Wednesday, December 17, 2014
How Codecs Work
A codec is a device or program that compresses data to enable faster transmission and decompresses received data. Two principal techniques are used in codecs, pulse-code modulation and delta modulation. Codecs are often designed to emphasize certain aspects of the media to be encoded. For example, a digital video of a sports event needs to encode motion well but not necessarily exact colors, while a video of an art exhibit needs to encode color and surface texture well. Lower bitrate codecs allow more users, but they also have more distortion. Beyond the initial increase in distortion, lower bit rate codecs also achieve their lower bit rates by using more complex algorithms that make certain assumptions, such as those about the media and the packet loss rate. Other codecs may not make those same assumptions. When a user with a low bitrate codec talks to a user with another codec, additional distortion is introduced by each transcoding.
Montage
Before film makers had realized that instead of having one entirely too long shot for a whole movie, and instead you could take certain clips of certain shots placing them together to create the same story, films were somewhat boring. When Sergei Eisenstein discovered this new way of film he called his films montages.
The montage I have created with my classmates is about a girl that has bullied one of her classmates to the point of suicide. Now she has bad karma... Because she was so awful to the poor boy, he decides it's her turn to be bullied and he proceeds to torment and haunt her to the point of her becoming a demon.
We had a week to plan, film and edit this project. So my initial idea was to use a 4 year-old boy conquering his fears and in the end he is not a little boy, he's a grown man. I couldn't find times in the period I had to finish this project that worked with the actors I needed, so we resulted to creating this montage that we were able to shoot using each other and the ecomm studio.
The montage I have created with my classmates is about a girl that has bullied one of her classmates to the point of suicide. Now she has bad karma... Because she was so awful to the poor boy, he decides it's her turn to be bullied and he proceeds to torment and haunt her to the point of her becoming a demon.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
10 CAMERA TECHNIQUES
There are ten main camera techniques used in many different and popular films. Using different techniques and angles makes all films different and interesting so you aren't watching the same shot for 2 straight hours...now that would be boring!
Camera Techniques:
1. whip pan/whip cut
The camera is moved quickly from one angle to another, this technique is mostly used to connect to shots that occur in two different locations.
2. whip zoom look
Zooming in or out very quickly on an object
3. search up
This shot would be exactly like a pan up. The camera slowly moves up the actor or object not showing the whole all at once
4. back to front
This occurs as a wide shot and the viewer sees the action happening in the background, being that the objects in the back are in focus and then eventually focuses on the objects or actors in front that are oblivious to the actions occurring in the back.
5. focus out, pass out
This technique is as if the camera is the actor. The "actor" begins to become unstable to the point of eventually passing out and falling to the ground, most of the time the shot ending titled and "wonky"
6. focus transition
At first the image appears very blurry where the viewer would have no idea what they are looking at and gradually become clear and sharp.
7. overexposed fade/underexposed fade
The exposure, or brightness, is gradually changed overtime whether it be going from pitch black and fading into the shot, or extremely bright (almost white) and fading into the picture.
8. ceiling twist
This and the sleepover technique are very similar, the camera is faced up toward the ceiling or sky as if the actor is looking up and spinning in circles, like a twist on point of view.
9. shifting angle
this is most commonly used when the director wants to create the illusion that the room itself is titling from side to side. The camera continuously changes the viewing angle along the tilting horizontal axis.
10. sleepover
The camera is placed from a bird's eye view looking down on that actor or object while spinning in continuous circles.
After studying these techniques my group and I went out to demonstrate our knowledge of the ten main techniques. This project introduced me to new techniques I never knew about and the names of techniques that I already had a brief understanding of.
Camera Techniques:
1. whip pan/whip cut
The camera is moved quickly from one angle to another, this technique is mostly used to connect to shots that occur in two different locations.
2. whip zoom look
Zooming in or out very quickly on an object
3. search up
This shot would be exactly like a pan up. The camera slowly moves up the actor or object not showing the whole all at once
4. back to front
This occurs as a wide shot and the viewer sees the action happening in the background, being that the objects in the back are in focus and then eventually focuses on the objects or actors in front that are oblivious to the actions occurring in the back.
5. focus out, pass out
This technique is as if the camera is the actor. The "actor" begins to become unstable to the point of eventually passing out and falling to the ground, most of the time the shot ending titled and "wonky"
6. focus transition
At first the image appears very blurry where the viewer would have no idea what they are looking at and gradually become clear and sharp.
7. overexposed fade/underexposed fade
The exposure, or brightness, is gradually changed overtime whether it be going from pitch black and fading into the shot, or extremely bright (almost white) and fading into the picture.
8. ceiling twist
This and the sleepover technique are very similar, the camera is faced up toward the ceiling or sky as if the actor is looking up and spinning in circles, like a twist on point of view.
9. shifting angle
this is most commonly used when the director wants to create the illusion that the room itself is titling from side to side. The camera continuously changes the viewing angle along the tilting horizontal axis.
10. sleepover
The camera is placed from a bird's eye view looking down on that actor or object while spinning in continuous circles.
After studying these techniques my group and I went out to demonstrate our knowledge of the ten main techniques. This project introduced me to new techniques I never knew about and the names of techniques that I already had a brief understanding of.
SPOKEN WORD
Poems are moving pieces of art, but there is something about listening to the poem being spoken rather than reading it on a piece of paper that is so moving. Spoken word poems are beautiful and pairing that with gorgeous nature that is all around you makes you take a moment to just stop and breathe.
I have chosen the poem 'who are you a message to all women' by The Anima Series
This poem is about embracing your own uniqueness and beauty, telling all women that they are amazing no matter their shape, size or color. Women are caught up in being perfect and prettier and thinner than their favorite celebrity or the girl they sit next to in spanish class, especially in the society we live in today. I believe all women should hear this poem to know that no matter what... you are enough. That is why I chose this poem and I paired it with the natural beauty of our earth.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
STORY VS. PLOT
Ask a random citizen walking down the street what the definition of story is, then proceed to ask for the definition of plot. Most will give you similar answers for both, others will say they are the same thing...but they aren't. In fact they are completely different scenarios.
Us film students should learn the differences between the two, story and plot, to further our knowledge and become greater film makers than Scorsese...if that is even believed to be possible!
Lets put this in a brief synopsis, a story is predictable, like a cheesy love story, the outcome is inevitable. While a plot keeps the viewer interested, they may have a belief that they know the outcome in the back of their head but there is no obvious proof...plot adds character to the story.
A good example of a classic film with an outstanding plot would be Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver. In this film the viewer knows the story, but the man keeps changing his fixations throughout the whole movie making it more dramatic and unpredictable.
Us film students should learn the differences between the two, story and plot, to further our knowledge and become greater film makers than Scorsese...if that is even believed to be possible!
Lets put this in a brief synopsis, a story is predictable, like a cheesy love story, the outcome is inevitable. While a plot keeps the viewer interested, they may have a belief that they know the outcome in the back of their head but there is no obvious proof...plot adds character to the story.
A good example of a classic film with an outstanding plot would be Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver. In this film the viewer knows the story, but the man keeps changing his fixations throughout the whole movie making it more dramatic and unpredictable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)