The Grand Budapest Hotel (Anderson 2014)
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Welcome to A Level Film Studies at Orleans Park (This is a PDF version of the study material from our step up programme, some videos, gifs, and links may not work. Click here to access a google slides version of this presentation) Cinematography Cinematography is the art of creating images for the screen, composing and framing shots and recording them. Cinematography encompasses - The framing and composition of shots - The lighting of those shots - The position of the camera - The movement of the camera - The use of focus - The size of the shot - The angle of the shot The person in charge of the cinematography on a film is not the Watch this video and see one of my favourite cinematographers - director but the Director of Photography (or DoP) - it is their job to the great Roger Deakins, explain and give some advice about cinematography visually bring the film and the director’s vision to life. However, they are not the only person responsible for this! A small army of people are generally responsible for the final visual look and feel of the film Shot Size - How close is the camera? The EXTREME CLOSE UP positions the camera right next to part of the subject of the shot. It is used to show small objects in great detail. This shot can often exaggerate, distort or emphasise a detail in a shot. Shot from Blade Runner 2049 (2017 Villeneuve) The CLOSE UP fills the frame with the subject - most often the face of a character. (Remember these shots can also be used on objects) Close ups can show information and details, and portray the emotions of your characters. Shot from Silence of the Lambs (1991 Demme) The MEDIUM CLOSE UP frames your subject from roughly the chest up. So it typically favours the face, but still keeps the subject somewhat distant and show some background detail Shot from No Country For Old Men (2007 Coen Brothers) Shot Size - How close is the camera? The MEDIUM SHOT or MID SHOT is one of the most common camera shots, frames from roughly the waist up and through the torso. So it emphasizes more of your subject while keeping their surroundings visible. This is quite a naturalistic shot (immersing the spectator in the scene) Shot from Arrival (2016 Villeneuve) The WIDE SHOT positions your subject in the background from a distance. We should be able to see the entire subject with some space in the frame above and below them to show the setting and location. (A FULL SHOT (sometimes a long shot) is a little closer than this from where the subject fills the frame like this ) Shot from Ran (1985 Kurosawa) An EXTREME WIDE SHOT makes your subject appear small against their location. You can use an extreme long shot to make your subject feel distant or unfamiliar. It can also make your subject feel overwhelmed by its location, to emphasize the location or isolation. Shot from Lawrence of Arabia (1962 Lean) Shot Sizes Summarised: Shot Size Find a film sequence (either from last week or a new one) ● What shot distances are prioritised (seen most often) A great sequence to look at is this scene from the ● How varied are the shot distances within the scene ? opening of Once Upon A Time In The West (1968 ● What conclusions can you draw from the choice of shot Leone) - Sergio Leone is a director noted for his distances for this sequence? juxtaposition of expressive close ups with powerful wide shots Framing & Composition Balanced or symmetrical framing from Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (2012) Composing the shot and Framing A SINGLE is a shot composed around a single subject so they are the only part of the frame, or sometimes framed from OVER THE SHOULDER (despite it having two characters) A TWO SHOT is a shot with two A THREE SHOT similarly characters in the frame. This positions three characters can be useful to show inside the frame, normally this emotional reaction and is tightly framed (Close in, interaction between two filling the frame) in Medium or characters, and for comedy Long shot. An UNBALANCED frame A BALANCED frame is when leaves space on one side, this the frame is composed so that is often following the rule of both sides of the frame are thirds, if the space is the balanced and match. This can direction the character is often be overly formal. In this looking this is called lead room and is natural, if the example the character is framed space is on the wrong side it centrally, which is also unusual. can be claustrophobic Framing & Composition Find a film sequence (either from last week or a new one) ● How are the characters framed - in singles or two & three shots? ● Are the shots balanced or unbalanced? Where is the space in the frame? ● Does the framing of the characters change or adjust during the scene? Does it depend on what type of scene? Two great examples of this you can use are from Shaun of the Dead (2004 Wright) and Fargo (1996 Coen) Camera Angles The ANGLE of the camera angle is used to specify the location where the camera is placed to take a shot. Orson Welles cut holes in the floor of the sets of The position of the camera in relation Citizen Kane (1941) to get the right camera angle to the subjects can affect the way the for this LOW ANGLE shot spectator perceives the scene. A scene may be shot from multiple camera angles to amplify the cinematic effect and the emotions. Camera Angles The most common angle for the camera is below the 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. (Shot from Forrest Gump 1994 Zemeckis) Camera Angles This is a LOW ANGLE SHOT where the camera is positioned low to the ground, pointing up toward the subject. It gives the subject status, power and importance. (More examples) Shot from The Empire Strikes Back (1980 Kershner) This is a HIGH ANGLE SHOT where the camera is positioned above the subject, pointing down toward them. It makes the subject seem smaller, weaker, vulnerable or lower status and gives the viewer power and status over them. (More examples) Shot from Lord of the Rings: Return Of The King (2003 Jackson) This is a DUTCH ANGLE / CANTED ANGLE SHOT the camera is tilted or slanted on one side. With the horizon lines tilted in this way, you can create a sense of disorientation and distortion. (More examples) Shot from Die Hard (1988 McTiernan) Camera Angles A BIRDS EYE VIEW SHOT / OVERHEAD SHOT where the camera is positioned directly above the subject. Shot from The Great Gatsby (2013 Luhrmann) A WORMS EYE VIEW SHOT is basically an extreme Low Angle Shot where the camera is positioned directly to the floor looking up at a sharp angle. Shot from Inglorious Basterds (2009 Tarantino) A POINT OF VIEW SHOT positions the camera from the point of view of the subject, so we can see what they say. This can be used to create empathy or sympathy with the subject, or to disturb the audience by seeing the scene from the villain / monster’s perspective such as in this shot where we look through the mask of the killer Shot from Halloween (1978 Carpenter) Camera Angles Find a film sequence (either from last week or a new one) ● How often does the camera move from eye level to a A great sequence to look different angle? (seen most often) at is this scene from DUNKIRK (2017 Nolan) - ● How varied are the camera angles used within the look at how the angle and scene ? position of the camera changes to enhance the ● How are different camera angles used to create effects tension in the scene, to make the audience feel on the audience? vulnerable and the characters seem in danger Practical Task ● Choose a scene from any film you like. ● Recreate shot by shot a sequence (30 – 60 seconds) from that scene ● Your recreation can be in still images (like a storyboard), or use video. It should include at least TEN shots. Be creative in how you adapt the scene in terms of mise-en-scène (costume, props, setting and lighting). An example of a remake of the opening sequence from Trainspotting (1996 Boyle) 2: Cinematography Part 2 - Cinematic Techniques It is normally someone’s job to ‘Pull’ or adjust the focus on the camera, (turning the dial in these shots) separate from the person who operates the camera FOCUS An example of a finished shot where the focus Focal length being measured to make sure a has been pulled to draw attention to a specific subject is in focus character - The Social Network (2010 Fincher) In this shot we can see clearly Focus & Depth of field the depth of field - the background is The depth of field is the amount of the shot out of focus, which is clearly in focus from the camera the foreground is in focus In a shallow depth of field, only a small part of the filmed space is in focus. In this example, the hand is clearly in focus, but the character’s head only a few inches away is out of focus. Conversely, when a large area of the space is in focus, we call this deep focus (sometimes deep depth of field) The most famous example of this is Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941) which used this technique frequently.