Well things have certainly taken an unexpected turn at the end of our school year. I don't think any of us would have ever imagined that, going in to Spring Break, we would not be returning to school for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, with the Work From Home ruling on schools across British Columbia while we fight the corona virus, we no longer have access to the Adobe Creative Cloud programs that are licensed to the school computers. With that being said, we are moving forward with Media Arts, trying to be as creative as possible, and finding new ways of learning about digital creativity. This week we have started a unit on Film Analysis. Over the next couple of classes, we will be looking at what makes a movie "good" and giving you the tools and skills to think critically about film. With a little time, this unit may just forever change the way you watch and engage with movies.
We are starting this unit by looking at camera shots. Obviously, good movies don't just set up a camera on a tripod and shoot from a single, stationary point the entire time. Instead, directors use changing angles, proximity to subjects, and camera movement to help tell a story and keep the audience engaged. In a single movie scene, the shot we see as an audience member may change dozens of times or more. Put together, all these individual shots help convey emotion and feeling that propel the story forward and help the audience buy in to what is on the screen. On Monday's class, we learned about different styles of camera shots. These shots can be broken in to three main categories: Proximity to the subject, Camera Angle, and Camera Movement. If you missed class on Monday, or need a review, here is the document showing the shots we learned:
We also talked about a single-shot, a two-shot, and a three-shot, which refer to how many subjects are in a frame in a single shot. For example, this iconic still from Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction is a two-shot, because there are two subjects within the frame. Additionally, it is filmed at eye-level and medium-range proximity.
:We also talked about establishing shots. Every scene should start with an establishing shot to help the audience familiarize themselves with what the setting is and what is going on. The establishing shot helps to establish the mood of the scene.
In today's class, we are putting our new knowledge of camera shots to practical use and practicing analyzing a scene from Whiplash (2014) to see how the director uses different shots to convey emotion and feeling throughout the scene. As you watch the scene, pay attention to what shots are being used and why you think the director chose to film that shot in that way. What does it add to the scene? The scene is posted below in two separate parts:
It is incredible how much the director does with varying camera shots in this scene. One of my favourites is the pan shot that goes back and forth between Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. The shot shows Simmons conducting his band with his hands forming the shape of guns. He "fires off his shots" and the camera quickly pans to Teller, who responds by firing off his own "ratatatat" of the drums. The shot goes back and forth a few times as the characters trade shots of their own and engage in a tense and emotional battle.
A few minutes later, the director has an extreme close-up of both actors, and the show powerfully conveys the emotion of both characters as they share a smiling look of admiration and respect.
Both of these shots use different techniques by the director to further the story and draw the audience in to the emotion of the film. There are many more examples in this scene of how the director uses various shots to tell the story. Your assignment is to write one page analyzing at least five different shots from this scene and explaining how the director uses them to tell the story of this final scene. This assignment will be used to increase your Term 3 grade.
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Media ArtsMedia Arts allows students to express self, identity, and culture through the use of digital tools. In this class, we explore creative expression through the use of Photoshop, Illustrator, and Lightroom. ArchivesCategories |