You guys should be near completion on your group project and you should be planning for your individual project.
On Monday we will look at your completed group projects and talk about them.
We will also have time to talk about your individual project.
Remember that your individual project can be:
fiction or non-fiction
a music video or involve no music at all
serious or humorous
sad or happy
realistic or not-realistic
commercial or social
persuasive or expressive
BUT IT MUST INVOLVE THE TELLING OF A STORY
The comments that I gave on the storyboard assignment should help you in thinking about what makes a good story.
Also remember to work together. You can't use the same video in your projects but you can work together to shoot the video.
Also remember that light is your friend when you understand it. If you don't think about the way light will effect your work then you can get into trouble.
Finally, you use zoom lenses, but you need to stay aware of the effect the various focal lengths have on the image you capture. You these effects to help tell your story rather than create a visual distraction.
You will not have a test. YOU DO NEED TO BRING BACK YOUR DVDs on MONDAY!
Enjoy yourselves...
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Storyboard Groups
I am sure you are all already working hard on your storyboard assignment.
But just to make sure you are working with the people you said you are working with here is a list:
Working in Groups (50 storyboard frames)
Grace and Ray
Xenia and Stephy
Winston and Annie
Tiff and Jen
Ivy and Phoenix
Eva T. and Katie
Katherine and Koey
Maggie and Yuyan
Alison and Frances
Terri and Tina
Working Alone (25+ storyboard frames)
YaShing
Ah Bo
Eva D.
This story does not have to be related to the storyboard exercise you did on the Podium.
This story does not have to be related to your final project but if you want to use it that way that is okay.
This story can be as big as you want it to be in terms of shots and locations because you do not have to shoot it. Enjoy yourselves and use your imaginations.
Remember: By Monday the storyboard needs to be on the YouTube site of one of your group members. Leave each shot up for 3-5 seconds and then go to the next shot. The shots do not have to be timed out for actual duration, that is called an "animatic," and you will do that with Kelvin later.
But just to make sure you are working with the people you said you are working with here is a list:
Working in Groups (50 storyboard frames)
Grace and Ray
Xenia and Stephy
Winston and Annie
Tiff and Jen
Ivy and Phoenix
Eva T. and Katie
Katherine and Koey
Maggie and Yuyan
Alison and Frances
Terri and Tina
Working Alone (25+ storyboard frames)
YaShing
Ah Bo
Eva D.
This story does not have to be related to the storyboard exercise you did on the Podium.
This story does not have to be related to your final project but if you want to use it that way that is okay.
This story can be as big as you want it to be in terms of shots and locations because you do not have to shoot it. Enjoy yourselves and use your imaginations.
Remember: By Monday the storyboard needs to be on the YouTube site of one of your group members. Leave each shot up for 3-5 seconds and then go to the next shot. The shots do not have to be timed out for actual duration, that is called an "animatic," and you will do that with Kelvin later.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
NO test in class on Monday
Xenia suggested an open DVD test on the Video Producer materials. So I have decided. I will give you a list of questions about the content on the DVD rom. Then you will need to answer all of those questions. This way we will not take up class time with the test and you can spend your time working on your storyboards and Comm Department Video rather than studying for the test.
I will give you the questions.
You will find the answers on the DVD.
I will send out some different forms of the questions so that you can't give the answers to each other.
The materials on the DVD are important because they cover ground that we don't have time for in class and they will increase your overall understanding of audio/video production.
Also...THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE COMM STUDIES DEPARTMENT VIDEO IS A STRAIGHT FORWARD, SEQUENCED, WELL-EDITED PIECE THAT TELLS A STORY ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE USE OF GOOD AUDIO. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ADD SPECIAL EFFECTS IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW. DON'T ADD TO YOUR BURDEN. TELL THE BEST STORY YOU CAN WITH THE TALENT YOU HAVE IN YOUR GROUP AND THE THINGS YOU HAVE LEARNED IN THE CLASS. The only additional video you should have to shoot is interviews with teachers and students. The rest of the video we have shot in the exercises during class should be enough for all of you to produce the videos.
On Monday I will leave some time to look at your groups shots and give you feedback on them. Please have them organized so that we can look at them.
I sent emails directly to everyone but I got the message back for everyone with a hotmail account. They don't seem to like my multiple emails.
I will give you the questions.
You will find the answers on the DVD.
I will send out some different forms of the questions so that you can't give the answers to each other.
The materials on the DVD are important because they cover ground that we don't have time for in class and they will increase your overall understanding of audio/video production.
Also...THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE COMM STUDIES DEPARTMENT VIDEO IS A STRAIGHT FORWARD, SEQUENCED, WELL-EDITED PIECE THAT TELLS A STORY ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE USE OF GOOD AUDIO. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ADD SPECIAL EFFECTS IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW. DON'T ADD TO YOUR BURDEN. TELL THE BEST STORY YOU CAN WITH THE TALENT YOU HAVE IN YOUR GROUP AND THE THINGS YOU HAVE LEARNED IN THE CLASS. The only additional video you should have to shoot is interviews with teachers and students. The rest of the video we have shot in the exercises during class should be enough for all of you to produce the videos.
On Monday I will leave some time to look at your groups shots and give you feedback on them. Please have them organized so that we can look at them.
I sent emails directly to everyone but I got the message back for everyone with a hotmail account. They don't seem to like my multiple emails.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
5 October 2009
Most of you have now had a good warm-up with the camera. You also have lots of information about image, shot and sequence composition so you know what to do to capture images that you will be able to edit. Now we will take the time to improve your technical abilities.
On 12 October you will be forming groups of 2, and no more than 3, to shoot interior and exterior shots around the campus, the whole campus. This will be your first step in creating the video for the Department of Communication Studies. I will give you a shot list and you will go around campus to get the shots. Then you will come back to the lab download your shots and put them in a safe place where everyone will have access to them later. I will take a look at them as you download them. Finally we will begin planning and do some storyboards for the classroom shooting we will do on 19 October. Henry will also take the time to show us the audio booth operation for recording voice overs for your videos now and in the future.
It is extremely important that everyone be in class on 12 October. This is the day when we will lock down your technical abilities with the various video cameras you can use for your projects.
Attendance
More than 15 minutes late:
Winston
Katherine
Annie
Absent:
Alison
Jenny
Yuyan
Frances
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Editing and Audio Exercises
I have commented on all of your editing on YouTube. Take a look and then you can ask questions if any arise.
I will show and discuss a couple of the edits in class.
I will show and discuss a couple of the edits in class.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
28 September 2009
Here are some notes for the lecture today:
Good visual composition is at the heart of video production. When you create strong images you can shoot strong shots and build meaningful sequences. Images come first. Shots are built on the images within them. Then it becomes possible to make meaningful, interesting and engaging sequences.
Image Composition
In video you are restricted by the horizontal frame. It dictates the nature and possibility of your composition. Viewers can only know what you tell them from their own experience of the subject matter and the information you provide within this frame.
Viewers - How do people experience the images you compose?
Middle - It is generally believed that people start near the middle of the frame and then circle outward around that midpoint in viewing an image. You need to control how they travel through your image through your composition of elements.
Reading - In western culture we read text left to right and there is substance to the argument that we read images in the same way. In middle eastern cultures texts are read from right to left and it becomes possible to argue that images presented to people in those cultures will be read in that way. In the east, specifically China, there are multiple ways to read a text and therefore Chinese people can approach an image in many different ways. What this means to video creators must use strong composition to guide viewer experience of an image. Producing for this audience means understanding and using any and every tool that is available and some of your tools are aesthetic and some are psychological.
The rule of thirds helps with:
Creating Balance in the Frame
Handling Horizons in the Frame
Handling People in the Frame, through
Head Room - positioning eyes near the top third line to maintain appropriate head room
Nose Room - positioning a person left, right or center in the frame according to their line of sight
Lead Room - positioning a person or subject left, right or center in the frame according to their direction of movement or potential movement
Vectors - these are the visual forces within a frame that lead the viewer's eyes through the frame
Graphic - these vectors are created by objects and grouping of objects in the frame that create a line or direction within the frame. Graphic vectors are typically ambiguous in terms of direction and this means the viewer can move in any direction.
Index - these are strong indicators of direction through an arrow, a pointed finger and the line of sight of a person within the frame. The direction they create is clear and they are very powerful within the frame. They should not be overused and line of sight is the most subtle of these types of vectors.
Motion - these are the lines created by the actual or implied motion of an object or subject within the frame. These are the most powerful forces within a frame as people are naturally drawn to motion within their visual space.
Angle of View - These is the angle at which people see the subject within a frame. These angles can be widely varied but they are most simply understood in vertical terms.
Eye-level - looking a subject directly in the eye at the same altitude of the eye. This puts the viewer in a neutral position in relation to the subject and allows other factors to tell the story.
Low-Angle - looking at a subject from above their eye-line. The camera is looking down at the subject. This puts the subject in a subordinate position to the viewer or it makes the subject looks smaller than the physical reality. Children are often shot from this angle.
High-Angle - looking at a subject from below their eye-line. The camera is looking up at the subject. The puts the subject in superior position to the viewer or it makes the subject look larger than the physical reality. Cowboys, heroes, and monsters are often shot from this angle.
Worm's Eye View - looking up at everything in the frame from the ground.
Bird's Eye View - looking down at everything in the frame from the sky.
Figure-Ground is the basic relationship between everything within a visual frame. Figures are everything within the frame that has the potential for movement and/or leaving the frame. The Ground is the stable environment or context in which the action takes place and consists of basically immoveable objects. When a producer makes it appear that the Ground is moving through a dolly or tracking shot then the viewer must resolve the conflict and it results in the viewers' impression that they are moving through the environment because it is more easily understood that people move because environments don't. Producers must always be aware of the relationship between the Figures within a frame and the Ground because an unnoticed relationships can create unwanted visuals and meaning for the audience and producer.
Shot Composition
A shot is an image with the added dimension of time. Producers must manage the inclusion of time within the frame through composition which is built on the previous concepts but presents increased challenges.
Because of time a shot always has the potential to become something new. So an image that appears to be poorly composed can become better composed over the duration of a shot. Awkward composition and the need for resolution can also become a clue for viewers that something is going to happen or someone is going to come into the frame in order to complete the composition of the shot.
Imbalance can be balanced over the duration of a shot.
Continuous Framing - this is a very difficult approach which means that every image in the shot is well composed and meaningful. The producer must have control over every element in the shot to make this happen.
Key Framing - this is a less difficult approach which means that several specific images, key frames, over the duration of the shot are very well composed and that the intervening images will be generally well composed because of these key frames.
Destination Framing - this is the easiest approach which means that the focus of composition is given to the last frame in the shot and everything that leads up to that image is of less concern. This creates the highest probability that there will be awkward compositional moments within a shot.
The Rule of Thirds applies the same within a shot as it does within an image, except for the even greater emphasis on the execution of lead room because the objects within a shot are actually moving so they need space within the frame that gives them space to move into or to ultimately move out of the frame.
Vector Movement
In a shot the vector forces within the frame can be actual movement by the subject, the camera, the camera head or the lens.
Subject Movement
X axis movement across the frame. If the camera is too close to the subject this can appear as an unidentifiable blur rather than the subject actually moving across the frame.
Y axis movement across the frame. The same as X axis movement but a rare occurrence outside of launching rockets.
Z axis movement can occur diagonally across the face of the frame or appear as depth into or out of the frame.
Diagonal - movements in different directions appear to have different difficulty or speed
Bottom Left to Upper Right - subjects/objects appear to move easily
Bottom Right to Upper Left - subjects/objects appear to move with more difficulty
Top Left to Bottom Right - subjects/objects appear to move faster
Top Right to Bottom Left - subjects/objects appear to move slower
Depth
to Viewer - subject/object can move from background to foreground to fill more and more of the frame
from Viewer - subject/object can move from foreground to background to fill less and less of the frame
Cutting from To Viewer to From Viewer is an easy edit and can provide the opportunity to change time or place as well as just accelerate action.
Camera Movement
Dolly - Z Axis - the camera physically moves in or out (toward or away from) the subject. The camera moves through the environment with or without the subject basically causing the subject to be stationary in the frame and the ground to change within the frame. When the camera is following the subject or moving without a subject through an environment it gives the viewer a sense of movement. If the subject is facing the camera and the camera is moving backward through the environment the audience can experience an interesting but unnatural sensation because we rarely walk backward through an environment while we chat with our friends.
Truck - X Axis - the camera physically moves along side the subject as it moves. The subject remains stationary within the frame as the ground constantly changes. This is a very interesting shot, particularly for sporting events, but it is ultimately unnatural because we rarely walk sideways for long periods of time as we chat with a friend. It can be very effective in bursts as though the viewer is turning the head to look at the subject while moving with the subject. It is also particularly effective if the subject is moving through a crowd and the camera is outside the crowd so that the subject remains framed and the movement is created by the people, in front and behind the subject, who are constantly changing and possibly blurred by the truck motion.
Crane - Y Axis - the camera physically moves vertically, up or down, from one spot to another. This is a good way to make audience members believe they can fly. It is also a good way to establish a relationship between two subjects when those two subjects are vertically separated from one another. A crane gives a stronger sense of vertical space then a cut from point 1 to point 2 and provides a sense of movement that is missing in a tilt.
Camera Head Movement
Pan - X Axis - The camera turns to the left or right from a stationary position. It is a very natural movement when one thinks of watching a tennis match from the middle of the grandstand or a football match from the seats at the middle of the pitch. There are also many more natural forms of a pan as people often observe action of any kind and life in general from a stationary position.
Tilt - Y Axis - The camera looks up or down from a stationary position. It is a very natural movement when one thinks of looking up at building or looking down into a canyon. People experience most vertical objects with a tilt of the head from a stationary position.
Lens Movement
Zoom - Z Axis - The lens changes it internal characteristics to draw a subject or object closer to the viewer or to push the subject or object farther away from the viewer. The Zoom In is a force of focus on a particular subject. The Zoom Out is a force of focus away from a subject. While focus is a natural act within a visual environment the reframing of the visual space is unnatural. There are also lens effects in a zoom that we will talk about later.
Perspective of View (POV) - also called point of view
Third Person - the typical way a video production is experience, the viewer is separate from the action and watching it from a position where the action in the frame will have no direct effect on the viewer. This is used in fiction and non-fiction.
First Person - the viewer is the camera experiencing the content for themselves. The moving camera and the dolly in particular communicate the presence of the viewer in the visual space. The ground elements of the frame appear to be moving so the viewer can be led to believe that they are moving because we all know that ground elements do not move. In this type of shot other subjects or characters address the camera directly reinforcing the sense of engagement in the production.
Third Person OS - the viewer is really separate from the action but is moving through the shot with a guide. The camera moves through a space but the camera is at the back of the subject or character who is always in view. The character or subject may show awareness of the audience through direct address, talking to the audience even though engaged in the environment of the story (this can be really great or a total disaster in terms of story telling). It is not necessary for the subject to acknowledge the audience for a shot to be made in Third Person OS (Over Shoulder).
Practical Shot Guidelines
Keep shots steady, you cannot fix it later
Shoot twice (2x) as many close-ups to medium shots and wide shots
Shoot for eye contact
Shoot at the eye-level of the subject, unless you want to make a statement about the subject
Compose the shot dynamically. Don't point and shoot and hope to get lucky with a good shot.
Hold shots long enough to edit any element. Hold 10 seconds before and after a move.
Work around the angles of view. Imagine that you are on a sphere with your subject at the center.
Shoot 30 to 1, 30 minutes raw video for 1 minute edited video.
Plan to improvise. Make a plan and be ready to improvise from the plan.
Planning and improvisation will guarantee you can get the shot that works well.
I will provide more video examples of the shot composition concepts in the next class and we will talk about sequencing and editing concepts as well as get out and shoot some video.
Because of the necessity for fully understanding shooting, editing and storytelling and the fact that we cover animation and fx in other classes, including interactive as well as 3D, I am going to make sure we cover visual storytelling completely and diminish the time given to animation and fx.
until then...
Absences:
Ray & Stephy
Good visual composition is at the heart of video production. When you create strong images you can shoot strong shots and build meaningful sequences. Images come first. Shots are built on the images within them. Then it becomes possible to make meaningful, interesting and engaging sequences.
Image Composition
In video you are restricted by the horizontal frame. It dictates the nature and possibility of your composition. Viewers can only know what you tell them from their own experience of the subject matter and the information you provide within this frame.
Viewers - How do people experience the images you compose?
Middle - It is generally believed that people start near the middle of the frame and then circle outward around that midpoint in viewing an image. You need to control how they travel through your image through your composition of elements.
Reading - In western culture we read text left to right and there is substance to the argument that we read images in the same way. In middle eastern cultures texts are read from right to left and it becomes possible to argue that images presented to people in those cultures will be read in that way. In the east, specifically China, there are multiple ways to read a text and therefore Chinese people can approach an image in many different ways. What this means to video creators must use strong composition to guide viewer experience of an image. Producing for this audience means understanding and using any and every tool that is available and some of your tools are aesthetic and some are psychological.
Know and Use the Three Visual Axes
X axis - horizontal, stable, immovable
Y axis - vertical, stable, potential for movement
Z axis - diagonal, dynamic, builds the appearance of movement, is at the core of creating a sense of depth within an image
Thirds - The rule of thirds is a starting point for building an strong image. The rule of thirds helps with:
Creating Balance in the Frame
Handling Horizons in the Frame
Handling People in the Frame, through
Head Room - positioning eyes near the top third line to maintain appropriate head room
Nose Room - positioning a person left, right or center in the frame according to their line of sight
Lead Room - positioning a person or subject left, right or center in the frame according to their direction of movement or potential movement
Vectors - these are the visual forces within a frame that lead the viewer's eyes through the frame
Graphic - these vectors are created by objects and grouping of objects in the frame that create a line or direction within the frame. Graphic vectors are typically ambiguous in terms of direction and this means the viewer can move in any direction.
Index - these are strong indicators of direction through an arrow, a pointed finger and the line of sight of a person within the frame. The direction they create is clear and they are very powerful within the frame. They should not be overused and line of sight is the most subtle of these types of vectors.
Motion - these are the lines created by the actual or implied motion of an object or subject within the frame. These are the most powerful forces within a frame as people are naturally drawn to motion within their visual space.
Angle of View - These is the angle at which people see the subject within a frame. These angles can be widely varied but they are most simply understood in vertical terms.
Eye-level - looking a subject directly in the eye at the same altitude of the eye. This puts the viewer in a neutral position in relation to the subject and allows other factors to tell the story.
Low-Angle - looking at a subject from above their eye-line. The camera is looking down at the subject. This puts the subject in a subordinate position to the viewer or it makes the subject looks smaller than the physical reality. Children are often shot from this angle.
High-Angle - looking at a subject from below their eye-line. The camera is looking up at the subject. The puts the subject in superior position to the viewer or it makes the subject look larger than the physical reality. Cowboys, heroes, and monsters are often shot from this angle.
Worm's Eye View - looking up at everything in the frame from the ground.
Bird's Eye View - looking down at everything in the frame from the sky.
Figure-Ground is the basic relationship between everything within a visual frame. Figures are everything within the frame that has the potential for movement and/or leaving the frame. The Ground is the stable environment or context in which the action takes place and consists of basically immoveable objects. When a producer makes it appear that the Ground is moving through a dolly or tracking shot then the viewer must resolve the conflict and it results in the viewers' impression that they are moving through the environment because it is more easily understood that people move because environments don't. Producers must always be aware of the relationship between the Figures within a frame and the Ground because an unnoticed relationships can create unwanted visuals and meaning for the audience and producer.
Shot Composition
A shot is an image with the added dimension of time. Producers must manage the inclusion of time within the frame through composition which is built on the previous concepts but presents increased challenges.
Because of time a shot always has the potential to become something new. So an image that appears to be poorly composed can become better composed over the duration of a shot. Awkward composition and the need for resolution can also become a clue for viewers that something is going to happen or someone is going to come into the frame in order to complete the composition of the shot.
Imbalance can be balanced over the duration of a shot.
Continuous Framing - this is a very difficult approach which means that every image in the shot is well composed and meaningful. The producer must have control over every element in the shot to make this happen.
Key Framing - this is a less difficult approach which means that several specific images, key frames, over the duration of the shot are very well composed and that the intervening images will be generally well composed because of these key frames.
Destination Framing - this is the easiest approach which means that the focus of composition is given to the last frame in the shot and everything that leads up to that image is of less concern. This creates the highest probability that there will be awkward compositional moments within a shot.
The Rule of Thirds applies the same within a shot as it does within an image, except for the even greater emphasis on the execution of lead room because the objects within a shot are actually moving so they need space within the frame that gives them space to move into or to ultimately move out of the frame.
Vector Movement
In a shot the vector forces within the frame can be actual movement by the subject, the camera, the camera head or the lens.
Subject Movement
X axis movement across the frame. If the camera is too close to the subject this can appear as an unidentifiable blur rather than the subject actually moving across the frame.
Y axis movement across the frame. The same as X axis movement but a rare occurrence outside of launching rockets.
Z axis movement can occur diagonally across the face of the frame or appear as depth into or out of the frame.
Diagonal - movements in different directions appear to have different difficulty or speed
Bottom Left to Upper Right - subjects/objects appear to move easily
Bottom Right to Upper Left - subjects/objects appear to move with more difficulty
Top Left to Bottom Right - subjects/objects appear to move faster
Top Right to Bottom Left - subjects/objects appear to move slower
Depth
to Viewer - subject/object can move from background to foreground to fill more and more of the frame
from Viewer - subject/object can move from foreground to background to fill less and less of the frame
Cutting from To Viewer to From Viewer is an easy edit and can provide the opportunity to change time or place as well as just accelerate action.
Camera Movement
Dolly - Z Axis - the camera physically moves in or out (toward or away from) the subject. The camera moves through the environment with or without the subject basically causing the subject to be stationary in the frame and the ground to change within the frame. When the camera is following the subject or moving without a subject through an environment it gives the viewer a sense of movement. If the subject is facing the camera and the camera is moving backward through the environment the audience can experience an interesting but unnatural sensation because we rarely walk backward through an environment while we chat with our friends.
Truck - X Axis - the camera physically moves along side the subject as it moves. The subject remains stationary within the frame as the ground constantly changes. This is a very interesting shot, particularly for sporting events, but it is ultimately unnatural because we rarely walk sideways for long periods of time as we chat with a friend. It can be very effective in bursts as though the viewer is turning the head to look at the subject while moving with the subject. It is also particularly effective if the subject is moving through a crowd and the camera is outside the crowd so that the subject remains framed and the movement is created by the people, in front and behind the subject, who are constantly changing and possibly blurred by the truck motion.
Crane - Y Axis - the camera physically moves vertically, up or down, from one spot to another. This is a good way to make audience members believe they can fly. It is also a good way to establish a relationship between two subjects when those two subjects are vertically separated from one another. A crane gives a stronger sense of vertical space then a cut from point 1 to point 2 and provides a sense of movement that is missing in a tilt.
Camera Head Movement
Pan - X Axis - The camera turns to the left or right from a stationary position. It is a very natural movement when one thinks of watching a tennis match from the middle of the grandstand or a football match from the seats at the middle of the pitch. There are also many more natural forms of a pan as people often observe action of any kind and life in general from a stationary position.
Tilt - Y Axis - The camera looks up or down from a stationary position. It is a very natural movement when one thinks of looking up at building or looking down into a canyon. People experience most vertical objects with a tilt of the head from a stationary position.
Lens Movement
Zoom - Z Axis - The lens changes it internal characteristics to draw a subject or object closer to the viewer or to push the subject or object farther away from the viewer. The Zoom In is a force of focus on a particular subject. The Zoom Out is a force of focus away from a subject. While focus is a natural act within a visual environment the reframing of the visual space is unnatural. There are also lens effects in a zoom that we will talk about later.
Perspective of View (POV) - also called point of view
Third Person - the typical way a video production is experience, the viewer is separate from the action and watching it from a position where the action in the frame will have no direct effect on the viewer. This is used in fiction and non-fiction.
First Person - the viewer is the camera experiencing the content for themselves. The moving camera and the dolly in particular communicate the presence of the viewer in the visual space. The ground elements of the frame appear to be moving so the viewer can be led to believe that they are moving because we all know that ground elements do not move. In this type of shot other subjects or characters address the camera directly reinforcing the sense of engagement in the production.
Third Person OS - the viewer is really separate from the action but is moving through the shot with a guide. The camera moves through a space but the camera is at the back of the subject or character who is always in view. The character or subject may show awareness of the audience through direct address, talking to the audience even though engaged in the environment of the story (this can be really great or a total disaster in terms of story telling). It is not necessary for the subject to acknowledge the audience for a shot to be made in Third Person OS (Over Shoulder).
Practical Shot Guidelines
Keep shots steady, you cannot fix it later
Shoot twice (2x) as many close-ups to medium shots and wide shots
Shoot for eye contact
Shoot at the eye-level of the subject, unless you want to make a statement about the subject
Compose the shot dynamically. Don't point and shoot and hope to get lucky with a good shot.
Hold shots long enough to edit any element. Hold 10 seconds before and after a move.
Work around the angles of view. Imagine that you are on a sphere with your subject at the center.
Shoot 30 to 1, 30 minutes raw video for 1 minute edited video.
Plan to improvise. Make a plan and be ready to improvise from the plan.
Planning and improvisation will guarantee you can get the shot that works well.
I will provide more video examples of the shot composition concepts in the next class and we will talk about sequencing and editing concepts as well as get out and shoot some video.
Because of the necessity for fully understanding shooting, editing and storytelling and the fact that we cover animation and fx in other classes, including interactive as well as 3D, I am going to make sure we cover visual storytelling completely and diminish the time given to animation and fx.
until then...
Absences:
Ray & Stephy
Monday, September 21, 2009
21 September 2009
We were able to cover the ins and outs of sound pretty thoroughly. If you want to know more click on the title of this entry and you will be connected to a PDF which has a chapter all about the details of sound.
You should have enough to build your two additional versions of your Hong Kong Video. By the beginning of our next class, 28 September, you will need to have 3 videos posted on your YouTube channel, an edit of the Hong Kong video with natural sound, an alternative edit of Thirty Seconds of Hong Kong using the same video with the addition of Sound Effects, another alternative edit of Thirty Seconds of Hong Kong using the same video with the addition of music (If you would like to tighten the relationship between the music and the pictures you can adjust the timing of the shots according to the music). The Nat Sound piece needs to be just nat sound, the SFX edit can be just sfx or sfx and nat sound, the Music edit can be just music or music and any combination of the other sounds.
I have subscribed to all of your YouTube channels. All of you have subscribed to my channel except for Tina. I did, however, see that Tina has uploaded her first video in time. Tina needs to thank YaShing for pointing this out to me.
Here are the basic thoughts for the day on Sound:
Terms related to Sound:
Natural Sound: sound captured at the same time as the video
Wild Sound: sound captured in the same environment where the video was shot but not at the same time.
Sound Environment: A sound bed that creates of sense for the images in a video
Sound Effects: A created or captured sound added to audio to reinforce the environment or punctuate the video
Music: An intentional composition of vocal and/or instrumental sounds producing a distinctive form, harmony and expression of emotion.
Dialogue: Intentional speech delivered by one or more people within a production
Voice/Over (VO): Narration that is clearly separate from the audio within a scene.
Sound vs. Noise
A sound has a purpose within an environment, action or production.
A noise is a distraction within an environment, action or production.
There are times when an audio experience is a sound and there are times when the same audio experience is a noise it depends on the context in which it occurs.
Aspects of Sound Environments:
Different places have different sound environments:
HK v. Beijing, MTR v. Street, Urban v. Rural, home v. office, beach v. mountain...
Different eras have different sound environments:
Ancient v. Modern, 50s v. 90s
Different times have different sound environments:
Morning, Noon, Night, Dawn, Twilight...
Different seasons have different sound environments:
Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall
An appropriate and well-designed sound environment will engage an audience more deeply in a production than still images or moving images alone.
Basic Functions of Music:
Create Mood/Emotion/Expectation
Support Mood/Emotion/Expectation
Support the Role and Substance of Characters, e.g. Leit Motiv
Support Action
A much more detailed list and explanation of music functions can be found in the attached chapter and a very vivid portrayal of the functions can be found on the Video Producer DVD-ROM. Remember: you will have a test on Video Producer and class notes on 2 November.
Next time we will have a discussion of shots, shot composition and how these relate to editing. We will also get started with the shooting exercise.
Before class you need to have posted on your channel:
1. an edit of the Thirty Seconds of Hong Kong video with natural sound
2. an alternative edit of Thirty Seconds of Hong Kong using the same video with the addition of SFX
3. another alternative edit of Thirty Seconds of Hong Kong using the same video with the addition of music
until then...
Late Arrivals:
YaShing (more than 15 minutes late)
Absent:
Ah Bo
Tina
You should have enough to build your two additional versions of your Hong Kong Video. By the beginning of our next class, 28 September, you will need to have 3 videos posted on your YouTube channel, an edit of the Hong Kong video with natural sound, an alternative edit of Thirty Seconds of Hong Kong using the same video with the addition of Sound Effects, another alternative edit of Thirty Seconds of Hong Kong using the same video with the addition of music (If you would like to tighten the relationship between the music and the pictures you can adjust the timing of the shots according to the music). The Nat Sound piece needs to be just nat sound, the SFX edit can be just sfx or sfx and nat sound, the Music edit can be just music or music and any combination of the other sounds.
I have subscribed to all of your YouTube channels. All of you have subscribed to my channel except for Tina. I did, however, see that Tina has uploaded her first video in time. Tina needs to thank YaShing for pointing this out to me.
Here are the basic thoughts for the day on Sound:
Terms related to Sound:
Natural Sound: sound captured at the same time as the video
Wild Sound: sound captured in the same environment where the video was shot but not at the same time.
Sound Environment: A sound bed that creates of sense for the images in a video
Sound Effects: A created or captured sound added to audio to reinforce the environment or punctuate the video
Music: An intentional composition of vocal and/or instrumental sounds producing a distinctive form, harmony and expression of emotion.
Dialogue: Intentional speech delivered by one or more people within a production
Voice/Over (VO): Narration that is clearly separate from the audio within a scene.
Sound vs. Noise
A sound has a purpose within an environment, action or production.
A noise is a distraction within an environment, action or production.
There are times when an audio experience is a sound and there are times when the same audio experience is a noise it depends on the context in which it occurs.
Aspects of Sound Environments:
Different places have different sound environments:
HK v. Beijing, MTR v. Street, Urban v. Rural, home v. office, beach v. mountain...
Different eras have different sound environments:
Ancient v. Modern, 50s v. 90s
Different times have different sound environments:
Morning, Noon, Night, Dawn, Twilight...
Different seasons have different sound environments:
Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall
An appropriate and well-designed sound environment will engage an audience more deeply in a production than still images or moving images alone.
Basic Functions of Music:
Create Mood/Emotion/Expectation
Support Mood/Emotion/Expectation
Support the Role and Substance of Characters, e.g. Leit Motiv
Support Action
A much more detailed list and explanation of music functions can be found in the attached chapter and a very vivid portrayal of the functions can be found on the Video Producer DVD-ROM. Remember: you will have a test on Video Producer and class notes on 2 November.
Next time we will have a discussion of shots, shot composition and how these relate to editing. We will also get started with the shooting exercise.
Before class you need to have posted on your channel:
1. an edit of the Thirty Seconds of Hong Kong video with natural sound
2. an alternative edit of Thirty Seconds of Hong Kong using the same video with the addition of SFX
3. another alternative edit of Thirty Seconds of Hong Kong using the same video with the addition of music
until then...
Late Arrivals:
YaShing (more than 15 minutes late)
Absent:
Ah Bo
Tina
Monday, September 14, 2009
14 September 2009
It appears that the majority of you have some experience working with Premiere and that a number of you are relatively expert in its use. That's good because that means we can focus the class on the concepts related to good audio and video storytelling and we do not have to spend too much time with the technology itself.
I am wondering how much expertise you all have with AfterEffects. Please let me know your actual level of experience and your level of confidence with both Premiere and AfterEffects.
As stated in class you will need to upload your 30 second edit to your own YouTube Channel before the start of the next class. This means you will have to have an account so you need to let me know about your account so that I can subscribe to your channel and we will all be able to share in your work. We are going to use your 30 second edit in the next class as we work with sound effects and music and learn about their role in the storytelling process. This will be the audio exercise. You will also need to start thinking about and working on your Audio Assignment. This is going to involve creating a sound environment for a still image which you choose and then posting the resulting video to your channel.
Here are some of the things we covered conceptually in class today:
Definition of Sequence Editing:
The compression of an action, event, and/or place from real-time into consumable time. Consumable time is that which people will tolerate with their attention spans and platforms will tolerate within their windows of opportunity. With this compression the action, event, and/or place needs to be communicated in a way that is consistent with the truth of the action, event and/or place. The truth of an action, event or place can be the apparent reality, the underlying meaning, the process involved, or the outcomes achieved. The truth can exist within the subjects of the story, the place itself, the storyteller or the audience so it is not simply achieved.
Definition of Montage Editing: (not yet covered in class but will come up in critique of editing work).
The connection of audio and video which is temporally, spatially or thematically linked rather than sequentially linked. Montage editing relies on the same elements of visual grammar as sequence editing but it is more free in the sense that the connection of shots is not based on the creation of an edited reality.
Remember:
The Basic Elements of Visual Grammar
Image Shot Sequence Scene Story
The Meaning found in Shot Transitions:
CUT: the most basic type of transition from one shot to the next
Change of View within a Sequence
Change of Time within a Story
Change of Place within a Story
DISSOLVE: one of many complex transitions from one shot to the next
Change of Time within a Story
I am wondering how much expertise you all have with AfterEffects. Please let me know your actual level of experience and your level of confidence with both Premiere and AfterEffects.
As stated in class you will need to upload your 30 second edit to your own YouTube Channel before the start of the next class. This means you will have to have an account so you need to let me know about your account so that I can subscribe to your channel and we will all be able to share in your work. We are going to use your 30 second edit in the next class as we work with sound effects and music and learn about their role in the storytelling process. This will be the audio exercise. You will also need to start thinking about and working on your Audio Assignment. This is going to involve creating a sound environment for a still image which you choose and then posting the resulting video to your channel.
Here are some of the things we covered conceptually in class today:
Definition of Sequence Editing:
The compression of an action, event, and/or place from real-time into consumable time. Consumable time is that which people will tolerate with their attention spans and platforms will tolerate within their windows of opportunity. With this compression the action, event, and/or place needs to be communicated in a way that is consistent with the truth of the action, event and/or place. The truth of an action, event or place can be the apparent reality, the underlying meaning, the process involved, or the outcomes achieved. The truth can exist within the subjects of the story, the place itself, the storyteller or the audience so it is not simply achieved.
Definition of Montage Editing: (not yet covered in class but will come up in critique of editing work).
The connection of audio and video which is temporally, spatially or thematically linked rather than sequentially linked. Montage editing relies on the same elements of visual grammar as sequence editing but it is more free in the sense that the connection of shots is not based on the creation of an edited reality.
Remember:
The Basic Elements of Visual Grammar
Image Shot Sequence Scene Story
The Meaning found in Shot Transitions:
CUT: the most basic type of transition from one shot to the next
Change of View within a Sequence
Change of Time within a Story
Change of Place within a Story
DISSOLVE: one of many complex transitions from one shot to the next
Change of Time within a Story
Change of Place within a Story
Do not confuse these meanings.
Next Important Concept:
Audio is as important for storytelling as Video, when they are working together in a single story and when each operates independently. Audio alone has greater storytelling power than Video alone.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
I have uploaded another hour of HK video to my YouTube Channel. There are lots of traffic lights, taxi cabs and MTR shots that will make it possible for you to edit. There are some real tape problems on MTR 1 and MTR 2 but there are some shots there that will make it worth your time and to look through the video for editing. I have also included 10 minutes of the street market in Wan Chai that has all sorts of plastic things, t-shirts and Tchotskes (ask me what that means in class).
You can choose any direction you want in your edited piece and there is enough video here to go in literally thousands of directions.
You can choose any direction you want in your edited piece and there is enough video here to go in literally thousands of directions.
Important to Remember (7 September 2009 continued)
As a part of our discussion on Monday I talked about the grammar of video and gave you a relationship between the elements of written language and motion picture language. While this is a very simple presentation of the idea it does convey the relationship between the two and importance of understanding the principles and rules of expression as a foundation for your creative work.
The technical relationship:
LANGUAGE - MOVING PICTURES
letter image
word shot
sentence sequence
paragraph scene
story story
in text form:
letters come together to form words, words come together to form sentences, sentences come together to form paragraphs, paragraphs come together to tell a story
images come together to form shots, shots come together to form sequences, sequences come together to form scenes, scenes come together to tell a story
The technical relationship:
LANGUAGE - MOVING PICTURES
letter image
word shot
sentence sequence
paragraph scene
story story
in text form:
letters come together to form words, words come together to form sentences, sentences come together to form paragraphs, paragraphs come together to tell a story
images come together to form shots, shots come together to form sequences, sequences come together to form scenes, scenes come together to tell a story
Monday, September 7, 2009
7 September 2009
First day of class and some technical problems. Digital video technology is changing at a lightening pace and I think using newer software has left CS3 Premiere in the dust. Joe is working to see if there is an easy fix to the problem. I will find out what formats will actually work and also provide good quality in the video.
The audio problem appears to be one of wiring. Many of the pieces on YouTube have ended up being mono, single channel, audio and the wires connecting the computer to the sound mixer don't seem to be too happy with single channel sound.
I will have the files ready for logging and editing next week. We will start with just a 30 second nat sound edit and then we will see if there is time for something bigger. I will also bring some music that we can use for doing a more musically based cut.
We will also have the audio in shape so that I can show you the examples and then deconstruct them so that you can understand the process of making them.
So, take a look at the clips from HK and NYC on YouTube and think about what you would like to put into 30 seconds of nat sound video and then 30 seconds of music.
Be sure to get started on the interactive DVD. You will be responsible for returning them in working order. Also read the syllabus so that you can sign that you know what's expected of you in the class.
Until later...
The audio problem appears to be one of wiring. Many of the pieces on YouTube have ended up being mono, single channel, audio and the wires connecting the computer to the sound mixer don't seem to be too happy with single channel sound.
I will have the files ready for logging and editing next week. We will start with just a 30 second nat sound edit and then we will see if there is time for something bigger. I will also bring some music that we can use for doing a more musically based cut.
We will also have the audio in shape so that I can show you the examples and then deconstruct them so that you can understand the process of making them.
So, take a look at the clips from HK and NYC on YouTube and think about what you would like to put into 30 seconds of nat sound video and then 30 seconds of music.
Be sure to get started on the interactive DVD. You will be responsible for returning them in working order. Also read the syllabus so that you can sign that you know what's expected of you in the class.
Until later...
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Dr. RBW YouTube channel
Here is my YouTube channel. As the semester progresses there will be links to all channels for class members and other interesting and cool videos. From my perspective I providing some things I've shot lately but also have a massive archive from my days working in television and creating an interesting assortment of stories and approaches to stories.
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