Shutter Speed

The Shutter Speed function, is what determines the length of time in which the camera's sensor is exposed to the available light source. Hence, the longer the shutter is open, the greater amount of time the sensor has to gather light. In low-light settings a longer shutter speed is typically required to ensure correct exposure, by allowing more light to reach the camera sensor.

Often, shutter speed and frame rate are referred to in the same context, however, the frame rate indicates how many frames are captured per second, whereas the shutter speed simply refers to the amount of time in which a single frame is exposed for.

One of the major influences on the sharpness of an image, is based on camera shake and the subject's movement (Slyvan 2012). This means that a lower shutter speed is allowing more light from the subject into the camera, therefore their movement may appear less sharp, or may even produce blur. A greater shutter speed will produce less blur and capture more sharply.

In my own examples, I used two different shutter speed settings. the first video was shot using a shutter speed of 50, whilst the other one was set at 125.






Overall there is a visual difference between the two shots, particularly in terms of clarity. The first shot does not depict each feature of the water and its movement so explicitly, whereas the following clip shows greater detail and sharpness.

As I was adjusting the shutter speed, I had to ensure that each video was exposed correctly, therefore altered the ISO and aperture settings accordingly.

Reference List:
SLYVAN, R. (2012) Nikon D3200: From Snapshots To Great Shots. San Francisco: Peachpit Press.

Art Foundation Shoot - Reflection and Health and Safety

In order to authentically portray the range of artwork, I ensured that I'd captured a range of shots, involving various camera techniques and styles, in order to show the individuality and striking diversity that each piece offers. This way, I would be able to present the visual aspect of the work, as well as conveying a sense of the conceptual essence.

I used a zoom lens, to get a larger aperture and compensate for the low light available indoors. this also provided me with an opportunity to explore with focus techniques and the use of a shallow depth of field, to really focus upon a single focal point. I also combined a range of pans, tilts, close ups and wide shots, in order to get a feel of the overall art space and the separate creations.

When filming in the Art Studio, there were many things that I had to consider in regards to health and safety.

Potential risk hazards include the floor conditions, any spillages or materials that may pose a risk of slipping or damaging equipment must be dealt with correctly. Hence, I ensured that nothing was in the way of myself and the camera set-up before conducting my shoot.

Similarly, when using the tripod I had to check that it was positioned in such a way that it would not become an obstruction to anybody within their personal or work space. In addition, I ensured that the tripod I was using was not going to fall and potentially cause any breakages.

Art Foundation Shoot

Daisies 1966

Directed by Vera Chytilova, 'Daisies' is an illustration of surrealist cinematography, which encapsulates a subtle sense of social critique, presenting the counterculture of the Czech New Wave movement, by presenting two female leads that elicit radical disobedience. The director herself referred to the two female leads with all their creativity and destructiveness, as “two sides of the same coin,” in an interview during the 2002 Prague on Film Festival in London. The film itself was banned, and director Chytilova was told she could not work until 1975.

"The overall effect is a dizzying kaleidoscope, as you can suddenly find yourself on a new set, as if by tilting your head" (BITTERNCOURT, 2012).

The constant fragmentation and alternation of the work, together with the visual intricacy of Kucera's camerawork, makes it extremely difficult to write about. Frequently, it can require a frame-by-frame analysis to determine precisely what is being projected onto the screen.

Chytilova's ultimate aim was to allow the spectator to derive their own meaning from the film, Rivette suggested that the two female protagonists are aspects of the same personality. Although this insightful interpretation offers an alternative view point, it holds no real relevance to the film itself. In the same way, there is no psychological link between the two, the only aspect of differentiation is the physical manifestation of each character.  

A pivotal scene is the first encounter within the girls room, which effectively illustrates an atmosphere of aimless boredom. We see the two characters are 'ready to be diverted by the slightest event' (HAMES, 2005). The conventional visual and aural sounds from the street, alludes to an unavoidable form of desolation which is unusually impactful.

Conversely, the scenes within the restaurant and nightclub are somewhat more straight forward to decipher, as opposed to those set in the confines of the room. The nightclub scene includes 'the films first set of coordinated effects' (HAMES, 2005). The use of filters in various exotic hues, corresponds to the ballet-like music and the incorporation of freeze frames, perfectly portray the fragmented rhythm. This particular technique offers a sense of time manipulation; what seems like an unceasing meal, is represented in a rather concise manner.

Reference List: 
HAMES, P. (2005) The Czechoslovak New Wave. Second Edition. London: Wallflower Press

BITTERNCOURT, E. (2012) 'Daisies'. Slant Magazine. [Online] (July) Available From: http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/daisies

RAPOLD, N. (2012) 'An Audience for Free Spirits in a Closed Society'. NYTimes. [Online] (June) Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/movies/daisies-from-the-czech-director-vera-chytilova-at-bam.html?_r=0

Music Video - Analysis Of Text

Although the layout of the video is relatively simple, as the layout remains the same in a studio performance set up, the overall edit effectively represents the feel of the music and the most striking aspect is the pace. Each shot is introduced in time to the audio, creating harmony between the audio, visual and lyrical elements.

Mise en scene costume, the red attire of the band is indicative towards the conceptual aspect; as red presents connotations of passion, the very choice of costume reinforces an expression of
their emotion and zeal towards music itself, contradicting the lyrical content; 'ban all the music'.
This also adds to the band identity, which is further enhanced by the fact that each band member is dressed in a similar manner, however they each have a distinctive style that reflects them on a more personal level.

The exposition of the sequence is built up by the gradual zoom, directed towards the singer. This draws the viewer in and alludes to
leads to the chorus in which the shots become much shorter, reflecting the pace of the audio.

A significant visual feature within the chorus section, are the concise pans that portray the tempo accurately, adding dynamic appeal with the swiftness of movement. They are also reinforced by the use of close ups, which utilise a shallow depth of field, directing the audience precisely towards the subject of focus and successfully holding their attention. This technique not only works in a visual sense, however it underpins the rhythm of the song. As Goodwin suggests these close ups are an expression of artistic portrayal, emphasising the band image and the overall performance.

As the intensity of the song increases, not only do the shots becomes quicker, the lighting also becomes more explicit. The transitions consist of flashing, which highlights the havoc that is occurring, creating a tense atmosphere and a vision of ambiguity.

This is complimented by the inversion of colour, which again alludes towards the unconventional happenings. By incorporating the use of handheld shots showing various angles and perspectives, the impact of the video becomes stronger and suggests a sense of unease.

The slow motion section of the sequence, visually represents the instrumental interval of the track and acts as a build up to the final chorus. In spite of the reduced pace of the shots, vigour is still maximised, which demonstrates that slower shots are just as effective as those that are faster, it simply depends on how they are utilised.

The overall editing has been conducted in such a way that the music is visually manifested in the video. Shots have been sharply merged to portray the rapidity of the audio, causing a significantly memorable montage of sequences. A distinct example of this appears in the final chorus, where the shattering of glass is featured on the first hit of the snare in that section.

The production, is an example of just how visual and audio are equally paramount factors in creating an effective piece of media when used well in correspondence.

Lighting - Studio Set-up

To achieve Edge Lighting, also referred to as Split Lighting, I used a single light source, positioned at a 90 degree angle from the subject. This resulted in low-key lighting, casting half of the subject into shadow and half into light. Producing dynamic and a high contrast. I also made use of panning, to offer a wider perspective of the overall shot.

In order to authentically create the effect of Rembrandt Lighting, it took a few attempts to get the positioning of the key light accurate enough to create the iconic triangle of light under the eye of the subject.I adjusted the height and angle accordingly, around 45 degrees from the subject. I was able to achieve the desired look, however I felt that the intensity of the lighting technique could have been improved in order to make the specific attributes much more conspicuous. To fix this, would simply require more practice and experimentation.



Whilst shooting in the studio, there were many things that I had to consider in terms of health and safety. First of all, I ensured that the tripod was set up correctly and not posing any harm by obstructing anything, or anyone, avoiding any potential for breakages.

Furthermore, when I was not not using the studio lights, I was sure to switch them of, allowing them to cool in order to prevent them from overheating and posing a potential risk hazard of injury by burning.

Lighting - Diffuser & Creating Shadows

Using diffusers allows the available light to be dispersed in an experimental manner, in this case, casting a visual array of light and shadow across the face of the subject. Also producing interesting shapes and structures that create a deep and intriguing contrast.

Lighting - High Key & Low Key

Light not only provides us with the ability to see an object or subject, it also adds to mood and ambience, offering various atmospheric elements. Both natural and artificial lighting is heavily responsible for giving visual depth and meaning in moving image, therefore I experimented with capturing a variety of scenes in different lighting situations, in an attempt to develop a better understanding of how to use light in the most effective way.

I looked at the use of a low light set-up and began by exploring the effect of natural light; although it may be predominantly associated with high-key lighting, I wanted to manipulate it in a way that would produce a nice contrast between high and low-lights.

For these videos, I made use of window frames and blinds, allowing them to cast shadows across the subjects, creating various shapes and manipulating the intensity of light, hence acting as a diffuser.
To add visual appeal, I also incorporated the use of rack focus, shifting the perspective and making use of the entire frame. Overall, quite a moody atmosphere was created, offering an alternative interpretation to these otherwise mundane objects.



In addition to this, I used a studio set-up to achieve low-light. By using a backlight as the predominant source of illumination, a somber and more dramatic ambience was conceived. The light was placed to the side of the subject, opposite the camera position. This created a distinct contrast, placing only half of the subject in illumination.






I then began to experiment with using natural light to create more high-key style lighting. Although it is a powerful light source, the way it is used will determine what kind of light is produced. Therefore, I chose to have the subject, or the object directly in the light, allowing them to be illumined to a higher extent. The colour that the light produces, is also a significant factor in affecting the overall ambience and in this instance, a warm tone has been constructed, as a result of the use of natural sunlight.

Czech New Wave

Following the Second World War, Czechoslovakia began to gain international recognition, when director Karel Stekly was awarded the Venice Grand Prix of 1947, for his film 'Sirena'. Within the 1950's Czechoslovakian cinema predominantly consisted of animated and puppet films, from the likes of Jiri Trnka and Karel Zeman. Therefore, the industry was relatively limited to only a certain, specialised area of filmmaking (HAMES, 2005).

The abrupt, rebellious flowering of cinematic accomplishment in the Czechoslovakia of the 1960's, was described at the time, as the 'Czech Film Miracle'. If the term ‘miracle’ referred here to the very existence of that audacious new cinema, it could perhaps also be applied to much of its content: the miraculous and marvellous are integral to the revelations of Surrealism, a movement that claimed the attention of numerous 1960s filmmakers. (OWEN, 2011)

The official social realist system encouraged the production of grossly distorted representations of actual life and actual history (HAMES 2005). Although a majority of films within the movement were swathed in a shroud of surrealism, the underlying essence was ultimately an opportunity to depict the realities of a communist regime. The symbolic elements were carefully depicted in an artistic manner, in an attempt to inconspicuously target those in power. As a result of these indirect illustrations, the productions went unnoticed during the peak of the movement, hence nurturing a counterculture. It wasn't until the depths of the new wave had been reached that the motives of the films were realised and were banned.

Reference List:
OWEN, J L. (2011) Avant-Garde to New Wave: Czechoslovak Cinema, Surrealism and the Sixties. New York: Berghahn Books.

HAMES, P. (2005) The Czechoslovak New Wave. Second Edition. London: Wallflower Press.

http://www.kinema.uwaterloo.ca/article.php?id=494&feature

Valerie & Her Week of Wonders (1970)

SCOVELL, A. (2015)


The film itself presents numerous parallels and dualities, highlighting the transformation from innocence into adulthood, depicted as some sort of a 'Freudian dreamscape' (SCOVELL, A).
In spite of the fairytale-like ambience that is created, the production is saturated in varying Gothic elements; an authentic, yet radical depiction of the original novel, published in 1945. The author and renowned poet Vítzslav Nezval was regarded, in Czechoslovakia, as the leader of the poetic movement in the 1920's and pioneer of the surrealist movement in the 1930's. Therefore, the film is a reflection of Jires' 'brand of poetic sensitivity' (HAMES 2005) and also displays his adaptation of the novel, with his 'deliberate softening of the nightmarish elements of the original text (HAMES 2005).

Nezval's position of respectability as a Communist made it possible for Jires to resurrect the pre-war traditions of Czech art. Their interest however, should not be seen as a case of mere opportunism.

 Similar to the work of Chytilova, 'Valerie' allows the spectator to develop their own interpretation of the film, by presenting them with the opportunity to combine their understanding with what appears on the screen. However, it certainly does not delve into the same vividly unknown depths as does 'Daisies', it simply works to a precisely conceived aesthetic pattern, both in the careful manipulation of its narrative structure and the composition of individual frames (HAMES 2005).

The diverse array of motif's, such as the rosary beads, teeth, necklaces and flowers, are only effective through the technique of repetition and not through the process of forceful indication of the imagery. Although there are also repeated references to phallic symbols, they are not presented in an invasive manner, instead they feature as part of settings, unlike many Western representations such as Arthur Penn's 'Bonnie and Clyde' (1967).

Reference List: 
HAMES, P. (2005) The Czechoslovak New Wave. Second Edition. London: Wallflower Press.

SCOVELL, A. (2015) Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders (1970) – Duality Through Sound and Vision. [Online]. Celluloid Wicker Man (Part 1/February). Available From: http://celluloidwickerman.com/2015/02/09/valerie-and-her-week-of-wonders-1970-duality-through-sound-and-vision-part-1/

Introduction to New Wave Contextual Study

For my contextual study, I will be exploring the Czechoslovakian New Wave, delving into the graphic and imaginative depths of a movement that evoked an unconventional counterculture. In my research, I will be observing the reasons why the movement evolved in the manner it did, by focusing on the social conditions of the time and the cultural impact that this had.

I will be looking at the work of, Jaromil Jires, Vera Chytilova and Frantisek Vlacil, analysing their pioneering and iconic work. The films I will be studying are Valerie and Her Week Of Wonders (1970), Daisies (1966) and Marketa Lazarova (1967). 

Editing To Audio

Creating a visual sequence to a piece of audio offers much room for experimentation and interpretation, however it is vital to reflect the mood and atmosphere of the track correctly. This can be done in many ways; the lyrical content may be presented in an obvious manner, or the ambience of the composition can be illustrated symbolically.

In this instance, I chose a selection of vividly graphic clips which express the tone of the music and correspond to the tempo and rhythm, such as paint drips, ink in water and flashing lights. I edited these in such a way that they were responsible for representing the various elements of the beat, such as the kick and snare. This worked effectively, by authentically creating a visual manifestation of the audio. The most challenging aspect that I faced whilst doing this, was cutting the clips precisely in time to the track, however this allowed me to strengthen my editing skills through trial and error.

I also decided to incorporate a variety of dance sequences, in order to add a contemporary feel and portray the music from an alternative perspective. A majority of the shots involved quite a classic form of dance, whereas the audio has an opposing tone. This, however, resulted in a contrasting balance between the audio and visual, which worked particularly well because the shots fir the pace of the song.

As well as placing various clips side by side in the form of a montage, I also made use of layering videos on top of each other. Whilst doing this, I wanted to ensure that it wouldn't get too visually complex and hard to digest for the viewer, therefore when layering I chose to have at least one clip which was relatively simple.

Overall, this task gave me an opportunity to explore my editing skills, as well as allowing me to experiment way of representing meaning from audio through a sequence of visuals. I particularly enjoyed the rhythmic element, which was a prominent aspect as as result of editing to audio. I look forward to using the skills I developed in doing this and applying them to other projects.

4 Hour Film Challenge - Reflection

This task was one which allowed me to identify, explore and improve my practical and organisational skills. The most challenging aspect, was completing the project within the allocated amount of time. Initially, the group struggled to devise a narrative of some form, hence a lot of time was spent developing concepts and possible plots. Once a vague storyline had been agreed upon we began shooting immediately to avoid wasting any more time and conducted the shoots in a relatively organised manner.

During the shooting process, the first thing we did was ensure that the correct exposure had been achieved, however in a selection of shots we noticed that the footage was slightly grainy as a result of the low light available to us indoors.

In the future, the use of an additional light source, such as an LED light, would eliminate noise and produce a smooth and correctly exposed video.

An aspect of the shooting process that I felt was particularly successful was the way we conducted some experimentation in capturing a range of camera shots and collectively incorporating the skills that we had learnt over the weeks. This reflected our understanding and showed our practical abilities, as well as giving us an opportunity to all share our thoughts and concepts with one another.

By using different lenses, we were able to explore different aperture settings, to create interesting and dynamic shots.

I volunteered to do the editing for the group and particularly enjoyed this process, as I was able to further my own skills, by working on precisely merging shots together in a relatively seamless manner, ensuring that the overall production flowed and was easy to follow for the audience.

One thing that lacked and could have been drastically improved, was the narrative. Towards the end of the sequence, the storyline became vague and it was difficult to decipher any meaning from it. Therefore, we learned that the conceptual element is just as vital as the visual and we should have planned each detail before shooting, in order to overcome this issue.

4 Hour Film Challenge - Video

Aperture

The Aperture setting on a camera, is responsible for adjusting how wide the opening of the lens is, therefore will dictate how much light will enter the camera. A shallow depth of field means that the lens will be open wider, whereas a deep depth of field, will result in a narrower opening.

Aperture value is represented in terms of f/number; a lower value indicates a shallow depth of field and vice versa. For example, f/2.8 will result in a fraction of the frame being in focus, as opposed to f/22, which will ensure that a majority of the shot is in focus. Depending on the lens used, varying aperture settings will be available. Macro and telephoto lenses will allow a larger aperture, as opposed to standard lenses, some allowing an f/stop value of f/1.4 or f/2.8.

Using a shallow depth of field, means that there can be one significant area of focus, creating a more atmospheric and intimate feel to the shot. For my own example, using an aperture setting of f/2.8 with a telephoto lens, I chose to focus on something insignificant in size, in order to create the desired blurred background, to really exaggerate the shallow depth of field. The colourful background produced an enticing mosaic of hues, however did not distract from the predominant subject, within the foreground. In order to perfect this video further, I would chose to shoot it with the use of a tripod, in order to reduce camera shake and ensure maximum clarity.

 

I also experimented with using a slightly smaller aperture, just to identify and highlight the minor distinctions. Using f/5.6 with the use of a standard lens, again produced a shallow depth of field, with a selective proportion of the frame in focus however in comparison to the previous example, the large aperture was not so visually drastic.



A wide angle lens is typically used to capture vast shots that have multiple, significant details in them, such as landscapes. Therefore, a small aperture setting would be relevant in order to keep a majority, if not all, of the frame in focus. An f/stop value ranging from f/11 to f/22 would suffice.
For my visual example, I experimented with f/22 I incorporated the compositional quality of rule of thirds, in order to make full use of the foreground, mid-ground and background, presenting me with more visual elements to keep in focus.



Overall, the most difficult aspect of this task, was ensuring that all my videos had been captured with the correct exposure. By varying the aperture settings, I had to adjust the shutter speed and ISO accordingly; for the shots with the deeper depth of field, I increased the ISO without allowing the shot to become noticeably grainy and reduced the shutter speed to compensate for the overall reduction in exposure. Similarly, for the large aperture examples, it was difficult to keep the shots from becoming overexposed, as a result of such a shallow depth of field, therefore I had to correct the levels in post production.

Focus Techniques

Where the camera is focused, determines where the attention of the audience will be directed. There are numerous focusing techniques all recognisably used within moving image production.

Deep Focus refers to a shot that keeps all areas of the frame in sharp focus, including the foreground, mid-ground and background. This means that each detail which is featured within the shot must be planned and positioned with care, as it will be visible in the frame. This technique was beloved and commonly used by Orson Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland.

Still taken from 'Citizen Kane' 

In order to achieve this technique, the use of a higher f/stop would be required, to ensure that everything in the shot is clearly in focus. This also adds compositional value, as the rule of thirds has been considered. Within the film 'Citizen Kane', Welles also makes use of a wide angle lens, to add an element of psychological tension; the effect results in the predominant character Kane appearing superior in size, as opposed to others in the shot; this acts as a metaphorical expression for his powerful and overbearing personality.

Conversely, the use of a Shallow Focus, will produce a video in which only a certain section of the frame is in focus. This will depend upon the aperture setting and focal length of the lens. In addition, the distance that the camera is, from the subject is also a determining factor in what effect the focus technique will create. This type of focusing is good for directing the viewers attention to a particular area of the shot, naturally, the eye will follow whatever is in focus.

Rack Focus, also referred to as Pull Focus, alludes to a technique which entails shifting the focus from one area in a shot to another point. For example, from the foreground to the background or vice versa. As opposed to deep focus, the use of a shallower depth of field would be more relevant in trying to achieve this technique, as there will be more of a noticeable shift in focus.

For my own example of rack focus, I decided to shoot something that was, in terms of visual presentation, fairly consistent in structure. So that I could alternate the focus between areas of the frame effectively, as well as implementing a sense of balance.




Reference List:
FREER, I. Film Studies 101 [Online] Available from: http://www.empireonline.com/features/film-studies-101-camera-shots-styles/p1[Accessed: 23rd September 2015].

Brown, B. (2012) Cinematography - Theory and Practice. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Focal Press.

New Wave - Auteur Theory

The Auteur Theory, was relevant to the Czech New Wave movement, in the sense that it derived great depth by portraying the director as the author, as opposed to the writer of the screenplay. The word itself is French in origin, 'translating to 'author' and deriving from the prefix 'auto', meaning one' (ETHERINGTON, C W and DOUGHTY, R), suggesting that the director's work, is an expression of their creative vision.

This concept of one predominant figure had been identified since the 1910's and although it gave a personal element which could have been viewed as endearing, screenwriters were beginning to campaign in an attempt to gain fair recognition for their input towards productions. This is true in the sense that the creation of film, is a collaborative process. 

The theory itself was developed within the 1950's, by French directors that were involved in the New Wave movement. Francois Truffaut suggested that 'a true auteur is someone who brings something genuinely personal to his subject instead, of producing a tasteful, accurate but lifeless rendering of the original material'. 

Reference List:

ETHERINGTON-WRIGHT, C. DOUGHTY, R. (2011) Understanding Film Theory. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 

HALL, S. (2010) Auteur Theory. [Online] SlideShare. Available From: http://www.slideshare.net/staceyhall/auteur-theory-5416218 [Accessed: 2nd October 2015]. 

Czech New Wave - Experimentalism

New Wave - Contextual Research

Czechoslovakian New Wave

The Czech New Wave conspicuously drew influence from literature and expressed a cultural element by extracting inspiration from folklore. 'Valerie' (1970), 'in its depiction of clashes between paganism and Christianity rooted in Slavic history and culture comes an exploration of sin and sexuality, innocence, love, nature, and violence,' (SABINO, M) shows just how such a mystical and emblematic expression alludes to the rise of the counter-culture at the time. Furthermore, female directors at the time, such as Věra Chytilov and others, highlighted the rise of feminine power and independence through their films. Again this is a representative example of the counter-culture that was being introduced.

However, as a result of such unconventional concepts, and the way 'filmmakers overtly subverted the social-realist genre imposed on them while still working under the auspices of the state, as expected, many of these films were swiftly banned after completion, only getting released locally after the Velvet Revolution' (SABINO, M).

Official founder of the surrealist movement, Andre Breton described Prague, the capital of Czech, as 'one of those cities that electively pin down poetic thought'. (MARTIN, S 2013). For this very reason, we see that from the Czech new wave, a diverse collection of expressive productions derived. However, it wasn't until 1934 that Czech cinema began to emerge and gain recognition within the world of film. It was ignited by the success of Gustav Machaty's 'Ecstasy' at the Venice film festival. The Czech director had paved his way into Hollywood as an assistant to Griffith and Von Stroheim. Although his film gained popularity, it evoked controversy and as a result, was condemned by the Vatican and cut repeatedly by the USA. it can be argued that the these events became a microcosm of what would evolve into the Czech New Wave. (OWEN, J L 2011)

'There exists one everlasting conflict...the hopeless struggle between intelligence and stupidity, between the individual and the totality, and one eternal problem: the fundamental unwillingness of the people, or of humanity as a whole, to deal with problems which concern them.' (NEMEC).

Reference List:
MARTIN, S. (2013). New Waves in Cinema. Hertfordshire: Kamera Books.

OWEN, J L. (2011) Avant-Garde to New Wave: Czechoslovak Cinema, Surrealism and the Sixties. New York: Berghahn Books.

SABINO, M. (2014) Taste of Cinema [Online] Available From: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2014/10-essential-films-from-the-czech-new-wave/ [Accessed: 28th September 2015].