Production Tips

Posted on Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Filed under "G321 Preliminary task"

Diegesis

Is a way of combining diegetic and non-diegetic material to create meaning for the image or moving text.

Diegetic material is when the character is aware of the of the sound e.g talking, thunder, etc. Non-diegetic sound is added for the entertainment of the audience, examples atmospheric music, soundtrack music, voice-over or narration.

The film Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist has a large amount of non-diegetic sound. It use a large amount of the soundtrack music through the film, this is done to give the film a feel good theme. The film makers also make some of the music diegetic, they do this by playing it though the car radio or the band playing it at a gig.

Camera Work and Framing

When filming it is always best to use a tripod so that camera shake is less likely, however handheld is used if the film is documentary themed. To give the appearance of normality in the shot do not use a moving shot, as this obscures the norm. This is done in the cult film Jaws this is done after a boy is killed by the great white shark and the hero of the story realise that the boy is being killed. Another a tip is to stay clear of zooming as this makes the film seem unprofessional.

For filming it is suggested to use a widescreen framing as this also adds the pro look. Also mainly use mid and longs shots and use close-ups sparingly as this is on the big screen, and not a TV series.

Remember to use the rule of thirds when filming as this is a way to make some visually interesting shots. This done by not having the object perfectly central, is they are slightly to the side it makes a unique visual image.

To establish the actions of a character combine types of shot with distances, this is essential for the ‘language of film’. For example, shot of person walking to door long shot, person near door medium shot and then hand handle to open door close up.

Camera shots are a key way into making a person seem powerful or powerless. You do this with the simpleness of an angle, to make a person powerful do a low angle shot and to make them powerless do a high angle shot.

Lighting

Here are a few tips to make your film look professional:

Use natural light - sunlight, in shadow, in mist, through rain - use these depending on the effect that you want to carry out e.g. Rain = sadness maybe a funeral.
Cheap and cheerful light - To make your own artificial light simply use a tourch, security lights, neon signs, street light and if you have carried out the risk assessments, candles, firelight, etc.
Colour filters - to give an area a different lighting use coloured liquids, vases, etc. However you can use an effect on the computer to add filters
Positioning the light - experiment with the lighting as it cause different atmospheres

Combining Sound, Image and Titles

It is harder than it looks to put clips with the timing of the music not to mention the appropriate type of music for the clips. So be careful with your decision on the music and the style. When adding the music think about what shots would go best with the style of the part the music i.e. So if it a fast beat you will probably want someone running.

It is also hard to choose the right titles for the film, because you don’t want the film titles to be with guns and then for the film to have nothing to do with guns. So make the text suit the film and also the rhythm of the music.

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