First lesson, different camera shots.

For our first lesson, we learnt about the different types of camera shots, ranging from long shots to close shots and cross cutting for effect.

When recording a scene or taking a position, it is important to position your audience. You need to make sure they see what they want you to see. For example, if you have a scene with someone on fire, you would not want the shot to show a nurse/health and safety inspector standing by with a fire extinguisher. considering that particular scene, the camera should be positioned where it can capture exactly what you want the audience to see. In the case of the scene with someone of fire, it would ruin or eradicate the suspense and terror  of someone in flames for the audience, if they could see someone standing by ready with a fire extinguisher. It would ruin the illusion created of the characters life in danger.

WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK!
NOT INTENSE!
WE CAN SEE THE FIREMAN!

 Another technique of creating suspicion is cross-cutting.This includes cutting from two or more points of view to show what each character would be seeing. This shot would show the exact view of the character and in turn might also help the audience feel what the character would be feeling. There could be a scene with a heavy chandelier falling and someone about to walk under it. In this case, the first shot could be the person walking in the direction of the chandelier. The second shot could show the chandelier its last bracket breaking, to carry on, the person would be nearing the chandelier at this point for the third shot. Fourth, the shot could be the chandelier actually falling. Lastly, you would see the person directly under the chandelier. That would create the suspense of the moment and the last impression or thought from the audience would be if the person moved in time or was in fact hit by the chandelier. A similar scene can be seen below with the use of cross-cutting.

Within the many different camera shots, there are also different angles to show different perspectives and different angles prove better for certain shots. Such as seeing a birds eye view point of a city right before a story starts to progress. If there is a second birds eye view angle right after the first, it should be at least 30 degrees away from the original shot. This is to show the scene from a different angle but to also make the shot look more professional like it has not been badly edited or shot. Eye level angles feature more heavily in sitcom's such as "not going out". In this particular sitcom, you do see an overhead shot, but this again is usually at the beginning. With only a few examples of overhead shots through the middle of the episodes. This is because sitcoms do not require the need for suspense due the main idea and goal is to make the audience laugh.

Two other angles which are used to complement each other are low angles and high angles. A popular example to show this is a conversation or scene or photo with characters who are inferior and superior. Such as a scene between a bully and victim or between a young student and scary teacher. An example which shows both is any scene with Miss Trunchbull and any other pupil, before the last 10 minutes in Matilda. Miss Trunchbull is the superior, scary teacher who is considered a bully, whereas the students are inferior and victims. In a scene with these two characters, Miss Trunchbull would be shot from a low angle - so the shot would be the audience looking up at Miss Trunchbull. The students would be shot from a high angle, so the audience would be looking down on the students, making them inferior.

An over the shoulder shot is primarily used to create tension of what they can/cannot see and what they might do about about it. This shot shows the characters perspective of their life at that moment. You would usually see this shot in use in a thriller but it can be used in any genre to create any sort of tension during a climax. In the case of tension, diegetic sound could also be used at this point. Again with the example of Miss Trunchbull, when she is walking around her house, you can hear her footsteps echoing as she searches for intruders. Diegetic sound is when there sound which is part of the story such as footsteps. However, diegetic sound is not only used for thrillers or climaxes, it can be used within slapstick comedy, such as the classic "Laurel and Hardy" anytime they would slap each other or break something there would be sound within the story. A modern use of diegetic sounds in comedy is Miranda, when she breaks or throws something, diegetic sound is used to make it more realistic.

Within the heading of angles there is also the aspect of Mise-en-scene. This is where the the props around the scene are placed, and what their placement reflects/represents about the character or characters in the scene. Such as a bird cage in the background of a scene would show the person possibly has or had a pet bird. Although there are many other psychological representations of a bird cage.

Throughout the lesson, I think I was ok with the close ups and overhead camera shots for representation in pictures. I think my weaknesses lie within low angle and high angle shots. For recording, my weakness lies in tracking shots. With the tracking shots, it's about moving alongside the character and keeping the camera still if not on a tripod with wheels. One of my greatest weaknesses is definitely keeping my hands steady and making sure they do not shake during filming.