PRODUCTION PRACTICE: MONTAGE/TABLETOP SEQUENCE

"WHOLE WORLD IN A TABLE TOP"

Our brief was to create a title sequence using only a table top and props with a small part of live action at the end of it, using a given soundtrack. 

For research, in class we watched Delicatessen and To Kill a Mockingbird which both use table top sequences. The camera gets placed in a birds-eye-view shot and pans over a cluster of overlapping props to suggest a certain narrative. 

Preesha, Charlotte and I worked together to produce a title sequence that revolved around the story of a mother of two (Olivia Blake) who has gone missing and an investigation is taking place.

In session 1, we set up our table top, placing a black cloth over the table to use as a background. We arranged our props - which consisted of lots of newspapers; a briefcase; an investigation board; a passport; lots of dollar bills and a screwdriver. We used fake blood and smeared it onto the dollar bills and coated the end of the screwdriver in it to infer the idea that she had been murdered. We organised our props and guided the camera in a specific order so that the end shot would be of the main newspaper article with a printed picture of Olivia's face which was effective as we then placed the screwdriver down on top of it to heighten drama and tension. I also marked my hands in fake blood and as the camera was panning over the investigation board, I placed a pin into it.

We then uploaded our footage to iMovie where we added our soundtrack - 'Moonlight Sonata' by Beethoven which added to the creepy ambiance we were aiming for. We also added in credits and used a fade in and out effect to add mystery. 

ON THE SET

Brief account of learning how to handle a camera, terminology to use on set and good practice in editing. 

Camera and Tripod: In a group, we passed the camera around so we could practice how to handle it, insert the memory card and place it on the tripod. When passing the camera from one person to another, you should say 'yours' and 'mine' to minimise the risk of it being dropped. When using the tripod, you use the spirit level to make sure the camera is level and secure. I learnt how to adjust the focus of the camera, which is done by turning the dial up and down as well as how to zoom in which is done by twisting the lens. 

White Balance (WB) is the process of removing unrealistic colour casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in the photo. It allows the camera to acknowledge what the colour white look likes (the colour temperature) and therefore display all the other colours correctly resulting in a more realistic effect. To adjust this, you select 'WB' on the camera and it will display the different colour tones that are used in different lights. 

180 Degree Rule: This is a cinematography guideline that states that two people in a scene should maintain the same left/right relationship to each other. There is an invisible axis that connects the two characters and if the camera 'crosses the line', the shot becomes what is referred to as a reverse shot. 

On Set: I learnt about film terminology whilst on set. Once the camera is in focus, the director shouts "Standby" to alert everyone filming is about to start. Once they are ready, they reply with "Standing by". Once the director has said "rolling", everyone on set must stay quiet. Actors wait for the word "action" before they start moving and getting on with the scene. 

Following this, at the end of the filming session, the director will say "strike the kit" which indicates to the film crew, it is time to pack away equipment, take the batteries out of the cameras and put them on charge and ensure that the footage is uploaded. 

Good Practice in Editing: The software we are using are Final Cut Pro and iMovie which are downloaded on the iMacs in the media studio. When uploaded footage, the shots should be saved into a folder. These folders are called bins and the unedited footage from cameras are called rushes. 

CONTINUITY EXERCISE

Brief account of the making of our continuity exercise and problems we faced. 

Our task was to make a short clip with continuity editing in order to put into practice, the camera angle techniques we had learnt. In our groups, we had to create a storyboard, assign roles and edit our clips together at the end on the iMacs. Our continuity exercise is set on the show of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' on the final question with Tom as the host and Charlotte acting as the guest.  

Some of the challenges we faced were that our set with the green screen was not wide enough to film over the shoulder shots from both sides. Instead, we had our actors swap seats and when editing we had to reverse the shot so we would not break the 180 degree rule and this gave the illusion that they had never moved. 

We also had to deal with ambient noise of other groups and so we had the studio cleared so their voices would not interfere with our recording. 

PRELIMINARY EXERCISES: CAMERA TECHNIQUES

I learnt different camera techniques by reading: The Grammar of Television and Film by Daniel Chandler. 

By studying this website, it gave me insights into how I can vary the sizes and angles of my shots to focus the viewers attention onto specific objects and/or people and depict certain emotions and feelings.

The camera I used to explore different camera techniques was an iPhone XR.

HIGH ANGLE:

- angle from above, aimed down at the character

- makes the viewer feel more powerful than the character and suggests detachment

LOW ANGLE:

- angle from below, aimed up at the character

- exaggerates the character's importance 

CANTED ANGLE:

- aimed at the character at a rotated angle

- helps to create tension and a sense of unease, suspense and mystery 

BIRD'S EYE VIEW:

- view from above the character

- allows the viewer to have a full range of the scene as it is above all the action

OVER THE SHOULDER:

- angle shown from over the shoulder of the character

- shows a point of view of the character, exposing their view in front of them

WORM EYE SHOT:

- angle from below the character, aimed up

- highlights power and authority in a character as the viewer is looking up at them.

CLOSE UP:

- zooms in, focusing on head to shoulders

- shows their face in great detail and exposes their reactions and emotions in a scene

EXTREME CLOSE UP

- zooms in and focuses strictly on the face

- allows the viewer to see the emotion of the character and cuts out context in the background

MID SHOT:

- frames the body and face of character

- gives a greater view of the character, whilst still showing detail in their face and emotion 

LONG SHOT:

- shows most of character and some of surroundings

- allows the viewer to have some context as to the location of the character

EXTREME LONG SHOT:

- captures the character and its surroundings

- provides a sense of distance to the character

TWO SHOT:

- a shot in which there are two characters

- gives a view into the relationship and feelings between the two characters