'The Shining' Opening Sequence

Our First Edit

This weeks practical lesson involved the class being integrated with yet another timeless practical skill; editing. We were taken up to the schools filmmaking sweet where Matt(media teacher) gave us a short brief about what we would be doing in the lesson. He explained how all the footage from last weeks filming lesson had already been downloaded onto he schools server and was ready to be edited.

For the next 45 minutes, there was a two and fro between Matt demonstrating how to complete a certain task on the editing software and then us completing that task with each filming group sharing a computer making a communal process. The software that we used was Apples Final Cut Pro. This is a well know and respected editing software known for its speed and easy to use layout. Despite its reputation it is rarely used for things such as feature length films with Avid being the preferred software. Despite this it is used with some such as award winning film True Grit. However, this film had a relatively short space of time between filming and release so quick editing was needed which is why Final Cut was chosen.

Some of the simple things we learnt in the lesson was the essential skills needed to cut a shot scene together well. The first of these was all about the ability to organise your footage. With a lot of footage from a shoot being organised with it is essential to not getting confused and also saving time. Organisation is done using 'Bins' which are literally files that you can create which will duplicate pieces of footage and store it. The first was a 'Rush Bin'. This is where you put all the raw footage that hasn't been edited in anyway yet. It is useful as it is something you can always revert back too if you are not happy with what you've got or you have accidently lost some footage. From the 'Rush Bin' we can then sifter through our footage to find what clips we are interested in using for the film. The ones we think we will use we then transport to the 'Log Bin'. With this technique we know have a clear distinction between raw footage and footage ready to be edited.

After this came the actual editing process which I found far more simple than initially anticipated. After quite a detailed demonstration from Matt we then set about doing it ourselves. The software displays two screens, one where you can see the clip you are currently editing and one where you can see the film in its entirety. Below this was then a timeline detailing the changes between clips and sound. Simply you choose a clip from the log bin before then cutting it appropriately and then dragging it down to the time line to slot in with the rest of the film. If you later discover the cut was not accurate enough you can click on the clip in the timeline and then re-cut it on the first screen. After this you can then view it on the second screen to ensure you have changed it correctly.

The element of the editing that I actually found most challenging was just the decision element. When looking through our footage as a group we had to analyse the shots and decide what we thought the best order would be, and also at which point we should make our cuts. This raised debate when the group discussed whether we thought it would be boring to watch if we had three head and shoulder shots consecutively. To combat this we reverted back to our wide shot to apply variation.

On the hole I was very satisfied with how the lesson went. A skill that had seemed very technically overwhelming in fact wasn't so bad.



Above: The Final Cut Pro Layout
Below: Me, editing in the suite yesterday.

Opening Sequence Analysis Presentation

Skyfall opening sequence harrry from hurtwoodhousemedia5

Filming The Preliminary Task

Yesterday, the class completed our preliminary task. This included shooting a very basic scene that has been reproduced by the school for some years for this task. The sheet contains a fairly detailed storyboard documenting the simple dialogue and required shots. These shots included a wide shot, close ups (head and shoulders) on each of the two characters to feature in the scene as well as over the shoulder shots for each. The dialogue was specifically ambiguous therefore allowing us to construct our own meaning and intention for what was being said.

Firstly we were separated into groups. I was with a group including Phoebe, Kate and Arabella. This was good news as they were the people I had worked with when doing the other filming tasks. Although we don't have much filming experience thus far, familiarity and comfort with other members of the group would certainly prove helpful as Matt has told us that making films is "10% doing stuff, and 90% communication." Firstly we set about creating meaning in our scene. Myself and Phoebe volunteered to act in the scene. We decided that it might be quite comical if we made the argument a over-dramatic argument about how Phoebe couldn't reach the on button for the projector. Similar to last week the story for the sequence is not really relevant as at this stage its all about gaining practical experience but the group was all happy with the idea. We then as a group analysed the storyboard and made a rough plan of the order of shots that we would do. At this point we realised that we could do two completely different shots without even moving the camera. The significance at this level is minimal but at a grander stage the ability to do this on a real shoot will save the crew having to move all the equipment an extra time therefore saving time and consequently money.

We then started to shoot. The first shot we went for was a wide. We shot the entire scene in the wide first. This is common as if something appears to be wrong in another shot when editing you can always revert back to the wide and it will still make sense, it will just be slightly less exciting. Before shooting we of course made all the necessary checks such as white balance and focus. We also started to use the filming terminology as instructed and just like we were told it did feel more natural this time. Also we gained more of an appreciation of how using the terminology would minimise people making mistakes as it means that everybody is in tune with everyone else. Communication increase cohesion.

 

After shooting the wide we then cancelled them off the sheets and went for the close-ups. As said earlier we could actually shoot these without moving the camera. All it took was a simple zoom using the lens and it immediately appears as though the camera is far closer. Close ups will always ben important for making films as it gives the audience a chance to be impacted by the facial expressions of the actors. They will often be used at times of emotional climax in scenes for intensity but will very rarely be used for a long period of time so that they don't sacrifice their effect. Myself and Phoebe took over filming when doing each others close ups to give us a chance to operate the camera when we weren't seen in shot.

 

Finally, we took on the over the shoulder shots. This involved moving the camera and in some cases laying down markers for the actors to walk into to prevent them ruining the shot. These were done impressively quickly. Over the shoulder shots give the audience a chance to see the characters perspective without having to go into a POV and consequently loosing some of the surroundings. As the group finished with quite some time to spare we decided we would stray slightly from the story board and add a shot at the end of Phoebe's hand desperately and comically trying to reach the projector button.

 

Overall, I was very happy with how the group worked. Of course I am yet to see the footage but we worked very quickly, hopefully without loosing any quality. Obviously there were times of distraction and laughter in the group but at the end of the day these practical experiences are supposed to be educational but also fun.

 

*The storyboard we were given for the task.

*These are photos of us completing the preliminary task.

Initial Filming Experience

In this weeks practical media workshop we had our first opportunity to actually use the cameras. Eventually in this lesson we would be constructing our own filmed scenes without dialogue but first we had to educated on a few more rules and customs of filming in a professional capacity.

First of all Matt (one of the schools filming practitioners) split us in to groups of four and then trusted us with the task of taking the cameras out of their cases and erecting them on to their tripods. Thankfully all of us managed to retain this information from last week and managed to do this without a need for query. Then Matt on his own demonstrated the kind of thing that we would be doing in our groups. He filmed a very short scene, in which he walked into shot, stoked a plastic bird, picked up a remote control and then left. He showed us the way that this should be filmed from various different zoom lengths and angles in order to have numerous options when editing and also make the scene more complex and interesting when finished. For example, when editing if you were to find out in post that one of the shots was unusable, then it would not be the end of the world as there would be others that you could use to construct the scene. As for the other reason, the scene would be quite numbing for the audience if it was all filmed from one shot. Using different shots makes it more diverse and all together more watchable. During this demonstration, Matt also told us about the terminology that is protocol when filming professionally. Some of these were;

‘Stand by’ – When the director of a production is ready to start shooting he will shout 'stand by'. This call must then be echoed by relevant members of the crew and those who don't make input to assume their positions and remain quite. People who should repeat this are the camera man to mark up the shot and prepare for filming and the sound man to put the boom into position and make sure the microphone is ready.

‘Roll Camera’ - This is obviously what the director will say to the camera man when he requires to him to cue rolling. The camera man will often reply with 'rolling' to affirm the command has been understood.

‘Cut’ – This is obviously an iconic part of film making and one that barley needs explaining. The director will shout this when he is happy that the scene has finished or something has happened which means the crew need to 'reset'. It is very important that the crew only stop what they are doing after the director shouts this do avoid mistakes that may later occur in post.

‘Continuity Person’ – A continuity person is script supervisor, who keeps track on parts of the film that has been filmed. This individual notes any deviations between what has been filmed and what appears on a script. Also, he or she keeps track of props and blockings, in addition to ensuring there is continuity from one shooting to another.

After picking up these little industry phrases we then took our group of in to a secluded area of the studio to shoot our small scene. We had a very quick brainstorm where we decided to shoot a scene in which I walk into shot, sit down on a sofa at which a girl is sat, I then attempt to woo her and she comically stands up and walks away. Of course this material is not exactly Oscar worthy but that was not the intention with this exercise. It was simply to familiarise the group with the most basic of techniques for film making. The story was practically irrelevant.

We then got under way with our filming. We assigned roles for each member of our four person group. We had a director, camera man and two actors. I volunteered to be one of the actors. We then started to shoot the scene. We started from a wide and filmed the whole scene first before going in for head and shoulder shots and even an extreme close up to emphasis the comical facial expressions at some point. For continuity reasons we laid down markers during the process. Here we could notice how we would put what we learnt last week into practice in terms of focusing and changing the white balance. We were also continuously reminded to use the terminology we had been told about. Despite feeling slightly silly doing this it will soon become second nature.

After being allowed around fifteen minutes do this Matt called the groups back so he could one by one plug our cameras into the television so everyone could watch their groups footage back. This gave us an opportunity to see what we did well and what we didn't. For the most part what our group produced was very promising with considered angles that were all filmed cleanly. This workshop was satisfying and provided another step in becoming experienced film makers.

First Camera Tutorial

The first practical lesson of our media course featured the group visiting one of Hurtwood's filming studios. This was a blacked out room bearing a green screen wall and various different filming equipment. We were first given an introduction by Matt, a strong figure in the schools media department. It is him and a few of his colleagues who would be teaching and aiding us in a practical sense throughout the duration of the course.

After introducing himself, Matt then introduced us to the bulk of the equipment we will be using in our first year. The first of these was the tripod. We unpacked it from its package and were told how to construct it, and the intricate ways it could be moved and would therefore move the camera. Then of course came the camera. We were told that in our first year we would be using a Sony NX5 (pictured above). The NX5 is a HD camera that is very capable and can be used professionally but in comparison to others is fairly cheap. We were carefully instructed on how to correctly mount the camera onto the tripod and the way that it could be maneuvered. After this came a various different tutorials on the basic camera functions and the ways of operating its most basic features. The first of this was obviously how to switch the camera on which was with a button situated to the right of the eyepiece. Most of the buttons are well labeled so if you are to forget exactly which one you are to press it is not the end of the world. We were then told of the extendable and adjustable screen that erects from the camera which you can use if you prefer this to the eyepiece.

Next came any filming cameras most basic traits aside from recording, to zoom and focus. The controls to both these features are defined wheels on the lens of the camera only a couple inches apart. These were pretty much self explanatory to use. You adjust the camera’s position using the handle to the tripod, zoom in or out by turning the wheel to a distance you are happy with and then turn the second wheel until subject is in focus. As long as you remember which of the two functions is further away and which is closer then you should have no trouble. One extra switch Matt old us about away from the lens was the MD filters. This is a slider positioned on the side of the camera with three modes. With each mode it is like the camera putting an extra pair of sunglasses on. It is a ay of shading the camera from light if there is too much affecting the shot, it simply dims it down slightly.

The final thing we learnt how to do was changing the white balance on the camera. It was explained that changing the white balance is an essential part of obtaining a warmer looking shot with richer colours. Matt pointed out how in some of our frames the colors looked slightly pale and blue. Changing the white balance is a way of counter acting this. Firstly you must zoom in on something that is completely white so it fills the whole frame. Then we used the brightness wheel situated furthest back on the lens to adjust the brightness to make it as white as we possibly could. You then press the button entitled ‘WHIT BAL’ on the left hand side of the camera. There is a slight flashing on the screen for a couple of seconds before a change occurs. After this you can then zoom back out and refocus to find that the whole frame has been made much warmer and more aesthetically pleasing with the traces of blue being changed to oranges. Of course the things we picked up in this workshop are the most basic of features but it is these that we are likely to use every time we pick up a camera and will hopefully become second nature to us.

Semiotics - Denotation and Connotation

Connotation and Denotation are two principal methods of describing media texts. Connotation refers to the wide array of positive and negative associations that most things naturally carry with them, whereas denotation is the precise, literal definition of something.

These two definitions can prove very useful when analysing a media text. It is advised to possibly make a denotation/connotation grid separating two areas. The first area (denotation) would simply identify what is happening in the mise en scene specifically, for example there is cut to a close up of a cigarette lighter. The second area (connotation) would dictate what meaning or message we could draw from that such as the lighter will later become important to the plot and the close up is foreshadowing this event.

Due to us growing up in a generation entirely surrounded by media, there are certain objects or scenarios that society has projected that we naturally identify and associate with a certain meaning. It is been trained into our phycology and we may not even realise it. It must be said that the majority of these are negative such as knives, blood and guns. But it is even more specific than this. The type of gun used will immediately communicate what genre of film it is. This means that connotation can be a tool for a filmmaker to establish something within the film without actually having to say so in dialogue.

Applying this method helps us to look at media with logic and there are few better ways of breaking down a text to decipher meaning.

A Little Introduction

 

Hello, my name is Harry and this is my Media Studies AS level blog that will document my progress and development over this course. I have lived in Cyprus for ten years before returning to England three years ago to train at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and then arriving here at Hurtwood House to complete further studies. With my Dad being a helicopter engineer I don't hail from a particularly media based background. However, as you might guess over the last few years I have had a large involvement in media, taking Media at GCSE and doing bits of professional work in the media industry through my previous schools agency.

 Over the course of the year this blog will be a  hub of everything I learn and will state how successful I was in doing so. I hope you enjoy reading it and you don't find it too snooze worthy. Cheers!