After considering different approaches we would attack our trailer with, we looked through different concepts in which our film could be based upon. As it is coming up to christmas and living in the south east, the chances of snow are high, my group are thinking about shooting a horror film to do with christmas, in order to contrast the family orientated season.
We have already drawn up a draft on what will be featured in the trailer, however this shall be uploaded with several different copies at a later date to enable use to refine our work and show the strong comparison between our starting point and final idea.
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Wednesday 2 November 2011
Camera shots
Looking in and researching Into the different camera shots has made me realise how important it is to use the right shot in the right place as it can change the whole feel of the footage if the wrong shot it used. This is because it engages the audience in the wrong way or not at all, which then affects their view on the film. For our trailer we are aiming to use as many shots as we can, in the correct way in order to broaden our skills. We also think this will make our trailer more interesting as by making it more choppy and quick moving it will grab the audiences attention more as they would not want to miss it. One of the main shots we will be focusing on using is the close up, as a trailer is meant to advertise the film, key events or ideas that draw the audiences in are featured, one shot that appears to be the most common in film trailers is the close up, this could be because close ups are used when showing detail and to highlight the current emotions.
Tuesday 1 November 2011
This is England Official Film Trailer Analysis
The opening scene of the trailer is a long shot, showing the setting of a beach. This sets the scene of the film and shows that the area in which the film is shot in. You cannot gain a lot of information from this opening shot, however in the background you can see a small figure walking down the hill towards the beach, this gives the impression that this could be the main character in which the film is based about. As this scene starts to fade out, an emblem with the words ‘Winner Best Film – British Independent Film Awards’. This shows that the film is worth watching as it is an award winning film, which in turn usually drags in a bigger audience.
The following shot a 0:08 seconds is a mid shot of a young boy, with ginger hair, walking down a street. He then walks past a shop which is just opening and the people outside do not seem to take much notice of the young boy which suggests that his is of no importance to them. The surrounding area looks fairly run down, you are able to tell this as the scene is unkept.
It then follows onto a shot of the young boy at home with a woman, who you assume is his mother as her caring nature towards him gives out the feeling of a maternal instinct. The boy then goes on to tell his mother that he is being picked on at school, which sets the idea of him as a person being vunerable, there is also a shot of two young boys with a voice over whilst telling his mother about the bullys, this gives you the impression that it is them that are upsetting him. It becomes apparent that the family are not in a good financial situation, as the place in which they are living in is drab and not looked after, also the fact that the mother is not able to afford trousers emphasizes this.
A clear divide between boy at the school is emphasized mainly by clothing, some of the boys who participate in bullying him are dressed in a ‘Blues Brothers’ style’ and are more wealthy as they are dressed in pristine new suits.
The scene is then set as a black screen appears with the writing ‘England, 1983’ appears, this gives you both the time and place in which the film is set, already putting an idea of what the setting is going to be like. Straight away a rocky song starts playing with fast snap shots of major events that happened in this year being featured such as Princess Diana’s wedding, riots, wars and a shot of Margaret Thatcher.
The next following scene is of the young boy holding a picture of his father in an army suit, saying how he misses him. The mother then follows on to say that ‘He’s gone now’ which therefore gives the impression that the boys father had in fact died in the war.
Another black screen appears with the title ‘Shaun went looking for a friend’ and follows onto a shot of the young boy interacting and shaking hands with a skin head in an underpass by his council estate. This then tells you that the young boys name is Shaun. The graffiti on the background gives you a vague impression that the youth culture in the area are rebellious, and in the far left corner ‘Milky was ere’ has been graffitied onto the wall, and watching the film you are able to find out that milky is a main charater.
A fourth black screen then appears saying ‘He found a family’ making you expect to find a homely environment, however it then switches to a shot of 3 female skinheads shaving shauns head, this could almost be seen as an iniciation to the subculture. Close ups are used in order to emphasize the shaving of shauns head, which makes you think that this is a turning point in his journey as a person.
The following few scenes are shots which have been cut from the film, showing shaun hanging out and having fun with the group of skinheads. He then asks one of the girls ( who is obviously quite a lot older than him) to be his girlfriend, and she says yes. This shows that the young boy has matured a lot.
A neo Nazi Skinhead then makes his way into the trailer and you almost get the feeling that he is corrupting the young boy, as he is bringing violence into the subculture, this shows a sharp change in attitudes between the featured people. Its almost as if the lifestyle had been turned upside down as someone powerful had made an appearance.
From watching the trailer, you can notice that it has been layer out differently to other film trailers. Most trailers show interesting and action pact parts of the film in order to build up excitement, this therefore makes the audience inclined to see the film as it leads you to believe that the whole film is action packed. However with the trailer for This is England, a storyline is built up in the trailer, giving you a basic understanding of what the film is about, therefore this enables you to build up a relationship with the characters which in turn helps you out during the film as you already have an idea of what is going on and who people are. However this could also put some people off as it could be seen to be spoiling the film and giving away main scenarios which occur later.
The trailer would appeal to many different age groups, including teenagers and 20-35 year olds who were alive and maybe involved in the skinhead subculture or something similar. Relationships are also built up in this trailer which would draw in a different type of audience as the young boy enters a relationship with an obviously older gothic girl.
All in all i think that this is a very good trailer as it draws you in quickly and easily and leaves you wanting to watch more
From watching the trailer, you can notice that it has been layer out differently to other film trailers. Most trailers show interesting and action pact parts of the film in order to build up excitement, this therefore makes the audience inclined to see the film as it leads you to believe that the whole film is action packed. However with the trailer for This is England, a storyline is built up in the trailer, giving you a basic understanding of what the film is about, therefore this enables you to build up a relationship with the characters which in turn helps you out during the film as you already have an idea of what is going on and who people are. However this could also put some people off as it could be seen to be spoiling the film and giving away main scenarios which occur later.
The trailer would appeal to many different age groups, including teenagers and 20-35 year olds who were alive and maybe involved in the skinhead subculture or something similar. Relationships are also built up in this trailer which would draw in a different type of audience as the young boy enters a relationship with an obviously older gothic girl.
All in all i think that this is a very good trailer as it draws you in quickly and easily and leaves you wanting to watch more
British Board of Film Classification
This is the well known company in which films go through in order to determine which catagory they are suitable for. As we will not be able to actually go to the company with our ideas as we are only shooting a film trailer, I shall make sure that we take into consideration the guidlines provided in order to determine the age rating of the film. We will need to do this as we shall be advertising our film using posters and trailers and therefore will need to narrow down the market we are aiming for, and a way to do this is age.
Here are the descriptions for each age:
Suitable for all
Here are the descriptions for each age:
Suitable for all It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.
Parental Guidance
If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.
Parental Guidance General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.
Suitable for 12 years and over
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.
Suitable for 12 years and over Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.
The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.
The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work
Suitable only for 15 years or over
The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.
The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work
Suitable only for 15 years or over No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.
Suitable only for adults
Suitable only for adults No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video work.
To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years.
To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years. Sound
Sound
NEVER forget that the piece you are preparing is an audio-visual production. Note that audio comes before visual. It is absolutely vital that you get the sound right for your video - without good sound, your work will look amateurish and sloppy. A slick soundtrack can often hide the cracks in your images. Therefore you need to plan your sound just as carefully as you plan your images.
If your audience is viewing your work via YouTube, the image might be reduced to a couple of inches wide, but the sound will be as big and powerful as their computer speakers - get that to work in your favour, not against you. Video produced for handheld mobile devices needs excellent sound to enhance the storytelling, as images are so small. Sound can help you keep your audience's attention.
There are several different sorts of sound that you can use. Using computer editing software, you can layer them in, adjust volume and sync images to particular sounds. Use 'J-cuts', where you lay in a couple of seconds of sound from one clip over the end of the one before, thus leading the audience into the visuals. You can also use a sound bridge to connect different sequences of images. Some sound you will record using your camera, other sound will come from other sources. Be inventive!
Types of Sound
Sound can be divided into two essential areas:
Diegetic Generated by things we can see in the picture ('from within the world of the narrative')
Non-Diegetic Generated outside the picture ('from outside the world of the narrative') e.g. voice over or music
Diegetic Sound
Diegetic sound begins –but doesn't end– with what you record on location at the same time as you capture images. Location sound is often enhanced with sound effects (used to add or heighten individual sounds for narrative effect e.g. a phone ringing, or an explosion off camera). Ambient Sound(outdoors) or Room Tone(indoors) is layered in for realism (and to hide the moment when a plane zoomed overhead or car doors slammed nearby). Dialogue is an important part of diegetic sound, and depends on vocal delivery. A good actor can vary pitch, tone, volume and accent according to what the director wants on set, but an interviewee will only speak in their natural voice. Dialogue can be enhanced in post production, or even replaced as ADR. Sound motifs (e.g. birdsong) can be added as part of post-production sound design, but may seem to come from within the frame.
Non-Diegetic Sound
Raw footage is usually enhanced through the addition of non-diegetic sound, usually in the form of music or voice over.
Adding music to images is an art form. Music creates mood and atmosphere, often by manipulating the emotions experienced while viewing. Music can be classified as either soundtrack or score.
Soundtrack Previously-recorded music chosen because of its fit to the rhythm, content and mood of a sequence. If a song, the lyrics may add meaning to the images.
Score Music specifically composed to accompany images. As well as enhancing mood and atmosphere, it can be used thematically - e.g. a character can be represented by a musical theme every time they appear, or the audience can be reminded of a situation every time a musical theme recurs (e.g. the 'shark theme' in JAWS). Music can be discordant or melodic, depending on the desired emotional effect in the viewer.
Sound Recorded With A Microphone
Recording sound on a film set
Room Tone and Ambient Sound
You will learn very quickly that, with a video camera, there is no such thing as silence. If you are filming indoors your camera will pick up what is known as 'room noise' - the hum created by electrical appliances (especially air conditioning units!), the buzz of fluorescent lights, the echo of sound waves bouncing off the walls (big rooms sound very different to little rooms), the noises of a building as it creaks gently around you. Professional sound recordists will always record two minutes of so of room tone (with no one talking or moving) as it can come in very useful for patching up a soundtrack. Room noise is deadened by soft furnishing, so if you are seeking to minimize harsh sounds, film in a room with carpets, curtains and lots of soft cushions! You will need to take up the volume to compensate, however.
Outside there is also a lot of background noise, or ambient sound - passing traffic, birdsong, wind, nearby or distant people, aircraft, reversing trucks, squawking sirens - a whole cacophony of sounds that you cannot control. This is the noise of everyday life, and without it images begin to look very odd indeed. You therefore need to record it to add meaning to your filmed sequences, but you need to take care that it is not too loud and that it does not drown out any vital dialogue or voice over. You have some control over volume levels when editing, but it is better to capture your sound effectively at source. It is also worth capturing around two minutes of ambient sound outside as, again, you may need to patch up your soundtrack.
Dialogue, or Spoken To Camera sound
There is a microphone on the front of your camera. Most home video cameras come with an omnidirectional microphone which basically records all the sounds that are present in front of the camera. This means that you must ensure that the dialogue you are trying to capture is much much louder than any background noise. More sophisticated models will also have an external mic jack where you can plug in a more powerful, directional microphone.
Recording human voices is perhaps the most diffculty-fraught area of working in video. Digital video cameras are reasonably good at coping with indoor levels of lighting, however, they are not good at recording sound and this is something you have to work around creatively, especially when interviewing a subject or recording dialogue.
NB - zooming the camera in on a subject does NOT also zoom the microphone.
Tips for good interview sound
Interview your subject in a quiet place (obvious, but often not done). Ensure that they sit as still as possible and are not fiddling with pens, paper etc that could cause unwanted noises.
Point the camera directly at them and place it as close as possible to them.
Plug a set of headphones into the camera to check what IT is recording, not what YOU are hearing.
Phrase your questions so that they should be obvious within the answers - your audience do not want to hear a disembodied voice answering questions, they want to hear the interviewee talking in as natural and flowing a way as possible. Think of your questions as prompts to get the interviewee to talk.
Remember that you will be cutting back and forth to your b-roll images, and that you can layer your interviewee's comments over different footage. You must prioritise getting good sound. If your interviewee stammers or stumbles over something, or if there is some unavoidable background noise (eg a telephone ringing) wait until the disturbance is over and roll the camera again.
Voice Over
The most efficient way to record a voice over is to find somewhere absolutely quiet (ie with very little room noise - see above) and speak directly into the camera microphone. You can record your own voice overs, or get someone else to act as the "voice" - think carefully about the gender, age and status of your "voice" - all of them will have implications for the meaning of your text.
TIP: Get into bed to record your voiceover - a duvet can deaden all outside noise. Be careful not to wriggle around as rustling sheets are a dead giveaway that you have used this technique.
Sound From Other Sources
Sound Effects
Sometimes you just have to fake it. Even when working with documentaries, you may need to heighten realism by adding in sound effects at a crucial moment. You can download free sound effects from the following sites, or check out some Sound FX CDs.
StoneWashed
Partners in Rhyme
A1 Free Sound Effects
Music
Music can totally change the mood of an audio visual piece. Music can make an audience scared, tearful, happy, aware of the seriousness of the situation, or just want to dance! Choose your music carefully - you should aim for relatively short extracts of one song. Think about the mood of that music, its pace (you will have to edit to keep up) and whether it is appropriate to your images. If your music has lyrics it should match the meaning of your images.
Photo: Michelle Sarrat
Use the fade controls to raise and lower the volume of your music - keep it right down if people are talking. It's best to do your sound mix after your picture edit is final, and, always, use headphones when attempting to set levels. Sometimes subtle background music can be more effective than a pumping beat at the top of the mix (unless you're working on a music video). Think carefully about the in and out points of music. You can use a "J-cut" to bring music in a few seconds before images, to prepare the audience, mood-wise, for what they are about to see.
Try different tracks against some of your footage to see what the effect is. You can transfer a .WAV, .AVI, or .MOV sound file into your computer editing software, but not all of them accept MP3s (which are of lesser quality anyway). Remember, in the real world, there are copyright considerations and your production team would have to pay the holder of the publishing rights to a song; these are often prohibitively expensive, especially for well known songs.
http://www.mediaknowall.com/sound.html
NEVER forget that the piece you are preparing is an audio-visual production. Note that audio comes before visual. It is absolutely vital that you get the sound right for your video - without good sound, your work will look amateurish and sloppy. A slick soundtrack can often hide the cracks in your images. Therefore you need to plan your sound just as carefully as you plan your images.
If your audience is viewing your work via YouTube, the image might be reduced to a couple of inches wide, but the sound will be as big and powerful as their computer speakers - get that to work in your favour, not against you. Video produced for handheld mobile devices needs excellent sound to enhance the storytelling, as images are so small. Sound can help you keep your audience's attention.
There are several different sorts of sound that you can use. Using computer editing software, you can layer them in, adjust volume and sync images to particular sounds. Use 'J-cuts', where you lay in a couple of seconds of sound from one clip over the end of the one before, thus leading the audience into the visuals. You can also use a sound bridge to connect different sequences of images. Some sound you will record using your camera, other sound will come from other sources. Be inventive!
Types of Sound
Sound can be divided into two essential areas:
Diegetic Generated by things we can see in the picture ('from within the world of the narrative')
Non-Diegetic Generated outside the picture ('from outside the world of the narrative') e.g. voice over or music
Diegetic Sound
Diegetic sound begins –but doesn't end– with what you record on location at the same time as you capture images. Location sound is often enhanced with sound effects (used to add or heighten individual sounds for narrative effect e.g. a phone ringing, or an explosion off camera). Ambient Sound(outdoors) or Room Tone(indoors) is layered in for realism (and to hide the moment when a plane zoomed overhead or car doors slammed nearby). Dialogue is an important part of diegetic sound, and depends on vocal delivery. A good actor can vary pitch, tone, volume and accent according to what the director wants on set, but an interviewee will only speak in their natural voice. Dialogue can be enhanced in post production, or even replaced as ADR. Sound motifs (e.g. birdsong) can be added as part of post-production sound design, but may seem to come from within the frame.
Non-Diegetic Sound
Raw footage is usually enhanced through the addition of non-diegetic sound, usually in the form of music or voice over.
Adding music to images is an art form. Music creates mood and atmosphere, often by manipulating the emotions experienced while viewing. Music can be classified as either soundtrack or score.
Soundtrack Previously-recorded music chosen because of its fit to the rhythm, content and mood of a sequence. If a song, the lyrics may add meaning to the images.
Score Music specifically composed to accompany images. As well as enhancing mood and atmosphere, it can be used thematically - e.g. a character can be represented by a musical theme every time they appear, or the audience can be reminded of a situation every time a musical theme recurs (e.g. the 'shark theme' in JAWS). Music can be discordant or melodic, depending on the desired emotional effect in the viewer.
Sound Recorded With A Microphone
Recording sound on a film set
Room Tone and Ambient Sound
You will learn very quickly that, with a video camera, there is no such thing as silence. If you are filming indoors your camera will pick up what is known as 'room noise' - the hum created by electrical appliances (especially air conditioning units!), the buzz of fluorescent lights, the echo of sound waves bouncing off the walls (big rooms sound very different to little rooms), the noises of a building as it creaks gently around you. Professional sound recordists will always record two minutes of so of room tone (with no one talking or moving) as it can come in very useful for patching up a soundtrack. Room noise is deadened by soft furnishing, so if you are seeking to minimize harsh sounds, film in a room with carpets, curtains and lots of soft cushions! You will need to take up the volume to compensate, however.
Outside there is also a lot of background noise, or ambient sound - passing traffic, birdsong, wind, nearby or distant people, aircraft, reversing trucks, squawking sirens - a whole cacophony of sounds that you cannot control. This is the noise of everyday life, and without it images begin to look very odd indeed. You therefore need to record it to add meaning to your filmed sequences, but you need to take care that it is not too loud and that it does not drown out any vital dialogue or voice over. You have some control over volume levels when editing, but it is better to capture your sound effectively at source. It is also worth capturing around two minutes of ambient sound outside as, again, you may need to patch up your soundtrack.
Dialogue, or Spoken To Camera sound
There is a microphone on the front of your camera. Most home video cameras come with an omnidirectional microphone which basically records all the sounds that are present in front of the camera. This means that you must ensure that the dialogue you are trying to capture is much much louder than any background noise. More sophisticated models will also have an external mic jack where you can plug in a more powerful, directional microphone.
Recording human voices is perhaps the most diffculty-fraught area of working in video. Digital video cameras are reasonably good at coping with indoor levels of lighting, however, they are not good at recording sound and this is something you have to work around creatively, especially when interviewing a subject or recording dialogue.
NB - zooming the camera in on a subject does NOT also zoom the microphone.
Tips for good interview sound
Interview your subject in a quiet place (obvious, but often not done). Ensure that they sit as still as possible and are not fiddling with pens, paper etc that could cause unwanted noises.
Point the camera directly at them and place it as close as possible to them.
Plug a set of headphones into the camera to check what IT is recording, not what YOU are hearing.
Phrase your questions so that they should be obvious within the answers - your audience do not want to hear a disembodied voice answering questions, they want to hear the interviewee talking in as natural and flowing a way as possible. Think of your questions as prompts to get the interviewee to talk.
Remember that you will be cutting back and forth to your b-roll images, and that you can layer your interviewee's comments over different footage. You must prioritise getting good sound. If your interviewee stammers or stumbles over something, or if there is some unavoidable background noise (eg a telephone ringing) wait until the disturbance is over and roll the camera again.
Voice Over
The most efficient way to record a voice over is to find somewhere absolutely quiet (ie with very little room noise - see above) and speak directly into the camera microphone. You can record your own voice overs, or get someone else to act as the "voice" - think carefully about the gender, age and status of your "voice" - all of them will have implications for the meaning of your text.
TIP: Get into bed to record your voiceover - a duvet can deaden all outside noise. Be careful not to wriggle around as rustling sheets are a dead giveaway that you have used this technique.
Sound From Other Sources
Sound Effects
Sometimes you just have to fake it. Even when working with documentaries, you may need to heighten realism by adding in sound effects at a crucial moment. You can download free sound effects from the following sites, or check out some Sound FX CDs.
StoneWashed
Partners in Rhyme
A1 Free Sound Effects
Music
Music can totally change the mood of an audio visual piece. Music can make an audience scared, tearful, happy, aware of the seriousness of the situation, or just want to dance! Choose your music carefully - you should aim for relatively short extracts of one song. Think about the mood of that music, its pace (you will have to edit to keep up) and whether it is appropriate to your images. If your music has lyrics it should match the meaning of your images.
Photo: Michelle Sarrat
Use the fade controls to raise and lower the volume of your music - keep it right down if people are talking. It's best to do your sound mix after your picture edit is final, and, always, use headphones when attempting to set levels. Sometimes subtle background music can be more effective than a pumping beat at the top of the mix (unless you're working on a music video). Think carefully about the in and out points of music. You can use a "J-cut" to bring music in a few seconds before images, to prepare the audience, mood-wise, for what they are about to see.
Try different tracks against some of your footage to see what the effect is. You can transfer a .WAV, .AVI, or .MOV sound file into your computer editing software, but not all of them accept MP3s (which are of lesser quality anyway). Remember, in the real world, there are copyright considerations and your production team would have to pay the holder of the publishing rights to a song; these are often prohibitively expensive, especially for well known songs.
http://www.mediaknowall.com/sound.html
Camera Movements
Pan
A movement which scans a scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned, often to follow a moving object which is kept in the middle of the frame.
Tilt
A movement which scans a scene vertically, otherwise similar to a pan.
Dolly Shots
Sometimes called TRUCKING or TRACKING shots. The camera is placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action, generally following a moving figure or object. Complicated dolly shots will involve a track being laid on set for the camera to follow, hence the name. The camera might be mounted on a car, a plane, or even a shopping trolley (good method for independent film-makers looking to save a few dollars). A dolly shot may be a good way of portraying movement, the journey of a character for instance, or for moving from a long shot to a close-up, gradually focusing the audience on a particular object or character.
Handheld shots
The hand-held movie camera first saw widespread use during World War II, when news reporters took their windup Arriflexes and Eyemos into the heat of battle, producing some of the most arresting footage of the twentieth century. After the war, it took a while for commercially produced movies to catch up, and documentary makers led the way, demanding the production of smaller, lighter cameras that could be moved in and out of a scene with speed, producing a "fly-on-the-wall" effect.This aesthetic took a while to catch on with mainstream Hollywood, as it gives a jerky, ragged effect, totally at odds with the organised smoothness of a dolly shot. The Steadicam (a heavy contraption which is attached a camera to an operator by a harness. The camera is stabilized so it moves independently) was debuted in Marathon Man (1976), bringing a new smoothness to hand held camera movement and has been used to great effect in movies and TV shows ever since. No "walk and talk" sequence would be complete without one. Hand held cameras denote a certain kind of gritty realism, and they can make the audience feel as though they are part of a scene, rather than viewing it from a detached, frozen position.
Crane shots
Basically, dolly-shots-in-the-air. A crane (or jib), is a large, heavy piece of equipment, but is a useful way of moving a camera - it can move up, down, left, right, swooping in on action or moving diagonally out of it. The camera operator and camera are counter-balanced by a heavy weight, and trust their safety to a skilled crane/jib operator.
Zoom Lenses
A zoom lens contains a mechanism that changes the magnification of an image. On a still camera, this means that the photographer can get a 'close up' shot while still being some distance from the subject. A video zoom lens can change the position of the audience, either very quickly (a smash zoom) or slowly, without moving the camera an inch, thus saving a lot of time and trouble. The drawbacks to zoom use include the fact that while a dolly shot involves a steady movement similar to the focusing change in the human eye, the zoom lens tends to be jerky (unless used very slowly) and to distort an image, making objects appear closer together than they really are. Zoom lenses are also drastically over-used by many directors (including those holding palmcorders), who try to give the impression of movement and excitement in a scene where it does not exist. Use with caution - and a tripod!
Aerial shot
An exciting variation of a crane shot, usually taken from a helicopter. This is often used at the beginning of a film, in order to establish setting and movement. A helicopter is like a particularly flexible sort of crane - it can go anywhere, keep up with anything, move in and out of a scene, and convey real drama and exhilaration — so long as you don't need to get too close to your actors or use location sound with the shots.
http://www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html
A movement which scans a scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned, often to follow a moving object which is kept in the middle of the frame.
Tilt
A movement which scans a scene vertically, otherwise similar to a pan.
Dolly Shots
Sometimes called TRUCKING or TRACKING shots. The camera is placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action, generally following a moving figure or object. Complicated dolly shots will involve a track being laid on set for the camera to follow, hence the name. The camera might be mounted on a car, a plane, or even a shopping trolley (good method for independent film-makers looking to save a few dollars). A dolly shot may be a good way of portraying movement, the journey of a character for instance, or for moving from a long shot to a close-up, gradually focusing the audience on a particular object or character.
Handheld shots
The hand-held movie camera first saw widespread use during World War II, when news reporters took their windup Arriflexes and Eyemos into the heat of battle, producing some of the most arresting footage of the twentieth century. After the war, it took a while for commercially produced movies to catch up, and documentary makers led the way, demanding the production of smaller, lighter cameras that could be moved in and out of a scene with speed, producing a "fly-on-the-wall" effect.This aesthetic took a while to catch on with mainstream Hollywood, as it gives a jerky, ragged effect, totally at odds with the organised smoothness of a dolly shot. The Steadicam (a heavy contraption which is attached a camera to an operator by a harness. The camera is stabilized so it moves independently) was debuted in Marathon Man (1976), bringing a new smoothness to hand held camera movement and has been used to great effect in movies and TV shows ever since. No "walk and talk" sequence would be complete without one. Hand held cameras denote a certain kind of gritty realism, and they can make the audience feel as though they are part of a scene, rather than viewing it from a detached, frozen position.
Crane shots
Basically, dolly-shots-in-the-air. A crane (or jib), is a large, heavy piece of equipment, but is a useful way of moving a camera - it can move up, down, left, right, swooping in on action or moving diagonally out of it. The camera operator and camera are counter-balanced by a heavy weight, and trust their safety to a skilled crane/jib operator.
Zoom Lenses
A zoom lens contains a mechanism that changes the magnification of an image. On a still camera, this means that the photographer can get a 'close up' shot while still being some distance from the subject. A video zoom lens can change the position of the audience, either very quickly (a smash zoom) or slowly, without moving the camera an inch, thus saving a lot of time and trouble. The drawbacks to zoom use include the fact that while a dolly shot involves a steady movement similar to the focusing change in the human eye, the zoom lens tends to be jerky (unless used very slowly) and to distort an image, making objects appear closer together than they really are. Zoom lenses are also drastically over-used by many directors (including those holding palmcorders), who try to give the impression of movement and excitement in a scene where it does not exist. Use with caution - and a tripod!
Aerial shot
An exciting variation of a crane shot, usually taken from a helicopter. This is often used at the beginning of a film, in order to establish setting and movement. A helicopter is like a particularly flexible sort of crane - it can go anywhere, keep up with anything, move in and out of a scene, and convey real drama and exhilaration — so long as you don't need to get too close to your actors or use location sound with the shots.
http://www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html
Film Camera Angles
Birds Eye View
This shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural and strange angle. Familiar objects viewed from this angle might seem totally unrecognisable at first (umbrellas in a crowd, dancers' legs). This shot does, however, put the audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action. People can be made to look insignificant, ant-like, part of a wider scheme of things. Hitchcock (and his admirers, like Brian de Palma) is fond of this style of shot.
High Angle
Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant (or scary). The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.
Eye Level
A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the focus. The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the ground.
Low Angle
These increase height (useful for short actors like Tom Cruise or James McAvoy) and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. The background of a low angle shot will tend to be just sky or ceiling, the lack of detail about the setting adding to the disorientation of the viewer. The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who is psychologically dominated by the figure on the screen.
Oblique/Canted angle
Sometimes the camera is tilted (ie is not placed horizontal to floor level), to suggest imbalance, transition and instability (very popular in horror movies). This technique is used to suggest POINT-OF-View shots (ie when the camera becomes the 'eyes' of one particular character,seeing what they see — a hand held camera is often used for this.
http://www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html
This shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural and strange angle. Familiar objects viewed from this angle might seem totally unrecognisable at first (umbrellas in a crowd, dancers' legs). This shot does, however, put the audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action. People can be made to look insignificant, ant-like, part of a wider scheme of things. Hitchcock (and his admirers, like Brian de Palma) is fond of this style of shot.
High Angle
Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant (or scary). The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.
Eye Level
A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the focus. The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the ground.
Low Angle
These increase height (useful for short actors like Tom Cruise or James McAvoy) and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. The background of a low angle shot will tend to be just sky or ceiling, the lack of detail about the setting adding to the disorientation of the viewer. The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who is psychologically dominated by the figure on the screen.
Oblique/Canted angle
Sometimes the camera is tilted (ie is not placed horizontal to floor level), to suggest imbalance, transition and instability (very popular in horror movies). This technique is used to suggest POINT-OF-View shots (ie when the camera becomes the 'eyes' of one particular character,seeing what they see — a hand held camera is often used for this.
http://www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html
Film shots (detail)
Extreme Long Shot
This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is generally used as a scene-setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an EXTERIOR, eg the outside of a building, or a landscape, and is often used to show scenes of thrilling action eg in a war film or disaster movie. There will be very little detail visible in the shot, it's meant to give a general impression rather than specific information.
Long Shot
This is the most difficult to categorise precisely, but is generally one which shows the image as approximately "life" size ie corresponding to the real distance between the audience and the screen in a cinema (the figure of a man would appear as six feet tall). This category includes the FULL SHOT showing the entire human body, with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom.
http://www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html
Medium Shot
Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action. Variations on this include the TWO SHOT (containing two figures from the waist up) and the THREE SHOT (contains 3 figures...). NB. Any more than three figures and the shot tends to become a long shot. Background detail is minimal, probably because location has been established earlier in the scene - the audience already know where they are and now want to focus on dialogue and character interation. Another variation in this category is the OVER-THE-SHOULDER-SHOT, which positions the camera behind one figure, revealing the other figure, and part of the first figure's back, head and shoulder.
Close Up
This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or a specific detail of mise en scène. Everything else is just a blur in the background. This shot magnifies the object (think of how big it looks on a cinema screen) and shows the importance of things, be it words written on paper, or the expression on someone's face. The close-up takes us into the mind of a character. In reality, we only let people that we really trust get THAT close to our face - mothers, children and lovers, usually - so a close up of a face is a very intimate shot. A film-maker may use this to make us feel extra comfortable or extremely uncomfortable about a character, and usually uses a zoom lens in order to get the required framing.
Extreme Close Up
As its name suggests, an extreme version of the close up, generally magnifying beyond what the human eye would experience in reality. An extreme close-up of a face, for instance, would show only the mouth or eyes, with no background detail whatsoever. This is a very artificial shot, and can be used for dramatic effect. The tight focus required means that extra care must be taken when setting up and lighting the shot - the slightest camera shake or error in focal length is very noticeable.
This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is generally used as a scene-setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an EXTERIOR, eg the outside of a building, or a landscape, and is often used to show scenes of thrilling action eg in a war film or disaster movie. There will be very little detail visible in the shot, it's meant to give a general impression rather than specific information.
Long Shot
This is the most difficult to categorise precisely, but is generally one which shows the image as approximately "life" size ie corresponding to the real distance between the audience and the screen in a cinema (the figure of a man would appear as six feet tall). This category includes the FULL SHOT showing the entire human body, with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom.
http://www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html
Medium Shot
Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action. Variations on this include the TWO SHOT (containing two figures from the waist up) and the THREE SHOT (contains 3 figures...). NB. Any more than three figures and the shot tends to become a long shot. Background detail is minimal, probably because location has been established earlier in the scene - the audience already know where they are and now want to focus on dialogue and character interation. Another variation in this category is the OVER-THE-SHOULDER-SHOT, which positions the camera behind one figure, revealing the other figure, and part of the first figure's back, head and shoulder.
Close Up
This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or a specific detail of mise en scène. Everything else is just a blur in the background. This shot magnifies the object (think of how big it looks on a cinema screen) and shows the importance of things, be it words written on paper, or the expression on someone's face. The close-up takes us into the mind of a character. In reality, we only let people that we really trust get THAT close to our face - mothers, children and lovers, usually - so a close up of a face is a very intimate shot. A film-maker may use this to make us feel extra comfortable or extremely uncomfortable about a character, and usually uses a zoom lens in order to get the required framing.
Extreme Close Up
As its name suggests, an extreme version of the close up, generally magnifying beyond what the human eye would experience in reality. An extreme close-up of a face, for instance, would show only the mouth or eyes, with no background detail whatsoever. This is a very artificial shot, and can be used for dramatic effect. The tight focus required means that extra care must be taken when setting up and lighting the shot - the slightest camera shake or error in focal length is very noticeable.
Glamour Magazine
(November 2011)
The cover of the magazine has a colour theme of bright pinks, the colour of a tiffany box and black. The background is white this makes the text stand out because it is quite fluorescent and there for grabs the audience’s attention.
The font is easy to read and the more important something Is such as the title the bigger the font is. Other things like ‘MEN MEN MEN!’ and ‘720 HOT LOOKS. COATS! SHOES! BAGS!’ this is all done to grab the attention of a female reader as its all the things a female talks about.
The magazine stands out because it says “ONLY £2” and “AND MORE!” This makes readers feel like they are getting a good deal because its ‘only’ £2 and there is so much more to read.
The woman on the front cover of the magazine is standing in quite a seductive position. Her eye make-up has made her eyes stand out, this makes the reader feel as if they have direct contact with her, she also looks like she is trying to be ‘sexy’ she has Smokey eye make-up , a pout and a short, tight and girly dress. The content of the magazine is attracted to woman about 16-25years old as it talk about men, bags, fashion, shoes and makeup however the front girl would attract the attention of men.
The adverts are very upper class, for example Louis Vuitton is a main feature in the magazine, its very high class fashion with not all of the prices features in the magazine but instead says ‘price on request’ this could make you think that everything is very expensive to the point where they do not want to feature the price in fear that it could put you off. There is a very high value of adverts as this is one of the main ways in which the magazines make their money. All of the adverts are targeted towards females featuring; perfumes, lipsticks, make up and clothing lines. All of the adverts take up at least one page; this tends to catch the attention of the target audience. It is obvious the magazine is for more upper/working class people also because they brand the expensive adverts as ‘affordable’ for example a coat in the magazine, looking like a normal winter coat was £565 and some plain black pumps were £170, these are clearly unaffordable for most people.
It is clearly directed at women as well because there is a 12 page spread only on the 50 sexiest men in the world; straight men are likely to have no interest in looking at this.
The first advert page of the magazine is of a perfume advert (women’s) then the last is an advert for hair product, and make up.
The cover of the magazine has a colour theme of bright pinks, the colour of a tiffany box and black. The background is white this makes the text stand out because it is quite fluorescent and there for grabs the audience’s attention.
The font is easy to read and the more important something Is such as the title the bigger the font is. Other things like ‘MEN MEN MEN!’ and ‘720 HOT LOOKS. COATS! SHOES! BAGS!’ this is all done to grab the attention of a female reader as its all the things a female talks about.
The magazine stands out because it says “ONLY £2” and “AND MORE!” This makes readers feel like they are getting a good deal because its ‘only’ £2 and there is so much more to read.
The woman on the front cover of the magazine is standing in quite a seductive position. Her eye make-up has made her eyes stand out, this makes the reader feel as if they have direct contact with her, she also looks like she is trying to be ‘sexy’ she has Smokey eye make-up , a pout and a short, tight and girly dress. The content of the magazine is attracted to woman about 16-25years old as it talk about men, bags, fashion, shoes and makeup however the front girl would attract the attention of men.
The adverts are very upper class, for example Louis Vuitton is a main feature in the magazine, its very high class fashion with not all of the prices features in the magazine but instead says ‘price on request’ this could make you think that everything is very expensive to the point where they do not want to feature the price in fear that it could put you off. There is a very high value of adverts as this is one of the main ways in which the magazines make their money. All of the adverts are targeted towards females featuring; perfumes, lipsticks, make up and clothing lines. All of the adverts take up at least one page; this tends to catch the attention of the target audience. It is obvious the magazine is for more upper/working class people also because they brand the expensive adverts as ‘affordable’ for example a coat in the magazine, looking like a normal winter coat was £565 and some plain black pumps were £170, these are clearly unaffordable for most people.
It is clearly directed at women as well because there is a 12 page spread only on the 50 sexiest men in the world; straight men are likely to have no interest in looking at this.
The first advert page of the magazine is of a perfume advert (women’s) then the last is an advert for hair product, and make up.
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