Work Shops

 

Workshops  

 

Camera Rig and Movement Practice  

 

Today we had another workshop which provided experience using different types of camera rigs to practice achieving different types of movement. Previously, we had this workshop during our direction’s unit, but I found this workshop particularly beneficial to have again as I now have a better understanding of the importance of camera movement in comparison to static shots. I learnt this by shooting a project using only static shots to try and achieve a certain effect, this made the edit extremely difficult, and the outcome was lacking engaging elements. I now understand the importance of camera movement to add engaging elements to the story and appeal to the audience.   

 

Having learnt this I decided to be extremely hands on, trying out things I usually wouldn’t and testing the different types of equipment to try and push them to their full potential. We were given the opportunity to use the dolly, jib, fig rig and DJI Ronin stabilizer. We used the dolly to film some tracking shots, this required planning and blocking as it proved difficult to try and achieve a focus pull while simultaneously moving the dolly, therefore we decide to set the focus in the intended position with the subject positioned a certain distance from the camera, we then had to try and maintain this distance as the camera was tracking backwards and the subject was walking towards the camera. To do this we planned how many steps it took to reach the end of the tracks and did some run throughs to get a feel for the movement and pace. The result was not perfect but if there were more time this shot could have been perfected. We also attempted some contra-zooms but as mentioned above it was hard to move the camera while pulling focus and the location, we were practicing in did not give much depth in the background which made it harder for the effect to be demonstrated, despite this we are aware of the process and techniques to achieve these kinds of shots.  

 

We also took a shot at using the DJI Ronin stabilizer this was to achieve a handheld, cinema verité style shot. We were aware that this may be hard as the stabilizer would eliminate the rough edge of the handheld look but decided to give it a shot anyways to test the limitations of the equipment in achieving certain aesthetics. As this was one long shot this also required planning and blocking, there was also someone assisting the camera operator to ensure they were safe and not at risk of falling over or bumping into things.  

 

We also had a short period of time to try out using the Jib, previously I found this extremely difficult to use but as this was the second time, I found using this equipment slightly easier. Again this requires planning and blocking, with the subject and jib operator being prepared and ‘in sync’ with one another to achieve the best shot. Operating the jib takes co-ordination to use both the handles simultaneously, at the correct speeds etc.  

 

Despite practicing camera movements being the aim of this workshop I think it also did a good job highlighting the need for and importance of planning shots and correctly blocking actors, while also doing test shoots to get a feel for the equipment and pace needed. When trying to achieve large camera movements with equipment like those listed above blocking and planning is vital to save time and achieve the best possible shot. I also found this workshop useful as getting more practice on this equipment meant I have a better understanding of the types of shots that can achieve and how I can plan to use these in my fiction adaptation project if I chose that route but also in other projects I make. The workshop was helpful to show us what the equipment was capable of but also its limitations, the benefit of knowing this now is that we can plan to solve these problems before shoot days if we need to.  I will definitely be using some of this equipment if I decide to do fiction adaptation. 

 

 

Haiku interpretation and stock footage editing 

 

For this workshop we had to pick one of three haiku’s and create a short edit of stock footage which expressed the tone and feel of the haiku, this incorporated images, sound, effects, transitions etc. I found this beneficial as it made the fiction adaptation unit clearer by giving insight on what we had to do. I was surprised how simple it was to interpret the haiku and create something which reflected it mood and tone without sticking closely to what it directly mentioned. As this is something I have not done before I was sceptical if it would be something I should chose to do as a unit, I did not know if I would enjoy it or if I would find to really difficult. This gave me a better understanding of how much freedom we have in the fiction adaptation unit and helped me generate ideas if that was the unit I decided to pick. I was also able to learn more video transitions such as an overlay, this was something new which I had not used previously but I think this would be a nice effect to use if I were to do a commissioned piece. As there was so much freedom in the interpretations, we could take my final edit could reflect the tone of two of the haikus, I was unaware of this until watching it back and receiving feedback, although this was not a negative thing it did help highlight the freedom of interpretation, we have in fiction adaptation.  

 

Montage

 

Cinematic Lighting Workshop  

 

Today we had a workshop to discuss/ practice lighting techniques and how we could use these to influence the tone and mood of our pieces; as well we how we influence how the audience perceive and interpret the piece. Today we went beyond the traditional three-point lighting techniques by building upon the knowledge we learnt last year to really make the most out of our lighting set ups to make our pieces look cinematic. According to Master Class “Cinematic lighting is a film lighting technique that goes beyond the standard three-point lighting setup to add drama, depth, and atmosphere to the story. Cinematic lighting utilizes lighting tricks like bouncing light, diffusing light, and adjusting colour temperatures” (MasterClass, 2021 ). All these techniques were things we explored and practiced during this workshop, to show us how we can take our work to the next level and create cinematic pieces.  

 

One of the first things we did was establish the difference between high-key and low-key lighting; as these two types of lighting carry very different connotations and tones. High-key lighting is defined as “a lighting style that results in a brightly lit frame with soft lighting, minimal shadows, and low contrast … The result of this bright lighting style is a cheerful, airy, and positive mood.”. This type of lighting is used mostly for comedies, sitcoms and commercial work (DeGuzman, 2021). The lighting ratio is reduced in the scene, meaning there is less contact between the darker tones and brighter areas. The brightly lit scenes achieved through high-key lighting often suggests an upbeat mood and positive message; it can also connote truth and openness (Adobe, n.d.).  Low-key lighting can be defined as a type of lighting that accentuates shadows, high contrast, and dark tones. This visual aesthetic is often achieved using hard sources of key light or minimal to no key light. It is often used to create the aesthetic of thrillers, dramas, and horror films because of the mysterious, dark, and dramatic mood the style creates (DeGuzman, 2022). There is a greater contrast between the dark and light areas, with the majority of the scene in shadow. Kenton Waltz states “low-key lighting is effective for drawing attention to serious subject matter or the darker, emotional side to the story” (Adobe, n.d.) which can be a significant visual factor for highly dramatic and heavy storylines.  We also discussed a common, visually pleasing lighting patten called checkerboard lighting. This can be created using a background light and means when you light up the background on the darker side of a subject, have shadow on one side of the face, the other side of the face is well lit and then the background on the brighter side is darker (Walbeck, 2018). All of these were beneficial to re-cap and cover. The checkerboard effect is something I was not previously familiar with but will attempt in future projects.   

 

To test out these techniques, as a group we worked as a production team to try and recreate a scene from a film with both high-key lighting and low-key lighting. Director No. 1 was creating the vision with high-key lighting. As part of this team, I was a gaffer, helping the director to achieve his vision. We used the Arri hot lamps to attempt the bright and even lighting style. These produce a tungsten light with warm tones, therefore when we introduced an LED light I had to change the Kelvin settings of it to match the colour temperature of the Arri lamps. This was important as if the camera operators were to set the white balance of the camera with two different light temperatures it would not appear correct in the camera and would be two different colours. We also found the lighting to be quite harsh with some contrast instead of the desired soft and even lighting, therefore, as a gaffer I used diffusers to diffuse the light which created a more even look overall and worked to remove some of the harsh shadows and contrasts. I also used white boards to bounce the lights off which also worked well to evenly distribute the lighting across the whole scene, by changing the intensity and brightness.  I also worked as the production assistant, logger and clapper loader once filming had begun. We achieved all of this while using the three-point lighting techniques learnt previously. However, there was a lot I learnt regarding how long it takes to set up a really good and effective cinematic lighting set-up as well as how when shooting a scene with multiple people it takes two lights per-person to light them evenly. This is very important when trying to light subjects evenly and is a good tip to know when shooting in future, it will allow me to be better prepared, hire out the right kit and allow enough time in the schedule for a full set up. Doing this really helped take my lighting skills to the next level but teaching me how to correctly bounce/ diffuse light. For example, before I was unaware that to diffuse light by a vast amount the diffuser should be a fair distance away from the light source and should keep being moved back (reasonably) until the lighting is even and soft as desired.  

 

Director No.2 was responsible for creating a scene with low-key lighting. As part of this group, I was B camera operator. This meant I had to work closely with the director to communicate what the shot looked like on the camera monitor, what needed to be changed and the camera settings. I also used a reflector to try and highlight the darker side of one subject’s face. This was not used in the end as it did not show much in the camera monitor and a small LED was used instead but it was useful to get practice using the reflector.  

 

I found this workshop to be beneficial as I have now built upon my three-point lighting techniques from previous workshops and learnt techniques to make my work appear more cinematic, e.g., bouncing and diffusing light, creating an effective hair-light/rim light. As high-key lighting is often used in commercials it was beneficial to practice high-key lighting as that is the type of lighting I will be using in my commission as it has the connotations of positivity and an upbeat mood. However, I may also attempt to achieve some low-key lighting shots to really show off and draw attention to important aspects of the commission, so the practice was very beneficial.  

 

 

References  

 

Adobe (n.d.). Low-key lighting and high-key lighting in film | Adobe. [online] www.adobe.com. Available at: https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/video/discover/low-key-vs-high-key-lighting.html#:~:text=High%2Dkey%20lighting%20is%20often  [Accessed 17 Nov. 2022]. 

 

Deguzman, K. (2022). Low Key Lighting in Photography & Film. [online] StudioBinder. Available at: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-low-key-lighting-definition/#:~:text=Low%2Dkey%20lighting%20is%20often  [Accessed 17 Nov. 2022]. 

 

 

 

DeGuzman, K.D. (2021). What is High Key Lighting — Examples & Creative Uses. [online] StudioBinder. Available at: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-high-key-lighting-definition/#:~:text=HIGH%20KEY%20LIGHTING%20DEFINITION&text=The%20result%20of%20this%20bright  [Accessed 17 Nov. 2022]. 

 

 

MasterClass (2021). Film 101: Understanding Film Lighting. [online] MasterClass. Available at: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/film-101-understanding-film-lighting  [Accessed 17 Nov. 2022]. 

 

 

Walbeck, S. (2018). Cinematic Lighting Techniques. [online] FULLTIME FILMMAKER. Available at: https://blog.fulltimefilmmaker.com/cinematic-lighting-techniques/#:~:text=A%20common%20lighting%20pattern%20that  [Accessed 17 Nov. 2022].