For Unit 30- Camera & Lighting Techniques, I was required to display an understanding of the Rembrandt, Butterfly and Rim/Edge lighting techniques; showing a instructions on how to achieve these and short demonstrations of each of these techniques.
Obviously health and safety precautions were respected to ensure the safety of all stakeholders of was maintained.
In the photography studio, various health and safety standards had to be abided. One of these ensuring that before moving the lights, that they were off and cool to avoid blinding and/or burning anyone affected by the production.
We also ensured that cables and leads either taped or out of the way to reduce the tripping hazard caused by them.
In addition to this we also made sure that even in a darkened photography studio room, that the exits were clearly visible. This allowed us to stay alert in the of case of a fire breaking out in the college.
The last health and safety precaution we took in the studio was making sure that the actors/actresses in front of the lights and cameras stayed adequately hydrated. Being in front of the lights exposes them to higher, more concentrated heat and thus could have lead to dehydration. To counter this, we had drinks and water readily available for anyone to drink in the studio.
Outside the studio, the public also becomes a stakeholder in the production, and thus their health and safety must also be taken into account. To ensure their safety precautions we took included having to be more aware of the public. For example when we recorded in public as a group, we would have one person who would be the designated 'lookout' for incoming pedestrians, alerting the rest of the group or kindly warning the people that filming is taken place at this location.
Lastly when capturing tracking or handheld shots, the camera-person's view becomes limited. This is not safe as the camera-person will not be able to see where they are going; potentially injuring others or themselves. To counter act this problem, we would delegate the task of being the hypothetical 'eyes' of the camera-person to someone else within the group.
Showing posts with label Unit 30- Camera & Lighting Techniques. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Unit 30- Camera & Lighting Techniques. Show all posts
Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Friday, 10 February 2017
Edge/Rim Lighting Footage
This is my example on Edge/Rim lighting. Edge/Rim Lighting is technique used to draw the subject away from the background, offering a sense of depth and dimension. This edge/rim lighting technique was achieved by having the main light being assisted by two fill lights/reflectors set up in a 'triangle formation. To improve on this work, next time I would use two of the same types of fill light. For this footage, I used a main light, a reflector and a dimmed light because I did not have enough of the same equipment, and I was unable to rectify this mistake because of a time restraint I was attempting to adhere to.
Butterfly Lighting Footage
Rembrandt Lighting Footage
This is my example on Rembrandt lighting. I have attempted to comply with the two basic principles associated with this lighting technique; ensuring that lighting is captured on one side of the face, thus producing a chiaroscuro (a triangular area of light; no wider than the eye and no longer than the nose, thats produced through shadows).
I achieved this by positioning the camera directly in front of my subject, with a light source angled at around 45°, with a reflector key light adjacent to the light source, to slightly illuminate some shadowed area.
Wednesday, 14 December 2016
Experimental Filming- Opening Doors
Today; as part of my task, I was required to make a short film; the theme being opening doors, and turning it into something creative. I instead chose to take a slightly different approach from the ordinary thought of someone opening a door. Instead I opted for using 'opening doors' as more of a metaphor rather than an actually action.
My short film details a few hours in the life of a drug user who relies on his marijuana cigarettes as a 'key' to 'unlock' his mind. Below is my finished production.
My short film details a few hours in the life of a drug user who relies on his marijuana cigarettes as a 'key' to 'unlock' his mind. Below is my finished production.
In my short film, I have intentionally left several instances in which audiences may pick up the way in which the drug user's mindset is set up. More active audiences should be able to achieve the preferred reading.
The first occasion this occurs at is 11 seconds in, when the first first-person scene is shown; allowing the audience to empathise with the drug user by showing them the world from his perspective. To reiterate this point, the background behind the 'spliff' is not in focus. This was done to draw attention towards the drug user's 'key' and signify his obsession.
The next instance occurs at 34 seconds when the film displays the first in-colour shot. Prior to smoking the 'joint' the video is displayed in black and white, however once the effects of cannabis begin to set in on the drug user, 'his' world becomes colourful.
The last observation to be made is that in the video the only shots displayed in colour are also in first-person. I deliberately did this because it is an experience that is only felt by the drug user and so I felt this had to be transcended in a manner in which could still be experienced by the audience.
Wednesday, 7 December 2016
How Meaning is Constructed in Film through Analysis of Visual Signification- Lighting in Horror
Meaning is constructed in film through visual significance through a number of methods and techniques. These include Lighting, Mise-en-scene, Representation, Actors/Actress, etc.
Lighting in Horror
Lighting is one of the easiest, yet most useful techniques utilised to construct meaning in film. An example of this is the contrast in lighting between different genres. Take horror films for example, where as this genre conventions detail that lighting should be dark, with use of shadows to connote a sense of danger and fear. On the other hand, a more mellow genre such as comedy, would prefer to implement a brighter lighting to set a more relaxed, humorous mood. 2 supporting examples to back up this theory can be seen below. The use of low-key lighting techniques could be said to represent a Freudian need to repress the Id or signify that there is an aspect of the villains personality that is evil.
In this official movie trailer for 'SAW II' (2005), clear use of high contrast lighting and shadows are present within the first 10 seconds of the video clip. Used to set an eerie atmosphere; a technique used consistently throughout the horror genre.
Similarly in the movie trailer for a more contemporary text, 'Annabelle 2' (2017), even as early as the first scene, the establishing scene is set to low brightness to give the preferred reading of darkness and evil. Shadows are then utilised in the establishing shot; the next scene inside the house to set an terrifying atmosphere.
Lighting in Horror
Lighting is one of the easiest, yet most useful techniques utilised to construct meaning in film. An example of this is the contrast in lighting between different genres. Take horror films for example, where as this genre conventions detail that lighting should be dark, with use of shadows to connote a sense of danger and fear. On the other hand, a more mellow genre such as comedy, would prefer to implement a brighter lighting to set a more relaxed, humorous mood. 2 supporting examples to back up this theory can be seen below. The use of low-key lighting techniques could be said to represent a Freudian need to repress the Id or signify that there is an aspect of the villains personality that is evil.
Similarly in the movie trailer for a more contemporary text, 'Annabelle 2' (2017), even as early as the first scene, the establishing scene is set to low brightness to give the preferred reading of darkness and evil. Shadows are then utilised in the establishing shot; the next scene inside the house to set an terrifying atmosphere.
Friday, 25 November 2016
Operating Camera Equipment Safely
During the task of exploring Riversley Park, Nuneaton and capturing and displaying different camera shots; along with their uses and applications within the real world, it was important for photographers to make sure the camera equipment was being operated safely. This includes procedures to ensure that the health and safety of everyone involved (Photographers, models, and bystanders) were respected, equipment was not damaged or stolen, etc).
One procedure that we made sure to follow, was the the equipment at no moment of time was to be left unsupervised and unattended. This procedure was one that we considered crucially important to guard against theft attempts from strangers. Between the 5 members that made up the group, we were able to delegate roles within the group so tasks were not left uncompleted. 1 of the 5 in the group were drafted the task of watching the camera equipment.
Another procedure that we were careful to follow was ensuring the bystanders' health and safety was respected. One way in which we maintained this standard, was by ensuring that camera equipment such as tripods were not impeding the paths of pedestrians; thus minimising the risk of damage to the camera equipment and the risk of injuries to bystanders through faults of our own. Another less significant procedure we followed, was attempting to take shots away from the public, this wass mainly done to avoid capturing bystanders and pedestrians in our footage, but another reason was the camera flash can be blinding to unsuspecting victims and could be further agitating for people who suffer from conditions such as seizures. Directing the camera flash away from people enabled us to have more freedom in how we captured our footage without the limitations that may have constricted the laissez faire mentality we utilised for our task.
One procedure that we made sure to follow, was the the equipment at no moment of time was to be left unsupervised and unattended. This procedure was one that we considered crucially important to guard against theft attempts from strangers. Between the 5 members that made up the group, we were able to delegate roles within the group so tasks were not left uncompleted. 1 of the 5 in the group were drafted the task of watching the camera equipment.
Another procedure that we were careful to follow was ensuring the bystanders' health and safety was respected. One way in which we maintained this standard, was by ensuring that camera equipment such as tripods were not impeding the paths of pedestrians; thus minimising the risk of damage to the camera equipment and the risk of injuries to bystanders through faults of our own. Another less significant procedure we followed, was attempting to take shots away from the public, this wass mainly done to avoid capturing bystanders and pedestrians in our footage, but another reason was the camera flash can be blinding to unsuspecting victims and could be further agitating for people who suffer from conditions such as seizures. Directing the camera flash away from people enabled us to have more freedom in how we captured our footage without the limitations that may have constricted the laissez faire mentality we utilised for our task.
Tuesday, 22 November 2016
Butterfly Lighting
Butterfly lighting (also known as 'Paramount lighting') is yet another basic camera lighting applied to the work of cinephiles and photography-enthusiast. The butterfly lighting technique consists of just one main light that is pointed directly straight ahead at its subject, raised just high enough to create a downwards shadow on the subject.
The butterfly lighting technique is a renown camera lighting setup in the field of high-fashion and glamour photography.The name 'butterfly' stems from the butterfly-like shadow thats created on the underside of the model's nose.
On occasion, photographers using this lighting technique augment a fill light/reflector just in front of the subject, underneath the camera's field of view. This is usually done because capturing images of models from high angles often darkens the light around the subject's eyes. The fill light/reflector bounces some light into the subject's eyes to produce a higher quality image.
The butterfly lighting technique is a renown camera lighting setup in the field of high-fashion and glamour photography.The name 'butterfly' stems from the butterfly-like shadow thats created on the underside of the model's nose.
On occasion, photographers using this lighting technique augment a fill light/reflector just in front of the subject, underneath the camera's field of view. This is usually done because capturing images of models from high angles often darkens the light around the subject's eyes. The fill light/reflector bounces some light into the subject's eyes to produce a higher quality image.
Tuesday, 15 November 2016
Edge Lighting
Edge Lighting, or Rim Lighting as it is also known as in photography and film terminology, is another basic lighting setup. Edge Lighting is lighting placed on a subject which gives the appearance of a light outline. This lighting setup offers a sense of depth and dimension to what is being captured by pulling the subject apart from the background.
Edge Lighting is achieved by setting up the lights in a 'triangle formation', with the main light being assisted by two fill lights/reflectors. This results in an image being captured, where the subject appears separate to the background surrounding it/them. This is especially useful in instances where the camera-person wants the audiences focus to be drawn to the subject. An example of edge lighting application in use in the real world can typically found in perfume posters/billboards.
In this image of Chanel's marketing campaign for their popular 'Bleu de Chanel' line features a close up of model Gaspard Ulliel, with edge lighting being utilised to draw the audience's attention away from the insignificant background, and pull their focus towards the subjects; the perfume bottle and the model's swagger.
In this image of Chanel's marketing campaign for their popular 'Bleu de Chanel' line features a close up of model Gaspard Ulliel, with edge lighting being utilised to draw the audience's attention away from the insignificant background, and pull their focus towards the subjects; the perfume bottle and the model's swagger.
Thursday, 10 November 2016
Rembrandt Lighting
Rembrandt Lighting is just one of the known basic lighting setups used by photographers. Named after the famous Dutch painter; Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, who was widely recognised for his consistent use with this type of lighting.
There are 2 key principles that Rembrandt lighting complies by. One of these is lighting on one side of the face; which in turn produces a shadow on the other side of the subjects face, and a triangular area of lighting often labeled a 'triangle shadow' or a 'chiaroscuro' as it is more commonly known by photography enthusiast. With 'true' Rembrandt lighting the chiaroscuro should be no wider than the eye, whilst the length should be limited to the size of the nose.
Occasionally, a reflector or a dimmed light source operating at lower power may be implemented to slightly illuminate dark shadows surrounding the subjects face.. This is labeled as the 'key light' in photography terminology.
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
4 Key Factors of Aperture
F-Stop
The aperture is responsible for controlling exactly how much light is allowed to enter the camera lens. Aperture has a direct affect on the depth of view of a image. Altering the F-Stop will impact on the depth of field of the final image/film. A lower F-Stop will allow more light to enter the camera lens, which results in a more shallow depth of field; whereas, a higher F-Stop will allow less light to enter the camera lens, which results in a wider depth of field.
Focal Length
The focal length refers to the size of the camera lens. A longer the focal length (Telephoto) results in less scenery being captured. This camera lens is especially useful in instances when the photographer wants to capture an image that draws the audience's attention to a certain aspect; for example, if a director is trying to point the audience's focus to two characters engaging in a conversation, a telephoto lens would be the first choice pick.
Alternatively film makers may also choose to use a wide angle lens when trying to acquire panorama-styled footage. This enables more of the scenery to be presented to the audience. This is especially useful in scenes shot with establishing shots, where more landscape footage is preferred.
Focal Distance
In its simplest definition, the focal distance is the space between a photographer/film maker's camera and his subject (The person/object he is acquiring footage of).
Physical Depth
Physical depth is the space between to subjects that be captured as the depth of field in an image/recording. In order to see the effects of Depth of Field, there will need to be some physical depth behind the subject.
The aperture is responsible for controlling exactly how much light is allowed to enter the camera lens. Aperture has a direct affect on the depth of view of a image. Altering the F-Stop will impact on the depth of field of the final image/film. A lower F-Stop will allow more light to enter the camera lens, which results in a more shallow depth of field; whereas, a higher F-Stop will allow less light to enter the camera lens, which results in a wider depth of field.
Focal Length
The focal length refers to the size of the camera lens. A longer the focal length (Telephoto) results in less scenery being captured. This camera lens is especially useful in instances when the photographer wants to capture an image that draws the audience's attention to a certain aspect; for example, if a director is trying to point the audience's focus to two characters engaging in a conversation, a telephoto lens would be the first choice pick.
Alternatively film makers may also choose to use a wide angle lens when trying to acquire panorama-styled footage. This enables more of the scenery to be presented to the audience. This is especially useful in scenes shot with establishing shots, where more landscape footage is preferred.
Focal Distance
In its simplest definition, the focal distance is the space between a photographer/film maker's camera and his subject (The person/object he is acquiring footage of).
Physical Depth
Physical depth is the space between to subjects that be captured as the depth of field in an image/recording. In order to see the effects of Depth of Field, there will need to be some physical depth behind the subject.
Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Henri Decaë's Signature Filming Style
Fluid panning and tracking shots were a signature trait of the legendary French New Wave cinematographer: Henri Decaë. I could incorporate Henri Decaë's filming techniques in my own French New Wave project; adopting and adapting them to explore my own filming style.
Page 201
Monday, 26 September 2016
Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed
As part of the lesson, today we explored different camera techniques to achieve different outcomes. For example, the shutter speed on a camera is used to control the amount of time in which the camera lens is exposed to light. However, modifying the speed of the shutter speed directly affects the motion blur of the final image; a faster shutter speed will result in a more stable film/image, whilst a slower shutter speed will result in more motion blur being present. Today I experimented with shutter speed, aperture and ISO.
The aperture is responsible for exactly how much light enters the camera lens. Altering the F-Stop will impact on the depth of field of the final image/film. A lower F-Stop will allow more light to enter the camera lens, which results in a more shallow depth of field; whereas, a higher F-Stop will allow less light to enter the camera lens, which results in a wider depth of field.
ISO measures the sensitivity of a film, to lighting. Altering the ISO will impact the lighting of the final image/film. Having the ISO set to a lower value (i.e. 100) ensures that the grain is kept to a minimal, thus resulting in a higher quality for the final product. Increasing the ISO to a larger number (i.e. 1500) enables the user to capture more lighting within their production, however, sacrifices the quality of the image to do so as higher grain will be evident.
A short video that displays my experimentation with different camera techniques can be found embedded below...
Taking part in this activity allowed me to develop my camera techniques; I am now confident that I am able to sacrifice one of these three features (ISO, Shutter speed or Aperture) and still be able to achieve adequate
The aperture is responsible for exactly how much light enters the camera lens. Altering the F-Stop will impact on the depth of field of the final image/film. A lower F-Stop will allow more light to enter the camera lens, which results in a more shallow depth of field; whereas, a higher F-Stop will allow less light to enter the camera lens, which results in a wider depth of field.
ISO measures the sensitivity of a film, to lighting. Altering the ISO will impact the lighting of the final image/film. Having the ISO set to a lower value (i.e. 100) ensures that the grain is kept to a minimal, thus resulting in a higher quality for the final product. Increasing the ISO to a larger number (i.e. 1500) enables the user to capture more lighting within their production, however, sacrifices the quality of the image to do so as higher grain will be evident.
A short video that displays my experimentation with different camera techniques can be found embedded below...
Taking part in this activity allowed me to develop my camera techniques; I am now confident that I am able to sacrifice one of these three features (ISO, Shutter speed or Aperture) and still be able to achieve adequate
Friday, 23 September 2016
Shutter Speed
The shutter speed is responsible for how much light manages to enter the camera lens. This is done by a shutter that slams shut within a pre-set time, disallowing anymore light to enter the lens. The more time that is pre-set by the user for the shutter to shut, will mean more light for the image; however because the image is exposed to light for a longer period of time, the photographer may find that objects/people in motion during the time the image was taken will experience motion blur. For my experimentation on shutter speed, I needed a subject that would be in motion over a short distance; knowing this I chose to take still images of cars driving by a street.
In my first example, I chose a slower shutter speed (1/30th of a second). The results I would expect to see would be the a car that would be difficult to decode the features of due to the motion blur. Below is the image of my first test.
Although the car in this image appears to be slightly less motion blurred, there is more motion blur than I had expected. This anomaly may have been caused by certain errors that I hadn't compensated for. One of these may be that the car in this image may have been travelling at faster speed than in the image before, causing more motion blur. Another reason might be that the difference in car shapes; a side effect of this 'Ford Fiesta' having a longer shape may be that there is a larger surface area in motion to cause a motion blur. Another error that may have contributed to this anomaly is the shaking effect that may have occurred due to operating the camera by hand. If I was to improve on these mistakes, firstly I would ensure that the car I am using as my subject, is travelling at a pre-set speed for all three tests when the image is taken (i.e. Having the driver of the car travel at 20 mph whilst the tests is being carried out). Additionally, next time I could carry out these tests using the exact same subject to eliminate errors that might be caused by differences in the drivers/cars (i.e. Getting the same person to drive the same car). Lastly, to minimize the errors, next time I would make use of a stationary tripod to ensure that the camera is stabilized , and thus will eliminate the risk of unstable hands affecting the final image. This would work especially well, in videos where the camera is required to pan in a stable manner.
For my third and final example, I chose to again increase the shutter speed of the camera to a relatively fast rate (1/100th of a second). The results I would be expecting to see from my final test would be a crisp image with minimal signs of motion blur. Similar to a freeze-frame.
Just as I has previously predicted, due to the shortened time span the shutter was allowed to remain open for; disallowing as much light to enter the camera lens, the car in motion in this image is not noticeably motion blurred.
During the process of carrying out these tests, I feel that I was able to partially familiarize myself with balancing the aperture, ISO and shutter speed to aid me in achieving the type of image I am looking to capture. I am now more confident in sacrificing one of these three features; whether it be to lower the ISO to reduce grain, thus adjusting the shutter speed and aperture to achieve adequate exposure, or slowing down the shutter speed to increase motion blur, I believe I am now comfortable enough adjusting the settings to suit the image I am after.
In my first example, I chose a slower shutter speed (1/30th of a second). The results I would expect to see would be the a car that would be difficult to decode the features of due to the motion blur. Below is the image of my first test.
Just as I has previously predicted, due to the elongated time span the shutter was allowed to remain open for; allowing light to enter the camera lens, the 'Ford KA' in motion in this image is motion blurred.
In my second example, I chose to increase the shutter speed to a relatively normal rate (1/50th of a second). The results I am expecting to see is virtually the same image of a car driving pass, in the street, motion blurred. Below is the image of my second test.
Although the car in this image appears to be slightly less motion blurred, there is more motion blur than I had expected. This anomaly may have been caused by certain errors that I hadn't compensated for. One of these may be that the car in this image may have been travelling at faster speed than in the image before, causing more motion blur. Another reason might be that the difference in car shapes; a side effect of this 'Ford Fiesta' having a longer shape may be that there is a larger surface area in motion to cause a motion blur. Another error that may have contributed to this anomaly is the shaking effect that may have occurred due to operating the camera by hand. If I was to improve on these mistakes, firstly I would ensure that the car I am using as my subject, is travelling at a pre-set speed for all three tests when the image is taken (i.e. Having the driver of the car travel at 20 mph whilst the tests is being carried out). Additionally, next time I could carry out these tests using the exact same subject to eliminate errors that might be caused by differences in the drivers/cars (i.e. Getting the same person to drive the same car). Lastly, to minimize the errors, next time I would make use of a stationary tripod to ensure that the camera is stabilized , and thus will eliminate the risk of unstable hands affecting the final image. This would work especially well, in videos where the camera is required to pan in a stable manner.
For my third and final example, I chose to again increase the shutter speed of the camera to a relatively fast rate (1/100th of a second). The results I would be expecting to see from my final test would be a crisp image with minimal signs of motion blur. Similar to a freeze-frame.
Just as I has previously predicted, due to the shortened time span the shutter was allowed to remain open for; disallowing as much light to enter the camera lens, the car in motion in this image is not noticeably motion blurred.
During the process of carrying out these tests, I feel that I was able to partially familiarize myself with balancing the aperture, ISO and shutter speed to aid me in achieving the type of image I am looking to capture. I am now more confident in sacrificing one of these three features; whether it be to lower the ISO to reduce grain, thus adjusting the shutter speed and aperture to achieve adequate exposure, or slowing down the shutter speed to increase motion blur, I believe I am now comfortable enough adjusting the settings to suit the image I am after.
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