Kellie Willows

Kellie Willows

Film Making

Every filmmaker needs to know about film language.

This consists of:

how you use images

sound and editing to tell the story and keep people watching

Learn about how to use different shot sizes like close-up’s and long

shots.

Where should you put the camera?

How should you use sound?

How can you put your film together so everything makes sense?

Firstly make a script…

Before making a film you need to consider and think about the locations and set, actors and

casting, shooting style and the format.

Script

Deciding on the style in which the film is to be shot requires thinking through several

aspects of the script. Withholding information is sometimes a useful narrative device that

encourages the audience to become engaged with the dilemmas facing the characters –

equally it is sometimes useful if the audience knows more than the protagonist in a story.

Setting

The choice of set and props is also important. A small confined set using a hallway covered

in ‘Police Aware’ tape is inexpensive to stage but conveys the seriousness of the quarantine

situation.

Before producing the film you need to carefully

think about and decide what set you are going to

choose, this could be inside or outside but you will

need to consider your options as they may be

limited due to not being able to afford big film

studios and sets.

Another example is a closed apartment door used to separate the two characters gives a

feeling of being isolated and most of the dialogue takes place through the closed door. The

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use of the door is also a key factor in building the relationship. When will the door be open,

when will it be shut and what meaning would that add to the scene? When the door is

closed the characters’ body language and facial expression can only be seen by the

audience, each character being denied that information about the person on the other side

of the door and only being able to work out any meaning through the delivery and emotion

of the lines.

The lighting will also need to be considered:

Lighting is a crucial element – bringing together camerawork and production design. Cameras work

with light – and the cinematographer in the British film industry is expected to organise the lighting.

When preparing and planning to produce your film within lighting you need to think about these

things:

Design lighting to show set/location to best advantage relative to story, style and dramatic

content

Light each actor to reinforce and reveal character

Make sure mood and tone of light help to tell the story

Design light for minimum reset time between set-ups

Utilise standby painter for control of highlights, shadows, ageing, dusting-down of sets and

props

Set any lighting cues (dimmers, spot lights, colour changes and any pre-programming).

Lighting is a crucial factor in the process of making a film as it can determine the

conventions of your film, it is important to get the lighting just right to be conventional for

the genre you are doing. For example, high key bright lighting would not be used in a dark

and gloomy horror trailer so this would need to be carefully though about.

Sound

When it comes to a low budget film or student production, finding the right location for sound is

really important. The use of suitable recording techniques is also important; high quality

microphones, recording ‘Buzz’ tracks or atmosphere will also help in the editing process to control

the final sound mix. In many ways sound in fiction work is more important than pictures. Remember

it’s usually the sound (especially dialogue) that tells the story.

It is not just sound, mise-en-scene, lighting and editing that can help effective

production also by having effective composition can make your production

work more effective also.

Composing a photograph is essentially an editing process - deciding what to leave in and what to

leave out. There are basic accepted criteria for good composition that, when applied, will help you

achieve visual harmony or dynamic tension. Faithfully following all the "rules" of composition will

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not necessarily culminate in a good photograph. The rules are intended more as guidelines than

strict dogma, but they will help you design well-balanced images that are pleasing to the eye. While

it may be the subject that initially attracts viewers to stop and look at an image, it is the artistry of

composition that holds them there.

Here are some of the basic elements of effective composition:

1. Strong focal point

It is usually best to have one main subject as the focal point because a

photograph can successfully tell only one story. The main subject can be

one object or several, and you may decide to include a secondary

subject. But make sure nothing detracts from the focal point. Lacking a

strong centre of interest forces the viewer to search for something to

observe, eyes seeking a resting place. Always give the focal point

sufficient prominence in the composition so that all other elements are

subordinate. Even if the focal point is small, it can be given prominence

by composing empty space around it.

2. Rule of Thirds

The exact centre of any composition is not a satisfying place for the viewer's eye to come to rest.

With the main subject placed in the centre, the viewer is less likely to explore the rest of the

photograph. In fact, it is preferable to keep the viewer's eye moving. To create movement in your

photographs and to avoid the static bull's-eye composition, use the rule-of-thirds guidelines for off-

centre placement of the main subject. It is the traditional way to create a well-balanced composition

and has been used by artists for centuries.

To apply the rule of thirds, imagine the scene in your viewfinder divided into thirds both horizontally

and vertically, similar to a tic-tac-toe grid laid over the scene. Place the main subject and other

important elements of your composition along the grid lines or at the points where the grid lines

intersect. Employing the rule of thirds not only helps avoid symmetrical composition but also

provides a pleasing proportion of space around the main subject to prevent distracting tension

between the focal point and the edge of the frame.

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3. Simplicity

The best way to present a clear message in a photograph is to keep the composition

simple. The fewer elements you have to work with, the easier it is to design a pleasing

image and control the viewer's eye movement. There are several ways to simplify a

composition, but the primary method is to move in closer to the main subject. Whether

you physically move the camera position closer or zoom in optically, getting closer

allows you to fill the frame with the subject, paring the composition down to its

essential components. It removes visual distractions from the edges of the frame,

eliminates superfluous elements and defocuses the background. Shallow depth of field

helps to isolate the subject from a busy background by blurring objectionable clutter,

and may even create soft pools of complementary colour behind the subject.

4. Leading Lines

Another compositional technique to create energy and movement in a photograph is the use

of leading lines. Whether they are graceful curves or dynamic diagonals, all lines should lead

the viewer's eye to the focal point. But be careful with the use of leading lines. They can also

work against you by directing the eye away from the subject or, if the line divides the

photograph in two, leading it right out of the image.

A few other factors to consider when refining your compositions:

Let the lines in your composition decide if the scene should be shot horizontally or

vertically. If the scene presents long vertical lines, compose vertically to take full

advantage of them. When presented with strong horizontal lines, use a horizontal

camera orientation. This plays to the strengths of the composition and also will help

to avoid wasted space at the edges of the frame.

Be aware of white or light areas in your compositions. The viewer's eye will always go

to the brightest part of a scene, so eliminate any bright spots that will pull attention

away from the main subject.

Look for repetition of shapes and textures. Patterns create rhythm and motion in a

composition.

Compose boldly using sweeping diagonal lines. Long horizontal lines can be static and

visually boring. Conversely, diagonal lines add visual energy. Change camera angle to

pivot prevailing lines so they don't run parallel to the top and bottom edges of the

frame.

Try using a wide-angle lens. Compose for a foreground, middle ground and

background with overlapping compositional elements to create a three-dimensional

effect in a two-dimensional photograph.

After they have become second nature to you, begin to experiment. It's okay to break the

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rules, but do so knowingly and intentionally. When you know and understand the basics of

good composition, you will be free to roam the spatial relationships within your viewfinder.