FILM INTRODUCTION
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Film-making is storytelling. We use CAMERA SHOTS as tools and devices that help us tell our stories effectively. When using different camera shots think about WHY you are making that decision in how you tell your story. Camera shots that are closer up help show expression and emotion, while shots that are wider allow the audience to make a connection to the location and setting of that scene.
A camera shot is the amount of space that is seen in one shot or frame. Camera shots are used to demonstrate different aspects of a film's setting, characters and themes. As a result, camera shots are very important in shaping meaning in a film. Reviewing the examples on the right hand side of this page should make the different camera shots clearer. Camera shots are very important in shaping meaning in a film.
WHAT YOU ARE DOING: In this scene, a character is walking along when they notice that their shoe lace is untied or they spot something interesting on the ground. They kneel down, tie their shoe, or pick up the item, examine it, show a sign of intrigue/interest and then continue walking.
This exercise demosntrates important filmmaking concepts, including:
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ACTION!!!
- Marks. On a film shoot, it is usually the responsibility of the camera assistant to put down marks for the actors. This indicates where actors need to stand for particular shots. These marks are usually numbered, so if a director wants to reshoot part of a scene, they might choose to go from the third mark. When you’re making a low budget film, it’s very useful to mark out scenes, so actors know where to stand in various parts of scene. Just make sure that they’re not visible in the shot!
- Coverage. When you’re shooting a scene like this, it’s important to get plenty of coverage of the scene so that you have the maximum amount of freedom when you’re cutting it together. When you’re shooting, make sure you let the camera record for a couple of seconds before calling, “ACTION!” It’s also important to make sure that your actors don’t break character or look at the camera until you call, “CUT!”
- Continuity editing. This is the most important lesson to learn from this simple activity. Continuity editing, or matching on action, is one of the most important lessons you can learn as a filmmaker. When you film something from two shot sizes or angles, recreating the performance of the actor both times, you will be able to cut seamlessly from one shot to the other as the actor performs a particular action. Cutting on action creates a seamless bridge between two shots that your audience won’t notice. The motion will flow smoothly from one shot to the next. More importantly, this allows filmmakers to move between different shot sizes and camera angles without zooming or moving the camera unnecessarily. When shooting action from different angles, it’s important that to make sure that the actors recreate their performances precisely. If your actor is standing in the wrong place, or has a different expression on their face, cutting between two different shots will create jarring lapses in continuity.
- The clean frame technique. An approach to capture shots where you start and end with the character out of frame. In other words, you begin and end with a clean frame. The clean frame technique encourages you to capture as much of the action as you can, giving you maximum flexibility when you are editing.