MEDP/FILMP 160: Summer 2015Plan for Today

A Brief History of the Moving Image (Film)Basic Intro to Framing and camera moves Introduce shooting exercise (lab #3) Introduce Assignment 1: Define a Space

When you pick up a camera ...

First photograph: 1830

Etienne-Jules Marey, Pelican Studies 1882

Matrix Trilogy, 1999 - 2003 Muybridge experiments 1877

Why does this matter?

aka “Persistence of Vision”

flipbook

“Short Range Apparent Motion”

victorian toys (mid-1800’s)

zoetrope

thaumatrope

Photography - silver nitrate

Daguerrotype, 1839

Boulevard du Temple, 1838

Edison’s Kinetograph (1891)

first movie cameras

Lumieres’ Cinematographe (1895)

Clip from Pioneers of Cinema

qualities of early film

•black and white•silent•grainy•flicker•short•Square •Basic lighting

how film cameras work

Intermittent movement: stop and start action that positions the film one frame at a time in the gate, using sprocket holes.

the film shutter

how the camera gate works

how film projectors work

frame rate

• flip book = 10 fps• early film cameras = 16 fps• modern film cameras = 24 fps• video = 30 fps (NTSC, US)

24 (sometimes)25 (PAL, Europe)

What frame rate should I shoot at?

24 (24p) vs. 30 (60i)?

● film “look”● subject matter● destination● transfer to film?

Time Lapse(“under-cranking”)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-lapse_photography

What if you shoot at one frame rate and play back (project) at another?

Slow Motion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_motion(“over-cranking”)

film formats

Resolution

aspect ratio

Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick, 1978)

Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1964)

some aspect ratios

why aspect ratio matters now

Setting up cameras - most of what you shoot now will be 16 x 9 but older material other formats. You may have started a film on SD 4:3 aspect ratio, then moved HiDef halfway through.

Or, you may be incorporating archival footage that was shot on film, or SD video.

pillarbox

“letterboxing”

basic cinematic vocabularyshot sizes & types

FILM/MEDIA 160 • LEC 02 PT 2

extreme long shot (e.l.s.)

long shot (l.s.)

medium long shot (m.l.s.)

medium shot (m.s.)

medium close up (m.c.u.)

close up (c.u.)

extreme close up (e.c.u.)

two shot

low angle shot

high angle shot

Moving the camera through space

Pivot moves: Pan (right/left)Tilt

(up/down)Dynamic moves: Track/Truck (right/left)

Dolly (in/out)

Boom (up/down)

Examples of camera moves:

• Manufactured Landscapes Clip 2• Manufactured Landscape Clip 1• Citizen Kane Clip 1• Farmingville Clip 1

Camera Workshop Exercise In your groups, go out (not too far!) and shoot the following:

1. One subject you can shoot from at least three different points of view (various shot sizes or camera angles).

2. A shot where you zoom in to emphasize an important detail.

3. A shot where you zoom out from a close-up to reveal its context.

4. A shot where the frame stays still but there is movement within the frame.

5. A pan or tilt that has clear beginning and end destinations for your camera.

6. Walk with a person (your partner) maintaining consistent distance and framing.

Try and plan your shots before pushing the record button. Remember to look AT the viewfinder, not THROUGH it.