sound&music, camera and editing essay of own clip

The three techniques I’m looking at are the camera shots, editing, and sound and music. This is to look into the effect these have and the reason the director decided to use them in specific ways.
In this clip the first thing that the audience see is of the villain then reasonably quick cuts to the other characters and all these shots are medium close ups. Medium close ups are used to show the character in some detail but partly the surroundings as well, these mediums shots are used to show the true fear and panic in all of the characters faces after what the villain says, the audience can tell which is the villain as all other shots on the other characters are static and stay in the same place with no movement showing that they have no control of their movement, however when its on niall (villain) then the camera moves around and tracks his movement showing he is in control, this gives it an equal balance of movement and static camera work and contrast each other showing the different personalities of both types of character.
There are a series of fast edited shots these involve a close up of the device that causes this drama and different angled shots of the surroundings and the impact that the device had on them. The importance of the close up of the device is to show the significance of it as it has such importance. This device caused the explosion therefore a close up of it shows what it is and lets the audience know that this is and how this explosion happened. Followed by different medium close ups of the surroundings shows what the device has done and the extent of the damage, the fact that these shots are not clear to see and that they are moving so fast, doesn’t show much and what the audience can’t see makes the images in there head much worse which creates this sense of enigma as they are unaware of what has actually happened.
The editing in this 4 minute clip is very fast, all the transactions are fast and each shot is very short. The fact that this has happened is to reflect that at this point something with a high impact is going to happen because these fast transitions are showing the peak of the drama. With all these fast transitions occurring it also could represent the villains state of mind as its clear to see he isn’t all there in the head and with these fast transitions are there to emphasise this. Match on action is also used in this small series of shots as it shows the explosion happening close up and then a long shot showing the scale of the explosion and that it is much bigger and has a greater impact on all the characters present and not just 1 or 2 of the characters. It is similar to dropping a stone in water you would see the stone then all the ripples are the aftermath. With all the fast transitions it creates this high adrenalin atmosphere with so much at state to the effect of this explosion. After the explosions has happened and its on the last shot of the explosion happening from different angles it dissolves back into the church this is to show that a short period of time has passed and its now clearly marking that the explosion has happened and this is the aftermath of this. At the end of the scene as it’s showing the aftermath of the explosion smoke slowly fills up the camera making it no longer visible to see and then the credits come up. This smoke is similar to a white fade and could represent that someone has died and with the camera on a crane and getting higher and higher is also similar to going to heaven and going up into the sky but it does not show you this so again leaving it up to the audience again.
Sound and music is clearly understood in this scene and the music is used to create tension and set the atmosphere. From the very first second in this clip there is background music that isn’t amplified so its not that important but the fact that it is there has some sort of reference as to what is going to happen. The background music is quite a low pitch monotone instrumental, it is quite gothic and similar to what you would hear in horror films, like music that would play when looking around the corner and not knowing what is there. This is consistent throughout and stays at the same level of volume and is non-diagetic as there isn’t actually someone present playing these instruments as that wouldn’t make it realistic at all. This instrumental is always present when in the church as when it cuts to outside the music is no longer there which shows that something bad will happen inside the church. When the church door is opened the audience hear this happening and know that someone is there to help but the music still continues to play and this is to represent even though there is someone there to save them the drama still happens. After this point the music gets louder and much more obvious to the audience and when its at the peak of tension just before the church explodes the music is very high pitched and at its loudest point making it much more dramatic. The music stops when the explosion takes place this is to amplify the explosion sounds and smashes making it sound much more dangerous and to match what the audience is seeing which is a lot of dust and smoke. This again is to make it as dramatic as possible and to have the maximum impact on the audience.
During the aftermath of the explosion the music changes to slow piano instrumental music, its amplified to match the glass smashing and all other crashing sounds. This music continues to play and all other sounds around are blocked off therefore making this the only sound the audience can hear. This has some effect as its depressing music and subtly hints that something bad has happened. This makes the scene as dramatic as possible and has been built up to such a high point and when it all comes knocking down at creates the greater effect.



URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFGs-KgunVw&feature=related

heroes: How do the different camera shots create an effect

Each different shot is used for a reason, to create a certain effect. I will be looking into the cheerleader scene in heroes and what effect some of the more important shots have.
There was a shot where the camera moved with the man and basically followed what he done. This is to show that the main focus is on him and what he is all about. This could also be that it is used to represent his state of mind and that he is all over the place. Also because its following him and it does look like its free hand, it wouldn’t be the same if it was level and fixed movement, so free hand has given it the sense of realism and that its following him and how he is moving, not like a robot.
A two shot has been used of the conversation between 2 people during a conversation in the car. As the conversation progresses the car is still always in the shot no matter what, then there is a part where it will zoom in on the wheels or the speedometer. This could suggest that there will be something going to happen involving the car, if its already to obvious then this will just be used to emphasise it instead, either way making it quite clear and building the tension.
With the follow up of the 2 shot, the close up of the wheels and the speedometer, this is quite an important shot because they are quite quick transitions and are only seen for a small period of time this could be there to link with the idea that the car seems to be getting faster and as the speed increases the tension increases as well. Its creating that sense of danger as well, as the car gets faster the more the people in the car are at risk.
There is also a close up of the gear stick, this is similar to the close of the wheels and the speedometer accept it’s the gear that is making it go faster and as it goes on the gear stick it will go back onto the master shot which in this case will be of the car moving. So the fact that the master shot is the car suggests that the gear stick has a significant part to play in the movement of the car. The close ups of all these small objects have a big effect on the tension and what happens next because the fact that they are showed close up suggests focus is on them and that they are more important than what you think,
With the follow up of the next shot is the boys reaction to the car crashing, each of these shots seem to trigger off the next one or link into what is going to happen next. The boys reaction is important because it was unexpected so it goes into a close up to show his emotion of being scared and panicking, this is interesting how it doesn’t really show her face but focuses on his. This could suggest that his reaction is more important or more significant or the idea that hers hasn’t even changed therefore not even needed to be seen. His reaction shows that this was a surprise to him and that he didn’t think she was capable of doing something like that and his reaction is the peak of the tension and after that it begins to drop. All this can be noticed just through the close up of his reaction.
All these different shows play different parts with different types of shots each one will suggest different things. The main idea in this scene is tension building and with fast transitions from one type of shot to the other this is easy to notice as it works.

how is the camerawork used in this extract of shameless?

How is the camerawork used in this extract of shameless?


In this 4 minute clip there were a lot of different shots used, I am going to note the different types of shots down and the effect these shots had and the significance of the shot. As each shot used was there for a reason to create some sort of effect.
In the scene there was often a two shot scene and in this case it was also a medium close up. This was to show the two people having the conversation and the close up were there to show their emotion and reaction to what they were saying. It was also a secretive conversation so a medium close up meant that the focus was on them two and they were the two that were allowed to talk and hear this conversation. If it was a close up at all, you would see more of the background and what was around the characters and you would get the feeling someone else was there, so a medium close up was perfect as it wasn’t too close. Also because the two were so close when talking you could tell it was an intense conversation and that the closer they are the closer they want to keep this conversation and also to stop them shouting it out for Marti to hear.
The director also used a very obvious high shot angle, which was clear for anyone to notice and understand what was going on. This was used on Marti when he was quite upset and alone. So this high angle shot makes him look inferior and quite upset, it could also reflect that he is at a low point of his life and is quite isolated, as the room is also quite dark and he is sat on his own. Therefore the camerawork here has just emphasised his feelings and what is going through his head, the fact that he is isolated and has issues at the minute. This is just obvious to see that anyone would notice this and understand the significance of this shot.
There is a shot that is used where the camera jumps all over the place, there is no name for it but it has great meaning and significance behind it. This Is the part where Marti is throwing the petrol over the car, the camera seems to be free handed and so its not even or level. The camera is jumpy and moving quite frequently and fast, this could be reflecting Marti’s state of mind and how he is feeling. It could also represent the fire itself if it was lit at that moment as it was quite free and out of control and all over the place, kind of like a fire. the shot could also have been used to show that he is losing his mind and going crazy, this all links back to Marti and his feelings again.
There are lots more shots used all for there own significance, but too many to mention, so I just wrote about the main shots with the most significance as they are the shots that tend to stand out or are more noticeable than the others. Each shot is used for a reason maybe to emphasise or reflect someone’s personality either way it wasn’t done by accident. But its clear enough to see by the types of shots used on him, that Marti is the main character and that different types of shots are used to show how he is feeling or what state of mind he is in, that’s why each shot is as important as the next as they all need to have some meaning behind them.

inital deconstruction Hollyoaks-channel4-6.30pm

Camera shots, angles, movement and composition: Alot of over the shoulder shots, this usually happened when a conversation was taking place to show both people speaking and the others reaction to what they were saying. There were also alot two shots aswell to show who the people were that were talking or about to talk at the time and also to show where abouts it was set, that thy were talking. At the beginning there was a close up that then slowly zooms out, this tends to happen alot in the beginning of hollyoaks as at first it gives that sense of mystery as you don't actually know what is fully happening until its totally zoomed out as far as it goes.
Editing (transitions, effects, match on action, pace): In the beginning the pace is usually quite face and as the theme tune fades away and eventually stops, the pace slows down, as they go through different short clips of what is happening the pace of the camera panning is reasonably fast and adds to the effect of showing a short summary of what that episode will be about. The transitions are noticable as its clear to see when the story changes or the scene changes.
Sound, music and dialogue: Theme tune is fast and quite rocky and very upbeat which matches the pictures that are shown of the characters, they go through them quite fast and not really being able to focus or see which character is which as the pace fo the pictures has to keep up with the pace of the music. When the theme tune has finished depending on the summaries at the beginning more music kicks in, in this case the characters that are shown are quite tired and hungover and there is a sense of guilt, therefore the music being played is quite slow and not rock more softer music, again linking the music to the scene at the time. In this case there is also one of the characters saying some thoughts that again link in with the short summaries and how they are all feeling. This just lets the viewer know what the characters are thinking anf the reason behind this. There were also some obvious sounds, like the duvet sound amplified when the person in the bed moves, this gives it that more realistic feeling again as in real life those sounds would be there but its not really something you notice but ar in fact there, like background noise.
Mise en scene (lighting, set design,costume, props, colour scheme): There is a fixed set so the villiage that it's set in is always the main place where it starts. In this case it starts off in the morning therefore the lighting isn't so bright because the sun hasn't fully risen so its not as bright as midday but still obvious lighting. I've noticed that there isn't really a fixed colour scheme and that the colours used are quite bright and extravigant, this could link with the idea that the majority of the characters are quite young and vibrant, so this could be a link used. The costumes used are quite obvious as there is one girl named michaela who has vibrantly coloured make up and very bright clothing, this links with the fact that she is very loud and gobby and speaks her mind so the clothes she is wearing reflects her personality. The same with another character just been seen, Tina, who is reasonably quiet and collected so if her clothes were to reflect her personality she would be wearing something comfortable, not brightly coloured more dull and something that isn't revealing and in this case that is true. So the characters personalities are also mirrored by what they wearing so it's easier to see what the characters are like by what they are wearing.
How do the micro features above help to create a sense of representation in this extract of TV drama? The characters are ment to be seen as quite humurous but also serious when a serious situation occurs, so there is a mix of both and it's easy to tell when this is happening due to mainly music and dialogue. The settings are easy to tell as each episode is set in the same village just in different peoples houses and there are also the odd times when it's set elsewhere that isn't included in the community like a police station or hospital but this does't always happen, only when necessary. The verimilitude created is again quite obvious as the stories that are used are so realistic and happen in everyday life it's easier for the viewer to understand and relate to the characters because sometime or another the same could have happened to them as in hollyoaks they use everyday situations. The issues used are there to create the drama so with all the above features in place the themes will change as the stories change and in hollyoaks this is very often, as they will switch between sotries and always come back to it later and continue, this can often get confusing which is why the viewer has to concentrate more to understand it and once they understand it they will watch it more and more.

ingredients of TV drama's

-Characters: particular kinds of characters that are easily identifiable (make them simple)

-Stories:they all tell stories and often, but not always end happily

-The stories are told against familiar backdrops e.g. homes, police stations. A lot of these are created in studios or sets. Most drama's also use outside locations too to create particular affects.

-Versimilitude: creating a sense of reality

-Camerawork: particular kinds of shots, voyeristic shot, close ups, medium shots, close ups for emotions

-Stories told through dialogue

-Music that punctuates the actions

-Easily identifiable subgenre e.g. police cars in crime drama's

Categories of media drama's

skins

• shameless
• inbetweeners
  

humor, gritty, tongue and cheek

• desperate housewives
• ugly betty
• sex and the city

US, bridget jones style audience

• heroes
• reaper
• lost
• 24

high budget, all american again, different narrative

• corrie
• eastenders
• emerdale
• hollyoaks

Uk, soaps

• casualty
• holby city
• ER

hospital based

• scrubs
• friends
• big bang theory

comedy but TV drama

• midsummer murders
• morse
• bill
• life on mars
• ashes to ashes

crime

introduction

introduction 

This is my blog focusing on the main technical area's of TV Drama's and the main devices used to represent them. I will be focusing on framing, editing, mise en scene, lighting, acting, sound and shot types.