The Scene in Cinema Assignment 2

Reflection 3

4.12-4.16

In this week’s course, we conducted actual filmmaking exercises. However, unlike before, we did not directly shoot. Instead, we discussed how to draw the storyboard of the practice film fragments that will be shot in the class.

Group discussion has always been an excellent way to inspire thinking, because different people always have different ideas, and when these ideas are exchanged and merged in the discussion, many new things will always be produced. For example, at the beginning of the first scene in the exercise “Bookstore” script, the people in our group had different ideas. Some people think that the beginning of this scene can be shot directly from behind the character, so as to include the overall action of the character and explain the background of the shooting. Some people think that it can be taken from the back of the bookshelf to better show the facial expressions of the characters. These two shooting ideas are both good ideas, which inspired me to draw a storyboard and make a shooting plan after class. Of course, this is also the benefit of everyone presenting their ideas in the group discussion. Compared with the rough and simple shooting process before, the shooting plan and storyboard drawn after the discussion can help us complete the filming in a more orderly and planned manner.

In the course on Thursday, we appreciated and discussed the exercise videos taken by everyone once again, and the results this time are obviously much better than the exercise videos taken last time. I was particularly impressed by Campbell’s work. First of all, the choice of camera position and camera focal length was done very well. Secondly, the sequence of lens transitions and shooting details in his films were very smooth. It can be seen that he may have made sufficient preparations before shooting, such as making a shooting plan and drawing a storyboard in advance. Jeremy’s work also left a deep impression on me, especially when he imitated the protagonist’s first-person look around and finally started with white letter paper and moved the camera to shoot the protagonist’s facial expression. Both of these lenses are extremely creative and imaginative. Although there are minor problems like blurring of the picture due to too fast rotation when shooting a first-person lens, they are still the highlights of the video. Everyone has absorbed the experience of the last filming and combined the new knowledge we learned in class to create a better film.

In general, whether it is group discussion or appreciation of the work of peers is a good way to learn. Exchanging our ideas can help us better absorb the learned knowledge and practice it.

The Scene in Cinema Assignment 2

Reflection 2

3.29-4.11

Last week we deepened our understanding of camera applications and practical skills through shooting exercises, and this week, we started to learn and discuss how to use the storyboard in film shooting and how the advancement of filming equipment affects filmmaking.

Making the storyboard in advance is a particularly important part of film shooting, because the existence of storyboards can greatly shorten the time of filming. Just like writing scripts when we take an exam, a good storyboard can enable us to shoot a movie in accordance with a clearer logic. The more detailed picture description in the storyboard can help the photographer to better choose the shooting angle, camera focal length and camera position, so as to get a better visual effect. Before shooting a good movie, storyboards are usually made to roughly plan the direction of the entire scene, so this is why when we look at the original storyboard of a movie, we often find that the storyboard is almost the same as the final movie. In addition to determining the scene, the storyboard also has the function of determining the frame of the movie story. The storyboard contains almost the content and details of the story to be shown in the movie, so directly reflecting the director’s ideas through storyboard is also often seen in the filming process. The storyboard is also helpful for later film production. For example, the filmmaker can edit the film by comparing the sequence of the storyboard, thereby reducing the workload of sorting clips.

As Reilly mentioned in his book, a master shot often requires a lot of lenses to be shot at the same time, and the position and angle of the lens are constantly changing (Reilly 2009). This kind of extremely complex scene shooting can hardly be done directly without arrangement, but if there is an excellent story-boarder in the crew who can present the entire shooting scene with a storyboard, then the crew can follow the instructions of the storyboard to shoot.

The advancement of shooting equipment has had a huge impact on film shooting, and the shooting methods used in today’s are unimaginable in the past. For example, the emergence of small drones has greatly reduced the difficulty of shooting large scenes and moving objects in movies, so in today’s movies we can often see the full-view shooting of some large scenes and the tracking and shooting of moving objects. The upgrade of equipment affects not only the shooting of large scenes, but also the ability to capture the details of movie shooting and the clarity of the shooting picture has also been greatly improved after the upgrade of the equipment. For example, in today’s movies, the facial details of the characters are sometimes taken to stimulate the emotions of the audience, such as the small sweat beads that flow when the characters are tense or the eyebrows raised when the characters are surprised. In the past, these details may also be shot, but compared with the advanced equipment nowadays, the details of the past movies will be relatively rough and unclear.

In conclusion, the drawing of the storyboard is an important means to help shoot a good movie, and the continuous improvement of shooting equipment allows us to shoot better and more imaginative film works.

Reference：

Reilly, T 2009, The Big Picture : Filmmaking Lessons from a Life on the Set / [EReserve], 1st ed., Thomas Dunne Books, viewed 2 April 2021, <https://primo-direct-apac.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=RMIT_ALMA11136956340001341&context=L&vid=RMITU&search_scope=Books_articles_and_more&tab=default_tab&lang=en_US>

The Scene in Cinema Assignment 2

Reflection 1

3.22-3.28

In the previous stage of learning, we have a preliminary understanding of the camera’s influence on film shooting in terms of angle, position and the focal length selection. This week we will use what we have learned to practice and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of our practice.

This week, professor Robin gave us an exercise. This exercise requires us to shoot a short film based on the text content of the film fragment provided by the professor. Shooting this short film gave me a lot of inspiration, and at the same time, I think such practical exercises are also extremely important. Different from the previous method of judging the movie by watching the movie fragment text, the actual operation can better show our understanding of the text and what the movie fragment in our actual imagination is like. But it’s a pity that I didn’t do my best in this exercise. Due to personnel and tool constraints, I can only shoot by myself and play two roles by myself in the short film. Despite this, I tried my best to restore what I imagined that the movie text I used should be filmed. For example, I used the details related to camera shooting that I learned last week to shoot, and this allows me to obtain a camera position similar to the original film and a similar camera focal length. The strange shooting angle that I chose when shooting also gave me some inspiration. Maybe the low-angle shooting method is not suitable for this scene, but through this experiment, I also learned what pictures that the low-angle shooting can get.

Different people have different understandings of filming, which is why so many films with different styles have been produced, so watching other group members’ practice videos in class also can learn a lot of things. Compared to me doing all the shooting, role interpretation and editing alone, the other members of the team chose to invite other people to participate in the production of the entire video. The benefits of multi-person cooperation are obvious. For example, the time required for shooting after the tedious shooting work is distributed to multiple people is greatly reduced. Multi-person cooperation can also exchange opinions during the production of the film, so that all aspects of the film will be more perfect and complete. Compared to the method of shooting by multiple shoots when I was shooting alone, the single shoot used by other group members took significantly longer time. Although shooting with multiple shoots made the dialogue between the characters in my video clearer, long terms of single lens shooting made the videos of other team members look smoother.

In conclusion, the actual shooting practice and the interaction with the team members after shooting can indeed effectively improve our understanding of film shooting. Of course, filming is not simply done by one person. If possible, calling a partner to shoot together will make the filming better.

Assignment 2

Description and Analysis of Film Scene

Harry Potter is a well-known fantasy series of movies, and each one in the series has received extremely high reviews. Harry Potter’s success is not only due to its fascinating script, but also to the unremitting efforts of the filming crew and actors, and the superb filming skills of the crew. So in this Scene Analysis, we will analyse the shooting methods and techniques used by the crew in the “The Sorting Ceremony | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” scene, as well as the placement of the camera positions in the scene and the coverage of the shooting (Wizarding World 2017).

Although The Sorting Ceremony looks like a very simple scene, in fact, many camera positions are still used during the shooting. Because the crew not only filmed the scene of Porter and other freshmen being sorted by the campus cap, but also filmed the reactions of other students and teachers, so as to pave the way for the next plot of the movie. Among the two main camera positions, one is placed on the table facing the students, and the other is placed on the right side of the chair where the student sits on the stage, because the cameras in these two positions can capture and shoot the most important content to be expressed in this scene. When shooting new students on stage, the shooting team often uses a longer focal length to capture the facial expressions of the characters, so as to convey to the audience the sense of tension of the students when they are sorted out. In the process of shooting this scene, a short focal length lens is often used to photograph the entire auditorium, thus showing the grand sense of the branching ceremony, and also better reflecting the pressure generated by the freshmen after they take the stage.

For the shooting of the protagonist Harry, the crew used relatively more lenses and different camera positions to express the entanglement of the sorting hat and Harry’s nervous and confused emotions. When Harry was sorted by the Sorting Hat, the crew deliberately used a slow speed surround shooting method, which not only highlighted the tense atmosphere of the Harry sorting, but also explained the sense of importance that everyone in the movie paid to which college Harry was assigned to. The last part of the crew used the lens to follow Harry’s gaze to shoot the professor to connect the two shots of Harry looking at the professor and the professor tossing to Harry to increase the smoothness of the camera switch. This method of lens connection was used more than once in this scene, which is one of the reasons why the whole scene looks so smooth.

In general, it can be seen from the shooting of this scene that the Harry Potter crew is very professional in showing the psychology of the characters through shooting.At the same time, whether it is to show the details of characters and magnificent scenes by switching between different focal lengths, or to choose different camera positions to shoot movies, there are quite excellent performances and places worth learning. The success of the Harry Potter series is inseparable from the superb shooting skills of the crew.

Assignment 1 

Description and Analysis of Film Scene

The La La Land is well-known as a prestigious and award-winning movie, and the music, dance and acting skills used in the movie have all been sought after and praised by everyone. However, what this analysis wants to study is not these, but the same excellent filming method as the foundation of the film. It is precisely because of the use of these superior shooting methods that those beautiful music and dance can be perfectly displayed, and finally formed such an excellent film. So, this analysis will analyse the famous scene “A Lovely Night” in La La Land from the coverage of the camera and the overall structure of the shot (Hup 2017).

First of all, in the construction of this scene, the photographer took the shoot in the form of one shoot, which gave the scene a full sense of fluency, but it also tested the actor’s acting skills and the photographer’s technique. Because the actors in this scene are constantly in motion, the photographer needs to constantly change the camera position and shooting angle. For example, at the beginning of the scene, it is necessary to shoot the scene where the hero and heroine walk from the tree-lined road to the hillside. At this time, the photographer chooses the angle that faces the actor’s walking route and shoots with a short lens, thus showing the quietness of the night tree-lined road. However, in the scene where the two people danced, the camera position and angle moved to a place parallel to the two people’s standing line, and this can better capture the overall action details of the actors. Whether the boulevard scene at the beginning or the dancing scene at the back, the photographer has all followed the 180-degree rule, which makes the final scene smooth and stable. The pictures taken using the 180-degree rule can clearly determine the positional relationship of the characters. This can help the audience determine the position of the characters easily in this one-shot scene, without the blur and confusion caused by the frequent movement of the characters. The details and methods of these shooting all affect the final presentation of the movie to varying degrees.

In general, in addition to the music, dance, and acting skills that everyone can appreciate, excellent shooting is also one of the important reasons for this wonderful film. Whether it is a one-shot shooting method, outstanding camera position and angle choice are all the important factors in its success.

Reference:

Hup 2017, La La Land- “A Lovely night” scene, YouTube, 17 April, Hup, viewed 17 March 2021, <https://youtu.be/waTDxRZ93Qc>

The Scene in Cinema Assignment 1

Reflection 3

3.15—3.19

In the third week of study, we began to learn about the camera shooting angle during film shooting and how to use it. The shooting angle is also an important factor that greatly affects the filming. It is closely related to the camera position, but there are also some differences.

In the process of filming, when the camera position is determined, the shooting angle often has the greatest impact on the shooting picture. Different shooting angles often have different focus directions and expressiveness, for example, shooting the same scene from a top-to-bottom angle and shooting from a bottom-up angle will give the audience a very different feeling and experience. The top-to-bottom angle will give the audience a sense of looking down and this angle is often used when weakening the image of a character and highlighting its sense of weakness. The bottom-up angle will give the audience a sense of looking up and this angle can often be used in clips that highlight the great image of the character. The applicable scenes for different shooting angles are also different, so choosing a suitable shooting angle can better convey the photographer’s thoughts and contents.

We have also learned what the 180-degree rule is and its function in this week’s course. The 180-degree rule is also an application of the camera angle in film shooting. When using the 180-degree rule, the camera needs to be based on the person’s line of sight or the imaginary connection line between the position of the person and an object, and to change the camera position and angle based on the lines. This method of shooting will keep the position of the characters in the picture always clear, and reduce the possibility of visual confusion. We can often find the application of this 180-degree rule when the characters in the movie talk to each other. The two main conversation persons are used as an imaginary connection line, and then putting the camera position to shoot at 180 degrees on one side.  Finally, we can get clearly located and structured images. In addition to the 180-degree rule, there are many methods involved in the shooting angle and affecting shooting, and these methods are also ways to help shoot better film content. Knowing more methods and knowledge related to the shooting angle can be possible to provide assistance for me during the filming process in the future.

In conclusion, the selection of the shooting angle is a particularly important point in the filming process. Choosing a suitable shooting angle can make the presentation of the picture clearer and better convey the photographer’s thoughts.

The Scene in Cinema Assignment 1

Reflection 2

3.8—3.14

As a film shooting tool, the camera has many usage methods and related knowledge that are worth studying and learning. In the second week of the course, we still discussed and learned about the knowledge and usage methods of the camera in the film production process. But unlike the knowledge about camera positions learned in the first week, this week’s learning focuses more on the selection of camera angles and choices of long and short focal length lenses.

The choices of the camera’s long and short focal length lens have a certain impact on the film shots like the camera position, such as using a long focal length lens to capture details in the distant views, or using a short focal length lens to shoot more scene contents. Therefore, choosing the right focal length lens is also a very important part of film shooting, so choosing a different focal length lens often means that the content that the photographer wants to present is also different. Like last week, the professor still played some movie clips for us as an exercise to build and improve our ability to judge long and short focal length lenses. 

By watching these movie clips and the professor’s demonstrations and explanations, we understand what the long and short focal length lens is and the difference between them. The long focal length lens has a smaller angle of view compared with the short focal length, but it can play the role of magnifying the subject. Therefore, the long focal length lens will have an advantage when shooting distant subjects or zooming in on local details. Compared with the telephoto lens, the short focal length lens has a larger angle of view and can also capture a larger range of scenes, but its image of the details is slightly inferior to that of the long focal length lens. In the movie clips for practice, we can see that the photographer used a short focal length lens to take a close-up shot of the party, which allows us to see the whole scene of the party. In another segment, a large number of long focal length lenses were used to shoot from a distance, thus showing the facial details and action details of some actors.

In general, long and short focal length lenses, like the camera position, also affect the filming and content presentation in various aspects. Choosing a suitable focal length for shooting is also an extremely important part of film shooting.

The Scene in Cinema Assignment 1

Reflection 1  

3.1—3.7

In the first week of the course, we got to know each other’s basic situation in the Scene in Cinema 2021 course, and this will help us to study and discuss the course in the future. This week, under the guidance of the professor, we have a preliminary understanding of the choices of camera position in the movie. This reflection will focus on describing the knowledge and experience related to camera positions chosen in the movie that I have learned in this week’s course, and share my personal understanding and feelings of this course. I’ll also explain why I chose this lesson and what skills I want to learn from it.

The position of the camera is often very important in filming. For example, a good camera position can clearly show what the director wants to show to the audience, and a poorly selected camera position may lose the performance of the actors. The camera position can affect the film content and screen shoot, and different camera positions will also produce different images when shooting the same scene. When we place the camera farther away from the shooting target, we can get a wider picture to include more scene content, and when we choose a camera position closer to the target, we can get a narrower but more detailed picture. As Reilly says in his book, a seemingly simple movie scene can require an extremely complex shooting process (Reilly 2009). These lenses often require coordination between camera positions and actors, or various complex camera movements, which also makes actors and crew members need to constantly rehearse and shoot in order to achieve the best picture and content. 

In the class, the professor also gave us some training, these trainings given us some texts correspond to some original movie clips. By imagining the camera positions used when shooting these movies and comparing them with the original clips, we can deepen our awareness and understanding of the camera positions when shooting movies. By watching movie clips and understanding the camera positions used during shooting, I learn how to choose a camera position which is more in line with my ideas in the shooting process, so as to better express and convey the content I want to show to the audience.

I think this lesson is a course to learn the methods and knowledge of filmmaking. Through this course I can understand the basic film production process and the basic knowledge of filmmaking. My love of movies and the desire to make my own independent films was the main reason I chose the Scene in Cinema. I hope to learn how movies are made and the basics of filmmaking in this lesson so that it can help me in making movies or films in the future.

In conclusion, the first week is a week of familiarity with the course, and understanding the specific content of the course and personnel is the main purpose. Of course, I also got a certain degree of understanding about the camera position judgment and selection, as well as the relevant knowledge of the shoot.

Reference:

Reilly, T 2009, The big picture: filmmaking lessons from a life on the set / [eReserve], 1st edition, New York: Thomas Dunne Books, viewed 8 March 2021, <https://primo-direct-apac.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1d27kpc/RMIT_ALMA11136956340001341> 

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