ON THE SET

In today's lesson we learn what equipment we use and how to use it. 

We explore how to use the Canon cameras and Manfrotto tripods.

Cameras and tripods: In groups we pass the camera around and each of us practise how to handle the camera, 

insert the battery and memory card. When you pass the cameras around you should say 'yours' and 'mine' to avoid

 the risk of dropping it.  We learn how to set up a tripod and to 'bubble' it using the spirit level to help make

 the camera balanced and in focus. We explore the camera such as how to focus.  The exposure on the camera

 is adjusted by moving the dial up and down. 

White balance (WB): is the process of removing unrealistic colour casts, so that objects which appear white

 in person are rendered white in the photo. Proper camera white balance has to take into account

 the "colour temperature" of a light source, which refers to the relative warmth or coolness of white light. 

You adjust it by selecting the ‘WB’ on the camera, it will then come up with little pictures representing 

difference colour tones that are used in different lights which will give a more realistic effect.

180-degree rule: We learn about the 180 degree rule.  The 180-degree rule is a cinematography guideline 

that states that two characters in a scene should maintain the same left/right relationship to one another. 

When the camera passes over the invisible axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line 

and the shot becomes what is called a reverse angle.

On set: We then learn about the terminology that is used in the filming industry. 

The director shouts ‘Standby’ before filming a scene to ensure that everyone is ready 

and if they are, they reply ‘Standing by’. 

When the director shouts ‘rolling’, everyone on set must be quiet, then he /she shouts ‘action’ 

which tell the actors to start. After the shoot, the director has said the last ‘cut’, 

he / she will say ‘strike the kit’ which is the film crew's cue to pack away, 

put the batteries on charge and ensure that the footage is uploaded.

Good practice in editing: We are using Final Cut Pro and iMovie on the iMacs in the media studio. 

When uploading our footage, we should create a folder to keep the shots. 

These folders are called bins and the unedited footage from cameras are called rushes.

CONTINUITY EXERCISE

Aim: storyboard and film a brief conversation / confrontation between  two parties:

• draw and photograph the storyboard.
• establishing shot (= where the action takes place, to 'establish' it for the audience
• mid shot of character A already in place
• character B arrives, making a two-shot (a shot with two characters)
• a series of shot-reverse shots delivers the dialogue (over the shoulder shots that will be edited together in order)
• another two-shot
• bring the narrative to a close in any way that fits
• post the storyboard in a post entitled CONTINUITY EXERCISE
• edit and upload the shots.