Wednesday 6 October 2010

Introduction to Video Camera

This week we have been learning about using a video camera, and the different ways to create a effect on a video camera such as the different angles and methods whilst using a video camera.

These are some of the different shots that we'v been learning about this week to help create a good movie / clip.

Extreme Wide Shot - This shot is a zommed out shot showing a wide range of scenery in this shot, its ususally used for the beggining shot to a movie showing the scenery of the situation and that the sort will entail in this place.

Wide Shot - This shot is ususally used to film the whole person, and showing the movement of the body language and the people speaking, rather than the scenery around the actors.

Over The Shoulder Shot - This shot is the camera filming over the shoulder of one the of the actors to create different moods, as making the audience seem like there there in the situation.

Close Up - This shot is to esatblish how the actor is feeling, or is pointing to a object of significance in the scene and helps establish to the viewer whats going on in the scene.

Extreme Close Up - This shot is when the camera closes up on a actors eye or also on a object, to show the emotions of the actor and the significane of the object in the scene, such as a mans eyes staring at a gun showing suspense.

High Angle Shot - This shot is when the camera is pointing the camera looking up at a actor, and this helpes give a character a sense of hight and makes the actor seem more powerful and signifacnt and like a hero.

Low Angle Shot - This shot is like the high angle shot, but the camera is pointed down at a actor to make the actor seem smaller, weedy and even trapped, rather than a high shot, and this is used to make a person smaller and more vunerable to different things.

First of all, to set up the camera, you need to get the tripod, twist the three handels, and spread it out into a fully formed tripod. Once its out you can change the height, and then swist the handels on all the three sticks and it will be furmly inplace to shoot. then you have to put the camera ontop, and you do this by sliding it on while holding on the button on the left hand side of the tripod and then on the right hand side flip the switch up to keep it fimly inplace. Then you unscrew the nuts, on the bottom of the tripod, to try get the bubble in the green circle so the camera is level with the image, and this is done by tilting the camera slowly, gettting the bubble inside the circle, and then slowly screwing the nuts up tightly so its firm and implace. After this, opening the shutter on the left handside of the camera face, click the button down, press the on button on the camera and the camera is ready for filming.

We were shown different camera functions to help improve the picture of the image and the surroundings to make the image as perfect as possible.

White Balance - This function is to make sure the white in the scene doesnt go mad (as in go buzzy or start fuzzing) because white has all the coloured mixed into to, the need for white balance is very important, so the camera has a function which is choosing the white balance to fit the surroundings so the white in the scene doesnt start messing around.
Focussing - This is a important too, because without focusing on the image, the image becomes all fuzzy and the images in the scene which might be in the scenery can be fuzzed out and destroy the whole scene giving it no meaning, so to stop this, turning the focus to suit the image to give it a clear image is very important, especially when zooming into a scene because the focus becomes outzoned so the need to focus when zooming in is very important.
Zooming - this is one of the most important features on a camera, giving the ability in a camera to be able to zoom into objects to give it a meaning, and be able to zoom out of scenes to give it a out look, and it also helps zoom into important objects.

TimeLine - This is the amount of images taken per second, usually there are 25 frames a second, and u can spead this up, so that it takes lots of frames a second, and this can change the video image, because the people in the video image come out very fast and when you put the frames down lower the people in the image because alot slower, and this can be good for action scenes, slowing down in points of pressure.

The mistakes I made where to due with the 180 rule which me and my partners broke. We did the mid shot and long shot perfectly, but once it came to over the shoulder shot, we broke the 180 rule by having the camera behind my left shoulder.

STAND BY / STANDING BY - readys everyone into position for the take. The AD calls STAND BY and the response tells them that everyone is prepped
TURN OVER / TURNING OVER (Roll film/Rolling etc) The director tells the camera operator to start filming - a few seconds of film is then run as the camera gets up to speed - this is often referred to as LEAD IN. Once done the Camera operator will respond TURNING OVER or ROLLING (etc) to indicate being up to speed
ACTION! - Cue for the actors to perform the take, and the crew to do their jobs. It is good practice for the Director to let the film run on a further few seconds after the take is completed before cutting - this is referred to as LEAD OUT
CUT! - Cue for the camera to stop running film. Industry practice expects that the camera operator does not CUT before being told

Working with the video camera rather than the still camera was really thrilling because the moving image was really inspiring and being able to catch a moving image in a matter of time in such a clear image makes me want to carry on with media.