EDITED 26/10/15: G321 Preliminary Task Write Up

Preliminary Task Write Up

Our preliminary task was a continuity task to film and edit a scene of a character opening a door, crossing some kind of space and sitting down or standing next to another character with whom they exchange a couple of lines of dialogue. This was in fact our brief, and so we had to create a short clip incorporating all aspects of this.

Planning

Before we could film or edit anything, we needed to plan our scene to help us understand how the clip would come together as well as to help ensure the shoot was smooth and well organised. To begin with we had to find a location to base our scene around. After a short brainstorm and walk around the school site we had decided upon our location and headed back to class to create a floor plan and to create our script. We used the internet to find a copy of  the script from'The Woman In Black'. We searched through it until we came to the section we had planned to use, copied it in to a word document and edited it slightly to help it fit more effectively in to our scene. By creating a script as earl as possible it gave us time to both learn the lines as well as use the dialogue when planning the action within the scene. As we hadn't decided upon the shots yet, we began by simply sketching out the area we had chose. This was beneficial later in the creation of the storyboards as we could use the floor plan as a reference when deciding upon different kinds of shots. After this we progressed on to creating a story board to help bring all of our ideas together in to a rough outline of how the scene would progress. Storyboarding allowed to us to evaluate each shot, one after the other and think carefully about the variety of shots we would be using, such as extreme close ups and extreme long shots. As shown in the photos of the story board, the sketching of where characters would be as well as what kind of action would be happening in the shot, helped us create a scene with a variety of interesting camera angles, different kinds of shots and different action within the scene. When it came to filming, we referred back to the storyboards to remind us of what kind of shot we should be aiming to shoot as well as what action should be happening within each clip. Having done this, we then went back on to our floor plan and added where the cameras would need to be for each shot, labelling the camera with which shot in the storyboard would be filmed there, where the characters would be and where they would move to and finally the 180 degree line between the two characters. By adding this line, we could ensure that our scene would not break the 180 degree rule, as we could clearly mark on the cameras that would be filing the conversation on only one side of this line. After doing this, we practiced creating the shots we had outlined in our storyboards with the camera and the tripod. As well as making sure the 180 degree rule was upheld throughout the clip, this helped a lot when it came to filming as we didn't have to waste time trying to work out where the camera would need to be placed as we had already rehearsed the filming and placement previously. The only additional planning I would have done for this task would have been the rehearsal of the characters action within the scene. This would have aided us in ensuring the continuity and smoothness of the characters as well as allowing us to edit and refine the motion we had drafted in the storyboards.

By creating storyboards, when it came to filming we had a clear idea of what shots needed to be filmed and how as well as a rough idea of how the scene would eventually be pieced together.

After deciding upon the location of our scene, the floor plan was drawn up. After the storyboard was created, the locations of the characters and their movements as well as the cameras and their storyboard shot numbers were added 


Techniques

In our task, we used a range of techniques in both the camera work and the editing, that we had studied and looked at in lessons to help our piece come across as professional and interesting as possible. Throughout the scene we ensured the characters had both head and nose room. The degree of this changed slightly according to which character was speaking, portraying to the audience differing levels of power. This technique is used in a scene from Breaking Bad where Walter White and Gus Fring are exchanging conversation about a business proposition. In that scene headroom and nose room is shrunk according to who has more power at the time t make the character seem trapped and claustrophobic. We took inspiration from that scene and used the technique so that throughout the dialogue 'Mr. Kipps' has less headroom than 'Sam'. During the conversation part of the scene we used over-the-shoulder shots to make it clear who was talking and when. This technique is very commonly used in instances where talking and conversation happens very regularly. For instance dramas such as Hollyoaks used this technique frequently every episode. While using these over-the-shoulder shots we ensured that we didn't break the 180 degree rule. We had previously studied the importance of the 180 degree rule and understood that by abiding to it, our scene would have a stable continuity throughout and would not confuse and distort the audiences view. The camera work in our scene incorporates a variety of different shots to make the scene as interesting as possible. Extreme Long shots such as the 3rd shot and the final shot contrast with close ups such as the 4th shot and this diversity of different shots helps change the focus of the scene, providing the audience with a more in depth scene. As well as this, we used different angled shots to portray the power associated with each character. The scene that we studied from Peaky Blinders uses interesting and professional camera work to show the power of the gang in an interesting way and we wanted to emulate their use of camera work in our own scene. While editing I used a range of editing techniques to add other aspects to the scene. Throughout the scene, there is a high contrast, black and white filter applied to the shots. This adds to the piece as it highlights the bold light that we filmed in outside. The use of a high contrast filter links to the Film Noir style of thriller we have been studying in class and the chiaroscuro lighting used within it. Where as in Film Noir this create a dark tone, I simply wanted to saturate our scene, linking to the content of the dialogue. Finally, the fade to black at the end of the scene, closes it well, adding a professional definite end to the piece. This is used in many films and television pieces as it is a classic and traditional way to end a scene.

We used a variety of different camera shots in our piece including extreme long shots and close ups.

We used differing levels of head room to portray the characters power level (a technique used in the Breaking Bad scene of Walter White and Gus Fring)

We also used interesting camera angles to add variety to our piece as well as to illustrate further the power level of the character.

Main Learning Points

By partaking in this task, I have learnt many key points that I can use and refer back to when it comes to creating the opening to a Thriller. In terms of practical aspects, learning about using the camera in areas such as focus pulling, manual focusing, zooming and placement has been very useful. When it comes to creating the Thriller opening, I will be able to to use these techniques in a more efficient manner as I will have already practised them and so the quality of the camera work should be higher. In regards to the tripod simply understanding where all the adjustment levers and mechanisms are will benefit me as I will be more competent when it comes to using the tripods again. One of the main practical aspects I learnt about was the basics of the editing software I will be using. Understanding how to open the programme, how to input clips, how to add in and out points, how to add and edit video and audio effects and how to export the scene will allow me to use the programme efficiently when it comes to my thriller project. As well as practical aspects, this project has taught me about the importance of planning and group work. I learnt that by creating a detailed storyboard and floor plan, the actual filming of a scene becomes easier as it is already thought out and not spontaneous and as a result has a more professional outcome. While the planning aspect of this piece worked well, there are some aspects we didn't plan and as a result were not as smooth and continuous as I would have liked. For example, if we were to do this again, I would like to plan in detail where each character would be in the scene as well as the movement and action between shots as in this preliminary task, the characters sometimes appear to jump to different body positions in between shots. As well as the planning aspect, this project allowed me to learn how to work efficiently as a group and how important it is to make sure everyone in the group has an equal amount of responsibility within a task as this makes every aspect of the task easier. As well as the previous issue, the other thing I would do differently if I could do this task again would be to take more shots of the same action as well more rehearsal shots. I think if we had done this, there would for one be more options to chose from when it comes to editing which could mean the final outcomes may be of  higher outcomes, but also by rehearsing shots in more detail, any errors or faults (such as the discontinuity between characters positions between shots) could be identified and rectified.

How could you have filmed more material to strengthen the audio in your production? 

Something we didn't do in this task is record a room tone. This is when the 'silence' or ambient noise of a location is recorded to be used to aid the continuity of a scene during editing. When we shot our preliminary task we simply used the audio recorded by the camera during filming and this resulted in some auditory discontinuity when it came to editing. For example the background noise or ambient noise changes suddenly between shot 2 and 3. As well as this example, the occurrence of wind affecting the background noise means it was even less continuous as in one shot there would be audible wind and in the next there was none. If we had recorded a minute or two of room tone, we could have used this in editing to make the audio in our production seem more professional and continuous. For example in scenes where there is no dialogue, the room tone track could be used instead of the original track as this would produce a smoother overall finish to the production. Similarly, in shots where there is audible wind in one and then suddenly none in the next, the room tone track could be used to cut out this wind and therefore hide the discontinuity in the sound. In conclusion if I could do this task again, I would make sure 1-2 minutes of room tone was recorded to be used to aid the continuity in editing.

Preliminary Task

How do directors film a conversation?

Clip 1. Breaking Bad

The directors of this clip use many traditional rules to film this conversation. Throughout the clip the 180 degree rule is used kept to. This means that the camera shots are always on just one side of the two people having a conversation, meaning who ever is on the right stays on the right and vice versa. This clip abides by this throughout; Gus is always on the left and Walter always on the right. This rule is used to add continuity to the clip. For example, if the rule was not kept to, the characters having a conversation would appear to switch places and be in different locations in each shot causing confusion and discontinuity. In this scene, the tone and atmosphere of the conversation is a calm, controlled one and the 180 degree rule helps to convey this as the characters are always n the same location. The only difference is the level of zoom applied; the more zoomed in the more intense the conversation becomes.

As well as this rule, the directors of this clip used head room and nose room to signify the power balance and intensity between the two characters. At the beginning of the clip both character have an equal amount of nose room and headroom and are positioned similarly, opposite from one another. This shows that the characters have an equal level of power as well as showing the intensity of the conversation at this point is relatively low. As the scene progresses the amount of headroom the characters has decreases significantly. This gives a more claustrophobic view of the conversation creating amore intense atmosphere. Throughout the rest of the scene, the first shot (with lots of head/nose room) and the second (a smaller amount of headroom) are used to signify the small shifts in power between Walter and Gus. This use of alternating shots represents the power struggle and ultimate equality between them.

Clip 2. Reservoir Dogs Opening Scene

In this shot, the characters are sat around a round table therefore the 180 degree rule is not applicable. Instead Tarantino, uses multiple shots, showing many different sides and angles of every character. By doing this the characters are immediately portrayed to the audience as being both equal as all of the shots are filmed at eye level and as being characters with some sense of depth to them as all of the characters speak and all are filmed at different angles. The lack of the 180 degree rule is replaced instead with an ongoing conversation. By using this as well as shots of people looking in the direction of the character who is talking, the audience understand roughly where all the characters are seated and so do not feel confused.

Why is the 180 degree rule important and why might a director break it?

By using the 180 degree rule, continuity is upheld and the audience understands the location of the characters during the conversation. Furthermore this creates a controlled and professional shot, allowing the scene to focus more on the context of the conversation than the position of the characters and the layout of the scene. However sometimes this rule can be broken for effect. For sentence in The Shining, the main character meets a ghost and the rule is broken. This will enhance the scene as it emphasises the disorientation and instability of the characters metal health. Another example is the scene from The Lord of the Rings where Golem is having a conversation with himself. In this instance an imaginary 180 degree line is used to show the two sides of his character, again strengthening the internal struggle, the character is experiencing. In instances such as these the disoriented created by breaking the 180 degree rule fits and improves the scene as it relates to the context however in the majority of conversational scenes where the subject of the conversation is the focus, the upholding of the rule allows the audience to concentrate on this focus.

EDITED 08/10/15: How do the directors of Peaky Blinders use camera angles and miss en scene to establish expectation and character?

 In this shot many techniques are used to show the power of the group. The very fact that they are walking through the puddle instead of around signifies that they don't have any respect for their surroundings and that they are focused on what they are going to do and where they are walking to. Every character in the group are wearing work boots. This strengthens their representation of being powerful. The heavy boots signify aggressiveness and violence and the fact that they are all wearing similar boots gives the audience an expectation that the group of people walking through the boots are related in some way. Finally the dark water is symbolic of something pure being dirtied. Traditionally water is representative of purity and something that washes away sins. However in this shot the water is dirty and murky giving the audience an expectation of the kind of action that will take place later on in the scene

This shot uses an usual camera angle to portray the group as upside down. This immediately signifies that the members of the group are not just ordinary men going to work- there is something different or special about them. In the middle of the shot there is a strip of clear blue sky that eventually the group block. This is symbolic of the peace and neutral atmosphere being disrupted stopped because of the men. After this shot, the lighting in all the scenes is dark and therefore the fact that the only light in this scene is blocked by the men strengthens this point. The organisation of the group of men is significant as instead of being structured and ordered there seems to be no formation the men are walking in. This relates to the point that the men are bringing some kind of disorder to a neutral environment but also implies a gang like culture upon the men and therefore gives the audience the expectation that they are a violent and powerful group.

Finally, in this shot lighting, costumes and set design are all used to create an allusion to the style of western films. In the background there is a building that has the style of a saloon, a kind of house common in westerns. the shapes in the windows and the large doors create this impression. The hats worn by two members of the groups (the man in the centre and the man at the back left) also create an allusion to the western style of films. The flared sides of the hats link to the flared rims of the cowboy hats which are a stereotypical western image. Finally the low lighting and the smoke in the air of the scene link to the dust often associated with the western films. The whole allusion strengthens the portrayal of these men as dangerous, powerful and ruthless. The disorganisation of the group as well as the dark, uniform like clothing they are wearing again signifies there is a gang like culture to the group. Finally, this shot allows the audience to see where the group are walking to and this allows them to understand where their anger and violence is directed. This therefore confirms that the group are all walking somewhere to do something together and strengthens their gang like image further.

What can we learn about how to film characters walking from this clip?

There are many techniques being used in this clip to create a powerful and effective scene that portrays the power and authority the Peaky Blinders have. By observing and studying the techniques used, we can learn about how to film people walking effectively. To begin with, slow motion is used subtly in this clip to emphasise the calm yet powerful nature the gang has. By slowing the ordinary, common motion of someone walking, the audience focuses more on it and therefore interprets a persons characteristic/levels of power from it more effectively. However, the level of slow-motion used in this clip is not extreme and so still portrays the focus and determination the gang has. From this learn that slow motion can be used subtly to portray power and authority as well as to emphasise the focus of the shot.
 Secondly an array of different angled shots are used to both represent the power the group has as well as to introduce the number and depth of characters within it. For example low angled shots in the exposition of the scene immediately gives the audience an idea of the Peaky Blinder's power. Eye level shots are then used further in to the scene to focus on the individual characters in the group. This suggests to the reader that within the group they all have an equal level of power. From this use of low angled and eye level shots, we can learn that by using a combination of different angled hosts, the characters level of power can be portrayed further.
Finally the smooth, moving camera work throughout the shot adds to the collected tone of the gang as well as linking to the physical walking of the characters. Where as a hand held, shaky camera may be used in a scene to reflect panic in a character, the use of the tripod and railing in this scene portrays the calmness and power the group has.
In conclusion the shots used in this clip teach us that camera techniques such as angled shots and smooth motion as well as editing techniques such as slow motion can portray power, authority and the mental state of a group.

EDITED 20/09/15: Media Studies Summer Task

Introduction

I'm Ben Rodwell and this is my media blog.