This week, we experimented with lighting. Firstly I decided to experiment with different colour gel lights (blue and yellow) to see what results I would get. I preferred the result of the blue filter, as it made much more of a difference to the lighting. The yellow filter didn’t make a lot of difference, it looked like just a normal (although slightly blurry) photo with no filters used.
For this I used:
LED light
Blue filter
Yellow filter
Blue filterBlue filterBlue filterYellow filterYellow filter
I didn’t have inspiration for these images- they were simply my experiments with filters.
More experimenting
Today I will be experimenting with lighting and genre. I will be taking a series of pictures in which the lighting matches the genre. For example, if I want a horror themed picture, the lighting will be dark and shadowed. If I want a romance themed picture, the lighting will be bright and soft. I will be using different lights, coloured filters and different camera settings to create this effect. This will tie in nicely with my cinematography research.
Example- Romance lighting- soft, natural looking lighting. Referenced at bottom of post.
Example- dark, shadowy lighting for a horror setting. Referenced at the bottom of the post.
In today’s session, I looked for certain photos online that I would want to try to recreate (or get inspiration from). These were the results I came out with. I used filters (blue, yellow and red) and two LED lights for these images.
Referenced at the bottom of blog post
Blue and yellow filters
I found the first image because I wanted to look into shadow lighting, as I thought this was usually something found in horror films. The first image (although not a scene from a horror film) was exactly the kind of image I wanted to recreate. I learnt that the closer the light is to the subject, the bigger the shadow is. Using this knowledge and also playing around with the aperture on the camera, I was able to create a similar photo of my own.
Referenced at the bottom of the pageBlue and red filters
I was very pleased with how this came out. I wanted more of a ‘crime’ setting for this image, and as I liked the colours in the first photo I found so much, I decided to try and recreate the exact lighting by using red and blue filters. As red and red based colours usually indicate danger, I thought this would work well for a crime genre.
In the first photo, I used blue and yellow filters. I quite liked this image, I thought I could associate it with a crime or horror genre as the lighting is fairly dark and shadowy, resulting in a ‘mysterious’ looking photo. I originally wanted this photo to be a bit darker than it turned out. If I were to go back and take it again, I would change the exposure compensation on the camera to achieve the exact results I wanted.
In the second photo, I used blue and red filters. I thought it looked like a 90’s crime film/programme, as the colours reminded me of police sirens.
I am quite pleased with the way the photos I took turned out. I didn’t get to take many photos altogether, but I am happy with the outcome of the ones I got. I will be using these techniques and the equipment I used when I do my Final Major Project, as this task has definitely furthered my interest in cinematography.
Today we were given the task to take the Myers Briggs Personality quiz to find out our personality types. After answering a lot of personal questions about myself (e.g. do I get anxious easily? Am I a dreamer? Am I an organised person?) the results came through and I found out that my personality type is “Mediator” or “INFP” meaning that I’m introverted but I also want the best for everyone and always try to find the good in all situations. Generally, I agreed with a lot of the points it made. One point that was mentioned that I could relate particularly well with was that I often get overwhelmed and drained if I’m around groups of people for too long.
Something that I didn’t exactly agree with was the part that said all INFP’s are good at learning new languages- I disagreed because this isn’t something I’ve ever been skilled at myself. Something else I felt I didn’t relate with with was that “INFPs can be easily tripped up in areas where idealism and altruism are more of a liability than an asset” and that they have difficulty in keeping friendships and relationships going.
I found this test incredibly interesting. I don’t feel like I learnt a lot about myself, but it was interesting to read points about myself that I agreed with (and also disagreed with). The result was full of both positive and negative points about the INFP personality. I think this test is something everyone should do at least once, as I believe people can learn a lot about themselves, and also figure out aspects of themselves they need to work on.
My Transform project is a short re-edit of the 2004 film Shaun of the Dead. As the original genre of the film is comedy/horror, I decided to create my own trailer using clips from the film and turn it into a romance film, with a relationship forming between the two main characters- something that is implied in the film, but never proven.
As my Transform project is a re-edit (transforming Shaun of the Dead into a romantic film trailer), I didn’t need to partake in any filming. Because of this, during the week everyone else was filming, I sorted out and noted down all the clips I was planning on using. I thought that the task wouldn’t be as difficult as it was. Firstly, I had difficulty downloading the clips I needed from YouTube, as the all the YouTube converter websites didn’t work from college. This made me panic as I thought I’d have no way to edit my project at all. I spoke to a tutor about this, and I was told I could edit at home if that made it easier (I then found out that all the converter sites worked from home). I managed to complete my edit in approximately one hour with an outcome that was exactly the way I’d planned it.
Evaluation
Five strengths in my project:
The editing
The use of music
The storyline
Simple yet effective
Five weaknesses in my project:
The low quality of some of the clips
Slightly rushed
The quiet audio
The “transform” story in my video was “already implied in the film”
Areas of development
The main area of development in my project was definitely my general idea of what my Transform project would be. I had a fair few ideas on what I wanted my project to be before I came up with a final idea. My first idea was a short video I was planning on filming, changing one genre into another (romance to thriller). I spoke to one of my lecturers about this idea, and was told it wouldn’t meet the criteria of the Transform project and that I should think of another idea. I decided on doing a re-edit, as I had never done one of these before and wanted to develop my editing skills (which I think I managed to do quite well).
What could you adapt about the work produced to improve and develop it?
If I could go back and change/improve aspects of my project, I would start with either making the audio louder or using better quality clips with loud audio. The clips I used couldn’t be heard too well as the audio generally was very quiet due to low quality and the music I used (no matter how much I lowered the volume) was a lot louder than the dialogue, which was definitely an issue- I would definitely improve the sound in my video if I could go back and re-do it.
Is the final work appropriate for the needs of your target audience?
My target audience was 16-30 year old people of both genders. This is because the original film was aimed more at males, but as my re-edit was a romance, it was targeted at females as well (statistics show that more females watch romantic films than males do). I believe that through the use of genre, theme and already beloved characters, I created a piece of visual media that was appropriate for my target audience.
Did it go better or worse than you expected?
Overall, I thought it went better than expected, even though there were a few aspects of my project that I would have changed if I could go back and re-do it (e.g. changing sound levels, using better quality clips, etc.)
What was the feedback from the client/lecturer?
I received both positive and negative feedback from my clients and lecturers. From this feedback, I was able to think about what I would change, do differently and also possibly do again in future projects. I had feedback saying that the audio was too quiet and that it was difficult to hear the dialogue over the music. Some positive feedback was that my choice of music was effective as it fit the genre and overall theme of the video and added to the “romantic” atmosphere.
What do you think you could improve next time?
There main things I would improve if I choose to do a re-edit again in the future would be looking into getting better clips that were higher quality (both visually and audibly) as this makes the viewing experience more enjoyable for the audience. I would also spend a lot longer on my edit next time, as I feel that my video was a bit rushed as I wanted to get it done as quickly as possible.
What is cinematography/what does a cinematographer do?
Cinematography is the process of capturing imagery for films (motion picture photography). The overall outcome for the images captured is for them to be both visually beautiful and powerfully moving in terms of narrative. The cinematographer works closely with the director to achieve the best possible results. They are also generally the person ranked second highest after the director in film crews.
Why is a cinematographer an important part of a film crew?
As cinematographers are ranked very highly in film crews, it is obvious they play a very important role in a film crew. Cinematographers are mainly responsible for the way a film looks as they focus on lighting and camera lenses, whilst the director decides on camera angles etc. Cinematographers have the capability to effect the audiences emotions, even by making the smallest changes and adjustments to a scene (e.g. manipulating lighting or colours).
The cinematographer is sometimes known as the Director of Photography (or DP). Some examples of famous and talented DP’s are as follows:
Emmanuel Lubezki – cinematographer for Gravity (2013)
Roger Deakins – cinematographer for The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
László Kovács – cinematographer for Ghostbusters (1984)
Harris Savides – cinematographer for American Gangster (2007)
Being a cinematographer is a challenging career, as they have a lot of responsibility when it comes to creating a visually pleasing piece of work. If successful enough, cinematographers can go on to win Academy Awards for “Best Cinematography”.
Below- Emmanuel Lubezki winning the award for “Best Cinematography” for the 2013 film Gravity.
Today, I will be doing some research into the theme of fear. As my chosen discipline is cinematography, I will be researching the use of fear within cinematography.
Firstly, I did some research into what a cinematographer looks for when working on a horror film or a scene that includes elements of fear.
The cinematographer will look at elements such as
Lighting
Camera angles
Camera techniques/shots
Depth of field
Aperture settings
I watched a YouTube video called ‘How Horror Cinematography Taps Into our Primal Fears’. This video discusses the way cinematography in certain films portrays the element of fear within the scene. Firstly it talks about the wide shot slow reveal of the murderer in the famous shower scene in Psycho (1960) and the quick jump cuts that really add to the outcome of the scene. The Shining (1980) is next to be mentioned because of the scene of the child on the bike. The tracking shot builds a slow drag, adding to the tension.
No Film School (2016) Video essay: How horror cinematography taps into our primal fears. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p798hTc_Sko (Accessed: 22 February 2017).
As I have decided my chosen discipline is cinematography, I will be looking into how certain cinematographers have used the theme of fear in their work. The first cinematographer I am looking at is Bill Butler. Butler was the DP (Director of Photography/cinematographer) for several horror films such as Jaws (1975) and Childs Play (1998).
Looking at Jaws, the cinematography used in this film is very effective in terms of provoking fear in the audience.
In the scene captured above, the people in the sea were running as there had been a shark sighting close to the shore. This image captures people running, scared expressions on faces, people crying etc. These are all elements of fear. This scene also included a lot of close ups of peoples faces, truly capturing their fearful states. In another scene in this film, a certain camera technique is used which really adds to the fear element. The Vertigo Effect (or Dolly Zoom) has been used in many different films and is almost always effective in making the audience feel uneasy. This shot is created by zooming out but moving the camera forwards at the same time, resulting in a dramatic and terrifying outcome.
Next, I will be looking at William A. Fraker. Fraker worked as a cinematographer for many films, such as Bullitt (1968) and War Games (1983). The film I am going to be researching today is Rosemary’s Baby (1968). Directed by Roman Polanski, this horror film had some very gripping cinematography in it.
Although the general aesthetic of this film is quite dark, Fraker had a certain idea in mind when working on this film. I found a website that talks about his work on the film which quotes ‘What kind of atmosphere can we create?’ We were trying to have a different atmosphere in every room in the apartment, so when you went from room to room, there would be a different light.” One of the main aims for Rosemary’s Baby was not to create “flat field” but to create depth. Polanski, who directed the film, speaks about his process working with Fraker and they talk about focused on using composition, camera angles and wider lenses to create the horror effect they wanted.
After researching cinematography, I went on to do some experimenting of my own. I looked at the way lighting can create a mood and determine a genre- in this case, horror.
For this image, I used an LED light and a blue filter. I wanted to create a typically dark and “menacing” effect. I quite like the way this turned out, with the light directly in the centre on the subject and the pitch black on either side.
For these two images, I wanted to experiment with shadows. Shadows can add an element of fear to any image or scene so I played around with the aperture on the camera until I got an outcome I liked. In addition, I used an LED light (positioned further away than in my first image) and also yellow and blue filters.The colour red typically symbolises danger and horror, so by using a red filter (and playing around with the aperture again) I managed to capture this. I like the two shadows and the way the subject looks small in comparison.
I will now be researching the theme of Good vs. Evil in film. Good vs. Evil is one of the most common plots in film today. These films consist of two people or two sides, one displaying “good” traits (who the audience typically will side with) and one displaying “evil” traits, who are fighting for victory. Some classic good traits will be things such as courage, loyalty, honour etc., whilst evil characters will display traits such as betrayal, selfishness etc.
Superhero films are a good example of good vs. evil (e.g. Avengers, Captain America: Civil War, Iron Man). The majority of good vs. evil films end up with the good side winning and triumphing evil, although this isn’t always the case (e.g. Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back). An interesting example to talk about is Suicide Squad, as the group of people chosen to fight evil are all dangerous villains themselves, which in reality gives the film a “bad vs. evil” plot. Will Smith, who plays the character of “Deadshot” in the film, stated that “What makes it different from other comic book movies is that there are, in fact, no good guys.”
I found an interesting article on ThinkProgress called “Superhero Movies and the Meaningless of Good v. Evil”. At one point, Alyssa Rosenberg, the author of this piece, talks about what annoys her about these kind of films.
“Cheering for someone who we are told is a hero, even if we have no idea what they stand for and what they stand against, feels good, but it’s ultimately a distraction, an experience that produces the feeling that we stand together with the people cheering alongside us in the theater even if we understand ourselves to be championing totally different things”.
“Good v. evil is a convenient distraction from having to talk about actual issues, like civilian control of superpowers as a stand-in for the military, or the impact of corporate influence on the scientific process, on which people in the audience might actually disagree.”
I am going to be researching how cinematographers portray the theme of ‘good vs evil’ in film scenes. Firstly, Seamus McGarvey who was the director of photography for The Avengers (2012).
I wanted to look at this image in particular as I like the high angle shot. These two characters (who are on the “good” side) are looking up at the “evil” which shows that at this moment, they are feeling scared, nervous or maybe even defeated. The high angle shot is always used in film (good vs evil plots especially) to make one person seem smaller and weaker than the person they are looking up at- a clever camera technique.
Next, I am looking at Eduardo Serra’s work as the cinematographer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
In this scene, a lot of close ups are used towards the middle/end of the battle between good and evil, showing the struggle and desperation to win on both sides faces.
I then took my own images experimenting with both high angle and low angle shots. I like this technique and would like to use it again in the future, possibly for my Final Major Project.
High Angle – this shot is usually applied when the character in the scene needs to look powerless and small.Low Angle – this shot signifies that the character in the scene is the one in power, looking down at the camera.
No Film School (2016) Video essay: How horror cinematography taps into our primal fears. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p798hTc_Sko (Accessed: 22 February 2017).
Today I will be analysing the first episode of British television series Broadchurch (2013).
Season 1 of Broadchurch first aired in March of 2013 and the second season came out in January of 2015. The programme did incredibly well with its audience, bringing in a lot of viewers whilst it was on air- for this reason, a third season has been confirmed. I am going to be researching the first episode of this series (in particular, the audience watching the programme).
Social/Gender – There are two lead characters in Broadchurch, Detective Inspector Alec Hardy and Detective Inspector Ellie Miller (played by David Tennant and Olivia Colman, both very popular actors) both of whom are opposite sexes. Throughout the whole series (but also becomes apparent in the first episode) the two main characters are both trying to fight for superiority. I feel that this will bring in audience members that are both male and female as they will be able to relate to both of the main characters. After doing more research on the topic of target audiences of crime dramas, I found out that the ratio of males to females watching crime films/programmes is more or less equal (but slightly more dominated by males).
Age of target audience – The age rating on Broadchurch is 12. This means, in the UK, children under 12 years of age should not be watching this. The series would have aired on television at approximately 9 pm for this exact reason. I don’t believe that anyone under the age of 15 will be interested in the show, mainly because it covers and discusses a lot of adult themes and can be very dark at times (themes of murder, also usage of adult language). I believe that the people watching Broadchurch would be around 18 years of age and the audience would range from this up to people in their 60’s.
Community and setting- Broadchurch is set in a British town called Dorset. Dorset is a fairly populated location, with 765700 people residing in it. Whilst the location in which the programme is set is a busy one, the series creates an effective illusion of it being a very small, intimate community. This is because crimes are much more interesting when in a small town or village, as everyone seems to know everyone and therefore people start to guess who the prime suspect could be, therefore creating an element of mystery for the viewers. This is displayed very well in the first episode, as there is a scene where a character walks down a street and stops to speak to everyone he passes- again, giving off a sense of a small, close-knit community of people.
Time – After finding some very interesting statistics on Gov.uk, I’ve discovered that during the time the series was written (which was 2012-2013) there were over 500 murders that took place within the UK, which doesn’t compare to many other countries around the world (the UK had a lot less).
For todays task, we got into pairs, wrote down a set of questions to ask each other and recorded interviews. The questions were mainly supposed to be about each others future plans, childhoods, viewpoints, our plans for our FMP’s, etc. I paired off with Amber and we managed to get our interviews finished within 20 minutes- we used our phones for recording instead of zoom mics so it was done fairly quickly.
As I had issues uploading my recording to Soundcloud, I uploaded it to PowerPoint instead (which I have linked above). In my interview, I asked my interviewee about her childhood, plans for University, future career plans and Final Major Project plans. I learnt a lot about her in just over four minutes of interviewing.
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