Video & Sound Production: Exercise
23/9/2024-7/10/2024
FENG SHIWEN / 0374595
Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Taylor's University
INSTRUCTION
LECTURE
Week 1
Shot size, camera angle, and composition are all elements of visual storytelling used in film, television, and other visual media.
Shot size refers to the amount of space that is visible within a single shot or frame. Different shot sizes can be used to convey different types of information or create different emotional effects. For example, a close-up shot shows a small area of the scene in great detail and is often used to emphasize a character's emotions or reactions, while a wide shot shows a larger area of the scene and is often used to establish the setting or context.
Camera angle refers to the position of the camera in relation to the subject being filmed. Different camera angles can be used to create different perspectives and convey different types of information. For example, a high-angle shot looks down on the subject from above and can create a sense of vulnerability or powerlessness, while a low-angle shot looks up at the subject from below and can create a sense of power or dominance.
Composition refers to the arrangement of visual elements within a shot or frame. This can include the placement of characters or objects within the frame, the use of color and lighting, and the balance and symmetry of the overall image. Composition can be used to create visual interest, guide the viewer's eye, and convey meaning or emotion.
- What is a camera shot?
A camera shot is composed of the series of frames that are shot uninterrupted from the moment the camera starts rolling until it stops. Camera shots are an essential aspect of filmmaking and video productions, because by combining different types of shots, angles and camera movements, the filmmakers are able to emphasize specific emotions, ideas and movement for each scene.
Types of Camera Shot Sizes ：
1. Extreme Long Shot (ELS) or Extreme Wide Shot (EWS)
An extreme long shot (or extreme wide shot) make your subject appear small against their location. You can use an extreme long shot to make your subject feel distant or unfamiliar.
2. Long Shot (LS) or Wide Shot (WS)
The long shot (also known as a wide shot, abbreviated “WS”) is the same idea, but a bit closer. If your subject is a person then his or her whole body will be in view — but not filling the shot.
3. Full Shot (FS)
Fill the frame while keeping emphasis on scenery. This shot begins in a wide shot, moves to full shot, and eventually ends in a cowboy shot.
4. Medium Wide Shot (MWS)
A medium long shot (aka medium long shot) frames the subject from roughly the knees up. It splits the difference between a full shot and a medium shot.
5. Cowboy Shot (CS)
A variation on this is the Cowboy Shot, which frames the subject from roughly mid-thighs up. It’s called a “cowboy shot” because it is used in Westerns to frame a gunslinger’s gun or holster on his hip.
6. Medium Shot (MS)
The medium shot is one of the most common camera shots. It's similar to the cowboy shot above, but frames from roughly the waist up and through the torso. So it emphasizes more of your subject while keeping their surroundings visible.
7. Medium Close Up Shot (MCU)
The medium close-up frames your subject from roughly the chest up. So it typically favors the face, but still keeps the subject somewhat distant.
8. Close Up (CU)
You know it’s time for a close-up shot when you want to reveal a subject’s emotions and reactions. The close-up camera shot fills your frame with a part of your subject. If your subject is a person, it is often their face.
9. Extreme Close Up (ECU)
An extreme close-up is the most you can fill a frame with your subject. It often shows eyes, mouths and gun triggers. In extreme close-up shots, smaller objects get great detail and are the focal point.
10. Over the shoulder shot (O.S)
- What is camera shot framing?
Camera shot framing is the art and science of placing subjects in your shots. Camera shots are all about composition. Rather than pointing the camera at the subject, you need to compose an image.
Single Shot
When your shot captures one subject it’s known as a single shot.
Two Shot or 2-Shot
A two-shot is a camera shot with two characters featured in the frame.
Three Shot or 3-Shot
A three-shot features three characters in the frame.
Over-The-Shoulder Shot (OTS)
Another element of camera shots to consider is the perspective of the shot. An over-the-shoulder shot shows your subject from behind the shoulder of another character. Because it emulates perspective, it’s common in conversation scenes.
Over-The-Hip Shot (OTH)
An over-the-hip shot is similar to over-the-shoulder in that the camera is placed with a character's hip in the foreground, and the focus subject in the plane of acceptable focus.
Point of View Shot (POV)
A POV shot is a camera shot that shows the viewer exactly what that character sees.
A point of view shot (POV) is generally sandwiched between two other shots, a technique called shot-reverse shot:
A camera shot of a character looking at something
Cut to your (POV) point of view camera shot
A camera shot showing the character's reaction
A point of view shot shows us exactly what the character sees, and we get to understand what's generating the character's reaction.
- What is depth of field?
Depth of field (DOF) is the term used to describe the size of the area in your image where objects appear acceptably sharp. The area in question is known as the field, and the size (in z-space) of that area is the depth of that field.
The center most point of the field is known as the point of focus. The imaginary two dimensional plane that extends from that point is known as the plane of focus. And any part of your image that falls directly on this plane is officially in focus.
Rack Focus vs. Focus Pull
Manipulating focus is another way of communicating with your camera shots.
A rack focus is an emphasized focus pull, where the acceptable focus range is intentionally shifted from one subject to another.
Shallow Focus Shot (Shallow DOF)
In shallow focus shots, your subject is in crisp focus while the foreground and background scenery is out of focus. This limits your depth of field to create emphasis on your subject.
Deep Focus Shot
In a deep focus shot, everything in your frame is in focus. This is when you need your audience to feel the scenery or particular scene elements.
Tilt-Shift Shot
A tilt-shift lens rotates perspective within the lens and emulates selective focus. It can make parts of your image appear in sharp focus while others are out of focus. The lens can also be adjusted during the shot for a focal variety.
Soft focus
Whereas deep focus keeps everything in focus, and shallow focus keeps something in focus, soft focus shots keep nothing in 100% sharp focus. This is caused by either a flaw in the lens itself or through special filters.
Split Diopter
A split diopter is an additional lens element that allows for two simultaneous focal lengths. In other words, you can achieve shallow focus in the foreground AND in the background, while the middle ground remains out of focus.
- What is camera shot angle?
The camera shot angle is used to specify the location where the camera is placed to take a shot. The position of the camera in relation to the subjects can affect the way the viewer perceives the scene. A scene may be shot simultaneously from multiple camera angles to amplify the cinematic effect and the emotions. 👀
Eye Level Shot
When your subject is at eye-level they’re in a neutral perspective (not superior or inferior). This mimics how we see people in real life — our eye line connecting with theirs.
Low Angle Shot
A low angle shot frames the subject from a low camera height looking up at them. These camera shots most often emphasize power dynamics between characters.
High Angle Shot
In a high angle shot, the camera points down at your subject. It usually creates a feeling of inferiority, or “looking down” on your subject.
Hip Level Shot
A hip level shot is when your camera is roughly waist-high.
Knee Level Shot
This is when your camera height is about as low as your subject’s knees. They can emphasize a character’s superiority, if paired with a low angle.
Ground Level Shot
A ground level shot is when your camera’s height is on ground level with your subject. This shot captures what’s going on the ground your subject stands on.
Shoulder Level Shot
This is when your camera is roughly as high as your subject’s shoulders. Shoulder level shots are actually much more standard than an eye level shot, which can make your actor seem shorter than reality.
Dutch Angle or Dutch Tilt Shot
For a dutch angle (dutch tilt), the camera is slanted to one side. With the horizon lines tilted in this way, you can create a sense of disorientation.
Bird’s Eye View Shot or Overhead Shot
An overhead shot is from way up high, looking down on your subject and a good amount of the scenery surrounding him or her. This can create a great sense of scale and movement.
Aerial Shot
Whether taken from a helicopter or drone, this is a shot from way up high. It establishes a large expanse of scenery.
- What is camera movement?
Camera movement is a powerful filmmaking tool employed to modify the relationship between the subject and the camera frame, with the goal of altering viewer's perspective of space and time for a more impactful and visceral visual storytelling.
- What is composition?
Composition refers to the way elements of a scene are arranged in a camera frame. Shot composition refers to the arrangement of visual elements to convey an intended message.
What is the 180 degree rule?
What is screen direction?
What happens if the camera crosses the line?
Week 2
The three-act story structure is a popular narrative framework used in storytelling, particularly in film and literature. It divides a story into three distinct parts: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution.
Act One: The Setup The first act establishes the protagonist, their world, and the situation they find themselves in. This act typically ends with an inciting incident, which sets the story in motion and creates a problem that the protagonist must solve. The inciting incident can be a positive or negative event, but it must be significant enough to disrupt the protagonist's world and force them to take action.
Act Two: The Confrontation The second act is the longest and most complex of the three acts. It's where the protagonist faces a series of obstacles and challenges as they work towards their goal. This act is often divided into two parts: the first half, where the protagonist makes progress towards their goal, and the second half, where they encounter setbacks and complications. The second act typically ends with a major turning point, where the protagonist faces a significant setback or crisis that forces them to reevaluate their approach.
Act Three: The Resolution The third act is where the story reaches its climax and resolution. The protagonist must confront their final challenge or conflict and overcome it in order to achieve their goal. The climax is the most intense and dramatic part of the story, where the stakes are highest and the tension is at its peak. The resolution, on the other hand, is the denouement, where loose ends are tied up, and the protagonist's journey comes to a satisfying conclusion.
Overall, the three-act story structure provides a clear and effective framework for storytelling, allowing writers to create engaging and well-structured narratives that resonate with audiences.
- What is the three act structure?
The three act structure is a narrative model that divides stories into three parts — Act One, Act Two, and Act Three, or rather, a beginning, middle, and end. Screenwriter Syd Field made this ancient storytelling tool unique for screenwriters in 1978 with the publishing of his book, Screenplay. He labels these acts the Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution.
Some writers label these three acts the setup, build, and payoff. Both are correct. But the basic point of each of these acts is that they have their own set of guidelines to develop, build, and resolve a story.
On a basic level, Act One sets up the world, characters, the character’s goal, as well as the conflicts or obstacles that are preventing them from achieving their goal. Act Two raises the stakes for the character to achieve the goal, escalating the conflict. Act Three resolves the story with either an achievement of that goal or a failure.
- What Are the Elements of Three Act Structure?
At their most basic, the three acts of a book or script represent a beginning, a middle, and an end. In most three-act stories, about 50 percent of the actual storytelling occurs in the second act, with 25 percent of the story falling in the first act and 25 percent falling in the final act.
Act one: The first act typically starts with exposition—one or more scenes that establish the world of the story. If the story contains supernatural elements, the rules of the supernatural world would be established here. This act should also establish the ordinary world of the story’s main character. Before the act is over, however, an inciting incident should occur—one that pulls the protagonist out of their normal world and into the main action of the story. The act concludes with some sort of turning point that launches the action into act two.
Act two: A story’s middle act consists of a rising action that leads to a midpoint, then devolves into a crisis. Let’s say a story is about a detective who is tracking the killer of her murdered partner. The Act one inciting incident would be her partner’s murder, and the turning point would be her decision to track the killer. Thus the rising action of act two would involve the sleuthing she must do to track down the murderer. Act two will raise the stakes of the protagonist’s journey, perhaps revealing the danger to which she’s exposing herself. By the story’s midpoint, the detective would be fully immersed in her journey. The second act typically ends with another turning point that makes it seem as if the protagonist will fail. This is sometimes called the “dark night of the soul.” Perhaps our detective has gotten too close to the killer and has been wounded by one of his henchmen, allowing him to escape.
Act three: The third act begins with what’s known as a pre-climax. This consists of events leading up to a climactic confrontation in which the hero faces a point of no return: they must either prevail or perish. In our detective story, perhaps our hero has regained the trail of the killer and has traced him to a safehouse. This launches us into the actual climax, where the detective apprehends her partner’s killer—either taking him into custody or killing him. Finally the story de-escalates in a denouement, where the events of the climax wind back down into normal life. Of course the hero detective’s life will never be the same again.
Note that almost all novels, movies, and TV episodes have subplots (also known as B-stories) that occur concurrently with the main plot. These subplots, often crucial to character development, may also follow a standard three act structure, but they way they play out varies greatly from story to story.
- How to Use Three Act Structure in Your Writing
The best way to incorporate three act structure into your own writing is to map out the key plot elements that should populate each act.
Act one: exposition, inciting action, turning point into act two
Act two: rising action, midpoint, turning point into act three (often a “dark night of the soul”)
Act three: pre-climax, climax, denouement
Some novelists and screenwriters consider these story points when they brainstorm; others brainstorm in a far more open-ended way and only later do they consider specific plot points. If you’re the type of writer who prefers open-ended brainstorming, perhaps via the snowflake method, don’t disrupt your process by thinking about act breaks and a specific plot structure.
If you prefer to be hyper-organized in your writing process, it may make sense to keep the three act story structure in mind from the very beginning. It can be a useful planning tool to think of the story in terms of exposition, inciting action, rising action, and beyond. Just remember when you are writing a novel or a screenplay that good stories don’t start with templates for act breaks; they start with memorable characters, vivid worldbuilding, and a protagonist whose journey is worth following. Once you have those in place, a three act structure will likely naturally reveal itself.
Motion picture/Film/Video is made up of many shots.
Each shot requires placing the camera in the best position for that particular moment in the narrative.
Shot is continuous view shot by one camera without interruption.
Sequence is a series of scenes, or shots, complete in itself.
Scene defines the place or setting where the action is laid.
Cinema technique is all about manipulating shots and sequence that isolating part of it to look at and in what order to see them.🎬
EXERCISE
Adobe Premiere Pro CC - Basic Titles for Beginners
WEEK 1
Editing Exercise 1 : Mints
Editing Exercise 2 : Doritos
Quiz: https://forms.gle/e6KcRP2wnABmED7M8
WEEK 2
Editing Exercise
Quiz :https://forms.gle/sNv66KU5fD3fhCpg7
Shooting Exercise
LALIN :
1.Which part is Act 1, Act 2, Act 3 respectively?
Act 1: Lalin, the protagonist, has struggled with acne and self-esteem issues since childhood, causing her to be ridiculed. Unable to cope with the cruelty, she decides to move to Japan, where she can wear a mask without feeling judged. There, she becomes a popular net idol, and meets Nut, a cartoonist who hires her to translate his comics.
Act 2: Lalin and Nut start to interact more frequently as they work together. Nut eventually travels to Japan to meet Lalin in person, but she feels overwhelmed by her insecurities and chooses to avoid him, leaving him behind along with a copy of his book.
Act 3: After reading Nut’s comic, Lalin imagines that Nut himself struggles with obesity and is trying to improve himself. The story in the comic inspires her to confront her own insecurities, culminating in her taking off her mask, accepting her acne, and overcoming the low self-esteem that has plagued her.
2.What is the inciting incident in the movie?
The inciting incident occurs when Nut approaches Lalin to help translate his comic, sparking their relationship and setting the main plot in motion.
3.What is the midpoint scene in the movie?
The midpoint is when Nut travels to Japan to meet Lalin in person. This event creates tension as Lalin’s insecurities prevent her from meeting him, marking a turning point in their relationship.
4.What is the climax scene in the movie?
The climax occurs when Lalin rejects the meeting with Nut, but later reads his comic. Through the story, she imagines Nut’s struggles and personal growth, which inspires her to face her own insecurities and take off her mask.
5. What is the theme of the movie?
The theme centers on self-acceptance and the idea that appearance does not define a person’s worth. True change comes from within, through confidence and embracing oneself rather than conforming to societal judgments.
Everything, everywhere, all at once
1.Which part is Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3 respectively? Describe each act with ONE paragraph only.
Act 1: The story begins by introducing Evelyn Wang, a laundromat owner struggling with her relationship with her daughter, Joy. During an IRS audit, Evelyn is pulled into a multiverse conflict by an alternate version of her husband, Waymond. She learns that a powerful, interdimensional threat, Jobu Tupaki—an alternate version of her daughter—must be stopped, and that she is the key to saving the multiverse.
Act 2: Evelyn embarks on a chaotic journey through the multiverse, assuming different identities and gaining new skills from alternate versions of herself. As she dives deeper into these worlds, she becomes overwhelmed by the endless possibilities and begins to question her purpose. Her internal conflict grows as she faces Jobu Tupaki and the challenges that arise from navigating multiple realities.
Act 3: In the final act, Evelyn confronts Jobu Tupaki, but instead of fighting, she chooses compassion and understanding. By embracing her daughter and reconciling with her, Evelyn not only saves her family but also brings balance to the multiverse, resolving the crisis with love rather than violence.
2.What is the inciting incident in the movie?
The inciting incident occurs when an alternate version of Waymond interrupts Evelyn’s IRS meeting, introducing her to the concept of the multiverse and pulling her into a surreal adventure to stop a looming threat.
3.What is the midpoint scene in the movie?
The midpoint happens when Evelyn taps into multiple versions of herself across the multiverse, gaining their skills and knowledge. This new understanding empowers her but also overwhelms her with the infinite possibilities of her life, leading to existential questions about her purpose.
4.What is the climax scene in the movie?
The climax occurs when Evelyn chooses to stop fighting and instead uses love and acceptance as her weapon. By reconciling with Jobu Tupaki (Joy), she resolves the conflict and saves both her family and the multiverse.
5.What is the theme of the movie?
The central theme of Everything Everywhere All at Once revolves around family, acceptance, and the power of love to overcome chaos and existential confusion.
REFLECTION
In this newly started course, I began to study pre-production and narrative structure in filmmaking, and I recognized the impact of different shot types (such as panoramic and close-up) on the narrative effect, and how to convey emotion and information through the shot.
Through editing practice, I have a preliminary grasp of the functions of Premiere Pro. In Larin practice, I learned to choose the right sequence to keep the video coherent and show my story to the audience. The shooting task made me apply the type of lens in actual operation, and remember the shooting method of different angles more deeply
Also, I learned about the three-act structure of the play -- the beginning, the development, and the end. This structure helps shape narrative flow and emphasizes cause-and-effect relationships between events. These courses let me learn the rules and techniques of film production, and improve my creative ability
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