Framed

This week we briefly discussed the idea of coverage, which is applicable for many different genres of film.

In basic terms, the coverage is how much footage/media pieces you have to cover your chosen topic, subject or idea. This of course is entirely dependent on these things. For example, an interview with someone will include the standard close-up/medium shot, possibly a two shot setup with reaction shots and close-up shots of individual features or movements. These are all very basic elements of an interview and provide the bulk of the content, but it can be quite lacklustre unless a very solemn, serious tone is required with slow moving shots which hang on the subject.

For lighter material, or a representational video, a wider range of material might be needed. You may want footage of personal items, old photos and ‘natural’ shots of the subject. These are representational shots which can better communicate or place emphasis on what is being said, or communicate a level of information that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to.

Coverage is therefore well-defined based on the genre or sequence. A car chase will always have shots of both cars at various angles, shots of both drivers, high angled wide shots of both them in pursuit. The sequence defines what sort of footage will be required, which can then be manipulated through the writing, directing and editing choices. You can play around with what sort of footage you want to present.

For project brief 3, our coverage is of particular importance, as we are also using found footage. This is footage which is copyright free, and is very general in description. This means I have to be very thorough in searching for appropriate imagery, as even though the footage is unrelated, placing it within the context of the video relates it through themes or ideas presented, and I would like to present my ideas as clearly as possible.