Tracking shot practical

Travelling / Steadicam shot / one take  - Includes no editing, camera follows characters along in a scene. This type of cinematography makes the audience feel more connected by following the action and not distracting or disturbing anything with evident editing.
To experiment this, our group took a continuous shot of people running from someone scary. What went well was the transition from the first character to the rest however the steadiness of the actual camera could be improved along with adding in any other ideas such panning down to the grass and up again as part of a ' cut ' also allowing the actors in the scene to change positions. This includes a technique learnt and demonstrated in Birdman-
Bird-man- 
 https://youtu.be/YontML1YuMQ
An example of a film which successfully demonstrates a Steadicam shot is Bird man. Though it includes some cuts, they are subtle and make a scene look as though it has been filmed all at once. For example, cutting during pan shots. The camera has a few seconds to pan to something irrelevant or unnoticeable to keep the audience distracted whilst using a cut.
Some ways in which the camera has been placed means there's a natural wipe cut. - an object in the shot goes across the top and bottom of the frame allowing it to 'wipe' across.                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                             

Scary film editing

As part of initially learning how to use Premiere Pro, I have edited together clips given of a scary film. I have learnt other ways of cutting videos e.g by using the mark in and mark out symbols and selecting to choose the video only or audio only along with experimenting with ways to start or show a video. For example, going to effects and using anything under video effects, adjust and blur / sharpen which suits the clip aesthetically.

As an improvement further on, I have added audio, this being something I could not do at the beginning of the year, along with sound and visual effects experimenting with things such as Constant gain/power and eyedropper filler. To improve the clip could be edited in longer duration.

High key photography - photography studio

High key photography -

High key - bright, not many shadows, white backdrop

Low key - dark, more shadows, black backdrop. 

High key photography is used mostly within fashion photography and portraiture photography.
The purpose of this photography is to create a solid white background and focus on the foreground, also known as infinity lighting, along with creating an overall natural setting.

• 4-5 lights are used with this setup - 2 are focused on the backdrop itself and do not go on the model. These lights can be adjusted between the settings of 4-6. Do not let these interfere with the model.
• To stop the lights from interfering and differ from the model, place poly-boards facing away from the two lights. Place these at roughly a 45 degree angle and make sure the model is not too close to the backdrop itself. 
• More light can be projected onto the model, this can be done by using a backlight.
• The backlight is a higher light which further separates the model from the backdrop. In any studio setups for high key photography, this light would bring the subject forward & prominent from the backdrop.  

 Vivider's-

Silver - contrasts

Gold - radiates a warm glow & overall gives a warmer tone. used mostly in vivid mode on a Nikon.
White - a natural reflection onto the model / subject & colour neutral light. use if the brightness onto a models face is desired to be higher.

High key - bright, not many shadows, white backdrop

Low key - dark, more shadows, black backdrop. 

Projection photography -

This type of photography can be abstract and involves a projector. The effect created depends on where the projector is placed and uses continuous lighting. 

Some info about pp - 

• The closer the projector to the backdrop the smaller the image will be
• Putting the projector on the floor allows it to project across the whole backdrop

Projection photography artists -

Mads perch -

                  Marthe Sobzak

Studio photography research

                                                        
Fashion photography -
I would like to experiment with fashion photography in the studio as I hold an interest in the genre as a whole and would like to view the results shown using the high key light setup. This allows me to experiment with something different and develop my skills with high key, and is different to usually using natural light. 

Lighting Setup - 
The high key studio setup includes using two lights focused on the backdrop and other main lights for the model, this may be 1-2+. Other setups can be used such as the 3 main light. This can be adjusted by switching lights off on or and positioning them in the desired places, allowing various experimentation. A white/ plain background allows the fashion including any accessories or clothing to stand out.




Gel light photography-
This genre of photography consists of a mix of portrait and fashion photography and can be used to create moods. A mix of light and dark colours can create interesting contrasts, making the overall photo more aesthetic. Using these colours also allows a photo to be annotated and seen as more deep. Specific colours can indicate or tell different stories and have various messages. This gives a photograph depth as well as pleasing aesthetic qualities, making it an area of photography I aspire to experiment in.

Lighting Setup -           
Using different lighting settings will allow exploration of highlights and shadows.This could be mostly in portrait photography by adjusting which colours reflect where and why. For example, having a bright colour reflect on the higher parts of the face or on only half the face. I would like to learn and use this setup for future projects.




Product photography - 
Product photography includes taking photographs of a specific product. This could be for advertisement  and commercial purposes for any brand. I would like to experiment with focusing all importance around a product when photographing in the studio.






Lighting setup - 
The setup includes using a light table and creating the infinity effect. The background of product photography must be plain white in order to allow the main product to stand out and attract viewers attention.This indicates that nothing in the frame / photograph is important and the only focus / main subject is the product itself.

Photography terminology - technical and aesthetical qualities.

F stops - number  / Aperture - lens

F, 1.8, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 32

1.8 to 8 - more light to through the lens, meaning a wider aperture.

The higher the number the less light, meaning a smaller aperture.

The F stop controls the amount of light that travels through the lens. Is there alot of light?

Includes natural light, studio light.

Shutter speeds

Fractions - ⅛, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/25, 1/250, 1/500

Shutter speeds control how fast or slow light travels through the lens.

Fast shutter speed - 1/25 to 1/500

When capturing movement, use a fast shutter speed.

Slow shutter speed - ⅛ to 1/30

When capturing blurriness, use a slow shutter speed.

Shallow depth of field - foreground in focus, background is out of focus depending on a certain number.

Depth of field - Controlling the aperture. Depth of field starts at 8.

1.8 to 8 - shallow depth of field

8 to 32 - depth of field

The f stop goes higher and the lens size decreases. This means light is only coming through in one direction,
creating depth of field.
A wider lens allows light to travel in every direction meaning a blurred, shallow depth of field.

F,    1.8, 2.8,   4, 5.6,  8,      11,      16 32

½    ⅛, ⅛    1/15 1/30   1/60   1/125   1/250 1/500

If changing the F stop without changing the shutter speed, the brightness will change. This is because
there is more light being let into the lens.

E.g, if allowing more light into the lens by changing from 8 to 5.6, the shutter speed must increase
to deal with and compensate the light.

The lower the F stop number, the higher the shutter speed fraction.

Modes on a Canon camera -

M - manual

A - aperture priority - control the aperture and shallow depth of field / depth of field.

S - shutter priority - controls both aperture and shutter speed.

Rule of thirds -

Rule of thirds includes using a grid template and making sure the main subject of the photo is within
the corner of any parts of the grid. It consists of two horizontal and two vertical lines. The point in which
the lines intersect show the most important subjects of the photograph or the whole actual subject, as shown
in this example.
Researching rule of thirds has allowed me to apply it naturally within my photography, and consider it
when filming to make shots look more cinematic. However, one thing I must improve when experimenting
with the technique includes making sure the subject is not too far off in the corner of a frame and
has some space between the edges.
My example:

web image

my photography

Horizon line -
The horizon line is a horizontal line in a photograph separating it into a top and bottom section. An
example is in landscape photography, the line may separate the sky at the top part of the image
and water below that. The horizon line can only be successful in examples of outdoor / nature
photography. Deciding where to place this line can massively affect a photograph.This is shown
when deciding which part of the photo is more interesting. For example, placing the line at a lower
part of the frame as the top part of the environment is more visually pleasing. Removing other
aspects from the frame allows you to focus.






Composition -
The composition of a photo includes the way certain aspects are arranged within the frame.
This is important in photography as it involves making sure subjects are
shown in the way the photographer would like it. This could be for message and meaning reasons or
aesthetical reasons.









Framing -
Framing includes the way in which subjects and objects in a photo are presented. Framing
can act as a border and make the main content of a photo stand out. The main idea of
framing is to set a focal point, allowing viewers to stay concentrated on one main subject.

Personal example of framing:

This photograph has been taken at an angle which allows the two branches to act as a frame over the main subject of the leaf, peaking through and filling the negative black space of the fence. Furthermore with this photography being part of nature / landscape photography, shallow depth of field has been used with the main branch blurred and the orange / autumnal leafed tree in the background to be blurred out with the foreground in focus, again showing the main subjects importance. 










Depth of field -
Depth of field is when both the back and foreground of a photograph are in focus. To create
this the F stop on a camera must be above 8. This technique is most likely most used when the
background and subject of the photo are as important as each other. As the F stop goes
higher, the lens size decreases allowing light through the lens in one direction only.
















^depth of field ^shallow depth of field

Shallow depth of field -
Shallow depth of field is when a photograph's background is out of focus and the foreground
in focus. This can be used to show the importance of something and to create this effect, the
cameras F stop number must be between 1.8 and 8. The F stop number is low, meaning a
wider lens allowing light to travel in every direction. This therefore creates blurred,
shallow depth of field.

You get me scene analysis - Mise-en-scene and sound.

Mise en scene:

The setting of this scene is in a house with a party. The characters included are young and link to the audience who would be viewing this genre and type of movie. 
The props of this party scene included bottles with alcohol, cups etc. The characters are mingling, dancing and chatting with each other. Throughout this, there is dark, intimate lighting. Close up and mid shots are used and the camera focuses on the two male and female characters constantly talking. The overall intimacy created here differs this scene from other, and creates a flirtatious setting for the audience. 

There is slow camera movement, mid shot making the audience feel as though they are a part of the scene. This could show a calm atmosphere, making the audience really understand what is being said in the dialogue.

Party attire and casual clothing are effectively shown to inforce a normal day of a young adults life, which may engage the audience even further as they can relate. The same concept applies for heavy makeup.

Sound:

•  Most of the scene consists of direct dialogue between two people.
• There is a soundtrack as background music to match the party setting. This is therefore also parallel sound.
• Foley sounds of the ice rattling in the cup, and the door cracking. This makes the scene feel more real for audiences viewing.
• There is a sound bridge over the transition of two characters walking into the outside setting after almost getting into a fight.
• There are some dietetic sounds such as the screaming of the party and background laughs. This aspect of sound may not be obviously recognised but makes a difference in terms of successfully creating a fun, party atmosphere. 
• The dialogue of the characters is priority at the start of the clip but is mixed in with background noises when there are characters handling bottles in the main part of the party. This again inforces the idea of wanting the audience to be paying attention to the speech but also feel involved. 
• There are footstep sounds when one of the main characters makes her way into the bathroom. After this, the scene transitions to a different setting. This could be to walk the audience into the next setting, therefore making the dietetic sound an important aspect.

Different types of photography.

Fashion photography -
This genre of photography can be fast paced and competitive, through the changing trends of clothing and accessories to photographers changing their style of shooting and aesthetics. Fashion photography links to street photography where photographers create an art form from capturing in modern streets / places. This adds the idea of having an artistic background to make the whole photo look interesting. The background can also link or reflect a models clothing.

      

      

Editorial photography - 
In this genre of photography, photographs are used to support text, for example in magazine pages and newspapers and are used to visually give a message. This photography links to photo journalism and can reflect world topics. These photographs have messages and meanings behind them, portraying modern stories. Examples shown from a book show daily, modern people in the street.
One photo includes a mirror reflection in a portrait, which could be showing a persons thoughts on the outside world and reflection of life as they look out the window. The other photo includes many props surrounding the person in monochrome. The photos overall have deep connotations and many deeper stories behind.
Personally, I would attempt to use this photography in any projects as it can have deeper connotations and can be interesting to use.
An example of a person who undertakes somewhat of this photography theme is Susan Meiselas, who specialises in documentary photography.

Commercial photography - 
Commercial photography includes photographs taken to promote things for reports, businesses, etc in order to make money. This genre of photography overall helps sell a product in advertisement and must be done successfully in order for audiences to be persuaded and buy the product. The photographs make the product or topic look amazing and usually have neutral lighting and background settings to allow the main project to shine. Examples include travel brochures, restaurant menus / food photography and jewelry photography. The whole category uses photographs for sale purposes.