Transitions

There are many types of transitions used in TV and in film. Their tends to be more transitions used in film than TV due to the fact films are longer. There is a list of some transitions that can be included in both types of media and these can be seen below:

- Fade in is where the scene will change to the next one with use of one scene fading out and the new one coming in with a small fade of the previous scene. This is commonly used to start scenes in films.

- Fade out is where the scene will end and the next scene will either fade in or the scene will slowly turn into a black screen. This transition is most commonly used at the end of an intense seen in a film or towards the end of the actual film.

- Cuts are where the scene just ends and the next one just starts straight away. This is commonly used in TV dramas such as Eastenders and Hollyoaks.

- Wipes are where the last image of the scene will go across the screen and the new scene will appear. A good example of this being used is in Star Wars.

Transitions tend to be used so that different elements to the main storyline can be shown. Like the previous example of Star Wars, the audience could be watching a scene where there is the main characters Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in their space ship having a conversation but that could soon change to something like the main enemy Darth Vader plotting a plan in his spaceship. The film makers would use a transition (in this case probably a wipe) to show that change in scenery.

Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Sound

Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Sound Review

Diegetic Sound - Diegetic sound is sound that is made from an object or a person that is visible in the picture. Diegetic sound is used to bring attention to certain objects within the picture and makes certain objects stand out more than others. Some different types of diegetic sound are thngs such as dialogue and sound effects. Diegetic sound is used in both TV drama and in film and is very common in scenes of both types of media. It is relatively easy to use diegetic sounds as most scenes include events in which they will occur i.e. conversations.

Non-Diegetic Sound - Non-diegetic sound is the sound made by objects or people who are not being shown in the picture at that particular point in time. These types of sound tend to be ones such as backing tracks, voiceovers and some types of sound effects. The objective of non-diegetic sounds are to normally set the scene or to introduce certain events or characters. This is mainly the case for the types such as backing tracks or in some cases when a narrator is needed, a voiceover may be used. Backing tracks can also be used for characters who are in the picture at that point and themes and different music can be played for these times as well.

Editing Techniques

The video clip on the right is a clip from the film The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey. In this clip we see the dwarves and Gandalf running through a goblin mine whilst being attacked. In this complex scene there are many different editing techniques used. I will explain a few of these editing techniques in the below paragraphs:

The scene is compiled with lots of different camera shots. This means that lots of different cuts were used in order to get the feeling that the whole scene was filmed in one take. By editing carefully, the cuts go unnoticed by those watching the film and this means they will have a more enjoyable time whilst watching the film. The many different angles involved in this scene provide many different angles from which the director can use cuts which gives a broader horizon of images and different views for the audience.

Also in the scene we have a lot of long takes and some short takes. The long takes are used to show the background and the environment in which the scene is set. It also enables the audience to see different actions that the characters are doing. We only really see any short takes when instructions are being given by one of the characters (mainly Gandalf). The reason for this is to show facial expressions and to give a sense of what moods the characters are in.

Finally, another editing technique used in this scene is the use of special effects and CGI. The majority if not all of the scenery in this clip is CGI and all the characters that arent dwarves or Gandalf are also CGI. This is because it would be highly difficult to film in such an extreme location and it would also be difficult to get the right image with all the cameras. This then ensures that the audience get a good screening and view of how the scene plans out.

MLS Insider Review

Over the course of the half term period I have not been able to watch many TV programmes or films because of how busy I have been but i have spent a lot of time watching videos on Youtube whether it has been through relaxing or travelling. Usually I would listen to music through Youtube but during half term I decided I would try to watch short clips of different types of media and I came across a documentary series.

I have a keen interest in sport and I always have, especially football. I have a good knowledge of football but one league I have never really seen much of is the American league (MLS). The series I have been viewing over the past week is called MLS Insider and it is a series of documentaries about players in this league and how they have coped with certain struggles in their lives and how they have overcome them to achieve what they have today.

The whole point of documentaries is to give detailed facts and knowledge of how events occur and why they do. In the documentary series I have been following, I have gained more knowledge and understanding of these players and how the lifestyle they are perceived to have isn't always glamorous but can also have downsides and struggles to it.The man in the clip above is called Matt Reis and he has had a career in which most footballers from America would dream of but not for one minute did I know the struggles he has been through and I became deeply inspired and amazed by the things he has achieved.

Title Sequence Task

The title sequence for the film "Catch me if you can" uses animation to show scenes that appear throughout the actual film but it uses less information and detail so that the opening sequence won't give so much away that the audience won't want to watch the rest of the film. This is a clever use of title sequence as it may make the audience become intruiged and interested by the opening sequence and this could lead to them wanting to continue watching the film.

There is a clever use of titles appearing throughout the opening sequence. The name of the director appears at the start of this title sequence which is unusual as most of the time, the directors name appears towards the end of the title sequence. The directors name does however appear at the end as well as the start. The actors names also appear early on in the sequence with the main characters and more important characters appearing first like Leonardo Di Caprio and Tom Hanks for example. This is due to the fact these actors are highly established and successful so by showing their names first the director is increasing the likelihood of people wanting to watch the film knowing that the actors are very well known and are very good and clever in their job.

Preliminary Task

Our preliminary task video showed a conversation between two people on a stairwell after a match on action shot of a walk through a door. My group used a range of angles or shots in this video which gave a variety of different views of the characters for the audience.

The first shot we used was a pan medium close up to show me walking down a hall way before we cut to a different angle to show me closing up to the door. This gives a sense that the character is going somewhere and the slow pan to go with the slow walk suggests that the destination is not an important one in the character's mind. This is also shown through the facial expressions of the character.

The next shot we did was a match on action shot of the character walking through the door. We used three different clips to illustrate the walk up to the door, the opening of the door and the walking through and shutting the door. We filmed each of those clips seperately and the edited them in order to make it seem as though our group filmed it as one complete scene. We did this to enable us to use more camera angles and this will improve our skills with camera movement and angles as well as editing videos.

We then used angles such as high and low angle shots as well as a reverse shot to show the conversation between the two characters. Then one of the characters (Elliot) got to the bottom of the stairwell and we began to use medium panning shot to show the conversation continuing and the movement of the characters made it seam more realistic to viewers.

Recreating 500 days of summer task

This task showed the video that we had recreated  which was a scene from the film 500 days of Summer. Our group used as many appropriate props as possible and layed out the setting as accurately as we possibly could. Our version (bottom) was set in a classroom as we had no way of setting the scene in the same environment as the film had done. Despite this we layed out our setting in as best way as we could to accomidate the original setting. We used very few different camera shots in this piece because that was the same case in the original clip. The shots we used included a reverse shot when the characters (Skarlet and I) were in conversation with one another. We never went outside of the 180 degree rule whilst filming these shots as we did not want to give the impression we were sitting next to eachother and speaking as that would have looked unusual to the audience. These angles allowed facial expressions and emotions to be shown along with the torso part of the body and props to show any use of hand movement. The other angle we used include a medium shot where the audience could see both characters and the scene. This gave a sense of establishment for the audience as well allowing the audience to see both characters in the same shot and look at detail about the way they are dressed, the way they act etc. The medium shot was also used at the end where I got up and walked off as this shows most of the character's body and also shows that he doesn't want to be part of the conversation with the other character any longer. It also gives the audience a sense of mystery as when the character walks off he disappears from camera view so the audience does not actually no where he is going.

This task allowed my group to explore the possiblities that can be achieved with recreation of scenes and it also taught us how to set up a scene to look as much as the original as possible. It also helpedimprove acting skills and the skills of the camera shots used.

Own Camera Shots Task

In this task my group explored the camera shots that were possible to do with the camera and the stand. We each took it in turn to either film or pose in the frame. Our first shot was a close up shot of Elliot's face. This shot is used to show reactions of the character and also can give sense of emotion or the severity of the situation in which the character finds themself. The next shot we did was a pan of a medium long shot. This shot shows us more of the character and as the pan moves across we get to see some of the surroundings in which the character is in. This is known as the setting. After this we did a long shot which is similar to the medium long shot but we did not use a pan and the character is more exposed as we get to see more of them and the background scenery. We also did some shots on a stairwell where we kept the character in place for one and panned it for another. After this my group also did a dutch angle shot of Elliot's face which can give a slight sense of unease to the audience and is seen as an unusual angle so their could be an unusual activity or event about to occur.

This exercise gave me and my group an insight in to how to use a camera and what angles and shot are possible to achieve with certain props used to help the camera. These shots and some others that we did not film may be used in the preliminary task to follow as it can give variety to the video and can also help us to achieve any scenes we have created in our minds.

Camera Shots Post

At the start of this scene we are introduced to the main character Ellison. The first camera shot of Ellison is a close up of his face which then turns into a reverse angle shot when we see that he is staring at something but the camera then pans around to the ladder he was staring at. We can tell from the facial expression that Ellison makes that he is confused and afraid because something strange may have happened. The next shot we get is a side view of a close up before Ellison begins to climb the ladder where it pans out into a medium long shot. This is to show more facial expressions of Ellison before he attempts to climb the ladder and then the medium long shot is to show what he is about to do. the next few shots we get are close ups and reverse angle shots of Ellison looking at the children and then it showing the children. this builds tension before the jump scare occurs and Ellison then falls off the ladder. Once he has fallen the next shot is another close up of him before the camera puts him out of focus and into the background while the items drop from the attic. These items are now what the camera is focusing on as it gives information as to what is going on around Ellison and can suggest that he is not very powerful in this situation.

By Ben Millard-Green