HOW TO ACCESS INFORMATION FROM THE DIRECTOR AND THE SCRIPT.

[LUNGELO MDLALOSE]

MY NAME IS LUNGELO "BOYBOOGIE" MDLALOSE AND IAM A 2ND YEAR STUDENT OF CINEMATOGRPAHY. WE CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR 2ND TERM IN OUR SCHOOL TIMES TABLE AND WE ARE GOING TO BE PLACED IN CHALLANGE CREWS FOR THIS TERM. MY PROBLEM IS THAT I FEEL THAT I'M NOT ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO MY DIRECTOR. SO IF ANYONE HAS DEALT WITH MY PROBLEM PLEASE GIVE ME TIPS ON WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I NEED TO BE ASKING TO BRING THE SCRIPT TO LIFE WITH MY IMAGES.

[Nick Mulder]

Are you SHOUTING the questions ?

 

heh - yep - um.... :rolleyes: thats a pretty open ended query you have there...

 

"MY PROBLEM IS THAT I FEEL THAT I'M NOT ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO MY DIRECTOR"

 

Why do you think this ? Any specific discussions or things happened on set to make you feel this way ? What have you tried so far to rectify the situation and what effect has this had ?

[LUNGELO MDLALOSE]

Are you SHOUTING the questions ?

 

heh - yep - um.... :rolleyes: thats a pretty open ended query you have there...

 

"MY PROBLEM IS THAT I FEEL THAT I'M NOT ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO MY DIRECTOR"

 

Why do you think this ? Any specific discussions or things happened on set to make you feel this way ? What have you tried so far to rectify the situation and what effect has this had ?

 

WELL I SHOT A COMEDY FOR MY LAST PROJECT WHICH WAS ABOUT GLORIAPHOB(A PERSON WHO IS AFRIDA OF GOING OUTSIDE AND AN OVERLY CAUTIONS DILIVARY GUY. I OUR FINAL PRESENTION ONE OF THE PANNEL MEMBERS COMMENTED ON MY CINEMATOGRAPHY SAYING THAT I DID NOT AMPLIFY THE NARRATIVE WHICH THEN MENT THAT COVER THE COMEDY WITH MY SHOT SELECTION. BUT I PRE-PRODUCTION MEETINGS ME AND MY DIRECTOR WENT OVER THE SHOT LIST AND AGREED THAT THE SHOT YHAT WE HAD DESINGED TOLD THE STORY. BUT NOW THINKING ABOUT IT AFTER THAT COMMENT I ALSO FEL THAT AS A CAMERA MAN IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO JUST TELL THE STORY BUT YOU NEED TO PUSH THE STORY. AND THIS IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT RIGHT NOW "HOW DO I PUSH THE NARRATIVE FROM BEING JUST A STORY AND MAKE IT A MOVIE AS A LIGHTING CAMERA MAN?

[Kevin Zanit]

If you want people to take the time to answer your questions, could you please take the time to hit your caps key?

[Bill Totolo]

Sounds like you're begining to ask the right questions.

[Hal Smith]

.........THE PANNEL MEMBERS COMMENTED ON MY CINEMATOGRAPHY SAYING THAT I DID NOT AMPLIFY THE NARRATIVE WHICH THEN MENT THAT COVER THE COMEDY WITH MY SHOT SELECTION. BUT I PRE-PRODUCTION MEETINGS ME AND MY DIRECTOR WENT OVER THE SHOT LIST AND AGREED THAT THE SHOT YHAT WE HAD DESINGED TOLD THE STORY...............

Have you taken any courses on the Grammar of film? It's a very complex subject but at the very core of how you tell a story visually. Audiences have been "trained" by film over years to interpret a sequence of shots emotionally a certain way. You can break the rules, but like every other art form, you have know the rules first before you can intelligently break them.

 

Here's a list of the elements of Grammar I found on the web. It's from a book titled "How to Make Your Movie: An Interactive Film School" http://www.masterfreelancer.com/wsstore/ev001.html

 

------Shots By Position In The Scene

---------Establishing Shot

---------Point-Of-View Shot

---------Reaction Shot

------Shots By Number Of Subjects

---------Single (One-Shot)

---------Two Shot

---------Group Shot

------Shots By The Type Of Lens

---------Wide-Angle Shot

---------Telephoto Shot

---------Zoom Shot

------Shots By Camera Movement

---------Dolly Shot

---------Panning Shot

---------Tilting Shot

------Shots By Camera Angle

---------High Angle

---------Low Angle

---------Bird?s-Eye View

------Shots By Camera Position

---------Over-The-Shoulder Shot

---------Head-On Shot

---Scene

------A Scene Composed Of

---------A Series Of Shots

------A Scene Shot (Integral Shot)

---Sequence

Coverage

---Master Shot

---Coverage Shots

---Reverse Angle Shots

---Triangle Principle

Continuity

---Imaginary Line

---Framing

------Extreme Close-up

------Close-up

------Medium Shot

------Medium Full Shot

------Full Shot

------Wide Shot

---Match Cut

------By camera position

------By subject movement

------By dialogue

---Film Punctuation

------Fade Out

------Fade In

------White Out

------Cutting To Black

------Color Fade

------Dissolve

---Composition

------Light, Color

------Camera Angle

---Camera Movement

---Object/Character Placement

[David Mullen ASC]

Maybe the school can only afford a computer with a broken keyboard where the all-caps key is stuck in the "on" position...

 

You need to be more specific -- are these questions in prep or on the shooting day? Maybe it's the director who has a communication problem?

[Jonathan Bowerbank]

"HOW DO I PUSH THE NARRATIVE FROM BEING JUST A STORY AND MAKE IT A MOVIE AS A LIGHTING CAMERA MAN?

 

As someone who is not involved in this project with minimal knowledge as to what it actually is, the only solution is to "Have some filmmaking and storytelling talent".

 

Funny how this comes to mind. But Raoul Coutard (DP on many Godard films) speaks of Godard as a filmmaking genius who knows what he wants, how to do it and he does it and what usually results is a work of genius. He points out that many have tried to mimic Godard's style, and the majority are very unsuccessful because, basically, they didn't have Godard's talent for filmmaking or storytelling.

 

"Pushing the narrative" seem very anti-organic for storytelling. Do what suits the story.

 

BY THE WAY: Usually, your "Caps Lock" is right next to "A" on your keyboard. Do remember to navigate to and press that key to turn your caps off.

Edited April 19, 2007 by Jonathan Bowerbank

[Nick Mulder]

WELL I SHOT A COMEDY FOR MY LAST PROJECT WHICH WAS ABOUT GLORIAPHOB(A PERSON WHO IS AFRIDA OF GOING OUTSIDE AND AN OVERLY CAUTIONS DILIVARY GUY. I OUR FINAL PRESENTION ONE OF THE PANNEL MEMBERS COMMENTED ON MY CINEMATOGRAPHY SAYING THAT I DID NOT AMPLIFY THE NARRATIVE WHICH THEN MENT THAT COVER THE COMEDY WITH MY SHOT SELECTION. BUT I PRE-PRODUCTION MEETINGS ME AND MY DIRECTOR WENT OVER THE SHOT LIST AND AGREED THAT THE SHOT YHAT WE HAD DESINGED TOLD THE STORY. BUT NOW THINKING ABOUT IT AFTER THAT COMMENT I ALSO FEL THAT AS A CAMERA MAN IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO JUST TELL THE STORY BUT YOU NEED TO PUSH THE STORY. AND THIS IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT RIGHT NOW "HOW DO I PUSH THE NARRATIVE FROM BEING JUST A STORY AND MAKE IT A MOVIE AS A LIGHTING CAMERA MAN?

 

Who are the panel members ? Did you ask them to elaborate ? I'm interested to find out why you in particular are bagging this this criticism instead of the director - Basically, just put your case forward as the director of photography... keep up the communication with all involved and don't be afraid to voice concerns and keep in mind the hierarchy of the system and your position within it - if you cannot justify yourself then its probably not the position for you yet...

[Keneu Luca]

Guys, come on. If you wanna help the kid and get through to him - you gotta speak his langUage.

 

LUNGELO, YOU NEED TO ASK WHAT IS THE MOOD AND PACE OF EACH SCENE. AND HOW EAXCTLY DOES THE DIRECTOR INTEND THE SCENE TO UNFOLD. AND WHAT IS THE DESIRED IMPACT OF EACH SCENE. WHAT IS THE AUDIENCE SUPPOSED TO THINK OR FEEL IN EACH SCENE, SEQUENCE, ETC.

 

YOU HAVE THE TOOLS AS A CINEMATOGRAPHER TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. YOUR TOOLS ALL IMPACT THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AUDIENCE. FOCAL LENGTH HAS IMPACT. CAMERA MOVEMENT HAS IMPACT. LIGHTING VALUES HAVE IMPACT. LIGHTING COLOR HAS IMPACT. DEPTH OF FIELD HAS IMPACT.

 

NONE OF YOUR CHOICES REGARDING THE ABOVE ELEMENTS SHOULD BE ARBITRARY. THEY SHOULD EACH BE CAREFULLY CONSDIERED DEPENDING ON HOW THEY IMPACT THE STORY AND ULTIMATELY THE AUDIENCE.

[Alex Lindblom]

HA ha ha aha ha aha ha...

 

Keneu that's just hysterically funny, you should be a screenwriter.

[LUNGELO MDLALOSE]

Guys, come on. If you wanna help the kid and get through to him - you gotta speak his langUage.

 

LUNGELO, YOU NEED TO ASK WHAT IS THE MOOD AND PACE OF EACH SCENE. AND HOW EAXCTLY DOES THE DIRECTOR INTEND THE SCENE TO UNFOLD. AND WHAT IS THE DESIRED IMPACT OF EACH SCENE. WHAT IS THE AUDIENCE SUPPOSED TO THINK OR FEEL IN EACH SCENE, SEQUENCE, ETC.

 

YOU HAVE THE TOOLS AS A CINEMATOGRAPHER TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. YOUR TOOLS ALL IMPACT THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AUDIENCE. FOCAL LENGTH HAS IMPACT. CAMERA MOVEMENT HAS IMPACT. LIGHTING VALUES HAVE IMPACT. LIGHTING COLOR HAS IMPACT. DEPTH OF FIELD HAS IMPACT.

 

NONE OF YOUR CHOICES REGARDING THE ABOVE ELEMENTS SHOULD BE ARBITRARY. THEY SHOULD EACH BE CAREFULLY CONSDIERED DEPENDING ON HOW THEY IMPACT THE STORY AND ULTIMATELY THE AUDIENCE.

 

Thanks for that and I'am sorry about the CAPS.But I have to say that it does make sense to discuses mood and pace as one subject in a sence. The focal length how does that work as a tool to amplify the narrative. and can I acess this when shooting on the DVX 100A.

[Nick Mulder]

The focal length how does that work as a tool to amplify the narrative. and can I acess this when shooting on the DVX 100A.

:o !

[David Bradley]

Lungelo.

 

I don't mean to patronise but if I understand your question you want to know if you can change the focal length on the DVX100A.

 

The answer is yes - the DVX features a zoom lens.

 

As a story telling tool I wouldn't employ zooms during a shot, a zoom lens allows you to bypass the necessity for swapping primes when you need to change focal length. Using zooms in sequence looks garish and unprofessional unless employed stylistically as in Kill Bill 2.

 

Changing the focal length on your camera can have a variety of effects upon the way in which the audience will interpret the text. Increasing Focal length will decrease depth of field, narrow the field of view and increase image magnification - you might use this effect to single out a specific character in a narrative and separate them from other elements with in the scene. It could also restrict the field of view for the audience, if a character is looking off camera with very tight framing but no revealing shot to establish a gaze the scene becomes more enigmatic. There are far too many scenarios to list but varying focal length is very important if you want your cinematography to be conducive with established film grammar.