4 Hour Film Challenge - Will Barlow, Charlotte Haile, Abby Woodward

4 Hour Film Challenge: Will Barlow, Abby Woodward, Charlotte Haile.

Brief: We were placed into groups of 3 (containing 3 members each) to shoot a short film that takes an unusual perspective. The specification told us this could be associated with camera, lighting, narratives or techniques.

Planning:

PLANNING SHEET

Picture I've taken from Edmund Clark's
'In Place of Hate' exhibit at IKON.

As we were put into groups, we decided to use our time effectively. We spent about half an hour planning, an hour and a half filming and the rest of the time editing, as this we knew this would be the most time consuming - "If you've had to make a video yourself, you'll know it can be a time consuming process" (Joshua Lockhart, 2018). After a discussion and research, including a gallery I went to earlier on in the year, we decided to focus on the idea of windows and entrapment. We concluded this after viewing the images I took from the Edmund Clark - 'In Place of Hate' exhibit at the IKON Gallery in Birmingham. The exhibit focuses on the ideology of prisoners who are ex-communicated from the outside world, they can only see the world from behind a prison fence or cell window. We thought this would be an interesting start to a concept. Looking at location, due to a small amount of time, we decided to use windows at college, specifically R and Q block being as they're the oldest buildings - we wanted an eerier, 'less modern' feel. Building upon soundtrack we also wanted this to be contradictory and upbeat, something that is old but kind of reminisces a time where the person behind the glass remembers. We decided to use a soundtrack that was non copywritten so we would have no issues uploading to YouTube, we chose 'Aurhur Pryor's Band - Narcissus' due to its static recording and poor sound quality, which are conventions of vintage and retro music.

Shooting and Editing:

When shooting, we came across difficulties with equipment. We loaned out the last tripod available for the DSLR, however the tripod was missing the screw which attaches to the camera. We therefore had to improvise and use the camera handheld (relying on any shakiness to be edited with the 'warp stabiliser' tool in Premiere Pro. Overall, filming took as long as planned and no issues were encountered, besides height and obstructions(people/cars). We adjusted the ISO, Aperture and Shutter speed with good practice and used pull focus throughout certain clips, we aimed to use tilts and POV shots and this was proven successfully. I also used my photography knowledge and practiced formal balance and rule of thirds within certain still shots. Within lighting, we created a sillhouette by standing a subject in a dark setting, in front of a bay window - allowing the subject to block the light source.

Editing:

Editing was an easy task for our group, however we ran into a few issues with the sequence. The clips didn't match the sequence settings originally but we rectified this by pressing the "change sequence settings" button when the alert popped up. We relied on the Warp Stabiliser tool in order to cancel out any shakiness, however this wasn't always possible due to us rectifying the speed of certain clips. We exported the clip as an MP4.

Group Critique:

When receiving feedback from our peers, the overall feedback was positive, however; these were the points that were arisen. The first thing we were asked to consider on our next project is perhaps a variation of shot types or more shots of the character in order to reinforce the storyline. Another point that was suggested was the editing being a little faster paced as some shots did feel a little slow and can cause the audience to become disinterest. I am happy with the feedback we received as it allows us to develop from our ideas and consider more technical aspects when planning, filming and editing.






Bibliography:
Lockhart (30th April 2018) [online] - Make Use Of: How to edit videos like a Pro: 8 tips you will need to know - https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-tips-editing-videos-like-pro/

The Development of Editing (Technology and Theory)

Editing is a vital part of moving image as a whole. It is used to help emphasise the tone of the genre and directors will use it to help benefit and coincide with the narrative (if applicable). It also benefits with new information to the viewer. In the 1900's era of film, most were just shot with a camera, with raw footage unedited. When this came to cinema, they would have to play the rolls of film in the order intended.

There are three individuals that experimented with film editing with techniques used today - David Griffiths, Lev Kuleshov and Sergei Eisenstein.

David Griffiths is widely known for his techniques in narrative film-making, that are used still today. He is known to have 'created' parallel editing - which is used commonly today in scenes containing dialogue. He bought parallel editing to new depths with the 180 degree rule: a cinematography guideline where the characters are standing opposite to each other to help bring structure and familiarity to the scene, for the viewer. This is shown in such films such as 'Intolerance' and 'The Birth of a Nation'.

An example of the Kuleshov effect

Lev Kuleshov believes that the construction of film is vital for it to be successful - this being done through editing, he thinks that the interaction of two shots matter more than the actors/dialogue themselves. He is known to have his own method to film-making, commonly known as the 'Kuleshov effect': The preservation of two clips guiding the viewer to understand the scene through an experiment Kuleshov underwent. He placed a close up shot of someones neutral face expression, alongside various different images, the meaning is then created between the editing.

Sergei Eisenstein believed that editing (in particular, montaging) was a dialect form to create meaning to a scene. He was a student of Kuleshov, however departed due to differing opinions.

Moviola

The process of editing has changed dramatically in the past century. Originally film makers had to physically cut the film in order to create a continuous moving image, if they wanted to edit. This method was time consuming but due to the lack of technology, this was the only way possible. In 1924, The Moviola was introduced as a piece of editing technology. This allowed editing within film to become much easier and allowed the editor to have a more precise method of editing film. 'Edge Numbering’ was also introduced to film technology, allowing audio and visual to be in sync. 

Flatbed Editor

When the Flatbed editor was introduced, the moviola decreased in popularity. These machines were invented in Germany in the 1930's but didn't become mainstream until the 60's. They were said to be much easier to use and smaller also; companies such as Steenbeck and K.E.M (Keller Elektro Mechanik) were manufacturers of the Flatbed editor.

In the early days of film/moving image editing, linear editing was the only way to edit - examples being with tape to tape, using two video tape machines and a video monitor. It wasn't until the 1990's that things changed, with the introduction of non-linear editing computers. Non-linear editing today is more welcome compared to linear editing today which appears to be heading towards obsolescene. Non-linear editing is computer based, uploading footage from a camera and editing in modern softwares such as Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premiere Pro. Non-linear editing is a form of offline editing, where raw footage is copied and edited without affecting the original tape, and the offline approach has been in film editing since the start.

Final Cut Pro X is exclusive to macOS, compared to Adobe Premiere Pro which is available across windows, macOS and more operating systems. These editing softwares are used by professionals today as a preferred method, allowing complex edits and various exporting formats.

Lighting Equipment for the Following Scenarios.

A small documentary where portability is paramount:
I would most likely use a standard DSLR camera and at least two led lights. This is because I would need a soft light and a hard light, one for the subject and the hard light for the background. You'll need at least two lights, preferably three. As said by Tom Kirkman in 2011,"A soft source is best for your subject, a second light for the background, and a third for either fill light, hair light, or a side light (variously called "edge" light or "rim" light). I would keep to two lights due to portability, and to make sure that the portability remains paramount, most likely a single LED and bigger light source such as one studio light with Barn doors. 

Talking Heads style interviews:



Following this interview, I feel that Donnie interviewed Talking Heads with three-point lighting. I feel this because there is a soft light upon David Byrne, a fill light - preventing any shadows and a backlight to separate him from the background. I feel that studio lights were part of this set up, however, this isn't the best option for portability; I would most likely use led lights if portability was an issue but also that would leave with a blue tint on the face with shadows being a further possibility. A diffuser may be used in this interview style to help reduce any shadows, however, this could come off unprofessional.

A night time shoot:
Shooting at night-time can be proven difficult, however, there is a method to achieve this. Ideally I would use a reflector at nighttime, especially with puddles on the ground as water and a reflector will help reflect light from streetlights into the setting. The lighting will most likely be low-key so you will have to be creative with where the camera is positioned. If there is too little light, i may consider a soft light for the face just to make sure the subject is correctly lit.




Bibliography:
Tom Kirkman (2011) [online] Lighting for Interviews
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/video/tips-and-solutions/lighting-interviews

Camera and Lighting Techniques: How and why lighting affects camera techniques for moving image.

Lighting has developed in various methods since the beginning of moving image, "Lighting has nearly infinite permutations and variations" (Blain Brown, 2012, page 104). This also can effect the genre in which a 'said' moving image belongs to, an example of this would be lighting a romantic setting; where it is "made to look romantic, such as turning the lights down and make it candlelit with a soft focus coinciding" (Kurt Lancaster, 2013, page 215). There is more to the camera when setting up a shot alongside lighting, there has to be the right balance between positioning of the light, correct exposure and ISO settings, which can achieve a 'cinematic look' with DSLR cameras in particular "DSLR's maintain a strong advantage over small chip video cameras because of the capability to shoot in natural and practical low-light situations" (Kurt Lancaster, 2013, page 2013).

(Canon, 2018)

The image above discusses the variations between getting the correct exposure within photography/moving image in different lighting conditions. The image above is an example of the ISO at its lowest and ISO (presumably) at its highest. "As you start to increase a higher ISO, you introduce an increasing amount of digital noise" (Fotosiamo, 2012). There is a high amount of noise in ISO 25600, which could decrease quality of the picture through the grain shown, therefore it is most likely best to light indoors closer to the ISO 100 mark with more light sources for a 'cinematic look'. Aperture also controls how much light is let into the lens due to f/stops. A lower f/stop will grant a wider opening of the lens with a shallow depth of field and a higher f/stop will guarantee a narrow opening of the lens with a deep depth of field. "The bigger the hole (the larger the aperture), the more light reaches the sensor. The smaller the hole (the smaller the aperture), the less light reaches the sensor." (Greg Clayton). 

Shutter speed also takes a part in controlling light in moving image. This controls the amount of time for exposure. "A photo therefore doesn't just capture a moment in time, but instead represents an average of light over a timeframe. The term "shutter speed" is used to describe this duration." (Cambridge in Colour, 2005-2018).


Bibliography:
Brown (2008) Cinematography: Theory and Practice - Second Edition. The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GB, UK

Lancaster (2013) DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Large Sensor Video Cameras. 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN, UK

Canon (2018) [online] Learn: Basic Manual Settings for Cool Visual Effects. http://www.canonoutsideofauto.ca/learn/

Fotosiamo (2012) [online] How ISO Affects Your Images. 
https://www.slrlounge.com/how-iso-affects-your-images/

Greg Clayton [online] Aperture Intro https://www.harding.edu/gclayton/photography/topics/005_aperture.html

Cambridge in Colour (2005-2018) [online] Using Camera Shutter Speed Creatively  https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-shutter-speed.htm

Lighting

Lighting in film and photography is key to help convey expressionism of the genre. The most traditional lighting set up is called 'three-point lighting' technique, it consists of a Key Light, which is usually aimed directly in front of the subject & the brightest, dominant light. Following this is a fill light, which is used to fill in any shadows or contrast caused by the key light. Finally the back light is often traditionally used behind the subject, separating them from the background.

Leading from this idea, photographers and directors often diverse these roles and experiment to create scenes with high-key and low-key lighting. High-key lighting possess a high range of white and bright colours, containing minimal blacks or mid-tones. Low-key lighting however possess shadows, deep blacks and contrast - the opposite of high-key.

I experimented a numerous variety of techniques and experimented with positioning of the light in the videos embedded below.

Edge Lighting:
In terms of lighting, edge lighting which uses a hard light to cast shadows upon the subject, commonly used upon the face where half of the face is blacked out by shadow. I demonstrated this in the studio, by positioning my light at a 90 degree angle - to the left of my subject, this caused a harsh contrast with shadows across the right side of her face. This technique is often used to allow the audience to take a mysterious reading of the character/subject and to question significance. I feel in my example this came across well.

I also tried to experiment with natural lighting, although the technique was demonstrated well. I realised that the camera was not in focus of the subject, it is important I balance and focus on all elements of cinematography equally in the future, so I do not make this mistake again - such as a checklist for future reference etc.


Rembrandt:
Rembrandt lighting is often used in portraiture, it creates a natural looking setting whilst also creating a triangle like shape on the face, ultimately originating from Rembrandt Harmazsoon van Rijn, a dutch painter who used these triangle like shapes in his painings between the nose and the under-eye. I demonstrated this in the studio, following the diagram attached on the right - keeping the light between 25 and 45 degrees from the camera. It is also worth noting that it is worth using a reflector as it helps preserve the detail in the face that may be lost without. Overall I found following this technique difficult as the positioning of the light source has to be precise; but it was achievable and I am happy with how the image turned out.





Butterfly:
Butterfly lighting is often used in portraiture, it is where the camera is place directly above and centre to the subject, the name originates from the technique creating a butterfly shaped shadow below the nose. I demonstrated this following the diagram to the left. I feel the outcome was okay, however the shadows were not completely visable and on reflection, I think this is because of where I positioned my light as it was not high enough, I will consider positoning of the subject lower to justify this in future.





Experimentation with lights in the studio:
I wanted to see what it would look like visually if I positioned two studio lights to either side of the face, I was aiming to create a shadow in the nose area. I did this on a white backdrop and directed the camera facing the subject. This turned out okay, however, I feel the effect wasn't created despite the lamp level being on the lowest setting on both lights. If I were to use this method in the future, I would either try it on the highest settings, to see if that creates the contrast I would like or have the subject place behind a black background.





I also used an LED light with Barn-doors to create partial lighting without any other lighting source available, I attempted to use fingers also to try and create some shadows. This didn't turn out as successful. I feel that part of the reason for this is due to the lack of shadows being created with the light (which is later justified+5 seconds into the video). Doing this again, I would experiment with more probs to create shadow, such as gobos (GOes Before OpticS).



Low-key lighting:
With lowkey lighting, I knew that contrast would be important. I therefore chose to shoot indoors with little artificial/natural light source, I found that a dark corridor was best in this situation as the little natural light that seeped through the windows offered a perfect base for shadow.  I then developed my ideas and decided to try silhouettes, with the subject blocking the light. I positioned the subject with her back facing the camera as I wanted to create a quick clip from a horror movie, where a character sees a silhouette of a person, and walks up to it. I feel when filming this, this turned out okay, however there were improvements that could have been made; an example being that I forgot to use a tripod which caused the video to be a little shaky. I could have also experimented with led's to create a more defined shadow.

Aperture and Shutter Speed in Filming

Aperture in film:

As discussed before, Aperture controls how much light is being let in to the camera, it also variates in focal length with depth of field (using f/ stops). I wanted to test this knowledge out further with examples using different types of lenses. I used a 50 lens which offers low apertures up to f1.4 and a standard 18-55mm lens which can only go as low as f3.5. I discovered when using a water bottle as a subject, I was able to capture only that with the background completely out of focus - this is with f2.8. I was intrigued to see the middle stage so I also practiced with f8 and found the focal point to deepen, although not fully in focus, I am able to make out the writing on the bag behind. Finally, F16 allows me to see the bag in focus with a much clearer background - however as a result of me not decreasing the shutter speed, I found that when I was increasing ISO, the footage becomes visibly grainier.

I did another comparison outdoors, to familiarise myself with controlling a low aperture in natural light and I found this difficult. Although I could increase my shutter speed, I couldn't lower my ISO any further than 100, so my footage for f2.8 became a slight bit overexposed. I didn't want to increase my shutter speed dramatically as this could cause further issues later on when editing (videos looking different to others).

Shutter Speed:

Shutter speed and frame rate are two separate settings. The frame rate consists of how many frames are shot per second (25fps is usually used for a film look, 60fps is used commonly for slow motion). However, the shutter speed controls how long the shutter is open for, which can also control the exposure. When the camera is filming 25fps, the shutter speed should always be double of this. In the video attached, I have screen shotted a freeze-frame of my dslr camera filming in three different settings. 1/30, 1/50, 1/250. As the camera was filming in 25fps, we can see a motion blur within 1/30. 1/50 and 1/250 are much clearer.

Demonstrating Different Shot Types

Demonstrating Different Shot Types

Shot types are important to moving image/photography. They help the audience to depict what is in the scene and the knowledge the director wants them to understand. There are various different shot types in the media, most of these have been demonstrated in the video above. I will discuss the importance of particular shot types below:

Close up - Often used in portraits/scenes to show the emotion of the subject, allows a personal engagement with the audience. Close ups are also used on items that often contain significance to the project.

Extreme long shot (can also be called establishing shot) - Used in many medias to set the scene from a greater distance. In my example above, the establishing shot was used to set the scene of Bermuda Lake (where I filmed at), you could see the whole view of the pond surrounded by trees; its worth mentioning that if people were in the shot in the distance, they would appear like dots.

Mid shot - This is used often in moving image sequences for dialogue. Although this isn't a long shot, we as an audience can still depict body language throughout the scene.

Long shot - often used in multiple media formats to show an entire person, revealing what they are wearing for the viewer to understand concept, time period etc. through knowledge of clothing. This is the same with objects, furniture and so on.

Extreme close up - Often used on characters facial features to reveal emotion to the audience. Also used on objects to reveal texture and marks.

Tilting (Action) - A tilt shot is a camera movement where the camera moves up or down. This is often used in shots of tall buildings such as skyscrapers etc.

Panning (Action) - A panning shot is a camera movement where the camera moves in either a the left or right direction, often used to allow the viewer to receive more information about the setting.

POV (Point of View Shot) - This shot type is self explanitary, often used in moving image where the audience view from the characters perspective.

Understanding the Exposure Triangle

Understanding the Exposure Triangle:

The exposure triangle is vital knowledge in order to use the camera in manual (this applies to both moving image or photography). The exposure triangle is made of three components: ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture. These used correctly and in the correct manner can help benefit a fantastic looking image.

As said by Darren Rowse (2006-2018) "In digital photography the ISO measures the sensitivity of the image sensor"(1). It is measured in numerals (usually starting with 100, 200, 400, 800 etc). The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the lens becomes to light. The amount of light sensitivity depends on the setting in which you are filming/taking photographs with, If you shoot with low-lighting indoors, you will need to increase the ISO and if you are shooting outdoors in daylight, you would preferably shoot with a lower ISO, otherwise an image can become overexposed. However, if the ISO is too high, you may be susceptible to having grain in your photographs. I conducted three tests shown in the video embedded to support my knowledge. I shot in daylight with ISO 100 vs ISO 200, which proved that too high of an ISO does make your footage become over exposed - maintaining consistent settings in aperture (F13) and 1/50 for shutter speed. At night time, as shown in the tests, the first two comparisons of ISO 100 and 200 could only pick up the slightest bit of light from the lampposts; where as, the ISO being 1600 allowed me to reveal the street, cars and other information about the setting that was not revealed before - If i were to be shooting in that location again at night, I would probably increase the ISO to 3200, as i feel the image is underexposed. However, I would be cautious of grain if i did this. The last test I conducted was indoors with lowlight, I tested out ISO 800, 1600 and 3200 - as I wanted further evidence that grain can be found if the ISO is set too high. ISO 800 as expected produced an underexposed image. ISO 1600 came out okay, but ISO 3200 came out bright, but also showing grain in the blacks.

Within Aperture, "The aperture is built inside each lens and it controls the light entering a camera." Derek Watterson (2010) (3), Aperture is measured in F/Stops, a low aperture will have a wide lens opening (allowing more light to enter the frame) where as a high aperture will have a narrow lens opening (meaning that less light can enter the frame). It can also effect the focal point of your image also, A low aperture allows a shallow focus - letting you focus on an individual item (for example) with the back being out of focus. A higher aperture can allow a deep focus, meaning everything in the frame is in focus. I conducted a test as shown in the video embedded with the aperture at F4 and F16, to prove my knowledge, with a can in the foreground and a mug in the background. The can at F4 was in focus, but the mug wasn't. However at F16, the mug and the can were in focus, the only fault I can depict with this example is that the mug is still slightly blurry - this would definitely not be the case if i went an F stop higher at F22; it still proves that my evidence is substantial.

Shutter speed on the other hand "Shutter speed is responsible for two particular things: changing the brightness of your photo, and creating dramatic effects by either freezing action or blurring motion." Nasim Mansurov (2018) (2). A fast shutter speed will help benefit towards a still photograph, especially when the subject is running/jumping - leading to the fact that fast shutter speeds are used in sports. A slower shutter speed (particularly if it reaches as low as individual seconds) can help achieve a blurred effect. An example for this, which is also found in the video embedded is a contact sheet pdf from when i studied A-Level Photography. In that particular shoot, I was trying to achieve a blurred photograph of a subject (myself) whilst also making sure the lighting was at the correct exposure. This is particularly difficult and proved to be as you can see in the contact sheet. The lower  the shutter speed the brighter the image will appear, meaning the aperture will need to be substantially high so the lens has a small opening with the ISO maintaining 100. I ended up using a phone camera to light the subject for half the time the photo was being taken(approx 15 seconds) and ended up achieving an image later for my final piece as the facial expression was not shown and I created some 'ghostly' looking images.

Pull focus is also beneficial towards the exposure triangle. It is commonly used in moving image to "change focus during a shot. Usually this means adjusting the focus from one subject to another." mediacollege.com (4). An example of pull focus is shown in the clip above, with the focus from the dslr (with a close up shot) to the iMac in the foreground).

Reference List:

Rowse (2006-2018) ISO Settings in Digital Photography, [on-line] https://digital-photography-school.com/iso-settings/ - (1)

Mansurov (2018) Understanding Shutter Speed in Photography, [on-line] https://photographylife.com/what-is-shutter-speed-in-photography - (2)

Watterson (2010) What is Aperture?, [on-line] https://photographycourse.net/what-is-aperture/ - (3)

mediacollege.com [on-line] (4)

Contextual Studies

Discussion of the following scene from Easy Rider (1969):

The American New Wave film Easy Rider follows on the context of two hippies travelling across America in order to find 'spiritual truth'.

The scene begins with a long shot of two female and two male adolescent characters. The use of sound instantly gives us an initial idea of the setting which is believed to be by the side of the train tracks. Within this shot we can see the four smoking and drinking - and later trying acid for the first time.

The scene instantly is followed by jump cut. The following clip is a tilted camera movement of a building, in my personal opinion I believe this shot is an interpretation of the woman's point of view, as she starts to feel the trip - this follows a shot reverse shot pattern. The camera in the shot continues to tilt and slowly pans left - what is interesting upon this is that we start to realise the camera is pointing directly to the sun, which can burn out the lens. This is a clear example of an American new wave genre film, as the directors were intending on trying something different, potentially 'breaking the rules'. It was common in the 60's-70's that society were common to experiment and try new things, i.e acid, marijuana etc - leading to groups labelled as 'hippies'.

This theme continues throughout the soundtrack, we hear a religious speech given by the female character, the director chose to do this in order to convey the contrast of religion and purity to the 'sinning' of taking drugs - the religious connotations continue with iconography of the cross, with the camera panning around (360) continuously - this combining with the soundtrack creates an insight to the viewer to the sense of spirituality that the characters in the moment of taking drugs. Within lighting, we see natural lighting being used throughout. I feel this and the sound used is to create a sense of verisimilitude as it places the viewer into the setting.

The diegetic sound of the train tracks could also be interpreted as the female characters heartbeat throughout taking drugs, as it is repetitive throughout the scene, slowly fading out (due to editing) - symbolising the lack of reality and clarity when on drugs. The shots following often cut in with close up shots of characters and religious iconography, which as proven before could be the juxtaposition between the good (being religion) and the bad (being drugs, and the people associated with the female character), also reinforcing when the character reinstates consciousness from the high she is experiencing.