Chapter 1.1 Video Production Tips

Production Tip

Diegesis

Diegetic material is what the characters are aware of and notice in their world e.g. door shutting. Non – diegetic material is what the characters are not aware of but the audience are e.g. background music which is there to create an atmosphere. Voice- over are a combination of both – the character is aware of what they are saying and so are the audience but the other characters are not aware of their thoughts


Micro and Macro origination

When studying a particular style or genre the micro elements have to be taken into account first, such as: camera work, music, style of titles, dialogue, setting and pace.
If someone was creating a romantic comedy a three – stage process would need to be taken into account when creating it.

• study the common conventions of a romantic style
• spend time developing a romantic comedy narrative
• plan to shoot and edit material which looks right for the genre

Camera work and framing

To keep a steady shot the best tool to use is a tripod unless the shot needs more of a documentary and realist look. Zooming is rarely used in film unless the look of the piece is designed to look amateur.

A combination of shots are essential to the ‘language of film’, from long shots to mid – shots to close –ups. This enable the audience to remain engaged to the action.In film they uses fewer close – ups than in TV and mainly sit to mid-shots, long shot with close- ups sparingly, however the different styles of shots are:
· long shots
· extreme long shots
· mid- shots
· close- ups
· extreme close-ups
· over- the- shoulder shots
· point- of – view shots

When filming the ‘rule of thirds’ applies the eye is usually drawn to the off- centre marks (red) so if filming a person then you should move them to the sides of the screen.


Camera angles alter the power and neutrality of a character. High- angled shots reduce the ‘power’ of the character and low – angled shot increase it. The standard principles of framing is not make sure the character has space above their head and they do not look strange due to objects behind them and that there is space around them to show direction if they are moving.

Avoid ‘unforced errors’ by: practise moving shots several times before recording, shoot far more footage than you need to make editing easier, test microphones are working before filming and make sure your batteries are changed.

Mise en scene

It is about atmosphere, continuity and detail. Carefully choose costume, lighting, location and props to create a verisimilitude and continue this through each shot. For continuity make sure that the costume stays the same, the actors appearance is the same e.g. hair cuts, same lighting and choose convincing props and actors.

Lighting

Although there will not be access to profession lighting there are many ways to overcome this problems, the five tips are:

1. Use natural light – sunlight, shadow, weather e.g. rain. However the time taken to wait for this type of may be pushes the time constraints.
2. Use cheap and cheerful artificial light – as long as risk assessments have been carried out
3. Create colour filters – to give a particular mood.
4. Position the light source for effect – lighting above or from below can create different atmospheres
5. Experiment with the interaction of light with objects in you frame.
   

Combining sound, image and titles

When editing footage, careful decisions are needed to create appropriate sounds and titles for the genre. Deciding whether the title will go over a black spot, over action and how long the title will stay on screen are all of the things that will need to be considered. Each title must have some relevance to the genre so that the audience quickly understand the narrative of the piece.

Music is also a subtle but vital micro element which add ambience to the footage and allows the audience to understand and follow the change of tone and pace. It is a good idea to test out the music at an early stage of post – production so changes can be made.


The Grammar of non – liner editing

Non- linear video editing is the software package that will be used for the post – production work and there will be an assessment of how well the material is edited. Creating continuity and the right rhythm and pace is essential. Avoid choosing transitions that are exciting to use but do not reflect the conventions of the type of film that will be constructed. Use hard cuts for at least 90% of the sequence.

The ideal outcome is to make the editing invisible. A fade may be used to signify the passing of time and a greater number of edits can create more tension or action. Editing is all about the manipulation of the time and space, because it allows you to do things that are not possible in real life. Editing and manipulation should remain discrete so that it doesn’t confuse the viewer – this is called ‘grammar of the edit.’