Post 3: Continuity

Continuity is a system of cutting used to maintain a continuous and clear narrative action by following a set of rules, in other words you have to make sure the scene is the same three out takes, so if you stopped filming and carry on the next day the scene looks identical.

Here is an example from terminator 3 where continuity has not been used properly. As you can see clearly the number on the tail of the plane changes throughout the film. This is a key example that shows that it is highly important to keep continuity in a film because it can confuse the viewer also ruins the effect of the film and reminds the viewer that its not real as it makes the film less believable.




Here is an internet link that takes you to a website i found that explains continuity in a media context, in more detail.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuity_(fiction)

180 Degree Rule - The angle between only two consecutive shots should not exceed 180 degrees, in order to maintain spatial relationships between people and objects in any given sequence of shots.

Internet Link for further information  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180-degree_rule

Crossing the Line (Reverse Cut) - Refers to an Imaginary line which cuts through the middle of the scene, from side to side with respect to the camera. By doing this the viewers perspective changes in such a way that it sometimes causes detonation and confusion.

This is a diagram showing 180 degree rule and crossing the line.
This makes it clearer to understand.

Internet Link for further Information http://www.mediacollege.com/video/editing/transition/reverse-cut.html
Shot/Reverse Shot - Two shots edited together that alternate characters, typically in a conversational situation.

Internet Link for further information  http://www.artoftheguillotine.com/index.php?page=shotreverseshot

Match On Action - A cut between two shots that places two different framing's of the same action next to each other, making it seem to continue uninterrupted.

Internet Link for further Information http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2JKjy35KRw

Post 2: section B/C - Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds - Imaginary lines are drawn dividing the image into thirds both horizontally and vertically, spliting the photo into nine sections. In most cases it is usuall and more common to not have the subject directly in the centre of the frame, as a subject that is off-centre encourages the eye to explore the photograph.

Using a degital camera I have taken photographs to illistrate my understanding of the rule of thirds.

(John Brooks)

Here is a basic shot using the rule of thirds. In this picture I have showed the guide lines so that it is easier to understand the concept of the rule.

Here are some links to useful websites that tell you about and give the correct definitions about the rule of thirds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds

http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds

I have taken the photo below off centre so that we can see the view behind the person. It helps us to understand what the person in the photo is doing and where they are. If I had just taken the photo of the person as for example the above photo it doesnt show us anything and is less interesting but is a good shot for showing someones emotions as its close up.



The rule of thirds helped me to get the photo precise and accurate so that the final outcome looked effective. I have based my model (Rebecca Rolfe) on the left vertical line so that the photo has some sort of organisation to it. The use of rule of the thirds in this photo makes it more effective as its composition is perfect due to the Imaginary lines setting a guide line on the camera.

You can also crop photographs so that you only have the best bits of a photo. Enlarging certain key parts making them more noticeable for example below I have cropped this photo as the background is off no significant's and is distracting from the main object of the photo its also helps to enhance the detail on the piece.

Before cropped

Shows the cropping tool

Cropped (zoomed in) end image.

Post 2: section A - Shot Sizes

There are seven main shot sizes used thoughout media and film, extreme close up, close up, medium close up, three quater shot (3/4 shot), medium long shot, long shot and medium shot.

Here I have scaned in my drawings of the different shot sizes of which I used as a plan for taking photographs using the digital camera.

Here I have taken photos of a class mate (Chloe Stockman) to show the different techniques and shot sizes in action. Each shot size is used to help create different effects. These shots are a key basis to photography, media and the film industry as they are simple and effective shots and sizes.

Extreme Close Up

Medium Close Up 

Close Up

Three Quarter Shot

Medium Shot 

   

Medium Long Shot 

Long Shot 

After taking these photos using a digital camera I learnt that even though the person stays the same as the composition and as the size of each photograph changes it brings a different feel and depth to the piece, creating a different effect. So if I was trying to create an intense scene I would use the extreme close up as it is more powerful. and dramatic. Something I would improve when taking photographs again would be to not crop the feet out of the medium long shot.

Preliminary Task Introduction

In groups of no more than 4, I will complete a Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character  with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should and will demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.