Camera framing is important as it shows us the important things we need to know. There are different shot distances that are commonly used in films - long shot, close up, extreme close up, mid-shot and point of view shot. All of these will help with the understanding of the film as we can see details, establish where the film is set or see through someone else's eyes.
Editing:
Editing is the process of looking at footage that has already been shot and joining it together in the desired order. There are 2 areas of editing: the speed of editing (how long does each shot last?) and the style of editing (how is each shot joined to the next?). The speed of editing will determine the mood of the film. Fast editing will create tension and panic whereas long frames will allow the audience to take in what is on screen to get a full understanding.
Some ofthe most common syles of editing are: a straight cut (most commonly used), fade out (the scene fades to black), dissolve (one image is slowly brought in under another one), wipe cut (one picture swipes across the screen to replace another) and a jump cut (the audience's attention is immediately drawn to something that was not in the shot originally which removes part of the continuity of the film).
Sound:
There are 2 types of sound: diegetic and non diegetic. Diegetic sound is 'in the world of the film' and is something that the characters and the audience can hear. These are things like dialogue or a doorbell ringing. Non diegetic sound is sound that the characetrs cannot hear but the audience can. An example of this is a voice over.
Mise-en-scene:
Mise-en-scene is a French term for 'what is put into the scene or frame'. What is seen at any given moment on the screen can reveal a lot about the film. For example, if there was a gun in the scene, we could determine that the film is most probably a thriller or an action movie. Mise-en-scene can be sub-categorised into 5 sub-genres.
1. Settings and Props - these factors are one of the most important parts of film making. The setting of the film will reveal the type of film it will be, what time period it was set in and the overall mood of the film. The same principl goes for props. For example, if the setting of a film was an abandoned castle, theaudience would know that the film would fall more towards a horror/thriller genre.
2. Costume, Hair and Make-Up - cotumes allow the audience to distinguish the time period and the location of the film. For example, in a period drama, the women would be wearing full length dresses and the men would in turn wear tail-coats. However, if the characters were wearing swimwear we would know that the film takes place near the beach. Make-up is used to highlight facial features and make the actors look more flawless than they may be in real life.
Facial Expressions and Body Language - the body language and facial expressions of characters will giv the audience an idea of how they are feeling. For example, if someone has their arms wrapped around themselves, they are either cold or frightened. However, if their arms are outstretched and they are smiling they are obviously happy and content. This also helps the audinece determine what genre te film would fall into.
4. Lighting and Colour - lighting can highlight specific parts of a frame to draw attention to them, or oppositely it can hide parts of the frame in shadow. For example, low key lighting will create silhouettes to make someone look mysterious. Colours can give the audience an idea of the mood of the scene as different colours carry different connotations. For example, pale blue is a calming, tranquil colour, yet red signals danger, love or blood.
5. Positioning of Characters and Objects Within a Frame - if a character or object is in the foreground of the frame, the director is drawing attention to them which means the audience must pay attention to them. Putting two things on either side of the frame will create balance. If all people/objects are on one side of the frame, the frame will feel unbalanced.
No comments:
Post a Comment