This lesson we weren't able to focus and learn as much because of the mid-autumn assembly. However, we didn't let any time get to waste so Ms Rosati taught us as much as possible. She elaborated on our first unit: Documentary. We would first learn the basic facts of the topic, then proceed to watch and analyse two documentary films; Babies and Bowling for Columbine.
First, we learnt the Film Making Focus, which is the three different varieties of film making. There's Documentary, Narrative and Experimental.
- A Documentary film is basically a non-fiction film.
- A Narrative film has fictional story line that tells a story or an event through visuals.
- An Experimental film is expressionistic, and brings out the film maker's unique point of view.
Then we learnt the different types of films that fall into these categories. Such as...
- Documentaries are a wide range of Observational films, newsreel, biopic (biography), travelogue, sports, nature shows etc.
- Narratives; there are Linear narratives and Non-Linear narratives. Linear narratives are films that have the story told in order. Non- linear narratives are films that have story lines not in order (such as Inception). Basically they are all genre films.
- An Experimental film usually is a poetic film or a visual abstraction.
The last part of the basics were the Characteristics of a Documentary which were...
- On Location; meaning it must be filmed on a space that already exists and has not been re-touched or created.
- No or few actors; meaning no acting at all, must be all natural.
- Socially relevant subjects or themes.
- High ratio of shooting to final footage; for example, you film 10 hours of footage but only use 1 hour.
- Born in the editing room; meaning there really is no plan of how you'll edit it because it's all natural footage, not staged.
- "You need to know the subject before you film"; meaning you can't just go and shoot, you need to take time to really understand your subject in order to capture the true essence of the film.
Watching both documentaries really helped me understand how to grasp the essence of documentary film making. I hope that I can acquire these skills and produce a film quite extraordinary as the ones we watched.
Friday, 9 September 2011
Monday, 5 September 2011
Year 10 Unit 1: Lesson 4, September 5 2011
Today's class was stressful yet productive. We got straight to editing our challenge shoot scenes as we were only given 20 minutes.
When my group was editing our footage, we immediately spotted two problems. The first one was that Robert had smiled in all the trials of footage we had filmed while he was saying his dialogue. Fortunately, we were able to cut a little part of it out. The second problem was that our transitions were very abrupt and did not flow together. I tried doing an audio overlay but the clips would move and the audio sync would've completely messed up. Therefore, we just had to keep it the way it originally was.
After the 20 minutes or so, Ms Rosati held a screening time to watch all the other groups' film.
Sophia, Jessica & Jade- They had used all the required angles properly which really expressed the tension in the scene. Although they did not have any time, adding music would've really brought out the emotion. They needed to be careful of the way their body parts were positioned in between clips.
Abraham, Chun Ngai and Andrew N- They had the most clever looking credits and starting text. However, their framing could've been better and Ms Rosati had told us they had "broken the 180 degree rule". After some explaining, I really understood what it meant (On one clip the camera is on a certain side, but on the next clip it's on the opposite side). I hope this will make me more aware of my camera angles when filming this unit.
Harry, Erik and Justin- Their story line was really thought out and creative. The music matched very well with the whole scene. They could've used better angles for the shot-reverse-shot scenes because the camera was positioned right on their face and from time to time they happened to look straight at the camera. There was another scene which had a very obvious jump cut which they could've worked on if they had more time.
Allegra, Ariana and Isabelle- Their storyline and dialogue were very original and understandable. They could have worked on their angling and positioning because when they had a Medium Long Shot, we could not see the actors' feet. The location sort of contrasted between the main character so she appeared a little out of focus.
Max, Andrew D and Alfred- The storyline was yet the most hilarious out of all the groups. They used the right camera angles and the transitions flowed smoothly. However, they had forgotten to remove the camera and tripod bag in the frame, making it very obvious yet absurd. Their use of audio suited the scene perfectly but they could've lowered the sound a bit because we could hardly hear what the actors were saying.
After the screening, Ms Rosati told us a little bit about time management as this was one of the key factors of this challenge shoot. She asked us to write about how we would time manage in film. Personally, I would first discuss with my group what days we are all available because it's a big group effort. Then after deciding, we would choose the scenes that could be filmed in school (if needed), then split the scenes into the available days where the location isn't at school. We would also leave a few days for final editing and touching up.
Overall, I really enjoyed today's lesson because not only did I learn something new from our film, but also something new from everyone else's. I'm looking forward to starting this unit!
When my group was editing our footage, we immediately spotted two problems. The first one was that Robert had smiled in all the trials of footage we had filmed while he was saying his dialogue. Fortunately, we were able to cut a little part of it out. The second problem was that our transitions were very abrupt and did not flow together. I tried doing an audio overlay but the clips would move and the audio sync would've completely messed up. Therefore, we just had to keep it the way it originally was.
After the 20 minutes or so, Ms Rosati held a screening time to watch all the other groups' film.
Sophia, Jessica & Jade- They had used all the required angles properly which really expressed the tension in the scene. Although they did not have any time, adding music would've really brought out the emotion. They needed to be careful of the way their body parts were positioned in between clips.
Abraham, Chun Ngai and Andrew N- They had the most clever looking credits and starting text. However, their framing could've been better and Ms Rosati had told us they had "broken the 180 degree rule". After some explaining, I really understood what it meant (On one clip the camera is on a certain side, but on the next clip it's on the opposite side). I hope this will make me more aware of my camera angles when filming this unit.
Harry, Erik and Justin- Their story line was really thought out and creative. The music matched very well with the whole scene. They could've used better angles for the shot-reverse-shot scenes because the camera was positioned right on their face and from time to time they happened to look straight at the camera. There was another scene which had a very obvious jump cut which they could've worked on if they had more time.
Allegra, Ariana and Isabelle- Their storyline and dialogue were very original and understandable. They could have worked on their angling and positioning because when they had a Medium Long Shot, we could not see the actors' feet. The location sort of contrasted between the main character so she appeared a little out of focus.
Max, Andrew D and Alfred- The storyline was yet the most hilarious out of all the groups. They used the right camera angles and the transitions flowed smoothly. However, they had forgotten to remove the camera and tripod bag in the frame, making it very obvious yet absurd. Their use of audio suited the scene perfectly but they could've lowered the sound a bit because we could hardly hear what the actors were saying.
After the screening, Ms Rosati told us a little bit about time management as this was one of the key factors of this challenge shoot. She asked us to write about how we would time manage in film. Personally, I would first discuss with my group what days we are all available because it's a big group effort. Then after deciding, we would choose the scenes that could be filmed in school (if needed), then split the scenes into the available days where the location isn't at school. We would also leave a few days for final editing and touching up.
Overall, I really enjoyed today's lesson because not only did I learn something new from our film, but also something new from everyone else's. I'm looking forward to starting this unit!
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Year 10 Unit 1: Lesson 3, September 1 2011.
Today we had our challenge shoot. As explained on last lesson's reflection, this was to challenge our familiarity with camera angles, blocking and behind the camera filming. Basically we had to shoot a scenario of one person confronting another person about cheating on a test in 5 different camera angles. We were all given the 4 different angles and dialogue required for the challenge, but the 5th angle and line was all up to us. Our time limit was 30 minutes and hopefully finish editing it by the end of the lesson.
The 4 angles were: Medium Long Shot, Medium Closeup Shot, Shot Reverse Shot (Count's as two because it films over the shoulder views of both actors) and our chosen angle was the Medium Long Shot. Our dialogue given was:
Person 1: "Hey you cheated!"
Person 2: " No I didn't!"
Person 1: "If you do it again I'll report you!"
Person 2: "But I didn't"
We didn't chose an ending dialogue, we just had Person 1 walk away.
My group consisted of Robert, Kazia and I and the first thing we did was check if the camera had full battery charge. Then we discussed who would act and who would be behind the camera. It was decided that Kazia (Person 1) and Robert (Person 2) would act and I would be the cameraman. However, they would give their suggestions on how I positioned the camera and if they thought it was suitable or not (I could flip the screen). We then discussed our filming location. We all decided to go to the 9th floor lockers near the Cafe. This was because not a lot of people passed through this area so we thought it would be practical to film there as we wouldn't be disturbed.
When we go to the location, we immediately set up the tripod and camera. I instantly noticed how noisy it was and how being on the top floor picked up all the noise from the floors below. It was also coming from the Year 11s on the 8th floor. However the noise died down within a few minutes.
For our first shot, we had to show the full head-to-toe bodies of the actors. Robert would be trying to open his locker and Kazia would walk in and tap him on the shoulder, but not saying any dialogue.
The second shot was a medium closeup shot, which was an angle from waist up. This would start from when Kazia had just tapped Robert and then saying "Hey you cheated!".
The third shot and fourth shot were shot reverse shot, which meant the over the shoulder view of the actors talking to each other. The third shot would be a view of Robert and an over the shoulder angle of Kazia's shoulder. Robert would then say the line "No I didn't!". Then the positions would be reversed and then the camera would be focused on Kazia saying "If you do it again I'll report you!". Lastly, it would reverse back to Robert saying "But I didn't!". The problems that we had with this was the transitions and keeping the shot in the same position. We forgot that we had to film Robert in the same angle twice, and since we couldn't re-watch the footage on the camera, we had to re-arrange the position by remembrance.
For our last shot, we chose to use a Medium Long Shot (which was the same as the first shot). Luckily I had remembered where I had originally positioned the camera, so I was able to capture it on a similar angle (because we forgot to film it along with the first shot). We filmed this shot perfectly fine however, Kazia accidentally made a tiny mistake. She was supposed to walk off into the corridor but she just walked onto the side, so we didn't actually see her leave on camera. Hopefully, no one will notice this minor mistake but the whole group definitely learnt their lesson.
When we captured our footage into Final Cut Pro, I was pretty surprised I remembered the format setting which was "DV-PAL". Ms Rosati gave the whole class a small review on the basics of Final Cut Pro. Even though I had used this editing software last year, I was pretty happy we reviewed the tools because I had forgotten some of them during the summer holidays. While capturing, we compared the shot reverse shots and we could really notice the difference between the first and second trial. We were only allowed to cut out the shots we wanted ON the preview of the sequence and put it out on the timeline. We weren't allowed to edit it any further. However, I took the instructions differently and highlighted the whole clip whereas we were only supposed to select all the shots we wanted. This was supposed to make it easier for us and have the clips already on the timeline in order. One main thing I was worried about was the transitions between our shots. After watching our footage, I realized how our transitions would be pretty abrupt because of all the noticeable background noise. However, we had no time to figure the situation out before the lesson ended, so we just had to export what we had and give it to Ms Rosati.
For our homework, Ms Rosati had us create a movie poster for out challenge shoot.
Overall, I learnt a lot of information today that I know will help me with this unit. I felt it was a great start and I hope to do more challenge shoots again.
The 4 angles were: Medium Long Shot, Medium Closeup Shot, Shot Reverse Shot (Count's as two because it films over the shoulder views of both actors) and our chosen angle was the Medium Long Shot. Our dialogue given was:
Person 1: "Hey you cheated!"
Person 2: " No I didn't!"
Person 1: "If you do it again I'll report you!"
Person 2: "But I didn't"
We didn't chose an ending dialogue, we just had Person 1 walk away.
My group consisted of Robert, Kazia and I and the first thing we did was check if the camera had full battery charge. Then we discussed who would act and who would be behind the camera. It was decided that Kazia (Person 1) and Robert (Person 2) would act and I would be the cameraman. However, they would give their suggestions on how I positioned the camera and if they thought it was suitable or not (I could flip the screen). We then discussed our filming location. We all decided to go to the 9th floor lockers near the Cafe. This was because not a lot of people passed through this area so we thought it would be practical to film there as we wouldn't be disturbed.
When we go to the location, we immediately set up the tripod and camera. I instantly noticed how noisy it was and how being on the top floor picked up all the noise from the floors below. It was also coming from the Year 11s on the 8th floor. However the noise died down within a few minutes.
For our first shot, we had to show the full head-to-toe bodies of the actors. Robert would be trying to open his locker and Kazia would walk in and tap him on the shoulder, but not saying any dialogue.
The second shot was a medium closeup shot, which was an angle from waist up. This would start from when Kazia had just tapped Robert and then saying "Hey you cheated!".
The third shot and fourth shot were shot reverse shot, which meant the over the shoulder view of the actors talking to each other. The third shot would be a view of Robert and an over the shoulder angle of Kazia's shoulder. Robert would then say the line "No I didn't!". Then the positions would be reversed and then the camera would be focused on Kazia saying "If you do it again I'll report you!". Lastly, it would reverse back to Robert saying "But I didn't!". The problems that we had with this was the transitions and keeping the shot in the same position. We forgot that we had to film Robert in the same angle twice, and since we couldn't re-watch the footage on the camera, we had to re-arrange the position by remembrance.
For our last shot, we chose to use a Medium Long Shot (which was the same as the first shot). Luckily I had remembered where I had originally positioned the camera, so I was able to capture it on a similar angle (because we forgot to film it along with the first shot). We filmed this shot perfectly fine however, Kazia accidentally made a tiny mistake. She was supposed to walk off into the corridor but she just walked onto the side, so we didn't actually see her leave on camera. Hopefully, no one will notice this minor mistake but the whole group definitely learnt their lesson.
When we captured our footage into Final Cut Pro, I was pretty surprised I remembered the format setting which was "DV-PAL". Ms Rosati gave the whole class a small review on the basics of Final Cut Pro. Even though I had used this editing software last year, I was pretty happy we reviewed the tools because I had forgotten some of them during the summer holidays. While capturing, we compared the shot reverse shots and we could really notice the difference between the first and second trial. We were only allowed to cut out the shots we wanted ON the preview of the sequence and put it out on the timeline. We weren't allowed to edit it any further. However, I took the instructions differently and highlighted the whole clip whereas we were only supposed to select all the shots we wanted. This was supposed to make it easier for us and have the clips already on the timeline in order. One main thing I was worried about was the transitions between our shots. After watching our footage, I realized how our transitions would be pretty abrupt because of all the noticeable background noise. However, we had no time to figure the situation out before the lesson ended, so we just had to export what we had and give it to Ms Rosati.
For our homework, Ms Rosati had us create a movie poster for out challenge shoot.
Overall, I learnt a lot of information today that I know will help me with this unit. I felt it was a great start and I hope to do more challenge shoots again.
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Year 10 Unit 1: Lesson 2 August 26 2011.
This lesson, Ms Rosati introduced the "challenge shoot" to us. Before we entered the classroom, we were allowed to put ourselves into groups of three. My group consisted of Kazia, Robert and myself. But first, we reviewed the basic tripod and camera/tape equipment to the people who had not done film before.
With the camera, we reviewed the lens, viewfinder, and buttons. We learnt how to change the exposure, white balance and the aperture through manual focus. Changing the exposure changed the light control (bright to dark), the white balance was depending on the light situation (florescent or daylight) and the aperture changed the lens on whether or not you wanted the lens to be bigger for more light to flow in, or smaller for a less amount of light. There was also a shutter speed option which was changing how fast the shutter opens and closes for light. If you had a fast shutter speed, less light would be able to enter through. However, we didn't need to use the shutter speed for filming because it was only for taking photos.
Then we reviewed the tripod use. We learnt that if you wanted to move the tripod around, you should first remove the camera, grasp the legs together, and carry it to wherever you wanted it to be positioned. We also learnt how to change the tilt and rotation screw so the control handle can be properly nestled into the corners of the tripod.
After the reviewing of the equipment, Ms Rosati told us about the "challenge shoot". We had to film different shots in different angles but were also given a plot with dialogue that we all had to incorporate. It had to be filmed and edited by the end of the next lesson. I was not worried with this because Ms Wong had us do something like this last year. But I know I have to be well aware of the quality and outcome of the result.
Towards the last 20 minutes of the lesson, JS and I presented our clips. I received a lot of feedback (see below) which I will definitely use in the future. When JS presented his clip, which was Gandalf's fall from the Lord of the Rings, we could easily see that lighting and color played an important role in this scene. For example, when Gandalf's staff shone on the demon, the color of his light was bright white. The demon's fire was an orange tone. This signified that Gandalf could've represented an "angel" and the demon a "devil". What I was really captivated by was how the director managed to create the flickering light on Gandalf's face even though the demon didn't exist. Ms Rosati had told us that we could do the similar effect as it only involved a big light source and different colors of sheets.
Overall, I really enjoyed this lesson especially since I learnt a lot out of it. I can't wait for the "challenge shoot" next lesson and hopefully we can work hard to produce an outstanding result. I also can't wait to see the other groups' work as they are also working with the same plot and dialogue.
With the camera, we reviewed the lens, viewfinder, and buttons. We learnt how to change the exposure, white balance and the aperture through manual focus. Changing the exposure changed the light control (bright to dark), the white balance was depending on the light situation (florescent or daylight) and the aperture changed the lens on whether or not you wanted the lens to be bigger for more light to flow in, or smaller for a less amount of light. There was also a shutter speed option which was changing how fast the shutter opens and closes for light. If you had a fast shutter speed, less light would be able to enter through. However, we didn't need to use the shutter speed for filming because it was only for taking photos.
Then we reviewed the tripod use. We learnt that if you wanted to move the tripod around, you should first remove the camera, grasp the legs together, and carry it to wherever you wanted it to be positioned. We also learnt how to change the tilt and rotation screw so the control handle can be properly nestled into the corners of the tripod.
After the reviewing of the equipment, Ms Rosati told us about the "challenge shoot". We had to film different shots in different angles but were also given a plot with dialogue that we all had to incorporate. It had to be filmed and edited by the end of the next lesson. I was not worried with this because Ms Wong had us do something like this last year. But I know I have to be well aware of the quality and outcome of the result.
Towards the last 20 minutes of the lesson, JS and I presented our clips. I received a lot of feedback (see below) which I will definitely use in the future. When JS presented his clip, which was Gandalf's fall from the Lord of the Rings, we could easily see that lighting and color played an important role in this scene. For example, when Gandalf's staff shone on the demon, the color of his light was bright white. The demon's fire was an orange tone. This signified that Gandalf could've represented an "angel" and the demon a "devil". What I was really captivated by was how the director managed to create the flickering light on Gandalf's face even though the demon didn't exist. Ms Rosati had told us that we could do the similar effect as it only involved a big light source and different colors of sheets.
Overall, I really enjoyed this lesson especially since I learnt a lot out of it. I can't wait for the "challenge shoot" next lesson and hopefully we can work hard to produce an outstanding result. I also can't wait to see the other groups' work as they are also working with the same plot and dialogue.
Year 10 Unit 1: Lesson 1, August 24 2011. Homework FEEDBACK.
During lesson 2, Ms Rosati asked JS and I to present our clip analysis in front of the class. I was the first person to introduce my clip and after it had finished playing, discussed it in for everybody to hear. I was struggling a little bit because I had no time to prepare and I couldn't remember exactly all the points I had written about. I am also not a very good "public speaker" so I said a lot of "umm's" when I talked. However, when I was done presenting, Ms Rosati clearly stated that I had a lot of mistakes in my work.
Firstly, there was no "shaky cam" technique. I initially thought there was because when we re-watched the clip some parts weren't stable. Yet that was in fact the camera mounted onto the train to capture the train ride. I hadn't thought of this until Ms Rosati told me and I realized and understood my mistake thoroughly.
Secondly, I had not noticed the vibrant colors of the scene. This point really spoke out to me because I could apply it to different films. I had not noticed that there were a lot of vivid colors in the scene as orange, yellow, red and pink from the goodies the boys were holding. Ms Rosati also spotted that there was a lot of green in the video, particularly from the train, scenery and the boys' toys. What the director was trying to capture was that this scene was a "child's world" full of fun and laughter.
Although I'm not an expert on film analysis, I really did try all my best when I was analyzing. In the future, I hope I can learn from all this feedback to build up a better and understandable analysis.
Firstly, there was no "shaky cam" technique. I initially thought there was because when we re-watched the clip some parts weren't stable. Yet that was in fact the camera mounted onto the train to capture the train ride. I hadn't thought of this until Ms Rosati told me and I realized and understood my mistake thoroughly.
Secondly, I had not noticed the vibrant colors of the scene. This point really spoke out to me because I could apply it to different films. I had not noticed that there were a lot of vivid colors in the scene as orange, yellow, red and pink from the goodies the boys were holding. Ms Rosati also spotted that there was a lot of green in the video, particularly from the train, scenery and the boys' toys. What the director was trying to capture was that this scene was a "child's world" full of fun and laughter.
Although I'm not an expert on film analysis, I really did try all my best when I was analyzing. In the future, I hope I can learn from all this feedback to build up a better and understandable analysis.
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Year 10 Unit 1: Lesson 1, August 24 2011. Homework.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
The movie I have chosen is Slumdog Millionaire directed by Danny Boyle (who also directed 127 hours). The film is based in India and is about a former slum child named Jamal competing in an Indian version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? He is one question away from the grand prize of 20 million Rupees but is delayed and interrogated by the police. Somehow, all the questions are connected to his childhood, therefore he is able to answer the questions precisely. However Jamal and his brother Salim, have had a very difficult childhood. Their mother was killed in the Bombay riots and they have had to fend for themselves since then. From defending themselves from a corrupt children's farm, to begging on the streets. The movie plays nostalgic scenes with lots of deep meaningful visuals that capture the emotion and have the audience realize they should be grateful for everything they have.
The clip I have chosen is from the beginning of the movie. It is right after the attack of the Bombay riots where the boys are just starting to survive on their own. In this scene, they are secretly living on the rooftop of a train and are trying to make a living by selling goodies to passengers.
The camera angles and movements play a very important part in this scene. It helped portray the story into reality and as if the audience was actually there.
For example, the screenshot above shows the camera angle "tilted" and not actually on a straight frame. During this part, the camera movement was intentionally shaky and unstable. This is called the shaky camera technique. This is when the cameraman has a hand-held camera whilst filming in a point of view angle. It is supposed to show a sense of anxiousness and uncertainty. However, in this clip, it was used in no relation to being nervous or scared. It was used to suggest either the movement of the train or to make the scene more realistic.
The screenshot above shows one of the boys jumping from train to train. It was shot in the low angle camera position. It could've been shot in a different angle but it was used to emphasize on the leap from the boys. It not only showed that they were having a good time, but it also signified that they were ready and capable to make that leap to survive on their own.
The clip I have chosen is from the beginning of the movie. It is right after the attack of the Bombay riots where the boys are just starting to survive on their own. In this scene, they are secretly living on the rooftop of a train and are trying to make a living by selling goodies to passengers.
The camera angles and movements play a very important part in this scene. It helped portray the story into reality and as if the audience was actually there.
For example, the screenshot above shows the camera angle "tilted" and not actually on a straight frame. During this part, the camera movement was intentionally shaky and unstable. This is called the shaky camera technique. This is when the cameraman has a hand-held camera whilst filming in a point of view angle. It is supposed to show a sense of anxiousness and uncertainty. However, in this clip, it was used in no relation to being nervous or scared. It was used to suggest either the movement of the train or to make the scene more realistic.
The screenshot above shows one of the boys jumping from train to train. It was shot in the low angle camera position. It could've been shot in a different angle but it was used to emphasize on the leap from the boys. It not only showed that they were having a good time, but it also signified that they were ready and capable to make that leap to survive on their own.
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