Lighting

Lighting can be the difference between a professional, interesting shot and a dull and rookie one. Different lighting can set specific moods, playing to the audiences sub conscious. For example, in a horror film, there is more likely to be a range of darker shades and low key lighting, in contrast a comedy is likely to use high key lighting with bright colours and a warm temperature. Below are a few examples of lighting techniques in film:

Bokeh - Blurring background light sources and focusing on a subject matter in the foreground.

Soft light - Soft pools of light on a part of an actors face.

Light tint - Different tints can be used over a light to give the scene a different look. Matrix uses a green tint in many shots to show futurism. 

Contrast - The use of silhouetting  and high contrast enhances the mood of a shot, making the actors either stand out or difficult to make out depending on what contrasts to what background.

Balancing colour temperatures - using lights of different colour in the same shot can reiterate the location, mood and atmosphere. This is put to best effect in Terminator 2 at the end scene in the steel mill. Orange and blue are used in the same shot to show molten metal and moonlight.

High key - Using brighter lighting so that the characters are easily visible, mostly used in comedies.

Low key - Using darker lighting and colours to set a mysterious and uncertain atmosphere in the shot. Mostly used in horror films.

Hot edges - This technique requires using a soft light on the front of the character (Fill light) and a stronger light on the rear (Backlight) to give the character a hot edge around their body.

Top lighting - When a light source from above shines down on the subject matter, illuminating it from above.

Camera Angles

Camera angles have a huge impact on a film's composition. Having a plethora of different camera angles in a film can make it far more interesting to the audience. When thinking of what camera angles are needed in a film, it's important to think of the three following factors; length of shot (time), Angle/framing and if there is movement in the frame. For example, the opening sequence of a film or scene may include an extreme long shot to set the scene, informing the audience of where the scene is taking place. On the other hand, if a character is exerting expressions an extreme close up may be used to show the audience the expressions in more clarity and detail. Below are a number of camera angles and a description with each of where the shot might be used and what for.

Extreme Close Up (ECU)
Used to show emotion such as tension, elation or happiness
facial expression gives the audience a clear picture of
how the protagonist feels.

Worms Eye
A camera angle from the perspective of a worm
on the floor. This angle gives the impression the
focus of the shot is larger than in reality
This can be used to portray a characters significance. 

Big close up (BCU)
Used to show where character is looking/Thinking
By showing facial expression and emotion.
Some background can be seen which is used to
show setting ect.

Long Shot (LS)
Long shots include the entire character or more than one.
These shots allow the audience to see more than other shots,
giving them a larger picture of the action.

Birds Eye
This angle is from the perspective of a bird, otherwise known
as an aerial shot. This angle emphasizes a spectacle by giving the
audience a clear view over the action.

Close up (CU)
This shot, and other variations of it are used to show emotion as well as
a closer/clearer view of the drama unfolding.
Close up's are often used for important characters as they
can change the audiences opinion or trigger their emotions
by allowing a closer view.

Medium shot (MS)
This shot is similar to close up shots however the torso and upper arms are visible. This allows the audience to see what the main protagonist is doing. This shot also allows the viewer to see any alteration to a characters body, e.g. cuts and bruises.

It is important that I research these camera angles and shots as I will be using them in my preliminary and main task. I now understand the basis of which shot/angle to use and why, allowing me to create more professional films. Combining these camera angles and shots with my compositional research should provide me with aesthetic shots for my own film.

The Rule Of Thirds

The rule of thirds is a camera composition rule. It has been described as one of the most important rules of photography. It consists of diving the shot into nine parts by drawing two lines equidistant from each other horizontally and vertically. Points of interest should be focused on these lines to increase the visual aesthetics of the shot. For example, in a portrait, the focus should be off centre to cover one of the cross sectional lines. Below is several examples from my own source to demonstrate the rule.

By placing points of interest along these lines, the picture becomes more balanced and can be interpreted more naturally by the viewer.

As you can see from the picture (left) the lines provide a guide for the position of points of interest. Eye lines should be on these lines for example.

Here are a few examples of the rule of thirds in action. As you can see, the main focal points of the photograph are along the lines. This makes the picture far more aesthetically pleasing to the viewer and keeps them interested in what is going on in said picture.

When filming my main or preliminary tasks, I will be keeping the rule of thirds in mind. A good film uses this compositional technique in almost all aesthetic shots. As you can see below in the film clip, the rule of thirds is used to make the shot more visually appealing to the viewer. Eyes of characters are often along the cross sectional lines of the rule of thirds. I will be using this technique in my own future films.

Match On Action

Match on action is the term referred to the editing technique of cutting one shot and matching the same action in the second shot. An example of this would be opening a door and using shots from both sides of the door to show the action. Another example of match on action would be a shot of a car bonnet being opened then a following shot of the cars engine. Although the two shots would have been filmed hours apart from one another, the technique gives the film the impression of continuation in real time. To the left is my own depiction of match on action. It is important I learn this film technique as it is in the criteria for my main and preliminary tasks. It is also an important skill to learn as in film it is used everywhere, in almost every action.

Composition

Composition - An orderly Arrangement of elements using the principles of design

Composition is the way the picture is structured, there are a number of different techniques to consider when putting together a picture or photograph and each one will change the balance of it and how the audience interprets it. Below is a list of different compositional techniques and how they influence the picture.

The relative placement of objects in the picture - Too many objects and the picture becomes complex and difficult to interpret, too few objects and the picture becomes simple and uninteresting.

Rule of thirds - just like in my earlier post, rule of thirds is a useful tool in composition. imagining the frame is split into 9 segments and an important aspect of the picture is along one of the intersections makes the image far more interesting to the observer.

Rule of odds - Ensuring each picture has an odd number of focal points keeps the observer guessing, they find it more difficult to comprehend the situation and therefore become more engrossed in it.

Leading lines - Lines that go from the edge of the picture and lead into the centre are called leading lines, they draw the observer into the centre of the image.

Lines of sight - The subject of the picture will be looking in a certain direction, following their eye line will lead to another object in the picture. So the observer follows the subjects line of sight onto another subject in the picture.

Point of view - Moving the point of view higher or lower can have a huge impact on the picture, making the piece of work far more interesting.

Framing - By creating a natural frame in the picture, the subject stands out far more. The frame will draw the viewers eyes toward the main focal point in the image.

Simplifying - By making the picture as simple as possible, any irrelevant objects are removed so the picture becomes more satisfying to the viewer.

Filling the frame - The subject of the image is not confined to the frame. Having a subject that is too large for the picture can fill out the frame, making the image more interesting as some of the object is hidden.

Active space - When depicting action in the image, it is important the subject/s are fully inside the frame. If this is not achieved in an action image, the work will feel unbalanced.

Taking all of these compositional factor on board when filming will allow me to create aesthetically pleasing shots that excite the viewer. I will be using these compositional techniques in my final piece.

The 180 Degree Rule

The 180 degree rule (directors line) is the relationship between the two characters on screen and the camera angle. The picture (left) shows the imaginary line between the two characters called the axis. The camera must be on one side of this line and can be anywhere within the 180 degree angle of this axis. Crossing this line with the camera is called 'jumping the line' and can be done, but only if the camera is still rolling while the line is crossed. If the line is crossed while the shot changes the audience can be easily confused as to where the characters are in relation to their background as their positions change on screen.

The 180 degree rule is used then to show the audience what is happening behind the characters during a section of dialogue without confusing them with complicated shot angle changes.

Director follow the 180 degree rule often and it appears in films, It allows for a style of editing called continuity editing and when done correctly makes films more understandable. The 180 degree rule has also been used to show split personalities in films such as 'The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers'. In This Peter Jackson film, Gollum has a conversation with himself in a cave. The 180 degree rule is used to show his bi-polar personality; good Gollum is seen to be looking left while bad Gollum is always seen looking right. This gives the impression there are two Gollum's having a conversation with each other. The effect is continued mid seen as the camera sweeps from left to right and Gollum is seen shifting his head from right to left.

The 180 degree rule can also be broken to good effect. In Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror, 'The Shining' the rule is broken to create mystery and disorientation in the audience. The two characters on scene are having a conversation when the camera flips to other other side of them, 180 degrees away. This creates confusion in the audience, adding to the tension and suspense of the film. Making it more psychologically entertaining. To the left is a video of this scene, please skip it to 6 mins as the only available clip is far too long.

In an effort to get to grips with the 180 degree rule, I have filmed a short movie demonstrating that i can use it to good effect. In the film above I have used the rule to shoot a conversation, halfway through the conversation the camera switches sides to show that the 180 degree rule can in fact be broken to good effect. This can disorientate the audience as they are viewing a completely different angle of the conversation. I would break the 180 degree rule in psychological thrillers and horrors to confuse the audience.

I have conducted this research into the 180 degree rule as I will be using it in my preliminary and main tasks. It is important i understand the rule correctly so i can use it to good effect.

Shot Reverse Shot

Shot, reverse shot is a camera shot type. It consists of usually a conversation/meeting between two people who are opposite each other. There is commonly a camera over the shoulder of the first person facing the second person face on. There is the same camera set up for the second person, over their shoulder facing the first person. Another camera is often set up facing the two characters face on. The shot gives the audience a sense of action as there is a constant change of shot with every characters turn of dialogue. 

This shot has become a staple of modern and classic film editing, almost every film uses the shot at some point. Early films that didn't use the shot for conversations were boring and often unwatchable. Below is an image of a scene from 'The Dark Knight Rises' in which Batman is conversing with The Joker; The camera is over The Jokers shoulder and so the image contains both characters face to face.

Below is my own short film demonstrating shot reverse shot. As it's only a demonstration it is very scruffy and floored. The film is only to demonstrate that i can shoot scenes using shot reverse shot. I found that whilst shooting the scene we had to pause the conversation after each characters line so that we could go around to the other characters side and shoot the clip of their speech. This was frustrating however there is no way around it. I have also learned how to join individual clips together to create a film.

 

I will be using match on action in my preliminary and main tasks so it is important that i comprehend the idea. My own version of match on action is poor quality and seems rushed however i have learned the basic technique and am comfortable using it in later films.