PRE-PRODUCTION UNIT: Black Mirror (Shut Up And Dance) - Research

To further my research into cinematography styles and the Directors of Photography behind them, I did some research into an episode of Black Mirror which used majorly handheld methods.

With black mirror it is important to bear in mind that each episode has a different director and director of photography so there is a need for consistency in style between episodes so some styles and quirks of the cinematography may carry across between different cinematographers (through the input of the series producer / show runner).

Shut Up And Dance

The cinematographer behind this episode was Tim Maurice-Jones.

The filming style

The episode begins with an establishing shot of a car (which is later featured in the plot) driving into a car park. Whilst many establishing shots are filmed in a fixed position on a tripod, Maurice-Jones establishes his handheld style early on by filming this establishing shot handheld. This also helps to establish the theme of anxiety which is prevalent in this episode as the shakiness of the camera of the camera reflects the anxiety and pressure felt by the characters. 

This establishing shot is also filmed using a frame-in-frame technique by shooting through the railings of the car park. This creates vertical bars through the screen which mirrors that of prison bars which could foreshadow the end result of the main character Kenny. 

Following this, POV shots are used to show what the character is seeing - this is performed as a swift sweeping motion to resemble her nervous behaviour. This is followed by the camera almost moving in a semi circle around the character, continuing this sweep of anxiety. This shows that handheld camera aids the emotions intended to be felt within the piece - this may be used in our piece for comedic effect rather than to convey anxiety as handheld can be used in a variety of ways. 

The handheld camera has a more practical use for this scene. The camera begins on Kenny's mum looking in the mirror and follows Kenny walking down the stairs and appearing to her side - this sort of camera movement would not be as well performed using any other method. The handheld camera allows for fluid movement, keeping both Kenny and Kenny's mum in frame during their conversation. This supports the idea of going handheld with our production - as we are likely to be using animals, some of the movements may be slightly unpredictable. Therefore, going handheld would ensure that none of this action is missed. 

With the exception of a couple of scenes, the colour grading of this episode has a persistent cool blue / green tone. This is used to reflect the bleak nature of the episode and the tasks the characters have to face. Some methods of colour grading choose to contrast colours in order to make a certain colour stand out e.g. using an orange highlight colour with blue shadow colour to make one of the colours more vibrant. However, the colour grading of this is completely blue / green from the shadows to the skin tones to the highlights. Where skin tone is usually given a warmer colouring (such as orange / peach), the grading of this causes the skin to appear a grey / blue - as stated, this overwhelming level of blue / green connotes the bleakness of the activities. 

During the car scene on the way to the bank, an interesting technique is used. The camera stays on Kenny for extended lengths of time to suggest severity of situation and him contemplating the scenario. As Hector is talking to him about what the 'people' have on him, Kenny is shown to be in deep thought - with the camera staying in the same position focusing on Kenny, it almost has the effect of showing that Hector's words are running through and burrowing into Kenny's mind. It would be interesting to bring this technique over to Vet-Man as prolonged shots can be used as Vet-Man performs surgery to enhance the atmosphere of concentration.

Once the characters find out about robbery - the atmosphere becomes more tense and panicky rather than that of deep thought. This is reflected through the shots becoming a lot more quick in succession. These contrasting length shots make the difference in length much more apparent as it goes from staying on Kenny for lengthy periods to cutting between medium close ups of of both of the characters at a much faster pace.

Whilst the majority of the episode is filmed handheld, the handheld camera becomes more shaky following Kenny into bank. This is the same technique as beginning of episode, however, even more so. This helps to reflect the intense anxiety of the situation.

During the robbery itself a shallow depth of field is used in a medium close up shot to make Kenny's face the focus of the frame - this helps to show his emotions clearly and enhance this emotion to the audience. I could apply a similar technique in Vet-Man during surgery scenes to enhance the concentration of the vet's face.

After the robbery and the characters have split, a long shot is used as Kenny walks towards the woods which isolates him within frame (reinforcing the idea that he is now alone after splitting from Hector). Kenny is in the central third of the frame - this gives Kenny a sense of vulnerability as he is completely surrounded and engulfed by this countryside. This helps to suggest that the manipulation from the 'people' is not coming to an end like he thinks it is - he is vulnerable to further manipulation.   This shows how shot lengths can be experimented with in order to convey different atmospheres - this is something I will test with Vet-Man and later storyboard. 

Although the colour grading continues to have a cooler tone overall, warmer lighting / idyllic scenery cut through to suggest the ordeal is coming to a close. This is then contrasted with the next scene, which throws the episode back into being bleak. A similar technique can be used in Vet-Man to contrast the moods of different scenes by using slightly different colouring within the overall colour grade. (i.e. keep the overall colouring the same for consistency but adapt certain scenes to have a warmer look and certain scenes to have a cooler look depending on the atmosphere within the shot).

Once Kenny enters the woods, it returns to cooler colouring and shallow depth of field. This throws the severity of situation back in focus and helps to suggest to the viewer that the ordeal is not over. 

After the scene in the woods is, Kenny is walking away (presumably home). This is one of the only times a static shot is used - reflecting Kenny potentially feeling numb after fighting the man in the woods. Once a phone call comes through, the filming style returns to handheld camera - which suggests the return of anxiety.

What I've learned through this research:

Although a different genre and subject matter to our production, it is interesting to explore the use of handheld camera and the different ways it can be used; to capture fast paced action and to enhance the mood of the scene etc.

Colour grading was also interesting to note. Very cool toned throughout with the exception of a few scenes. This shows how important colour grading is in setting the tone and atmosphere of a production. As we want to follow a natural / observational style, I will use a much more natural colour grade (ensuring skin colour remains a peach tone as opposed to this where skin almost appeared grey in tone) which will make the footage have a more authentic look. However, I will still adapt the colour grading to the appropriate environment e.g. during surgical scenes, the grade will be cooler in tone. Whereas, in home settings / natural outdoor settings the grade will be slightly warmer in tone to reflect how these settings appear naturally. 

Depth of field can be used to draw attention to certain aspects. I will take this into consideration as I may want to use this method to draw the audience's eye to a specific area of the frame.

This research has shown the importance of varying the shot type as this has an impact on how the audience reads the frame. It is easy to become caught up in using solely medium shots and medium close up shots, however, long shots of characters can be very effective in isolating them in the shot. This is something to consider when I am storyboarding the production.

Occasionally a dolly shot and tripod shot were woven seamlessly into the episode. This shows how you need not stick to just one style of filming - the method of filming should be appropriate to what you're trying to capture i.e. as shown in this episode, if you are observing the characters watching TV but you want there to be slight movement, a medium dolly shot works best as opposed to a shaky handheld camera. However, if you're followed someone through a nerve-racking situation, going handheld is the preferred method. 

PRE-PRODUCTION: I'm Alan Partridge - Research

As our production is likely to be a comedy, similar in theme to a mockumentary but filmed in a sit com style, I decided to undertake some research into the BBC show; I'm Alan Partridge - a situation comedy following radio DJ Alan Partridge.

The first series of I'm Alan Partridge was produced in 1997 and was filmed with an aspect ratio of 4:3 - the traditional television standard during the 20th century. [1] The second series was produced in 2002 with an updated aspect ratio of 16:9, the standard for HD TV.

Even though 4:3 was the standard aspect ratio, watching as a modern audience this aspect ratio almost seems intentional rather than being used just because it was the standard. The 4:3 aspect ratio and standard definition gives the show a lower visual quality, which helps to reflect the low quality of Alan's life. This is also aided by the mise-en-scene used within scenes such as the recording studio and the cheap hotel in which he is living. The recording booth has a dark interior with dark walls and dim lighting, helping to convey that his slot on the local station is the graveyard slot. The scenes within the hotel follow a similar theme, low practical lighting and bleak coloured walls. This is something I will consider as Director of Photography. I will work with the director to decide on the mise-en-scene used within our piece. As our production is likely to be similar in style (i.e. following a vet through his misadventures), borrowing some ideas from the production of I'm Alan Partridge will help to give our production the appropriate look - these ideas are laid out further in this blog post.

I'm Alan Partridge has a single camera set up and is shot in a handheld manner, following Alan through the day's adventures. The single camera set up means that whilst the handheld method is used for comedic effect, it is also practical. The handheld nature also makes the sit com feel authentic and is the audience are being brought along with the action.

To really study the cinematography, I focused my research on one episode.

Watership Alan

Like all episodes throughout both series, the episode begins in the recording studio. This establishes Alan's occupation and shows him as being the central character of the show. I would like to bring this idea through to our production (i.e. establishing our character as a vet and displaying that he is the central character of the show in the beginning scenes.) However, this is not solely my decision as DoP - I will need to discuss this with the director of the production.

Although, I am able to decide how this is shot (if this idea is taken on board). In several episodes, the camera begins on a close up shot of an object (such as the microphone) and quickly zooms out to reveal Alan sitting there in the booth. The microphone gives a clue to the location before revealing to the audience the whole recording booth. I may use a similar technique in our production by beginning on a close up shot of veterinary equipment, before quickly zooming out to a medium shot to reveal the vet and establish this occupation. This is more interesting than beginning with a standard establishing shot. By beginning with a close up shot before zooming out as a reveal, it keeps the audience in anticipation and heightens comedic effect. (e.g. this can also be used as a technique if something has gone wrong for the vet - a close up shot can be used to show a perfectly clean veterinary tool and then zoom out to reveal the vet splattered in blood.)

The lighting used in the hotel room seems to be practical natural lighting (i.e. just the natural light coming from the window and the lighting within the room). Whether this was achieved using artificial lights or natural lighting is unknown, however, the look of the product would make it seem that it is naturally lit. This adds to the authentic look (aided by the handheld camera) which makes the audience feel they are observing Alan Partridge naturally in his daily activities. This adds to the comedy of the piece as it puts the focus is on Alan's humorous dialogue and comedic actions. Within this medium shot, framing Alan in the centre of the frame helps to keep the focus on him. The audience also assumes Alan is alone due to him singing and exercising in his inappropriately small outfit, however, a quick cut to a two shot reveals Geordie Michael fixing something in the corner, adding to the humour of the situation. 

As well as the handheld shots following Alan, during conversations two shots and shot-reverse-shots are used (the majority of the time these are also filmed in a handheld manner). The two shots are filmed in a very practical manner, placing the emphasis on the content of the conversation rather than on the shot type (making the camerawork seem unnoticeable). This shows that good camera work doesn't always have to be extravagant - sometimes it needs to be used in a practical way to communicate the content of the programme - and when done well this camerawork is invisible to the viewer. This scene switches between a two shot and a shot-reverse-shot of Alan and Geordie Michael - in all of which the lighting and colours remain consistent. A fairly deep depth of field is used in these shots (shown by the focus stretching from the characters to the background as well) - this again adds to the authentic feel and makes the audience feel like they are just observing the action (instead of using a shallow depth of field to throw the background out of focus and make the audience feel as if they should be focusing on a particular part of the frame).

This is something I will need to consider as I will also most likely be using a single camera method as well - I will need to ensure the aperture, shutter speed and ISO are all set correctly to ensure the right exposure and to ensure this exposure remains the same over the different shot types. From the Transitions shoot last year I found that a lower ISO worked the best to ensure the least grainy footage and using a slower shutter speed and wider aperture to compensate. This will be something to experiment with in my test shoots.

The framing of some of the shots helps to enhance the mood of a scene. In this scene, Lynn has suggested she could pretend to be Alan's wife, yet Alan is not keen on the idea - this leads to an awkward silence in the lift. The framing of this shot enhances the awkwardness as it keeps Alan and Lynn in a consistent position in the frame - the camera also stays on this same frame for the whole lift journey, dragging out the awkwardness. 

This is something I will consider during our production. Often camera shots are cut between quickly in situation comedies, however, this offers a different approach and works to the advantage of the situation. I will experiment with shot lengths in my test shoots.

As well as just filming the conversations between the characters, the camera is also used to move the audience through the locations. In this scene, the camera follows Alan and Lynn from the lift to the hotel lobby (with them walking towards the camera in a medium shot). A deep depth of field is used whilst using moving through to the lobby - this means that there is a larger depth of focus meaning that the characters remain in focus whilst moving. I will test this in my test shoots as this would be a good technique to use to follow our character (as opposed to merely cutting to another shot in their next location).

The dim lighting and desaturated colour grading also help to suggest the time of day - again adding to natural, authentic nature of the show. In this scene, the only light source is coming from the lamp - this casts a shadow over the side of Alan's face facing the camera - this helps to show that it is evening in this scene. Whilst the desaturated colour grading helps to suggest the cheap nature of the hotel, like the dimmer lighting it helps to suggest nighttime. 

This is something to consider in my test shoots as artificial lights may need to be used in our production to get the best visual result - however, these artificial lights will still need to look appropriate for the time of day at which the scene is set. I will test this through setting up the lights and adjusting them to simulate different times of day. 

In the following scene, the use of handheld camera is particularly effective. The handheld, close up, frantic movement of the camera once the cow has been dropped onto Alan helps to convey the panic and confusion of the situation. The close up nature of the handheld shots adds to the confusion as the audience are only seeing parts of the picture at one time, keeping the footage exciting. This, accompanied by the snippets of sound ("where did the cow come from?", "I know it's not funny", "get the cow off the boat please", "I'm not okay") makes the viewer feel as if they are involved in the action - they are getting the immediate reaction of the characters.

When Alan is sat up finishing his piece to camera, the camera zooms out to reveal that he is in a stretcher and that the hand that he drinks with isn't actually his. This adds to the comedic effect as the audience has presumed one thing (that Alan is sat in a chair, drinking with his own hand) but the reveal suddenly throws them off, making the situation humorous. I hope to use similar zooming shots to act as reveals in our production.

What I have learnt from this research:

Handheld camera is very effective in making a production look authentic and making the audience feel as if they're watching natural activity. This adds to the comedy of the piece as Alan's dialogue and actions are at the centre of the audience's attention.

Zooms are effective in revealing things to the audience. Slight zooms in can be used to emphasise a feature to the audience or zooms out can reveal the bigger picture to the audience.

Desaturated, slightly warm toned colour grading gives the production a natural look. This colour grading accurately resembles the lighting that is often seen in the locations the sit com is set (recording studio, hotel etc.) -  adding to the idea that we are following this character through their daily life.

Sources:

[1] https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/film-studies-101-aspect-ratios/

DISSERTATION UNIT: Briefing

Introduction: (10% of word count = 800 words)

Sets up and prepares the reader:
- introduce and explain main focus and aim
- clarify areas of research e.g. the focus and aim of each chapter
- brief overview of the discussion order of your dissertation chapter by chapter

Beginning, middle and end: (80% of word count)
Each chapter = 2,150 words, 12 paragraphs, 180 words, each paragraph acts as a progressive point that needs to be researched and listed in logical order and identify info for analysis

Chapter One:
- definitions of terms used in the question
- basic theory
- background information and/or historical ideas or contexts

(mapping out theories to do with gender)

Chapter Two:
- utilises and builds on the information from Chapter One
- application of theories, current discussions/context
- any information and ideas that need to be discussed before the question can be fully answered in the final chapter

Chapter Three:
- where the question is fully answered or aim fully realised

Conclusion: (10% of word count = 800 words)

Ends on very last, final response on the discussion
- reiterate the aim of your dissertation, reminding the reader of questions you were intending to answer
- highlight key findings chapter by chapter and how they relate to each other in light of your aims
- discuss your response to your findings and any answers / conclusions drawn to your aims / questions

To prepare for 1st tutorial:
- plan for topic - its intellectual context and how your question approaches it
- create and review list of research material
- key authors and a sentence of the way you wish yo use their ideas
- moving image sequences you wish to relate to research
- methods of analysis
- structure and organisation of discussion
- initial plan for draft chapter one

To prepare for 2nd tutorial:
- read research material
- write up a draft for chapter one

To prepare for 3rd tutorial:
- research and write notes for chapter two
- write chapter two and introduction
- make amendments to chapter one

To prepare for draft hand in: (at least 6000 words)
- make amendments to chapter two
- research and write draft for chapter three and conclusion

Title page:
Title of dissertation
Your name
Course
Month and year of submission
First language
Number of words

PRE-PRODUCTION UNIT: Initial Ideas

Having looked through previous years works on the pre production unit, I have established what exactly I need to consider within my role as Director of Photography.

As a group we would like to put together a book to show everything involved with the pre production of our major project.

I will focus on the visuals involved within the project:

- Filming style - fly on the wall / observational / informal / handheld
- D.O.P statment
- Test shoots
- Equipment list
- Shot list and storyboard

As we enjoyed making 'Vet-Man' for our Transition Unit, we thought we would do something similar for our final piece. Our main aim is to make our final major project something original and unique so we wanted to follow the idea of doing a comedy / mockumentary.

With this in mind, we had our 1-2-1 session with Simon to get feedback on our idea.

This was the feedback:

What are we trying to say / explore? Find this before deciding the form to take (a mockumentary may not necessarily be the best form)

Does the main character have to be a vet? Different occupation?

PRE-PRODUCTION UNIT: Briefing

- Research
- Equal time on dissertation and pre production units (Term 1)

Dissertation (30 credits)

- Proposal as starting point
- 8000 words
- 3 tutorials prior to draft hand in
- Draft hand in: 27th November 2018
- 1 draft feedback tutorial in last week of term

- Dissertation final submission: 25th January 2019

Pre-Production (30 credits)

- Produce detailed pre production package for an original production

Either:

- High concept pre production

Hypothetical - think big
A package that communicates idea to broadcast commissioner
Not constricted by student budget
Focused on your own interests

- Major project pre production

Pitch, script, budget, schedule, casting, locations, trailer etc.
This may actually be taken into production
Very detailed plan
Maximum length 20 mins

- Submission: 11th December 2018

External collaboration allowed from:
Cast / Presenters / Actors / Music / Production & Costume Design / Special FX