This week, I learned how to use a camera, camera techniques, and the different types of camera angles used for filming. I leaned that a compressing distance is a focal length lens coupled with great camera-to-subject distance appears to reduce distance between objects in front of the lens. This is one of the creative controls that lens focal length provides the videographer, shrinking and expanding the apparent distance between objects in a scene. Changes in lens focal influence the apparent speed of objects moving toward or away from the camera. Filmmakers often use this technique for good effect. Using a wide-angle lens combined with a limited camera-to-subject distance creates a type of perspective distortion. So, when a videographer uses a short focal length lens shooting a building from street level, the parallel lines along the sides of the building appears to converge towards the top. The building would also appear to be leaning backwards. I learned different types of focus. Selective focus is making a certain thing in focus in a shot and others aren’t. This technique is also referred to as bokeh. Selective focus is commonly used to direct attention towards things that are important. A follow focus is used to refocus the camera to accommodate subject movement. Rack focus is similar to selective focus, except the camera operator changes focus during the scene to shift viewer attention from one part to another. Finally, using auto focus helps with following a moving subject. Most auto-focus devices assume that the area you want in sharp focus is in the center of the picture.
For this week, we watched a documentary on cinematography. I learned from the directors the different types of camera angles and how those angles affect a character in the movie. A Close Up is a shot taken of a person or object at a close range. This shot is tightly framed, and takes up most of the screen. A Medium Shot indicates that it was captured at a medium distance from the subject. This shot is used for back and forth dialogue between two characters. The Long Shot or Wide Shot is used as an establishing shot. It sets the scene and the character’s place within it. I learned that the High-Angle is when the camera points down on the subject from above. This technique is used to make the subject below seem vulnerable or powerless. The Over the Shoulder shot is used when two or more characters are talking to each other in conversation. This type of shot can be used to indicate the viewer that a specific character in the film sees something that the other characters might not yet see. The Dutch Angle is when the camera is tilt to one side, which results in a frame that is not equal. This technique is used to create dramatic effect and evoke a series of different emotions. It was nice learning from the documentary and being able to use the techniques for our six shot video project.
Something from class that I would like to learn more is how to avoid shaky footages while filming. I would watch YouTube videos for advice on techniques to avoid the shaky footages to film smoother footages. I watched a video by Peter McKinnon. In this video, he explains how to avoid the shaky footages. The link to his video is https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=59dl-mhQWBA. I learned that body movement and using a wide shot helps eliminates a shaky footage.
Peter’s Film Blog 