GCSE media coursework

Some useful info. to get you started!

Useful video terms and explanations: Sequence - a series of related shots. For

example, a sequence could be a wide shot of a coastal bay, followed by a medium shot of a few wind surfers, followed by a single wind surfer zipping through the water. It can also refer to several seconds of footage. Sequences will be edited together to create the final production piece.

Length of shot - How long you show each shot depends on what's going on in the shot, and what you're trying to achieve. A lot of action or movement may need a 20 second shot but if nothing much is happening you may only need three seconds - or even less in a rapid edit sequence

Framing your shot - experts suggest the TA’s attention is focused a third of the way down from the top of the shot - just above the centre.. Your main action therefore needs to be there.

Camera Shots - There are four basic camera shots: Wide shot (aka Establishing or Long

Shot) - shows the whole scene. Often moving image begins with this shot because it sets the stage - TA knows where they are. Also good if there's a lot of movement in a crowd scene. You will see at least the full body and some of the setting (mis en scene)

Medium Shot (mid range) camera seems closer to the subject (although it may not be if you use your zoom lens). Shows character from about the waist up. Use when you want a closer look at your subject, or when you need to to move from wide to close up shots (it is difficult for the viewer to follow if you go straight from a wide shot to a close up shot - so use this as an interim shot - you don't want to make them giddy!)

Close Up Shot shows very little of the background scene scene - for showing detail, eg person's emotional face or individual coins in a purse. If you were interviewing someone, this shot would show the person from the top of the chest or shoulders up. An Extreme Close Up is even closer - just the person's eyes, or an insect nibbling a leaf. Used to show deep emotion eg fear or sadness perhaps.

Distance shot - the action of people is like that of ants - especially when  used from an ariel perspective might then be zoomed in to the action. The beginning of ‘Moulin Rouge’ starts with a mocked up distance shot of Paris, which then ‘zooms’ across the rooftops to the seat of the action (interior shot) Also see crane shot below.

Other terms: Over Shoulder or Cutaway Shot. This gives

the feeling of interaction between two persons with the shot taken (almost) from the point of view of one character - looking at the other character. Useful for interview situations, threat scenes, romantic arguments etc.

Two Shot/Three Shot - a two shot has two people in the frame. A three shot has three people in the frame. Because you have to be some distance from the people to get them all in the frame, this is usually a medium or wide shot and it may also show some incidental background.

Camera Angles: These angles give the POV (point of view) Straight on (also known as Direct or Eye-

level) – most commonly used shot because we usually see things from our own eye-level. TA is therefore comfortable with it. Makes the audience feel they are there witnessing what is going on.

Low Angle (looking up) - camera looks up at the subject, making it seem larger, more important, powerful, or threatening. The audience may also feel threatened – used often in psychological thrillers and action films.

High Angle (looking down) - camera looks down on the subject, decreasing its importance. Character may look vulnerable or weak. It often gives the audience a sense of power. Often used in psychological thrillers and gothic genre films.

Camera Movement: Pan - A shot taken, moving on a level, from a fixed point of

view (from left to right, right to left). The movement maps out an arc, like the pencil line drawn by a compass which is also from a fixed point. If you want to show a frisbee flying across a field, you might use this shot to follow the frisbee from one person to another. It can be used to show a wide landscape or to follow the action of people walking / cycling etc.

Tracking Shot - also used to follow action but moves alongside it (originally this would have been on a track) eg to follow alongside a vehicle while showing action inside or on that vehicle. The camera moves in parallel to the action.

Tilt - Camera movement in a vertical plane. (up or down) The camera remains fixed to a given point but pivots for the necessary tilt. If you want to show a tall building but you can't get it all in your shot, you might start at the bottom of the building and go up to the top. This can be used in conjunction with low angle shots to show threat or power.

Crane shots - can be static and overhead but can be used similarly to the tilt and or tracking shots but with the movement from above the action.

Zoom - This shot brings you closer to the subject. If you are looking at a long bridge, and you want to see individual people walking across it, you might zoom in.

Reverse Zoom - This shot moves you farther away from the subject. If you have a Close Up shot of a flower, and want to see the entire field that the flower is in, you can reverse zoom (or zoom out)

Other useful terms: Storyboard - a series of drawings showing what you plan

to do. Voice Over - an off-camera narrator who puts their voice

over the video. This is edited in, by overlaying the finished sound and visual tracks with each other. See narrative tracks below.

Point of View - the perspective from which you are shooting. For example, you might be a neutral observer, recording events without taking sides. Or you could be omniscient, showing all points of view. Or perhaps personal, from one person's point of view.

Colour Wash can be used to wash image with colour to affect meaning / reading and invest sequence with mood eg red filter to show anger, blue to show sadness. This can be done at the point of filming or during the editing process.

Video Edits: Cut - instant, direct switch from one image to another Dissolve - image pixelates and (gradually) disappears

revealing new image behind. Sometimes also done as a wavy dissolve to show dream sequences. Usually shows passing of time, a memory or thought.

Fade - a gradual increase or decrease of the image. You can fade an image to black, or do the reverse as well as fade to another image which appears to lay behind the original.

Iris - image closes down into small circle before disappearing completely. Can also be used to raise a new image - starting from the small circle and opening out.

Swipe - image is replaced by another moving in and across the original shot. A swipe may be left to right, right to left (like sliding doors) top down (like a roller blind), bottom up or diagonal - top left, bottom right etc. A more recent version of this has been the Peel where it is as though a layer is being peeled away to reveal what is underneath - a bit like the packaging of some food where a layer of plastic is peeled back to reveal the contents.

Split screen - can be two-fold (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) or multiple screen images. Often used to show both sides of a telephone conversation or when two lots of action are going on at the same time.

Related terms: B-roll - this is any video that is edited into the main action

as a reference point, that illustrates or shows examples. You might think of it as background eg if you are interviewing someone and they're talking about pigs you might intersplice a B-roll video of pigs while they are talking.

Narrative Tracks: There will be several narrative tracks in any given programme e.g. several video sequences will be edited together and may have a B roll (see above) interspliced with them. When these visual layers are completed the bedding music and any voice overs are added as separate narrative layers.

Before video cameras came into being (mainstream TV 1980s) celluloid film was used and this had no sound recording facility. Therefore, sound effects and scripted voice also had to be added as separate layers.