Camera Shots, Shooting, and Storyboards

SHOT DESCRIPTIONS
1) Explain 3 camera techniques for creating storyboards.
Three camera techniques for creating storyboards are camera framing, camera angles, and camera movement. Camera framing is basically manipulated by zooming in or out with the camera based on how close the subject is to the camera to obtain the best result. Camera angles are a technique where you use the different angles that would best express the mood/theme of a scene. There are certain camera angles that suit certain moods, for example, an action scene would require you to use more dynamic and exciting angles that would best make it more exciting than before. Since action scenes are usually fast-paced, there are more opportunities to work with many different angles. Camera movement is another technique to include on your storyboard. As subjects in the scene move, the camera can either remain static or move along with the subject. For the action scenes, cameras are usually moving with the subjects, to create a more energetic and fast-paced mood. Many action scenes tend to be a bit hard to follow because they are too fast-paced and the camera movements confuse spectators.
 
What is a two shot? When should two shots be used?
A two shot is a scene where two subjects or characters occupy the frame. They are often used to conduct a conversation between two characters. There are many variations of this interesting shot, and it can be used in many ways to show the interactions of the two characters, such as face-to-face confrontation, one character behind the other to create depth, and turning the two characters slightly to create several angles.
 
What is a canted angle? What types of films use canted shots?
A canted shot (also called the Dutch Shot) uses a shot where the image is off-centre/tilted to create an image where the subject is seen to be off-balance or in a diagonal position. These are often used to show characters as unhinged, violent, and out of control. These are used quite often in horror films, psychological dramas, and crime films.
 
When should close-ups be used? 
Close-ups should be used on television shows (i.e soap operas) to create a closer connection between the spectator and the character, where you can see every subtle expression on their face. These are great for isolating certain things such as significant details that you would want the viewer to notice.
  
What type of shot would you use to establish two people arguing? Why?
A two-shot would be best to establish two people arguing, because these are often used to show a conversation between two people. 
 
Who made the zolly shot famous? How does it work?
Alfred Hitchcock was the one who had made the zolly shot famous. The zolly shot was basically a combination of a zoom and a dolly shot; it is also known as the Dolly zoom. It is an unsettling special effect that seems to undermine normal visual perception in film.
 
When would you utilize a tilt-up shot?
Tilt-up shots are done by using a fixed camera and tilting it vertically up or down to convey a feeling of height. A good way of using this technique is filming something drop straight down from the sky in front of the camera. The camera would follow the object down until it falls down to the ground right in front of the camera.
 
STORYBOARDS
What is visual storytelling?
Visual storytelling is telling a story using the flow of pictures a narrative that also provides a sequence and order to the plot.
  
How does visual storytelling differ from film and animation to interactive games?
Film and animation are linear forms of visual storytelling where the audience passively watches and listens. Interactive games get the user to actively view and manipulate the program at the same time.

What are two ways to format a story?
Two ways of formatting a story are "Telling" and "Showing".
What is the difference between showing and telling?
The Telling format is enticing the reader to imagine the content, and letting their imagination fill in the blanks. The Showing format is actually describing in greater detail so the reader can actually imagine relying on your descriptions to create more vivid scene.
What are the elements of the hero's journey?
The elements of the hero's journey are:
"The Calling," "Threshold," "Initiation," "The Abyss," "Transformation," and "The Return." 
 
What is the hook of a story?
The hook of a story is something that grabs the audience's attention, such as murder or a kidnapping. The hook is meant to leave the audience asking questions. Once they are hooked, they would want to know what happens later on to satisfy their own questions. Visuals and action scenes help hook the audience often.
 
What are storyboards? How are they similar to the comic strip?
Storyboards are a series of sketches that is used as a planning tool to help organize  and visually show how the action of a story unfolds. A visual that is very similar to a storyboard is a comic strip without speech bubbles/balloons. But a comic strip entertains while a storyboard is a tool that helps production.
What industries use storyboards?
Advertising campaigns, video games, television series, multimedia, web design, and industrial and governmental videos all use storyboards to help with production.

Basquiat, NFB, Schnabel

The 'Perspectives' workshop at the NFB, with the documentary RIP: A Remix Manifesto:
 
1) It was the film and filmmaker's intention to keep art open sourced and assessable to all people and now that RIP: A Remix Manifesto is uploaded to its official site, viewers are encouraged to remix it. How effective is this documentary and its production in getting this intention across?
I think this documentary is very effective in getting this intention across when viewers are encouraged to remix it. Since it was their intention to keep art open sourced and assessable to all people, encouraging people to remix it is basically encouraging people to be creative and not to be afraid of buying the media in order to change it into something new. It's a perfect example of open sourced and assessable art.
 
2)Brett states, “… a media literate culture emerged, able to download the world’s culture and transform it into something different.” What do you think it means to be “media literate”? 
I think what he means by a "media literate" culture is for the culture to have or show knowledge of media in it's purest sense where it cannot be limited by factors such as a price on it. This "media Literate" culture is where downloading something for free and transforming it into something new, innovative, and different is accepted and widely used.
 
3) Do you think sampling can be considered an instrument akin to guitars, drums etc?
Sampling can be considered an instrument like other normal instruments, because sampling doesn't take the whole of a song or piece; it uses only small individual parts of that song and mixes it with other pieces from a different source
 
4) How would you describe the style of editing in this film? What techniques were used to attract your attention? 
The editing style in this film was interesting and a bit fast-paced. It showed a lot of different things in a different order, but it somehow stayed on track and on topic. It was very colourful and interesting so it caught my attention when they showed how all these different things meshed together to answer the questions they had. The transitions told a story during the movie; although they were quick, the next scene made perfect sense with the previous.
 
5) The film is presented as a four part “remix manifesto”. Did this succeed as a storytelling technique? Why or why not?
This did succeed as a storytelling technique somewhat, because it kept things in order and organized just after you've seen a lot of different things jumbled together. It summarizes what they have stated, and organizes so it's easier to understand and catch up.

6) Brett Gaylor uses a lot of music samples and clips from popular TV shows and movies. Do you believe the film would succeed in using “fair use” as a defense if it was sued for using images or music illegally?
Since these are music samples and clips from popular TV shows and movies, they are only small portions of them, and are not intended to profit off of them especially. This is collaboration in its true essence, and it is the action of taking something stale and creating it together with other things into something new and innovative. It has a chance of defending as "fair use" if it was sued.

Visions of Light

1) Why were the early non-talkie movies so free with camera movement and location?
Early non-talkie movies were free with camera movement and location in the past because back then, they were produced to be smaller and easier to handle/move faster.
 
2) What were the issues with the very first talkie movies?
 Issues with the very first talkie movies were that the cameras were so big that they could not effectively move, nor tilt. A lot of directors had to work around these problems, and had to adapt their films to suit this limiting factor.
 
3) Why did 'Citizen Kane' have such a great impact- List some reasons.
'Citizen Kane' had a big impact because it had really different and creative ideas used in it. It had creative narration, story, and cinematography, as well as amazing music that suited the movie.


4) What is Film Noir?
 Film Noir is basically black and white film. You could only see shades of black, grey and white, and it had a low-key black-and-white visual style. It is primarily used to describe and name stylish Hollywood crime dramas.
  
5) How was colour first introduced to film?
Colour was first introduced to film with the introduction of 16 mm reversal film on cellulose acetate base.
 
6) What effects did the widescreen format have on cinematography?
Wide screen format was a breakthrough because a wide screen format meant imrpoved camera technology, and since the screen was wider, it made the movie seem more real, so the spectators felt like they were in the movie itself.

7) Why didn't the director of The Godfather care about drive-in theatres and how dark his film was?
The director of The Godfather, Francis Coppola, used dark tones with his film constantly, and this would not have been a great idea for drive-in theatres, because since the film was so dark and drive-ins were also dark, it would be hard to see much of the movie because everything was so dark. 

8) How did the director of photography use colours in The Last Emperor?
In the film, The Last Emperor, the director, Bernardo Bertolucci, used colours to represent different stages of Pu Yi's life. Just as white light could represent the end of his life journey, so Pu Yi's various ages could be represented by the various 'ages of the colours'.


9) The track-back/zoom-in shot in Goodfellas signified a psychological change in the relationship between the two protagonists- How did the visuals change with this effect?

Days of Heaven

Cinematography

How mobile is the camera? Does it move toward the characters within a scene, or does it remain relatively static, allowing the actors to move instead within a steady frame? 
The camera during the majority of the film stayed stationary, especially during the scenes with the most spectacular views and backgrounds and wide shots. The camera stayed static during these scenes, but as for some of the action scenes, the camera has been seen to move around to accommodate 
  
How does the camera treat the different characters? Does the camera view the character from below (low-angle shot) or from above (high-angle shot)? 

The camera has a slight and subtle difference between characters that are close, and characters that are not. The camera tends to use more of a bird's eye view shot from above for the characters that are closer while the camera uses a more down-to-earth shot that shoots from below for characters that are not as intimate with each other.

What purpose does the camera angle serve? For example, what cue might a camera angle offer you about how the director wants you to view a particular character? 

The camera angle serves as a purpose to differentiate the characters' personalities and roles in the film, such as when there is a character that is considered "good", their faces are usually shot as a close up or straight on. For the shadowy characters, they are often shot from the side or below.
 
What do the camera angles tell you about the relationships between characters? 

Some of the camera angles are close up, sometimes they are over-the-shoulder shots, that show a relationship between two or more characters. Sometimes the camera shoots from below giving an ominous view of their faces/shadows., or if there are no particular relationships between people, they are usually in long shots.
 
Do the angles from which characters are shot change over the course of a scene, or a sequence, or the film as a whole? How does such a change influence your view of a character? 

Angles shot from characters changed during the course of a scene, for example, when you discover something about the character that changes what you think of them forever, the shot of the scene could change from a pleasant mood to an unpleasant one. Factors that contribute to this depend on the camera angles and shadows/lighting usually. Because of these factors, it greatly influences the mood of any scene.
 
How frequently are close-ups used? Why? What is the effect of the close-up?
Close-ups are used very often in this movie, because it shows the expressions on the faces of the characters, or their reaction shots. When two or more characters are the focus of the scene, close-up shots are likely to be used to show their interaction. These shots show a lot of what each character is feeling, down to the subtle facial expression changes. These can hold to be very important in terms of the plot.


Mise en Scène

Where is the film set?

The film is set in the early 20th century in 1916. It begins in Chicago, but the main characters flee to Texas Panhandle after Bill kills his boss.
 
What kinds of lighting does the director employ? What kind of mood does the lighting style create? 

The director has employed the use of the "magic hour" where the sun makes the picture beautiful with the shades of a setting sun. In the interior lighting, there was always a constant soft light, for things such as light coming in through a window. During Magic Hour, and you shoot with backlight, the light gives a halo effect around their heads 




Music & Sound

What cues does the music give you about what to expect?
The music gives cues for some things to expect when the music builds up in tension and pace, which foreshadows something dramatic or climatic is about to happen soon in the scene(s). This effect is widely used in many films and is generally well-known for viewers to understand.

What kind of mood does the soundtrack create? 
The soundtrack of this movie creates a lazy/peaceful mood for the most part. The flowing sounds of stringed instruments creates a strange mixed feeling that isn't exactly happy nor sad.


Editing


How does the director choose to tell her/his story? Does s/he cut quickly from shot to shot, or let shots run longer and compose them into more leisurely sequences?

The director chooses to tell his story by letting some shots run longer and composing them into more leisurely sequences because by using that method, you can efficiently show the subtle expressions of characters and it's usually easier to tell what has happened in the scene.

What purpose do point-of-view shots serve? How do point-of-view shots affect our experience as spectators?
The purpose of point of view shots are to see in a character's point of view, and that means you can see only what they can see. As a third party viewer, most of the time you see everything that happens, but point-of-view shots limit that to manipulate the amount the viewer can see.


Identification

With whom do we identify when we watch a film? 

We usually identify with the narrator of the film, and in this case, you would also identify with the leading woman and males. The woman is pained in lying to a man that would completely devote himself to her, and you can sympathize with the dying farmer that loves this woman that is lying to him. Then you feel for the man who the woman truly loves, and how he's pained every time he sees the farmer touch his wife.

What are the ramifications of our identification? For example, what ideas about the world, about good and evil, about race, class or gender do we assume as the result of our identification with a particular character? 

We would identify with the woman Abby because women are usually portrayed as the gentle counterparts of men, so we would more likely view the man as the evil instead of the good. A lot of times, the man would be misunderstood. The farmer who loved the woman was portrayed as a jealous man who was paranoid of every move she made. But he could have also been seen as a sad man that was misunderstood. while we identified with the woman because she truly did not want to trick this man.


Closure

Does the film reach a satisfying end? 
No, the film did not reach a satisfying end, because the movie doesn't tell you what happens to the little sister and her orphanage friend. The ending gives you a feeling of a different story to be told, but it was not included in the story.

Does the film reach an ending you have anticipated/wanted? 
The film partially reached an ending I wanted, because the girl found some happiness in the end and had made friends in the orphanage that she lived in, but the ending was bittersweet, for the man had died and Abby lost her true love, the girl lost her older brother, and the family separated their own ways. You also do not get to fully understand what happens to the little girl in the end, because the movie ends without telling her story. It hints at a sequel, or it's one of those movies that have a controversial ending where the director leaves it up to its viewers to imagine and think up of themselves.

Reality Check

Rocketeer by Far East Movement feat. Ryan Tedder


· Where does this product come from? Who created it? Who owns it?

This song came from the band Far East Movement from their new album Free Wired. The writers of the song were the band members themselves including: Bruno Mars, James Roh, Jonathan Yip, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus, and Philip Lawrence. The people that own it is Far East Movement with the label Cherrytree Records.

· How is this product distributed, shown or sold to the public? Who profits?

The song is shown to the public by radio, TV, promotional posters, and usually online (i.e. YouTube). The song is also sold on iTunes. The band, song writers, and the label company profit from the selling of this song.

· Who is the audience/projected consumer? What is the purpose of the product?

The projected consumer includes the age ranges from young preteens, to young adults or teenagers.This song portrays the average teenager's feelings when they are in love, and the song is for entertainment for listeners who enjoy music.
 
· What is the purpose of this product? Entertainment? Information? Persuasion?

The purpose of this product is for entertainment. The catchy beats and lyrics of this song give an interesting vibe that many listeners notice and embrace. 

· Who is the intended (target) audience? How and why might this product appeal to its intended audience?

I think the intended target of this song is mostly for teens and young adults. I would like to think this song is also for both genders. This product would appeal to its intended audience because the song's base theme is love, where the lyrics are related to a teenager in love. the song would also be popular because the guest singer is Ryan Tedder, who is the lead singer of the popular band OneRepublic, who have a few notable songs that have been quite popular over the radio. Far East Movement is also a recently popular band, especially with their hit song G6.

· How does this product appeal to you? What things do you like and dislike?

One of the reasons why this songs appeals to me is that Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic is the guest singer here. He is known for singing well, and I find that he can reach high notes that a lot of people can't reach comfortably. I like his role in this song because there is also a different kind of singing other than rapping in the song. The beats and rhythm are catchy and make you want to sing along with the song.

· What does this product appear to be saying on a surface level?

This product seems to be telling a story of a teenager that's in love, and that they feel like they can do anything with them by their side. It's a romantic sort of song, but it still holds the upbeat and catchy rhythm of rapping as well. To be honest, when I first listened to this song, I didn't really pay much attention to the lyrics because the beat and tune were catchy enough to distract me from the lyrics being said.

· What are the values and ideology behind this product?

The values and idealogy behind this song are that you should get up and follow your dreams or desires, as long as you believe, it's possible. Others can give you hope and courage to these sort of things, especially loved ones. This song gives inspiration to people who listen to it and watch the music video.

· Does the text present the beliefs of one particular group?


The lyrics of this song seem to talk about being in love makes many things possible, such as "flying high like a rocketeer." I believe that this song also represents inspiration from others around you, such as a loved one. 

· What stereotypes, if any, are presented? To what effect? Do you share these beliefs?

There weren't any stereotypes in this song, at least in my own opinion.
  
· What medium was used?

Television, YouTube, and iTunes were main mediums that were used to channel and display/advertise the song to the public.

· What techniques are used to reach and hold the audience?

Some techniques that the are used to hold the audience are the catchy beat, using a famous/well-known artist as the guest singer, and a story told in visuals in the music video. All these factors play a role in entrancing audiences to continue watching until the end.

· How was the product made? What production techniques were used?

The product was made by vocals and the synthesizing/mixing of beats and songs. Parts of the song were also made by instruments, and the vocals were a collaboration between Far East Movement and Ryan Tedder.

The Truman Show

Personal Response

The Truman Show was an astronomical success in which created Reality TV shows today. It's influence has affected reality TV shows and movies that we see today, for example, the movie Inception. The idea of what we are living in may not be real is a chilling thought when it turns out that everyone else around you is "in on it". Then everything you have known has been a lie the whole time, and then it's reasonable when Truman turns a bit "crazy" when he starts to notice these small hints while he figures out the big picture. The Truman Show made me realize of how the human perception could easily be fooled and how the birth of this concept of reality was made.


"The Meaning of the Truman Show"

This article is saying that the Truman Show represents our own media world where things are made up of theatrical illusions, things are convincing in realism, and that they are seamless, until something goes wrong. Things in our media today are not always true and are usually set up by things such as stereotypes. We, as the consumers and viewers, do not know what's realistic or not, as the same goes for Truman, where he did not know that his whole life was just a TV show. The writer has also said that this movie tells us to break off from the popular culture in media today, and to look around and see what's realistic or not; to not follow the stereotypes that society has set on us through media.


I agree with the writer's opinion. The movie does indeed show us the media that we have drowned ourselves in, and the effects that it has done to our society today. Now you see anorexic women as beautiful and the definitions in which what it is like to be "a man". Tall, muscular and able-bodied. These stereotypes have been set onto us from its main source of manipulation: Media. Now we all seem to think "Oh, this is what normal is like," and we strive to attain this "normalcy" that is almost impossible to achieve. Other things that influence us through media in terms of "normalcy" or "beauty" are, of course, celebrities today. They have the ideal looks that just adds to what "beauty" should be in society.


"Real Life"

Truman has been led to believe he has been living a "Real Life" from since he was born until he finds out that his life has been a lie, and that his life had all been just live television. The fact that he had been led to believe this since his birth is shocking and sad, since everything he has believed in is not what he has initially believed them to be. His sympathetic best friend has been an actor lying to him his whole life, his wife is a fake, but the only thing that has kept him going after he figured out the big picture, was his true love of the woman he met in his younger years.


The Truman Show is a genre of science-fiction, and it has created what we know now as Reality Television.


A Metaphor For Our Own Lives

This movie acts as a metaphor for our own lives. In our media, everything is an intricate maze of stereotypical illusions that are fed to us, so we can perceive what "normalcy" is. The things we see are what we consider as "real" and usually we do not question it, until something obvious opens our eyes to the real truth. In the Truman Show, Truman is made to believe that his life on this small island is real. He does not suspect anything is wrong or too perfect until small things disrupt his peaceful life and slowly, he realizes that everything has been a lie. In our lives, we are made to believe the things that media tells us, and this movie is telling us to realize that not everything is real and right. 

What is Media Art // New Media?

Media Art:

Media Arts is a genre of art that revolves around works of art created using new media technology. These technologies include computer graphics (CGs), computer animation, digital art, virtual art, Internet art, computer robotics, art technologies, and art that have to do with biotechnology. It uses both technology and the elements and materials of many different types of art. Media arts follow many traditional art trends, and they also include similar elements such as balance, unity, and variety. It also usually focuses on symbolism, codes, and context pertained and shown through visual instruments. Media arts is multimedia that is time-based, and cannot be sufficiently shown in book-form.

In all, media arts ranges in a wide variety of multimedia art usually pertained in technology and visual instruments everywhere.

New Media: 

The difference of New Media and Tradition Media is the dynamic life of the content of this new media and its relationship with consumers everywhere. It is also the different forms of communication in the digital world, most of it being on the Internet. This concept allows people to go online and share, sell, and swap information It has to do with social media, and the online community.

 "Reach" by Lynn Hershman.

Created: 1988

Found at: http://www.lynnhershman.com/

Critique Questions:

Description (What do you see?)

What is the name of the artist who created the artwork?

The artist is Lynn Hershman.

What images do you see in the artwork? 

I see a woman on top of a bed who is wearing a black dress. Her head is an old-fashioned and oversized camera and the woman is reaching out towards the viewer. The camera seems to have taken a photo of something, and the finished photograph is sticking out of the camera, at the side.

Analysis(Why and How?)

  

How are the Elements of Art (color, shape, line, texture, space, form, value) and the Principles of Design (balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, rhythm, unity, pattern/repetition) used in this artwork? 

This photograph is in black and white, so the black dress of the woman and the black camera contrasts against the pale skin of the woman and the pure white bed sheets.  The oddly angular shape of the camera on top of the woman’s body, and the way her whole body is leaning on one side show shapes in the picture. The woman is placed in the center of the photo because she is the focal point.


What grabs your attention in the artwork?  
The fact that the woman in the picture has a camera for a head and that she is reaching out to you, captures my attention the most. The fact that she has a camera instead of a normal head is what draws the most attention of the viewers. The black, shiny camera is also angled so that it’s leaning with the rest of the body, so it’s more noticeable.


What mood or feeling do you have when you look at this artwork?
I get a bit of a chilling feeling, because you see human bodies without real human heads, and I also get a sort of a mysterious feeling as to why this woman is reaching out to the viewer and the fact that you cannot see her face sets that mood as well.

Interpretation(What does it mean? What feelings do you get?)


What is the theme or subject of the artwork?
The theme of this artwork is the replacement of human limbs with technology, such as televisions and cameras.


What is the artwork about; what do you think it means?
This artwork may tie in with embodied identity in all the culture of mass media and surveillance, thus the TVs and cameras are included as major parts of this series, since they represent the media today.


Why do you think the artist created this artwork?
I think the artist created this artwork because she wanted people to see how technology and media has integrated into our lives today. She shows this by making the cameras and TVs as part of our own body parts, and it may also tie in with the stereotypical images of women in media.

Judgment(Does it have meaning to you?)


Do you like or dislike this artwork?
I like this artwork, because I like how the artist is trying to convey a message across to the viewers through symbolism. I also like the mysterious impression that the camera gives with the body of the woman.


Do you think this is good art?
Yes, I think this is good art. I like the simplicity of the image and the deep meanings in the undertones.


Do you think it is important art?
This art is important because it represents what our media is like today, and how women in media are just for display. The symbols in the picture show a lot about our media, and it also shows how women may be undermined.