Tech EX 06 Shot Composition
Extras from Tech EX
What I learned
During this Tech Ex, I learned how to create various kinds of shots and angles with a camera. I found that we really have to use our environment, subjects (and tripods when we have them) in order to manipulate the photos we create into conveying a certain type of message to the viewer. These tools aren’t just available to make things look pretty; they can also send and communicate a message. I found this was most obvious for shots like the ‘cowboy’ shot (where I tried to look as if maybe I was asking someone for help / the concept of cowboy shot had also involved some sort of action near the hip, so I had my hand in pocket,) or the eye-level shot which is about connection. Obviously, each of these different shots can send a message though. One of the main things I found about setting up a shot was that it just requires a lot of adjustment and correction until you get it right. I feel a bit rusty at this so shots like the over-the-shoulder shots (which are arguably just tricky to do alone,) and the eye-level shots were the ones that required the most adjustment. When writing a script or story-boarding, you would also have to eventually factor in what kind of environment you can use (a camera on top of a locker or a fridge, a tall enough tripod, stairs, etc.) in order to achieve what you’re going for. Otherwise, it just takes some adjustment (I spent a lot of time planning out the type of shots with different angles, but some of that changed partway through depending on what was available in my environment.) It’s good to know the differences between these shots because sometimes what I had in mind wasn’t quite within range of an ‘extreme’ shot or a medium shot, so I would just take a new photo with that in mind. I think it adds to how cinematic a shot really looks as well, and the exercise helped me to remember to factor in the rule of 1/3s.
Image Sequence Assignment
Photo 1
What is implied in the first image is first a sense of time – it is day time. The aspects of this shot include an animal component (the subject,) a sense of urban influence, and the natural world (trees.) The crow adds an element of mystery, darkness and superstition, making us question supernatural themes that may be present. Most of the photos were edited for colour grading in Lightroom, adding blue-green midtones and blue shadow to create hues which add a sense of darkness and ‘loneliness.’ The imagery looks more like a ‘gritty’ type of series or film. This is the only photo in the sequence with truly natural lighting, setting itself apart from what the rest of the sequence is about by standing out in contrast to them. The rule of thirds is employed to enhance the subject, and line draws us through and out of the frame. Soft depth of focus adds a dreamy quality to the background.
Photo 2
In conjunction with the previous photo, we are moved indoors. If it is still day-time, the setting is noticeably darker. The objects in the image are personal items, placed on a modest, tiny bed, and the angle is shot from above instead of being grounded on the mattress in a close-up. The image is one way of telling us something about the character who follows this frame, while also transitioning from outdoors to indoors. It is about the passage of time, and carries the mood over through use of colour grading. Line plays a background character in the areas more soft in depth of focus, like the hollowed out areas behind and beside the bed frame. This area also adds a sense of darkness to the photo.
Photo 3
Next to the previous shot, we take the belongings from the previous shot and attribute them to this character. In this photo, a girl stares at the viewer in an eye level shot. The unnatural lighting makes us curious about where she is or what she is doing. Details like her dyed hair, and t-shirt design are clues about who she might be. Eye-level shots are about connection, and the character’s eye contact feels confident and direct. Perhaps she knows someone or something behind the camera lens? With how confident she appears, is she thinking about us, or is there something strange about her that we don’t yet understand? The reflection of the girl’s arm in the glass places us closer to the subject and it begins to feel as if we are in a real and three-dimensional space. The lines behind the subject ground us into the most important quadrant of the image, where the subject is standing. Rule of thirds is once again used in placing the subject in the photo in a dynamic way. Scratchy details edited in by the owner of the photo are artistic, adding an unexpected quality.
Photo 4
Another setting shot leads us outside. It is now night time. More neon, unnatural lighting is used, making us aware of an increasingly urban space and setting. Does the main character live or work here? The photo with the bed implied a living space. The contrast of red and blue lighting is intense, and adds contrast with the previous frames. Line follows us all the way through to the back parking lot, and the positioning of the camera makes us feel as if we are waiting for the main character to exit the building. If we imagine her walking towards us from the building, this is the type of feeling that the camera angle would create, which could mean something suspenseful or that the main character is unaware of, especially at night. The line here being an intersection could symbolise a sort of crossroads or a choice that the character has just made.
Photos 5 & 6
These two photos are of stairs, and describe the passage of time, and a sort of descent. The setting becomes almost exclusively urban compared to all previous shots. The size and distance of the shots (more wide than medium) create distance when we imagine a character travelling through each frame. Would they be walking, running, or perhaps looking over their shoulder? Texting someone? Counting their steps and talking to themself? These things could reveal character traits and story details as to what the narrative is trying to convey. Line creates a feeling downward, and feels jagged in comparison to other frames. We know the purpose of the shots, which are a transitory stage and the passing of time, regardless of how slow or fast. Both settings feel isolating because of the distance from the camera, the lighting, and the hue. Repetition of line and the amount of floors in the second photo add to a sense of how long this journey would take.
Photo 7
At the bottom of the stairs, we reach a strange bunker. Line and negative space draw us into the space towards the door. This shot is a play on perspective and we take on the role of the main character, looking in on an unusual setting. This shot is a question mark, and a cliffhanger ending. We know we are in a strange environment, and the journey that it took to get there, but we don’t know where we are yet. The negative space between the character and the door creates a sense of distance, or hesitation. The lighting is blue, dark and unnatural. The only lit area is the space against the back wall and so our focus is also drawn there. Paired with a breaking of the rule of thirds (which breaks a pattern used in the other shots,) our attention is forced inwards to the center door. There is a sort of radial framing of the imagery through the arch of the bunker and the way that it frames the back wall, and therefore the majority of the shot. Doors are symbolic as well – we always wonder what is behind a door, what is waiting on the other side, or what will happen in the shots leading up to a character opening that door.
Photo Credit – Image Sequence:
https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-model-glasses-youth-colorful-8035752/ (Woman)
https://pixabay.com/photos/bunker-dark-basement-soprum-554239/ (Bunker)
https://pixabay.com/photos/subway-stairs-stair-handrail-4950141/ (Stairs 1)
https://pixabay.com/photos/stairs-building-window-architecture-7231312/ (Stairs 2)
https://pixabay.com/photos/crow-bird-fence-animal-feathers-8346196/ (Crow)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stjamesgate/53257674629/ (Office)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/21906247@N07/7120527361/ (Headphones)
Video Assignment
Written Proposals
Idea #1
My first idea revolves around the idea of a ‘love’ that exists out in the world, but that the narrator has not yet met in real life. The poem which it follows is an ode to this person and a love that might become one day, but does not yet exist. To make this video more manageable and realistic for me to complete, I have chosen environments that feel like an ideal place to follow this narrative regardless of weather. Most of the video takes place on or near the beach, the marina, and at home. Although I look forward to the possibility of getting help with a short video like this, it’s difficult to guarantee, and so I ended up choosing something that I would mainly create myself which would feature me as the main subject. This was not originally what I wanted, but because I wrote the poem and don’t want to solely rely on others to finish it, I will be filming it and using the necessary props myself. The theme carried throughout speaks about love, the past, and the future, while showing a lack of urgency, yet curiosity about finding that abstract future love. As such, I chose to focus on natural and familiar elements and environments to weave into the storytelling. This idea was reframed from a previous idea that I had about long distance love, which also included using string as a means of symbolising connection. Instead, the yarn will represent relationships or a prospective future love, and how the main subject has this abstract possibility of a person in their mind as they progress through life. I feel as though I went slightly beyond my capabilities at the time with my sound project even if it was a success, and I bit off slightly more than I could chew, so this project contains elements which hopefully will make this assignment overall more accessible for me.
Idea #2
My second idea follows a similar vein of sentimentality as the first one. This concept was aimed at expressing a love of the simple things in life, and how they stand out amidst the mundane. The simple things prove to make our life better, and sometimes provide more comfort and moments of mindfulness or introspection than the less common ‘big’ victories in life. The simple things don’t depend on our failure or success; they are simply something that if we are lucky, we will happen to notice along the way of life or notice within the pattern of our day. The simple things may be things that we are grateful for; that first sip of morning coffee, or a humorous piece of spray-painted graffiti on a wall that we aren’t sure was meant for us, but we sure as Hell enjoyed seeing it. It can be tripping and laughing, or a semi-distant memory which reminded us of something else which is infinitely more important to us, like family or friends, and being able to share that with someone else. I think that this is the less defined story, and although I had thought about this idea over weeks, I had forgotten to write down some of the details which would have made each individual idea really stand out. It’s easy for the ‘little things’ to get lost in a day, and I think that in terms of gratitude and storytelling especially it’s these details which would really allow the idea to come to life in a way that feels unexpected and tangible when communicating it to others. I feel like my narrative poem has more opportunities for clear storytelling.
Thumbnails for Idea #1
