Moving Image, Narrative, Theory

language of moving image

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Using art and design to scale, space and size. There is a grammar or convention set of rules which link to the language of moving images.

The most important tool in a camera is the focus and depth of field (ie how much is in focus)

  • High angle / Low angle / bulls-eye / birds eye / canted angle
  • Tracking / Panning / Craning / Tilting / Hand held / Steadicam
  • Establishing Shot / Long Shot / Medium Shot / Close-up / Big Close-Up / Extreme Close Up (students often struggle with the first and the last again issues with SCALE, SIZE & SPACE, so practice is really important)
  • Insert Shot

in my film i will show depth of field in the eyes of tom or joe when looking at the other with anger.

Editing

Editing is the concept of stitching things/clips. Putting one thing next to the other in order to create a sequence.

When to edit

  1. EDIT ON ACTION
  2. EDIT ON A MATCHING SHAPE, COLOUR, THEME
  3. EDIT ON A LOOK, A GLANCE, EYELINE
  4. EDIT ON A SOUND BRIDGE
  5. EDIT ON A CHANGE OF SHOT SIZE
  6. EDIT ON A CHANGE OF SHOT CAMERA POSITION (+30′)

During the music video I decided to cut where there was tension which was on a change of shot camera position. This time I intend on cutting on an action to create a sense of security about what’s going on.

  • parallel editing: two events editing together – so that they may be happening at the same time, or not?
  • flashback / flash-forward – allowing time to shift

I can use parallel editing when tom is looking at at joe and joe staring at his phone clueless about what’s going on.

Montage

Montage is the quick edit of clips together to move the story along faster and also provide the audience with information which will help guide the story along.

During my film I can have a montage of the girl that the boys are fighting over and some memories that she has made with each of them.

Conventional shot progression

  • establishing shot / ES, moving to
  • wide shot / WS,
  • to medium shot / MS,
  • to close up / CU,
  • to big close up / BCU;
  • and then back out again

During the staring between joe and tom I can slowly get closer to their faces and end it was an extreme close up of their eyes.

he Shot / Reverse Shot a really good starting point for students to both think about and produce moving image products. The basic sequence runs from a wide angle master shot that is at a 90′ angle to (usually) two characters.

You can see shot reverse shot in my work when the boys are talking about how they want the girl.

Continuity editing can be seen as the opposite of montage editing as the main aim is to create a sense of realism or ‘believability’ known as verisimilitude and has it’s own structure of rules where shots are edited together at particular times or on particular shots

  • match on action
  • eye-line match
  • graphic match
  • sound bridge
  • 30′ rule
  • 180′ rule

i will use continuity editing during the fight over the girl.

The key is to somehow recognise the orthodox way (of ‘doing things’)  while at the same time recognising the way in which creative producers: filmmakers, animators, directors, producers and so on, adapt, adjust, challenge or introduce new ways of ‘doing things’.

  • enigma
  • dramatic irony
  • foreshadowing
  • repetition / reiteration
  • back story
  • exposition of theme / character / setting / plot
  • development of theme / character / setting / plot
  • pay off or resolution of theme / character / plot
  • denouement
  • dramatic arc
  • climax / resolution
  • interior monologue
  • cause and effect
  • resolution
  • non sequitur
  • ellipsis
  • cliff-hanger

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