Studio Lesson 1: Induction with Cameras

On the 18th September, I had my induction into my school's Film Studio with my class. We were briefed on how to use the three main cameras with their tripods and main features.

Sony FS100

Canon EOS5D

Sony NX5

Cameras

We began with the Canon EOS5D which is the cheapest of the three but the most versatile. All three had industry standard quality, but this has the highest quality of video for just a DSLR and is most often used by professional "Vlog" or Music Video makers. We attached a prime lens to the 5D which meant it shot incredibly good quality but could not zoom.
Next up was the Sony FS100 which has the most versatile zooming function. It is slightly larger and more expensive than the 5D especially with the lens fully extended.
Finally, the Sony NX5 which is one of the most popular professional video cameras, as its very light versatile, and shoots in very high quality. What was different about this camera was that the lens is fixed and cannot be swapped out which is good for quality, but doesn't allow a change in zoom magnitude. This camera is most often used by news teams in places like war zones as its portable and well built. This is the most expensive of the three at around £5000.


Attaching Lenses
Next, we were tought how to attach the lenses onto each camera body. The process is very similar between the 5D and the FS100, but the NX5 has its lens built in. Firstly, we removed the lens caps on both the camera bodies and lenses. Then just slipped the lenses into position by lining up the coloured dots on both the lens and camera. Twisted the lenses until they clicked into place. The 5D's prime lens had a custom made adapter that we attached to the lens first and then the body.

Tripods
We had three standard tripods to erect and attach cameras to. It was a very simple process of loosening and tightening the extending legs on the tripod in order to erect it. Then we were showed how to safely attach the cameras. Each camera had the same attachment socket that fit into the slots on the top of the tripods. With only pushes of a few buttons, you could easily slip the camera into position and tighten the clamp which held it into place on the tripod.

Zoom/Focus
On each lens, except the prime on the 5D, there is a zoom function. In order to zoom in or out, all you had to do was twist the dial labelled zoom clockwise or anti-clockwise. As well as this, every lens (incl. the prime) had a focus function. To focus on an object for the lenses on the NX5 and the FS100, we were told to zoom in fully to the object, and twist the focus dial until the image was as sharp as we thought possible. Then you could zoom out as far as you wanted, and the image would stay fully focused. However, for the prime lens on the 5D, you had to measure with a measure tape from the focus centre on the 5D body, to the face of the object you were focusing on. You take this measurement and twist the focus dial on the lens so it lines up with the measurement.

Exposure
Each camera has the feature of changing the exposure (brightness) of the shot. On the NX5 and FS100, there is a dial on the lens. On the 5D, you can change the exposure level using the buttons.

White Balance
Before filming a new shot, the cameras have to be white balanced so that every shot has a similar colour scale. Otherwise, when switching from an indoor shot to an outdoors shot, the colour scale will be very blue. To white balance each camera for each shot, you have to point the lens and zoom in on the white balance screen and press the white balance ("WB") button on the side of the cameras. Now you can zoom out and the whole shot will have the correct colour scale.

Studio Lesson 2: Filming Sequences & 180 Degree Rule

In our lesson today, we learnt how to film small sequences in the TV Studio with the cameras we used the other day (NX5, FS10 & 5D). 

180 Degree Rule

When filming a specific subject from different angles using different shots, the cameraman/director has to make sure each shot is within the 180* zone of the subject. This keeps the continuity of the subject(s) in terms of their position on the screen. For example, If you film two characters having a conversation, you have to keep the character on the right, always on the right, and the same with the character on the left. This way, the audience won't get confused with which way the characters are looking. Another example is a car driving past the camera. If it goes from left to right for the side on shot, it needs to left to right in every other shot. In order to keep this continuity, the cameraman cannot cross the path of the car. Otherwise it would move right to left. Simple!

Different Shots

When filming a sequence, different shots are used for different parts of the action. For example, when someone walks in and picks a phone up off the table, puts it down and walks away, traditionally, you start with a wide shot as they walk in, then a medium when they lean over, then a closeup of the phone being picked up, and so on and so forth. 

Continuity

This is one of the most important parts of the shooting process for a feature film or TV program. There are even staff assigned to check the continuity for each scene and each shot. When you think about it, things like food, drink, makeup, and being rained on. These all have to be reverted and matched for each shot.

Die Hard Poster Analysis

Title: Die Hard

Genre: Action / Thriller

Lead Actor: Bruce Willis

Target Audience: 18 - 50 Male

Catchphrase: “Twelve terrorists. One Cop. The odds are against John McClane… That’s just the way he likes it.”

Apart from this being a very cheesy and low quality catchphrase, it does give a relatively detailed insight into the plot. We instantly know the main character’s full name which goes on to be a huge iconic feature within the entire franchise, as well as his occupation (police officer), character (violent), and what he is up against during the film (the 12 terrorists). 

Colour: The poster is dark and mysterious with low exposure and lots of shadowed areas. The main colour scheme is a mix of reds and yellow - the reds giving a sense of blood and therefore violence and death, as well as yellow which, like gold, gives a sense of glory and victory. The words DIE HARD are in bold red letters, while the rest of the text is in a smaller bold white font.

Gesture: John McClane (Bruce Willis) is holding a hand gun in a position ready to point and fire. This shows he is on edge and in possible danger. His facial expression shows a severity to his situation, while his eyes are wide and staring aggressively at something. His lips are clenched showing tension and slight fear, as well as aggression..

Costume/Makeup: McClane is wearing a dirty roughed up white vest and his hair looks dirty and greasy, showing us he’s been “in the wars”. He has dirt patches on his hands, chest, shoulders and face which suggests he has been on the floor a lot and maybe even outside on the ground.

Background:  A backdrop of a city’s horizon at night suggests that the film is set in an urban area, most likely in a building/sky-scraper of New York. As well as this, the film is most likely set during the night time leading to darkness and therefore more danger.

Mies-En-Scene:  John McClane is in the foreground instantly telling us he is the main character. It is a closeup shot of him showing his chest upward, including his hands holding the gun at head height. He is placed right in the centre of the poster, with the city backdrop and red sunset behind him, and then two sections of text, above and below him. The catchphrase is placed above the shot, which personally looks very out of place. The Title and the actors name (Bruce Willis) are positioned below the shot, swell as the production and release information and dates below that. The poster is set out so that the serious face of Bruce Willis (who is already quite an iconic actor at this point with a rather well known face) catches the public’s eye and draws them in to read the impactful title DIE HARD in bold red writing.

Finally, this poster is very iconic and is of a very professional standard when compared to other film posters of its time.