Project 15 Narratives

Viewing: Objective, to view a variety of films and to identify the narrative structure. Try to sketch out a diagram of the film’s structure.
Hollywood Classic The Black Narcissus 1947

This classic tale of jealousy, passion and repressed lust set in a remote Himalayan Convent was easy to watch and I found the three act narrative easy to identify. Using the diagram structure outlined in the course notes I have described the narrative structure below and tried to use coloured lines to show the different threads:

Having reflected on this diagram, I think it more complex than it needs to be.
Modern Film Gran Torino 2009
The narrative structure of this modern film, set in Michigan tells the story of a resentful US army veteran and his immigrant neighbours. It is about redemption and sacrifice. The three act narrative is still present, the threads which build up the tension culminating in the final crisis and climax are well defined. I have tried to make this diagram clearer by not attempting to link the threads

I have arranged the threads by character and each one should be read across the table to identify their interactions with the narrative and the other characters through the Acts.
Conclusion: This has been a very time consuming exercise but I have learned to identify both simple and complex narrative structures. I did also watch the film Inception which has a complex layered structure and a very tricky premise which may or may not be resolved, depending on the interpretation you place on the opening sequence. Although I think I grasped the story, it was so complex I did not have the time to work out to display the structure in a meaningful way.

Project 13–Non-diegetic sound

Exercise 16: Abstract image sequence
Objective: Choose a short musical sequence (max 1 minute)  note the emotions/feeling it invokes and the images or ideas that come to mind.

I have chosen Debussy's Prelude to the afternoon of a faun which despite its title always invokes memories of the sea in my mind, to do mainly with the rhythms. The still images I have used are from Cornwall, contrasting the Atlantic coast at Sennen and the more sheltered Falmouth Bay and Helford River on the Channel coast , taken a week apart as I walked the coast path last year. The centre section is uplifting and I’ve arranged the images (taken from a high viewpoint) to indicate flight above the headland and down into the shelter of the river.

The only other students work which is accessible at the moment is Margaret's sequence; Music in the Minster. I did comment on it sometime ago but my comment doesn’t appear on her blog now. I watched it again and I can now evaluate it in terms of understanding the exercise and its purpose:

The meaning I take from the sequence is of a documentary looking at people going about their day in and around the Minster. It feels reverent, ancient and historical and the accompanying music suits the sequence well, being spiritual music you would expect to hear in this setting. The images I particularly liked were the ones that contrasted the  Minster and  the surroundings from above outside i.e. the towers and the Big Wheel and also the statuary both stone and wooden which contrasted with the modern congregation moving within the building.

Here is my Abstract Image Sequence:

Untitled from Richard Down on Vimeo.

Research: I have mentioned some of the examples of diegetic and non diegetic sound already ( the final scene in Melancholia) and I will add others here and repost this page in due course.

Project 12 – Connecting shots

Exercise 15: Repeating the Mosjukhin experiment
Here are my attempts at the Mosjukhin experiment. I found that re-ordering the clips only made sense (to me anyway) for one of them. See what you think. I’ll post the narrative I was aiming for after I have received your comments.
Mosjukhin 1

Mozjukhin from Richard Down on Vimeo.

Mosjukhin 2

Mozjukhin 2 from Richard Down on Vimeo.

Mosjukhin 3

Mozjukhin 3 from Richard Down on Vimeo.

Please add your comments below.

Project 11 – Screen Space

04/10/2012

Exercise 14: Two people communicating

Having read the script and briefed my actors, I have planned my storyboard based on two old friends who recognise each other across the street. This time I have scaled my storyboard to the 16:9 frame of my camera to illustrate positions in the frame.

Fade in - Medium shot, Sarah on bench next to road on left of frame.	Medium shot, Dan waiting at bus stop across the road.

Medium close up, Sarah looks up and across the street at Dan, flicker of recognition	Extreme close up, (try zooming in from the previous shot) as Sarah tries to remember.

Dan looks up and across at Sarah. Medium close up.	Sarah smiles at Dan and remembers him.
Long shot of Dan starting to cross the road - fade out.

06/10/2012

Many thanks to Julie and Cavan for their help in putting together this sequence. It happened remarkably quickly and we avoided the rain.
I think I got what was required and as this is my first time using actors, it went quite well. The depiction of communication across a space (the main road) works.
Because of the different levels of traffic noise behind each shot, I recorded a separate sound track once I knew how long the sequence would be, I lowered the volume and added it to the audio track. Please give me your feedback on this sequence.



Screen Space from Richard Down on Vimeo.

Project 10 Sound

Exercises: 12 Listening & 13 Create a new soundtrack

Objective: Because these two exercises are closely linked, I have written them up together. That said, there is a certain amount of confusion about exactly what needs to be done. The notes refer to a sequence in Project 2 which did not contain any sequences. I have used the Subjective POV Alcoholic from Project 3.

Exercise 13 refers to a list of sounds from Ex 12 but I’m not sure whether these are ones associated with Listening in my “silent” places or the sounds identified in my sequence. If I assume that these are sounds from my sequence then they are already part of that sequence because they were recorded with the video (the requirement not to include sound was not made clear)

My objective for these exercises will therefore be to think of the quality of these sounds in an objective way and write down my thoughts. I will then record an “atmos” track to overlay the existing track on my sequence.

Listening: I don’t have the facility to attach headphones to my video camera so I listened to the background sound in my house during the early afternoon. . My house is small so there is not much difference between rooms, depending on whether I have the windows open or closed.

For contrast I went out into the countryside where I know the sounds are different, possibly quieter.

Afternoon in the sitting room. After a rather noisy morning, the sitting room was relatively quiet with only the sound of passing traffic, the slam of a van door  followed by the sound of the van driving away. I detected the sound of power tools from an adjoining house and the creak of floorboards settling from upstairs. Had I left the doors and windows open, there would have been more sounds.

Upstairs in the afternoon: Normally I work upstairs in my study. I have the windows open and I can hear more of  the sounds from the road. The traffic density is quite high so there is a constant whoosh of cars passing and the rattle and hiss of lorries as they hit the brakes approaching the traffic lights. My PC hums constantly in the background. Occasionally the neighbours  children can be heard playing, either in the garden on on the green in front of the houses. I can also hear a power tool from the house across the road and a jet passing overhead on its way to Farnborough.

Mid afternoon on Shortheath Common
During an afternoon walk this week, I crossed nearby heathland, sat down for 15 minutes and made notes of what I could hear:

• Helicopter passes overhead.
• Birdsong
• Wing beats of a passing bird
• A jet passes overhead, high up
• Wind in my ears
• Cars on the road
• Buzzing insects
• Chirping grasshopper
• Gunfire from the nearby Longmoor ranges

Sequence from Project 3  - recorded sounds: As mentioned above, I recorded the scene with diegetic sound. Here are the sounds as they are recorded and words that I associate with them:

• The bottle cap unscrewing  - rasping metallic sound, cold and functional
• The bottle placed on the table (twice) – solid, safe, firm,  dependable
• The telephone ringing (two rings) – jarring, intrusive, sharp and dominant
• The alcoholic breathing – whisper, alive, scary, disturbing (this was unintentionally included, a point to watch)
• The wine being poured into the glass – sparkly, refreshing, anticipation, imminent satisfaction.

In addition to these, there was the background sound of  the fridge running in the kitchen which sounds comforting and alive. (I am strangely disturbed when these sounds are absent from the house, it usually means something is wrong and produces momentary anxiety). In the first shot, the radio playing, which wakes our sleeping alcoholic is a female voice, indistinct but mellifluous in tone, again comforting and warm.

Project 3 Files: I have identified the project files but as I have uninstalled Nero 11, I can no longer open them. I still have the resulting MP4 files which are read only. I changed my editing software from Nero 11 HD to Sony Vegas HD because of its inflexibility. i.e. Nero was saving my projects in some very strange locations and file formats on my PC and I didn’t have the flexibility I needed to manage my project files.
As an exercise in making a new soundtrack, I did re-record the sounds in the sequence but I don’t seem to be able to clear the basic background hum from my recordings. I need more work on this topic. Arising from a suggestion from Margaret Taylor, I have laid a new soundtrack on my “Rain” atmospheric sequence.

 

Ex13 new soundtrack from Richard Down on Vimeo.

Conclusion: I have learned a lot from these exercises, especially about the sounds that I don't really want in my audio track. I also need to be able to learn more about using the audio editing package that came with my software. I have had some good and constructive feedback from the student group. Thanks.

Project 9 – Light and Colour

Exercise 11: Atmosphere Scene 1

Objective: To record two short scenes to demonstrate the creation of atmosphere.

Notes: For my first scene I decided to attempt to recreate the scene from “I’ve Loved You So Long” which shows a tree outside a window blowing in the wind and rain.

I the film it serves to break the tension between the two sisters arguing as one points out the scene to the other.

In my sequence, I’m hoping it will demonstrate discomfort and the sense of relief that the viewer is inside out of the rain.

I had two shots to include here, the first was through the glass unfocused with the rain making distinct streaks across the frame. The sound for this shot was just the noise of the rain. The second shot was focused on the raindrops on the outside of the pane, photographed from inside with the branches of  the tree moving in the wind. The sound on this shot was quite distracting so I muted it and extended the track of the first shot onto a loop to play over the whole length of the shot.

 

Rain from Richard Down on Vimeo.

I think this has worked very well despite the changeable light. (the weather on the day was sunny spells and squally showers). The first shot was quite dark and I wanted to highlight the very light streaks of the rain as they fell diagonally across the frame. The second shot has more light in it from refraction, you can see from the bottom left there is a patch of brightness as the clouds are breaking up.

Exercise 11: Atmosphere Scene 2

From the list in the course notes, I chose A Stalker Arrives. I wanted to create an atmosphere of threat and uncertainty. This sequence is based on an experience I had many years ago (as a victim, not a perpetrator). I experimented with the light inside and achieved what I wanted. The light outside was from a 60w exterior tungsten light fitting. It actually has an amber glass in it so the light is probably more orange than usual. The mono directional light works well to provide highlights to the shadowy figure

I had three takes to get this right. My first attempt was too long and there was insufficient light at floor level to show the note clearly. I was able to place a reflector below the camera and l placed an LCD array in front of it to put light into the space below the door. This meant that when I zoomed in on the note, it could be more easily read. The extra light also had an unexpected but eerie effect as it reflected in the glasses of my stalker as he put his face close to the window. The second take was a bit clumsy, the stalker dropped the note before putting it through the letter box and the zoom into the note was a bit jerky. My final takes worked pretty well and I edited it down to less than a minute.

 

 

 

Stalker from Richard Down on Vimeo.

The only other blogs I could access for this exercise were by Stuart McQuade and Paul Burgess.

Stuart has used people in both of his scenes, chosen from the list and used actors and a crew for his second scene. I liked them both. The mundane day in the office was just that. I’ve had those and recognised the feeling immediately. The lighting and camera work was very effective. I was a little distracted by the back of the mans head being out of focus. I think I would have gone in closer to the monitor and had less of the figure in the shot.

The restaurant scene was not as romantic as I anticipated. Perhaps the dialogue could have been less tongue in cheek but the editing I felt was effective and Stuart crammed a lot into his short scene. I did find that the waiter threw a shadow over the man’s face as he served the food. Stuart was working literally with his actor’s backs against the wall. I wondered why he didn’t use one of the central tables in the restaurant and he could have made more effective use of his lights by having access all around the table.

Depression is a very difficult emotion/atmosphere to convey. In Pauls first sequence all I got was boredom until the man lay down and curled up on the bed. The dark foreboding of the room helped but perhaps I was expecting more from the actor.

Paul’s second sequence, A Stalker Arrives, gave a good narrative as the man crept around the outside of a building. I would liked to have seen him actually do more than just arrive but there is the mood of furtiveness about the scene.

Budget and time would allow me to perfect my scenes. The first sequence was reliant on the weather, the rainfall and the wind direction. Time would have perhaps allowed better planning, budget would have made very little difference as I was at nature’s mercy.

The second would have been filmed in a location with a wider hallway. I acted the scene myself, controlling the camera remotely but the tripod and reflector were as wide as the hall so I had major difficulty getting behind the camera between takes. It would have been nice to have some exterior lighting that I could control.

Lighting is an important element in filming but no less so than the composition and colour. All three elements combine to make a successful shot.

Project 9 Light and Colour

Exercise: Reflected light
Rather than repeat the exercises I did last year for Art of Photography, I will post the link to my TAoP blog:
http://rjdown-taop-log.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/part-4-lightproject-photographic_09.html
During my projects and assignments,  if I find new lighting effects and solutions to problems, I will record them in this blog.

Project 7: Depth - Images with Depth

Exercise: Images with Depth
Objective: I found the objective for this exercise a little confusing but I think I need to produce three images illustrating three of four atmospheres. Here is my first:
Dynamic/exciting/adventurous
These armoured personnel carriers drive up and down the main road near my house constantly. I have always thought it would be exciting to drive one myself. I made a couple of images to try and sum up something of how it may feel to hurtle down the road in a tracked vehicle.

This was the first image I made using my DSLR. I kept to a slow shutter speed 1/25s to blur the action and give the impression of movement. That’s the stills photographer in me. The depth of field is not really relevant. (1/25s @ f32). There are a lot of diagonals here which add to the dynamism.
The equivalent moving image would hopefully keep the tank in focus as the pan blurs the background. Even though I panned this on a monopod it’s not as sharp as I expected but it still works. The sound is also very loud.

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This one was easier to photograph as it was on the other side of the road. This would be the frame for the start of a shot. I chose a point a which the sun was lighting the front of the vehicle, I have included a lot of diagonals and the lens was set at 105mm so this is a medium telephoto shot. Thinking about the moving image, I would probably use a shorter focal length and not alter the zoom as I panned right. the exposure setting is 1/500s @ f6.8. I think this could be a good exercise in panning – I’ll give it a try on the next driver training day that coincides with my morning off. I think this works well. As moving images, these compositions will have depth.

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Oppressive/dull/stifling

This is a picture of the scenery store backstage at the local theatre. It was made during the late evening with daylight coming from a high window above the stairway. I had it in mind that the sunlight would give layers of light which would emphasise the dull and oppressive foreground.

It is a small, narrow space with muted colours and dark shadows. I thought It would also work in monochrome but without the colours, the image is a bit flat. I am happy with the image, the placing of the objects in the foreground and background add to the depth created by the various colours and patches of light.

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Refined/mature/reasonable

For the third image I visited the National Trust at Hinton Ampner where I was able to photograph a refined atmosphere. I have included two images, the first of which uses diagonal lines, foreground and background objects and light to differentiate different depths. I am happy that I have achieved what I set to do here.

My second image uses differential focus and light and shade to indicate depth. This dining room was lit only by window light from the left and lamps around the room. I chose to focus on the decanter and the narrow band including the first place setting on the left,.

• Probably the most successful way of creating depth in an image is using diagonals. If they converge, so much the better. Other ways, demonstrated above include the use of foreground and background objects, differential focus and  layers of light and dark including the use of colours.
• Visual depth is very important to the overall feel of the shot, it can help to create atmosphere and mood, it can help tell you create and understand a character’s mood or mental state.

Exercise: Creating depth with lighting

Objective: To create at  least three images giving distinctly different impressions of depth in the same space.
Using my small sitting room I have experimented with the effects of using different combinations of room lighting, basically by turning lights on and off, zooming in and out and looking at the effects.
I produced this contact sheet to work from, enabling me to select the most suitable images.

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My first useful shot was a wide angle with two areas of lighting; the back wall and a table lamp on the desk. The laptop screen is lit. I can see a distinct separation between the mid ground and the back ground. Although the room is rectangular and the photograph is taken along the room, the camera position and the wide angle make the room seem square. There is one more light out of shot to the right, lighting the right side of the table and the floor. (The camera was mounted on a tripod in the same position for all of the subsequent shots. I’ve used my DSLR to record these images.)

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Keeping the same camera position and angle of view, I switched off the background light at left and the light at mid right  to give a greater separation of the two lit areas. This combination has produced a diagonal movement, making the room seem wider and as there is no light on the ceiling it has reduced the apparent height of the room.

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For this shot I killed the lights in the background and to the right, leaving just the desk lamp to illuminate the scene. I zoomed in on the desk from the same camera position. Depending on the effect required, varying the exposure would make the dark background more visible. On my monitor I can see twilight just below the curtains and the shape of the lampshade just left of centre. Sufficient to show there is something there. The scene itself now looks a bit cluttered. The spill from the table lamp highlights the globe and the CD rack and  the long focal length has compressed the scene markedly. (The blue cast from behind the camera in this scene comes from an un-curtained window behind me – dusk, overcast evening light)

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This is the zoomed out version of the previous shot with the “mid” scene lit from the right as well as the table lamp. The back ground in now more distinct but not distracting. The light from the right  gives a more open feel to the scene.

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Finally, I switched off the “mid” scene lights and fully lit the background with the table lamps and the ceiling lights. This has the effect of pushing the rear of the scene back, making the room appear longer rather than square. The lit computer screen maintains a focal point for the mid ground while the foreground is rendered insignificant by the low light level.

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Conclusion: I have made a lot of images and tried a lot of combinations of lights. I think I have demonstrated how to create depth using lighting. Like all photographic lighting, each situation requires a unique approach. I am becoming aware of how lighting is used to create space, atmosphere, colour, shape and simply as part of the composition of a frame.

Project 7: Depth

Exercise: Depth Although all of the principles of creating depth have been covered in the Art of Photography course blog, I thought it would be useful to include a “live” shot of the effect of zooming on depth of field in this section of my log.

I set up a long table with two objects along it for the short take. I started with the zoom set at approx. the mid point of its range, zoomed in and then out again. I found that I had to manually set the focus onto the nearest object otherwise it would not come into focus as I zoomed in. Autofocus tended to bring the far object into focus. This was probably due to the relative spacing of the objects but it was a worthwhile exercise and good practice. Another reason for shooting this frame is to get some use of my new editing software. I have changed from Nero to Sony Vegas for HD. I’m hoping it will be easier to use and enable me to manage my projects in the way I want to rather than the software dictating how and where I can save my files.

Exercise Depth from Richard Down on Vimeo.

Project: Mise - en–Scène Exercise: Spaces

Objective: Capture four shots that have a distinctly different feel about them.
1. An oppressive cluttered space.
My immediate thought on this first space was my rather untidy garden shed.

Cluttered certainly, oppressive (causing discomfort by being excessive, intense etc.)  - it has a low ceiling, it is poorly lit and if you had to work or stay inside this building for any length of time it would be uncomfortable. I think this scene fills the brief well for an inside space, however, while I was out looking for other spaces I did come across this outside space that also fills the brief.

If I was looking for an outside location to give an air of oppression and a dark, sinister feeling. This would be it. This space would feed the imagination of the susceptible, dark shadows, restricted visibility and an eerie sound quality deadened by the soft carpet of fallen leaves.

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2. An open, honest simple space containing one intriguing item.

This space is honest because it is where people are (the houses in the background) it is simple, the discarded shoe relates to the sense of a lived in space which in turn is non threatening. The sun is shining, there is blue sky between the trees and your immediate thought is about the shoe, who it belongs to and why is it there? There is no threat or perceived danger here. This is how I visualised the space and the shot. I think it is working well.

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3. A stark, empty hostile space

This space was more challenging to find, especially in rural Hampshire in the middle of summer. I don’t have access to any interior spaces which are stark and hostile but I thought this wide low shot of an area of tarmac parade square in the centre of the MOD training area near my home would fit the brief.

It’s not quite empty but the dark trees and the heavy sky make it hostile. The trees may hide hidden dangers and the surface of the tarmac is hard and unforgiving. It feels cold and somewhere you want to get away from as soon as possible.

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4. A warm, friendly cosy space.
Here,  I have used an existing image from my TAoP blog exercise on lighting. A domestic scene which by the colour of its lighting shows a warm and friendly space. I’m sure it is cosy also ( snug, comfortable). I think the muted colours contribute to the cosiness and the small space is a snug one.

I was also keen to explore warmth and cosiness outside and thought that these sheep settled in  the long grass, warming themselves  after a squall of rain looked warm and cosy.

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Conclusion: Setting a scene is an important part of the narrative process. The atmosphere or feeling you can create by carefully choosing or constructing  the scene can save the need for lengthy explanation through dialogue. Our eyes take in and process a lot of information without us having to think about it. This not only applies visually. Think of a radio play and how simply a scene can be set just by the introduction of some very simple background sounds.

Project: Mise–en–Scène

Viewing: I have selected this scene from the film “Rum Diary” directed by Bruce Robinson starring Johnny Depp. Sanderson has taken Kemp to his luxury beach home for breakfast and introduces his girlfriend Chenault. The scene is a conversation between Kemp (a writer) and Sanderson (a property developer/crook) about the help he needs to form local opinion in favour of his plans to develop an uninhabited island. Unknown to Sanderson, Kemp has met Chenault before but she doesn’t seem keen to let Sanderson know that. Kemp is distracted by her as she prepares food and keeps looking towards him through the screen.

The scene is set from the moment the two men enter the beach house, is comprised of 19 shots and lasts just 1min 48sec.

The scene feels relaxed and luxurious in direct comparison to previous scenes in a busy newspaper office, bowling ally, airport and the following scenes of squalor and cock fighting in the poor districts of Puerto Rico. This is achieved by the setting, a modern, bright house set on a beach. The mise en scène has definitely played a part in this, everything has been selected to reinforce Sanderson's wealth. In the context of the narrative, Sanderson is prepared to use Kemp for his own ends. Also, Kemp is establishing a relationship with Chenault which is given meaning later in the story.

Frame 1	Frame 2
Frame 3	Frame 4
Frame 5	Frame 6
Frame 2	Frame 7
Frame 2	Frame 7
Frame 2	Frame 8
Frame 2	Frame 7
Frame 2	Frame 9
Frame 2	Frame 7
Frame 2

For ease of description I have labelled all of the frames above with the same numbers if they cover a similar area of the scene despite the lens focal length. (I find the almost interchangeable use of ‘shot’, ‘frame’, ‘scene’ confusing especially if a frame changes by zooming or panning the camera) I have answered the questions posed by the learning notes below.
Frame 1. A wide shot that establishes the luxurious interior of the beach house as the two men enter. (the previous scene is the car drive to the house and the walk to the front door). The meaning conveyed by the mise en scène is described above.
Frame 2. This wide shot framing is used to show  the two men’s progress through the house and is also the location of their conversation as a mid shot after the introduction of Chenault and the return to the inside of the house.
Frame 3. Another mid shot lines up the three characters ready for the introduction. Chenault moves in from the right of the frame to greet Sanderson.
Frames 4 and 5 medium close up, show the flicker of recognition between Kemp and Chenault as they are introduced.
Frame 6. Mid shot as Kemp explains to Sanderson that he may recognise Chenault from the plane while she denies that they have met. (they actually met when he was paddling a pedalo and she was swimming at night on the capital’s resort beach)
Frame 7. This is the scene to the right of the frame 2 where the conversation between the men  takes place. Chenault is shown behind the screen preparing fruit as Kemp is distracted by her while listening to Sanderson’s proposition. There are two mid shots and a medium close up where she is shown watching Kemp intently. This choice of mise en scène gives a conspiratorial feel to the as yet undeclared relationship .
Frame 8. This is an almost throw away shot of a bejewelled tortoise, again the mise en scène is used to reinforce Sanderson’s wealth.
Frame 9. This medium close up of Kemp is used in preparation to show his dialogue response to just how much Sanderson knows about him and to show that he keeps looking across to Chenault as she prepares the meal.

Project 5: How to learn

 
From the learning notes:
Look back at a piece of work you have produced so far, including any notes and blog entries that went with it.
For each produce a short list defining:

• · what you set out to achieve
• · how you can identify what you have achieved
• · whether you achieved it
• · what you learned from this

Objective: This topic will concentrate on how I  can develop my own understanding and skills.
The second paragraph of the workbook discusses framing as an example of what appears to be a simple topic but is at the same time extremely complex. It asks the question; who should study aesthetics, the person who frames and takes beautiful pictures by instinct or the person who doesn’t?
My feeling on this particular topic is that I fall into the first category, not because I frame well by instinct, but over the years I learned how to place objects within a frame.
Reflection on a piece of work
Looking at the last exercise:
What did you set out to achieve? The objective was to produce a sequence to illustrate a scenario from an objective point of view using various camera angles. My sequence shows an alcoholic waking, taking his first drink of the day and his total obsession as he ignores the doorbell to pour and drink his wine.
How you can identify what you have achieved?

• By looking at the completed sequence I can identify the camera angles used.  High angle, high to medium angle, low angle, close up.
• Does the sequence tell the story clearly (see below for quotes)
• By looking at the reactions of my fellow students to my sequence. Firstly I really like the film as a piece. Its simple, the story is clear and its well shot……Nico  I especially liked the way the bottle dominates the shot so that we see the man coming towards us (the bottle). The colours of the shot work well too. I liked the ringing of the bell….. Emily. I like the feeling of depth within the frame that they create. Someone's been reading Grammar of the Shot, haven't they? Stuart

Determine whether you achieved it

• Look at the task objectives and compare your results From the task objectives I think I have achieved what I set out to do.
• Look at other students work to see how they achieved the objectives From the wide range of other students work, mine compares favourably.

What you learned from this

• How to separate the soundtrack from the video and re-lay it over a cut-in shot.
• How to edit and form a narrative from several frames.
• How to use different camera angles to illustrate different aspects of a narrative.
• Plan more carefully with regard to using the story boards. The field of view of my camera is much narrower that I imagined. With use, I will get used to the camera’s view.
• Continuity – try to be realistic when setting up shots, relate the set to the reality of the situation. (use of coasters?)

Now reflect on these important questions:

• Is it better to struggle and improve your weaker areas or should you cut your losses and focus on your strengths? I think it is better for me to improve my weaker areas. I don’t think I will struggle, I just need to be motivated to overcome my tendency to concentrate on what I’m good at.
• How can you really know what your strengths and weaknesses are? You can measure your performance against outcomes for the tasks you undertake.
• How do you know what you need to know if you don’t know what it is yet? Use objectives and outcomes intelligently to find areas of weakness and strength.
• Who can you ask or where can you find out? Your Tutor, your fellow students and the OCA forums will provide a useful resource for your learning.
• How do you know if you have improved? When is it time to move on? See above regarding measurement of outcomes. I find that I know intuitively when I have improved. I get that feeling of realisation when something clicks into place. That is when it is time to move on.

Reflections on Exercise 5: Camera angles

I have had several responses direct to my learning log (see “Comments”) and below by email. I was happy with this, my second attempt (the first was badly done and not planned properly).

My fellow students seemed to like it but remarked on the distraction – I maybe could have included the mans face reacting to the door bell (see explanation below) and there was a question about whether an alcoholic would have been using coasters. This particular individual has two problems, the second is OCD! I did point out that for continuity, they were great for re-positioning the bottle and glass between takes.

Ideally I would have included turning my head in the pouring shot but I couldn’t get the camera low enough so there was a compromise here. (dropping the bottle cap) The low angle with the bottle dominating the frame worked well. From behind the table, the whole shot was one take that was divided to insert the doorbell sequence. Had I used an actor I could have used differential focussing for the end of the last shot, bringing the bottle into sharp focus at the end as the man consumed his first glass of the day.

Other comments:
From Vaggelis:
“as for you video i have to say it's guite good i can't tell any comment cause mine is not so great but i believe you did a great work .”
From Stuart:
“I think you've done a really good job here, Richard! I felt the edited shots really go together well, too!
I was going to suggest that you would have have had the opportunity to add more depth to the shot in storyboard no. 7 by moving the angle and pointing the camera from the door towards the character (so that the character was looking towards the camera). That would have helped show the distance between the character and the 'interruption'. However, I see that you never ending up using the shot like that. But - you ended up using a similar technique when your character is seated on the sofa and the wine bottle is close to the camera. I like the feeling of depth within the frame that they create. Someone's been reading Grammar of the Shot, haven't they? ;)”
Vaggelis, Stuart, thank you for taking the time to look at my work and also to Emily, Nico  and Margaret for their contributions. You are right Stuart, “Grammar of the Shot” is proving very useful.

Project 4: Camera angles

Exercise 5: An objective POV
Objective: To record the same scenario as the previous exercise but from an objective point of view.
I started with a series of sketches for my storyboard as described below:
(Despite appearances, it is the same person in all of the shots. I’m still struggling with the drawing.)
Frame 1

High angle shot making the sleeping man vulnerable. Perhaps zoom in on the eyes as he wakes.

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Frame 2

Eye level  to high angle shot for a normal feel, man wakes and nurses his head.

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Frame 3

Eye level again, man looks around the room and his eye is caught by the bottle on the table.

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Frame 4

Low angel shot, I want to emphasise the glass and the bottle and make them dominate the frame as they do  his life.

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Frame 5

Low angle again, man unscrews cap and starts to pour a drink, looming over the table.

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Frame 6

Close up of bell push and the sound of a door chime.

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Frame 7

Low angle, man is distracted briefly……..

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Frame 8

……..but continues to to pour a drink.

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I’ve had two attempts at producing the required sequence and I’ve stuck to the story board fairly well. I acted the role myself as I wanted to get it done quickly during daylight and there was no-one else available. My first attempt was pretty grim but the second one was better once I had reorganised the set. (I needed more depth for the low camera position behind the table) I realised early on that the frames where the drink is being poured could only include the lower half of my torso and my hands. This is because I needed to use a low table  for the final frames so that I could allow the bottle to assume a dominant position in the frame from a low angle.

While editing, I discovered how to separate the sound and video tracks. This was particularly useful as I wanted to split the two pairs of chimes across the two frames.

As I wasn’t able to show my character’s face reacting to the first set of chimes, I dropped the bottle cap instead during the second set. My finished sequence is embedded below.

To my fellow students, please let me have your comments before I add my own reflections on the piece.



Alcoholic Objective POV from Richard Down on Vimeo.