Main idea

Today, in our first two lessons of Media Studies, we have been told to get in our groups and continue to plan for our main idea. We have also been given a sheet for this that we should fill in thoroughly.

Juno

For a practise piece, our group has been asked to re-create the opening for Juno, or any other film of our choice. Because we couldn't think of another film we could do, we decided to settle with Juno.

We have been asked to do this so we can get used to planning, story boarding, using the camera and editing the footage.

Sound - Diegetic and non-Diegetic

Diegetic sound, is sound that you can here on screen.
For example:

• Voice of characters
• Sounds made by objects being moved
• musical instrument being played on set.

Digetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame. 


Non-Diegetic, is sound that cannot be seen on the screen
For example:

• narrator's commentary
• sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect
• mood music

Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the a source outside story space.

Goodfella's-Opening

Note: Unfortunately this video is 10 minutes long, but I only need the first 2 and a half minutes.
This is the opening scene to the Goodfellas.
This is a genre similar to the one we will be using for our main production.

The film startsby showing the opening titles, on a black screen sliding across until it reaches the middle, in bold white writing. After the credits it cuts to a man driving in a car. The key lighting in this shot is low, making the effect of mystery, and evil. Also there is no back lighting. As the scene progresses, a light is flashed into the car, showing you there are 3 current known characters so far.

GoodFellas - opening

Films we can use for research

Casino
Sin city
American Ganster
Scarface
Goodfellas
The untouchables
The god father
Road to perdition

Lighting

Key light - Key light is the main, and most influential light.  The main purpose of the key light, is to highlight the form and dimension of the subject.
Back light -

Preliminary exercise

Camera shots/angles

ES - Establishing shot

An ES is a camera shot that is shot extremely far from the character or object that they are filming. It shows the surroundings giving you an idea where they may be.

LS - Long Shot

This shot shows a whole figure but closer to the camera, it is intended to place relation to the object/persons surroundings.

MLS - Medium Long Shot

This shot shows more detail of the character, and it still shows the whole body but closer. It retains the setting quite clearly in the mise-en-scene.

MS - Medium Shot

This shot can roughly be from knees or wait to just above the head. It shows more detail on the character, it is mainly used in scenes when you can see what kind of expression they are using.

MCU - Medium Close Up

This shot is from the mid-chest to the top of the head, it shows much more detail and can contain two people talking it it. Can be used for shot reverse shot, and conversations.

CU - Close Up

This shot shows head and shoulders, it is very detailed and is used to show emotion and feeling/reactions.

ECU - Extreme Close Up

This shows a small part of a face/object and can show extreme fear or emotion if tightly on the eyes. Close-ups are used for distinguishing main characters. Major characters are often given a close-up when they are introduced as a way of indicating their importance. Leading characters will have multiple close-ups.

Evaluation

We had all done a video each that we edited, but in the end the one we chose was Dan's, because it was the best.
In the video we succesfully pulled off, match on action, 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot. I think the editing was done well, and the final video came out good.

Extreme Long Shot

And extreme long shot is where someone is who is shown to be small in the shot. This then emphasisis the background, and it also can be called an establishing shot.

180 Degree Rule

The 180 Degree rule is a simple guidline that states that two charaters in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. In this technique you cannot pass the invisible axis or this will be called crossing the line.

This is an example of the 180 degree rule.
On the right of the picture is showing how the 180 degree
rule is suppose to be used. The on the right it a shows an example
of what crossing the line is. So when the camera cuts across
the line the characters switch places.

I also have a video which would be useful for understanding it fully in the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBPw9C57TuU

Shot reverse shot

Shot reverse shot is a filming technique.
Basically, the camera frames one of the characters speaking usually from the point of view of the charater they are speaking to or behind the shoulder, and as each speaker talks the shot changes from character to character depending on who is speaking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqzO_Bf76VQ&feature=related
This example shows two girls having a heated comnversation for the first 7 seconds of the video. And as you can see Shot reverse shot has been used as a technique.

Match on Action

Match on action (also kniow as jump cut) is a technique used in production, where is cuts from one shot to the next one, but matches the first. This gives the impression of continuity, even if you have filmed the shots with a big time difference in the middle. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc1yWmSWvD4&NR=1

This is an example of Match on action.

Preliminary Exercise Brief

Our group has to do a Preliminary exercise. Basically what this is, is filming someone opening a door, walking across the room, sitting down and exchanging some words in dialogue.
We have to do this using 3 different camera angles. These are:
- Match on action
- Shot reverse
- 180 Degree rule

Intro

Hiya, I'm Chelsea.
This is my first year in studying Media Studies.


In Media studies we were asked to form a group of 3 or 4.
In my group are, me obviously, George Griffin, Dan Mills and Tara Jacklin.