Month: April 2015

Crafting the Scene

Reading Log #3

Jacques Tati constructed the film Play Time with slight monotonous techno aesthetics of its mise-en-scene. He often uses long and establishing shots to present the conservatively modern themes of the miniature Paris (showing the setting) built for the film. Furthermore, he shows a transformation from the inhuman city that is developed into a vitality and spontaneity as the film progresses from daytime to night-time.

His shots of the nightclub setting sequences, which are with cold colours of lighting and highlights on the props, are added with shadows to emphasize their forms. The sequence also is shown with low-key lighting, with fill light and backlight to create more contrast and a tint of saturation to the visual conventions.

The shots are complemented with flashy, late 60s costumes and the modern styles. This representation is unified with its setting and goes well with the characters’ acting style and performances. Continue reading →

Intro with a Camera

Rachel lets us to fiddle with Sony MC50 video cameras in our week 5 practical. Seeing that I am a technology-amateurish, I’ve had no idea of all the camera jargons that it was quite hard to identify the components. But my group and I had quite a fun making an awkward sequence of “hi-bye-situation”. In this activity, we had to do this sequence three times.

  1. Still (no movement) in a tripod
  2. Complementing camera movement in a tripod
  3. Handheld

hire-sony_hxr-mc50.-1gif-1What I’ve learned to take in consideration is the use of zooms. Zooms has been used in various of purposes such as in comedic shows, music videos to show facial expressions, put an emphasis in a focal point and etc. To capture a visual also requires the correct colour balance according to the temperature and lighting of the environment. Portraying certain lighting or hues links to the message being delivered. Finally, filmmakers think about aspect ratio, the proportion between the height and width of the visual frame. Why? You wouldn’t want to see a movie that is changed from a vertical rectangular frame to a horizontal one back and forth. Unless it’s done purposely. So these are a few cinematographic/technical “stuff” that worth taking into account.