CAMERA WORKSHOP: Location Shooting

This camera workshop was all about shooting on location. We used one of the car parks at the studios as our location. Location shooting helped us to think about things we'd need to consider in our risk assessments (e.g. checking the ground for potential trip hazards, keeping an eye out for cars and taking account of weather conditions). As another safety precaution, we had to wear high-vis jackets to ensure we would be seen by any cars / danger whilst shooting.

This camera workshop also helped us to get a feel for what it would really be like to shoot on set and what extra things we would need to consider with the equipment. As it was windy we used a furry windshield / dead wombat to cover the microphone to reduce wind noise instead of just used the rode directional microphone on its own. We also made sure that at least one member of the crew stayed with the camera / tripod so that it did not blow over and break the equipment.

We had some slight problems with getting the exposure right, meaning that we had to re shoot the whole sequence. Therefore, our sequence was very short and improvised but at least it helped us to get a feel for location shooting.

Take a look:

STORY-TELLING UNIT: Research - Screenwriting

Following our session with Steve Coombes on screenwriting, I decided to conduct some extra research on the subject.

I managed to find an example screenplay with aspects of the screenplay explained. [1]

This was particularly useful as it helped to enhance and reinforce what Steve had taught us in the session. It really helped to explain where each of the tools should be used on a screenplay. When looking at example screenplays I was confused as to why sometimes the characters' names were in capitals and at other times they were not - this example helped to show that capitals are used for the first appearance of a character. I then transferred this knowledge to my own screenplay.

What is a screenplay?

- a blueprint for a film

- conveys the story to be told

- how to show a story on screen

- reader should be able to imagine how the film will work on screen

Why are all screenplays written in the same font?

- all screenplays are written in courier 12pt font

- a formatted page of screenplay in courier 12pt font = one minute of screen time (approximately)

How is a screenplay formatted?

- due to the development of screenwriting programmes such as Final Draft and Celtx, people generally don't have to manually format their screenplays (they simply choose the tool that suits the part of the script e.g. dialogue, scene heading etc.)

- however, it interested me to find out all the different aspects of formatting a screenplay.

Example screenplays I had a look at:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~ina22/splaylib/Screenplay-Perks_of_Being_a_Wallflower.pdf

Mean Girls - http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/mean_girls.pdf

Inception - http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Inception.html

Following this research I really feel like I understand screenplays and the process of screenwriting better. Looking at example screenplays was probably the greatest help to me as it helped me to see that even the best screenwriters follow the same techniques that we have been taught.

[1] Writers Store, 2016. How to Write a Screenplay: Script Writing Example & Screenwriting Tips [online] Available at: <https://www.writersstore.com/how-to-write-a-screenplay-a-guide-to-scriptwriting/> [Accessed on: 24/10/2016]

EDITING WORKSHOP: Fairly Legal

We had another editing workshop today. Like the other workshops we were taught about a few tools and then left to get on with our own edits. In this workshop we were also taught about colour correction. Here's my piece:

STORY-TELLING UNIT: 180º rule and Crossing The Line

Where you position the camera in a scene is where you place the audience.

Placing a camera over the shoulder makes the audience an observer.

Placing the camera opposite person places audience within the action.

180º rule

If the camera is kept on behind the line - the characters stay facing the correct ways - the characters stay on their right side of the screen.

Only cross the line if the audience is involved in the action i.e. they see the camera move.

Here's my Crossing The Line video:

STORY-TELLING UNIT: Beginnings, Middles & Ends and Moments

Today we had a lecture with Steve Coombes. We learnt about beginnings, middles and ends as well as moments.

Notes:

Plot - what happens (sequence of events)

Story - The significance of what happens

Need to have buts and therefores between bits of the story, not and then.

All characters should have buts and all stories should have buts.

Buts create dramatic irony. Characters then have to make choices.

Stories should have a minimum of 3 moments - a beginning, a middle and an end. The moments should be eye opening.

When the audience had a greater knowledge of the character than the character themselves - creates irony. There could also be a contradiction between what the audience says and what the audience knows.

Opening should leave the audience wanting to know more and keep watching. Gets their attention.

Middle should have bigger buts and more difficult choices than the beginning.

The middle has to materially change the story.

Middle should change the direction of the story.

What you thought the story was, turns out to be something else.

Ending should have a dramatic final choice.

e.g. Toy Story 3 - Andy giving away Woody

The more ironies you can show in the ending, the better.

Golden rule for scripts: count your moments

Ending is the most important moment but doesn't need to be biggest moment.

Screenplay needs memorable moments 

Everything else is there to serve the moments

A good film has 5 or 6 moments

The plot, story and character should be invisible

EDITING WORKSHOP with Fergus Moloney

Today we had an editing workshop taught by Fergus Moloney. We learnt more about editing on Adobe Premiere Pro.

Things we learnt:
- short cuts
- using the keys to switch between sections on Adobe Premiere Pro
- using the keyboard to select parts of the clips we wanted to insert
- the difference between inserting a clip and overwriting a clip
- which parts of a clip are good to use (don't use shaky clips)

We had to edit together a short film about coffee. I decided to edit together the audio first and then fit the images over the audio. Here's the outcome:

Feedback from Fergus:
- excellent
- liked the way I didn't edit the clips too literally (didn't put an clip of drinking coffee when the narrator said 'coffee')
- a couple of clips were a little bit clunky

CAMERA WORKSHOP: The Chair

Today we had a camera workshop. We were set the task of creating a short film about 'The Chair'. The aim was to make it as exciting as possible by using a variety of different shot types.

Before doing the task, we watched a clip of The Shawshank Redemption and studied how many different shot types they used in order to convey the story. From watching this clip, we discovered how stories can be told through the different shot types instead of the characters describing the events that are happening.

Here's my version of 'The Chair':

Experimenting with Adobe Premiere Pro

Today we experimented with Adobe Premiere Pro in order to see what our editing skills were like. We were given a series of short clips (both video and audio) and were told to edit them together however we wanted. 

Here's how I edited the clips:

 

Things I learnt from the session:

- how to use the basic tools in Adobe Premiere Pro (cut, trim, insert, overwrite etc)

- how to add video and audio transitions

- how to change the levels of volume on the sound