Blog Post #6: Inspiring Lighting Styles

The photographer/cinematographer's job, or art, is capturing light. Lighting can be used to create emphasis, spark emotion, and create entire moods for scenes that would otherwise leave the audience indifferent. The way an image is lit can express the inner emotions of a character and without light, there would be no character to be seen at all. So lighting is very important in filmmaking and photography.

Color palette can have a great affect on the tone of a scene. Such as bright blue light, like the sun, makes a scene feel very open and joyous. On the other hand, an interrogation scene in a dark room with high contrast and minimal color makes the audience focus on specific items in frame and creates a trapped, ominous feel.

Framing and composition with lighting are very important for the believability of a scene. For example, having a high light to resemble ceiling lights in a room. Using lights that resemble lights that would realistically be in the scene make the set feel more real and the actors' performance more believable for the audience.

Lighting can make or break a story, with continuity being important or the choice for a scene to break continuity being an important change in the story.

Here are several photos of lighting styles I find particularly inspiring, a few with a caption of the reason why.

1. Into the Wild. This silhouette shot with minimal color emphasizes the character's connection with his environment and especially the flying birds.

2. The Runaways.

3. The Doors. The variety of lighting in this movie is incredible. Each conveys Jim Morrison's journey through drugs and stardom, seeing many sides of the human experience.

4. Game of Thrones. This is a very sensual, intimate scene. This lighting illuminates the characters and creates a feeling of comfort and calmness. This scene is a break from many of the other intense, bloody battle scenes. The lighting reflects this.

5. Taking Woodstock. This scene is very colorful and lit with very white/blue lighting, making it feel like it is all coming from the sun (and perhaps it is) which makes the scene feel realistic. Also, it allows for variety of color which since this is an acid tripping scene, that's important.

6. The Social Network. The blue light is practical because of their location, however it also creates a feeling of falseness which in this scene is the middle of the main character's entrance into the world of high class people and fake friendships.

Blog Post #5: DSLR Pros and Cons

Pros of the DSLR: They're cheap so a wider range of people can own and use them. They have a huge CMOS sensor so can film well in dim lighting. They're lightweight and small so can be used to make interviewees less intimidated and also in occasions when a large bulky camera worth thousands upon thousands of dollars would not be best suited. Their sharp focus gives the footage a "cinematic" look. Nicer, more expensive lenses can be attached to them for improved quality.

Cons of the DSLR: They don't look as professional as other cameras. Their depth of field can be so small and their focus so sharp that things go in and out of focus easily. In hand held situations the video is easily very shaky. They are designed for photography, not video, so many functions are hidden within the menu and are not easily accessible like other cameras with hand-operated aperture, etc.

Overall, I think video shot on DSLR cameras can be very beautiful and these kind of cameras are a good investment for up-and-coming filmmakers.

Blog Post #4: Lessons Learned from Documentary Storytelling Assignment

Documentaries have recently taken a forefront in my interests in video making. To capture a real person's experience, and views is beautiful. There's a limit to choice, however, in that there is no script. It's an interesting battle between choice for stylization and sticking to what is real and actually already there.

I have interviewed people twice for a video before. From those experiences and this one I know it is very important to be prepared with all the questions you'd want to ask. It is also important to craft the questions so as to get long answers, not just a "yes" or "no".

Specifically with my subject this time, I noticed that he got more comfortable as the interview went on. I asked him to slate again at the end, because I knew he would provide more energy and maybe a clearer voice. It is very important to actively be engaged in what your subject is saying, so they give you the best responses they can. It's difficult to tell exactly what your story will be about until after the interview has taken place, and really not until after you decide which parts of the interview to use. Therefore, remaining completely engaged during the interview will give you the ability to add a question, or ask them to elaborate or repeat something you liked and will most likely use to give your project more of a defined story.

It is especially important to be organized when doing a documentary because you're not working with actors that have an idea of how projects like this are completed. Also, being organized gives the interviewee more reason to be relaxed and open.

More is better in a documentary. Having a variety of shots and sentences to choose from is better than a talking head, or not enough words to choose from to define the story. I found it enjoyable to create shots that would exaggerate what my subject was saying. I'm glad I got as many shots as I did and I got lucky that my subject was actually an excellent speaker about how important music is to him. However, his voice was very quiet so I struggled a little with audio, but I learned a lot in that process. I had to change so many levels but I think my ears are only better for it. Such is life when making a video about a musician.

Midterm Blog Post

This is a shot by shot scene analysis of the scene from Life of Pi where Pi explains how he got the kids in school to stop making fun of his name. His name is Piscine, so the boys would make fun of him and call him "Pissing" but this is how he got them to call him Pi.

 The scene starts with a wideshot of his classroom. Pi is not shown here.

Then a shot of the teacher calling roll is shown. He is higher up in the frame than the students were. He is the authority.

After his name is called, Pi stands up and goes to the front. The similarity of this shot and the first one emphasize Pi breaking the crowd of boys in uniform by standing up. The audience knows this is a big deal.

 This next shot is of Pi in front of the class and the teacher as well as the students can be seen.

The teacher is cut out and we are given a perspective from the students in their seats. This shot again emphasizes Pi's displacement from the rest of the boys and gives him a feeling of power. The harsh symmetry created by the composition of the three boys, square table and square board give a sense of structure and confidence for Pi.

This next shot is a reaction of the boys. We can't really tell if they're interested or impressed, but they're certainly paying attention. The choice to have such a close shot with some of them cut off the sides expresses that there are many boys and we are also able to see where their eyes are looking which is at the board and at Pi.

The teacher's reaction is shown next. He has concern for his students and a curiosity for what Pi is doing. Having this in a closeup shares those emotions to the audience accurately.

We next have a close up of Pi continuing to talk about the mathematical Pi and how it relates to circles. This is the first shot of Pi by himself. 

Pi finishes his speech in this same wideshot with the other students in the bottom half of the frame. This reminds us that their reaction is the most important. He wants them to call him Pi instead of Pissing.

We return to this wideshot again as the teacher is impressed but tells him to sit back down.

Pi returns to his seat, to the swarm of boys that are fellow classmates, the people he wants to stop making fun of him.

Extreme closeup of Pi after he sits. This emphasizes the importance of this moment, of the reaction of the other students. One of them reaches forward and says to Pi, "Nice try, Pissing." 

 

However, that was only his first class. Pi is going to try this method to rid of his bullying in all of his classes. This shot has him standing in front of another board with an open window to the left. This window makes the shot feel hopeful, especially with the sunlight illuminating Pi's face. He has not given up. The bottom image is the end of a pan from the first shot where he returns to his seat in this class. We don't see a reaction from the students.

This next shot is drastically different than the previous ones. It is an extreme wide shot. Pi, the teacher, and the students are all shown. Also, this classroom is completely outside, continuing the relation to hope and positivity given by the window in the previous one. Pi has not given up and from this shot we are given the sense that he will pull through triumphant at eradicating his mean nick name. This shot also has a more vibrant color pattern. There are bright yellows and green not present before. The choice of just using one wide shot helps to carry the scene along.

These two are a pan as well. A crowd of people passes by heading to one place: Pi's math class we assume due to the narration. This accelerates the scene as well and adds immense energy and suspense as the audience waits to see how Pi's plan will work out in his final class.

This shot begins with Pi writing on the board and pans over to see the other two boards he has filled up with the infinite number of Pi as well as the students in that class and the crowd coming in the door. The color palette remains brighter, more saturated, and Pi is literally elevated above everyone to resemble the internal pride he must be feeling.

The third and final pan in a row. This choice of repeating camera movement heightens the scene's energy as it reaches its peak. We cut from the image of all the boards filled with Pi to a book of it, then a pan up to the math teacher and first teacher in awe. Pi is writing pi correctly, and it's wildly impressive. We also can see a crowd of students behind them eagerly looking in.

This shot of the crowd of other students contrasts the bored-looking faces they had at the beginning. For one, the shot is wider with more people and it is more colorful. The boys are very interested this time and are actually chanting out "Pi, Pi, Pi!" Again there are students crowded in the doorway and window looking in. This is a big event to them all now.

The scene ends with this close up on Pi. It is composed so that you can see the students in his class as well as the ones in the doorway. The line from the chalk board Pi is writing on creates great depth which separated Pi from the others and he is the only one in focus. This is his big moment, and he is still elevated. All the focus is on him. He ends up smiling a little bit in this shot too.





I thought this scene was a good example of how to create excitement and suspense using composition, color scheme, and choice of camera movement and depth of field, while still telling the story focused on one character's success.

Portrait Assignment

Here is my portrait assignment about Collin Webster and music. My director of photography was Maggie Brown. I used a JVC camera and the in camera microphone for sound. I used Premiere Pro CC to edit.



Collin Webster on Music from Lauren Musgrove on Vimeo.

Blog Post #3: Motivated Camera Movement

1. American Beauty: The Most Beautiful Thing scene

I couldn't embed the video but here is a picture, and a link to the video on YouTube. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu8_8TJC9E8

The longest shot in this scene, with Jane and Ricky's heads looking at a TV screen, has a slow but constant zoom. I didn't even notice it at first, and I think that's what makes it so brilliant. I'll give you a little back story. Ricky just moved in next door to Jane and he's incredibly strange and films dead birds and has a reputation of being a drug addict. Jane, however, is not afraid, but interested in him. She goes over to his house this one day after school and he invites her to his room to watch "the most beautiful thing" he's ever filmed. This shot is brilliant. It completely focuses the audience's attention to the floating bag on the screen while very subtly moving inward until the two people are the majority of the frame. This is symbolic of Jane's entrance into Ricky's world as well as the viewer's entrance. We are told that we are about to see something beautiful and this shot holds for so long that we find a way to feel the beauty in it, while slowly being pulled in by the zoom.


2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: Dobby's Death

I'm going to apologize for choosing such a sad scene but it really has great camera movement. The camera follows Harry around in this scene, opening very crooked and moving around a bunch as if hand held (it probably is). This adds a sort of chaotic, scrambling to grasp onto normality again after these 3 experienced some horrific stuff at the Malfoy mansion. Had this scene had a still camera, it definitely would not have had nearly the same effect. It's almost like waking up and not really realizing where you are or what is going on for a while. This is until it is apparent that Dobby is going to die, then more steady frames are used as Harry realizes what is happening.


3. Whip It: Meet the Hurl Scouts scene

This scene is filled with a lot of camera movement, giving it a sporting event edge. There isn't constant movement, however, so it's not overwhelming. The entrance of each girl on the team had the camera following them, giving them proper time on screen to be introduced.

Blog Post #2: 5 Scenes

Here are 5 scenes that I can recall from films that really struck me.

1. Little Miss Sunshine: The scene where Dwayne finds out he is colorblind.

For those of you who have not seen this movie, Dwayne is the high schooler of this dysfunctional family and hasn't spoken in 9 months due to a vow of silence until he fulfills his dream of going to the airforce academy to fly jets. In this scene, he discovers he is colorblind and therefore his dream is unreachable. This scene really stuck in my mind since the first time I saw the movie years ago. The music kicks in right as his discovery starts to sink in. There are many cuts, all bust shots of the people in the car, everyone in a different place, with the incessant noise of the broken horn in the background. The music breaks this theatrical show of a family all talking over each other and all in different moods and personalities. The music really interupts the chaotic scene and really gives a feeling that something is not right here. The cuts become quicker, the music faster,and the family members speaking louder - over the silent son, Dwayne, whose emotions are now evident in the music - as this realization hits Dwayne and ultimately the car is pulled over and he gets out. The second he is out of the car it cuts to a very large wide shot of Dwayne running down a hill, with the car and his family as tiny people at the top of the frame, separating him from them. He screams "fuck" as he runs down. The chaos in the car completely parallels this part of the scene, making it incredibly dramatic and making his silence now very loud. He is positioned very large in front of the camera, literally running down a hill, entering this downhill wave of emotion he was hit with while his family stands almost oblivious in their high and mighty stance at the top. This is until his sister joins him and pulls him out of the rut. I just think this scene is executed in such a way that makes you focus on Dwayne for once, and really feel his pain. The particular frame I chose to show, since I found no videos of this part, is my favorite shot from this scene. It is such a large empty space for Dwayne to emotionally explode in, and it is only his younger sister coming down to his level that can bring him back. His entire family is in the background, very small and very far away because for once the focus is on him.

2. Forrest Gump: Run, Forrest, Run Scene.

I know this may be a cliche scene to choose but I still find it brilliant. The cuts back and forth between Forrest and the boys taunting him become less and less frequent, causing the scene to slow down and focus on Forrest himself, not on Forrest being bullied. This is an extremely pivotal moment in the film and the slow motion and music choice emphasize what is going on on screen. As Forrest breaks through his leg braces he also breaks through a barrier of his own self worth. The sounds of the metal falling off his legs echoes and makes the audience almost forget about the people chasing him. Then it cuts to his triumphant face and of course the triumphant music, making a character's personal growth moment complete and the audience can't help but share in his happiness.

3. Hail: Horse falling from airplane.

In my film class in Italy we watched this Australian film. The first half was an intimate look at these two lovers, a husband and wife. It is very realistic and shows them making love, having fights, and also doing drugs. His wife overdoses and dies from this new substance one of her old friends brought them. From this point onward the film goes back and forth between reality and fantastical shots like this one that show the husband's inner emotions. This particular shot is of a dead horse that was stuffed and dropped out of an airplane. It was shown right after his wife's death, and just really strongly captured how extremely he was falling out of control. I found this shot brilliant and really all of the other symbolic shots in that film, I won't spoil the ending, though!

4. Requiem for A Dream: Love Scene

I think the way this scene has a split screen yet is so intimate is really interesting. The split screen allows for close up shots of them touching the other's ear, mouth, and skin on the same screen as their face. In this way, the viewer feels close to them while getting more information than just a close up of a face gets. Each character is allowed their own world and space, making the interactions between them more significant yet we never lose sight of at least one of their's facial expressions. The audience isn't allowed to forget who is in the scene. This juxtaposition of their faces and the close ups makes for a very intimate scene where the audience almost feels like they are there.


5. All is Lost: Storm is approaching

The only sounds in this scene are from actual elements in the action, the wind being an ambient background noise. This creates a sense of reality along with the POV shots bringing us into the actual task of fixing the object he's fixing. It's shot in real time also, and the shots become progressively wider until the huge storm cloud is revealed. Before then, all the outdoors we see in the shots is clear and sunny, the sun is actually in a few shots. We as an audience feel afraid of the storm due to the way we were brought in to this man's real time life and the way its entrance into this world was given such a stark contrast. We know something bad is about to happen. I saw this movie at the BAMA art house film series, by the way, if some of you don't know what that is it's a great way to see some non-blockbuster flicks on a big screen.