2017 Media Bridging - Notes on Film Techniques
When a film maker shows us an object we all see it in the same way. However, if a writer includes the same object in a novel the reader can imagine the object in multiple ways. In films we can tell so much about an object just the way it has been shot. For example it can be shot from above, below, close up or distant. Furthermore the object can be frontally lit or back-lit. Additionally the object can be moving or still, in full colour, black and white with or without special effects and accompanied by music and silence. The object shown and the way it has been shot can tell us about the atmosphere in the scene, it can tell audiences a lot about the current scenario in the film. The possibilities are endless and so film makers decide on how to shoot the object, how it should be edited and what it should look like in the film.
mise en scène is the arrangement of visual weights and movement within a given space. In live theatre the space is usually defined by the proscenium arch whereas in films it is the frame that encloses the images.
Framing refers to the relationship of the objects in the shot to the frame. There are many types of framing :
Tight framing is usually for close shots. Usually the people/objects in these frames will have little or no room for movement.
Loose framing is usually in longer shots. Usually the people/objects in these frames have lots of room for movement.
The rule of thirds divides the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically. Film makers use the rule of thirds to place subjects that are aesthetically pleasing.
The golden section is a proportion based on a ratio of 1:1.618.
Everything in the frame is there for a reason. Sometimes it may show explicit information to the audience however sometimes it may show implicit information such as the relationship between the characters.
Deep Space is when there are lots of significant elements of an image which are positioned near and far from the camera. The objects don't have to all be in focus. In Shallow space the image is staged with very little depth. Both deep space and shallow space create a different atmosphere in the the frame.
Wide shots give a broad view of an area and convey scale, distance and geographic location.
Extreme wide shots are used as establishing shots.
Re establishing shots can also be used to create better awareness of what is happening within the scene.
Media studies Notes on shots and angles
Basic shots are defined by the relationship of the size of the person to the 4:3 frame.
A close up is a detailed view of the person/object. In this shot only the head fills the frame and helps create intimacy and helps viewers identify with a character.
An extreme close up is used for sinister effect and is less common in widescreen filming.
Widescreen filming allows for two shots.
Close up two shots created intimacy in older films however it is difficult to achieve in widescreen filming.
Medium close up and mid shot are hard to differentiate but MCU usually consists of the head and shoulders whereas MS includes more of the body but not all of it.
A long shot shows the human body in full and within the frame.
An extra long shot is almost any shot with the human figure dwarfed by its surroundings.
Camera angles
Low angle is a shot in which the subject is photographed from below.
High angle is a shot in which the subject is photographed from above.
Crane shot is taken by a camera on a crane and can move in virtually any direction.
Aerial shots are taken from planes or helicopters and are used to establish locations.
A canted angle is a camera tiled to one side so the horizon is on a slant.
The height at which a camera shoots is equally significant to the angle. Most films are shot at eye level.
Focus refers to degree of sharpness of the image’s outlines and distinct textures.
The depth of field is the distance through which elements in an image are in sharp focus.
Deep focus describes a scene that is kept in sharp focus from close-up to the furthest plane.
Shallow focus is when the camera focuses on objects in the foreground, so the background is blurry.
Differential or selective focus is used to describe those shots where focus isn't deep or shallow but on a chosen plane or object.
A zoom lens has a variable focus that allows the cinematographer to change from wide-angle to telephoto shots in continuous movement.
Rack focus is change from one object to another by lens movement.
Dolly shot is where tracks are laid on the set to allow a smooth movement of the camera which follows a moving person/object.
Tracking shot is taken from a moving vehicle that follows a moving person, animal, vehicle or another object.
Reverse tracking are tracking shots made on a slight angle from the side of the subject and occasionally a following shot will be shot from behind.
mise en scène is the arrangement of visual weights and movement within a given space. In live theatre the space is usually defined by the proscenium arch whereas in films it is the frame that encloses the images.
Framing refers to the relationship of the objects in the shot to the frame. There are many types of framing :
Tight framing is usually for close shots. Usually the people/objects in these frames will have little or no room for movement.
Loose framing is usually in longer shots. Usually the people/objects in these frames have lots of room for movement.
The rule of thirds divides the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically. Film makers use the rule of thirds to place subjects that are aesthetically pleasing.
The golden section is a proportion based on a ratio of 1:1.618.
Everything in the frame is there for a reason. Sometimes it may show explicit information to the audience however sometimes it may show implicit information such as the relationship between the characters.
Deep Space is when there are lots of significant elements of an image which are positioned near and far from the camera. The objects don't have to all be in focus. In Shallow space the image is staged with very little depth. Both deep space and shallow space create a different atmosphere in the the frame.
Wide shots give a broad view of an area and convey scale, distance and geographic location.
Extreme wide shots are used as establishing shots.
Re establishing shots can also be used to create better awareness of what is happening within the scene.
Media studies Notes on shots and angles
Basic shots are defined by the relationship of the size of the person to the 4:3 frame.
A close up is a detailed view of the person/object. In this shot only the head fills the frame and helps create intimacy and helps viewers identify with a character.
An extreme close up is used for sinister effect and is less common in widescreen filming.
Widescreen filming allows for two shots.
Close up two shots created intimacy in older films however it is difficult to achieve in widescreen filming.
Medium close up and mid shot are hard to differentiate but MCU usually consists of the head and shoulders whereas MS includes more of the body but not all of it.
A long shot shows the human body in full and within the frame.
An extra long shot is almost any shot with the human figure dwarfed by its surroundings.
Camera angles
Low angle is a shot in which the subject is photographed from below.
High angle is a shot in which the subject is photographed from above.
Crane shot is taken by a camera on a crane and can move in virtually any direction.
Aerial shots are taken from planes or helicopters and are used to establish locations.
A canted angle is a camera tiled to one side so the horizon is on a slant.
The height at which a camera shoots is equally significant to the angle. Most films are shot at eye level.
Focus refers to degree of sharpness of the image’s outlines and distinct textures.
The depth of field is the distance through which elements in an image are in sharp focus.
Deep focus describes a scene that is kept in sharp focus from close-up to the furthest plane.
Shallow focus is when the camera focuses on objects in the foreground, so the background is blurry.
Differential or selective focus is used to describe those shots where focus isn't deep or shallow but on a chosen plane or object.
A zoom lens has a variable focus that allows the cinematographer to change from wide-angle to telephoto shots in continuous movement.
Rack focus is change from one object to another by lens movement.
Dolly shot is where tracks are laid on the set to allow a smooth movement of the camera which follows a moving person/object.
Tracking shot is taken from a moving vehicle that follows a moving person, animal, vehicle or another object.
Reverse tracking are tracking shots made on a slight angle from the side of the subject and occasionally a following shot will be shot from behind.
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