
What didn't go well, what would I do next time?
I would try to focus on happy more as I feel this is the one that is not portrayed correctly, if Evie wasn't positioned with her hand on her leg or slightly smiling, the shot wouldn't pursue happy. Next time I would try and take a shot from a different angle, maybe above the actor or a close up to indicate the character is feeling emotion.
Filming on Location
Video - Location Shoot
Today we were given the opportunity to film on location, the idea was to give us a taste of the difficulties in using actors and the issues that can occur while filming on location. There are plenty of different aspects that come into a successful location shoot and the lesson today was to find out some difficulties that could apply. We were given around 3 hours to film 1-2 films within our four man group. We had no preparation time or time to think of an idea. It was really exciting and it was the first shoot in which we had been out of the studios, so it was interesting to see how it would pan out.
Our final film is located above.
What went well?
I feel like the video in general was how I visualised it and it was really easy to edit as we had given ourselves many angles and shots to work with within the editing process. This was the first project we had worked as a team on different parts of the filming. Normally, we had been filming and directing our own projects. We all worked really well as a team, George as director, Ethan and I as actors and Matt on camera, I had written the script and thought of the idea for our short film.
What didn't go well, what would I do next time?
The difficulties of filming on location was that the weather was cold, which i felt like made us rush the process because we all wanted to get it done and finished. I feel like this is something that was going to happen as it was our first location shoot and we want used to being out of the warm studios. In some scenes we only took one take. Which luckily, I don't feel is too noticeable in the final video; however, it could have been terrible. Although we had enough shots and covered many angles, we did not give ourselves the opportunity to get a better take. If I was able to do this project again and for all future projects, I would ensure that not only do I have plenty of angles, I have plenty of takes for each shot to, to ensure there is no editing disasters in the future.
The Chair
Video - The Chair
This is my finished version of 'The Chair'. I really enjoyed this project within the camera workshop as it was a great way of making a short video with the things we had already been taught, white balance, exposure and focus. The idea behind my film, was the idea of having to overcome the wet floor. This was also a great way for us to be able to make up a film full of lots of different shots, trying not to gain any jump cuts. I am happy with my edit and feel it runs smoothly.
During the Camera workshop we watched a clip from Shawshank redemption, it was really impressive to see how many shots and camera angles were used within 2 minutes to set the scene. There was 16 different camera angles all together which made up the 2 minute section. Having the 16 different camera angles really told the scene and set up the tension.
What went well?
I really enjoyed this project and I feel my video also went well, I was really happy with the shots I chose to take, I feel I had the perfect amount of coverage for the short video. I had a mixture of close up, mid shots and the focus pull at the beginning of the video, I feel works extremely well. All which was learnt within the first few camera workshops.
What didn't go well, what would I do next time?
I enjoyed the editing process; however, there are a few shots I feel could have been edited better, the close up of Georges feet is used until he leaves the shot. I feel like the viewers eye could have taken the feet out of the shot themselves and the shot could have been cut down more. I have definitely learnt from this project that I shouldn't over cut my work. If I was to do the filming and editing again, I would also look to re-film the first opening shot of George, I would re-film this due to the fact I didn't get George to walk into the shot, which didn't give me a long enough clip to fully get him walking into the shot. This has taught me to start any walking clips earlier, so they walk into the scene, instead of it potentially looking false in the edit because you have started the clip from the actor being stationary.
Margin Call
Video - Margin Call
During this camera workshop we also got into groups of 3 and filmed a short scene with dialogue, this was so we could see the difficulties of having actors, dialogue and movement. It was a lot harder to keep the camera in focus and ensure everything was in shot when the actors were moving. I think this was a really important part of the workshop today as the video we created was a lot harder then I thought it would be. Also, dealing with different shots it was hard to create the video without continuity issues or jump cuts. My finished video is linked above.
What went well?
I really struggled with this video and I think it is shown above within the edit. Although this project did not go to plan, I really enjoyed giving directions to the actors and I am happy with how I directed the actors to perform. The scene in which George comes into the shot and sits down, pulling the chair closer to Jacobs character shows the intense conversation they are having. Which is what I wanted to happen.
What didn't go well, what would I do next time?
As I mentioned above the video itself is not cut correctly. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to do as many shots as I would of liked due to being the last member in the group to film my video. As you can see from the video, the cut continues to go from long shot to a close up and back. Which throws the video off massively. It makes the tempo of the video feel fast and uneasy, which is the opposite to what should have been achieved. If I was to do the video again, I would ensure I shoot more then two angles, enough angles and types of shots to allow me to edit the video in a smooth manner that does not make the viewer feel uneasy or confused. The conversation taking place is intense and is a critical part of the film it has been taken from, therefore, there should be fewer cuts to ensure the viewers are engaged in the conversation between the characters and not thrown off by the way it is edited together.
25th October 2019.
180 Degree Rule - Crossing the line
Video - 180 Degree Rule
In todays workshop we were taught the 180 degree rule when filming, this is used to ensure the position of the characters remains the same throughout the scene and does not confuse the audience. If the 180 degree rule is broken, it can confuse the audience by moving the characters position. For example, if Character 1 is on the left and Character 2 is on the right if you break the 180 degree rule it means the Characters switch positions and it can disorientate the audience.
The only time for example the 180 degree rule is broken in specific types of films, if the director wants you to feel on edge, or tension is rising, they may chose to break the rule to purposely make you feel a certain way.
We was given a project within the workshop today, to create a video without breaking the 180 degree rule, this also included a small amount of dialogue. My video is linked below. I have been made aware of the 180 degree rule previously and have always used this within filming over the last 5 years, so although I find this interesting, I did not find this challenging as this is something I was aware of.
What went well?
I really enjoyed this video and felt the edit was smooth and came together nicely with the shots that had been made. I enjoyed the editing because there was many shots to choose from and was able to take the time, to think and explore all shots to see what fit the best and had the smoothest transition. I also thought the part in the video where Evie is speaking; however, the camera cuts to Ben's reaction, works really well.
What didn't go well, what would I do next time?
Unfortunately because my group ran out of time, a few of us had to share clips because we used the same actors, although there are 3 shots I lined up and filmed myself within the video, the other shots I completed the sound on while George filmed. Although I feel the sound and audio is good within the video, I was unaware that turning the mic to each character as they speak has a big impact on the clarity on what that actors are saying. As I did not do this while filming this video, I will make sure I use this moving forward to ensure that when the characters are speaking I am getting the most out of the boom mic by turning it to each character once they're taking, which means the mic is directed towards them to pick up the sound perfectly. I would also make sure we wisely allocated time to each group member to ensure we did not run out of time and we all had enough time to shoot our films. I also did not apply the warm up rule for the actors while shooting, we filmed the close ups and over the shoulder shots before the long shot, this meant it did not give our actors the time to warm up.
Framing Sequence
Video - Framing Shots
In today's workshop we looked at how the framing of the camera can make you feel a certain way. For example, if you wanted to show the actor as lonely, you can position the camera in a certain way, to give the audience the sense at home that the character may feel lonely and alone. Our task set for the workshop was to create 6 difference shots, with no emotion that give you a sense to the characters situation or how they're feeling. Below is the shots I created which feature the emotions of Happy, Lonely, Thoughtful, Lost, Fear and Power. I have linked my video below.
What went well?
I really enjoyed this camera workshop as it taught me how the camera alone can set the tone or show the mood of a scene. I'm happy with the shots I used and feel they show the moods I was attempting to set. I'm particularly happy with the 'scared' shot, I feel like the use of the boxes in the studios helps perceive 'scared'. As Evie is looking round the corner, it helps the indication that the character doesn't know what could potentially be there, which is what we see in most horror films. The viewer sees the threat or the action first.
What didn't go well, what would I do next time?
I would try to focus on happy more as I feel this is the one that is not portrayed correctly, if Evie wasn't positioned with her hand on her leg or slightly smiling, the shot wouldn't pursue happy. Next time I would try and take a shot from a different angle, maybe above the actor or a close up to indicate the character is feeling emotion.
Filming on Location
Video - Location Shoot
Today we were given the opportunity to film on location, the idea was to give us a taste of the difficulties in using actors and the issues that can occur while filming on location. There are plenty of different aspects that come into a successful location shoot and the lesson today was to find out some difficulties that could apply. We were given around 3 hours to film 1-2 films within our four man group. We had no preparation time or time to think of an idea. It was really exciting and it was the first shoot in which we had been out of the studios, so it was interesting to see how it would pan out.
Our final film is located above.
What went well?
I feel like the video in general was how I visualised it and it was really easy to edit as we had given ourselves many angles and shots to work with within the editing process. This was the first project we had worked as a team on different parts of the filming. Normally, we had been filming and directing our own projects. We all worked really well as a team, George as director, Ethan and I as actors and Matt on camera, I had written the script and thought of the idea for our short film.
What didn't go well, what would I do next time?
The difficulties of filming on location was that the weather was cold, which i felt like made us rush the process because we all wanted to get it done and finished. I feel like this is something that was going to happen as it was our first location shoot and we want used to being out of the warm studios. In some scenes we only took one take. Which luckily, I don't feel is too noticeable in the final video; however, it could have been terrible. Although we had enough shots and covered many angles, we did not give ourselves the opportunity to get a better take. If I was able to do this project again and for all future projects, I would ensure that not only do I have plenty of angles, I have plenty of takes for each shot to, to ensure there is no editing disasters in the future.
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