Thursday, August 30, 2018

Film Theory

What is cinema?
Cinema is a medium of mass communication. It could be seen with a big gathering of people. It is one of the most effective, powerful and popular audio visual form of art. It is not only a form of entertainment but also a form of presenting important information and preserving cultures and traditions. It is the most powerful and effecting way to get a person’s mind to relay information.
SHOT
Whenever the camera is opened and whatever visuals it picturizes till the camera is stopped is called a shot. There is no hard and fast rule regarding the length of a shot. The shot could be of 3 or 5 frames or of 10 to 15 minutes long. A single shot is the smallest unit of a film. When a shot is joined with other shots, it makes a scene. When scenes are joined together they become a sequence and a set of sequence joined together make a complete film.
Shot + shot + shot= scene
Scene + scene + scene = sequence
Sequence + sequence + sequence + a film
Shot Size/ Image Size
There are three main kinds of shots:
1. Long shot (LS) – to establish a scene, environment, situation, position of the character/characters and objects, properties/background, etc.
Types of long shots: Extreme long shot (ELS), Long Shot (LS) and Medium Long Shot (MLS)
2. Mid Shot (MS) – To show the actions and behaviours of the characters.
Types of mid shots: Medium shot (MS) Over the Shoulder (OS) and Over the Shoulder ¾ (OS ¾)
3. Close up (CU) – To show the mood, to show the details, identify the character
Types of Close ups: Extreme Close-Up (ECU), Big Close-Up (BCU), Medium Close-Up (MCU), Close-Up (CU)
The Camera Movements
Static Shot (St. Shot) (Camera Doesn’t Move)
Panning Shot/ Pan Shot (Right To Left Or Left To Right)
Titling Shot (Tilt Shot) (Up To Down Or Down To Up)
Trolley Shot (Track Shot):
Front to Back
Back to Front
Profile Tracking
Angular Tracking
Vehicle Tracking
Straight and Round Tracking

Zoom Shot (Zooming Shot) : Variable Focal Length
Zoom In, Zoom Out
Hand Held Shot
Focus Shot
Swish Pan
Crane Shot: All Kinds Of Movements
Dolly Shot
Crab Dolly
Vinten Dolly
Spider Dolly
Arial Shot: Helicopters, Planes, Balloons, Drones
Camera Angles
Frontal Angle
Back Angle
Profile Angle
Semi  Profile Angle
High Angle ( Above Eye-Level)
Low Angle
Top Angle (90֯ Upward From Object)
Ground Angle
Normal Angle
Angular Angle

The Cut
Continuity cut
Cut away
Cut back(to continuity cut)
Match cut

Continuity in a film
Physical continuity: looks, position, properties (props), background, location, lighting (day, night, morning, evening, etc.) physical actions, etc.
Psychological continuity: mood, sometimes a scene cannot be completed in a given time due to various reasons. In such cases, while resuming or re-shooting the scene we need psychological continuity

To Maintain the Continuity

Continuity sheet
Camera report
Dress man’s report
Make up man’s report
Hairdresser’s report
Still photography


Imaginary line (काल्पनिक रेखा)
 Also known as rule of 180֯

Screen direction

(If an actor has entered the frame from left and exited from the right, in the next shot he should enter from the right again to maintain screen direction.)

The use of the clapboard

For shooting:
To picturize the scene number, shot number and take number
For negative sorting ( OK and NG)
For making rushes (dailies, workprint)
Pilot sound transferring from ¼ magnetic tape to 35 mm magnetic tape
Assembling shots and scenes in order
Editing purpose
To identify the shots to find out the “Not Good” shots when needed
To make the advertising materials (trailers, teasers, etc.)

Scene number
Shot number
Take
Remarks
Indoor/outdoor
Production title
Day/ night

Terms used for remarks
POV - point of  view
SLT - silent
OV – over voice
RTK – retake
INS – in shot

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