Great Video Websites:
4-Minute Film School: http://www.indymogul.com/4minfilmschool/episodes
Video University: http://www.videouniversity.com/
Filmmaking 101: http://www.filmanchor.com/
Video University: http://www.videouniversity.com/
Media College: http://www.mediacollege.com/video/
Desktop VIdeo Design http://www.desktop-video-guide.com/index.html
Cyber College: http://www.cybercollege.com/indexall.htm
Izzy Video: http://izzyvideo.com
Vimeo's Video School: http://www.vimeo.com/videoschool/101
4-Minute Film School: http://www.indymogul.com/4minfilmschool/episodes
Video University: http://www.videouniversity.com/
Filmmaking 101: http://www.filmanchor.com/
Video University: http://www.videouniversity.com/
Media College: http://www.mediacollege.com/video/
Desktop VIdeo Design http://www.desktop-video-guide.com/index.html
Cyber College: http://www.cybercollege.com/indexall.htm
Izzy Video: http://izzyvideo.com
Vimeo's Video School: http://www.vimeo.com/videoschool/101
The Elements of Film
Assignment Instructions
Download and print, or obtain from class a copy of The Elements of Film handout. Read the following sections and watch the film clip examples as you complete the graphic organizer.
Section One: The Principle Parts of Film
· Frame: the rectangle of film itself on which the image appears, or the still photographs that make up an animation.
· Shot: what is recorded by a single operation of the camera from the time the director gives the command “action!” to the time the director says “cut.”
· Scene: a group of shots that are logically related to each other, with continuous action, usually in a single location, but not always.
· Sequence: a group of scenes forming a self-contained storyline unit.
An excellent example is from the final scene of The Graduate because it’s so famous and gets copied all the time. As you watch the scene note to yourself the end of every shot. You may also pause the clip to examine each frame.
Assignment Instructions
Download and print, or obtain from class a copy of The Elements of Film handout. Read the following sections and watch the film clip examples as you complete the graphic organizer.
Section One: The Principle Parts of Film
· Frame: the rectangle of film itself on which the image appears, or the still photographs that make up an animation.
· Shot: what is recorded by a single operation of the camera from the time the director gives the command “action!” to the time the director says “cut.”
· Scene: a group of shots that are logically related to each other, with continuous action, usually in a single location, but not always.
· Sequence: a group of scenes forming a self-contained storyline unit.
An excellent example is from the final scene of The Graduate because it’s so famous and gets copied all the time. As you watch the scene note to yourself the end of every shot. You may also pause the clip to examine each frame.
Section Two: Camera Angles
· High Angle: a shot taken from above the subject/action. What is the effect? The effect is that it makes the character seem small and vulnerable.
· Low Angle: a shot taken from below the subject/action. What is the effect? The effect is that it makes the character seem dominating or frightening, larger-than-life.
· Bird’s Eye: a shot taken directly above the action. What is the effect? The effect is that it makes the viewer feel disoriented or God-like.
· Eye-Level: a shot from the eye-level of the subject. What is the effect? The effect is that it is straight-forward, doesn’t draw attention to itself, it feels balanced, calm, ordered.
A good example is the opening scene in Double Indemnity in which the female is shot from a low angle and the male is shot from a high angle. According to the camera angles, who has the visual power in this scene?
· High Angle: a shot taken from above the subject/action. What is the effect? The effect is that it makes the character seem small and vulnerable.
· Low Angle: a shot taken from below the subject/action. What is the effect? The effect is that it makes the character seem dominating or frightening, larger-than-life.
· Bird’s Eye: a shot taken directly above the action. What is the effect? The effect is that it makes the viewer feel disoriented or God-like.
· Eye-Level: a shot from the eye-level of the subject. What is the effect? The effect is that it is straight-forward, doesn’t draw attention to itself, it feels balanced, calm, ordered.
A good example is the opening scene in Double Indemnity in which the female is shot from a low angle and the male is shot from a high angle. According to the camera angles, who has the visual power in this scene?
Section Three: Camera Distance (Shot)
Note: the abbreviations listed on the handout (CU, MS, etc.) just refer to the way these types of shots are abbreviated in film screenplays. They’re just used as shorthand.
· Close-Up: a shot filmed up close to the subject, concentrates on a relatively small object (e.g. the human face). The use of a close-up elevates the importance of the subject, creates intimacy (helps us to identify with the character), or it can create a sense of menace and intrusion.
· Medium Shot: the figure is seen from the knees or waist up, good for shots with two or three people. These shots are fairly straight-forward and don’t draw attention to themselves. They’re almost casual.
· Long Shot: corresponds to the approximate distance between the audience and the stage, takes in a great deal of landscape. A long shot objectifies the action encourages a sense of detachment from the action.
· Full Shot: shows the human body in full.
· Establishing Shot: usually exterior, it’s a long shot that shows the audience the location of the action, time and season before moving on to the actual action.
In a classic scene from Citizen Kane, the camera keeps a deep focus on all the action from the child Kane playing outside to his parents discussing his fate. As the camera moves back and transitions into a long shot, the mother remains in the center and nearest to the camera, creating a sense of dominance. The other characters are reduced in influence as we focus in on the background until we reach the smallest character, Kane himself.
Note: the abbreviations listed on the handout (CU, MS, etc.) just refer to the way these types of shots are abbreviated in film screenplays. They’re just used as shorthand.
· Close-Up: a shot filmed up close to the subject, concentrates on a relatively small object (e.g. the human face). The use of a close-up elevates the importance of the subject, creates intimacy (helps us to identify with the character), or it can create a sense of menace and intrusion.
· Medium Shot: the figure is seen from the knees or waist up, good for shots with two or three people. These shots are fairly straight-forward and don’t draw attention to themselves. They’re almost casual.
· Long Shot: corresponds to the approximate distance between the audience and the stage, takes in a great deal of landscape. A long shot objectifies the action encourages a sense of detachment from the action.
· Full Shot: shows the human body in full.
· Establishing Shot: usually exterior, it’s a long shot that shows the audience the location of the action, time and season before moving on to the actual action.
In a classic scene from Citizen Kane, the camera keeps a deep focus on all the action from the child Kane playing outside to his parents discussing his fate. As the camera moves back and transitions into a long shot, the mother remains in the center and nearest to the camera, creating a sense of dominance. The other characters are reduced in influence as we focus in on the background until we reach the smallest character, Kane himself.
Section Four: Camera Movement
· Pan: the movement of the camera (on the tripod) from left to right, vice versa.
· Tilt: the movement of the camera from top to bottom, vice versa.
· Dolly: any shot where the entire camera moves from one actual point to another.
· Zoom: a shot using a lens whose focal length is adjusted during the shot (a little like the dolly shot—only the camera doesn’t actually move). This shot is used sparingly except in campy Kung Fu movies.
· Rack (Roll) Focus: to shift the focus from close to distant (or vice versa) during a shot, used to direct the viewer’s attention from one subject to another. In other words, it’s when something in the foreground is focused on and then the focus switches to the focus to whatever is in the background (or vice versa).
A classic and brilliantly shot example is the opening scene from Touch of Evil. As you watch this scene, observe the camera movements; you’ll notice that the opening scene is all one shot—the duration of time from when the bomb is set and it going off.
· Pan: the movement of the camera (on the tripod) from left to right, vice versa.
· Tilt: the movement of the camera from top to bottom, vice versa.
· Dolly: any shot where the entire camera moves from one actual point to another.
· Zoom: a shot using a lens whose focal length is adjusted during the shot (a little like the dolly shot—only the camera doesn’t actually move). This shot is used sparingly except in campy Kung Fu movies.
· Rack (Roll) Focus: to shift the focus from close to distant (or vice versa) during a shot, used to direct the viewer’s attention from one subject to another. In other words, it’s when something in the foreground is focused on and then the focus switches to the focus to whatever is in the background (or vice versa).
A classic and brilliantly shot example is the opening scene from Touch of Evil. As you watch this scene, observe the camera movements; you’ll notice that the opening scene is all one shot—the duration of time from when the bomb is set and it going off.
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