Sound Design

Cinematography Task: Completed Short Films

Students on the Integrated Production Skills module were asked to devise, shoot and edit a one minute sequence to practice their skills in Camera Movement and additional shot types.

They were asked to show:

A variety of movements from the camera
Trombone Shot
Flip shot
Trunk shot
Objective and Subjective camera angles.


Here is what they produced over one week with a 5D camera, tripod and a little imagination.


Georgiana, Emilia, Charlotte and Natalia decided on a chase scene. 

 They managed to incorporate, focus pull, hand held camera, zoom ,panning, trunk shot, and a trombone shot. 

The film is about a girl running from herself and she realises that she is running in a circle. The film favours a subjective viewpoint following her descending into madness.

 The camera movements support the interior world of the character, and especially the mental distress that she is experiencing.

Full Circle: By Natalia, Georgiana, Charlotte and Emilia.

 

Cinematography: Links to Split Diopter blogs

Split Diopter

Cinematography: Split diopter

SPLIT FIELD DIOPTER
AUDIOVISUAL SPLIT FOCUS
 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

In this article, I want to introduce the idea and technique of split focus. In cinematography, the concept of split focus was explored mainly during 1970’s to the early 1980’s, namely by Brian De Palma and Robert Wise.



But even to this date, this technique is still used, probably as homage to these directors. Interestingly, the concept of split focus can also be found in sound .

What always interests me is the narrative motivation for specific concept or technique, so here are 3 possible narrative motivations for the use of audiovisual split focus:

to introduce multiple elements without editing
to intensify the viewer’s emotional response
to add sense of realism
To discuss this technique in more detail, we have to briefly introduce/remind few facts about depth of field (DOF).

Depth of Field (DOF)

Depth of field (DOF) is a great and very powerful tool how to direct or guide the audience where to look at, i.e. how to tell them what is important in the image.

If you look at the image below, your attention most probably goes to the girl, which is in focus.

The Enigma by Andrew Mohrer

The Enigma by Andrew Mohrer

Technically speaking, DOF is the distance range in the image along the Z axis that appears acceptably sharp (=area perceived as being in focus). Although the lens can truly focus only at one distance (plane) along the Z axis, the transition between area in focus and out of focus is gradual; therefore we can talk about “field” (instead of plane).

In cinematography, a large DOF is often called deep focus (think Orson Welles and Citizen Kane) and a small DOF is often called shallow focus (think Gus van Sant and Paranoid Park).

Unfortunately, things are little bit more complicated than this; DOF is influenced mainly by the aperture of the lens: Larger aperture produces shallow focus, while small aperture produces deep focus.

But at the same time, aperture controls how much light hits the film or digital sensor, so you have to find the balance between DOF and exposure by:

some kind of compensation (additional light for small aperture, ND filters for large aperture)
using optical tricks
using a device called split field diopter.
Split field diopter

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

With the invention of split field diopter, it is possible to achieve the look and feel of deep focus (=large DOF) without the need of using additional lights (to compensate for the small aperture).

A split diopter is half convex glass that attaches in front of the camera’s main lens to make half the lens nearsighted. The lens can focus on a plane in the background and the diopter on a foreground element. (1)

A split diopter does not create real deep focus, only the illusion of this. What distinguishes it from traditional deep focus is that there is not continuous depth of field from foreground to background. Because split focus diopters only cover half the lens, shots in which they are used are characterized by a blurred line between the two planes in focus.(1)

Note: The following text consists of excerpts taken from the article “Notes on the split-field diopter” by Paul Ramaeker, available after free registration at jstor.org.

The split-field diopter lens simply permits focusing on a very close object on one side of the frame, while a distant subject is photographed normally through the uncovered portion of the prime lens; in this way, the shot may be focused on both near and far subjects simultaneously.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

The split-field diopter, while it could not provide true deep focus, could create an impression of considerable depth, without the requirement of any additional light. Previously, such effect was only feasible by combining two separate shots in an optical printer via a matting process.

While the edge of the glass at the split between the diopter portion of the lens and the flat glass is invisible, the diopter part itself has an extremely shallow depth of field. As a result, the region where the lens is split, in the center of the frame, will appear blurred due to the focal differences between the diopter and the prime lens. In order to maintain the illusion of depth and obscure the use of the diopter, this focal difference must be hidden in some way.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

For example, the edge of the diopter lens may be positioned so that it lines up with a straight edge in the background – such as the corner of a room, the edge of a column or a bookcase. A neutral background, of uniform color and texture, may hide the split, but may not always be feasible.

Two examples from Dressed to Kill, 1980

Dressed to Kill (1980)
Dressed to Kill (1980)

Unbeknown to either detective Marino or Dr. Elliott, Peter (the young man sitting outside) is bugging the conversation inside detective’s office. The staging and use of split field diopter functions here to unite a disparate group of characters variously connected to a woman’s death and to denote their differential access to narrative information.

Dressed to Kill (1980)
Dressed to Kill (1980)

Peter times exits from Dr. Elliott’s office so as to judge what sort of delay to put on the camera he is hiding at the scene.

Other Examples



Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Equilibrium (2002)
Equilibrium (2002)

The Untouchables (1987)
The Untouchables (1987)

Pulp Fiction (1994)
Pulp Fiction (1994)

Valibation (2013)
Valibation (2013)



Blurry line between audio and visuals

By now you’ve probably noticed the blurry line between the two areas in focus. Well, the same blurry line can be found between audio and visuals. These two guys have more in common than you might think.

My favorite example is when Walter Murch talks about editing in relation to Beethoven’s music or when Janusz Kaminski talks about shutter angle and describes actor’s movement using musical term.

One of the most recent examples of the correlation between audio and visuals is when Phil Benson is discussing the balance between music, sound effects and dialogue at the Sundance Film Festival. To quote Phil Benson:

“Imagine if you could have shallow DOF with like 4 different areas on the screen, your audience wouldn’t know what to focus on […], so imagine sound as being somewhat similar in some ways to playing with DOF, visually.”


Now, we know that split field diopter enables us to have two subjects simultaneously in focus at different distances along the Z axis. In other words, it creates two separate DOFs and the look and feel of deep focus (=large DOF). And I was wondering, what would be the equivalent in sound?



If you've ever been watching a film, say Carrie or Reservoir Dogs, and you've seen a shot that had incredibly deep focus, then maybe you were looking at a shot that used a split focus (or split field) diopter. These lens attachments produce a signature look that puts objects near and far into focus, a look that made Gregg Toland a legend, and later swept over the filmmaking world in the 70s. Vashi Nedomansky of Vashi Visuals takes a look at the use of split focus diopters throughout cinema, and picks out all 15 shots from Brian De Palma's 1981 film Blow Out that use one.

 But, for those who aren't familiar with them or have never considered using them in your films, many, many movies, especially in the 70s and 80s, used split diopters to get that deep focus look. Probably the most famous use of diopters is in Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, but All the President's Men, The Thing, and many of De Palma's films also utilize the effect.

Since split focus diopters are half convex glass, when attached to your camera's lens, it makes one side nearsighted, and the other farsighted. What this allows you to do is focus on multiple planes -- you could have objects in the foreground and background completely in focus. This also means that the staging of your scene must be copacetic.

The way that many cinematographers use this is to add a little mystery or uncertainty to their shot. Since our eye doesn't see things in this way naturally, it can be a jarring and disorienting experience when it does. In fact, some shots look almost like two separate images juxtaposed together, which immediately adds a layer of fantasy.

In the shot from Reservoir Dogs above, you can see that the split diopter creates a clear line down the frame, which can be masked using several techniques, like shooting the split against vertical lines or darkness.

All the President's Men (1976)

A Split Focus Diopter is half convex glass that attaches in front of the camera’s main lens to 

make half the lens nearsighted. 

The lens can focus on a plane in the background and the diopter on a foreground element. 

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, Brian De Palma championed the use of this tool to enhance the visual and emotional experience of his films.

The Split Diopter allows for Deep Focus cinematography but requires much less light. 


It also delivers a distinctive look that blends sharp and out-of-focus imagery all in one frame. 


Subjects in both foreground and background can be kept in focus. 

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

The Split Diopter has a clear line 

down the middle of the 

frame between foreground and 

background. - 

See more at: http://vashivisuals.com/splitting-focus-de-

palmas-blow/#sthash.fc09JJoc.dpuf




In the video below are all 15 Split Diopter shots from Brian De Palma’s film Blow Out (1981).







Vertical lines in the frame can be used to hide the shift between foreground and background focus

All 15 Split Diopter Shots in BLOW OUT from Vashi Nedomansky on Vimeo.




The bottom line is that Split Diopters help achieve the cinematic and story goal of emphasizing subjects as needed by the Director and DP. When utilized for decisive or important moments…they can visually amplify the dramatic tension for the viewer. If used too often, just like with any other technique, the magic of this tool will diminish and the effect will become obvious. - See more at: http://vashivisuals.com/splitting-focus-de-palmas-blow/#sthash.fc09JJoc.dpuf

Trombone Shot: Jaws and Vertigo.

The 'Trombone' Shot in Filmmaking

Created May 25, 2005 | Updated May 26, 2005


A graphic showing the mechanics of the trombone shot, with the camera zooming in and pulling back. The effect is to make the subject and background of the frame appear to be moving in different directions while both are actually stationary.

In contemporary filmmaking, the camera trick known as the 'trombone' shot is widely overused and rarely achieved correctly.

 Originally conceived by the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, in his film Vertigo, it was 'stolen' by Steven Spielberg for Jaws. (It is used when Police Chief Brody is sitting on the beach and spots an ominous black fin poking from the water, close to swimming children.)

Thereafter, it became known as the 'Spielberg shot'. This was not so much a planned attempt by Spielberg to name a technique after himself, but more due to the success of Jaws and the timing of the effect in the film: everyone talked about it and the movie, which gave birth to the term.


The Mechanics of the Shot
The combined use of a zoom, focus and track, timed perfectly, will produce this effect or optical illusion. Individually, zooming and tracking are difficult enough manoeuvres on their own.


The Zoom
A zoom is where the camera and subject stay still and a special lens 'zooms' into the subject from a distance, effectively closing the gap between the audience and the action without having to physically pick up the camera. The only problem with a zoom is that it looks unnatural, as it relies on the optical capabilities of the camera and lens to produce the illusion of moving closer to a subject, effectively magnifying it. If you watch closely, you'll see the background to the subject of a zoom will not alter perspective, and the relative positions and sizes of anything in the image will remain the same.


The Track
Comparatively, a tracking shot is where the camera is moved closer to the subject through the use of a track and dolly. The track is simply that: track - not unlike the rails a train runs on - but more lightweight, portable (in some cases collapsible)1 and can be made from metal or plastic. A dolly is the carriage that runs on such a track, but unlike a passenger train carriage this is a specially designed platform with coasters or wheels on each corner. It also has a seat and mechanism on top, designed to mount and secure a film camera and its operator. There are many types and variations of track and dolly in contemporary filmmaking, but in Hitchcock's days the tracks were usually metal and most mounts were suitable for one or two types of film camera.

The subject was generally situated at the far end of the track, and the director (or sometimes the cinematographer) would sit on the dolly with a camera mounted on it while a number of crew, called grips would push the platform or dolly along the track towards the subject. This had the effect of allowing the audience to move closer to the subject and the camera to make better use of lenses for effect. Unlike a zoom, the perspective of the background did change with a tracking shot, as the camera was physically moved closer to the subject.


The Trombone
The trombone shot is, therefore, a combination of the two techniques above, coupled with the added difficulty of keeping focus.

With the camera mounted on a track and dolly, and the subject stood still, the camera begins to zoom in on the subject as it is pulled backwards on the track, all the while maintaining perfect focus on the subject.

At a pre-determined spot the camera stops zooming, the grips stop tracking back and the focus puller stops rotating the focus ring. The difficulty is getting the speeds of the backwards-track and the zoom-in to match enough to create the effect, which is for the background to deepen in perspective (stretch, or drop away) while the subject remains the same size in frame.

The reverse of this - to track in and zoom out - can be just as impressive, drawing the background in and effectively closing the gap between the subject (a character or object) and its background.
Alternative Names
There has never been one definitive name given to this effect, and although the 'trombone shot' has become something of an industry title, it has gone under many other guises. Some of them are as follows:
•Forward zoom
•Reverse tracking
•The 'Hitchcock' zoom
•The 'Vertigo effect'
•The 'Spielberg shot'
•Dolly zoom
•Zoom-in, dolly-out
•Contrazoom

The name 'trombone shot' has its base in the physical motion of a musical trombone as it descends a sliding scale of notes or a glissando – the player pushes the slide outwards – and the descending tone it makes as a player does this and blows into a trombone. If you can imagine the sound and visualise the effect, there you have the basis for the name. If you can't, then go watch Vertigo or Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas.

Alfred Hitchcock used this technique in his film Vertigo to heighten James Stewart's sensation of vertigo by making the drop from the building in the opening sequence seem that bit further - the illusion that the distance between the character and the ground increases or extends - and again, later in the film in the stairwell, to similar effect. The effect next resurfaced (no pun intended) in Steven Spielberg's Jaws, and has since been done to death in countless films, tv shows and commercials.
An apparent quote by Hitchcock himself on the subject of the trombone shot:

Even with the advances of film technology the trombone shot is still a very physical one, demanding the use of a variety of grip and camera equipment, as well as a number of hands-on personnel. This means its successful production is very prone to human error and, unless prepared well in advance, can prove a fruitless exercise.

The DIY Trombone
It sounds simple, and anyone with a camera and a skateboard or rolling office chair can attempt this shot. If you own these, why not have a try?

 Just be careful not to fall off your chair or skateboard (or whatever else you're using as a dolly) and always be aware of health and safety... Sit yourself on a high-backed rolling office chair (eg one with coasters on its base or legs), take a video camera with a manual zoom and focus demand2, and focus3 on a subject (a person or object).

 Ask a friend or work colleague to then drag you backwards in your chair slowly in a straight line, while you attempt to keep the subject the same size in the viewfinder and simultaneously in sharp focus, by using zoom and focus controls respectively. It's best if you can record and watch back the results: while you're concentrating on attempting the shot, you may well miss the effect.

It's often a case of practice makes perfect with this shot. However, the advantages of having a secure track and dolly, several members of crew and a good camera with good lenses become obvious the more you attempt it without them.

Cinematography: Objective and Subjective viewpoints

Camera Angles
Objective and Subjective View


By using objective and subjective camera angles you can do the one thing that every filmmaker wants to do with their audience… Grab and hold the audience's attention!

One way to draw the audience into the story is to give the audience unique views of the scene.
Objective and subjective camera angles (in combination with the other angles) can be used to do this.

You can create impact and real emotional reaction in your audience just by your choice of camera positioning and placement.

By using different camera angles (combined with editing) you can set a mood or tone that will help the viewer better understand and feel a part of the emotional environment presented to them from one scene to another.

If done expertly - your audience will be emotionally involved and feel like they're " right there" in the flow and action of the video.

The Objective view.

The objective view (angle) is the most common view you will see in a movie.
Objective Angle camera shot
This is the exterior "observers" point of view.

 

This angle gives your audience a viewpoint of being in the scene as though they were part of the action but also are "safely removed", as though they were there "invisible".

The illusion is that the audience is like a "fly on the wall" and that the characters cannot see them.
This illusion is maintained as long as the actors never look directly at and/or directly speak to the camera lens.

"Fourth Wall"


The thin line that exists between a story and reality. When a character in a story tells the audience in some way that they know that they are a character in a story, that is called 'breaking the fourth wall'.
Urban dictionary


If an actor were to do this (called in acting breaking the "fourth wall"), then the audience is no longer an exterior observer watching the scene from a distance but are now "in" the movie themselves and part of the scene.

This is not to say however that there are some filmmakers that haven't done this for effect.


The fourth wall

Just watch some of the old "Road" movies with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and you'll see that breaking this illusion can be done with great comedic effect.

The Subjective view.

In the subjective view the audience sees the scene as though they were looking through the eyes of the subject.

Camera angles subjective view

Subjective Angle camera shot

This device gives the audience the illusion that they are  the character in the scene and not just looking at it from an exterior view.

They are now not only part  of the action – they are  the character in the action.

Being in the subjective view means the audience is not able to "know" or see "everything" that's happening in the scene (as they are in the objective view) which can create mystery, danger and/or tension for the audience.

The subjective view is used much less than the objective view as this view can be disorienting to the audience if it is not used and edited correctly.
But, if it is used correctly, it can be a powerful plot device.

Trunk shot camera angle

Horror films make great use of this device to build anxiety and tension.
It can be used to shock or disorient the audience by rapid intercutting with objective shots.

Alfred Hitchcock was a master at using this device and anyone who wants to use the shot properly would do well to watch his movies.

 

 

 

 

The Cinematographer's Role in Pre-Production

1. Breaking down the script

Script breakdowns are a fact of life for UPMs, various folks in the art department, actors looking for character arcs and beats etc. However, script breakdowns aren't often considered part of the traditional cinematography pre-production process. They should be.

Shane Hurlbut once said something along the lines of, "If you make every choice as a cinematographer based on the emotions of your characters, you will hit a home run every single time. Everything about cinematography is emotion." Hurlbut is 100% correct in this statement, but achieving cinematographic emotion isn't as simple as pointing the camera in the direction of a great performance. It takes an intimate knowledge of the characters and the overall subtext of the film. The only way to achieve this, of course, comes from spending a little bit of quality alone time with the script.

This is where the script breakdown comes into play. It doesn't have to be anything like a traditional script breakdown, where you mull through scenes and categorize every little detail. No, your cinematographic breakdowns can be anything you want -- a word document, notes in a script margin, a pile of sticky notes -- literally anything, as long as it can be filed into a production notebook for future reference. I do, however, recommend keeping your script breakdown as organized as possible so that it is accessible to other members of the visual team.

With all of that said, let's finally get into the process of how to break down a script as a cinematographer. However, before getting into the nitty gritty of how to determine the emotionality of your script, let's talk about the very first thing that you should do upon reading a script.

The Technical Breakdown

The technical breakdown is just what it sounds like. It's a process in which you scan the script for technical issues and viability based on the budget of the film. Scan through the script, line by line, and look for instances of actions or entire scenes that may be difficult to achieve in a technical sense. Do you have extended scenes that need to be shot on location, or at night? Do you have extensive practical or digital effects shots? Do you need to rig a camera to the side of a blimp (for some reason?) Whatever it is, if it's going to be technically challenging for the electric, grip, camera, or any other department, write it down and point it out.

Getting these various concerns into the minds of the appropriate people as soon as possible is an absolutely crucial step. As the DP, you are expected to be prepared, and to help the production prepare, for the various technical challenges that a film faces. And the earlier that you start looking for and pointing out said technical challenges to the production team, the better off the production is going to be. Additionally, you'll want to make sure the technical problems and solutions that you come across are ones with which you are familiar. If not, it's time to start doing some research.

Subtext Analysis

Finding the subtext of a script is a very personal process, and no two people will do it the same way. 

 The "Three Pass" method, in which I read through the script three separate times, taking a different approach each time. The first pass is about working in broad strokes. I read through the script from cover to cover without making any notes until the end, at which point I jot down the overarching subtextual themes that are prevalent throughout the script.

In the second pass, I go through and find individual instances (certain lines, actions, etc) that support the original analysis from the first pass. This pass is essential because it forces you to find important subtextual moments in the script, moments which you will certainly want to highlight through your cinematographic choices later on in the process. The third and final pass is sort of a clean-up pass, in which I try to find other, more concealed subtextual content that might not be essential to the plot. Of course, whatever you find throughout the process of searching the script should be discussed with the director so as to avoid conflicts of interpretation.

Character Breakdowns

In Shane Hurlbut's statement about how to achieve cinematographic emotion, he said that the choices you make with your camera and lighting need to be based on the emotions of the characters. In order to do this, it is essential to have an immaculate understanding of what each character is feeling and thinking at any given moment in the script.

Again, the process for determining this is a personal one. You can go through the script, line by line, and jot down notes about each character as you go. Every time that character speaks or completes an action, you should be asking yourself what their motivation is, what they're trying to accomplish, and what emotional state they're in. Using as much detail as you can will ensure that your understanding of the script's emotionality is as high as it can be.

In addition to picking apart the script line by line, you should also be considering the character's arcs as a whole. Where does this character start in the script? More importantly, where do they end up, and what was the series of events that got them there? Having a clear understanding of your character arcs as a whole will help tremendously in the process of helping to tell that story in a way that is visual and meaningful.

http://nofilmschool.com/2013/10/cinematographers-process-part-1-breaking-down-the-script

The Role of the Cinematographer

A cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the chief over the camera crews working on a film, television production or other live action piece and is responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image.

Task: Read this article about female cinematographers who are still (rather depressingly) underrepresented in this male dominated industry. Add an entry about the one that most interests you on to your blog including short clip and be prepared to share your findings next session.

http://www.indiewire.com/article/8-female-cinematographers-you-should-know-about-20141104

Week 2: Cinematography: Roger Deakins and tasks to complete.

Task: Watch this sequence and analyse how Andrew Dominick (Director) and Roger Deakins
(Cinematography) use lighting and camera to create mood, atmosphere,tension and meaning.

Discuss with colleagues and make a 100-200 word blog entry on your observations.





Repeat the task using the clip below




 Roger Deakins :"I prefer shooting with a single camera simply because I don't like shooting generic 'coverage'. I believe in constructing a shot that has purpose within a scene rather than leaving it to the editor to cut something out of coverage"

Task: Research a Cinematographer and their collaboration with Directors.
Prepare a presentation to show to class in Week 3. (5 mins approx)


Task:  In groups of three, create a one minute sequence that incorporates as much variety of camera movements that you can. This could be a chase scene for example.
Add to your blog and post it here too.

Setting up 5D Mark II for Video Production

5D Mark II Setup from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

Cinematography: Flip Shot tutorial

The Art Of Cinematography: Camera Movements and Emotional Responses

The Art of Cinematography
An important aspect of the Art of Cinematography to develop an awareness of how the Camera Movements can be used to stimulate, mimic or express emotion.



 TASK: Discuss the Camera Movement strategies you might employ to cover the following:

 An out of body experience

Creating a sense of uneasiness or danger

 Overcoming an obstacle

Creating a feeling of surprise or shock

Creating tension

Emotional fragility

 Emotional epic or expansiveness

 Changing the emotional direction of a scene

 Have a look at the video below that will explain some of the creative strategies that you could use to cover these type of emotional responses.