READ the whole article HERE
Sunday 12 December 2010
Textual Analysis - How to (Creeber Article)
This is a great section about how to read a text in Media Studies. It's quite dense as a text but it does cover everything...really for years 12 and 13 and not for the first term of yr12!
READ the whole article HERE
READ the whole article HERE
Friday 3 December 2010
MONTAGE
MONTAGE is a style of filming where a series of images or small scenes of film are shown one after the other without using continuity techniques or having to direct the viewer to make sense by using dialogue or matches on action... You will make sense of the film yourself as you watch it by trying to make a storyline for it yourself (this is what KULESHOV said - that viewers connect images they see consecutively into a narrative- they try to link the images). Montage primarily compresses time or allows character development.
Here's what Wikipedia says:
Here's what Wikipedia says:
"Montage is a technique in film editing in which a series of short shots are edited into a
sequence to condense space, time, and information. It is usually used to suggest the
passage of time, rather than to create symbolic meaning as it does in Soviet montage theory.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, montage sequences often combined numerous short shots
with special optical effects (fades, dissolves, split screens, double and triple exposures) and
music. They were usually assembled by someone other than the director or the editor of the
movie"
sequence to condense space, time, and information. It is usually used to suggest the
passage of time, rather than to create symbolic meaning as it does in Soviet montage theory.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, montage sequences often combined numerous short shots
with special optical effects (fades, dissolves, split screens, double and triple exposures) and
music. They were usually assembled by someone other than the director or the editor of the
movie"
Here are some examples:
This sequence shows the passing of time AND uses cross-dissolves. (From 'Ocean's Thirteen' Dir. Steven Soderbergh)
This sequence is a classic example of Hollywood montage. The couple are not yet together (Butle and Heigel) and are at odds. This is a classic ROMCOM plot. We see the girl discuss her meeting with her potential new boyfriend. The montage sequence follows, showing her subsequent first date and then a few weeks/months are shown as the relationship develops. This is done in under 2 minutes so shows compression of time - a central reason to use montage. As per convention, it also uses a music track over with no (or little) dialogue. The narrative is moved forward without using much screen time. To allow you to consider just how much time is compressed, consider how you coul film a whole movie about this girl meeting and dating this guy - here it is a side issue to the main narrative and needs only be told rather than explored. (From 'The Ugly Truth' Dir Robert Luketic)
Similarly, this extract from the TV show 'Bones' utilises the same technique although the time that is compressedd here is much shorter. The girl won't marry Booth (the male character) and we see him consider this and go to the bar (where all the main characters often collect at the end of each episode). Here the emphasis is on the emotional journey of the character and as such does develop the plot - character development is crucial; working alongside narrative trajectoty (the basic telling of the story) it allows the audience to empathise with the character and this draws them into the episode (or film). Audiences need to care about the characters in order to continue to watch an episode (or film).
This TV episode from 'Merlin' uses montage to show an event compressed (the funeral of a colleague) and shows the service and the funeral pyre intercut as if edited in continuity parallel. We see the two sub events happening together through parallel editing but the sequence is montage as the soundbridge of King Arthur's eulogy coupled with an emotive sound track are the conventions of montage. Again the audience are being allowed/invited to empathise with the characters and join in with their grief as it were.
This sequence is a classic example of Hollywood montage. The couple are not yet together (Butle and Heigel) and are at odds. This is a classic ROMCOM plot. We see the girl discuss her meeting with her potential new boyfriend. The montage sequence follows, showing her subsequent first date and then a few weeks/months are shown as the relationship develops. This is done in under 2 minutes so shows compression of time - a central reason to use montage. As per convention, it also uses a music track over with no (or little) dialogue. The narrative is moved forward without using much screen time. To allow you to consider just how much time is compressed, consider how you coul film a whole movie about this girl meeting and dating this guy - here it is a side issue to the main narrative and needs only be told rather than explored. (From 'The Ugly Truth' Dir Robert Luketic)
Similarly, this extract from the TV show 'Bones' utilises the same technique although the time that is compressedd here is much shorter. The girl won't marry Booth (the male character) and we see him consider this and go to the bar (where all the main characters often collect at the end of each episode). Here the emphasis is on the emotional journey of the character and as such does develop the plot - character development is crucial; working alongside narrative trajectoty (the basic telling of the story) it allows the audience to empathise with the character and this draws them into the episode (or film). Audiences need to care about the characters in order to continue to watch an episode (or film).
This TV episode from 'Merlin' uses montage to show an event compressed (the funeral of a colleague) and shows the service and the funeral pyre intercut as if edited in continuity parallel. We see the two sub events happening together through parallel editing but the sequence is montage as the soundbridge of King Arthur's eulogy coupled with an emotive sound track are the conventions of montage. Again the audience are being allowed/invited to empathise with the characters and join in with their grief as it were.
The next extract uses montage to show a journey and to compress time - it's been done in a very 'knowing' and humourous way of course (from 'Snatch' Dir. Guy Ritchie)
Friday 5 November 2010
Editing
There are a few things we need to know for AS about regarding EDITING:
PACE
STYLE
HOW MEANING IS AFFECTED
In relation to pace, we're interested in how often there is a cut. Obviously in a main part of a film, there will be a fairly steady pace of editing, with the exception of conversations where it is quite normal to be cutting between two speakers on a rapid basis. This will involve SHOT-REVERSE SHOT and Over The Shoulder (OTS) shots. Where the action or tension is increasing, there tends to be an increase in the pace of editing - that is there are MORE edits per minute. This is a generalisation obviously but a good rule of thumb.
When filming and cutting a conversation or action sequence, it is important NOT to break the 180 degree rule (i.e. you don't cross the line to film from the other side of the action). This would confuse the audience as objects and people will appear on the 'wrong' side of the screen and audiences use direction and other editing rules to make sense of the action.
Count how many edits there are in the first 1mins 38 secs then count how many from there to the end - that should give you an idea of the increase in pace. There is also a very good graphic match in this sequence between the bath plughole and Janet Leigh's eye.
PACE
STYLE
HOW MEANING IS AFFECTED
In relation to pace, we're interested in how often there is a cut. Obviously in a main part of a film, there will be a fairly steady pace of editing, with the exception of conversations where it is quite normal to be cutting between two speakers on a rapid basis. This will involve SHOT-REVERSE SHOT and Over The Shoulder (OTS) shots. Where the action or tension is increasing, there tends to be an increase in the pace of editing - that is there are MORE edits per minute. This is a generalisation obviously but a good rule of thumb.
When filming and cutting a conversation or action sequence, it is important NOT to break the 180 degree rule (i.e. you don't cross the line to film from the other side of the action). This would confuse the audience as objects and people will appear on the 'wrong' side of the screen and audiences use direction and other editing rules to make sense of the action.
You need to stay on one side of the line!
For a classic example of how an increase in pace of editing matches a rise in tension and action, watch the Psycho shower scene:
Count how many edits there are in the first 1mins 38 secs then count how many from there to the end - that should give you an idea of the increase in pace. There is also a very good graphic match in this sequence between the bath plughole and Janet Leigh's eye.
Styles of Edit
There are lots of ways to move from one image to the next - these are often called 'Transitions' and certainly this is what we call them when we are editing.
The main edit styles are:
STRAIGHT CUT
DISSOLVE
FADE TO BLACK
FADE UP
JUMP CUT
WIPE
GRAPHIC MATCH
A straight cut literally cuts form one scene to another. The fade to and up from black do exactly what they say on the tin - the screen either starts or ends completely black with a slow change form the image to the black OR from the black to the image.
A dissolve (which has many different variants when editing) is basically where one scene fades out and another fades in. For much of the time, BOTH images can be seen at the same time.
A good example of this technique being used repeatedly is in Citizen Kane - old but a clear example.
The main edit styles are:
STRAIGHT CUT
DISSOLVE
FADE TO BLACK
FADE UP
JUMP CUT
WIPE
GRAPHIC MATCH
A straight cut literally cuts form one scene to another. The fade to and up from black do exactly what they say on the tin - the screen either starts or ends completely black with a slow change form the image to the black OR from the black to the image.
A dissolve (which has many different variants when editing) is basically where one scene fades out and another fades in. For much of the time, BOTH images can be seen at the same time.
A good example of this technique being used repeatedly is in Citizen Kane - old but a clear example.
Jumps and Wipes
There are two main edit styles we are concerned with and they don't get used very often.
The Wipe is where one screen is slowly wiped off the screen by the other. The trailer for "Man in the Iron Mask' uses this technique repeatedly and whilst it was often used in the 60s it has been largely neglected until the recent wave of more 'punky' directors such as Tarantino and Ritchie. WATCH THIS EXTRACT - IT'S VERY LOUD!
A jump cut is where an edit goes from one shot to another, in the same scene yet the change is less than 30 degrees - this disorientates the viewer and gives the effect of 'jumping'.
The Wipe is where one screen is slowly wiped off the screen by the other. The trailer for "Man in the Iron Mask' uses this technique repeatedly and whilst it was often used in the 60s it has been largely neglected until the recent wave of more 'punky' directors such as Tarantino and Ritchie. WATCH THIS EXTRACT - IT'S VERY LOUD!
A jump cut is where an edit goes from one shot to another, in the same scene yet the change is less than 30 degrees - this disorientates the viewer and gives the effect of 'jumping'.
Framing
Make sure you're familiar with the different shot distances that you have a sheet for in your pack. This is basically what we would call framing - Close Ups, Mid-Shots, Long shots etc.
When using framing there are two things to consider:
There's no point just identifying shots - you need to understand and exploit their purposes and effects. Look in the Image Gallery Blog for examples and see if you can identify what is being achieved and when you're working on your practical exercises - think about how you are framing a shot - what are you excluding? what are you including? what are you placing at the centre of the frame?
How frames are composed is called Shot Composition and this is important in creating BALANCE and/or FOCUS.
When using framing there are two things to consider:
1. Which shot are YOU going to use and why - have you used lots of different shot distances?
2. What shot types have been used in the text and what effect is being created?
There's no point just identifying shots - you need to understand and exploit their purposes and effects. Look in the Image Gallery Blog for examples and see if you can identify what is being achieved and when you're working on your practical exercises - think about how you are framing a shot - what are you excluding? what are you including? what are you placing at the centre of the frame?
How frames are composed is called Shot Composition and this is important in creating BALANCE and/or FOCUS.
The Five Basic Rules of Shot Composition
with thanks to Smashandpeas and Richard Hemby for this post
While rules are often made to be broken in the field of photography, most experts agree that five basic composition guidelines will produce higher quality photographs and provide visual interest to your shots. By incorporating these guidelines into your photographs, you can ensure that you capture not only the elements you are photographing, but also the artistic design that you wish to capture.Simplicity
Many of the best photographs concentrate on a few basic elements. By highlighting only those components that add to your composition, you can focus the viewer’s attention precisely where you want it. Avoid cluttered backgrounds; by changing the angle or the perspective and getting up close to your subject, you can often produce a photograph that is visually stunning and has no distracting or extraneous elements that reduce the impact of your composition. Professionals often position the primary component of their photograph off-center to add even more visual interest to the finished product.Simplicity by korafotomorgana
Rule of Thirds
Professional photographers know that each shot is composed of three different spatial elements. The foreground, middle-ground and background are all present in most landscape shots; by noting and incorporating this into shot composition, photographers can create visual appeal by naturally drawing the eye to the middle ground and focusing attention exactly where the photographer intends. By manually setting exposure levels and deliberately selecting shots with these elements, amateurs and professionals alike can create works of art, rather than mere photographs. We have a more in depth article on the rule of thirds here.Balance
While balancing the physical components of a photograph is important, another aspect that is often overlooked is balancing the colors present in the shot. Color theory is an essential element in the art of photography. Shots that focus heavily on first-order colors, also known as primary colors, tend to be more dramatic. Certain colors, such as red, orange, and yellow, should usually be employed sparingly and limited to one or two elements of the shot since they tend to attract the eye and create dynamic tension within the photograph. Too many high-energy colors, especially in contrast to each other, can overwhelm the viewer and cause anxiety rather than producing the visual effects desired; by balancing strong tones with neutral ones, a more balanced composite shot can be achieved.Balance by Nicolas Ariel Zonvi
Framing
Professional shot composition requires perfect framing of each shot. This requires the inclusion of elements that give perspective to the main focus of the photograph. By being aware of the various components when composing a shot, the photographer can produce high-quality shots that include all the important elements while excluding extraneous material. Photography is the art of including some things while omitting others; this is the main object of framing. By choosing the elements to include, photographers engage in editing before the shot; by cropping the photograph after processing, the editing process continues afterward as well. Not only can you frame with your lens, you can also use objects in nature to frame.Framing by Mike Goren
Lines
Natural lines present in the shot composition, whether intentional or not, can give an added sense of depth and perspective to the photograph. By paying attention to these lines and using them to advantage to draw attention to the focal point of the shot, photographers can create tension and drama in their photographs and make a visual statement with each composition. Diagonal lines tend to create visual paths to lead the eye to the focal point; repetitive lines, on the other hand, are often interpreted by the eye as background, bringing the main focus into sharp relief against the repeated pattern of lines.Lines by Trey Ratcliff
Thursday 14 October 2010
The Frame Game!
Check out the framing in this extract from 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'. Here Sergio Leone uses shot distance to create tension - it is an absolute classic and although dated in style, can not be missed!
Panning Shots
Panning shots usually either allow a panoramic view of the film world OR they focus on the speed of passing objects - as this shot type sees the camera stay on a fixed point, the panning arc creates a background that flashes past the lens, giving the movement the prime place in the 'frame'.
In this sequence from 'Bullitt" (1968), there are a variety of shots - the sequence is famous and contains elements of under-cranking - recording film too slowly so that on playback at normal frame rate the action appears speeded up/speedier. (Over-cranking is the opposite - recording frames too fast means on normal playback movement is slowed.) Obviously this technique is not used so often these days with so much work done in post-production.
There are some clunky edits here but in its time it was ground-breaking and set the bar for car chase sequences (and their editing) for many years. It's worth youtubing the 'French Connection' for the car chase sequence which came about 10 years later and is also considered to be groundbreaking. It's also worth watching to the end - although the sequence is a bit too protracted perhaps, the focus on the burning bodies in the car is quite graphic and still a bit shocking - a classic example of scopophilia (pleasure derived from looking) in the cinema.
In this sequence from 'Bullitt" (1968), there are a variety of shots - the sequence is famous and contains elements of under-cranking - recording film too slowly so that on playback at normal frame rate the action appears speeded up/speedier. (Over-cranking is the opposite - recording frames too fast means on normal playback movement is slowed.) Obviously this technique is not used so often these days with so much work done in post-production.
There are some clunky edits here but in its time it was ground-breaking and set the bar for car chase sequences (and their editing) for many years. It's worth youtubing the 'French Connection' for the car chase sequence which came about 10 years later and is also considered to be groundbreaking. It's also worth watching to the end - although the sequence is a bit too protracted perhaps, the focus on the burning bodies in the car is quite graphic and still a bit shocking - a classic example of scopophilia (pleasure derived from looking) in the cinema.
Tracking Shots
Focuses on the object(s) in the frame whilst the background goes by...in the case of car chases/car journeys - quite fast. Tracking can also be about moving toward, away from or around a scene or object. Called tracking because it usually is shot by placing a camera unit on a trolley that runs on rails, a tracking shot could be filmed using a steadicam or crane on a truck...The best way to look for a tracking shot is to think of how it focuses rather than how it is physically shot.
The opposite to a tracking shot is a pan.
LONG TRACKING SHOT - first long track, Orson Welles - tracking on a lorry/crane rig
'Touch of Evil' 1958
The more modern camera will move more and generally switch around frequently. The direction can be changed although the 180˚ rule is still rarely broken. The Fast and the Furious (the original movie) has lots of examples of clear tracking shots but in the following example, the camera switches across the line, showing just how technical camera work is becoming...
In this final example, the tracking moves across a landscape and no particular object or scene is in focus. The way to distinguish a track from a pan in this case is to think about a PAN SHOT itself - the camera point stays fixed in place and the camera swings around in an arc or part arc.
The opposite to a tracking shot is a pan.
LONG TRACKING SHOT - first long track, Orson Welles - tracking on a lorry/crane rig
'Touch of Evil' 1958
The more modern camera will move more and generally switch around frequently. The direction can be changed although the 180˚ rule is still rarely broken. The Fast and the Furious (the original movie) has lots of examples of clear tracking shots but in the following example, the camera switches across the line, showing just how technical camera work is becoming...
In this trailer, you can see a mix of various camera movements - look for tracking, pans and crane shots amongst others
Godzilla Teaser Trailer
In this final example, the tracking moves across a landscape and no particular object or scene is in focus. The way to distinguish a track from a pan in this case is to think about a PAN SHOT itself - the camera point stays fixed in place and the camera swings around in an arc or part arc.
'The Mummy' 1999
Thursday 7 October 2010
Shot Distances - Framing
Long Shot - Low Angle
Two shot - Low angle
Close up - Focus on object in frame
High angle - long shot
High angle mid shot
Back-lighting - silhouette and medium long shot
low placed long shot
High angle crane shot (long)
Long shot
Long Shot
close up - focus on expression
Long Shot - low camera
medium long shot - notice use of colour
Crane long shot (overhead) (and use of colour)
backlighting - silhouette
close up and high angle
low angle long shot
mid shot
Use of colour - Opening of Phantom of the Opera
Look carefully at this extract for the use of colour but also for a very effective use of lighting and Mise-en-Scene, to an effective starting of the movie in a different time frame, to giving a back story to the events about to take place in the film's narrative and as an excellent example of an opening of a film.
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