Theory Evaluation – – 500 words

Research findings

From my research, I have gained a more in-depth view of how narrative is constructed and how the techniques do it. The knowledge which I have gained from the presentation made me go further into research and ended up with the question being changed from creating a mood and appeal to how the narrative is constructed. I have learnt about how narrative is constructing and the narrative techniques used to do it by researching the narrative theorists and their theories whilst applying there use in constructing the narrative in the two films. My findings from the research into the theories helped me to construct a mostly well constructed and communication of how the techniques were used in the films, however, from doing further research I increased my knowledge and ability to communicate through the essay how the techniques are applied in the films more coherently.

Referencing

 

Throughout the process of my research findings, I used the APA referencing system for referencing the books and quotes used in my essay.  I did this well although I need to work on proofreading the referencing throughout the individual quotes/ book and making sure that the referencing system is followed and referenced correctly for each quote/reference.

How well have I done the narrative theory?

Overall I feel that I have shown and applied the narrative techniques used in the film weel both in a vocal and academically written way. I have applied techniques to the films and used academic material to back up my statements as well as used examples events within the films to further explain how the specific techniques have been used to construct the narrative in the films. I also need to further improve upon more intensive proofreading. A way I could improve this is by writing one paragraph by one and proofreading it for mistakes and correct referencing academic material before moving on to the next paragraph.

Overall things that I could improve upon are:

I need to improve upon my communication skills when presenting the information in a verbal form specifically my articulation of how techniques are applied in the films so that it is fully and more easily understood.  My presentation of the narrative theoretical technique could do with being more in-depth as well as more theoretical and academic knowledge.

 

How has it helped me as a practitioner?

From my research findings, I have been further assisted in improving my knowledge of creating a plot and story through the use of narrative techniques to construct the narrative. These findings such as the narrative codes will help me as a practitioner. For example when I next create a short film or any kind of video that requires some kind of narrative I will think in more depth about using narrative techniques to more effectively construct a narrative and create different layers in the story and plot. The narrative codes alone could be used to construct a basic and compelling narrative alone, then by applying and adding layers to the narrative already constructed with techniques such as binary oppositions and character development the narrative can be further constructed and made into a more professional piece.

Narrative essay test cut – 1

Discuss how narratives can be constructed using The Dark Knight (2008) and Man of Steel (2013)?

This essay will discuss how narratives can be constructed using The Dark Knight (2008) and Man of Steel (2013). This essay will do this by following these theorist’s theories: Todorov, Bordwell and Thomson, Levi – Strauss, Vladimir Propp, Ronald Barthes and how they help with narrative construction and character development. By, using The Dark Knight (2008) and Man of Steel (2013) this essay will depict and explain how narrative techniques are used and applied in these films.

Story and plot are the foundations for constructing the narrative. Plot establishes the relationship between the events of a story by using narrative techniques. ‘Implied’ information can be given by dialogue and this might be a ‘crucial narrative point’ about, for example, the childhood of a character (can only be considered part of the ‘plot’ if it is the Introduction in the flashback). Man of Steel’s ‘crucial narrative point’, is the childhood of a character being introduced. In Man of Steel, this would be Superman / Kal’el as a child from Krypton to earth throughout his childhood. In The Dark Knight, this same information can be applied differently compared to Man of Steel as its temporal order (The order of events – can be altered by the plot) is all over the place and being altered by the plot, however, The Dark Knight’s temporal order is shown in a correct and logical order.

The story is all the information, which can be shown and applied in a chronological order of events based on some true or fictitious incidents. The chronological order of events must always start at ‘a’. The Dark Knight and Man of Steel do this, however, the story is altered by the plot. Man of Steel does temporally start at point a then it goes to point c then point b. Narratives can be constructed using temporal order as well as frequency(repeating events, which could repeat the telling of a key event several times throughout a story to either highlight its importance or exhibit its significance in relation to the progression of events.) – In The Dark Knight and Man of Steel temporal frequency is not used as a technique in the films as it isn’t appropriate, although it could be appropriate for creating parallax in a sci-fi time travel genre. And the other temporal duration – (the amount of time passed in a film relative or different. Is one minute, one minute or is it the equivalent of days in the film?) in the films this is used and is important in the films at constructing the narrative. For example, in Man of Steel, there are flashbacks in Man of steel which pass a longer amount of time in less time than it would be in real life which creates a pace in the film. The Dark Knight uses it also to pace the film although it is a little more accurate to real life timing than in Man of Steel.

The plot may also refer to the sequence of events inside a story as ‘causal effect’ which affect other events through the principle of cause and effect. The causal events of a plot can be thought of as a series of sentences using linking verbs such as “and so”. Plots can vary from simple structures such as in a traditional ballad to complex interwoven structures sometimes referred to as an ‘imbroglio’. The term plot can serve as a verb and refer to a character planning future actions in the story. Since most film narratives involve a series of actions, it may seem natural to think that causation is the major connective between scenes in movies. However, it is implausible to suggest that scenes follow each other in most film narratives via a chain of causal ‘entailments’. I would guess that most succeeding narrative scenes are causally underdetermined by what proceeds them. Rather the connection is weaker than a causal one (Narrative Comprehension, 2013 pg. 26). A constellation of set events happens one by one in a storyline. These chains of cause and effect are applied throughout both films to form structures onto the foundations of story and plot to create more in-depth structures. This is done by creating a mixture of ‘causal conflict’. Cause and then the perceived conflict/ effect.

Linear Narratives present a story in a logical manner by showing the viewer what happens from one point in time to the next without using flashbacks or flash-forwards and then returning to the present. The Dark Knight follows a linear narrative structure. The Dark Knight presents the story as if it has been lived out by the viewer in a logical way. For example, point a to point b to point c. Todorov discussed how linear narratives had to be shown in a linear narrative of an ordered state, however non-linear narratives conflict with Todorov’s theory.

Non-Linear Narratives present a story in an illogical manner by showing the viewer what happens in an illogical manner. For example, starting on point c going to point a then to point b. A non-linear/disjointed narrative is a technique sometimes used in films where events are portrayed out of chronological order. Man of Steel appears in an illogical manner.

Narrative stands (different methods of developing storylines) are applied to construct narratives, storylines of characters although each film uses different strands to do this. The Dark Knight uses a multi-strand narrative in which, one or more storylines are developed without flashbacks.

Man of Steel has an asynchronous strand meaning it follows one or more storylines and also has flashbacks. Man of steel starts off in krypton then goes to the present then goes to the childhood of Superman.

Audiences are used to considering narrative as a linear cause and effect chain, these oppositions are less obvious. Berger’s point in identifying these oppositions is to demonstrate that:  – One of the ways these oppositions manifest themselves is through the looks of the hero and victim which ties in some of Ronald Barthes narrative codes. Two of the five narrative codes most relevant being Semi codes – the way in which characters, objects, and settings take on particular meanings. For example, Propps, spheres of action are individualised into a character by their codes of speech, clothing, and gesture (although they can be stereotyped.) In The Dark Knight, the Joker plans for chaos and destruction and is ill-dressed and unclean. Whereas the dark knight is Debonair, well dressed and whats both justice and order the opposite of the joker. In the Man of steel the same oppositions are there, however, they are portrayed differently visually general Zod is darkly dressed in a militarian suit of armour whereas Superman is dressed in bright colours as bares a symbol of hope on his chest, as well as this he carries no amour unlike general Zod this shows that he is the hero, a symbol for igniting hope in humanity, a symbol for them not to be destroyed like Krypton. He doesn’t wear armour because he isn’t a general or a soldier has just a man who happens to be krypton and trying to save the earth. Superman doesn’t have agendas like General Zod does. In The Dark Knight, Batman wears black to conceal himself in the darkness, give himself a surprise advantage, concealment, and an escape option. It’s the same reason that ninjas and common robbers dress in dark clothing, therefore, connotation shows that Semantic (Symbolic) codes are crucial as the audience explores the hidden meaning behind certain codes within a film. In Man of steel, Superman wears suit which has colours of red and blue with a symbol on his chest with the connotation of inspiring hope, this follows one of his main purposes as Superman to inspire hope in mankind on earth and help them to become better and stop them, from destroying there own planet like Krypton.

The other of the two codes being Symbiotic – signifies Levi Strauss binary oppositions (such as Good: Evil, Male: Female, Youth: Adult) and or Freudian Symbols. The differences in good vs evil begins to be shown not by the characters visual triads but in their personalities and history. General Zod is killing humanity and attempting to colonize earth, although he is doing it to bring back his people the Kryptonians and from his perspective, he is the hero and Superman is the villain. Whereas Superman is trying to save the earth but is also going against his own people Kryptonians as well as this even though he is saving humans by holding back from killing Zod until the end Superman could be considered responsible for a sizeable amount of the deaths of humans.

The Dark Knight becomes a powerful force much in the same way the joker is. He becomes hunted by Gotham, making people believe that he cannot be controlled. That he has lost all respect for the rule of the law, as Gordan realizes he needs to blame the murders on The Dark Kight, Gordan acknowledges not only the need for society to push their fears onto something but their hopes as well (which he allows them to do by preserving Dent’s good name). Batman is symbolized as the saviour of Gotham city. Superman and Zod are the same in a way they are both from Krypton, were both rejected by the leaders of the planet they called home. Zod was rejected by the council, Superman was surpassed by the military, his planet was willing to turn him into Zod even if it meant him dying.

In The Dark Knight and Man of Steel, the villains are understood as the villains however in these films it’s not so simple as good and bad. From certain perspectives, the villain could be seen as the hero and a character who could be considered both the hero and the villain is General Zod. This creates a binary opposition between the character a conflict which helps to construct and create more layers making the audience think about what really is considered good or bad. Barthes codes are used to construct the narratives. The other three Barthes codes are:

Action codes are significant events used to move the narrative on in a particular direction and change the scenes narrative for a specific reason.

Action codes can be applied in several different scenes in The Dark Knight for example: In the final action scene, the Joker has rigged two ferries carrying people out of Gotham to explode. One ferry carries civilians. The other ferry contains large numbers of prison inmates and some guards. The Joker has rigged both to explode, and he has given the crew on each boat the detonators, only they have the detonator for the other boat. He announces the rules of the game to the crew and passengers of each boat. This makes the audience think what is going to happen next, therefore, the action code is present. In Man of steel, action codes are presented throughout the film from the very start on Krypton when the codex is discovered which later on in the film is of great importance as it is the reason for general did being there with his army to colonize earth for the Kryptonians to be grown. By using this code it makes the audience suspect something is going to happen and its cause is the codex This has the audience sub/ consciously foregoing an action which makes them feel involved in the film.

Hermeneutic or enigma code: all the units whose function it is to articulate in various ways a question, its response, and and the variety of chance events which can either formulate the question or delay its answer; or even constitute an enigma and lead to its solution.

The Joker’s motives are not explained until the end of the film, which leaves the audience wanting more and makes the film more appealing to the audience. We first see The Joker in the opening scene, which leads the audience into questioning ‘Who is he?’ ‘Why is he stealing from the mobs in a bank’. The Jokers plans are not explained until the very end of the film, throughout the movie it is referenced that members of the mob have gone missing and most importantly why the Joker himself is interested in a large sum of money. It leads the audience to the idea he is interested in making a profit from killing the Batman, however, this is not the case when he burns his earnings and reveals how he is simply conducting his actions to display how self-obsessed humans are. In Man of steel, we as the viewers are first shown the planet Krypton which to avid comic fans will recognise as krypton which ties into cultural codes. Although to someone who is watching Superman for the first time not knowing much about him before enigma codes are used to Appeal to the audience having them asking from the start what is this place and what relevance is it to Superman.

Cultural, or referential, codes: these codes refer not to the text’s narrative but to outside the text. The outside, however, is not reality but a common stock of a culture as is expressed in the already written knowledge of morality politics, art, history, psychology, and so on.

The film Batman is a trilogy where the story of each chapter is linked to one another for example after the murder of Harvey Dent Batman was blamed for his death thus he decided to leave Gotham and give up crime fighting and saving the city, where he will return in The Dark Knight Rises. At the beginning of the Man of steel, the audience is brought to krypton the origin of Superman/ Kal-El. Later on, there is a conflict of opinions between Superman’s father and General Zod whom he fights in this scene cultural codes of a form of martial arts is used suggesting a martial arts  partially driven culture.

Vladimir Propp came up with an idea of narrative functions rather than the characters individual psychological motivations. According to (Lacey, year) –  Morphology of the Folktale. Both Man of Steel and The Dark Knight uses Propps theory to further construct the narrative and create more layers to the narrative by following Propp theory.

Man of steel

1 – Villan – General Zod

2 – The hero – Superman – Centre of the General Zod’s plans

3 – The donor – His farther – Gives suit, Advice helps on General Zod’s ship

4 – The Helper and Dispatcher – Lois Lane – Aids him

5 – The princess – Lois Lane/ Mother – Targeted by General Zod and his army

6 – The false hero – Zod tried to save his planet by killing the council and attempts to bring back his people by attempting to colonize earth. – He thinks he is right in his actions.

7 – The farther – Adoptive parents/Real Parents – Kryptionian – Took in Superman / teaches and leads him.

The Dark Knight

1 – Villan – The Joker – Deformed

2 – The hero – Batman – Centre of Joker’s plans

3 – The donor – Luscious Fox – Gives Batman Utility belt- Bat Mobile and other equipment and advice

4 – The Helper and Dispatcher – Gordan – Aids Batman, Sends Batman after the Joker?

5 – The princess – Rachel Dawes – Targeted by the Joker

6 – The false hero – Harvey Dent/Two-face – Seen as the real hero of Gotham but after Rachel’s death he becomes a villain – Twoface

7 – The farther – Alfred – Took in Batman after the death of his parents – aids him as both Bruce and the batman.

Throughout this discussion, the following will be the main points through the essay: narrative structure, elements and codes. I conclude that the following narrative techniques best construct the narrative in Man of Steel and The Dark Knight. These techniques are temporal duration, order, codes and binary opposition. When I next think about creating a short film or anything that needs a narrative structure the techniques that would be most effective in helping me as a practitioner would be the narrative codes this is because they can create a narrative just on their own as well as create interest in a narrative even one without a defined structure.

Bibliography – Apa Referencing

Narrative comprehension and film

In-text: (Branigan, 2013)

Branigan, E. (2013). Narrative comprehension and film. London [u.a.]: Routledge, p.Page 84 – Story and Plot – Introduction to Film by Nick Lacey.

Introduction to film

In-text: (Lacey, 2016)

Lacey, N. (2016). Introduction to film. London: Palgrave, Macmillan Education, pp.- Introduction to narrative 77. – Todorov and Propp 78. – Story and Plot 84. – Ronald Barthes Narrative Codes 88. – Other Approaches 90. – Post-Modern narratives 39.

Film theory

In-text: (Lapsley and Westlake, 2006)

Lapsley, R. and Westlake, M. (2006). Film theory. 2nd ed. Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp.Chapter 5 page 129 – 155.

Narrative in fiction and film

In-text: (Lothe, 2005)

Lothe, J. (2005). Narrative in fiction and film. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, pp. Jakob Lothe – Todorov, Tzvetan 17, 22, 39, 170, 171. – narrative 9, 16 – 17, 227 – Thompson, Kristen 8-9, 12, 30, 44, 70 – Propp, Vladimir 75. – Narrative 3, 4-7, 13-16, 3545, 72-4, 76, 79, 107-8, 119, 158, 164, 167, 187, 211, level, narrative 32-4, 83. – Bordwell, David 8-9, 12, 28-30, 44, 70, 209 – Barthes, Ronald 12, 16, 75-6, 77, 79.

Work Based Learning Other version

Research.

Provide a satisfactory range of examples using a variety of sources. Discuss a wide range of appropriate examples and replate them to your own work. Utilise a significant set appropriate of examples and critically assessed in relation to your work.

What is needed for a production?

Skills

My Role Camera Operator: According to creativeskillset.org camera operators carry out the Director of Photography’s (DoP) and Director’s instructions for shot composition and development. They are usually the first people to use the camera’s eyepiece to assess how all the elements of performance, art direction, lighting, composition, and camera movement come together to create the cinematic experience.

After the Director and DoP have rehearsed and blocked the shots, the Camera Operator and DoP decide where to position the camera and what lenses and supporting equipment to use. Camera Operators liaise with the Grip and other Heads of Department and keep them informed about how the position and movement of the camera might impact on their workload.

During shooting, Operators are responsible for all aspects of camera operation, enabling the DoP to concentrate intensively on lighting and overall visual style.

Camera Operators make sure the camera and equipment are prepared for the required set-ups and ready for any last-minute changes. They must be able to multi-task and to watch, listen and think on their feet while carrying out complex technical tasks.

Production Processes essential to working effectively in the production industry?

Production Skills. Give examples of this – Prove what you’ve done.

Contribution to the production processes, and group project work. Demonstrate high levels of practical skill appropriate to the given tasks. demonstrate production skills to professional standards in both a directed and directive capacity.

Whitby – client ben

Documentation – Storyboarding, Shot ideas insert the Ronan shots. Insert some of the shot ideas for the shoulder mount shot idea.

Setting up the equipment / Booking out equipment list.

Halle Orchestra

Setting up the equipment. – Tripod. Cameras – SDI Cables.

booking out the correct equipment – JVC – Making sure that I am proficient with the camera equipment and know what I’m supposed to be doing the types of shots and of who I am supposed to be getting.

Knowledge of the woodwinds, brass, flutes.

Personal Skills. Give examples of this – Prove what you’ve done.

• Insert shots that were used such as the Ronan

Demonstrate a satisfactory level of personal contribution and skills appropriate to working in a media production environment. evidence personal understanding and ability to employ personal skills appropriate to the sector. Demonstrate appropriate personal skills to professional expectations when working in the sector.

personal contribution some ideas, helping out others in their roles.

Communication – how is it appropriate to working in a media environment.

Audit.

Communication

Organisation

Technical Skills

Punctuality

Problem-solving

Ideas Contribution

Critical Analysis.

Contribute constructive critical comments on your own and others contributions to production projects. Contribute critical assessment of own and others work in relation to professional expectations. Demonstrate a critical understanding the personal skills required to work successfully in a professional environment.

Camera types (DSLR / Sony / Panasonic – JVC/ GH4/ Action Camera)

I have used the following camera types – DSLR, Sony and JVC Depending on the need for the shoot/event being filmed I would use a different camera. For example, I choose to use the JVC for the Halle orchestra because it was a live performance and I needed to reframe different shots and refocus them quickly. The JVC fits this task well because of the easily accessible zoom and focus rings, as well as the long-range digital zoom meaning lenses, wouldn’t have to be replaced for different shots. This meant that reframing shot The JVC was also the primary choice as it has an SDI cable port which was necessary for this particular event as the item was being used and needed the SDI cables to receive the camera feeds. They Halle orchestra went well and reasonably smoothly, however, there were some parts which were a little difficult. These parts were the process of setting up the SDI cables output from the camera to the Atem. This was difficult because there were connection problems some singles weren’t getting through and so there were only two cameras showing on the atem. this was overcome by replacing the cable with another one. Another difficulty was reframing the shots and focusing them quickly enough to be cut to on the atem, although after a little practice I got the hang of it. I did a little difficulty at first with setting the exposure, however, this was overcome by resetting the brightness of the display to a neutral zero. I think that overall even though there were a few problems the Halle orchestra went well and a good part of that was because of the effective and acceptable settings of the JVC.

I chose to use the sony cinema camera for the drama duologue because the Sony fs100 / 700 is a cinema camera which means it looks a lot better and has a lot more dynamic range than the JVC or DSLR which is why I chose it because I had thought out the types of shots I wanted and how I visually wanted the actors on set to look. As well as due to the fact that in the post I had more a more wide range of creative chooses whilst colour grading the shots. This is because the Sony has a high dynamic range which means that it has more colour data. Black isn’t just black it has different layers of greys in it. A further reason why I used the Sony fs100 / 700 to film the drama duologue is that I wanted to have easy and quick access to the settings one of these being the peaking which is when the subject lights on it and what isn’t in focus is blank. This was useful because it helped me to make sure that the shots were correctly focused which is one of the effective settings that aren’t on the is not a setting on the DSLR which means there’s a possibility shot may be out of focus.

The DSLR 77d is primarily used for quick shots, camera settings effects such as light painting, timelapse inbuild and various lens creative applications as well as the ability for low budget student projects to use devices such as the gimbal \ stabilizer and the shoulder rig because of the light weight of the DSLR.  another reason being the ability to use camera filters of various colour and ND strength. I have chosen to use the DSLR in several different situations from the other camera types, as described above and will talk about it more in the other sections below. Advantages of the DSLR are its light weight easy to get it out and get quick shots because it’s small and ergonomic. Disadvantages of the DSLR are that most have a lower Dynamic range than the sony cinema camera which means less creative chooses can be made in post-production and colour grading. Another disadvantage is that it doesn’t have as accessible settings as the sony or JVC which means it would be unsuitable for a live / multi-cam event. A production I have used the DSLR on is when I was working in a crew. filming a short film for horror con in Whitby. The DSLR was the choice for a few shots mostly because it was lightweight and able to fit on the Ronan – Stabiliser however because of this one of the dark scene shots was a little bit more grainy than the sony. This is because the DSLR had a lower dynamic range which meant that getting more greys and a well-exposed shot needed a higher iso even with correct lighting which caused the gain.

Gh4

This camera is a lot like the 77d as it also has a timelapse inbuilt function, although the gh4 has a 4k recording option rather than just 1080p this could be used for crispers footage, post-production zooms or for downsizing footage – makes 1080p look a little more crisp and better.

Action Camera

This camera has a wide angle lens and is small and lightweight making it good for any kind of sports as well as travelling maybe even for vlogs although there are disadvantages to it such as no manual functions and it has a fish eye effect distorting the edges of footage. This means other than travelling sports and action based point of view it, so it wouldn’t really be suitable for anything else like the camera above are.

Control of camera functions

Shutter

leds in dark room

street lights at night

tv exposed to the sensor

I have experimented with moving camera light painting outside with street lights and inside a dark room with LEDs which I achieved with a lower shutter speed. I did this to explore the how light was effected in a photo when the amount of time the shutter is open for is extended. doing this had different impacts in different situations which changed the impact as shown above. outside created flares with a slight background glow, inside a dark room with LEDs still and moving camera created a different more focused effect and moving frames on a tv caused an artistic cloudy effect. I have also experimented filming high frame rates as well as faster shutter speeds in order to counteract motion blur, which I did because I wanted to explore the impact these different speeds had on the shots. With these experiments I was also trying to achieve the impact of the shutter speed is that it was necessary for the shutter speed to be in bulb mode at a slow speed. this is because at the slow speed the shutter is open for longer creating a long exposure which creates the light paintings.

The differences in the speeds were reduced light because of the higher shutter speed needed as well as a reduced resolution which created a little bit of grain in the shot creating a less crisp shot. However, even though the shots were grainy I felt the higher fps created a more viscous like fluid effect as the dice dropped. The impact of the shutter speed is that as the fps was raised to 400 and 800fps it meant that the shutter speed also had to be raised. An example of this is for 25 fps the shutter needs to be at 1/50 of a second otherwise there will be excessive blurring and not the crispt clear look which in slow motion is important because it looks better to the human eye and is more likely to the audience for example – The slow mo guys.

Apature

Wide aperture/focus push

In this shot, I used an aperture appropriate to the light meter but also brought the lighting down a little in order to create a little more foregrounding and blur which I did by upping the aperture after lowing the lights to get the correct exposure. As shown above, I started focused on the phone and then shifted the focus to the subject. I did this because it adds more interest to the shot drawing the focus of the audience.

I experimented with different levels of the apertures f-stop from wide to narrow in different shots. In these shots, I experimented with the same location and shot but with wide and narrow apertures, the effect was two different shots one with the attention more on the lower thirds and the second with the top third drawing more attention. this is because for the first shot I exposed for the ground and house and in the second shot I exposed appropriately for the sky by upping the aperture 3 stops to f 11.

In this shot I exposed the shot for the corridor and stars part in the shot, this meant that there was some grain in the dark parts at the start of the shot, However for where the shot goes I think it is appropriate. I exposed this shot by staying on 1/50 shutter speed, 2.8 aperture and 800 Iso, I would have rather not gone so high on the ISO although due to lighting equipment restrictions it was required which added a little grain.

For this shot, I used a low key lighting set up I did this by just holding an led torch which I then shined and moved it on and around the vicinity of the glass which created the moving Bokehs with a few bubbles effect I wanted to achieve. I did this by opening up the aperture to 1.8 on and racket the focus until the lights were somewhat out of focus but also slightly in focus.

Timelapse

Time lapses aren’t used as conventionally as normal shots were taken in normal time, for example, someone walking for five seconds is five seconds long, however, time lapses are compressed in time which can be useful when trying to convey the passage of time. I have experimented with different time lapse settings such as overall duration and seconds in between shots taken using the in-camera time-lapse function. This had different impacts such as smoother vs choppier footage because of the reduced amount of frames when a frame is only taken once every 5 seconds once every 2 seconds. I also experimented with setting different manual exposure and keeping it the same exposure as the first frame which caused the camera to be bombarded with light as the sun passed or be able to fade to complete darkness due to the exposure being set to a bright sky. For the timelapse, I didn’t have to consider the settings as much as I would have done if I had used an external intervalometer because in the inbuilt timelapse was a lot more automated. However, if I had used an intervalometer I would have had to do the math of how long it would be for 30 seconds and so that would need so 30 seconds is about ~ 720-900 frames (photos). And for certain time-lapses such as people rather than sunrise and sunset, the seconds between photos taken would need to be considered depending on if a slow and smooth or a quick and jumpy time lapse is appropriate which I also had to consider whilst doing the time lapse of the sunsets.

Creative application of vision equipment (framing/composition)

As shown below I have experimented with different shots applying compositional guides which I did to experiment with the different types of compositional sizes and angels while applying compositional guides.

Rule of Thirds – Golden Rule –  Symmetry

Soloist Wide Shot

Close up – Symmetrical

Rule of thirds / Leading lines

Leading lines – Symmetrical

Rule of thirds

Rule of thirds top right correlating lines

Symmetrical but not fully suggesting there relation ship isn’t perfect/ Rule of thirds

Rule of thirds

Woodwind’s Section

Rule of thirds – Correlating lines

Brass Section

Sitting to standing – Golden – Rule of thirds

Guitarist

These shots are mostly accurately framed although some would have been more effective had they been differently angled framed slightly. By applying these compositional guides it had a positive effect on the shots they were used in because by applying these guides it makes them more appealing and interesting to the audience. An example of this is below. Most of the shots filmed at the alight although they could have been more appropriately framed and due to the time restraint were not as accurately frames as the could be.

I think this shot was appropriate because it is almost on its own third of the rule of thirds. I did this because I wanted to create an atmosphere of nothingness and being alone because that’s how their relationship has become they are no longer as close as they were when it began. Another reason why I think it still works is that it is symmetrical in both the sitting and standing positions. However, even though I think it’s appropriate it isn’t fully correct composition wise.

In the following shot, I created a composition in the mirror as well as the subject that I did not intend as I was just trying to keep the subject composed well and created an eye-line across the subject to the mirror. this shot is well composed as it has the actor one almost just one vertical third each. The impact of this composition is that not only does it draw the attention of the audience but it also adds creativity to it because it mirrors that there are two sides to the character the somewhat normal and innocent one and the later on the killer.

Symmetrical

Two Thirds and She runs into the two colliding lines which attracts the viewers eye

One Third

Throughout the corridor shot, I kept up the composition although in different ways. it starts with them both on the left two vertical thirds and finishes with him on one third to the right. This not only shows the progression of movement from left to right but also is hinting that when the male actor is on the left on the right is a dark room, the shot contrasts with symmetry. This suggests that he is dangerous which adds to the shot as, well suggesting that as he is on one third almost and there are two thirds to go on the right there is going to be a lot more that happens which suggests that he may go even further than just fighting with her to the viewers. This, therefore, builds suspense.

Use of specialist accessories (jib / tracks / steady-cam/ Lens/Filters)

I experimented with different focal lengths on the sony. By using the wide Sony lens (18-200mm) for the duel log it meant that I could either make the actors look closer by zooming in which I did at times to make them seem closer or zoomed fully out in an extreme wide shot, which made the actors look further apart. This happens because as the focal length of the lens from the camera changes the focal distance from the lens to the subject changes the depth of field altering how much is in focus and creating more of a closer and 2d effect to anything, not in complete focus. I did this because I wanted to add to visually and subconsciously add to the dialogue and plot in the scene further telling the story.

Why is this explain the technical reasons for this – DSLR lens focal lengths / Filters – (50mm, 70 – 300mm)

I experimented with different time-lapse settings and with filters and with the 50mm vs the 70 – 300 mm lens.

200mm

50mm

This impacted the shots in different ways vs the difference in the field of view as well as creating a little less physical looking space between the trees and the sky at 200mm vs 50mm focal length. In the time lapses shots above I experimented with using colour camera filters and different strength ND filters. This had different effects using the nd filter at different strengths made the sky pop more and made the trees become a silhouette, which was the intended effect. As well as this on the 50mm, I used a orange and half blue horizon filter and other strength colours / ND strengths on the other shots above which for the 50mm gave the sky an blue colour with a hint of orange which meant less colour grading was needed if any in some of the shots such as the first two above.

Ninja blade

Ninja Blade

77D internal Recorder

I experimented filming with both the 77d internal recorder and recording through the ninja blade the effect was there was a more dynamic range in the shot a little more greys than blacks and there was a wider range of colour and luma information in the clip recorded on the ninja blade compared to the canon internal recorder, which meant that if it was used there would be more room for creative uses in post-production colour grading. Although there are a lot of advantages as talk about above, there are some disadvantages. these are that it somewhat takes away from being able to quickly get a shot with the DSLR, the ninja blade is something that should only be used on a well thought out production, not on just a quick shot as having it on top of the camera without a tripod makes it a little precarious.

Ronan

The Ronan is an electrical motorised gyro stabiliser, using software the Ronan counteracts movement on the x,y and z-axis. I experimented with the Ronan. For the Ronan shots, I first needed to set up put the Ronan together and put it on a stand. Then I started manually balancing the 60d onto it which was difficult because it was time-consuming and even the slightest mistake meant it would go completely off balance again. although after I had finished this I turned the Ronan on and set the correct resistance times on the Ronan’s motors and its different axis – z, y and x. this meant that I could get the appropriate slow panning and tilting movement I wanted. These were some of the disadvantages of the Ronan as it is time-consuming to set up the Ronan at first, although once set up it is reasonable ready to go as soon as it’s turned on.

I experimented filming as shown above with and without the Ronan, I did this to see the difference and the impact the Ronan had on the shot. The differences were that without the stabiliser the shot was a lot more shakey although in some cases that could be effective depending on what the production was, although for the short film I wanted a smooth panning motion as it contrasts the madness and killing with a calm pan. So I experimented with some zoom and panning in the shot above to get the desired effect I wanted.

In this shot, I experimented with using the Ronan with the remote controller which required me to have an assistant operator behind me to tilt the camera up when it got to the actor walking up the stairs. However, this did not work because using the controller made the Ronan become a lot more rigid and less flowing than in the shot below. This was because the panning motion was all up to the assistant and the shot wasn’t achievable because not only was it a fast shot it was to space restricting for two people to be walking sideways through a doorway which meant when it came to panning the controller was inverted. So I decided to just do the shot to the stairs and then the shoulder mount was used to show the stairs shot. The disadvantages of the Ronan are that with the remote panning is restricted to 180 degrees, which means that turning corners such as to walk alongside and around and then up the stairs is impossible. Which means that to do so requires the Ronan to be used without the remote which meant that tilting upwards wasn’t really possible making the shot impossible to fully complete.

Here I experimented with a tracking, panning and tilting shot of the actor as well as different low and high angles. In this shot, I got the desired panning motion I wanted and used it alone and without the remote, this is because I knew that from experience in the clip above using the remote wasn’t working. So I operated the Ronan alone which is supposed to be operated by 3 people I think I did this well and achieved the look I was going for. I did this buy my self, as I had gotten used to the feel of when the Ronan would turn and managed to manipulate the Ronan to do this, an example of this when I was following him and panned to him at the mirror I did this by doing a slight pre-pan with my body which made the motor correct the movement and pan. The impact of the Ronan in this shot was that it made it look a lot more appropriate as it lulls the audience into a sense of calm with the slow pans making them think everything will be fine which then adds to the horrors later in the film.

Shoulder Rig / Mount

The shoulder rig is a dynamic piece of equipment that moves with the camera operator. It allows the camera operator, flexibility of movement, which can really help increase efficiency during production. The shoulder rig also has negatives such as some slight jerky movement on panning and tilts which could have been corrected by using a tripod, although depending on the look of the shot the jerkiness can be appropriate as is the shot above for the feel in the current shot which is fear that a dangerous character may find the other character which the jerkiness conveys this to the viewers.

 Dolly / Track

The dolly tracks are a piece of equipment used as a shooting platform on any surface but are often raised onto a track, to create smooth movement on a horizontal axis known as a tracking shot. This piece of equipment can be used to create introductory shots to introduce a setting or character and could also be used to follow/track a character. The dolly track also has disadvantages to it which is why I did not take or use it on the Whitby horror con short project, this is because of space restraints it would not have fitted in the hallway which would have made doing the shots I wanted and succeed doing with the Ronan impossible to do.

Summative​ Skills Audit

Throughout this unit, my skills have improved in all skills although one of the skills in the particular documentation I have learned and mastered is the skill of logging during a production. I did this on both the drama projects and whilst filming a short for horror con, I have improved on my knowledge of this skill from nothing relatively nothing about it to understanding roll, take, scene and how to log it so that the editor job is faster and more efficient. I have also improved my technical ability whilst working on the duo duologues, live performances and the Whitby project, throughout these projects I have improved my skills in sound recording knowledge of recording technique. I have also improved upon my technical lighting and camera operating ability improving my knowledge of professional techniques and familiarity and camera equipment such as the Ronan. I have improved upon my communication and teamwork using techniques and knowing when to use them such as listening for action, communicating beforehand with the crew on the role that was required of me. I have also improved upon my teamwork by contributing creative ideas – helping create storyboards, shot ideas and preparation for shoots such as props like fake blood for the Whitby horror short,  turning up ahead of time  for shoots so that if any problems should occur they should be solved before the shoot and not interfere and been on a shoot to help out in any way I can even when my assigned role wasn’t needed so that u could assist in some other way.

 

Artificial lighting

I have experimented with the use of creative artificial lighting. for the Drama Piece – One Day, I set up a 3 point lighting with two additional lights one been an additional fill light just behind the camera and the other been off to the right to create a tree shadow as if the sun was behind it.  I did this because I wanted to create an atmosphere of an outside setting. I also used an orange gel however once I white balanced the shot it wasn’t as effective it was more subtle, although once I bought the footage into final cut pro and had a bigger creative range so it worked out better. For the scene I used a mixture of hard and some soft light I did this because I wanted there to be some contrasting but not too much I wanted there to be some soft areas such as the horizontal line of the floor to the curtains instead of there just been a straight black to floor there is a little more fading between the line which creates a spotlight effect. I did this because it reflects somewhat on their relationship how their feelings have changed the truth coming out about how they feel.

I wanted to also create a scene filled with light so that the table and the subjects are in focus and there movements and emotions can be clearly seen by the viewer also because I felt that for the type of acting and dialogue it was appropriate, although I still wanted to there to be some shadows to add a bit more interest so that it didn’t just look like a soap opera. Although at times there were some unintentional shadows on the actors that I didn’t intent as shown below. There is some shadowing around the characters eyes which hide some of her expression, although this could express to the viewer that because he can no longer see into her eyes a connection is lost a barrier put up which is the shadow.

Low key lighting – Reflection – hard lighting

Whilst setting up a shot for a slow-motion action of picking up a dice and dropping it, I decided to light the scene low key and with hard light in front of the camera. I did this to cast hard shadows so that any movement would appear silhouette in there actions. I also did this because the table I was using had a slight shine to it and so I knew that it would create a light path leading from the horizon one lower third to the camera. I did this because the contrast draws the eye of the view and makes the shot more interesting. I think that this shot was good because it is interesting to the eye and could be used on something like a tv series title sequence.

Natural lighting – soft lighting

Whilst setting up the camera I lowered a blind on the window, I did this to create a softer light. I did this because I wanted the shot to have a softness to it because I wanted the shadows to not be hard and in focus but to be faded into the light and out of focus. I did this to draw the attention of the viewers to the keyboard which is crisp and hard white which contrasts well with the other colours which are soft. This draws the interest of the viewer and could be used on something like an advert for a website or something computer developing related or a short film or a documentary on some kind of typing computer related work. I think this is a good shot although it would have been better to get a little less of a close-up and a narrow aperture so that the whole keyboard would be in focus.

Sun rays / hard lighting strong and bold shadows

Whilst setting up a shot, I had issues with the exposure settings because it kept changing because of cloud coverage at the time. this made keeping a correct exposure difficult.

 

Intentionally hard light? – TALK ABOUT THIS. Reflect on this, was it good if so why was it bad if so why?

 

I didn’t manage to fully overcome the exposure problems and so there were parts of the shot such as the shot that was overexposed and parts that were underexposed – give an example. This kind of problem could be overcome with more than one person doing the shot and if I film outside with conditions such as in this shot I will make sure to bring a bigger crew and lighting equipment such as reflectors.

low key lighting Drink out of focus light – bokeh –  –  Fizzy drink — bubbles — bokken’s – One small led torch rotated at the glass.

For this shot, I used a low key lighting set up I did this by just holding an led torch which I then shined and moved it on and around the vicinity of the glass which created the moving books with a few bubbles effect I wanted to achieve. I wanted the focus to be mostly the bokeh which is why I chose to use only one light low key. This shot was good because It attracts the eye of the viewer and is pleasing to the eye. Although other than just a moving set of lights out of focus it isn’t that interesting of a shot although it could have been if I had a character in behind the glass on a long shot and racked the focus the character. That would have made the shot even better.