Aperture, Gain and ND Filters - Cinematography

In class, we have been doing some practical exercises using the camera which involved us changing the shutter angle, ND filter, aperture, gain and the focal length of the lens. These experiments were to show us how these things work and how focal length and aperture change the depth of field of the image.

My group used a Canon camera for these experiments. We had a sheet with twelve different set ups on it that we had to do in our groups of three. We each took turns at taking control of the camera and setting it to all the settings that were required. Each person had to frame up a mid shot of a person (subject) with an interesting background and go through each set up which consisted of three different focal lengths - wide lens (zoomed all the way out), mid length (zoomed half way in) and a long length (zoomed all the way in). The shot had to be a mid shot of the same subject at each focal length.

At each focal length, there were four images that needed to be taken, each with slightly different settings. Following is each of the four different settings that were required:

1. Shutter Angle: 180
    Gain: Low (0dB)
    ND Filter: 0
    Set aperture for correct exposure

2. Shutter Angle: 180
    Gain: Low (0dB)
    ND Filter: 1
    Set aperture for correct exposure

3. Shutter Angle: 180
    ND Filter: 2
    Adjust gain if image is too dark for acceptable exposure
    Set aperture for correct exposure

4. Shutter Angle: 90
    Gain: Low (0dB)
    ND Filter: 1
    Set aperture for correct exposure

Here are screenshots of my experiments:

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Unfortunately, I did not focus the camera clearly on my subject in the last four images (long focal length), so the footage came out looking too soft and there was no definition in the background to show the depth of field.

The gain affected the image by making it look grainy when it was set on medium and high gain. High gain was the grainiest. From this lesson, I learned that the gain should never be touched unless its really needed like at night time.

ND filters affected the light that was seen in the image. It dulled down the brightness of the glaring light (if you look in the corners of the images where the sky is, there is a slight difference in brightness) but it did not affect the light on the subject in the image.

The aperture affected the depth of field. As previously discussed in my post about aperture, if there is a higher f-stop (small lens opening) then the depth of field is deeper and if you use a lower f-stop (larger lens opening) then the depth of field is shallower. Unfortunately, because of my lack of focus (on the camera) the images can not be properly compared.

I have learned heaps of different things by doing this exercise and I plan on doing this exercise again, so I am able to practice using the camera and this time I will hopefully remember to use the focus on the camera. Come on, Lee - FOCUS!

Cutting Out the Fat - Scripting

Our project is starting to come to life! We have ideas flowing and scripts being written and decisions being made! Last week, we cut down all our possible story lines to two main themes. One was the idea of an alien bounty hunter and the other was about people getting lost in technology. This week we have cut it down to one theme - alien bounty hunter/encounters involving a different planet and the genre is Sci Fi. So, now it is up to the script team to come up with something for us to create.

Sci Fi setting

Everybody has been advised of their role in the crew now with some roles yet to be named, particulary the post production roles. As well as the script team being hard at work, we have our art team busy at work on researching ideas for possible styles and concepts of characters, the setting and environments.

Little Miss Busy - This is me from here on in!

My work load has become busy from this point on as I have to set up a bank account, work out a budget, set up social media for promotional purposes, find a location to set the greenscreen up, organise people to make sure everything that needs done is worked on and completed on time and I have to work with the HOD's (Heads of Departments) to write up a massive schedule that includes deadlines for every step of every different department.

I am starting to get excited about this year's project - the people in the group are a great bunch of people who are motivated, focused and hard working! This project feels well organised and the whole team is driven to making this project become a great success! Onwards and upwards from here on in and keep watching this space!

Excited!!!!!

Crystallize Your Objective

In screenwriting class, we are focusing on non dialogue scripts. Non dialogue scripts are literally just that - no dialogue. These films have no dialogue and use visual images with music to tell the stories that the creator wishes to tell. One of the assignments that we have been given is to write a non dialogue script, so we have been doing exercises in class to help us with this.

Objectives - The wee figure wants to get to the platform eith objective written on it!

As a group, we all came up with locations where a story/film could happen. We each chose a location - I chose a funeral. Each person in the group was instructed to come up with a character giving them an age, a gender, profession and three personality traits. The next step was to give the character an objective. These were my choices:

CHARACTER: Jimmy Cameron
GENDER: Male
AGE: 12
PROFESSION: Junior High Student
PERSONALITY TRAITS: Low attention span, devious, prankster

OBJECTIVE: Catch the rat that has just stolen his ipod

Look out obstacles ahead!

The next instruction we were given was to pass our piece of paper with all these details to the person sitting to the left of us. It was now up to that person to come up with an obstacle that prevented that character from carrying out their objective. This obstacle had to be well thought out as some of the ideas within the group were not immediate obstacles and became long term obstacles that needed to be overcome eventually. The rules of these story ideas were that the entire thing had to happen at the location that was chosen and each person had to decide whether the obstacle was a person - antagonist, physical, mental or a time factor.

Obstacles

We worked through each person's obstacle idea to make sure that they immediately worked against the objective. The reason the obstacle needed to be an immediate problem was to create drama and make the story interesting for audiences because without this drama, a film becomes boring. We also had to wrap our heads around how to show things in a visual nature without characters talking (no dialogue). Sometimes it was not the obstacle that needed changed but the objective needed to change for the obstacle to work.

The objective of the character needs to be well defined, as well as the obstacle that stands in their way (no matter what that may be) to create drama and so the audience can clearly define what is going on. If these lines are too murky then the audience will lose interest or become confused and then nobody will want to watch your film. So, this weeks lesson in screenwriting was as simple as this: "Crystallize your objectives and obstacles."

Aperture & Depth of Field - Cinematography

This past week I have been learning about aperture, what it is, what it affects and then physically applying it to photos, comparing each different aperture setting. So, first of all what is aperture?

Aperture and Depth of Field example

Aperture controls how open the lens is which in turn lets a certain amount of light come in through the lens. Aperture is measured on a camera by f-stops. If the f-stop is high then the opening of the lens is small but if the f-stop is low then the lens is opened wider and when the lens is opened right up, more light can get in. Aperture is used in conjunction with shutter speed to gain the correct exposure and as the aperture changes, the shutter speed needs adjusted to gain the correct exposure.

Examples of different f-stops

The aperture affects the depth of field of your shot. The depth of field is the range of acceptable sharpness in your image. The depth of field can either be shallow or deep and defines whether your background is sharp and detailed (deep) or whether your background is blurred and shallow. Bokeh is a japanese word that is used to describe extreme background blur (out of focus). If you have a higher f-stop (small lens opening) then your depth of field will be deeper and if the f-stop is lower (wider aperture) then the depth of field will be shallower. Above are two examples of the same image but using different f-stops.

Here is a YouTube link that discusses aperture, f-stops and shows a progression of images showing different depths of field:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhDODaUN3pI

I am slowly getting my head around aperture, depth of field and shutter speed and how they all relate to one another. Check out this blog next week for the next update of things I have learned to do with cinematography.

First Aid

First aid is sometimes the only reason that somebody pulls through and survives an accident. It is a valuable skill to learn and just like many other industries, it is definitely something that every film member should learn.

Bandage Man

The first aid course that I am taking is four hours a week for four weeks. We have learned how to slow down or stop external bleeds, putting a person into the recovery position, the meaning of the acronyms STOP and DRS ABCD and this past week we learned how to administer CPR. This post will be talking about what I have learned about CPR and will also explain the two acronyms STOP and DRS ABCD.

STOP
When you come across a person who has had an accident or is in need of first aid the first thing you should do is remember the acronym STOP and carry out each step carefully to make sure that you as the first aider, are protected from any potential harm or dangers.

S - Stop
T - Think
O - Observe
P - Protect

Stop - Stop and assess the situation before rushing into anything.
Think - Think about whether you are capable of managing the situation by yourself and also what equipment you need such as a first aid kit and protective clothing. Last but not least you need to think about ringing 111 to call for an ambulance.
Observe - Check for dangers that could put you at risk while trying to help the victim.
Protect - Protect yourself from any body fluids from the victim that might cause you harm by infection or cross contimination of disease or illness. Take measures such as wearing face masks, full face shields, gloves, rolling down long sleeves, keeping cuts covered with waterproof dressings and washing your hands thoroughly after treatment.

DRS ABCD
The next acronym to remeber is DRS ABCD and these are the steps to follow when administering first aid to a victim.

D - Dangers
R - Responsive
S - Send for help

A - Airways
B - Breathing
C - Compressions
D - Defribillator

Dangers - Check for any dangers that may harm you and check that you can walk right around the victim without coming across any hazards.
Responsive - Tap the victim a few times while calling loudly asking them to if they are alright.
Send for help - Send somebody to call 111 and ask for an ambulance to be sent. This can only be done if you are not alone. If you are alone, then carry out the next few steps for a minute and then put the victim into the recovery position while you go and call for help.
Airways - Move the victim so they are lying on their back and position their head, so that the end of their nose is pointing upwards. This is to give their airway the best possible position for breathing.
Breathing - Check whether the victim is breathing by feel, sound and sight. Place two fingers under the chin or a hand on the chest. Check to see if you can see their chest rising and put your ear to their mouth to see if you can hear the victim breathing.
Compressions - Start compressions on the victim.
Defribillator - Connect a defribillator and follow the prompts on the machine.

CPR being practiced on a CPR dummy

CPR
CPR stands for Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. This literally means restarting the heart and lungs of a person. The ratio is thirty compressions to two breaths. The compressions are done at the base of the sternum in the middle of the chest and the pressure you use is one third down. If the victim is a baby the compressions are administered using two fingers, a child's compressions are administered using one hand (or two depending on the build of the child) and for an adult two hands are used. Compressions need to administered using a nice even rhythm. After thirty compressions are done, then two breaths need to be given to the victim. The head must be put in the correct position so that the airway is nice and clear. For a baby, you must place your mouth over the nose and mouth creating a seal and small puffs are used. If the victim is a child or an adult, you must pinch the nose and place your mouth over the victim's whole mouth creating a seal and give two full breaths. You will see the chest rise if these are given correctly. Too much air will full up the diaphragm and will need to be expelled from the victim, so that the breaths given can be effective and the victim can use their diaphragm muscles to draw air into their lungs by themselves.

I am enjoying learning first aid and just hope that I never have to use it. However, if I am in a situation that requires me to use it, then I feel as though I am well equipped to deal with the situation. I will be able to use my first aid skills to try and give somebody more of a chance to survive.

First Aid

Group Collaboration - Major Group Project 2015

With this new year of study comes a new collaborative group project. Last year, I worked on this same project but I was an animator then and now I am a filmie (film student). I am looking forward to working on this project as I will be working with a whole different group of people with only a small few familiar faces.

Study, study, study

The brief we have been given for this project is different to last year's brief. This time it is up to the group as to what kind of product we are going to create - short film, trailer, cinematic, game. We are currently working towards creating a concept for this product and then we can decide which format would suit the concept.

I have been given the job of Producer which is what I requested to do as a job because this is the area that I want to head my career path down. It would have been pointless to me if I had have been put elsewhere because this is my last year of study and I want to make it as productive as possible to help me head my career in the right direction.

Watch this space for some awesome ideas and updates on the whole process. Bring it on!!!!!

Achieve, learn, inspire

FILM REVIEW: Iron Man 3 - Screenwriting

My daughter and I share a love of superheroes and love films like The Avengers, X-Men and Iron Man. This means that most weekends, we watch some form of action film as a way to spend time together. We own some of these films and they are watched repeatedly but are enjoyed all the same every time. Recently, my daughter and I watched (for the 50th time) Iron Man 3 and so I decided this would be the film that I would write a review about for the first time on this blog.

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 was directed by Shane Black and produced by Kevin Feige and was released in 2013. The lead character is Tony Stark who is played by Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man 3 is the third film in the trilogy of Iron Man films. All films in this trilogy are a mixture of CG (comuter generated effects) and live action.

Synopsis

Iron Man 3 is set just after The Avengers film that Iron Man starred in as well. Tony Stark has insomnia after coming home from fighting with The Avengers to save the world. In this time, Tony has developed the latest prototype for the Iron Man suit. Big explosions happen all over Los Angeles and a terrorist leader using the name Mandarin claims resposibility.Tony Stark challenges Mandarin which results in Tony Stark's home being destroyed. This leaves him with nothing but a faulty prototype suit to find out who is behind the attacks, so that he is able to save the world and most importantly the woman that he loves.

Marvel Logo with characters

I love action films and this particular genre is among my top five favourite genres, so naturally I loved this film. I especially loved it because of Iron Man. As I wrote earlier, my daughter and I are superhero fanatics (I forgt to add we especially love Marvel characters) and Iron Man is one of our favourites. I have watched this film many times but I still feel the same when I watch it. At the beginning of the film I feel concerned for Tony Stark and slightly annoyed about the predicament he is currently in. When Tony Stark challenges the terrorist, I feel excited about the action that I know will happen as a result of the challenge. From this point on in the film, I feel excitement, wonder and warm fuzzies from some of the small touching moments in the film. I am also amazed at the technical things in the film. Last year, I completed a degree majoring in animation and I have a new appreciation for all the hard work that goes into the CG in a film like this. The CG in this particular film is a source of interest for me because I have only done basic things and the CG in this film is much more complex.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, the man in the suit - Iron Man

My favourite character in this film is the lead character - Tony Stark (Iron Man) because without Tony Stark there would be no Iron Man. Tony Stark is not only the person who builds the Iron Man suit but he is essentially the man inside the suit making him Iron Man. I like the way that Tony Stark is a straight up, intelligent man who just seems to speak his mind in an intelligent manner and without stepping carefully around the actual issue. He is just straight to the point and anything that he says in an arguement, he can back up based on his knowledge. Some people (in the film) do not like his approach but he just does not care what anybody else thinks about him with one exception - his wife, Pepper Potts. He also has a soft. loving side too, which is shown in the film when he chooses to put his wife into his newest Iron Man suit to protect her and the lengths he goes to for her safe rescue. It shows that he is a straight up prick but that he is a loving man and husband as well.

There were never really any moments during the film where I disengaged with it. There's heaps of action and twists and turns to keep the audience engaged and because I like Iron Man and the CG effects in the film that was enough to keep me interested the entire time.

The strengths of the film were the CG effects and the Tony Stark/Iron Man character. These two things stood out to me in this film for reasons that I have already discussed. The weaknesses were the story seemed way more complex than it needed to be and the antagonist group were poorly developed because they seemed disconnected to the whole story and didn't seem to fit in and make sense anywhere.

Iron Man 3 is the best film out of the trilogy because who doesn't like a film that has every kind of different Iron Man suit one could ever imagine, show up in it all at the same time?! I love Iron Man, so I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys action films, Marvel characters or anyone who is interested in VFX (visual effects)/CG.  

The suits assemble for war! (screenshot)