tv & film production basics

8/8/2019 TV & Film Production Basics

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A film director is a person who directs the making of a film.[1] Generally, a film director controls a film's artistic anddramatic aspects, and visualizes the script while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of that vision. It isthe director's sense of drama, along with the creative visualization of the script, that transforms a screenplay into a well-

made motion picture.

Responsibilities

The role of a film director in the creation of a movie is a large one, and typically includes completion of the following tasks:

Realizing the overall artistic vision of the film.

Controlling the content and flow of the film'splot.

Directing the performances of actors, both by putting them in certain positions and by eliciting the required range ofemotions.

Organizing and selecting the locations in which the film will be shot.

Managing technical details such as the positioning ofcameras, the use oflighting, and the timing and content of thefilm's soundtrack.

Often directors choose to delegate many of these responsibilities to other members of theirfilm crews. For example, thedirector may describe the atmosphere he wants from a scene, then leave it to other members of the film crew to find asuitable location and/or to set up the appropriate lighting.

Meanwhile, other directors have far more control and bring their artistic vision to the pictures they make. Their methods

range from those who:

Outline a generalplotline and let the actors improvise dialogue. Control every aspect, and demand that the actors and crew follow instructions precisely.
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Write their own scripts (such as Quentin Tarantino, Hayao Miyazaki orRobert Rodriguez). Collaborate on screenplays with long-standing writing partners. Act as their own cinematographers and editors.

Star (often in leading roles) in their films, such as Orson Welles, Woody Allen or even Ed Wood, Jr.

Directors work closely with film producers, who are usually responsible for the non-artistic elements of the film, such asfinancing, contract negotiation and marketing. Some directors will often take on some of the responsibilities of the producerfor their films. Steven Spielberg is known for doing precisely that, and the early silent film directorAlice Guy Blach notonly produced her own pictures but actually created her own highly successful studio.

Camera Angles

The shot angle is the level from which you look at your subject through the camera.

Eye-level angle - One of the most commonly used shots is the eye-level shot. Why? Because it's the perspective most familiar to us - we usuallysee things from our own eye-level. This angle also causes the least discomfort because we're used to it. If you're shooting a person, and you want

to make it an eye-level shot, make sure you shoot at their eye-level, not yours.

Low Angle - In this shot the camera looks up at the subject, making it seem important, powerful, or perhaps larger than it is to the viewer. For

example, you might be sitting on the ground looking up at someone who is standing.

(clickhere for an example)

High Angle - In this shot the camera looks down on the subject, decreasing its importance. The subject looks smaller. It often gives the audiencea sense of power, or makes the subject seem helpless. In this case, you'd be higher than the other person (maybe they're sitting, or maybe you're

standing on a desk) looking down on that person.
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Elements of CinematographyCamera: In film making multiple cameras (multiple camera positions of a single camera) are often used. In editing phasescenes/shots are assembled in a way that the story is told in an effective way. In computer animation, a considerable amount of

time is spent on pre-planning (e.g., storyboarding and animatics) so that a maximum amount of fully rendered scenes an/shots willbe used for the final animation.

The topics in this handout are:

Types of shots -- shot size, camera angle, POV, two shot, over the shoulder shot. 180 degree rule Camera moves Composition rules Safe areas

Types of shots: The followings are types of shots commonly used in film, video, and animation.

1. Shots with different shot sizes. One of the major distinctions among types of shots is the shot size. The shot size identifieshow large and area will be visible within the frame. Among the following common shot sizes the distance between the camera andsubject varies.

Extreme wide shot (EWS) shows a broad view of the surroundings around the character and coveys scale, distance, andgeographic location.

Wide shot (WS) shows an entire character from head to toe. Medium wide shot (MWS) shows a character usually cut off across the legs above or below the knees. It is wide enough to

show the physical setting in which the action is taking place, yet it is close enough to shot facial expression. Medium shot (MS) shows a character's upper-body, arms, and head. Close-up shot (CU) shows a character's face and shoulders. It is close enough to show subtle facial expressions clearly. Extreme close-up shot (ECU) shows only a part of a character's face. It fills the screen with the details of a subject.


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extreme wide shot wide shot

medium wide shot

medium shot


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close-up shot

extreme close-up shot

The images are from "The Art of Technique: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production"by John Douglass and Glenn Harnden

Notes: Indecisive cut and shock cutWhen cutting from a shot to another shot of a different shot size (e.g, from a wide shot to a medium wide shot) while framing thesame subject, the difference in image size must be decisive. If the size of the subject does not change sufficiently, you will get theunpleasant effect of an indecisive cut and the audience will perceive it as a mistake or a distraction.

On the other hand, when cutting from a shot to another shot of a significantly different shot size (e.g, from a wide shot to a close-upshot), you will produce a shock effect which is most likely inappropriate. The usual compromise is to have a shot of a shot size thatis inbetween the sizes of the two shots (e.g., from a wide shot to a medium shot, and then to a close-up shot).


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2. Shots with different camera angles. Another one of the major distinctions among types of shots is the camera angle. Changingthe camera angle changes the appearance and function of your shot.

Horizontal camera angles. Moving the camera around the subject horizontally while aiming at the subject creates different cameraangles below:

1. Frontal. The frontal angle tends to flatten the three dimensionality of facial features and environments.2. Three-quarter front. The three-quarter front angle is more often used than the frontal angle or profile because it shows

more depth and volumes.3. Profile.4. Three-quarter rear.5. Rear.


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Vertical camera angles. Moving the camera around the subject vertically while aiming at the subject creats different cameraangles below:

1. High angle. The camera is placed above eye level, looking downward. A high angle shot can make a character look smaller,younger, weak, confused, or more childlike.

2. Eye level. Most commonly used.3. Low angle. The camera is placed below eye level, looking upward. A low angle shot can make a character look bigger,

stronger, or more noble. It also gives the impression of height.


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high angle low angle

The images are from "The Art of Technique: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production"by John Douglass and Glenn Harnden

Note: Indecisive cutWhen cutting from a shot to another shot with a different camera angle (e.g, from a frontal shot to a three quarter front), framing thesame subject, the difference between the two camera angles must be greater than 35 degrees. If the difference is less than 35degrees, and the appearance of the subject does not change sufficiently, you will get the unpleasant effect of an indecisive cut andthe audience will perceive it as a mistake or a distraction.

3. POV shots. In a point of view (POV) shot, the camera is placed at the eye position of a character. (Birn, 8.2.4 POV Shots, pages180-1)

4. Two shot & over-the-shoulder shot


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Two shot shows two characters. Over-the-shoulder shot is a close-up of a character as seen over-the-shoulder of another person in the foreground.

Two shot Over the shoulder shot

180 degree ruleIf you are using multiple cameras and plan to edit the different shots in a scene into a seamless sequence, an important rule tokeep in mind is to place all the cameras on the same side of a line of action. A line of action is a path which your subject is

traveling along or an imaginary line between two characters who are interacting. This rule is called "180 degree rule".

Look at the following camera placements:


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If Camera 2 and Camera 3 are used, the audience stays on one side of the line of action. These shots are called"reverse angle shots".


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If Camera 2 and Camera 4 are used, the audience crosses the line of action. It's disorienting and confusing.


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The images are from "The Five C's of Cinematography" by Joseph V. Mascelli

Camera movesThe camera position is often animated in computer animation for no good reason or no reason at all simply because the virtualcamera can be moved easily. If you want to animate realistic and effective camera moves, study popular types of possible cameramoves with a real camera. Try the following:

Pan. The camera rotates from side to side, so that it aims more to the left or right. The camera does not change the location. Tilt. The camera rotates to aim upward or downward without changing the location. Tilt is sometimes called "pitch". Zoom. The camera's lens is adjusted to increase or decrease the camera's field of view, magnifying a portion of the scene

without moving the camera. Dolly. The camera's actual position changes, such as to move alongside a moving subject or to travel closer to a character

during a scene. Dolly in moves the camera closer to the subject. Dolly out backs the camera away from the subject. Dolly

in and dolly out are sometime called "track".


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The image is from "The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Imaging" by Isaac Kerlow.

Dolly vs. ZoomThe difference between dolly and zoom is that when you dolly, you are moving the camera in space, while zoom refers to changingthe camera's focal length. When you move the camera, the perspective changes. Objects far from the camera change in relativesize at a slower rate than objects which are close to the camera. That is what you see through your human eyes as you walk

around, your perspective changes. On the other hand, when you zoom (i.e., when you change the focal length of your camera),your camera does not move and perspective does not change.


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Composition Rules:The followings areuseful guidlines you can use when composing a shot.1. Rule of thirdsRule of thirds divides the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The points where the vertical and horizontal lines crossare aesthetically pleasing spots to place subjects or to have perspective lines converge. It is usually best to avoid placing horizon

lines exactly in the middle of a frame, but to place the horizon either above or below center, approximately one-third or two-thirdsup the height of the frame.

The images are from "Digital Lighting and Rendering" by Jeremy Birn and "The Art of Technique"

2. Teeter-totter ruleLighter weight can counterbalance a heavier weight if i t is placed farther away from the center of the frame.

3. Avoid frontal angleThe frontal angle tends to flatten the three dimensionality of facial features and environments.Angling the shot produces moredepth and volumes.


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Shooting straight against walls produces flat compositions withlittle sense of depth in frame.

Angling the shot into walls produces receding perspectivesand a better sense of depth.

Safe AreasText, e.g., the title of your animation, should be kept in the center 80% of the screen, within a guideline called the title safe area.To make sure that your audience will not miss any important action in your animation, the vital parts of your scene should takeplace within the central 90% of your frame, a guideline called the action safe area. Why? It's because what's outside the actionsafe area is invisible on most TV sets. (Birn's Page 190.)

Camera Shots(Framing the camera to show emotion, detail and setting)


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When a movie is made, a variety of camera shots are used to add atmosphere and create a mood for the story. The shot refers to the kind of

image we see in a frame. A description and purpose of the shots used to create a film are listed below. The red writing indicates the most

common types of shots. The other shots can be used for a special purpose or to create more tension and atmosphere.

Click here for more things to consider.

Shot Code Description Purpose Example

Extreme

close-up

ECU This is a very close shot showing the detail of an object or thephysical features of a person.

To make the viewer aware of some

specific detail in the film. It can be used to

heighten tension.

Very close-

up

VCU This is a face shot taken from the mid-forehead to above thechin.

This shows the close detail of the

character's eyes and mouth. It can be used

to heighten tension.

Big close-

up

BCU This is full head height and the head takes up the entirescreen. It contains little or no background.

This shows the detail of the characters

face.

Close-up CU This is a shot taken of a persons head from just above thehead to the top of the upper chest. It can also be used to film

an object at close range. It contains little or no background.

This used to introduce a character and

allows the character to show emotions. It

can be used to heighten tension.

Medium

close-up

MCU This shows the upper half of the body. The shot is taken fromthe above the head to lower chest.

Good for conversation between twocharacters.

Medium

shot

MS This shows half of the body. The shot is taken from above thehead to just below the waist.

This allows you to get to know the

character more closely by viewing their

facial expressions and body language.
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Medium

long shot

MLS This shows the whole person as well as some of thebackground.

Places the person in context.

Long shot LS This shows the whole person and other characters, but thebackground dominates the shot.

This allows the viewer to understand therelationship between the characters and

their environment.

Extra long

shot

ELS This shows the landscape of the film or a barely visiblecharacter in the distance of a background.

This gives information to the viewer aboutwhere the action is to take place. It often

sets the atmosphere of a film.

Visual LiteracyHow do I make meaning

Camera Angles

There are four main types of camera angles used to suggest a relationship between the viewer and the subject of the image. As with camera

shots, there can be degrees of variation on these angles.

Angle Description Purpose Example

High The camera is placed above and looksdown on the subject or object.

It is used to make the character look small and

also indicate that the character is weak or
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inferior.

Eye An eye angle places the audience on eye-

level with the character.

It is used to indicate that the character is on

equal footing with the audience. It suggestsreality.

Low The camera is placed looking up on thesubject or object.

It is used to make the character look big and

indicates that the character is powerful and

dominant.

Overhead/

Bird's eye

The camera is placed overhead or directly

above the object or scene.

Characters and objects are made to look small

and vulnerable. A character or object could be

followed at a different speed or pace.

Camera Movement

There are a variety of camera movements the director can use to make meaning on screen for the viewer. They are described below and to see an

example of these movements click on the links associated with each type of movement.

In this unit of work the Dolly and the Tracking camera movements will not be used.


Zoom The camera moves towards or away from

a particular object.

It is used to make objects appear closer or

further away.

Panning The camera turns from side to side, i.e.from left to right or right to left.

It is often used in the opening scene of a movie

or can be used to show the landscape from the
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view of the characters.

Tilt The camera moves diagonally from the

top to the bottom of the frame.

It is used to show the character from head to

toe and can emphasize size. It can also indicatespeed and reaction.

Dolly The camera moves towards or away fromthe character. The camera is often placed

on wheels to allow for a smoothmovement.

It allows you to follow the characters or the

action, from one place to another.

Tracking The camera moves along with the actorsor the action. The camera is usually on

wheels.

It engages the viewer in the action where they

can feel part of it.

Lighting

Lighting plays an important part in creating the atmosphere in a film. The amount of light and the direction of the light source can give meaning

to the viewer of the film. For example, lighting is used to indicate the time of the day.

Click here for more information on lighting.


Back lighting The main light source comesfrom behind the character.

It is used to create a silhouette. The charactercan be made to look mysterious due to the

effect of the shadows. It can create a sense of
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impending doom and is often used in horror

movies.

Key and fill lighting It is the main light source in aparticular scene. It is usually directed onto the main character.Fill lighting can be added to soften the effect ofshadows.

Under-lighting The main light source comesfrom below the character.

It can be used to disfigure the face. Horror

films make use of this technique.

Top lighting The main light source comesfrom above the character.

It is used to remove shadows produced by the

key lighting. It can also create the illusion of a

bright, sunny day.

Side lighting The main light source comes

from one side of the screen.

It is used to light one side of the characters

face and produces shadows across the set,creating a sense of mystery.

Colour

Colours can make us feel cheerful or gloomy, peaceful or excited. Film uses colour to evoke a particular mood or feeling. Some examples of

where colour can be used effectively in film making is through costumes, props, lighting, sets and film titles and credits. Sometimes colour can

be used as a motif or continuing theme throughout the movie.

In most cultures, many colours are associated with a symbolic meaning. This meaning is often different across cultures. For example a wedding

in a Western culture is usually white while an Indian wedding utilises the colours of red and orange. A funeral in an Asian culture uses white

while a Western culture funeral is traditionally black. Some common colours and their meanings for a Western culture are:
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Yellow

Cheerful, happy, warm, hopeful

Orange

Warmth, enthusiasm, ambition, fun

Red

Passion, heat, blood, danger, excitement, energy

Black

Evil, death, rebellion, power

Blue

Peace, coolness, tranquillity, harmony, protection

White

Purity, chastity

Green

Growth, success, vegetation, health, life, generosity

Brown

Stability, comfort, friendship, reliability

Purple

Wealth, royalty, passion, wisdom, respect, mysteryGrey

Neutral, classic, quiet, drab

Rule of 3rds

Keeping your subject constantly in the middle of the screen can make for a boring movie. The viewers eyes need to move around the screen so

that the placement of subject in the frame is constantly changing with each shot. Applying the rule of thirds can help to avoid the problem of

visually dull movies.

To do this, you split the frame into three sections vertically and horizontally as illustrated below. The most significant part of the picture should

be placed where the lines intersect. Try to put your subjects on the lines instead of in the middle when you are shooting. With the horizontal lines

it is best to place your subject either in the top or bottom third of the frame.


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The subjects run along the vertical lines and the image is balanced.

When shooting landscapes you need to decide where to place the horizon. If you wanted to emphasize the sky

because of a sunset or cloud formation you would place it in the top two thirds of the picture. As an

establishing shot or end shot for your film a large expanse of blue sky could be used for the titles or credits in

your movie.

This picture is split neatly into thirds. The sky occupies the top third of the picture, the mountains the middle

third and the foreground the bottom third.


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