Between the devil and the deep blue
WipeA wipe is a technique used to move from one shot to the next and typically it is used to move us from one scene to the next as this transition will take more time than a normal cut. Further more they are best used to move the camera from one location to the next. We see them being used in conjunction with a graphic match. The fade is used to end a scene or possibly an act as the use of this technique has the tendency of carry finality. However there are two types of fade, the fade in and the fade out on top of this we also have a fade to white and black. The fade to white is normally used to start a hallucination or dream sequence where as the fade to black is normally used to suggest someone falling into a deep sleep or being knocked out. A fade will be used in our short film to show a shift between reality and the dream or hallucination state that will be the focus of our short film.
CutIt is a highly basic edit used to change from one camera angle to the next. It is common and usually boring however in the hands of a skilled director and in the right context it can be used to build tension or fear. We will of course use this edit and hope that we can use this effectively. Soft focus Soft focus is used to allow the point of focus, so to speak, to blend into the background. We could use this editing technique in our short film to keep the focus on something behind the character or have the focus shift from the main character to something behind them. High definition High definition is a technique that uses a high resolution camera to enhance the viewers experience of the scene. We would love to use this in our short film but the reality of budget constraints makes it unlikely. Graphic matchA graphic match is used to link two shots together by having two visually similar shots blend from one to the other, this can give a very smooth feel to the edit and help the flow of the film. I would love to use this type of shot in our film and hope that we can, a graphic match can be used in a surreal sense to have the character travel from one location to the next instantly.
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Establishing shotThe use of an establishing shot or an extreme long shot is usually to establishing, hints in the name, the setting for the whole film but can also be used to display the setting for an act or even just a scene of a film. This all depends on how long the shot lingers on screen and when it is placed during the film. For example a shot as shown above is situated for a relatively short period of time well into the films run time so we can assume this desolate landscape in particular is not where we will spend the rest of the film. It's not likely that we would use one of these shots as the majority of our locations are inside or in tight areas so its not likely that we could get a good establishing shot location let alone film one well. Low angleLow angle shots are commonly used as a P.O.V shot or as a way to look up at a characters face if, like the the example above, he is wearing a hood or is looking down perhaps in shame. The low angle shot is used to convey a sense of over bearing if it is a P.O.V shot of someone looking down at someone else or a sense of sadness and defeat as we tend to hang our heads low when we feel upset or sad and this is reflected in film. We may use a shot like this to give a sense of someone watching the character from a hidden low position, High angleThe high angle angle is effectively the opposite of the low angle, hence my use of a similar shot, this is used to give a wider more establishing view of the action from a higher vantage point as seen above. However it can also be used in the same P.O.V sense as above however once again flipped with the character looking up and the P.O.V subject looking down. However we can also see an emotional opposite between these two types of shot as a high angle shot can infer as sense of joy and happiness again as we look up when we feel happy. The high angle isn't going to be used in our short film because we would like to keep it at human level to keep immersion consistent in our short film as we don't have a lot of time to build it then break it with this shot then build it again. Over the shoulder shotOver the shoulder shots are used to display a characters lack of acknowledgement or acknowledgement whether that be intentional or not towards another element on screen. The positioning of the camera affords the audience a view of both the character and the other element on screen. This is most typical used during a conversation between two characters but has also been used to show something moving behind a character without them knowing. Effectively the over the shoulder shot is used to keep the main actor in a scene on screen while also driving forward the plot. We could use an over the shoulder shot to build tension by having the audience see something the character doesn't in a sense of dramatic irony. Medium shotThe medium shot is the bread and butter of film shots. It is the most basically and easy to film and is most commonly used to simply have the actor or prop on the screen. As negative as that may sound it is an important shot and will make up the majority of a films run time and in the hands of a talented director can be far more interesting than I made them sound. A medium shot is inevitable to be used in our short film. Its just going to happen there's not a lot to talk about. TrackING SHOTThe tracking shot in the example above starts at 32 seconds. The purpose of the tracking shot is to enhance the audiences sense of immersion allowing them to feel as if they exist in the films world. This is achieved by having one long uncut scene, just as life keeps flowing the scene too keeps flowing and therefore adds to the realism of the film. I would love to do a tracking shot in our short film but I'm not sure if we will be able to add one. However, we may be able to slip one in if we have the main character fleeing from something, this wouldn't be unusual for the psychological drama genre, and we can follow them through a forest or school. PanA pan is where the camera moves horizontally to shift focus from one thing to another again referring to the scene above we can see numerous panning shots as they are vital to the flow of a tracking shot. However, this is not their primary use. The main use of a panning shot is to simply shift the audiences focus from one thing to another generally by changing what is in the shot of the screen. It could be done in a more subtle sense. It's less likely that we will use a dramatic pan across a landscape as it is very hard to find a good location worthy of that shot we can use and its harder still to make it look good with the gear we have. Close upThe close up is where one element takes up the whole shot, in this case Leonardo's beautiful drooling face. While it may seem that I'm being sarcastic the whole point of a close up is to present the viewer with a highly detailed view of one thing in particular and in this case it is the rage and grief Leonardo's character is experiencing. This detailed view gives actors a chance to really show off their acting chops or to explicitly show the audience an item to let them now that this is important and to keep an eye on it. A close up is almost bound to appear in our short film but especially as it is of the psychological drama having close ups to build tension is a staple of the genre. canted angleAgain referring to the example above a canted angle is a shot that is rotated up to 45 degrees to distort the image. This technique is used to warp the audiences perception of the shot and let them know that what is happening is strange or out of the ordinary and make them slightly uncomfortable as humans are of course unused to viewing the world at an angle. As a result of our genre of psychological drama the use of a canted angle shot could be used effectively to create a sense of abnormality and uneasy for the audience.
For easy of viewing I will be referring to the film "The Revenant" For examples. This includes use of clips and stills from the film to explain different camera angles editing techniques and other elements of film production such as setting and costumes. |