Camera Workshop 2
13:28
For this workshop we learnt the rules of filming to ensure the footage is the best that is can be. First of all we looked at the order in which you should shoot in. It should go from largest shot to the smallest shot- for example if you needed to shoot a long shot, a mid shot and a close up, you would shoot it in that order. This way you would get a shot which shows the scenery, a shot which shows the actor/ object and a shot which focuses on the actor/ object. The reason for having to shoot in wide first is so that everything is established in the scene. Following on from this, we learnt about continuity and why it is important. The definition of continuity in media is: A system of cutting used to maintain a continuous and clear narrative action this is so important because the actions need to look the same so that the shots match up and make sense.
When filming, there are certain call outs before actions are taken, these being: stand by, roll camera, camera rolling, action and cut. These call outs are used to keep everything organised and running smoothly. Also, they're used for safety for example when the camera man says “camera rolling”, it means the camera record button has been pressed. The fact that the director says action after, means that the camera is already rolling before the actions started, making sure nothing in the scene is missed and it can in fact capture extra footage which may end up being used. Similarly, this is the reason for the camera to stay rolling after the action is finished and until the director says cut- purely ensure that everything is captured.
Actors also tend to use marks when filming, this is to make sure the characters placement is exactly the same every time the scene is shot for continuity. Also, we were given the tip to not keep watching footage back after filming a scene and to believe in yourself, this being because its extremely time consuming. The last thing that was covered and tone of the most important of them all is that we should stick to the 180 degree rule. The meaning the angle between any two consecutive shots should not exceed 180 degrees. This is done to maintain spatial relationships between people and objects in a sequence of shots.
Heres a video to show the 180 degree rule in more detail.
When filming, there are certain call outs before actions are taken, these being: stand by, roll camera, camera rolling, action and cut. These call outs are used to keep everything organised and running smoothly. Also, they're used for safety for example when the camera man says “camera rolling”, it means the camera record button has been pressed. The fact that the director says action after, means that the camera is already rolling before the actions started, making sure nothing in the scene is missed and it can in fact capture extra footage which may end up being used. Similarly, this is the reason for the camera to stay rolling after the action is finished and until the director says cut- purely ensure that everything is captured.
Actors also tend to use marks when filming, this is to make sure the characters placement is exactly the same every time the scene is shot for continuity. Also, we were given the tip to not keep watching footage back after filming a scene and to believe in yourself, this being because its extremely time consuming. The last thing that was covered and tone of the most important of them all is that we should stick to the 180 degree rule. The meaning the angle between any two consecutive shots should not exceed 180 degrees. This is done to maintain spatial relationships between people and objects in a sequence of shots.
Heres a video to show the 180 degree rule in more detail.
