Post 3: Continuity

 In this post i will go into the details of continuity, in particular the 180 degrees rule and the effects of breaking convention. This will help me understand what rules i have to abide by when im making my piece.

What is continuity?
In fiction, continuity (also called time-scheme) is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time. It is of relevance to several media.
Continuity is particularly a concern in the production of film and television due to the difficulty of rectifying an error in continuity after shooting has wrapped up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuity_(fiction)

Continuity is where plot and visual consistency stay in order. For example,

In the left picture we can see that Frodo's scar changes from one side of his face to the other, where as in the right picture we can see that the characters t-shirt changes colour between shots. The reason why its important to keep continuity is because it can confuse the viewer and also break the suspension of disbelief, meaning that the audience becomes detached from the film and possibly loses interest.
One shot that we have to pay special attention to in terms of continuity is the match on action shot. We need to pay special attention to this shot because if we don't it is very easy for the shot to fail by breaking continuity.


The 180° Rule:
In film making, the 180° rule is a basic guideline that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180_degree_rule




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180_degree_rule

 The 180° rule is an important guideline to stick to whilst filming because if you don't it would disorientate the viewer and potentially put them off.
We especially need to stick by this rule when filming shot reverse shots, during dialogue.

Post 2: Storyboard Drawing, Shot Sizes and Framing. Continued

 Long Shot: This shot used for showing not only a character in his full stature built also for showing his surroundings. For example if the director wants an emphasis on the mise-en-scene in a certain shot he may choose to use this camera angle.

Medium Long Shot: This shot is used to show the character in his full profile whilst also allowing for some space to see the mise-en-scene.

3/4 Shot: This shot is used for showing the characters body and could also be used to show an emphasis on a characters body language.

Medium Shot: This shot is used in a similar way to the 3/4 shot but with more of an emphasis on the characters face.

Medium Close Up: This shot is used for when the director wants a deeper emphasis on the actors face and also what he is saying.

Close Up: This shot is similar to the medium close up but shows more of an emphasis on the characters face.

Extreme Close Up: This shot is used for showing emotion on a characters face, although it could also be used to show the importance of a certain object.

Establishing Shot: This shot is used to introduce a new location that is of significance, for example a director may choose to use this shot when he is showing the audience where a character lives.

Post 2: Storyboard Drawing, Shot Sizes and Framing.

This post i have made and found some examples of storyboarding techniques, framing techniques and shot sizes. i have done this so that when i come to having to create my storyboard i will have a good understanding of drawing the ergnomes and also how to position the actors.

Pencil drawn shot size examples.

Digitally created shot sizes along with real movie examples and captions describing what they would be used for.

Storyboarding and framing techniques.

The Rule of Thirds:

The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts.

The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing images that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points most naturally rather than the center of the shot – using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it.

Source: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds

Post 1: Priliminary Exercise Brief

In groups of no more than 4. Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.