Our weekly summary (Bliss, Asha, Mimi)
On Thursday for the first part of the class Robin showed and taught us many different functions on the Sony EX3 that can not only be used on this camera but can also be useful tips to think about and apply when using different kinds of cameras. Robin brought up many good points on exposure and that when using zebra stripes, the zebra stripe picks up on the whitest point of the frame. He also said that zebra stripes weren’t essential in figuring out the right exposure but can be good for interviews. Another interesting point was that if you want a shot in a particular time of day to actually film at that time as it can prove to be difficult recreating it in post-production.
Within the second part of the class we experimented with a fashion item that we brought to class, filming it in different ways and using the techniques we had just used with the the Sony EX3. This was a great way to start thinking about what we might want to incorporate into our short fashion films for PB2.
On Friday we listened to film editor, Nick, who specialises in experimental films and music videos and is a tutor at RMIT. He opened the presentation by providing us with an experimental film of a trapeze artist creating shapes and patterns through body movement and costume. Nick believes that experimental film and fashion film are similar in allowing the editor to play and edit with all-sorts of material to create new forms of visual entertainment. He assured our studio that the future for fashion film is exciting because they are what music videos were in the 80’s before MTV made them into a global sensation. At the moment, fashion film is a medium which lacks attention from those who aren’t interested in fashion. This has potential to change with the growth of experimenting fashion with film through commercials, music videos and film which has shown signs of development over the past few years.
Nick also gave us a basic understanding on how fashion in film is used as a means of communication which plays a role in storytelling. An example of this is with the popular HBO drama, Game of Thrones, where we see the character, Cersei Lanister, evolve through her costume. In the first few seasons Cersei is clothed in long, feminie gowns which eventually changes to metal based garments, emphasising the strength and power of her character. Directors often use fashion as a strong story telling device whether it be in film and music videos. Nick spent most of the lesson showing us creative music videos from successful filmmakers (Tom Kuntz, Daniel Askill and Die Antwood etc.) who he believes have the ability to make aesthetically pleasing fashion films. In terms of editing within these music videos there was lots of slow motion and fast paced movement. Nick mentioned that you can speed up any footage but if you want to add slow motion you have to have more frames per second. It is evident that shooting in slow motion can make the material and clothing move differently and can be more aesthetically pleasing. Robyn and Nick gave us a great insight into filming and editing for our upcoming assignments.