Preliminary Task Planning/Research

Locations Planning

I'll be judging the locations of three factors: Hazards, Accessibility and Intrigue.

Hazards is measuring the potential health issues of the area we would film, for example at a train station, falling onto the tracks could be a hazard and getting hit by a train is a threat.

Accessibility is how easy it is to film in/access the location, this will be a big factor, particularly in this task due to time limitations. Public areas will be harder to film in as certain shot types may be harder to pull off.

Intrigue is how cool the location looks, a cool looking setting will entice viewers and make the overall place more interesting.

I'll rank places out of 5 for each category, 5 being top, 1 being lowest

Locations           Hazards          Accessibility          Intrigue 

SCHOOL                1                      4                      1     

ABANDONED          4                      2                      5     
HOTEL                                                                        

HOUSE                  1                      5                      3     

BUS STOP              3                      3                      3     

CAFE                     2                      2                      4     


Ideally a high intrigue will be useful, that is why we have decided to film in an abandoned hotel, although challenging we feel it would create the perfect atmosphere for the scenario we decided upon.
*Time Edit* 
We discovered quickly filming at such a difficult location was not only very hazardous with broken glass and potential asbestos, but it was very difficult to film without lighting within the buildings. Therefore we have decided to film in an area with high accessibility such as a house or at school, which is unfortunate but must be done due to time constraints caused by other commitments such as other exams etc.
* We have decided to use a mix of two locations to fulfil our criteria and keep the task interesting. We will be filming at both school and home, which will use encourage us to use cross-cutting techniques will editing.

Equipement list

- Bag
- Camera
- Tripod
- Blood
- Rope
- Chairs (x2)
- Ripped hooded
- Sunglasses
- Fake gun

Redraft of Storyboard:

Match-On-Action

This is our example of a match-on-action shot. It is a shot used to make an important action clear to the audience, in this case he is stealing a phone. If he had just walked pass and picked it up it may have been to subtle for the audience to pick up on. It doesn't show to separate events, but stays in the same scene, unlike cross-cutting. It is commonly usde to make a visual bridge to give the idea that time is continous and the scene is going along as normal

The 180degrees Rule

The 180degree rule is a basic rule in cinematography... it is put in place so the viewer doesn't get their perspective all wrong.

Film makers draw an imaginary line across the scene where they can't cross. They can do whatever they like within the boundary, but as soon as they cut to the other side of the line viewers get confused as continuity is ruined with the characters seemingly looking at different place.

This rule is followed no matter the scene, whether simple dialogue or a full action fighting scene, the rule is always followed.

There is one exception however, if the camera arcs behind the line in one movement it can be accepted as the viewers see the change in angle. As long as they keep within the new line with the camera, it should all be good.

My own example

Camera Compositions

Rule of Thirds
The subjects of interest are placed along imaginary lines that split the frame into thirds vertically and horizontally. Used in cinematography and photography, a very common rule involving any frame as it is a great and subtle way of drawing a viewer's attention to a particular subject that can convey meanings

As you can see in this picture ^ the dogs (subjects on interest) are placed along the lines, especially the bottom right dog who's in the foreground and at a line intersect.

Bokeh
Bokeh, translating from Japanese to mean 'blur', is a very popular part of photography where none or only a small part of the video is in focus so everything in the frame is a blur. It's particularly popular as photographers can use it to make viewers focus on a specific part of the image, and it's very visually appealing especially with bright colours.

SOURCE: https://photographylife.com/what-is-bokeh

Active Space
Active space is mainly used when taking a picture of a moving object, it is usually in front of the subject for it to move into. The reason for this is because when viewers see an object moving they will generally move their eyes in the same direction, so viewers can see the space they are about to move into.

SOURCE: http://digital-photography-school.com/create-active-space-in-your-photography/

Fill the Frame

By filling the frame you add instant impact to your images as they strike out to the viewer and easily catch their eye. This also means subjects are larger and therefore more detail, so it's easier to bring something subtle to the eye. It is also very effective at capturing the mood as facial features are more easily expressed.

“Love” captured by PictureSocial member Olesia Kliots

Simplify
Simplicity involves focusing on the core message of the image, and only that... no excess distractions in the background etc. If too much is in a scene it can be too much for the viewer to comprehend and so annoy them when they are looking at it. This can merely be done by zooming in to cut down background clutter but there are other effective methods.

Tree and grass are distracting

Zoom to focus on interesting part of image

©Julie Waterhouse Photography

Point of View
Unlike in cinematography where a POV shot is from the perspective of a person; in photography, it simply refers to the view of the camera. This is a vital part of photography as where you place the camera can have a huge impact on the message. Low-angle shots can make grass seem massive, and high angle shots can make skyscrapers seem tiny, it's a very powerful aspect. 

Lines of Sight
The face has very strong visual weight in photography as it is generally the most iconic aspect of a person as it is what people see first and can make us very unique. This is particularly powerful when viewers can see someone looking at something else in the frame. The natural instinct is to first see that the eyes are looking at something then follow them to see the object they are looking at. This technique is ideal for bringing things that could potentially go unnoticed to light and also highlights the important parts of the frame.

SOURCE: http://thedigitaltrekker.com/2010/02/line-of-sight/

The red lines aren't in the original image, but they depict the path the viewer's eyes take when looking at this image. The lighting is also key here as the people are the only items of interest visible in the shot.

The Rule of Odds

Having an odd number of subjects in the frame means the brain can't naturally pair them and so the viewer spends longer looking at the image, comprehending what's in the frame. This then makes the image more interesting and messages are easier to present.

SOURCE: http://www.883zy.com/photography/photography-rule-of-odds-and-even