Category Archives: Uncategorized

Specialist Skills

SOUND!

  • Diegetic -natural sound, dialogue, natural sound effects etc
  • Non-diegetic – voice-overs/music
  • Pan Arra = Left to right sound
  • Compression = Forwards and backwards
  • Frequency capping = Up and down
  • Time = Not static
  • Foley = production of typical sound effects added in post-production to enhance it
  • Wild track = audio that synchronises with the visual but is recorded separately

For our final piece we had to create a soundscape in which it told a story through the use of pure audio. I created and recorded the sound effects and edited them together in Adobe Audition.

Screen Shot 2015-04-28 at 10.32.05 Screen Shot 2015-04-28 at 10.32.10 Screen Shot 2015-04-28 at 10.32.14

CINEMATOGRAPHY AND LIGHTING!

My cinematography essay (will go to downloads).

Aperture

  • Changes the f number, will half or double the light
  • Going from f5/6 to f8 will half the light, whilst going the other way will double the light
  • The higher the f number the greater the depth of field
  • Wide angled lenses also have a greater depth of field

Consider

  • Check you have a good monitor and that the camera is lined up correctly
  • What is going to happen in the shot
  • Light direction
  • Lighting level

Aperture and Shutter Speed

  • Large aperture = shallow depth of field (f/2.8)
  • Medium aperture = medium depth of field (f/5.6 + f/11)
  • Small aperture = great depth of field (f/32)
  • Large sensor size = shallower depth of field
  • High shutter speed = motion is jerkier but sharp and fast (1/1000)
  • Slow shutter speed = blurred (1/15)
  • Cinematic shutter speed is always 2x the FPS (frames per second)
  • Camera shooting at 25 FPS = shutter speed of 1/50

How to get the technically ‘Best Image’

  • Native ISO
  • F4-F5.6 (aperture)
  • 1/50 shutter speed
  • exposed to give wide range of tonal values

WFM

  • 0-100
  • tells you what is under and over exposed

120 – super white 50 – mid tones 20 – super black Ideally everything within 20-80!

Compression/Colour Depth

  • 4:4:4 – RAW – RED/Alexa
  • 4:2:2 – C300
  • 4:2:0 – 7D + DSLR + C100
  • Less compressed image – the more to do in post-production
  • Higher compressed image – the less to do in post-production

Simple shot – no movement, static, tripod, focus, focal length, depth of field, exposure, colour

Complex shot – adds movement – camera & lens but no movement of the camera mount, pan (left to right), tilt (up and down), zoom, focus pull – counter zoom

Developing shot – dolly/steady cam, on a moving mount

Aesthetic – maintain composition, visual interest, genre of style

Narrative – change viewpoint in shot, reveals information, follows action

Interpretation – suggest point of view, pacing/rhythm, atmosphere and mood, reflect characters state of mind

Here is a video clip showing a variety of shots with different lighting which I filmed:

Lighting

  • Either soft or hard (harsh)
  • Diffusion = when you add a medium in front of the light to soften/spread the light
  • Reflector = bounces the light
  • The further the light travels, the dimmer it gets
  • Light always travels in straight lines

Key Light

  • Consider other factors at the location. The persons best side.
  • In a position not cause shadows
  • Best position between 30degrees and 45 degrees from either side of the subject and at an elevation of 45 degrees.

Fill Light

  • Usually a soft source
  • About half as bright as the key and on the other side of the subject to the key light

Basic Light

  • About 45 degrees behind and above the subject
  • About the same brightness as the key

Background Light

  • Not too bright
  • Should make the background interesting but not distracting from the subject
  • Keep the background out of focus

Fresnel Lights

  • Augustin Fresnel 1788-1827
  • Considered better than open lights because they give better control

Light Control

  • Adding neutral density (ND) over the light source to reduce the brightness but not colour.
  • Dimming the light will also have an effect on the colour temperature
  • Moving the light away from the subject will reduce the level as will flooding the lamp
  • Diffuser and gels will also reduce light output

Colour Temperature

  • Expressed in Kelvin (Lord Kelvin)
  • Household Bulb – 2900K
  • Studio Light – 5200k
  • Daylight – 5600k (but this can vary depending on the time of day and the weather)
  • HMI/MSR – 5600k
  • HMI are about 4 times more efficient than tungsten lamps
  • Colour correcting a tungsten lamp will reduce the light output by about 1 and a half stops (1 stop = half a light/intensity)

EDITING!

What is an editor’s job? -An editor’s job is to put together a variety of sequences in a logical and chronological way, while still being creative and ensuring it flows and works with continuity.

What makes a good edit? -Continuity, chronological order, cut appropriately and smoothly, special effects, concise

What makes a good editor? -Patient, have a good eye, works well with a team and can listen to and take direction well, knowing the software thoroughly

Editing Techniques

Cut – when one shot is cut and replaced by another straight after

Fade – where a solid colour slowly goes into/out of the picture

Wipe – when a shot pushes the next shot off screen

Dissolve – when a shot gradually goes into the next

Examples of these can be seen below:

An example of continuity editing:

This video shows continuity editing with basic cuts on a scenario of which a character trips, falling up some stairs, one passer by doesn’t help, but another stops to help.

Event Blogging

All my blog reviews can be viewed under the following links:

Theatre

Press Events

Lion King Collectionary

Lion King

Check out http://thecollectionary.com/club/lion-king for a Lion King Collectionary Club, everything you would ever want for a Lion King or Disney fan!

Tagged , , , ,

MTV Brand New

The voting for MTV Brand New opens today, Monday 16th December!

Brand New Logo

The ten shortlist nominees are as followed:

Banks
Banks Img 1 hi res
Ella Eyre
NewApproved2
Elyar Fox
Press Shot 2
George Ezra
George Photo
Joel Compass
Joel_Compass_0372_v3[1]
Kwabs
KWABS_9_187
Royal Blood
Royal Blood Photo
Sam Smith
SamSmith Photo 2
The Vamps
Vamps5
Marie Naffah (Unsigned Winner)
Go to mtv.co.uk/brandnew to vote, the winner will be announced early February, following two live showcases on Januart 29th and 30th.
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Birmingham Hippodrome Updates #3

Picture 40

These are some of the latest updates at Birmingham Hippodrome, to find out what’s going on and what’s been happening, keep reading!

Continue reading

The Full Monty – Review

 The Full Monty (Tue 26 Feb – Sat 2 Mar)

Screen Shot 2013-02-27 at 19.27.43

As soon as I heard that ‘The Full Monty’ had been rated 5* by the Independent last week in Sheffield, it definitely made me excited to see it. I had heard so many good things about the show and couldn’t wait to see it for myself; it certainly did not fail to please! I, along with the audience, was laughing from start to finish.

Click here to read the full review!

Upload Tour Review

On Thursday 21st February 2013, the Upload tour came to Birmingham. It’s safe to say that you could tell it was going to be a good night just from the excitement in the atmosphere before the show had even started. The audience, mainly made up of teenagers, were thrilled to be seeing some of their favourite YouTube stars.

Tom Law hit the stage first, playing songs off his ‘Dropping In’ EP. He started with ‘If I Ever Lost You’ with the crowd singing it back to him. His voice sounded incredible and his guitar skills were insanely good. You could tell from his first song alone how passionate he is about music and performing and he really connected with the audience throughout his time on stage. By the end of Tom’s performance, the crowd knew that if they were going by what he sounded like, they were going to be in for a treat for the rest of the night.

BriBry was up next and from the moment he stepped on the stage he was wooing the crowd with his accent. When he began to sing, his 6’5″ presence was captivating and his irish lilt gave an individual flair to all of his songs. His real life experiences successfully impacted his songwriting and this showed through his truly delightful voice. After playing her numerous videos, he’s also now my Mum’s favourite YouTube acoustic artist.

Eddplant followed and this original Brummy expressed his joy for playing to his home crowd. My favourite song that he performed was definitely ‘Girl Can’t Dance’ and despite the irony, got me dancing. I originally had heard of Eddplant from singing songs in ‘Sons of Admirals’ but I must say, I love his originals twice as much. His talent really shone on stage and he put so much energy and effort into his performance, which really paid off.

Dave Giles was last but certainly not least to hit the stage, singing songs from his album ‘Love, Life, Loss and Tea’. He started with ‘I Am What I Am’ which was a favourite of mine and the crowd responded by laughing at the humerous anecdotes he intertwined with the lines of his song. This up-tempo performance resulted in an energetic atmosphere and the audience were loving his set. Even when the mood was taken down a notch with his song ‘Waiting Room Blues’ the crowd did not fail to sing along and appreciate the amazing talent that Dave has!

Throughout the whole night you could tell just how much all the acts enjoy performing, putting 110% into their performances and showcasing all of their incredible talent. They finished with a big surprise, leaving the audience craving more and all I can say is you’re definitely in for a treat if you’re lucky enough to be heading down to one of their final shows.

Dave Giles:

http://www.davejgiles.com/

http://www.youtube.com/davejgiles/

Tom Law:

http://www.tomlawmusic.com/

http://www.youtube.com/tomlawmusic

Eddplant:

http://eddplant.com/

http://www.youtube.com/eddplant

BriBry:

http://www.bribry.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/BriBryontour

UPLOAD3

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Highlights at Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre and Updates #1

Picture 8

Highlights so far

From all the events and theatre performances I’ve been to as part of being a ‘First Night Blogger’ at Birmingham Hippodrome, a few have certainly stood out to me. Porgy and Bess, being the first show we saw was definitely a memorable one. I’d never seen an opera before and it was so different to any other show I’d seen.

Continue reading

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Review

 Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (Fri 1 Feb – Sat 2 Feb)

Picture 3

Before the dancers had even taken centre stage, I knew I was in for a treat. As the audience took their seats, and just minutes before the performance was about to begin there was a few minute long voice-over which left the audience in hysterics. Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo was certainly a show I will never forget.

Continue reading

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Backstage Hippodrome tour!

On 7th January 2012, Chris and I got the chance to have a backstage tour at the Birmingham Hippodrome theatre. ‘Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates’ has been being shown at the theatre and we got the opportunity to see backstage with the Robinson Crusoe set and props etc.

Continue reading