Sony NX5

Chapter Four: 

“People spot a big black lens, and they worry about what they're doing, or how their hair looks. Nobody see the person holding the camera.” 

 Working With The SonyNX5

Focusing The Sony NX5

I work with the Sony NX5 because it is a good standard camera for what I want to do. For my Preliminary Task I will use this camera.

I prefer to use a tripod when filming unless I mean to create a hand-held effect. To focus the camera it's important to zoom in on the subject and focus manually, this stops any blurring at the wrong time. It is important to make sure the white balance is correct when filming or the recording will not be the right colour and either have blue or orange tints to them. 

The 180 degree rule is critical during a shoot. If the camera films past the 180 degree line the shot will be reversed and won't look right. Remember where the camera starts and don't go past 180 degrees!

Diegetic And Non-Diegetic Sound

Chapter Three:

"We all steal, but if we're smart we steal from great directors. Then, we can call it influence."

Diegetic And Non-Diegetic Sound

The difference between diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound is that if a sound is diegetic it can be heard by the characters. If a character is on a beach, the sound of the waves will be diegetic because the character can also hear them. A Good example of this is in the film 'Jaws'. Diegetic sound can be described by the waves, or the children laughing. But the Jaws 'theme' they use to signify the shark approaching is non-diegetic because it is not heard by the onscreen characters (e.g. film soundtrack). Diegetic and non-diegetic sound can both be added in post-production if necessary. 

 

Synchronous sound is sound that will match an event on screen because it is caused by it.

Asynchronous sound is separate from visuals so it could be a voice over or dialogue from another scene.

Sound Bridge - will connect two scenes so it carries on from one scene to another. This can start off diegetic and the become non-diegetic or visa versa.

                            

In this 'Kill Bill Vol.II' scene the non diegetic sound gives away the genre of the film and the diegetic sound builds a lot of tension. The silences create suspense and make us hold our breathe in anticipation. All the sound in this scene makes it the incredible scene it is because it tells the story and describes the character without using speech, voice-over or dialogue.

Preliminary Exercise

Chapter Two:

"To succeed in life you need two things: Ignorance and Confidence."

Preliminary Exercise

Objective- To demonstrate knowledge of camera and editing techniques.

The task is a continuity task [a system of cutting shots to create a progression of real time] involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in front of another character where they will exchange a few lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action filming, shot/reverse shots and the 180 degree rule.

 I will use different shots to create different perspectives for the viewers. 

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Establishing Shot [E.S] - a birds eye view of the landscape/setting. This allows the audience to understand where the film is set.

Maleficent (2014) -  L.S at a low angle to represent power and status.

Long Shot [L.S] - a wide shot to show the setting, can also be a POV shot. Using a low angle shot will make the subject look superior. A high angle shot will make the subject look inferior.

Mid Shot [M.S] - a shot from the waist up to above the head. Focus can be used to emphasise certain aspects of the shot. The background can be blurred to focus on the actor or visa versa.

The Gray (2012) - E.C.U to show expression and emotion.

Close Up [C.U] - this shot can intimidate and exaggerate the expression created by the subject and displayed to the audience. Cutting certain aspects out of a shot (e.g. the top of a characters head) can allow the viewer to focus on his face/expression.

Extreme Close Up [E.C.U] -  One feature is usually shown. This allows us to fully focus on an important moment in the scene. A lot of expression can be shown on a facial E.C.U. 

High Angle + Low Angle [H.A/L.A] - High angles makes the subject look little. Low angle makes the viewer feel little and the subject look tall. This creates status between the characters shown.

Canted Angle [Dutch Angle] - It seems like the camera has fallen over and creates a highly energetic shot. 

About Me

Chapter One:

"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea."

My name's Rebecca and this blog is dedicated to my AS media studies at Hurtwood House. I will be keeping a diary of all the work and research I do in this course. I am also currently studying English, Dance and Theatre. I hope to work in TV one day. I enjoy Thrillers, Drama's and Action films. One of the most important parts of present day media for me is a good soundtrack of film score. My favourite films are 'The Day After Tomorrow' (2004), 'Dirty Dancing' (1987) and 'Pride And Prejudice' (2005).

My favourite director is Lars von Trier (as a person and a filmmaker). I love all of his films especially Melancholia (2011) and The Nymphomaniac Vol. I and II. (2013) Yet I have strong opinions on whether the original five and a half version should have been cut to create the released four hour film. I believe that if a film is created to test and provoke the audience, it should do so to its full intention.

Melancholia (2011)

Antichrist (2009)