Shot Tests

Following typical documentary conventions and techniques, we explored these using our own shots and images and how they would fit into the documentary genre...

This extreme long shot is significant to our documentary, as it establishes the scene/setting, a technique which we will have to use within our own documentary. The natural lighting creates a sense of realism which we will also be using in our documentary. Using the rule of thirds effectively helps to focus on the objects of our shots. The rule of thirds within this image could be improved as the lower area of the grids are empty including wasted negative space.

A high angle shot is used to make an object look smaller, which therefore makes the initial object of our shot look inferior and vulnerable.

This extreme long shot not only establishes the scene but also shows the body movement of the characters within our shot. An action shot will be a significant shot in our own documentary as it will help to show to the audience any violence, exaggerating the destruction.

In this medium shot, we have experimented with artificial lighting. The light in the shot has created a shadow around the protagonist which portrays a sense of horror. This effect will be included in our documentary to imply a sense of danger of criminals in the riots.

The natural lighting in these long and medium shots creates a silhouette, which again creates a sense of mystery of a character and hides their identity. We will use a similar shot in our documentary for those who do not want to be seen during an interview. However we could also use this effect to dehumanize a criminal.

The low angle long shot creates a sense of authority and power in a protagonist. This will be an effective shot to use in our documentary for when a criminal has been arrested and the police officer is looking down on them.