DIGITAL FILMMAKING

Session 1

Cinematic Storytelling

The Art of Engagement

Grab Attention!

Hold Attention!

Change Feelings!

Change Understanding!

Cinematic Engagement

The Evolution of Cinematic Conventions

The Early Cinema

From Convention to Cinematic Language

From Language To Cinematic Literacy

Story

So What’s a Story?

Story Elements

The Building Blocks of Storytelling Character

Place

Time

Plot

The Cinematic Story

Story: Dramatic Elements and Structure

Shots: Visual Elements and Structure

Sound: Audible Elements and Structure

Editing: Narrative Weaving of Shot And Sound

Story Structure

The Layout of Story Elements Acts

Scenes

Story Events

Beats

The Most Important Story Element!

Significance!

Theories of Drama

Aristotle’s Poetics

Aristotle’s Poetics

b.384 B.C. in Macedonia, a student of Plato

Was tutor to Alexander the Great

Aristotle’s analysis of Tragedy is the basis of contemporary Western Drama

Aristotle’s Definition of Tragedy

“..A tragedy is the imitation of an action, that

is serious, … having magnitude, complete in itself in appropriate and pleasurable language…in a dramatic rather than narrative form: with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish a catharsis of these emotions…”

Aristotle’s Definition of Tragedy

RealisticImportantMust be complete never unresolvedMust evoke “feelings” such as pleasure,

pity and fearPreferably incident and action drivenShould cause a “catharsis” or emotional

purging in the audience

Aristotle’s Elements of Tragedy

Character PlotThemeDictionSongSpectacleA Dramatic Catharsis or Cleansing!

Aristotle’s Three Unities

• Unity of Action Single Incident

• Unity of Space One Place

• Unity of Time One time

Organizing The Story

Organizing Story Elements Acts

Scenes/Sequences

Story Events and Dramatic Beats

Act Structure

All drama must have:

• A Beginning

• A Middle

• An End

Act Structure Contd.

Beginning : Act I The Exposition

Introduce character, time place Sets up relationships Act I ends with an event that disrupts the stability of the protagonist’s world

Act Structure Contd.

The Middle: Act 2The Struggle

The protagonist is prevented from accomplishing or fulfilling their goals, desires and objectives

Ends with a Climax

Act Structure Contd.

The End: Act 3Resolution

After the climax, the lives of the characters begin to resolve either happily or tragically in a new stable reality

The Scene

A dramatic action or interaction in one place at one time!

Scenic interactions or incidents must themselves have a beginning, middle and end

A Sequence extends the idea of a scene by having the dramatic action in more than one place and perhaps more than one time!

Story Events

Scenes are made up incidents, actions and particularly interactions

Whatever happens to the characters

Significant Story Events are “Beats”

The Pulse of Drama: The Beat

Moments of significance in a scene

Beats are moments of changing consciousness/understanding in the audience and the characters.

Dramatic Beats- Changes in the audience’s understanding of the story

Performance or Acting Beats- Changes in the character’s understanding of the situation

Think of the moment a point is won during a tennis match

Very significant beats mark the end of a Scene or an Act

Sample Screenplay

Theories of Drama Contd.

Freytag’s Triangle• 5 Acts Structure

• Exposition• Rising Action• Climax• Falling Action• Denouement

Session 2: Visual Storytelling

The Shot

The Frame

Aspect Ratio 4:3/1.33:1 SDV Red 16:9/1.78:1 HD Green 2.39:1 Cinema Blue

Shot Names Long Shot (LS) Medium Shot (MS) Close Shot/Up (CS or CU) 2-shot Over-the-shoulder (OTS) Pan Tilt Track Dolly Zoom Hi Angle Lo Angle Normal

Visual Elements & Structure

Frame & Shot

Long Shot (LS)

Extreme Long Shot (ELS)

Establishing Shot

Medium or Mid-Shot (MS)

Close Up or Close Shot (CU OR CS)

Extreme Close Up (ECU)

Subject Size

Long Shot & MLS Mid Shot & MCU Close Shot & ECU

More Shot Names: 2-SHOT

Over-the-shoulder Shot (OTS)

Audience Effect

The Objective Camera Audience Effect

The Subjective Camera Audience Effect

LS. 2-Shot - Objective POV

MS-OTS Woman Objective POV

MS-OTS Man Objective POV

CU Woman Subject POV

CU Man Subjective POV

MLS 2-shot Objective POV

The Classic Hollywood Scene

A Scene Sample

LS/MS/CU

Classic Hollywood Scene Exposition

Long Shot - Beginning Mid-shot - Middle Close-up- End

Continuity

Classic Hollywood Cinema Technique Establishes Spatial Orientation Maintains consistency shot by shot Preserves the emotional empathy and

involvement of the viewer Preserving the viewer’s suspension of

disbelief Anything that breaks Continuity is “bad”

Continuity Example

180 Degree Rule

Scene Sample

Continuity: Eyeline Match

Continuity: Eyeline Match Cont.

Summary: Building Your Film Story

Scenes built dramatically by beats Locate Beats by placing shots Choose the right shots to show the beat Construct the scene with combinations of

shots (LS/MS/CU) and Beats Scenes built into Sequences if needed Sequences into Acts (Freytag’s Triangle) Acts assembled into a full story or film

The Art of Engagement Revisited

The Orchestration of Cinematic Elements to Engage your audience, hold their attention and then change them

In this presentation we have talked about some Cinematic elements, the cinematic grammar, the narrative and visual building blocks of audio visual engagement. There are others, namelySound & Editing

DISCUSSION EXAMPLES

http://www.reelbiography.com/index.html

http://www.swaggerfilms.com/index.php/corporate-videos

http://toppup.com/projects/http:

www.point7west.com/cms/services

http://www.jeffproductions.com/

Camera Perspective

Telephoto Lens Wide Angle Lens Normal Lens

Wide Angle vs.Telephoto Image

Wide Angle Telephoto

Camera Staging & Filming Technique

Master/Coverage Shooting

Overlapping Action Shooting

Screen Direction

Helps Maintain Spatial and Visual Continuity: Subject to Subject Axis Camera to Subject Axis Axis of Action

Continuity of Action Between Frames Frame Entry Frame Exit

Subject to Subject Axis

180 Degree Rule

Camera to Subject Axis

Axis of Action

Composition

Rule of Thirds

COMPOSTION CONTD.

Diagonal Lines/Depth

How to Shoot A Scene Fiction Summary

Breaking down the Screenplay Storyboarding Marking the Screenplay Deriving the Shot list The Floor Plan Setting Up Shots: The Master Shot The Overlapping Master Coverage Shooting Numbering shots Using the Slate Preparing the Camera Report

How to Shoot A Scene: Documentary

CameraA Roll and B Roll

Lighting3 Point Lighting For InterviewsNatural Lighting

SoundMicrophones

Interviewing

Lighting

The Quantity of Light Contrast

ExposureGain

The Quality of LightColor TemperatureWhite Balance

Directionality: 3-point Lighting

3-point Lighting

Key Light

3-point Lighting

Fill Light

3-point Lighting

Back Light

3-point Lighting

Lighting

Shooting Without LightsAvoid bright backgroundsChange locations

Outdoor ShootingAvoid mid-day shootingUse Sun as key Use Sun as Back withreflector as Key

Interviewing

Interviewing Tips

Don’t read questions while they speak Don’t ask a question that provokes a single

word answer If you need to, ask them to summarize their

own answers Keep mental notes about good sound bites Ask one question at a time LISTEN!

Shooting Tips

Stay steady and simple Use a tripod whenever possible Get in close Compose like a Still Photographer Don’t zoom Keep the background darker than the subject

if possible Shoot pre-roll and post-roll

Shooting Tips Contd.

Let subjects walk in and out of frame Think about editing the shots while shooting Time your shots- don’t roll for ever When you pan or tilt have a beginning and an

end Documenting vs. Documentary: Be clear Slate your shots if you can The audience will tolerate bad pictures not

bad sound

End of Session 2