Film_Notes

Page 20-54 • Dramatic Block Can link to a paragraph in prose: it has within it an overriding dramatic idea, and keeping these ideas separate can give them ore force and power, and also clearer to the viewers. • Narrative Beats These “beats” are shown through staging and camera, so the atmosphere, lighting, etc. effect the small actions that occur within a scene. • The Fulcrum It’s when in a scene a character is about to achieve something that is very difficult to accomplish, the “turning point.” • Staging/Main Function The most obvious thing that staging accomplishes is the “functional and obligatory physical deeds of a scene” Staging makes what’s internal physical Staging can help show the nature of a relationship. Staging can help a person be familiar with certain location/prop. Staging can help resolve spatial separation. Staging can direct a viewer’s attention. Staging can punctuate actions. Staging lastly can help form a “frame.” • Patterns of Dramatic Movement Dramatic movement occurs when there is a change in a dynamic relationship between two characters. • Changing the Stage within a Scene The way certain things in a scene are set up can really change the effect of the scene, for example, a character could move to an area of light to dark to show they’re evil. • Staging as part of Film’s Design The placing of the actors of the film is very important for the shot and shouldn’t be done like a director for theater. Lastly, the action that occurs on the camera will appear slower when the audience views its • Working with a Location Plan The floor plan in simple terms is a “bird’s eye view” of the location, which shows where the actors are positioned and also the cameras. • The Camera as Narrator Since Film is the language, the camera is the narrator, and tells us the story through film. The camera, with angles, image size, motion, depth of field, focus, and speed, help tell this story in different manners. • The Reveal The reveal is a dramatic or narrative element so persuasive that the powers of this reveal can be under estimated by the beginning film maker, because the shot reveals something new. • Entrances When a character enters the film, it almost has the same duty as a reveal, but their specific job is to, well, introduce the character to the audience, almost a small summary of what the character is like, can be shown when the character is revealed. • The Objective Camera This pretty much is saying that when the camera shows us what is going on, its in “objective” voice, or in prose, this would be called third person. • The Subjective Camera The subjective camera “speaks” in a first-person voice, in prose, which helps us get in the mind of the character and more fully understand interior life or perceptions of the character. • Where do I put it' Where to put the camera is a very difficult which can be discovered in a whole by one question, What jobs must be done, which basically means, what do you hope to leave the audience with after they see the scene. Another way to find this out is by five smaller questions, whose scene is it, What is the essence of the moment that I have to convey to the audience, What story points, location, character, or props must be introduced or kept alive, What stylistic elements or motifs must be introduced, and Is it necessary to resolve the spatial separation between characters, or otherwise orient the audience to location or time' • Visual Design The “visual design” of a shot helps change all the narrative that can be said and the dramatic events the occur in the shot, which are effected by the production design, lighting, costume, setting, props, sound design, and music. • Style Design and style both go together or don’t have to be used, one can be without the other, but style dominantly relies on the tone of the story as a whole, and are effected by the way the director views the world, which creates, their own “style.” • Coverage Coverage pretty much is talking about how many cameras are needed to record the same moment, but this word must be used carefully, because “coverage” can prevent a shot from being unique and as important as it actually is. • Camera Height The height of the camera can really effect a shot, and is almost at a constant. Which apparently means that the camera is ALWAYS at eye level, well unless it isn’t, since a eye level shot doesn’t show much drama or anything. • Lenses The lenses can help the camera tell a story with different tones and such, causing things to become more dramatic and such. • Composition The composition of a shot is what it is made of, or the frame, and is very important for you’re your shots. • Where To Begin' After all blocking and such a done, you must place all your shots, or where the cameras will be placed, which helps you understand where you must, well, begin. • Working Towards Specificity in Visualization When a film is created, there are man versions of a script, which is because the film is constantly revised after read and edited repeatedly. • Looking for Order The order or design is present when you block, which makes is highly likely when you add the camera, the shot is enhanced even more. • Dramatic Blocks and the Camera When the shots are taken, you must be very careful on when to transition from one block to the other or when to “begin a new paragraph.” • The Prose Storyboard The prose story board is used when you dig deeper into the story and can be effective when locations don’t lend themselves to floor plans.