For TV Drama, which is section A of the exam, you will be expected watch a 4 minute extract of a TV Drama 4 times and then textually analyse it in terms of:
Camera Shots, Angle, Movement and Composition
Shots:
Establishing shot - help to establish the scene by showing the audience the location they are in.
Master shot - The main shot of the scene that is often returned to. Directors often film these as wide shots so the audience can get their bearings as to who is in the scene. The director then uses other shot sizes, such as close ups or medium shots to cut into the master shot so that the audience can get a closer look at the actors.
close-up - a close up enables the audience to see a characters entire facial expression. Having a close up on a scare victim in a horror film would cause great tension as the audience would be able to see every twitch and flicker of a facial movement.
mid-shot - a mid shot is shown below. A mid-shot is a good neutral shot for when people are having a conversation and maybe using arm gestures.
long shot - a long shot shows the full body. This is good for a fight scene in which every bit of movement needs to be captured, its no good using a close up when body movement is extremely important.
Shots:
Establishing shot - help to establish the scene by showing the audience the location they are in.
Master shot - The main shot of the scene that is often returned to. Directors often film these as wide shots so the audience can get their bearings as to who is in the scene. The director then uses other shot sizes, such as close ups or medium shots to cut into the master shot so that the audience can get a closer look at the actors.
close-up - a close up enables the audience to see a characters entire facial expression. Having a close up on a scare victim in a horror film would cause great tension as the audience would be able to see every twitch and flicker of a facial movement.
mid-shot - a mid shot is shown below. A mid-shot is a good neutral shot for when people are having a conversation and maybe using arm gestures.
long shot - a long shot shows the full body. This is good for a fight scene in which every bit of movement needs to be captured, its no good using a close up when body movement is extremely important.
Wide shot - A wide shot can be used as an establishing shot, this particular shot would show the audience the location in which a scene is taking place. 
Two shot - Two-shots are good for establishing a relationship between subjects. If you see two characters standing side by side with equal prominence in the frame, you can assume they are of equal importance. Also with movement a two shot follows characters without allowing distraction from the surrounding scenery.
aerial shot - an aerial shot is an unnatural birds eye view shot. This can be used also to establish an location. This shot is great for showing scenery however would be pointless for any character as with the height of the shot any human becomes almost insignificant. It gives the audience a God-Like feel as they have an overview of the action.
point of view shot - A point of view shot gives the audience the feel of being the character they are watching. It makes the audience feel as though they are watching through the characters eyes. This works effectively in creating a certain closeness between the audience and the characters within the film.
over the shoulder shot - This shot helps to establish the position of each person, and get the feel of looking at one person from the other's point of view. It's common to cut between these shots during a conversation, alternating the view between the different speakers. This makes the audience feel as though they are involved with the conversation.
Camera Angles
high angle - Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant. The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.
low angle - These increase height and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. For powerful characters usually a low camera angle would work because it would make the audience feel intimidated.
canted angle - A canted angle is an off centred angle in which the camera is tilted. This gives an uneasy effect making the audience feel disorientated, this works well with the point of view shot.. For example if a character was lying down in bed and the camera was tilted it would be as though the viewer is lying down with them.
Camera Movement
pan - A pan is a horizontal camera movement in which the camera moves left and right about a central axis. This is a swivelling movement. Good for following characters.
tilt - A tilt is a vertical camera movement in which the camera points up or down from a stationary location. This can imitate a point of view nod, or follow the action of something lifting into the air.
track - tracking is usually movement of the camera parallel to the action, this would work well in following a character who is maybe moving through a room.
dolly - A dolly is a cart which travels along tracks. The camera is mounted on the dolly and records the shot as it moves. Dolly shots have a number of applications and can provide very dramatic footage. this would be good for a scene where someone is running along a track and the camera needs to film them at a steady rate.
steadicam - steadicam is a stabiliser it allows for a smooth shot, even when moving quickly over an uneven service.
hand-held - Hand-held shots create a home made feel, great for films which have an element of documenting or for the first person horror films. Making the audience feel as though they are within the film, not just onlooking.
zoom - Zooming is one of the most frequently used camera moves. Zooming allows the audience to feel as though they are getting closer or further away from the subject. Often used in tense moments during films and directly at the end as the camera zooms out and the shot fades to black.
Composition:
rule of thirds - The rule of thirds is a concept in video and film production in which the frame is divided into into nine imaginary sections, as illustrated on the right. This creates reference points which act as guides for framing the image. In most "people shots", the main line of interest is the line going through the eyes. In this shot, the eyes are placed approximately 1/3 of the way down the frame.
depth of field – deep and shallow focus. This when you can alter what objects you are focusing on. For example if one person at the front of a class is talking the camera may be focused on them however when somebody directly behind them mentions something the focus will shift to that person.
focus pulls - The focus pull is a creative camera technique in which you change focus during a shot. Usually this means adjusting the focus from one subject to another.
Editing
Includes transition of image and sound – continuity and non-continuity systems. high angle - Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant. The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.
low angle - These increase height and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. For powerful characters usually a low camera angle would work because it would make the audience feel intimidated.
canted angle - A canted angle is an off centred angle in which the camera is tilted. This gives an uneasy effect making the audience feel disorientated, this works well with the point of view shot.. For example if a character was lying down in bed and the camera was tilted it would be as though the viewer is lying down with them.
Camera Movement
pan - A pan is a horizontal camera movement in which the camera moves left and right about a central axis. This is a swivelling movement. Good for following characters.
tilt - A tilt is a vertical camera movement in which the camera points up or down from a stationary location. This can imitate a point of view nod, or follow the action of something lifting into the air.
track - tracking is usually movement of the camera parallel to the action, this would work well in following a character who is maybe moving through a room.
dolly - A dolly is a cart which travels along tracks. The camera is mounted on the dolly and records the shot as it moves. Dolly shots have a number of applications and can provide very dramatic footage. this would be good for a scene where someone is running along a track and the camera needs to film them at a steady rate.
steadicam - steadicam is a stabiliser it allows for a smooth shot, even when moving quickly over an uneven service.
hand-held - Hand-held shots create a home made feel, great for films which have an element of documenting or for the first person horror films. Making the audience feel as though they are within the film, not just onlooking.
zoom - Zooming is one of the most frequently used camera moves. Zooming allows the audience to feel as though they are getting closer or further away from the subject. Often used in tense moments during films and directly at the end as the camera zooms out and the shot fades to black.
Composition:
rule of thirds - The rule of thirds is a concept in video and film production in which the frame is divided into into nine imaginary sections, as illustrated on the right. This creates reference points which act as guides for framing the image. In most "people shots", the main line of interest is the line going through the eyes. In this shot, the eyes are placed approximately 1/3 of the way down the frame.
depth of field – deep and shallow focus. This when you can alter what objects you are focusing on. For example if one person at the front of a class is talking the camera may be focused on them however when somebody directly behind them mentions something the focus will shift to that person.
focus pulls - The focus pull is a creative camera technique in which you change focus during a shot. Usually this means adjusting the focus from one subject to another.
Cutting:
shot/reverse shot,
graphic match,
action match,
jump cut,
parallel editing,
cutaway - in film and video a cut away is an interruption of a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else. Cutaways often help get you out of jail if you don't have all the required footage.
insert - In film an insert is a shot of a scene as filmed from a different angle and or focal length from the master shot.
Link ~ Transitions - cut, mix, dissolve, crossfade, fade, wipe.
Superimposition -
long take - it is a long recording of an event which is kept long in the edit, creates a slow pace to a film. These shots would be appropriate in the genres of Romance and possibly Drama. Also good for music videos -
short take - a short recording of an event which in turn becomes a quick edit due to its length. Short takes if all used together create a fast pace and are often used in Thriller or Action films.
slow motion - the action of showing film or playing back video more slowly than it was made or recorded, so that the action appears much slower than in real life. This adds great drama and intensity. Good for scenes that require great nerve, such as the start of a race. Or a car incident as the clip shows ~
ellipsis - The removal or shortage of a narrative to speed up action.
expansion of time - When you expand time in a video, you are making the duration of the video sequence longer than real-time. Here is a clip of Shaun Of The Dead. They have expanded time to show how similarly humans act like zombies.
Watch clip lauren s 1 - Shaun of The Dead clip.
post-production - work done on a film or recording after filming or recording has taken place:
visual effects - visual effects are hugely important in film and are used widely. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, expensive, impractical, or simply impossible to capture on film.
Sound
Diegetic - Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film - i.e Voices of Characters, Sounds made by objects in the story.
non-diegetic sound - is the opposite i.e the narrators commentary, sound effects for dramatic effect or mood music.
synchronous sound - is sound that is matched to certain movements occurring in the scene, e.g footsteps correspond to feet walking.
asynchronous sound - is sound that matches the action being performed however is not precisely synchronised
sound effects - sound effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media. In films and television production, a sound effect is a sound recorded and presented to make a specific storytelling or creative point without the use of dialogue or music.
sound motif -
sound bridge - The bridge is built for continuity -- the sound from one scene is carried into the adjoining scene. For example: A boy sits in a park, watching his dog play in the autumn leaves, and the sound heard is that of a doorbell ringing. The front door is visible in the next scene.
dialogue - dialogue is the speech or conversation between two or more people.
voiceover - is speech that is added over the top of the scene, this helps to develop the scene and deepen understanding. Many films voice overs may be the characters thoughts being shared with the audience.
mode of address - this covers the manner in which the narrative comes across to the audience
direct address - when a narrator or a character speaks directly to the audience, not to characters within the piece.
sound mixing - Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content,d ynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may be added. This is done in order to produce a mix that is more appealing to listeners.
sound perspective - "Perspective" is the three-dimensional aspect of the sound picture (or scene) constructed. Sound perspective creates a sense of spatial dimension through the positioning of sound sources. Sound perspective in film is the apparent spatial relationship between a given sound and the visual image.
Soundtrack:
score - is original music written specifically to accompany a film.
incidental music - music used in a film or play as a background to create or enhance a particular atmosphere.
themes - music that always accompanies this particular programme or even a particular character (see ref to the Bond theme above) and suits its mood or themesstings - musical Stings are short bursts of music.
ambient sound - can be recorded on location or can be added to the soundtrack.
Mise-en-Scène
Production design:
location - This is where the scene is set. Location is greatly important.
set design - Set design is the look of the location, It makes the location come to live. Creating a naturalistic environment.
costume - Costume is what the characters wear, this helps the audience gain a sense of era and characterisation.
make-up - Make-up works in also showing the characters era and it often emphasizes expression properties. It creates individuality between characters or even makes them look more similar (Perhaps two people are playing twins.)
Lighting & Colour Design - Much of the impression movies leave on viewers stems from how lighting affects perception. It sets a particular mood. Bright, colourful lighting often brings with it cheerfulness in films. Actors seem happier. Dark colours suggest sinister characteristics in actors and set the mood for dark plots. Lighting provides a way for directors to focus attention on characters. Lighting also sets location, indicating that a scene takes place in a room with no windows or in a well-lit auditorium. Coloured lighting might be an indication that a police car's emergency lights are on in the distance. The angle of light, the mixture of light sources and contrasting lights between two parts of a scene also produce dramatic effects.
Body language -
Facial Expression -
You will then relate these technical and visual codes to one of the following aspects of representation:
· Age
· Ethnicity
· Sexuality
· Class and status – including star status
· Physical ability/disability
· Regional identity
· Gender
A good start - but....You'll need to catch up in time for our next lesson. Put next to the different shot sizes and angles why these particular shots are used - for what effect? eg a wide shot is to establish the scene and often anyone in it.
ReplyDeleteDifferentiate your headings for camera shots/moves/angles - ideally these would be subheaings so it is clear which items come under them.
I have added descriptions to each shot, angle and movement. Also I have made the different headings clearer by making them bolder and bigger.
DeleteWell done Ella - these alterations make your post stronger and clearer - camera moves are hard to see in an extract - provide film clips for these so you can really get an idea of what you are looking for - this will really help with your exam work.
Deleteoops - also meant to say to add your prezi
ReplyDelete