Week 3 Tuesday Reflection

This tutorial was in three parts:

1. Scene analysis

We started by watching one scene a few times and commenting on how it was put together. The scene opened and closed with a wide shot, with the opening one establishing the scene and the closing one showing the characters leaving it. The establishing shot was well composed and full of things going on in the frame. Between these two wide shots were shot-reverse-shots of the two actors in conversation, first medium close ups, and then some close ups on the man. You could see that the eye lines were consistent throughout the shots: the characters did appear to be looking at each other, and when one looked at the other, the other would divert their gaze in response if appropriate. We also noticed that the lenses used must have been of long focal length, considering how out of focus the background was.

2. Discussing roles at a shoot

Next, we got to discuss the difference between a few camera-related roles. The director of photography is in charge of the image, deciding things including lighting and exposure. I would have thought this was the job of the director, but it makes sense to distribute this part of the director’s job to someone who can focus on it. The camera operator pans and tilts the camera. The focus puller, who I hadn’t heard of before, is in charge of making sure the camera operates smoothly. This includes getting the batteries and cards ready, as well as adjusting the focus for the camera operator, based on earlier measured distances. This frees up the camera operator to focus on other things. Finally, there’s the clapper person, whose boss is the focus puller. They seem to make sure things are in the right position, and other miscellaneous jobs that are for the camera but not at the camera.

With so many moving parts, it seems as if there is little room for camera operators to add inspiration or creativity to their work. Because of this, it seems like they could be replaced by a robot who does what the director and DOP tells them to do. Maybe one day, but for now that seems impractical.

3. Recreating the scene

We went on to recreate the scene we just watched. I didn’t have a specific role so I just watched. I noticed at the start, the camera was quite low compared to the actors, meaning it was pointing up and getting the ceiling in frame, as well as a low angle of the actor.

I feel like this is a mistake I see often in amateur productions, and not something I get a chance to consider very often. Picking shots usually consists of a conversation regarding the use of long shots, medium shots or close ups. I think it’d be nice to bring in some discussion regarding the height/angle at which we place the camera.

At the start, the camera was also too close to the actors, meaning we were using a lens that was too wide. After moving the camera back, we were able to get a shallower depth of field, matching the original shot more closely.

Leave a Reply