In a group of three we completed a preliminary task consisting of filming, editing and analysing. the task was about a clip which had specific requirements: a character walking into the room, sitting down, then exiting the room. this task demonstrates match on action, shot/reverse/ shot and the 180 degree rule.
180 DEGREE RULE
The 180 rule is set up to keep things consistent. It's REALLY helpful in any kind of chaotic action scene so you can tell what's going on (see Gladiator), but should be used for all types of scenes and just a good rule of thumb to keep things consistent.Basically, you draw an imaginary line between two characters and keep the camera on one side of them throughout the entire scene. It's generally good to keep the main character on the left side of the screen and the secondary character on the right.
Reference: Ray Dillon (2005). Golden Goat Studios, Inc. Available from: http://www.digitalwebbing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41670 [13-09-2009].
SHOT REVERSE SHOT
Conventional technique of cinematography and editing for the filming of dialogue. In the classic shot/reverse shot sequence, the camera frames each speaker (usually 2-4) in medium close-up as he or she recites a line of dialogue. The shoulder or profile of the listener can often be seen, slightly out of focus on the edge of the frame, while the camera is focused on the face of the speaker.
Reference: Bordwell, David (2002). http://everything2.com/title/shot+reverse+shot [Accessed 13-09-2009]
MATCH ON ACTION
A continuity cut which unites two different views of the same action together at the same moment in the movement, making it seems to continue uninterrupted; for example, when a character claps his hands and the film cuts to a close up of his hands as they come together.
Reference: Professor Emily Carman. Film Terms Glossary. http://www.filmandmedia.ucsb.edu/program/122EC/Film-Terms-Glossary_Carman.doc
FRAMING
Framing technique is very subjective. What one person finds dramatic, another may find pointless. What we're looking at here are a few accepted industry guidelines which you should use as rules of thumb. The rules of framing video images are essentially the same as those for still photography.
Reference: http://www.mediacollege.com/video/camera/tutorial/01-framing.html
CAMERA MOVEMENT
Crab
A less-common term for tracking or trucking.
Dolly
The camera is mounted on a cart which travels along tracks for a very smooth movement. Also known as a tracking shot or trucking shot.
Dolly Zoom
A technique in which the camera moves closer or further from the subject while simultaneously adjusting the zoom angle to keep the subject the same size in the frame.
Follow
The camera physically follows the subject at a more or less constant distance.
Pan
Horizontal movement, left and right.
Pedestal (Ped)
Moving the camera position vertically with respect to the subject.
Tilt
Vertical movement of the camera angle, i.e. pointing the camera up and down (as opposed to moving the whole camera up and down).
Track
Roughly synonymous with the dolly shot, but often defined more specifically as movement which stays a constant distance from the action, especially side-to-side movement.
Truck
Another term for tracking or dollying.
Zoom
Technically this isn't a camera move, but a change in the lens focal length with gives the illusion of moving the camera closer or further away.
Reference: http://www.mediacollege.com/video/shots/movement.html
SHOT SIZES
Long Shot: typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surrounding.
Medium Close-up:The medium closeup is half way between a mid shot and a close up. This shot shows the face more clearly, without getting uncomfortably close.
Extreme Close Up: The ECU gets right in and shows extreme detail.
3/4 Shot: A shot of a person or persons from the shins up.
Close Up: A certain feature or part of the subject takes up the whole frame.
Medium Long Shot: A shot whose field is narrower than that of a long shot but much broader than that of a medium shot.
Medium Shot: A medium shot is a camera shot from a medium distance. Medium shots are relatively good in showing facial expressions but work well to show body language.
Depending where the characters are placed in the shot, a medium shot is used to represent importance and power.
Now that I have researched all of the above terms, i can now pay more attention to each of them when filming my next clip. so when annotating my next script, i can note these terms and pay more attention to them otherwise it could potentially ruin the whole clip due to complications by the viewers.
Continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer.
Plot of Prelim Task
We used a job interview for the theme of this task, where one character walked in to the interview room, sat down, exchanged a few words with the interview, then exited. We had Ryan, part of our group, act as a person ready for a job interview. Sohail, the interviewer, and Liam the cameraman. Ryan walks into the room, introduces himself to Sohail, takes a seat and Sohail then begins the interview. Towards the end of the interview, Ryan loses his temper and shouts at Sohail, followed by an angry exit.
