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LECTURE & TECHNICAL NOTES
The image below catalogues the most common shot sizes that narrative films use to tell a story visually. Picking what size any given shot in a scene is filmed at has a very strong impact on the emotional quality of the shot, for instance a long shot can be used to convey a feeling of isolation and loneliness, or a feeling of the subject being trapped by their surroundings. On the other end of the spectrum, a close up implies a strong emotional connection with the subject due to the intimacy of this shot size with the audience.
The above graph outlines the order of events that make up the traditional three-act narrative structure that most feature films use to structure a story in film. Even films that do not follow a linear narrative structure, such as Memento that employs an inverted narrative structure, generally have all the individual events, just not necessarily in the same order as outlined in the graph. The above graph details the traditional arc that the archetypal Hero character undergoes in most stories told. This is not just true for characters in film but also in most classical forms of storytelling and even in the details of the life changing events most people experience over the course of their lives. The real art form behind structuring a screenplay and a character’s narrative arc is in integrating the events contained in both graphs above in such a way that they do not stick out and become too obvious within the context of the story being told. The main technique used to light film locations. Helps lift exposure, creates tone and the feel of a 3D space. For consistent results, all lights should be angled at 45 DEGREES. This is known as the 45 DEGREE RULE. BACKLIGHT The backlight is placed behind the subject, providing definition and highlights around the subject's outline. This helps separate the subject from the background and provides a three-dimensional look. Should ideally be set first and angled so it won’t shine directly into the camera. KEY LIGHT The key light is the main source of light and usually provides the MOTIVATIONAL SOURCE (established source of light on location) Sets the COLOUR TEMPERATURE of the location (Blue for Moon light, Orange for candle light etc.) It is usually the strongest and has the most influence on the look and depth of the scene. It is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that this side is well lit and the other side has some shadow. FILL LIGHT This is the secondary light and is placed on the opposite side of the key light. It is used to fill the shadows created by the key and represents reflected light from secondary sources. SOFTER and more DIFFUSED than the key light provides less defined shadows. HARDER and BRIGHTER than the key light provides sharper edges to shadows. The fill will usually be softer and less bright than the key and further away from the subject. TOOLS FOR LIGHTING FLAGS are made from a solid black material and can be used to block light on the subject. GELS are filters that are placed over the lights that can alter the colour temperature of the location. They can be layered for effect according to what is necessary for the mood of the location. How light or dark the image is. This is measured in ISO, SHUTTER SPEED and APERTURE. EXPOSURE TRIANGLE ISO Sensitivity of image sensor to light. 100 is “normal” setting and lets LESS light in. REDUCES grain/noise. 800 is “highest” setting and lets MORE light in. INCRESSES grain/noise. Higher setting can be used in darker settings to get faster shutter speeds. As a general rule, Iso should NOT exceed 800 otherwise the image will become grainy. SHUTTER SPEED The amount of time the shutter is open when exposing an image. Shutter speed is measured in seconds and fractions of seconds (1/1000, 1/30) The bigger the number the faster the imaged is captured. WHEN SHOOTING DIGITAL VIDEO, SHUTTER SPEED SHOULD BE SET TO DOUBLE THE FRAME RATE YOU ARE RECORDING IN (I.E 25FPS = 1/50 OF A SECOND SHUTTER SPEED) ND filters can help to adjust light levels when recording digital film with an extreme shutter speed and high ISO or Aperture settings. The SLOWER the setting (lower than1/50th of a second at 25fps) the MORE BLUR and camera shake (moving the camera while the shutter is open) will be captured. The FASTER the setting (higher than1/50th of a second at 25fps) the MORE movement will STUTTER and the FOCUS will be unnatural. APERTURE How wide the lens is open allowing it to let light in. Aperture is measured in F-STOPS and has a large impact on DEPTH OF FIELD. LARGE apertures let MORE light in and are measured in SMALLER F-STOPS. SMALLER apertures let LESS light in and are measured in LARGER F-STOPS. COLOUR TEMPERATURE Measured in degrees Kelvin, colour temperature is the scale used to measure different hues given off by various temperatures of light. 1000-3000 K are lower colour temperatures and called WARM colours (yellowish white through red) 5000-10000 K are higher colour temperatures and called COOL colours (bluish white) The 2 most common settings in film are: 3200 K = INDOOR (tungsten) lighting 5600 K = OUTDOOR lighting Understanding colour temperature is vital to setting a camera to the right white balance setting. There are 2 common types of lenses. PRIME lenses (e.g. 50mm) have a fixed length and CAN NOT be zoomed in or out. ZOOM lenses: (e.g. 24-105mm) CAN BE zoomed in or out between 2 different focal lengths. FOCAL LENGTH Indicates the field of view based on how far away the subject is from the cameras sensor and still in sharp focus. Measured in millimetres (e.g. 50mm) When the focal length of a lens increases, its field of view decreases due to magnification. The SMALLER the focal length, the more DISTANT the subject will appear to be and SMALLER in the environment surrounding it. The LARGER the focal length, the CLOSER the subject will appear to be and LARGER in the environment surrounding it. As the focal length and magnification of a lens increases, the image appears more compressed, resulting in less separation between the foreground, middle ground, and background LENSES AND DSLR CAMERA SENSORS Most modern DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) cameras use smaller sensors than traditional 35mm film cameras. This changes the field of view and focal length of lenses when used with a DSLR. 35MM EQUIVALENT FOCAL LENGTH is a measure that indicates the angle of view of a combination of a camera lens and film or sensor size. This is often refered to as CROP FACTOR by camera manufactures. TYPES OF LENSES STANDARD LENS: 40mm - 55mm Closest field of view to what the human eye perceives (30-50mm) Often used for PORTRAITS. WIDEANGLE LENS: 8mm FISHEYE– 28mm Wider field of view, shorter focal length. Often used to capture LANDSCAPES. MACRO LENS: 50mm - 180mm Often used for life-sized (1:1) EXTREME CLOSE UPS that fill the frame. TELEPHOTO LENS: HIGHER THAN 50mm Narrow field of view that magnifies subjects that are far away. Short telephotos (70mm and 120mm) are often used for PORTAITS. Long Telephotos (135mm - 300mm and above) are often used for SPORTS and WILDLIFE photography. |
AuthorMy name is Clay Sandford and I am currently studying an FDA in Film and Media Production at University Centre Weston. I have a keen interest in directing, cinematography and camera operating.
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