Camera Angles and Movement

Wednesday 24th September 2014

In today's lesson I learnt more about camera angles and movement and the rules behind it. For example, I learnt that movies and TV shows etc are filmed in many different shots such as an extreme close up and that they are all used for different effects on the viewer. For example I learnt that filming the close up of what we as an audience are meant to be watching such as a high five or somebody eyes, you can see the detail in it rather than shooting a movie through a mid shot and missing a lot of detail through facial expressions etc. Another thing I learnt was the 180' rule. This is used so as an audience we don't get confused about where a person on camera may be walking. For example, if they were walking from the left of the camera to the right, and then you decided to shoot them from their other half (or 180' or more from the last shot) it looks like they are walking the opposite way which may confuse the viewer.

Cameras and how to use them

What I learnt from the lesson?
On Fridays lesson, I learnt about the cameras that the Media Studies department have and how to control them. I learnt that the front part of the camera is the focus, the middle is the zoom and the back is the exposure. I also learnt that to white balance the camera you must find something white and press the white balance button on the left hand side of the camera so it is seeing what the human eye is seeing. I am very much now looking forward to start shooting the thriller with all the new techniques and skills I have learnt. Also they will be hugely beneficial when I finally get to work with a real film camera for paid work as the cameras used in professional productions are very similar to the ones Hurtwood own.

Comparing Camera Angles and Movement

The Dark Knight- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OYBEquZ_j0

Here is the opening shot to the dark knight. They have used an establishing shot to show the audience where the film is being set. This is also a tracking shot.

Here is a mid shot from the dark night. This was used so the audience can see the gun but also can see his facial expressions clearly. There is no camera movements here as the actor is walking towards the camera to create the mid shot. The connotations of this shot show that he works in the building and his facial expressions show that he is on patrol, especially as he is carrying a gun.

I think the shots in the opening sequence work very well and instantly engages the audience and at know point in viewing are you confused about what's happening.

Shaun of the Dead - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnZGdC-vTCo

This is an extreme long shot from the beginning of Shaun of the Dead. The camera movements for this is a tracking shot moving right to follow the actor. This was used to show the audience that he is walking slowly imitating a zombie. The connotation for this shot is that we believe he may be possessed.

This is a close up on Shaun's feet. He is walking like a zombie as he has just gotten out of bed. The camera tilts downwards as Shaun walks towards the camera, fooling the audience into thinking he's a zombie. The connotation shows that he has just woken up/ that he is a zombie.

I think that although these shots clearly describe that they are situated in a small village, I think some of the shots are boring and doesn't really establish exactly where they are.

Shrek- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgzULuDrpaA

This is a long shot of Shrek. The aim of this shot is to give the audience an idea of the surroundings as well as showing Shrek's facial expression to the audience. The camera stays still during this shot whilst Shrek moves. The connotation shows a big friendly monster.

This is an establishing shot of Shrek's home. The camera movement zooms into the home after it shows the audience the kind of swamp it is. The zoom then shows the door to Shrek's home. The connotation to this is that Shrek is very happy with his home and it's well looked after due to the made furniture.

I think that for an animation film, all of these shots are interesting and establishes well where they are.

As all three of the films I have reviewed are very different it is hard to pick a distinct favourite, however for versatility my favourite shots are from The Dark Knight.

The Avengers Review

Favourite Film

One of my favourite films I’ve seen is The Avengers. I’ve been a fan of the Iron Man series since the beginning. It’s one of my favourite films for many different reasons from a great cast to amazing special effects. The film was directed by Joss Whedon.

One of the main reasons why it’s my favourite film is because of the great cast. Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans in particular play terrific roles as they have interesting and unique characters to play but also have chemistry when watching the film that most people would never thought they would have, however, it just seems to work. Scarlett Johansson also portrays a great role that is interesting as she seems to always have a plan for everything, and when her plan succeeds, she quietly continues on with the job she has to do rather than celebrate, this shows how this is so normal for her character. The actors for the film come across naturally and none of the film feels over acted or over acted powers. As well as this, a lot of the film includes some funny one liners which are subtly placed, however, without them it would be noticeable.

Another reason why I love The Avengers is because of the ongoing action and adventure that is continued throughout the whole film. For me personally it’s a great asset to have and kept me gripped throughout the whole film. Particularly in the fight scene, action is blasted left right and centre and there is always something to watch, such as buildings collapsing or the Hulk throwing a car! The special effects throughout the film are ongoing and are intriguing as well as gripping. When watching this movie I feel like I can’t take my eyes off the action due to the explosions and the intriguing and surprisingly funny script.

Another great aspect of the film is the fact all the superheroes are together and it somehow just worked. When I first heard about this movie I was unsure it would work as every superhero is so different, however they all have strong chemistry between one another and all play their part in the Avengers team. As a whole, it is one of my favourite movies, and most defiantly my favourite action movie due to a great cast, beautifully written script and constant explosions which keep you gripped from start until the end. The Avengers is one great movie.

Max Boast

Through The Eye

 Through The Eye

In the first shot, tension was built by showing an overview of the security office to give the audience an idea of what is in the room. This portrayed through a dimly lit room so the audience was forced to focus on the TV screen. I believe that the film is about 'unseen crime' and how many crimes can easily be missed (such as the one in this clip) so therefore many criminals get away with the crime they have committed.

In this clip, one very effective feature is that the whole two minute clip is filmed in just one shot. Throughout this shot, it slowly pans around the room which builds up tension as you as an audience are anxious to know what is about to happen. This effect is used in many films where the person opens a closet, and the audience expect someone to be there but there isn't, and when the closet is shut the 'ghost' is standing behind them. Therefore this pan was designed to create tension, to a relaxed moment and suddenly to huge shock where the audience don't expect it.

The first shots on the security cameras see innocent people (but the audience don't know that at this point) walk through the street. The audience believe that something bad will happen in these scenes however it does not. The camera then slowly pans around to the right where is starts to slowly zoom in on a security camera. This effect is designed to fool the audience into believing that there is something interesting about to happen on this screen, however nothing happens. Because of this the audience relax  as the camera slowly pans around once more, little do they know the crime will happen on this next camera. Before the camera shows the crime. it follows the security guard up his body, showing a bored and dull expression which isn't interesting for the audience so he is quickly ignored as the camera continues.

The music in this clip also plays a huge part about building up tension. The music is tense and tells the mind of the audience to 'expect' something bad to happen throughout this scene, which it does, however it does not give any clues away to when that may be. The crime isn't scary, however it is a shock to the audience therefore living up to the genre of the piece being a 'thriller'. I believe that the attack of the woman is to set up the rest of the plot of the film as 'unseen crime'. My suggestion of the film being about 'unseen crime' is made more realistic as the criminals were clearly not experts at this as they did not do the crime in a blind spot to the camera which suggests the film will focus more on the unseen part of crime.

Over all this beginning to a thriller builds tension from the beginning due to the build up of music to a let down to a sudden shock as well as the slow panning camera and fooling the audience. Therefore I believe this clip was successful in what it set out to do.