links to further reading:

Relation of Shot to Shot Editing from "Film Art", Bordwell & Thompson

Archeology of Composting:Cinema by Lev Manovic

Final Project:

The ideas that inform your final video piece will to be derived from your personal inquiry and structured by the exercises of words, diagrams, research and drawings.

The final piece should include concepts covered in class. The video may be narrative in form, but you may take other approches. As art students, you are encouraged to explore alternative representations of time, and the expressive qualities of form, color, sound, timing and movement.

Your final piece may be a discrete video or it may also be a part of a larger project, installation, performance, ect.

The final video piece should be approximately 3-5 minutes.

The final video piece should include clear examples of cinematography, interesting camera shots, use of transitions, effects.

The content of the piece is to develop out of your investigations and interests.

A sketch book/ production/ process book is required for this assignment. This notebook will be handed in on the 2nd to last class. This book should include all sketching and thumbnail thoughts, notes about camera shots, logging notes, timelines, ect ect.

A DVD of the final assigmnet will be required at the last class.

A DVD of all the other videos mades for the class and any other files of picts of drawings, sketch books ect. as well as videos up on vimeo will required.

HOMEWORK:

1.) title your final project- Write a statement describing your final project.

What kind of piece, Narrative, abstract, montage, How will you handle concepts of cinematography?

What is the overall mis en scene of the piece? mood?

What kind of camera shots will lend themselves to the description of your piece? Explain the style of shooting?

What kind of editing will you choose?

Is there use of effects? in editing or during filming? why?

How will sound be structed within the overall effect of you piece?

How are color and light to be considered?- might have to look at those .pdf files again.

Who is your audience?

What artist or genre are precendence?

Are you adapting a story or inventing a story? If there not a story in the traditionial sense? what is it? - describe.

Hand in a copy next class.

2.) Draw timeline from now till end of semster, with dates and work plans

3.) make a drawing/diagram of words and their relationships. draw on 18" x 24" paper- bring to class

4.) storyboard - make a rough cut story board. draw on 18" x 24" paper- bring to class

5.) research find an artist(s) or "work(s)" that is of interest to you, and will have something to do with your final project. collect articles, images, bookmark websites. be prepared to talk about itin your presentation. bring to class-show us.

8.) if we don't finish this today- next week presentations

Title, precedence/inspiration, short description, storyboards, animatics.

9.) if you are still missing video works- it MUST be done by next week.

refresher:

power of editing :
1) shape meaning
2) control “narration” - order in which story info is given to viewer

- shots > sequences > scenes

* Temporal Connections: Ex. Cut from man dropping his drinking glass in one shot to glass breaking on floor in second shot. (or stairs ex)
* Spatial Connections: Ex. Cut from wide shot of a suburban house to close up shot of the front door.
* Logical Connections: Ex. Wide Shot of White House to shot of the President seated in an office.

* Transitions:
1. Cut: connects different periods of time
2. Dissolve: indicates passage of time, meant to be seen
3. Montage: compresses time, multiple shots demonstrating long period of time
4. Wipe: recalls Hollywood style of 30s and 40s. Ex. Angular wipes in Star Wars. vertical, horizontal, diagonal “wiping” the frame. Removes one shot and introduces a new one. Ex. Push off / push over
5. Match Shot: Two adjacent shots that share same graphic element. Ex. Day/Night landscape
6. Fade Out/In: POV transition, loss of consciousness
7. White Out/In: dreams, consciousness, blinded by light, ethereal quality
8. Freeze Frame: humor, cast credits, taking a picture, freezing action to stop time

Overview of Mise-en-Scene & Cinematography

Cinematography: the discipline of making lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for the cinema. The cinematographic qualities of a film are not only what is filmed but how it is filmed. Qualities of the “shot plan” include:(1) the photographic aspects of the shot, ie. lighting, depth of field, color
(2) the framing of the shot (for dramatic effect- everything is purposeful)

“camera position” (Whose POV is being expressed?)

- where is the camera?
…………………………………………………….

“camera angle” (What is our relationship to the subject?)

- high angle / “birds eye view” - belittling, leaving a scene, godlike perspective
- direct “intimate, we’re in the scene, in the conversation, in the action)
- low angle / “worms eye view” - empowering, frightening, cowarding

…………………………………………………….

“shot size” (What distance are we from the subject, psychologically?)

- Extreme Close Up (face takes up entire screen or closer)
- Close up (bust and up)
- Medium Shot (Waist & Up)
- Medium Full Shot (Knees & Up)
- Full Shot (Entire Body)
…………………………………………………….

“line of action” “180 degree rule”

imaginary line running in front of camera to make sure that if
multiple angles are shot, they can be cut together without a confusing reversal
of left and right screen space.

…………………………………………………….

“camera movement”

- panning (camera remains stationary and follows subject matter)
- tracking, dolly (camera moves with subject)
- zoom in, zoom out
- focus in, focus out
- crane shot (most fluid, “god like”)

…………………………………………………….

(3) the duration of the shot

- psychological effects of speed

Mise-en-Scene: “Mees on Sen” French Pronunciation
Literally means “putting in the scene”

All of the elements placed in front of the camera to be photographed- the settings and props, lighting, costumes and makeup, figure behavior. The Production Designer is the term used in the film and TV industry to refer to the person who works directly with the director and producer to select the settings and style to visually tell the story.