CAMERA 1.1

Brooklyn 99

Brooklyn 99 video link

 https://youtu.be/b7sWT-Wm-TE

Brooklyn 99- Questions and Answers 

1. What was the task you were asked to complete?

The task I had to complete was to recreate the programme Brooklyn 99's introduction. We did this by shooting scenes in the same style of the introduction and then edited them using Premiere Pro.

2.How successful were you at completing this task?

I was mostly successful, I finished editing all of the characters in the trailer. Although my group and I ended up not shooting the last scene all of the characters because of timing. And so my remake of the introduction wasn't as accurate as it could have been.

3. In what ways were your skillset challenged during this project?

My skills were challenged in this task as I had to fit the audio to the motion of the text and background. As well as perfect the colour matte. I found this challenging as I am new to Premiere Pro.

4.If you were to carry out the production again, what changes would you make?

I would use less shots and focus on the characters body language in the shots and what it tells the audience about them. I feel this would be more important than having multiple characters.

5.If you were to carry out post-production again, what changes would you make?

I would sharpen my transitions and use more vibrant colours for my masks to add a bolder introduction. I also would create more transitions between scenes instead of a fade out.

6.How did you perform working in a a group?

I felt I performed well as I shot a scene and acted too. I believe I helped my group with most of the scenes and directing them. 

7.How did you perform working independently?

I believe I worked well although I did need more support when editing as I was new to Premiere Pro. I also feel my transitions could have been smoother in-between scenes but my masking around the actors was detailed and sharp. 

8.What aspect of the project did you enjoy the most?

I enjoyed filming the scene the most as I was allowed to experiment with the shots and also have freedom to give the characters personality and show that through the scene by using body language. 

9.How could you apply the skills you learned in this project to future projects?

I now know how to mask, create text and motion using Premiere Pro which will be useful for editing other projects in the future.

Photography Basic Analysis

Fashion Photographer





Positives 

• The framing is very good as it focuses on the object (model).

• The mise-en-scene is done well, this is because it captures everything clearly with a simple plain backdrop, this help focus the shot on the object. 

• The context is interesting as I seems to be up for interpretation. I believe the photographer is trying to express the object (model) as a mythical symbol. This is because the hair and leaves she is holding in her mouth, represent the style of a greek goddess. Also, by having the object stare into the camera, it creates intimidation which reflects a sense of power that fits into the mythical context. 

Negatives

• I feel the lighting could be less dramatic as the objects expression is more positive and creates a more vibrant atmosphere.

• The image seems to lack purpose, I also believe the photographer should use more aperture to focus on the object as it would show how the object (model ) dominates the photo.
 

Photography Advanced Analysis

Photograph 1 -Henri Cartier-Bresson Photograph 2-Steven Meisel



Street photographer


 The purpose of this photo is to capture the woman's reaction to the subjects around her (the birds). I believe the photograph depicts her body language to be uncomfortable. The semiotics behind the location of the photograph represent the isolation of the woman, as she is alone.

The context of this photograph shows the woman to be travelling up the stairs, capturing her in motion, while the subjects around her are moving in motion too. This is effective as it represents the diverse movements of the subjects motion, but in different ways (birds-flying and woman-walking).

 I believe the lighting is what captures the photographs mood and tone. The black and white filter used in the mise-en-scene depicts the sadness of the woman as she is the only subject in the photograph wearing black. This creates a dramatic mood surrounding the photograph. Whereas, the subjects around her are in a less harsh and brighter light. This enhances the reflection of the woman's isolation. The tones shown through the lighting are quite dull as the black and white filter used is subtle. However, effective as it fits perfectly with the framing of the natural light of the sun above the woman's head. As well as the LED  light below the stairs. This captures the bright lights surrounding her to be vibrant and white, forming a sense of hope for the woman to follow.

The framing captured in this photograph focuses on the chaos of the subjects (birds), their movements shows how wide the framing is. The wide frame also shows that the woman's only company are the birds and it also captures how frigid and slow her movements are in comparison to the birds as she has a little amount of blur surrounding her, whereas the birds wings are very blurred. This again, shows the difference between both subjects motions.

I believe this photograph is ethical as the photographer hasn't captured the woman's face and she is clearly anonymous. I also feel the photographer made this decision on purpose as she could represent any person and therefore it reflects another purpose of this photograph as it could act as a microcosm for society's isolation represented by the woman, and the birds reflect the lack of control that surrounds society.

Camera Setting Photos 

For this task I had to take photographs using different shutter speeds. aperture and focal lengths. This was to help advance my skills using a camera and have an understanding of which settings are appropriate for certain settings/locations when taking photographs. 

For this photograph I used:
Shutter speed-250
Aperture-8
Focal- 55mm

For this photograph I used:
Shutter speed-500
Aperture-10
Focal- 24mm

For this photograph I used:
Shutter speed-250
Aperture-4
Focal- 24mm

For this photograph I used:
Shutter speed-250
Aperture-8
Focal-35mm

For this photograph I used:
Shutter speed-250
Aperture-8
Focal- 55mm

 White Balance
-Custom

White Balance
-Flash

White Balance
-Cloudy

 White Balance
-Shade

White Balance 

-Daylight 

Pros and Cons of different camera features

ISO

ISO example

Pros

• It can make your images brighter
• Make your images have better quality (low ISO)

Cons

• If you want a high ISO your image will become grainy and the quality will be poor. 

Aperture

Example of Aperture

Pros

• Depth of field (better focus on the subject)
• You can shoot photos in darker setting without flash

Shutter Speed

Pros

• Captures fast motion/action.

Cons

• If your using little shutter speed then you have to use strong light source.

Camera Setting Questions

Focal 

What are the focal length options?

The focal length options are 18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 55mm.

What different effects can you create?

You can change the amount of scale/zoom your shot has. For example, 55mm is the most zoomed in and effective for detailed shots. 

Can you think of a narrative scenario where you might choose a short vs a long one?

For a short shot I would use the 55mm so it has a more detail and focus on the zoom. For a long shot I would use 18mm as it shows a broader spectrum of the setting in detail and focus. \

Aperture

What are the options?

For aperture the options range from 4.0-4000 on the camera I used.

How do you reach them?

I reached these options by holding down the AV button and using the scroll to change the aperture. The higher the aperture the more dark your photo would be. 

Why would you choose one of the other?

If you wanted to capture something and enhance the shadows then use a higher aperture. If you wanted to capture light and enhance it in a photo then use a lower aperture.

Shutter Speed

What shutter speed are there?

The shutter speeds range from 1/1 to 1/8000.

Which is best for showing the speed of an object?

The best for showing a speed of an object would be 1/8000 because it would capture the photograph quickly and show the blur (motion) clearly.

Which is best for capturing a fast moving object in perfect stillness?

The best shutter speed fir capturing fast moving objects would be 1/4000th because it would capture and show the most motion.

White Balance

How do you change the white balance?

You change the white balance by selecting the WB button and then choosing a certain style of light you want to fit the shade and mood for your shot.

Why would you?

The reason you change the white balance is to capture different moods and shades in your shot or photograph. For example, when using a white balance daylight, it will capture more light and give a more vibrant photo that would reflect a positive mood and light shade.

Which is best for blowing the image up very large?

100 ISO is the best, this is because it will give the least amount of grain on the image.

Which is best for very low light?

100 ISO is best because it will have less grain and give a darker shot and is less sensitive to light.

Which is best for very low light where the detail of the image is important, and you want to blow it up large?

You can't have a high ISO and detail at the same time. Therefore, you have to find a good source of light/natural light. For example, LED, the Sun etc. to create a detailed and bright photo. 

Photoshop Skills

Collage

For this task, I had to put my white balance photographs and my photograph setting photos into a collage using Photoshop. This task was to help visually capture the variety of photographs I took and show my progression with photography and Photoshop. 

Multiplicity Photos

This task was to show my progression with Photoshop using different layers and photographs to create one image with layers of the same object/person in the surroundings.

La Haine Analysis 

This task was too show a shot by shot storyboard of a scene from the French film, La Haine. My storyboard's purpose was to give a clear breakdown of the scene and the meaning behind it. By breaking the scene into shot's it helps gather clear and detailed decisions that were made purposefully made by the director, prop master etc. and what the meaning behind them showed.

MEANING CREATED BY EACH SHOT

Shot type 1- close up
I believe shot one's meaning is to show Hubert's passive side and how when he is alone, in his bedroom he is the most comfortable.The duration shows this meaning as the shot is held for a while to follow Hubert's deep breath and release of smoke, as if the audience is relaxed with him. The audio also enhances this idea because Hubert is playing his own jazz style music in the background. This creates a soothing atmosphere and shows Hubert's comfortability with him and his music. The mise-en-scene emphasises this too as the shot focuses on Hubert's relaxed facial expression. However, the background subtly captures Hubert's Muhammad Ali poster. By having the poster in the background, the shot gives you a glimpse into Hubert's mind and his passion (boxing). The shot decision for it to be a close up also shows how the audience are given a close look into Hubert's private life.

Shot type 2- mid close up
I believe shot two's meaning is to show Hubert's thoughts and how he feels trapped in his life. The shot's duration is quite short, but captures Hubert's intense thoughts without needing any dialogue or narration. The audio is clever as it acts as a reflection of his thoughts by having muffled talking in the distance below him.
The mise-en-scene and shot decision work together as they enhance Hubert's feelings of being trapped in a cycle of poverty. The shot is mid close up as the audience are let into Hubert's thoughts through his body language and expression (serious and thinking). The mise-en-scene physically show the walls around him and how he is overlooking his neighbours and friends below him. This reflects his thoughts of entrapment as he is feels he can't escape his estate and the walls act as a metaphor to show he has little opportunity he has growing up in his estate.

Shot type 3- wide shot 
I believe shot three's meaning is to capture the cycle of poverty in the youth, during France in the 1990's. The shot is a wide shot, capturing the two young male extras. Although they have no lines, the shot is showing the audience that they too are surrounded by the chaos of the society at the time. The two boys are also surrounded by the violent nature of the teenagers. This is because they live in the estate which is filled with poverty, their only role models are the teenagers. And signals to the audience that they too will most likely follow in their footsteps because of the broken system society has created.

Shot type 4- wide shot 
This shot captures the DJ in his apartment preparing his music set which will be played to those outside the estate. I believe the meaning of this shot is to show the little amount entertainment those living in poverty in France during the 1990's were given. The mise-en-scene shows this because it captures the DJ through his window in his apartment. By having the shot capturing the walls around him, it shows how he is the only person playing music to the teenagers and children below him and how the DJ is the only entertainment they have.

Shot 5- mid close up 
I believe the shot's meaning is to express the youth's true feeling towards the police. This idea is emphasised through the audio as the DJ is changing the original of 'sound of the police' audio to ' f*** the police'. Which is played loudly through his speakers across the estate. As well as this, the duration runs for a while being seven seconds. This is significant to the meaning of the shot as the DJ is perfecting his remix and wants to make it as loud and as clear as possible. By having the duration this long, it captures how the youth want their message to be clear and not silenced.

Shot 6- Close up 
I believe this shots meaning is to capture the determination of the DJ and how much he wants his voice of his and others to be heard. The close up helps enhance how he is in control of the equipment and the focus and precision he puts upon it. As well as this, the mise-en-scene shows a little amount, which signifies how concentrated the DJ is on the message is putting forward. The audio is the most key part of this scene as it captures that message, which is how the people feel mistreated by the police and have grown to hate them, especially the youth.

Shot seven-close up
I believe that shot seven shows the stress and frustration of the youth through the the DJ's expression. Before he escapes into his music by fully delving into his remix of 'sound of the police', he takes a deep breath as if he is relieving the stress of life before he can be free (lost in his music/expression). I believe the DJ's representing the youth and how they need a form of escapism to stay sane. The mis-en-scene emphasises this idea as it's just the DJ alone with only a wall in the background. This reflects how the youth feel isolated and alone, with only their  thoughts and worries to turn to.

Shot eight- mid close up
I believe shot eight's is using the DJ again to be a symbol of the youth. However, this time instead of through emotions and feelings. The DJ physically represents how the youth are turning their back on the police, because of mistreatment. This is because the framing of the shot is focused on the back of the DJ looking outside his bedroom window onto the estate. The mis-en-scene also creates the same effect by capturing the estate and the walls caving on the DJ. It shows metaphorically that those living in the estates (in France) are the one's who feel mistreated and turn their backs, by capturing a glimpse of the estate subtlety in the frame. The speakers also create meaning as they are placed either side of the DJ, the speakers act as a defense for him against his enemies (police) as he is free to express himself through the speakers.

Shot nine- birds eye view
I believe this shot's both visual and verbal (audio) decisions capture the anger France felt during the 1990's towards the police as well as it's culture. The birds eye view framing, gives a three sixty view of the estates that some of the characters live on in the film. This is effective as it draws away from the characters emotions and shows how it wasn't just the youth who felt frustrated and mistreated by the police, but also those living in poverty (in the estates) as well. The audio for this shot is very significant as it is the DJ's version of 'sound of the police' replaced with 'f*** the police'. But also, subtly plays La Vie En Rose too. This emphasises and reminds the audience of the true culture of France and how it's not just filled with hate and all they want is peace and love, not mistreatment.

Shot ten-close up
Shot ten captures Vinz staring straight at the camera, with a confused expression. I believe the meaning behind the decision for this shot, is to focus on Vinz's bold and honest personality. The shot particularly focuses on his facial expression, by having him stare into the camera it intimates the audience as well as capturing how Vinz is a character that wears his heart on his sleeve. This is shown through the duration of this shot as it is held for three seconds, as Vinz eyes don't look away. It  immerses the audiences and shows him to be a stubborn and honest character as he has no shame or filter, no matter where or what he's looking at.

Shot eleven-wide shot 
Shot eleven captures the cow, Vinz repeatedly says he keeps seeing. The audience do not know whether it is truly there or in his imagination. However, I believe the cow is a metaphor for Vinz's inner love and care for himself and others. In the film, his sanity becomes tested and his dark/aggressive thoughts control him for the majority of the scenes. I believe the cow's presence being repeated acts as a message to Vinz to remind him that violence and anger isn't always how to deal with issues or confrontation (in his case, the police). This shot captures the cow alone, surrounded by graffitied walls, a car and some trees. The mise-en-scene surrounding the cow similarly mirrors Vinz's surroundings in the previous shot. As well as the audio too, which is of muttered background conversations. This idea emphasises how the cow is a representation of Vinz's inner good and how both are surrounded by chaos in need of hope.

Shot twelve- wide shot

The final shot in this scene is of both Vinz and Saiid walking towards the inner part of the estate. I believe the meaning of this shot is to show the relationship between the two and what brings them together. I feel the estate is what brings the two characters together as they can relate to the struggle of being mistreated and given little opportunity because of the area in which they have been raised in.
I believe the framing of this scene truly captures the meaning, they both are physically close in the shot, this reflects also how emotionally they are close. However, both of them are looking in different directions, this creates the effect that Vinz and Saiid are looking for different things in life (both metaphorically and literally in the scene). The graffitied walls surrounding them reinforces the audience that they come from a impoverished backgrounds and can relate to each other because of this and makes them closer as friends. The audio also shows what Vinz and Saiid can relate as they are surrounded by chaos during France in the 1990's, the muffled music and conversations creating the audio reinforce this.

Kill bill- Whistle scene analysis

This task was to analysis a scene from one of your favourite films (Kill Bill) . The purpose of analysing this scene was to show how every aspect of the visuals and audio create the scene and make it wholesome. For example, the costume decisions, audio choices, lighting, framing etc. They all play a part in finalising a scene and give it meaning, whether that is done subtlety shown or boldly. 

La Haine reshoot video and side by side video

This reshoot side by side task was to show the comparison between my group and I's camera and editing work. For example, when editing our scene we had to use a black and white filter to replicate the original. Another part of recreating this scene was to use similar props and capture the same framing to make our scene as accurate as possible. The purpose of this task was to see how my group and I perform when combining all our skills and how we could break down the original to make ours as accurate as possible. 

The link leads you to my finished edited La Haine side by side scene.

https://youtu.be/ob_KtxBfxCg

Shot list 

-mid shot

-wide shot

- mid wide shot 

-mid shot 

-close up

-close up

-wide shot

-mid wide shot (zooms into close up)

Costume/props 

-beanie (black)

-banana (gun)

-leather jacket (saiid) 

Questions/ Comparison of my Remake 

What was the task you were asked to complete?

The task I had to complete was to recreate the last/ending scene from the film La Haine. We had to edit the scenes and colour them to be as accurate as possible to the original scene.

How successful were you at completing this task?

I believe we were quite successful at completing this task as we recreated the framing well, although I think we rushed our shots and could of created a more accurate scene if we extended the duration of the shots. 

What skills did you have to use to complete this task?

For this task I had to act and edit the shots. For the editing I used the Adobe Premiere Pro, to create a similar filter to the original scene I used a black and white colouring.

If you were to carry out the production again, what changes would you make?

I would make sure our settings of the camera fitted the scene, for example if a character was in motion I would lower the Sutter speed to get a clearer shot. I would also be more accurate with framing the shots as I felt our weren't as accurate as they could be to the original. 

If you were to carry out post-production again, what changes would you make?

If I were to carry post-production again, I would use a less harsh intensity on the colouring (black and white). I would also extended certain clips so they had a more accurate duration to the original. 

How did you perform working in a group?

I believed I performed well, although I struggled to stay in character at times and found we could have communicated better to speed up the production and hear different ideas of interpreting the shots.

How did you perform working independently?

I believed I performed well independently, this is because I could have more control over the colouring and duration of the scene. 

How could you have improved the production to create a more accurate remake of the original? 

I believe we could have improved our production by extending the duration of our scenes. This is because our shots were a lot quicker/faster than the original. 

How could you apply the skills you learned in this project to future projects?

I could apply all of these skills to further filming projects as I have an understanding of how to re create the scene using both editing skills on Premiere Pro and shooting skills when re enacting the scene. 

How accurate do you believe your remake is to the original?

I believe our La Haine remake  is quite accurate to the original, although it lacked in duration (our scenes were shorter) and our first time shooting we used a white balance that was not set to fit the location we chose. Therefore, we had to re shoot some scenes. When re shot some scenes our costumes and props were different from the original scenes, this made our re creation messy and unorganised.

For this project I found shooting the scenes the hardest,  capturing a similar framing to the original was the most challenging as our location was in a forest unlike the original which was in a housing estate. Another challenge was keeping the white balance and shutter speed at a good setting, so that each character was clear in shot. 

180 Film Shoot - all videos with titles

Shoot 1 Youtube link - Edited

https://youtu.be/ZQZQeQ8WNmA

Re shoot 1 Youtube link - Final Edit 

My group and I chose a script (from the three we were given). My group and I chose script 3, then we decided to choose who was going to have each role. My role in the film was to capture the dialogue, by using a sound kit. I also had to edit this short film/video using Premiere Pro. One of the challenges when recording the dialogue was keeping the input level low, so that you can clearly hear the dialogue spoken by the actors and not include too much background noise. However the input level couldn't be too low otherwise you can't hear the dialogue.
I feel I could have improved the audio for next time by using a lower input level as I felt I captured too much background noise. Although I used a fur microphone, you can still hear the wind subtly in the background, which I felt was distracting. Overall, I believe I captured the sound well as the dialogue was clear and loud.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYcXgRIJ76c&feature=youtu.be 

180 Film Shoot Analysis

What genre did you decide to make the scene? (Eg dramatic, romcom etc)

Our genre was a drama with elements of comedy. We chose to use elements of comedy through the two characters as it fitted well with their ages (both 16 years old) and it gave them more personality within the scene. The drama genre was represented through the serious tone surrounding the topic of discussion (phones).

Why did you decide on the scenario you chose?

For our scene, we chose the scenario to be of two friends at a park bench conversing in a discussion about phones. We chose this scenario as it felt most feasible for the location we chose (park). The scenario was chosen also, because of its simple dialogue. This simple dialogue gave us more freedom to experiment with the placement of shots and the two characters body language and facial expression.

Were there any issues with the group?

Yes, there were technical issues when handling the sound and lighting. Our first shoot of the scene our sound didn't record and we could therefore not use out footage with dialogue. When reshooting the scene we had to change location from our previous shoots as we needed to capture better lighting.

Would you work with the same people again (any concerns about specific people tell me in class not on the blog!)?

Yes, I would work with the same people again, we all collectively perform our roles well, despite the technical issues surrounding the shoots.

Did you know exactly what your role was?

Yes, my role was to control the sound equipment, by recording the dialogue and the the wild track for silent scenes. 

What was it?

My role was to manage time by recording the wild track and dialogue said between the characters.

Did you perform your role alright? (Were you pleased/were there issues?)

I believe I performed okay, although I should have been more prepared when preparing the equipment before we went out to shoot. This would have sped up the recording time and let us focus on capturing all the different shot types, then worrying about sound. 

How was the group’s timekeeping?

I believe the groups time keep was good, despite all the technical issues we faced. We reshot and the scenes in better time the second time round as we had a clearer understanding of what to do/capture and record.

Who was in charge of this?

I believe it wasn't just one person who was in charge but all of us as a group. This is because we worked as a team when shooting and communicated with each other our roles and how to improve them.

Who did what in the group?

Keshya and Olivia's roles were to act as the two characters in the scene. Liam's job was to direct both the actors and everyone behind the camera. Georgia's role was to be the cinematographer for our scene. Irene's job was to manage time and make sure our film was fit to schedule so that we didn't go over time. I recorded and managed the sound. 

Who was the best in their role?

I believe Olivia and Keshya were best at their roles as they did well staying in character when filming the shoot. As well as this, they both portrayed different personalities this was successful as it helped create a more realistic scenario. 

Looking at the final edit, what would you change if you were to shoot again?

I would change the location as in the background of some shots you can see other people shooting their own films, which made our fil look sloppy and careless. I would also change the establishing shot I would change it to an extreme wide shot instead of just a wide shot.

Was the brief clear (if not, why do you say that)?

I felt the brief was clear as we all had to assign ourselves to the roles and shoot our film. However, I do believe the brief's scripts were poor and gave us little to work from. For example, the script we used I felt could have had more texture. I would have preferred if the script stated a little description about the two characters and used some dialogue parentheticals.

Did you run through the performances first (blocking them out, rehearsing)?

No, our script was very short and we felt that gave us more time to shoot straight away, rather than rehearsing our scene. However, the actors did rehearse/ run through lines before every shoot.

Did you meet the brief first time around? If not, what was the feedback?

No we did not, this is because we didn't include the double wide shot of the two characters. We also didn't record a wild track for the first scene, we therefore had to record it when re shooting.

Look carefully at the first three-five cuts you made. Why did you make them then?

We made our first - third cut introduce the audience to the surroundings of the characters and the setting the scene was based in. This helped create the visuals the scene was based around. We also used a mid close up and wide shot of Olivia's character to establish her location and purpose in the scene.

What could happen next in the film?

I believe the two characters could continue to converse about phones in the scene then try to challenge each other. I would have the challenge be for both characters to see how long they can last without their phones. This challenge would allow the audience to have a better understanding of both character's personalities and who is more strong willed.