In our 2nd camera lesson, we developed more knowledge on how to use the cameras. We focused on how to film a short sequence.
The 180 Degree Rule
The first thing that we learnt was the 180 degree rule. This rule is extremely important when filming any kind of sequence. The rule says that when a scene is being filmed, there should be an imaginary line. The camera should then stay the same side of that imaginary line when filming. The camera can move around the line but cannot cross it. This ensures that that action in the shot stays on the same side of the screen for the audience, meaning that they won't get confused.
Filming The Sequence
We then went on to put this rue into practice and filmed a sequence ourselves. I took on the role of camera operator. Along with the director, I had to ensure the camera was zoomed in and focused. I had to adjust the height of the tripod depending on what sort of shot the director asked for. When moving te camera, I had to make sure that it stayed within the imaginary line so I didn't break the 180 degree rule.
We chose to do a simple sequence of a girl taking her phone out of her pocket and checking it. We did a variety of shots. We started with a long shot to make sure that the sequence was clear and then we went on to do a mid long shot, a mid shot and then an extreme close up of the phone.
The 1998 film, The Parent Trap is an adventure, comedy, drama starring Lindsey Lohan, Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid.
The opening establishing shot of the film is of the sea. The calm waves create a calm and idyllic setting for the audience. Nat King Cole's L-O-V-E plays during the introduction. This lounge style music creates a happy and positive mood immediately and adds to the audience feeling calm and relaxed.
The camera continues with a tracking shot over the sea and so you feel as if you are gliding over the sea and following a route. We then get a close up shot of a boat, which enables us to see the name of the boat: Queen Elizabeth 2, this suggests that this will be an important feature of the film and also tells the audience that this is set in the modern day as our current Queen is Queen Elizabeth 2.
The camera then zooms back out to enable the audience to watch the boat pass, which makes the audience feel as if they are on the sea watching the action take place, meaning that they are more involved and engaged in the action. The boat we see is large and lavish and therefore it has connotations of wealth and perhaps a special occasion.
The shot of the fireworks in the opening titles create connotations of celebration and continue the positive imagery and celebratory theme.
We then see a close up shot of the wheel of the boat, again, this is lavish and luxurious. The gold colours create connotations of wealth and luxury for the audience. Furthermore, the captain of the boat is dressed in a white blazer and has matching gloves which suggests to the audience that he is of importance. White is a very positive colour and is generally associated with the protagonists or angels and purity.
There is then a close up shot of a book, judging by the way it is held and the appearance of the book it appears that it may be the Bible. Again, the man holding the book is dressed in white formal clothes with gold buttons, connotating wealth and luxury. We then see what we automatically assume is a couple, joining hands, indicating to the audience that this could be a marriage ceremony.
It is then confirmed that it is a marriage ceremony because there is an extreme close up of a marriage certificate and a man signing his name.
The close up shot of the hands is repeated, however this time the female's hand is featured more heavily in the foreground and we see a ring being placed on her finger. The woman's hand is delicate and well manicured which could suggest that this is a special occasion as she has got her nails done and confirms the special occasion. The ring going on the finger is a very symbolic image and is often seen as a positive image because a couple is marrying.
This shot then fades into an extreme close up of the woman signing the marriage certificate.
We then see a mid long shot of a row of butler's, all dressed in identical white uniforms, lighting candles in synchronization . This highlights the formality of the event. The warm lighting and the laid tables adds to the wealth and lavish atmosphere which has already been created.
There is then a long shot of double doors and the couple (whose faces still have not been revealed to the audience) linking arms to walk through the doors. We then get a Point Of View shot as the couple walk through the doors and we see everything from their perspective, making us feel like we are part of the ceremony.
The 2007 film, Enchanted is an animation, comedy, family film starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden.
The film begins with a long shot of the classic Disney castle and then we zoom into the castle, making you feel like you are going into another world. The first thing we see is a book on a stand, a blue piece of material around it and some flowers. This creates connotations of the importance of the book as it is standing alone and it is raised up as if it is above everything else. The camera zooms in further and we are able to see that the book is called; "Enchanted". Therefore, the audience are ready to hear the tale and get the impression that it is an important story.
The book opens and the camera pans down to a low angle shot to signify the importance of the book. the book is a 'pop-up' book which has connotations of children and innocence. The book has a warm, golden/yellow glow which is a direct contrast to the dark blue background. This could have connotations of good within evil or the fact that evil will over rule all.
There is then a narration (Julie Andrews). This again is a typical 'fairytale' feature. The narrator has a very soothing voice and is very clear so it is easy to listen to and understand.
The camera then appears as if it is delving further into the book and so the audience feel like they are going further into the story and they feel a part of it.
Once we are in the other land, there are bright, light colours around. The first things we see are animals and nature. These are very unthreatening images and so make the audience feel safe and happy as it appears as if nothing bad will happen. Through the use of a long shot, we continue to see animals as we enter into the house in the trees.
Animals are very popular and so the audience will feel very comfortable and safe with the mount of animals around.
We then see a mid long shot of a 'beautiful maiden'. She is dressed in pink which has connotations of romance and love. It is a very innocent and girly colour and one that stands out amongst all the colours of nature. The fact that she is the first 'person' that we see, suggests that she will be the main protagonist within the film.
We then also hear dialogue from a chipmunk and get a close up of this animal, suggesting, unlike with the other animals, that he has a personality and will feature quite a lot within the film.
The 2004 film, The Notebook is a romantic drama film starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.
The Notebook begins with a wide long shot of a lake and a sunset above it. The main colours within this are black and red. These colours have connotations of evil and death and rage, however, red can also be associated with love and passion. The audience can see the silhouette of a man rowing across the lake. It is not clear which direction he is rowing in which creates an element of mystery and intrigue for the audience. The man rowing could suggest that this will be a prominent theme throughout the film.
Once the camera pans in closer to the rower, they are lit by the sunset which could suggest that they are the protagonist within the film and they are good due to them being highlighted and lit by the sunlight.
The camera them moves in further to the rower using a tracking shot. This is very effective because you feel as if you are following the rower and you are with them on their journey. The camera then moves back into an extreme long shot again which could perhaps have connotations of the rower being lost or having no sense of where they are rowing to.
The calm atmosphere created by the soundtrack is a strong contrast to the evil and powerful colours that are used within the opening scene.
After following the rower, we then see a flock of white birds (doves) pass by. These are very symbolic of purity and goodness and can be seen as a religious symbol too. Through the use of slow motion, it then becomes apparent that the birds are flocking to a house of some description, which overlooks the lake. It could be viewed as the birds showing the rower the way.
The camera then changes to an over the shoulder shot of an old woman looking over the lake. Here the whit doves become black because of the light, creating a sinister feel.
COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS
All of these films have similar and different features. The Parent Trap and The Notebook both rely solely on the soundtrack to set the scene and the tone for the rest of the film. This is very effective because it means that the audience can really focus on what is on the screen as they are not concentrating on dialogue. This is a good way of setting the scene and getting the audience interested in what is going on.
Enchanted is the most different of the three films because the opening scene is animation and unlike the other two films, contains bright colours and setting.
All three films use colour effectively to portray to the audience what sort of characters are in the film and who is good and who is bad.
Overall, I think all of the films set the scene very effectively, however I prefer the style of The Parent Trap and The Notebook because I really think that the soundtracks can change an audience's view of a film but can also let them make their own stories up.
As someone who has never used a camera before I was worried about how difficult it would be to grasp how to use one in just one lesson, however, in this camera lesson, I learnt a lot about how to set up a camera and the different ways to achieve the best looking film.
1) Tripod
Firstly, we learnt how to set up the tripod. This was quite a simple step as it involved pulling out the legs of the tripod to make it steady and adjust the height. The tripod is extremely important because it ensures that the shot is steady and the camera does not move around.
2) Pan/Tilt Handle
The next stage of setting up the tripod was attaching the pan/tilt handle. This feature enabled us to move the tripod to pan or tilt. these different methods of filming are really useful for creating different effects within a film. Tilt can instantly change a character's status and pan is great for long shots to help set the scene for the audience.
3) Camera (Sony NX 5)
Each group got given a camera. Ours was the Sony NX 5. I liked this camera as it was simple to use and it didn't require a lens to be put on it as it already had one. What we did learn was how to attach the camera to the tripod. I found this a lot easier than I thought as the camera has clear labels on it of how to place it onto the tripod and it easily slides into place like a jigsaw puzzle.
4) Battery
The next thing we learnt how to do was put the battery into the camera. Again, the battery and the camera had labels on them so that it was easy to remember how to put the battery in. Our battery needed to be pushed up and then down again until it clicked into place.
5) Tilt/Pan
After learning how to put the tilt and pan handle onto the tripod, it was important to know how to use it with the camera effectively and so we had time to practice this. We learnt the different mechanisms which you had to alter to cause the camera to lock in a titled position or to stay loose to pan the camera.
6) Zoom and Focus
An important part of learning how to use a camera is learning how to zoom in and focus. We learnt firstly how to zoom in on an object and once we had grasped that we learnt how to focus effectively. The best way of doing this is to zoom in as far as possible to a specific point and then adjust the focus so that everything shot would be in focus.
7) White balance and Lighting
The final thing we learnt how to do was how to adjust the lighting and the white balance on the camera. This step was particularly important for filming outside because the lighting changes from inside to outside. To adjust the white balance, all we had to do was put a white object in front of the camera and then adjust the lighting until the camera created a bright white effect on the object.
Inheritance is
about a group of men who work together to save people who have been kidnapped.
To hide their identities they all wear black and white masks therefore they all
look identical. They travel around together in a white van. I believe that this film can be interpreted in two ways; I think that the group of men can be viewed as the protagonists (which is the way that I see it) or I think that they can be seen as the antagonists.
The opening
sequence builds tension because there is no speech or interaction between the
three men. Whilst the men are in the
van, there is no sound except for the van driving which creates and eerie and
mysterious atmosphere because you do not know why they are in the van or where
they are travelling to. The camera is in the van and they are using a handheld camera to make the frame more shaky making you feel like
you are in the van with the group of men, and so the audience feel closer to
the characters and are more engrossed in the action. Once the van
comes to a halt, there is a loud screeching noise which raises alarm to the
audience and causes them to become more engaged in the scene and more focused
on the action. There is also a blackout just as the van comes to a sudden stop,
making the scene more frantic and showing the audience a change in location and
atmosphere. This blackout is very effective because it is so sudden and so the audience imagine many different things that could have happened that would cause the van to come to such a sudden halt.
The
characters are in two clear groups; there are the men in the van-the
protagonists and the other group is the man in his car with the young boy tied
up in the back.
Initially, the audience does not fully trust
the men in the van because they are all dressed in dark clothing, which is
typically associated with evil and death and so you do not trust them, however,
their masks are only half black. This is a strong indication to the audience
that the men are not the bad guys at all. The white half of the mask suggests
that they are good. Furthermore, once they get out of the van, they appear to
be saving the young boy in the car which indicates to the audience that they
are saving him.
The young
boy is the victim in this opening scene. Although he is also dressed in dark clothing,
he is just an ordinary boy and therefore the audience can relate to him and
feel empathy towards him because he is tied up in the back of a car and cannot escape. This is the point within the opening sequence in which the audience see the group of men as the good guys and they understand why their masks are not all black. the masks being half black and half white may suggest to the audience that then men are only half bad or are putting on an evil persona (the mask) but underneath they are the heroes.
The first character that we see is one of the
men inside the van. Only his face is shown- the rest of the man are masked the
whole time. This indicates to the audience that this man is the main protagonist
and he will be the leader and the hero of the film. The effect of only being able to see one of the men's face is that it causes the audience to develop a relationship with him and therefore they are more likely to be rooting for him the whole time.
I think that the plot line would follow the idea of the men being the protagonists. The man in the car would be the antagonist. In the opening sequence, he did not have much to do, however he did not seem at all fazed by the men jumping out of the van with guns which makes me think that he is not a stranger to this kind of thing.
My plot line would follow the same antagonist throughout. If you listen carefully in the opening sequence, you can hear that he begins to talk in another language. Stereotypically, an audience would be more threatened by somebody foreign and so that is why I would make him the antagonist. The film would follow this group of men saving various people who have been kidnapped by the man in the car. It would be a superhero/villain style film in which the audience would follow the group of men trying to defeat this man who is the kidnapper.
I have chosen Freaky Friday as my favourite film. There are two versions of the movie, however, I will be reviewing the original 1977 film. Freaky Friday is the story of a mother (Mrs Andrews) and her teenage daughter (Annabel), who don't get along particularly well, and often tell each other how they could easily live the other person's life. well, be careful what you wish for because they find their personalities switched and have to live each others lives on one strange Friday.
I have chosen this as my favourite film for many reasons.
My first reason is because of the plot. I think that this is a very unusual plot and therefore it makes the film much more intriguing. The story focuses on a mother and a daughter which makes the film extremely relatable and therefore easy and enjoyable to watch as they are just normal people and the audience are able to notice similarities between themselves or people they know, meaning that they can empathise with the characters and recognise the relationships that they have. Many children would also agree that if they had the chance to switch places with their parents, they would do a better job and not mess things up as much as their parents do! It is a really good example of children wanting to grow up and wishing they could be a grown up, which is something that most children think about at one point in their life and it clearly represents how hard it is to be an adult but also the struggles of childhood and school.
The second reason is because of the characters. You instantly like the main characters in the film (Mrs Andrews and Annabel) and you want to see what will happen to them. Everyone can relate to a mother and daughter or has a similar relationship and the unrelatable, fantasy element of them switching places adds interest and makes the audience consider how they would deal with that situation.
Another thing which makes Freaky Friday my favourite film is the disaster element; once Annabel and Mrs Andrews have swapped places, everything begins to go wrong. This element of the film makes it funny and light-hearted and so it is engaging to watch as there is constantly something going on.
The ending of the film is also really exciting. It ends with a chase scene in which Jodie Foster (still as her mother) has to drive the car and is being followed by three police cars and Barbara Harris (as her daughter) ends up on water skis. The neat roundabout ending consists of Annabel and Mrs Andrews both wishing that they were not each other and they then switch back, ending the film on a positive and cheerful note.
FREAKY FACT FILE
Produced By: Walt Disney Productions
Date Released: 21st January 1977
Director: Gary Nelson
Writer: Mary Rodgers
Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Awards: Nominated for 3 Golden Globes
My favourite part of the film is when Annabel has already struggled with the washing machine-which every teenager can relate to!- and then different people keep arriving and she ends up with about 6 or 7 different people in the house at once all asking for different things. It is really engaging as a viewer because of all the different things going on at once and you know that things will keep getting worse, making it compulsive to keep watching. This is the "Bubble Gum Scene" in which Annabel (as her mother) struggles to put the wash on!
