Camera and Lighting Techniques

When controlling a camera it is important to consider the amount of light you want to enter the lens and also the method that it does so, this is referred to as exposure. There are three elements that affect the exposure: ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed. 

The ISO controls how sensitive the camera is to light, the Aperture controls the size of the hole therefore affecting how much light enters the camera at a given time and the Shutter Speed refers to the amount of time the lens is open for when capturing film. 

These three variables are easily adaptable to suit the environment of which you are shooting and are incredibly fundamental to the overall quality of the image produced. For instance, if you are shooting something outside where it is over exposed it is essential to choose a very low ISO of either 200 or 100 to ensure that the image captured isn't too bright and that you capture the depth and shadow produced. This would the opposite however for shooting something inside as the lighting wouldn't be as bright therefore you may need to increase the ISO to the maximum amount to ensure that the image is exposed enough to produce a clear image. 

Understanding of ISO

For this long/pan shot I used ISO 100 to ensure that the lighting wasn't over exposed and to minimise the appearance of noise that a high ISO could produce. I faced some difficulties with the exposure when the sun was more prominent as it affected the clarity of the shot, therefore this shot required numerous takes before this was achieved. To improve my shot I would adjust the focus on the lens as the image produced isn't perfectly clear therefore I need to ensure that I have a point of focus to work with before I begin shooting to be in control of this for the duration of the shot.

Pulled focus refers to a shot in which the subject of focus changes within the same shot. It is a creative camera technique often used in films to emphasise the focus of a certain subject or object within the shot. It is often used to control the viewer's attention by making other things within mise en scene appear blurry so the focus is on one subject alone. For example if there is more than one person present in the shot one of them may be in complete focus while the other person isn't, we can clearly observe details of the person's face  who is in focus which helps us to form meaning from what we are viewing whereas the person who is out of person now appears unimportant. If the focus then switches within the same shot to the other person and now the roles are reversed, we see them in focus but the other person has now faded in to the background, then our attention again shifts to fit what we are being shown. 

When recreating a pulled focus I had to consider aperture as this is essential to being able to successfully achieve this shot. I used a low aperture and low ISO because I was shooting outside in natural lighting and the sun was particularly overpowering on this day therefore it was more difficult to control the exposure of the shot. I started off by focusing on the tree and then moved the focus to the windows in the background of the shot. To improve this shot I would have liked to attempt this people being the subject of the shot to have more of an emphasis on the affect of the pulled focus or even playing around with different angles and types of lighting to see how this impacts the overall image. 

Lighting Setups 

Rembrandt 

Rembrandt lighting refers to the small triangle of light that appears beneath the subjects eye and on the their cheek and is often used in mainstream media for portraits as it is thought to be one of those most flattering lighting set ups. To achieve this the subject must have their cheek facing the light source.  The correct set up is as shown on the right, the subject sits directly opposite the camera and the key light must be facing the subjects cheek in order for this to be achieved. Below is an example of my attempt of Rembrandt lighting which didn't turn out as well as I would have hoped. I followed the set up as shown in the diagram but the triangle under the eye isn't as striking as it should be. Therefore, if I were to do this again I would adjust the angle of the key light to make it more of a 45 degree angle. 

Butterfly Lighting


Butterfly lighting is also another flattering form of lighting favoured by the mainstream media i.e Hollywood. It creates shadows under the subjects face which should appear most notable underneath the nose so it resembles the form of a butterfly. This style of lighting is achieved by using a key light to face the directly face the subject but also adjusting the height slightly so a shadow is formed. Below is my attempt of Butterfly lighting which was unsuccessful as I did not manage to get much of a shadow beneath the subjects nose. In order to to achieve this if I was to reshoot this I would try increasing the height of the fill lightly slightly more and introducing a reflector below the edge of the frame to spread the light more. 





Edge Lighting 

Edge lighting is achieved by using one light source entirely. The light is placed at a 90 degree angle to the face to illuminate one side and create a strong contrast of shadow on the other half so the face appears "split" in to two different components of light. This style of lighting is often used in film noir because the strong contrast between light and dark can be a symbol of good and bad and shadows are often used throughout film noir as it is a favoured stylistic technique of the genre. My example of edge lighting is demonstrated as below. I believe out of all the lighting set ups this is the one I was able to achieve the best results for because only one light is involved which makes the process easier and there is a definitive contrast between the half of the subject's face that is facing the light and the side that is not. 

Low Key Lighting 
Low key lighting is a type of lighting which aims to create shadows and sharp contrasts. This is achieved by using "hard lights". Low key lighting is often used in film to create a certain tone or mood and can be used to isolate a subject for dramatic effect. It is often used in the horror genre because it can create a feeling of deep unease within the viewer and places emphasis on the subject alone rather than other things within the mise-en-scene. Below is an example of a set up that would be commonly used to achieve the effect of low-key lighting. 

High Key Lighting 

High key lighting produces an image with lighter tones, often times white and with very minimal shadows. It is used in film to create a more lighthearted and positive atmosphere and also can produce a sense of calm depending on the image. High key lighting is the opposite to low key lighting so their effects on image are equally as different. If there are multiple subjects in the frame they are often all evenly lit to achieve the full dramatic effect that high key lighting can achieve given the circumstances for its use. 

Understanding of Aperture 

Aperture refers to the opening of a lens. When you press the shutter on a camera it allows your camera to have a glimpse of the shot you are about to take. The aperture controls how much light will be in the shot, for instance a large aperture is created by a large opening in the lens which allows more light in to the shot and the opposite is said for a small aperture which creates a small opening in the lens therefore allowing less light in to the shot. Depth of field is also affected by aperture as it controls how much of the scene is in focus. For instance when capturing a shot of a landscape you would need to use a higher aperture of around F.22 in order to ensure that most of the image is in shot and would allow for details such as flowers or trees to be in focus which add to the overall quality of the image. Therefore the opposite can be applied to a shot where the focus is small, perhaps a small object on a table, a lower aperture would be needed to create this to distinguish the difference between the subject and the background and make it more prominent. 

Demonstration of Aperture F2.8

Demonstration of Aperture F16 

Understanding of Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is controlled by the shutter and it refers to the amount of time that the camera shutter is open for which control the exposure of light on to the camera sensor. To put it more simply, it's how long a camera takes to produce a photo upon the click of the shutter button. If you use a longer shutter speed your camera lens will be exposed to the image for longer meaning that it is able to capture more detail. A longer shutter speed will produce motion blur if you are capturing a moving object. This is often used in ads for cars because it communicates to the viewer the speed/motion of the car with the motion blur it produces meaning it is too fast for the camera to capture. A slow shutter speed is often used when taking photos of landscapes because the majority of the picture remains in sharp focus whilst maintaining a sense of motion of something such as a river. Photographers may choose to use a fats shutter speed when capturing an animal because it essentially allows them to freeze a second in time and doesn't produce motion blur.

Below is a diagram of what type of motion blur different shutter speed settings would produce.

Examples of shutter speed 

4 Hour Film Challenge

Task Brief and Planning

The criteria we were given for the 4 hour film challenge was as shown above (left). It gave us an outline of the basic features we had to include and from that we developed our ideas in the planning session and came up with our main theme/idea to base our film around. 

In total we spent about 30 minutes planning, 1 hour filming and 1 hour and 30 minutes to edit which brought our total of time spent on the task at around 3 hours/3 hours 3o minutes.  

On the right is the plan we put together to organise our ideas and decide what we wanted to achieve as a group. Our final concept was surrounding the use of windows to portray the theme of isolation and a sense of being trapped inside and observing the world from this perspective. We also played around with the idea that the "individual" behind the camera is a ghost who is stuck in the past, living through nostalgia and cannot move on from this state which will be reflected by our choice of music. 

In order to incorporate a range of camera and lighting techniques we will make sure to include examples of both high key and low key lighting to reflect the highs and lows of the individual as they reflect on their past.

Evaluation 

I think our film was relatively successful in sticking to the plan and reflecting the story we wanted to tell through the shots that we filmed. In particular I think we used good examples of both low key and high key lighting which represent the tone of the film and the themes of entrapment and the ups and downs an individual may experience in their own mind, as we wanted to be able to demonstrate the individual's entrapment both physically and mentally. 

The use of vintage/retro jazz music playing throughout the film a nostalgic feel to the film which could be interpreted in a number of ways such as that the film was filmed in the past or perhaps that the individual is more mature and therefore when they are reflecting on their memories this is the music that they associate it with. I think the vintage/retro feel of the music definitely reinforces the sense of reflection on something in the past whilst also adding an eerie tone because it is not necessarily a comforting sound to someone who isn't familiar with the song because they can't relate to it on a personal level like the individual in the film does. The use of windows is effective in this sense because it acts as a symbol of their inability to interact with the world around them and the isolation that comes with that realisation. 

To improve our film I believe we could have developed even further on the lines of entrapment for instance we could have shown a fist thumping on the window or pushing at the window to actually physically show the individual attempting to escape but being unable to. This would have further developed the reasoning behind why the individual is trapped if we are exposed to the force that is preventing them from being free. We could have even shown the individual through the use of shadows or even playing around with different angles such as low angle which would still keep the identity of the individual anonymous because I think the fact that the identity of the individual is not revealed keeps the film's eerie tone. 

Another thing that we could have improved on is the use of sound because there isn't any other sounds other than the music that is playing throughout the film. I think if we switched between diegetic and non-diegetic sounds it could have added an interesting element to the film through the use of sounds like footsteps or voices it would make it more difficult to distinguish what sounds are real and what sounds are not. 

During editing we did have to use the "warp stabiliser" tool as some of the footage was a bit shaky due to not having  access to a trip-pod on the day of filming. However, I don't think this affected the overall appearance of the film and the effects such as overlaying other clips and playing around with the opacity added a more interesting element to the appearance of the film. In the future we could also further our use of editing techniques to see what different techniques we could use to effectively illustrate camera and lighting techniques. 

Contextual Studies - Easy Rider Clip

Contextual Studies - Easy Rider Clip

The clip begins with a medium shot, the four characters in the scene are intoxicated and we witness them sharing alcohol, cigarettes and pills. There is little dialogue between the characters although the audience are aware of a relationship between them from the intimacy shown between the male and female characters. This use of medium shot allows the audience to have a more intimate view of the characters, we are close enough to observe details such as facial expressions and body language whilst also taking in part of the location in which the scene is taking place. The juxtaposition of the tone at this point is reflected through this beginning shot which allows the audience to observe the interaction with the characters in the form of a casual conversation however, with the addition of substances taken by the characters we can already foreshadow that the mood may take a dramatic turn. 

Throughout the entire clip we hear a constant droning machine type noise which adds to the unusual psychedelic atmosphere. This noise is presumably diagetic although it could be interpreted as internal diagetic as none of the characters acknowledge the noise therefore it is unclear whether the noise was simply due to something such as construction or whether it may be a reflection of the fragility of their mental stability throughout the clip due to consumption of LSD. Regardless of this, it's important to note that this does have a direct effect on building tension in the scene and adds to the already erratic and claustrophobic tone that has been created. This could also be representative of the effect of LSD which makes the characters act in a way which appears to consume them in their own emotions. the use of jump cuts also illustrates this as we can see the emotional torment the characters are experiencing through their facial expressions. 

The use of 360 degree pan makes the camera appear as though it is spinning which again relates back to the subject of being intoxicated while also adding a sense of instability.  As the clip continues we are introduced to another female who appears to be reciting a biblical verse/prayer; this a reminder to the audience of the unforgivable environment that this mania is taking place in. We see one of the female characters taking off her clothes and later lying across a gravestone naked, the vulnerability of her naked body insinuates that she has lost control of herself and is therefore engaging in risky behaviour as a result of substance abuse. Audiences in 1969 would have been completely shocked by such behaviour much like a modern audience would be however with religion playing a more dominant part in society at the time it would have been viewed as incredibly shameful. 

Planning/Things to add 

Themes to discuss and relate to shot etc: sex and drugs - losing control, attitudes in the 60's and how it relates to the new wave and breaking down boundaries in cinema

Begins with a medium shot - characters are intoxicated, we see them sharing alcohol, cigarettes and pills, there is little dialogue between the characters although the audience are aware of a relationship between the characters from the intimacy shown between the male and female characters. A medium shot is more intimate and follows the structure of a casual conversation, we are close enough to see facial expressions of characters and interpret body language, we can also see a partial view of the background, so we are able to take in brief details about the location in which the shot is taking place which adds to the meaning

tilt shot

jump cuts - we can see the emotional torment of the characters from their distressed facial expressions and them crying out in disjointed sentences - their words make very little sense

use of zoom and snap zoom - the snap zoom on the sun and the bright light that covers the screen could be representative of the effects of LSD - colours are brighter therefore the sun could seem almost ominous/powerful with its brightness - LSD is reportedly supposed to make the user view things from an entirely different perspective therefore something as simple as the sun could be viewed in a completely twisted sense of its reality.

improvisational style in relation to acting and dialogue

Wider context:

"Easy Rider...a ritualistic experience and viewed often by youthful audience in the late 1960's as a reflection of their realistic hopes of liberation and fears of the establishment."

source = www.filmsite.org/easy.html     date accessed: 21/09/18