Preliminary Task - Reflection

Today I, together with a group of classmates, have finished editing the preliminary task. By doing so I have learned how much time editing a media piece can take, and what steps to take in order to shoot a good sequence so as to make editing it simpler. When we shot our preliminary task we captured a number of short shots. This disallowed us from creating a smooth continuity due to do some of the continuity errors created through wrong camera and/or actor movement. For this reason next time when I will be shooting with any group in particular we will capture a wide and mid for the whole sequence as to make sure that there is a shot which the sequence can revert to in case any other transition does not work. Through the creation and edit of the preliminary task I was our group was also able to practice the capturing methods of shot reverse shot and match on action. We did this by filming the sequence from different points of views while capturing certain moments more than one time. This made it easy for us to cut on action, as well as input use the shot reverse shot technique during the conversation between actors, all while editing. Generally I'd say that this task allowed me to improve upon my filming and editing abilities, all while practicing working with a group, which I will have to get used to in preparations for our thriller project.

Preliminary Task - Shooting

Filming the preliminary task allowed me improve upon my ability to construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills. The preliminary task is a continuity exercise that's purpose is to, together with a group, shoot a two min continuity and edit it with adobe premiere. Through the shooting of this task I together with my group furthered my knowledge about camera management, creating a sequence, editing in postproduction, match on action, the use of shot reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

 

During our fourth studio lesson we began and finished filming the preliminary task. . The purpose of the preliminary task is to, together with a group, shoot a two min continuity that follows the storyboard given to your group (Presented in the post) and edit it with adobe premiere. By doing so our group was able to practice the different roles present on a film set. For instance we would constantly change the camera operator and director to allow every member of the group at having a go at either filming or directing. Furthermore the preliminary task gave us an opportunity to shoot a sequence like we have before, but a one that is more complex and filmed in our vision. Continuing the preliminary task also showed me and my team how long it can take to shoot a simple two-minute sequence, thus preparing us for future shootings. Overall I'd say that shooting the preliminary, whilst fun, was very similar in a sense to revising for a test. I say so because I practiced everything that I have learned in the previous studio lessons and thus have strengthened my knowledge about the following subjects in media studies. Finally I think shooting the preliminary task together with my group was a success.

Studio Workshop - Camera Lesson 3

During our third lesson in the studio we were taught how to edit. Editing is a postproduction process that is fundamental to the creation of a media piece. The editing process is composed of a number of smaller developments. When material is gathered for an edit it is initially watched several times and than clipped together into a desirable sequence. Soon afterwards colour grading is layered on top of the cut material together with edited diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. Throughout our lesson I edited together with my team the sequence, which we have produced during our second studio lesson. As listed above we completed the process of editing our clip by primarily situating the footage into a sequence and lastly colour grading it.

In addition to the following the process of editing gives way to a number of amazing transitions and ways in which footage is presented that are present in typical pieces of media. For instance different styles of cuts, sound bridges, and in certain cases the positing of the material on screen is reformed during the editing process. Furthermore certain parts of the materials velocity are changed to portray a certain mood within a media piece. I should also mention that this style of editing is different to a one that uses green screens and CGI technology to enrich a media piece. Finally editor possesses the power to mediate material and make a media piece in way that appeals to him/her.  Different styles of editing lead towards different types of media pieces which are received in various ways by the audience, meaning that editing is once again a fundamental part of creating a media piece.

Sound Analysis - Captain Philips

Captain Philips is a multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container, Maersk Alabama, by a crew of Somali pirates. Directed by Paul Greengrass and produced by Bravo Platoon Film Production, the film premiered in theaters in 2013 and won a number of different awards for its visuals and sounds. This essay will analyse the different types of sounds present and their effects on the audience in Captain Philips during a 2min sequence mid-way through the film (24:55-26:55) when the Somali pirates chase Maersk Alabama.

The film represents a dramatic mediation of the actual events of 2009 surrounding the captain of Maersk Alabama, Richard Philips. In order to create tension throughout the film the director implemented a significant amount of non-diegetic sounds; mainly soundtracks. At the starting point of the sequence the Somali pirates are swimming towards Maersk Alabama at an alarming speed. At this time the soundtrack is quiet and calm, but when Philips asks the chief engineer to turn of the limits on the containers engines, the soundtrack overpowers all of the other sounds and becomes very intense through the sudden and impactful increase in volume. This application of sound has a tremendous effect on the audience as it increases the tension of the situation and displays how extreme it has become. Eventually the Somali pirates boat breaks down at which point the soundtrack instantly stops. The following informs the audience that the protagonist of the film has overcome the situation and applies a sense of relief. If the sequence was to be reimagined without the soundtrack it would provide no sense of tension or seriousness as the audience would only be presented towards number of quick shots of a minor boat chasing a container. In this particular sequence the soundtrack is what makes up most of the sequence and is responsible for achieving a number of reactions from the audience.

Except for non-diegetic sounds, which are mostly used for setting the mood or narrating a storyline of a production, another principal aspect of sound appearing in the extract is diegetic sound. Any voice, musical passage, or sound effect presented as originating from a source within the films world is diegetic. For the duration of the scene, the dialogue is a key group of diegetic sounds responsible for informing the audience about what it is the characters are planning to do. For instance when Philips notices that the Somali pirates are nearing the container he orders his crew members to change certain setting on deck and prepare the ship for full thrust. In addition to the following, the way that Philips talks notifies the audience of how well he is able to cope with the stress of being chased by pirates, and at the same time, command a crew running a container. When the Somali pirates are shown during the extract their voices are louder and angrier, displaying that they are not able to cooperate as well as other characters. Thus, if the dialogue was to be shown separately from the sequence the audience would still be able to describe the motives of the characters voices they are hearing and possibly in what situation they are in. Dialogue is just a part of all the diegetic sounds present in the extract, though, in this specific segment, all of the other diegetic noises are pleonastic.

Pleonastic sounds are exaggerated diegetic sounds used to allow the audience to relate to a scene in a particular way. In this extract, all of the diegetic sounds except for the dialogue are pleonastic because the tonality of the objects that make them is higher than expected. An illustration of this within the segment would be the loudness of the pirate’s skiff crashing against the ocean during the chase. Moreover the sounds of the containers engines; the phone being picked up and smashed by captain Philips; the static form the hand-held radio and the thruster being pushed forward are all pleonastic sounds. Furthermore, the pleonastic sounds within the segment also create sound bridges that make transitions more fluent. For instance, the pleonastic sound of the thruster being pushed towards its limit, followed by a transition to another scene opening with another pleonastic sound of the increasing roar of the engines, is an exemplar of how this type of sound creates smoother transitions. At the end of the segment, all of the sounds stop and the visuals presented become nearly silent. Through taking out the non-diegetic and diegetic sounds present within a scene the director was able to create an enormous implication of something significant happening at the end of the chase. Continuing in the segment the pleonastic sounds are accountable for setting the right background noise in accordance to the scene and pointing out the important things happening.
In conclusion the sounds present in the extract of Captain Philips are an overpowering addition to the visuals shown on screen, both informing and having an emotional effect on the audience. The extract displays a successful use of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds with the right categories of sounds chosen to be within the scenery - excluding contrapuntal sounds. Finalising the extract is an example of a good balance between visuals and sounds that satisfies the audience.

Studio Workshop - Camera Lesson 2

Our second studio lesson consisted of learning about what is a sequence, what is the 180 degree rule, as well as the appropriate use of the two when shooting a media piece. Throughout the lesson we were given the opportunity to shoot a sequence in a group whilst applying the 180-degree rule to it. In addition to the following we were assisted by a member of staff present in the studio that corrected us or gave us suggestions whilst we were shooting our sequence 

A sequence is a series of shots usually connected by either the unity of location or unity of time.  Shooting a sequence allows the director to create a more stimulating and realistic mediation of what it is that he/she is filming. Furthermore a sequence allows the audience to easily track what is happening within the media piece in a manner that is continuous and does not confuse. During the studio lesson we shot a sequence of an actor coming up to a table, picking up a toy motorcycle, looking at it, putting it down, and finally leaving. As a team we portrayed the following event through the use of close ups, mid shots and long shots. Each time we shot from a different angle/viewpoint we shot the entire sequence, which allowed our team to clip together our sequence in various ways during the editing process, as well as have extra material that we can use in case any of the cuts do not work. I think this task allowed me to grasp an idea of what it means to shoot a scene in a manner that portrays it as continuous after the editing process. Although that is not the way in which that particular scene is shot during the filming process.

The 180-degree disallows the director from filming a subject from an angle that crosses an imaginary 180-degree line beyond which the subjects present within the frame appear to change sides. Another result of the 180-degree rule being broken is a subject being filmed will appear to move in the opposite direction when displayed on the screen from a shot that crosses the 180-degree line. Although there are occasions during which directors break the 180-degree rule to purposefully confuse the audience. Whilst shooting our sequence our team made sure to correspond to the 180-degree rule, which allowed us to learn how to avoid breaking it and how it can be unintentionally broken while filming if the crew is not carful enough to notice it, keep it in mind.

In conclusion sequences and the 180-degree rule are both principal aspects of filming media pieces, which is what I together with my group was able to grasp throughout the second lesson in the studio.