180 DEGREEThe first project requires you to film a conversation between two characters using the 180 degree rule and manual focusing.
The 180 degree rule is a cinematography guideline that states that two characters in a scene should maintain the same left/right relationship to one another. When the camera passes over the invisible axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line and the shot becomes what is called a reverse angle. Reversing the angle is commonly thought to be disorienting and can distract the audience from the intent of the scene. The following two videos cover
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BREAKING THE RULE - THE SHININGSome narratives require the line to be crossed. This can be seen in The Shining (1980) when Jack is talking to Grady in the bathroom. Spoiler alert - at this point the audience isn't aware that Grady isn't real and Jack is just imagining him. The crossing the line gives the audience a clue that something isn't right.
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DEPTH OF FIELD AND FOCUSDuring the project you are required to use manual setting and manual focus. When adjusting the settings think about what kind of depth of field your project requires. The change of depth of field can be achieved by the aperture or f stop. Remember small number f stop will result in small depth of field. See photos below showing examples of the different f stops and the video will explain it in more detail.
We will also be focusing the camera manually. There are a few different ways to achieve sharp manual focus. In class we will show you how to set up the shot, zoom the lens all the way in, manually focus looking at the display screen and then zoom out to the framing you require.
Some of the other ways to focus, including focus on moving subjects, can be seen on the videos here. |
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