Unit 22 - Assignment 1 - Task 4
Technical features
There are many shot types in films which we don't tend to notice. As viewers we just watch films but we never consider the types of shots that are taken whilst filming. We just get the luxury of being able to view the final piece of a film production, but we never consider the types of shots that are taken for these films. Also when filming we never acknowledge the types of angles in which films are shot. There are mainly two common angles. As viewers we only see what is in front of us but we don't consider the type of angle in which a particular scene has been shot in. I believe one of the reasons we don't tend to notice shot types is because the editors edits the scenes in such a good way that the shot types are barely noticeable for the audience. Also the audience are so drawn to the film that they don't look at the shot types that are being used. This can come down too how good a film is. If the film is good the audience will be enjoying themselves so much that they will not be aware of the shot types that are occurring in the film.
Extreme Long Shot: An extreme long shot is a shot which is taken from a very far distance. The people in this shot type are difficult to see clearly. An advantage of this shot is that it establishes the setting and you see more clearly the surroundings in which the person is in. It also tells the audience about the type of environment that the person lives in and what their day to day life looks like. An example of an extreme long shot would be in the film 'The Dark Knight Rises'. In the image below you can see that they have established the scene and the main character even though it is difficult to see him it shows the audience the environment he's surrounded in.
Very Long Shot: A very long shot is quite similar to an extreme long shot. However with this shot type you begin to see the person a bit more clearly. Their whole body is viewable. An advantage to a very long shot is similar to an extreme long shot is but you can see the person more clearly. As you can see in the image below, it begins to focus more on the character and the setting in the imagine begins to get smaller. Difference between an very long shot and an extreme long shot is the character becomes more visible to the audience.
Long shot: A long shot tends to show the whole human figure much closer. With this shot the setting becomes extremely small and we begin to just focus on the human figure more. An advantage of the long shot would be that it can create excitement for the viewer because you get to see the person extremely clearly. You can see the person's face with this shot. The long shot is also used to set a scene in a film. As you can see in the image below the scene is set and you can see the character more then anything else.
Medium Long Shot: A medium long shot is a shot in which you can only see the human figure from knee's upwards. An advantage of this shot type would be that you get to focus on the upper body more. An example would be in The Dark Knight Rises where he goes to get his batman suit. You can focus on the physique of his upper body.
Medium Shot: A medium shot is a shot which is shown waist upwards. This shot type completely cuts out the lower body. This shot type is commonly used in interviews. The advantage of this shot would be that when watching a film it will direct the viewer to clearly show the subject of a scene. An example would be in The Dark Knight Rises where Batman is just in the middle of the road. This image suggests that he is confident and very relaxed due to his body language.
Close up: A close up is a shot which is only shows the face of a character. The whole body is cut from this shot and you can only see from face upwards. An advantage of this shot would be that it allows the viewer to analyse the facial expressions in more depth and the viewers are able to see the emotions the characters may be experiencing through these emotions. An example of a close up would be an image of the joker with a slightly blurred batman behind him. This image creates quite a sinister atmosphere, This shot is at eye level with the joker which makes the viewer feel slightly intimidated by him.
Crane shot: This is a shot type in which the camera tends to move about freely. This shot type is mostly used to establish the setting. An example of a crane shot would be in Eastenders when someone is leaving the square they film from a birds eye view. An advantage of this shot would be that the viewers gets to see the surroundings.
Camera Angles:
High Angle Shot: This is an angle where the camera is placed above the character/object to minimize it's significance. The advantage of this angle would be that it allows the viewer to look down at the object/character. This engages the viewer and it also makes them feel like they are part of the film. High Angle's are used commonly when parents look down at their children in films.
Low Angle Shot: This shot is the complete opposite to the high angle shot. This angle is shot from below the person. This angle tends to show the upper body of the character. It also tends to show the power and authority of the character. An example of of this angle would of be in the Dark Knight Rises as the director uses low angle shots on the joker to show off his power. It can effect the audience because it makes them feel like slightly intimidated by him.
Camera Movements:
Dolly Shot: This is a movement when the camera is placed on a dolly track. This helps to follow a scene. This camera movement would be used often in a chase so it can keep following the action. An advantage of this shot would be that it allows the audience to follow the action and keep them engaged. This is effective because it allows the film to also have a flow to it and it will help the film run smoothly.
Tracking Shot: This is a movement which is similar ti a dolly shot. It tends to follow the action that is taking place in the scene. The advantage of this would be that it helps the viewers keep up to speed with the action. This allows the director a lot of freedom. Due to a tracking shot they won't have to keep setting up again, the tracking shot allows the film to flow and it saves time.
Sound techniques:
In films we don't tend to notice how much affect sound has on films. Without sound a scene can seem very boring. However with sound it can the scene seem more dramatic and it can also build tension.
Sound can help to create a mood within a particular scene. There tends to be two sounds that are used in films. These sounds are diegetic and non-diegetic. A diegetic sound is a sound which the audience and the character can hear whereas non-diegetic sounds, only the audience can hear. An example of a diegetic sound would be a glass smashing and an example of of a non-diegetic sound would be music in the background which the character won't be able to hear.
Voice over: This is a common sound that is used in films. This is used to narrate to the audience. This has a huge advantage because it helps the audience understand the situation that the character is in right now. It also helps them understand the characters background. The voice over allows the audience to understand the story more clearly and why the character is there in the present day.
Sound bridge: A sound bridge is commonly used in films when they attempt to bridge with two scenes. This means that they will use music to connect two scenes which have a similar mood. For example if there is happy music in the background they will show happy images. This will help the audience understand the connection in the scene.
Foley sounds: These sounds are usually used to add a sense of realism to a scene. These sounds are usually done during the editing process by a foley artist. An example of this would be if there was a gun fight. Without the sound of the gunshot the scene seems boring. The advantage of this is that it intrigues the audience.
Direct address: This is when a character is talking to an audience directly. This can be known as a monologue. This sound is usually used so that there is interaction with the audience. It allows the character to express itself and it allows the audience to think that they are part of the film through this interaction.
Editing Techniques:
As viewers when we watch films we only see what is in front of us. We never wonder how many mistakes may have been made during filming. There is so much editing that happens during post to ensure that the film is good enough to release and show to the world. There are loads of examples of editing techniques.
180° degree rule: This is where there is a guideline between the relationship of 2 characters in a scene. The advantage of this technique would be that the audience stays focused.
Reverse shot: This is when one character is shown looking at other characters. These characters are shown back to the audience as looking at the first character. This tends to make the audience believe they are facing each other. An advantage of a reverse shot is that it intrigues the audience.
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