Sep 22,2024
24.9.2024(week1-WEEK13)
QIULIHUA/0365036
VIDEO & SOUND PRODUCTION/Bachelor of Design (Honours)in Creative Media
LEST
INSTRUCTION
LECTURE
lecture 1
Pre-production
- Idea development
- Story
- Storyboard
- Visual References
- Location/ Props
- Lighting
- Costume
- Principal Shooting
Post production
- Offline Editing
- Online Editing
- Audio Editing
What is a camera shot?
A shot is a series of consecutive frames between when the camera starts
and when it stops filming. Shots are vital in film and video production
because through different types of lenses, angles, and movements,
filmmakers are able to highlight specific emotions, ideas, and actions
in each scene.
Shot size
Establishing shot:
An establishing shot is a film and TV shot used at the beginning of a scene to
introduce the setting, showing a large space like a cityscape or landscape, to
provide context for the upcoming story. It helps transition to a new location
and conveys key details about the environment.
master shot:
A master shot is a filmmaking technique that captures an entire scene from a
wide or fixed angle, showing all characters and key actions. It serves as a
foundation in post-editing and helps establish the location, scene layout, and
character relationships.
wide shot:
A wide shot captures a large portion of the scene, showing the subject in
relation to their surroundings. It emphasizes the environment, making the
subject appear smaller, and is often used to convey feelings of isolation,
overwhelm, or the subject's connection to their setting.
full shot:
full shot, captures the subject's entire body from head to toe with
minimal space around it. It shows the character's appearance and body language
while also providing some context of the surroundings. The subject doesn't
need to be centered in the frame.
Medium full shot:
A medium panoramic shot, or three-quarter shot, is framed from the knee or
mid-thigh upwards, balancing the focus of the character with the surroundings.
It's closer than a full shot, with body language and movement clearly visible,
making it ideal for conveying physical movement and subtle emotions.
Medium shot:
Shows the subject from the waist up. Focuses more on the character,
capturing facial expressions and gestures while maintaining some background
context.
Medium Close-Up:
Frames the subject from the chest or shoulders up. Emphasizes facial
expressions and emotional nuances while still showing part of the
surroundings.
Close-Up:
Focuses closely on a subject’s face or a specific detail. Highlights emotions,
expressions, or significant details, creating intimacy and engagement.
Extreme Close-Up:
Zooms in on a very specific detail, such as an eye or an object. Draws
attention to minute details, often used to convey intense emotion or
importance.
Over-the-Shoulder Shot:
Shows a view from behind a character's shoulder, focusing on another character
or object.Creates a sense of perspective and intimacy in conversations,
emphasizing the relationship between characters.
Two-Shot:
Frames two characters in the same shot.Highlights interactions and
dynamics between characters, often used in dialogues.
Cowboy Shot
A variation on this is the Cowboy Shot, which frames the subject from roughly
mid-thighs up. it's also a "three shot."
What is camera shot framing?
Camera shot framing is the art and science of placing subjects in your
shots. Camera shots are all about composition. Rather than pointing the
camera at the subject, you need to compose an image.
Single Shot
When your shot captures one subject it’s known as a single shot.Single shots
can be set and framed in any shot size you like, just as long as there is only
one character featured within the frame
Two Shot or 2-Shot:
Two shots are often really useful for allowing performances to play out in
a single take, which can be especially useful for comedy.
Three Shot or 3-Shot:
Three shots are really important in adventure films, or really any film that
has a group of characters, because it is an enormous time drain to shoot three
singles just to show every character, not to mention jarring.
Over-The-Shoulder Shot （O.S）
Another element of camera shots to consider is the perspective of the shot. An
over-the-shoulder shot shows your subject from behind the shoulder of another
character.
Over-The-Hip Shot
An over-the-hip shot is similar to over-the-shoulder in that the camera is
placed with a character's hip in the foreground, and the focus subject in the
plane of acceptable focus.
Point of View Shot
POV shots can also invoke horror, as seen in one of the best horror
movies Halloween but that's just the beginning.
A point of view shot (POV) is generally sandwiched between two other shots, a
technique called shot-reverse shot:
- A camera shot of a character looking at something
- Cut to your (POV) point of view camera shot
- A camera shot showing the character's reaction
What is depth of field?
Depth of field (DOF) is the term used to describe the size of the area
in your image where objects appear acceptably sharp. The area in
question is known as the field, and the size (in z-space) of that area
is the depth of that field.
The center most point of the field is known as the point of focus. The
imaginary two dimensional plane that extends from that point is known as
the plane of focus. And any part of your image that falls directly on
this plane is officially in focus.
-
Rack Focus vs. Focus Pull (Focus Pull = Passive vs. Rack Focus =
Aggressive)
- Shallow Focus Shot
- Deep Focus Shot
- Tilt-Shift Shot
- Soft focus
- Split Diopter
What is camera shot angle?
The camera shot angle is used to specify the location where the camera
is placed to take a shot. The position of the camera in relation to the
subjects can affect the way the viewer perceives the scene. A scene may
be shot simultaneously from multiple camera angles to amplify the
cinematic effect and the emotions.
- Eye Level Shot
- Low Angle Shot
- High Angle Shot
- Hip Level Shot
- Knee Level Shot
- Ground Level Shot
- Shoulder Level Shot
- Dutch Angle or Dutch Tilt Shot
- Bird’s Eye View Shot or Overhead Shot
- Aerial Shot
lecture 2
What is the three act structure?
A three-act structure keeps your beginning separate from your middle and your
middle separate from your end.
The three act structure is a narrative model that divides stories into three
parts — Act One, Act Two, and Act Three, or rather, a beginning, middle, and
end.
A Brief History of the Three-Act Structure
Now that we have defined the three-act structure in cinema, all stories (or
to use his language, tragedies and comedies) must have a beginning, a middle
and an end. These represent the three acts in the three-act structure. But
the most important takeaway from the 3-act is the understanding that one
event must lead to another, which then leads to another - this unites action
and meaning and creates the appearance of a story.
The Basis of the 3-Act Structure
Beginning, middle and end is not a formula. It brings cohesion to otherwise
random events. It is a story, a story.
Act I: Setup
Setup consists of the introduction of the characters, their story world, and
some sort of ‘inciting incident,’ usually the moment when the story begins.
This Inciting Incident occurs on page 16 and is further into the script than
most Inciting Incidents, but it's a bit longer in the script, so it fits the
pace. Typically, the first act ends about 20-30 pages into the script, which
is about 25% of the way through.
Act II: Confrontation or Construction
This is the main part of the story and often leads us to discover the worst
things that could happen to the characters. And, the drawing doesn't have to
move in one direction. There are ups and downs and twists.
Act 3: Resolution or Payoff
The ending should bring some sort of catharsis or resolution, (whether the
ending is happy or sad). It's a sigh of either relief or despair.
Understanding the 3 Acts Structure
Each act has its own set of guidelines that can help develop, structure, and
resolve the story, and there is no pre-determined formula to know exactly
when and where these key events should occur in each act.
3 Act Structure Breakdown
Most mainstream Hollywood films follow a traditional 3-act structure.
The Hook:
this is the opening of the film and, in turn, the first act.
Inciting incident:It moves the plot forward and gets our interest piqued.
First Plot Point:The first plot point is also often referred to as the interruption of Act
2. It's the point of no return - the characters cross this hurdle and then
there's no going back. That's where this differs from the inciting incident.
First Clip Point:The first clip point occurs about a quarter of the way through Act II. This
is usually the first obstacle, albeit a small one, and usually involves the
antagonist.
Midpoint:The midpoint is the middle point of the film. Usually, it is a moment that
changes the direction of the plot.
Second Pinch Point:Like the first pinch point, this moment is not as big as the intrusion of
the 2nd act or the midpoint. But it is important in setting up the third
act. Usually, the pinch point is a setback. The protagonist is in real
trouble, and the audience begins to wonder how the hell they're going to get
out of it.
Third plot point:Also known as break into act 3. so this plot point takes us to the highest
stakes of the story.
Climax:The climax is the moment that the whole story has been leading up to.
Resolution:Finally, the story comes to an end. Resolution is a moment for us
to catch our breath and see how this journey has permanently affected our
characters.
How to Write a Three-Act Structure
Novelists, playwrights and screenwriters have a variety of options
when it comes to organising the structure of their work, with
narratives traditionally broken down into acts to subdivide the story.
Certain short stories and one-act plays are narrated in one act, while
Shakespeare used a five-act structure. Nonetheless, writers generally
favour the three-act structure, a form that is typical of modern
narratives. The concept of three-act storytelling stems from
Aristotle's theorisation of story causality in the Poetics, where he
argued that each action triggers subsequent actions until the end of
the story.
What is the three-act structure?
The three-act structure divides a story into three distinct parts,
each centred around one or more plot points that drive the overall
action.
What are the elements of a three-act structure?
The three-act structure of a book or play represents the beginning,
middle, and end. In most three-act stories, about 50% of the plot
takes place in the second act, 25% in the first act, and 25% in the
last act.
Act I: Usually begins with a scene that expounds on the
world of the story, establishes the mundane world of the protagonist, and
introduces the rules for supernatural elements.
Act II: Contains rising action that leads to a midpoint and
crisis. For example, the detective tracks down her partner's murderer, the
inciting incident is the murder of her partner, and the turning point is
her decision to track down the murderer.
Act III: Begins with events leading up to the climax, where
the hero faces a decisive confrontation. In the detective story, she may
rediscover the murderer and make an arrest.
How to Use Three Act Structure in Your Writing
Act I: sets out the story, introduces the inciting incident,
and sets up the turning point into Act II.
Act II: contains the rising action, the midpoint, and the
turning point (usually the ‘dark night of the soul’) into Act III.
Act III: consists of the events leading up to the climax, the
climax, and the denouement.
Some novelists and screenwriters consider these plot elements in their
ideas, while others may be more open-minded and refine plot points after the
fact. If you prefer open-ended brainstorming, you can use the snowflake
method without having to focus too much on structure.
EXERCISE
Editing Exercise 1 : Mints
Doritos Exercise
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FIG 1.0 Final process
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week 2:
LALIN :
1. Which part is Act 1, Act 2,
Act 3 respectively?
Act 1: Lalin, the protagonist, has struggled with acne and self-esteem
issues since childhood, causing her to be ridiculed. Unable to cope with the
cruelty, she decides to move to Japan, where she can wear a mask without
feeling judged. There, she becomes a popular net idol, and meets Nut, a
cartoonist who hires her to translate his comics.
Act 2: Lalin and Nut start to interact more frequently as they work
together. Nut eventually travels to Japan to meet Lalin in person, but she
feels overwhelmed by her insecurities and chooses to avoid him, leaving him
behind along with a copy of his book.
Act 3: After reading Nut’s comic, Lalin imagines that Nut himself struggles
with obesity and is trying to improve himself. The story in the comic
inspires her to confront her own insecurities, culminating in her taking off
her mask, accepting her acne, and overcoming the low self-esteem that has
plagued her.
2. What is the inciting incident
in the movie?
The inciting incident occurs when Nut approaches Lalin to help translate his
comic, sparking their relationship and setting the main plot in motion.
3. What is the midpoint scene in
the movie?
The midpoint is when Nut travels to Japan to meet Lalin in person. This
event creates tension as Lalin’s insecurities prevent her from meeting him,
marking a turning point in their relationship.
4. What is the climax scene in
the movie?
The climax occurs when Lalin rejects the meeting with Nut, but later reads
his comic. Through the story, she imagines Nut’s struggles and personal
growth, which inspires her to face her own insecurities and take off her
mask.
5. What is the theme of the
movie?
The theme centers on self-acceptance and the idea that appearance does not
define a person’s worth. True change comes from within, through confidence
and embracing oneself rather than conforming to societal judgments.
REFLECTION
In these two lectures, I learnt in-depth about the basic concepts of
pre-production and narrative structure in film production. The
pre-production aspect includes idea development, story writing,
storyboarding and collection of visual references, which are all crucial
steps to ensure the smooth running of the shoot. By understanding the
definitions and types of different shots, such as panoramic, close-up and
two-person shots, I realised how the choice and composition of shots have a
direct impact on the narrative effect. This made me more aware of how the
nuances of each shot can convey a specific emotion and message.
At the same time, I learnt about the concept of the three-act play
structure and how the story can be divided into three parts: the beginning,
the development and the end. This structure not only helps to shape the flow
of the story but also emphasises the cause and effect relationship between
events. By identifying key plot points such as the opening, the twist and
the climax, I have mastered how to effectively construct a storyline to
ensure audience interest and emotional engagement.
Overall, these courses have enhanced my understanding of the filmmaking
process and narrative techniques. I look forward to applying this knowledge
to future projects to enhance my creative and practical skills. By combining
theory and practice, I hope to be able to better express my creativity and
ideas in film production.
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