When it comes to cinematography, sometimes it's better to show the audience a conclusion or idea, instead of dropping exposition. Sometimes this also is a matter of immersing in the world you're in, and getting you to experience what a character experiences, so you understand sometimes as the character does. In this example in 'Sherlock', we see both of these ideas put together, conveyed with clever framing, filming, and editing.
To tell a story from the point of view of a character, the most commonly used method is a monologue to explain the character's thought process, however the filmmakers on 'Sherlock' decide to take a different route to show the audience how Sherlock reaches a conclusion. With the character of Sherlock actually high on cocaine in these scenes, the transitions we experience are unusual, but creatively executed and make sense for the characters thought process. During a conversation scene, the shots used are actually structured Present/Shot and Past/Reverse Shot with different perspectives, which adds to the understanding of the scenes. Then, when Sherlock comes back to reality, we as an audience start seeing the pieces come together. We see a shot of Sherlock in the middle of a busy street. We then cut to a shot of a man yelling a Sherlock from his car. Then we get a reverse shot of Sherlock. Then we cut back to the man, but the man is now Sherlock's drug dealer. Then we do another reverse shot to Sherlock, but when we cut back to the drug dealer, he's in Sherlock's house. We get a reverse shot of Sherlock, then a reverse shot of the drug dealer telling Sherlock they're both at Sherlock's house. This clicks as Sherlock realizes they are in his house, and to match with the drug and scene hitting their highest point, the set turns on it's axis. This entire sequence takes 3 minutes and 42 seconds.
So, the filmmakers working on 'Sherlock' took advantage of a very complex character, and used it to give the audience something different when it comes to exposition through characters. The fact that Sherlock is high on cocaine gives new possibilities for showing the process of the character getting to a conclusion, and as a result, creates a sequence that shows use what we need to know with minimal vocal interruptions. This is why the cinematography works so well in these scenes, it suits the thinking of the character we are watching, and keeps the audience interested.
This was really interesting as someone who has never watched this show before. I could understand why the transitions were the way they were after the tiny explanation about the drugs, and it really is brilliant to match the style of editing to match the character's thought process, and not just take the easy way out with dialogue. It's really interesting, and I applaud the creativity here.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Sunday, February 5, 2017
DID YOU GET THE BROOM CLOSET ENDING?!?!? (Weekly Comments #12)
Guys, I got back into Stanley Parable, whoops~
1. What I learned this week:
We were working on class competitions this week.
2. What I want to learn:
How to properly paint stuff.
3. Something that frustrated me this week:
Just some tiny stressers this week, nothing big
4. Something that made me happy:
I got back into a few things that I use to like this week, and I forgot how fun some of the stuff really was, these were things I mostly forgot due to newer things. (Which always happens to me)
5. Video of the week!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev_1AUtRP4Y&t=322s
You know, some really fun stuff comes out of bloopers and outtakes, I like when people post them honestly.
1. What I learned this week:
We were working on class competitions this week.
2. What I want to learn:
How to properly paint stuff.
3. Something that frustrated me this week:
Just some tiny stressers this week, nothing big
4. Something that made me happy:
I got back into a few things that I use to like this week, and I forgot how fun some of the stuff really was, these were things I mostly forgot due to newer things. (Which always happens to me)
5. Video of the week!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev_1AUtRP4Y&t=322s
You know, some really fun stuff comes out of bloopers and outtakes, I like when people post them honestly.
How Filmmakers Make Emotions Visual
When it comes to expressing the emotions of characters in a scene, we think of the basic reactions and emotions, but there is a stronger way to convey these messages that isn't just a character crying when they're sad or smiling when they're happy. Sure, showing crying or smiling isn't a bad move to convey emotions, but the ways many film makers show it resinates with the audience more then simple facial expressions, and the impact is all around stronger. Sometimes, subtle details can make an emotion really stand out, and create a real and understandable sense of emotion.
For example, in Shawshank Redemption, he uses a lot of subtle detail's to convey the loneliness for the character Brook. In the shots that show Brook after his release, everyone is turned away from him, and they only turn and address him to scold him. This portrays how loneliness feels to the individual, like they don't truly exist even in a sea full of people, and this comes to a head when we see Brook hang himself to escape this loneliness.
In 12 Years a Slave, this idea of emotion is conveyed using some smart composition, and sets up a contrast that can effect an audience when put together. While Solomon is being tortured in the foreground, we see other slaves entering in the background, and the audience now has two deeply contrasting elements. The torture in the foreground, and everyday life in the background, come together to convey the message of brutality this film strives for. And finally, when another slave comes to help Solomon, she enters from the side instead of the background as to not break the composition.
Finally, in Children of Men, we see these two previous ideas put together to convey a message of hope. When a baby is finally born into the world after two decades, we see that a miracle can bring peace, even if only for a moment. As the rebels find the new parents, they at first enter full of hostility, then we see this hope slowly enter their faces as they see and hear the baby. As the parents and child are escorted through the building, we see a clever use of blocking so we can only see the effect slowly over time as the British solders are shown on screen being effected by this miracle. When they step outside after the ceasefire is declared, we see the camera slowly pan over the solders outside, and the composition principle comes into play as the solders slowly stand up as the camera reaches them to immolate the spreading of joy.
These are some of the clever ways that filmmakers convey emotions without the actors actually having to spell it out through strong facial expression. Though you can certainly find ways to convey harder to grasp emotions, it's always good advice to not write "unwriteable" scenes, so that you don't write yourself into a hole. However, sometimes the fix to a certain scene can be to simple shot it a different way.
This was really an interesting video, and it really gives some good ideas on how you can create stronger scenes, without doing what everyone does. It's is kind of a given that you resort to having the actors emote what you want to convey, but sometimes that isn't enough, and you need other details to strengthen the emotion. I will try to think of ways I can incorporate this in future works.
For example, in Shawshank Redemption, he uses a lot of subtle detail's to convey the loneliness for the character Brook. In the shots that show Brook after his release, everyone is turned away from him, and they only turn and address him to scold him. This portrays how loneliness feels to the individual, like they don't truly exist even in a sea full of people, and this comes to a head when we see Brook hang himself to escape this loneliness.
In 12 Years a Slave, this idea of emotion is conveyed using some smart composition, and sets up a contrast that can effect an audience when put together. While Solomon is being tortured in the foreground, we see other slaves entering in the background, and the audience now has two deeply contrasting elements. The torture in the foreground, and everyday life in the background, come together to convey the message of brutality this film strives for. And finally, when another slave comes to help Solomon, she enters from the side instead of the background as to not break the composition.
Finally, in Children of Men, we see these two previous ideas put together to convey a message of hope. When a baby is finally born into the world after two decades, we see that a miracle can bring peace, even if only for a moment. As the rebels find the new parents, they at first enter full of hostility, then we see this hope slowly enter their faces as they see and hear the baby. As the parents and child are escorted through the building, we see a clever use of blocking so we can only see the effect slowly over time as the British solders are shown on screen being effected by this miracle. When they step outside after the ceasefire is declared, we see the camera slowly pan over the solders outside, and the composition principle comes into play as the solders slowly stand up as the camera reaches them to immolate the spreading of joy.
These are some of the clever ways that filmmakers convey emotions without the actors actually having to spell it out through strong facial expression. Though you can certainly find ways to convey harder to grasp emotions, it's always good advice to not write "unwriteable" scenes, so that you don't write yourself into a hole. However, sometimes the fix to a certain scene can be to simple shot it a different way.
This was really an interesting video, and it really gives some good ideas on how you can create stronger scenes, without doing what everyone does. It's is kind of a given that you resort to having the actors emote what you want to convey, but sometimes that isn't enough, and you need other details to strengthen the emotion. I will try to think of ways I can incorporate this in future works.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Slow week (Weekly comments #11)
Does it feel like a slow week for anyone else? Just me? Okay.
1. What I learned this week:
We were working on documentaries last week, and are starting the class competition this week.
2. What I want to learn:
Eye effects
3. Something that frustrated me this week:
I hate my documentary guys, it sucks. I didn't record enough audio, I started losing interest in my topic (Guys, I don't know enough about the Simpsons to talk in depth about it, my idea of talking about South Park controversies would have probably been better), and its mostly clip filler. I'm not proud of any part of it, and that makes me angry.
4. Something that made me happy:
Started to look into prom dresses, and I already found one I love, but my mom is insisting we look at more. I feel like I'm going to end up with that first dress though, it's prefect.
5. Video of the week!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rat_et54k-Q
Just incase anyone needs this, this is how to do demon eyes in After Effects, I'll be using it in my fictional short so I figured it would be useful.
1. What I learned this week:
We were working on documentaries last week, and are starting the class competition this week.
2. What I want to learn:
Eye effects
3. Something that frustrated me this week:
I hate my documentary guys, it sucks. I didn't record enough audio, I started losing interest in my topic (Guys, I don't know enough about the Simpsons to talk in depth about it, my idea of talking about South Park controversies would have probably been better), and its mostly clip filler. I'm not proud of any part of it, and that makes me angry.
4. Something that made me happy:
Started to look into prom dresses, and I already found one I love, but my mom is insisting we look at more. I feel like I'm going to end up with that first dress though, it's prefect.
5. Video of the week!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rat_et54k-Q
Just incase anyone needs this, this is how to do demon eyes in After Effects, I'll be using it in my fictional short so I figured it would be useful.
The 6 Emotional Arcs of Storytelling
When it comes to the art of storytelling, many people try to create new plots that are original, with sometimes mixed results. However, many story creators take already existing emotional arcs, and build a story around these bare bone ideas. This is because these arcs are relatable or inspire an emotional reaction in people, and make these arcs more desirable.
There are six different types of common emotional arcs that can be found in both books and films. The first of these is the rags to riches, which is a constant rise in the narrative, that comes out to a happy ending. The main character starts at a low point, and the narrative rises as the main characters fortunes do, reaching the peak by the end of the story and staying there. The 'riches' don't have to be actual money or physical fortunes, but can instead be a mental riches, and could be emotions like happiness or similar feelings.
The second type of emotional arc is the riches to rags story. This type of arc starts at it's high point, a person at the top of the world, and because there is nowhere to go but down, it starts to fall apart for the main character. This fall could be gradual, a small series of events, and the effects aren't noticeable until it is do late to change and make things right. The other idea is that the fall is sudden, either with a huge event or a series of bigger events, and the main character is left reeling from what has happened as they are as low as they can get.
The third type of arc is the man in a hole arc. The man in the hole starts normal enough, staying on a neutral level like someone going through their everyday tasks, and then things take a negative turn. Something negative happens to disrupt the flow of normality, and there is a fall in the narrative to follow the disruption, and we stay there for a while. Then something happens to lift the main character out of this narrative pit, either an event or a person, and this normality is returned with maybe slight changes.
The fourth type of arc is the Icarus story arc. Named after the story of the same name, this arc follows the rise and fall actions in the narrative, mostly due to a hubris from the main character. The narrative starts at a stable point, most likely a low point, before a solution is found and the narrative spikes toward the peak. However, the narrative never reaches that peak, as something goes horribly wrong, and the narrative plunges back to it's low point.
The fifth type of arc is the Cinderella story arc. Also named after the story that made this arc popular, this starts at it's lowest point, the character still holding hope that things will get better. Then, an event happens that can give the main character that chance, and through intervention of some sort, they attend this event. This is one of two high points, this one followed by a low point as the main character gets in trouble for what they've done, only to rise again as the main character finds a way to get their happy ending.
The last of the arc structures is the Oedipus story arc. This story arc starts with a low point for the main character, most likely caused by a plot point involving the character, until a sign comes to the main character. This causes the main character to go on a journey or quest, and their triumph is the high point, when suddenly something goes wrong and the story plunges back into the low point.
These story arc ideas work because they invoke relatable emotions on the audience or reader. This makes it easier to get invested in the characters and world they live in, and when they fail of succeed, we can feel the emotions of the moment. These make these stories more desirable, and as a result, more successful.
After learning about these different types of emotional story arcs, I started to realize that many of the stories I had watched or read had these arcs as their base, and that even if you realize these are the bases for the stories they can be enjoyed with a different take. You can use the same plot points as other films, and still have it feel different and new, if the execution is unique enough to draw people in. The reason why people like these stories is very understandable, and with this in mind, I will try and create stories with similar narrative structures.
There are six different types of common emotional arcs that can be found in both books and films. The first of these is the rags to riches, which is a constant rise in the narrative, that comes out to a happy ending. The main character starts at a low point, and the narrative rises as the main characters fortunes do, reaching the peak by the end of the story and staying there. The 'riches' don't have to be actual money or physical fortunes, but can instead be a mental riches, and could be emotions like happiness or similar feelings.
The second type of emotional arc is the riches to rags story. This type of arc starts at it's high point, a person at the top of the world, and because there is nowhere to go but down, it starts to fall apart for the main character. This fall could be gradual, a small series of events, and the effects aren't noticeable until it is do late to change and make things right. The other idea is that the fall is sudden, either with a huge event or a series of bigger events, and the main character is left reeling from what has happened as they are as low as they can get.
The third type of arc is the man in a hole arc. The man in the hole starts normal enough, staying on a neutral level like someone going through their everyday tasks, and then things take a negative turn. Something negative happens to disrupt the flow of normality, and there is a fall in the narrative to follow the disruption, and we stay there for a while. Then something happens to lift the main character out of this narrative pit, either an event or a person, and this normality is returned with maybe slight changes.
The fourth type of arc is the Icarus story arc. Named after the story of the same name, this arc follows the rise and fall actions in the narrative, mostly due to a hubris from the main character. The narrative starts at a stable point, most likely a low point, before a solution is found and the narrative spikes toward the peak. However, the narrative never reaches that peak, as something goes horribly wrong, and the narrative plunges back to it's low point.
The fifth type of arc is the Cinderella story arc. Also named after the story that made this arc popular, this starts at it's lowest point, the character still holding hope that things will get better. Then, an event happens that can give the main character that chance, and through intervention of some sort, they attend this event. This is one of two high points, this one followed by a low point as the main character gets in trouble for what they've done, only to rise again as the main character finds a way to get their happy ending.
The last of the arc structures is the Oedipus story arc. This story arc starts with a low point for the main character, most likely caused by a plot point involving the character, until a sign comes to the main character. This causes the main character to go on a journey or quest, and their triumph is the high point, when suddenly something goes wrong and the story plunges back into the low point.
These story arc ideas work because they invoke relatable emotions on the audience or reader. This makes it easier to get invested in the characters and world they live in, and when they fail of succeed, we can feel the emotions of the moment. These make these stories more desirable, and as a result, more successful.
After learning about these different types of emotional story arcs, I started to realize that many of the stories I had watched or read had these arcs as their base, and that even if you realize these are the bases for the stories they can be enjoyed with a different take. You can use the same plot points as other films, and still have it feel different and new, if the execution is unique enough to draw people in. The reason why people like these stories is very understandable, and with this in mind, I will try and create stories with similar narrative structures.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
I don't want to be an adult! (Weekly comments #10)
Guys, help me please!
1. What I learned this week:
We started editing documentaries this week, as well as finding out the subjects available for our class projects.
2. What I want to learn:
Better use of color
3. Something that frustrated me this week:
Scholarships are so annoying guys.
Also I've been so unmotivated lately, I hate it so much.
4. Something that made me happy:
So my weekend in general was pretty enjoyable, hanging out with friends and stuff.
5. Video of the week!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKDtmV5xSv0&t=0s
So, this is a bit of a weird video, the use of milk in films, enjoy!
1. What I learned this week:
We started editing documentaries this week, as well as finding out the subjects available for our class projects.
2. What I want to learn:
Better use of color
3. Something that frustrated me this week:
Scholarships are so annoying guys.
Also I've been so unmotivated lately, I hate it so much.
4. Something that made me happy:
So my weekend in general was pretty enjoyable, hanging out with friends and stuff.
5. Video of the week!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKDtmV5xSv0&t=0s
So, this is a bit of a weird video, the use of milk in films, enjoy!
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Become a Better Cinematographer
For cinematographers just starting out, they may find many problems as they start shooting scenes. From the scene being plain, to the lightning not being the best, many people just starting encounter easily fixable issues. The key to fixing these issues is to learns some of these tips and try them out.
When you want to come up with something new, one of the methods people use is to shoot from a different angle then from the first angle you think of. Chances are, the first angle you think of will be the first angle other people think of, and your work won't stand out as much. When you shot from a different angle, you open up some new possibilities for a new take on a commonly shot item or place.
Creating depth is a simple technique that is easily forgotten, but very important when creating visually interesting pieces. Using depth draws the viewer into what their seeing, instead of just looking at it, and immerses the senses. This makes a piece stand out more then one that is just a 2D view.
Thinking opposite means taking the standardly thought out scene, and changing it up to make it stand out, and be more memorably. This does go hand in hand with shooting from a different angle, but focuses more on being experimental, trying something new to get better results. Thinking opposite will yield more creative ideas, and will most likely create a better product.
With lighting and composition, they are important in how your piece will look, and how well it will convey the message of the work. Lighting is difficult to deal with, as at least with natural light can't be controlled, and as a result you may be left with only two options. Either move the subject to a window, so you can shot with a better light source, or wait until the lighting is better. Composition is what helps to tell the story of the piece, and is commonly obtained by using other items around the subject. This requires the camera to stay focused on the subject, and other items to frame the outside of the view.
These tips are tips that will really help to improve the projects you create, by using these tips, you will create some unique pieces that stand out. The tips are very simple to follow, and with a little practice, you can use them in your future works. These work with both photography and video making, like many tips similar to these,and should be remembered when planing out a shot.
I feel that these tips are very helpful for when you want to change up the basic way you shot your footage, and these tips are very simple to follow. Most of them come down to thinking outside of the box, and if you can find a way to execute them properly, they will benefit projects immensely. I will try to remember these tips when I'm shooting footage.
When you want to come up with something new, one of the methods people use is to shoot from a different angle then from the first angle you think of. Chances are, the first angle you think of will be the first angle other people think of, and your work won't stand out as much. When you shot from a different angle, you open up some new possibilities for a new take on a commonly shot item or place.
Creating depth is a simple technique that is easily forgotten, but very important when creating visually interesting pieces. Using depth draws the viewer into what their seeing, instead of just looking at it, and immerses the senses. This makes a piece stand out more then one that is just a 2D view.
Thinking opposite means taking the standardly thought out scene, and changing it up to make it stand out, and be more memorably. This does go hand in hand with shooting from a different angle, but focuses more on being experimental, trying something new to get better results. Thinking opposite will yield more creative ideas, and will most likely create a better product.
With lighting and composition, they are important in how your piece will look, and how well it will convey the message of the work. Lighting is difficult to deal with, as at least with natural light can't be controlled, and as a result you may be left with only two options. Either move the subject to a window, so you can shot with a better light source, or wait until the lighting is better. Composition is what helps to tell the story of the piece, and is commonly obtained by using other items around the subject. This requires the camera to stay focused on the subject, and other items to frame the outside of the view.
These tips are tips that will really help to improve the projects you create, by using these tips, you will create some unique pieces that stand out. The tips are very simple to follow, and with a little practice, you can use them in your future works. These work with both photography and video making, like many tips similar to these,and should be remembered when planing out a shot.
I feel that these tips are very helpful for when you want to change up the basic way you shot your footage, and these tips are very simple to follow. Most of them come down to thinking outside of the box, and if you can find a way to execute them properly, they will benefit projects immensely. I will try to remember these tips when I'm shooting footage.
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