Video and Sound Production - Exercises

  April 22, 2024 - (Week 1 - Week 3)

linchenyi/0367008

BA (Hons) Video and Sound Production/Bachelor of Design in Creative Media

INTRODUCE 

(Approved) VSP60104_VIDEO & SOUND PRODUCTION_MI2024.pdf

2.LECTURE

Week 1 | Module Introduction

Mr Martin introduced us to the module and the projects we would be working on throughout the semester.

Tutorial

Week 2 | Frames and Storyboards

In the second week of the course, you learned about the concepts of framing and storyboarding in photography. Photography is the basic unit of film and video composed of many lenses. Here are some basic concepts about photography:

Shot: The basic unit of video, representing a continuous photography process.

Sequence: A continuous image consisting of a series of scenes or shots that are complete in themselves.

Scene: Defines the place or environment in which the action takes place.

Regarding the concept of different lens injection volumes,

1. ultra wide angle lens
2. Wide-angle lens
3. medium wide angle lens
4. medium shot
5. Medium close-up
6. close-up
7. Extreme close-up
8. over the shoulder shot

Fig 2.1 Camera Shot Types by Size

In photography, camera angle, shooting angle and subject height are all important factors that can affect the shooting effect and visual presentation. Here is some basic information about these concepts:

Camera Angle:

• 45° angle (3/4 angle): Makes the subject look more three-dimensional and natural.
• Multi-surface shooting: When shooting two or more surfaces, using the right angle can enhance the three-dimensional feel of the scene,
• Decreasing parallel lines: Adjust the camera angle so that the parallel lines gradually decrease and converge to the right,

Filming angle:

• Low angle: When the shooting angle is low, the subject looks taller and stronger, which is suitable for creating majestic scenes or emphasizing the power of the subject.
• Corner of the eye: Usually used for portraits or shooting dynamic scenes.
• High angle: Can create a bird's-eye view, used to emphasize the vulnerability of the subject or make the subject look smaller.

Screen orientation：

• Dynamic screen direction refers to continuous screen movement in a video, making sure objects or characters move in the same direction to show progress and keeping the camera shooting from the same side.
• In static screen orientation, the camera should remain on the horizontal axis without crossing over to avoid disorientation for the audience.
• Following the 180° rule is crucial to ensuring visual continuity and plot clarity.

Fig 2.2 180 degree rule

Week 3 | Storytelling in Film

Three act structure

Fig 3.1 Three act structure

Fig 3.2 Three act structure

The three-act structure is a traditional way of telling a story that usually includes the following elements:

Act 1: Beginning

• Introduce the world and main characters of the story
• Create dramatic situations
• Introduce an event that makes the story more complex (plot point 1)
• Act 2: Middle/Confrontation

Known as "Operation Rise" (Climax)

• Create obstacles and complications that prevent characters from achieving their goals
• The climb leading up to the story (plot point 2)

Act Three: Ending/Resolution

• climax reaches peak
• Solve all obstacles and problems
• Loosely wrap up the storyline

Plot point 1 is a key moment in the story where the plot becomes more complicated.

• Inciting Incident: A significant event occurs that triggers a turning point in the story.
• Taking the story in a new direction: A character is faced with a new challenge or opportunity that changes the direction of the story.

Episode 2 is another key moment in the story, known as "The Longest Mile."

• Climatic Turning Point: The story reaches a tense climax and the protagonist's mission reaches a critical point.
• Possible solutions are presented: characters face decisive choices to try to solve a problem or achieve a goal.
• The biggest suspense: The audience is not sure whether the protagonist will succeed, creating tension and anticipation, wondering whether the protagonist will win or lose.

After the first week of class we were asked to watch stop motion short films and share your 3 favorites under the final project section of the blog.

Fig 1.1 Bench-stop motion animated short film,week1

Stop Motion Short Film 1 : Bench

"Bench" is a famous stop-motion animation short film, where every frame is filled with meticulous craftsmanship and unique beauty, immersing the audience in it. It presents a boy spending a day on a park bench, showing the changes in his inner world and his emotional journey.

In "Bench", no text dialogue is used, and through images and music, the audience can feel the loneliness, longing and inner changes of the protagonist. Here are the main features and highlights of this stop-motion animation:

Emotional expression: Although there is no dialogue, we can experience the changes in the emotions the protagonist gives us through the expressions and movements of the protagonist as he presses the clay and shoots them frame by frame. , from loneliness to longing, excitement and joy, and finally back to peace. Plus just the right music.

Fig 1.2 Stop-Motion Animated Short Film "Archie" | Archie and his pet dog go on a long journey,week1

Stop Motion Short Film 2 : Archie

The craft of making stop-motion animation short films (felt) will add a unique charm and visual impact to the story. Each frame is handmade and photographed, full of meticulous craftsmanship and unique beauty, telling the story of a boy, Archie, and his pet dog as they embark on a long journey together. The acting and sound design create a sense of realism, and the variety of facial expressions brings the characters to life. There’s also a lot of detail put into the set design. Props are important in showing the character's lifestyle.

In this short film, we follow Archie and his dog through a series of adventures and challenges. They may encounter various difficulties, but their mutual support and friendship will help them overcome them.

Fig 1.3Negative Space | Oscar Nominated Stop-Motion Animation | Short of the Week,week1

Stop Motion Short 3 : Negative Space

It doesn’t look like stop-motion animation at all, but more like a very smooth video animation. Through seamless transitions, the audience can smoothly switch between scenes, which enhances the coherence of the overall story and the comfort of viewing. This technique makes the story more attractive and immersive, and the smoothness of the connection between the pictures can also increase the audience's sensitivity to the emotional changes of the characters.

Color changes, on the other hand, are an expressive technique that can convey the protagonist's emotional state without saying anything. By adjusting the tone and color of the scene, the director can intuitively show the protagonist's inner changes,

The use of the suitcase and its contents as a metaphor is also very clever. These key elements are not only objects in the story, but also symbols that carry the protagonist’s thoughts and emotions about the father-son relationship.

2.EXERCISE

Week 1 | Video Editing Practice

Arrange video clips in Adobe Premiere Pro

In the first week, we got a basic introduction to Adobe Premiere Pro. Our exercise is to arrange the provided video clips in the correct order.

Fig 1.1 Organizing Mints Advertising Video Clips, Week 1

The first set of video clips are Mints ads, they are numbered in a corresponding order, just arrange them in order.

Fig 1.2 “Mints” – Final Edit Video, Week 1

The second set of video clips are from Doritos commercials, but they are not numbered sequentially, so we have to watch each clip to figure out the order and put them in order.

Fig 1.3 “Doritos” video clip

Fig 1.4 Organizing “Doritos”Advertising Video Clips, Week 1

Figure 1.5 “Doritos” - Final edit video, week 1

Week 2 | Shooting Editing Exercise: Framing and Editing Exercise: Adding Titles

Premiere Pro Editing Exercise 1

Shooting Practice: Framing

We were put into pairs to do the framing exercises.

The eight shots are as follows:

- Low angle wide angle lens

- Front MCU (soft background)

- Frontal MS (soft background)

- Extreme close-ups

- Side angle MS (soft background)

- 3/4 angle MCU shot (background blurred/soft)

- CU lens

- Eye-level mid-wide angle lens

Editing exercise: Adding a title

Tutorial Video (Adobe Premiere Pro CC - Basic Titles for Beginners) Add shot type captions to the videos we shot.

Fig 2.1 Timeline Panel - Editing and Adding Subtitles

• Trim clips: Each clip is trimmed.
• Insert shot into sequence: Insert the trimmed clip into the sequence according to the shot list.
• Insert titles and add transition effects: Titles are inserted for each clip and a cross-dissolve effect is added to make the titles appear and disappear more smoothly.
• Add background music

Video 3: Editing Exercise: Adding a Title to a Shot

Premiere Pro Editing Exercise 

 “Lalin” requires us to edit a 35-second video based on the original video provided to tell Lalin’s story. You need to select the right shots from the original footage, edit them in the order of the storyline, and ensure smooth transitions in the video. Finally, add background music or sound effects, make final adjustments and export.

Video 4: Original Video -Lalin 

Fig 2.3 Editing video clip to 35 seconds

For the graphics part, we have the message dialog that we want to insert into the clip. I then inserted the iPhone message notification where the message dialog box would pop up.

Fig 2.4 video clip

Finally, I applied filters through adjustment layers to improve the video. This includes adjusting parameters such as color, contrast, brightness, etc. to make the video look clearer and more appealing. At the same time, you can also insert background music into the audio track.

Fig 2.5 video clip

Final cut video：

Video 5: Final result of Premiere Pro Editing Exercise 1 “Lalin”

Original video clip (produced by Taylor's University students)：     https://youtu.be/o5ryGqCv3A0

Week 3 | Three Act Structure Exercise

We will analyze two short films based on a three-act structure by filling out the worksheet provided by Mr. Martin.

1. Larin

According to each movie,

1. What are the first, second and third acts? Describe each behavior in just one paragraph.

Act One: The heroine introduces herself and shows her online dating relationship with netizen Nuts.

In plot one, Nut suddenly asked to meet in reality, causing the heroine's inner confusion.

Act 2: Act 2 reveals Nut's situation in Japan and includes some flashbacks.

In plot 2, the heroine checked Nuts’ confession folder.

The third act: shows the ending where the two finally did not meet in reality.

2. What is the inciting incident in the movie?

The inciting point of the film is Nut's sudden request to meet in reality, which brings huge confusion to the heroine because she is very insecure about her own face.

3. What is the midpoint scene in the movie?

The midpoint scene is when the heroine is forced to face her inner fears, bravely revealing her true face and showing her inner struggle.

4. What is the climactic scene in the movie?

The climax occurs when the heroine escapes from meeting Nut, a decision she later regrets.

5. What is the theme of this movie?

The film's themes revolve around identity and self-acceptance, exploring the importance of one's true self and the impact and risks of social media in shaping one's image.

Thai short film - Lalin :

2. Everything, everywhere, all at once.

According to each movie

1. What are the first, second and third acts? Describe each behavior in just one paragraph.

In the first act, we meet the protagonist Evelyn and her tense relationship with her family, especially the generational conflict with her daughter Evelyn.

Episode 1 takes place after Evelynn transitions into the multiverse and she begins to fully integrate into this new reality.

The second act delves into the challenges and transformations Evelyn faces in the multiverse, as she examines her life and challenges her way of thinking by traveling to different worlds.

In Episode Two, Evelyn is faced with a tense relationship with her daughter in the multiverse, which makes her think deeply.

The third act resolves Evelyn's conflict with Job Tupaki and her daughter, with whom she comes to an understanding that resolves the entire emotional conflict.

2. What is the inciting incident in the movie?

The inciting incident of the film is that Evelyn's multiverse husband suddenly contacts her and tells her that she is the key to saving the entire multiverse. She is subsequently drawn into multiple universes and faces many troubles.

3. What is the midpoint scene in the movie?

She travels to different worlds and examines what her life might be like under different circumstances, which challenges her own thinking.

4. What is the climactic scene in the movie?

The climax comes as Evelyn comes face to face with all the conflicts of the multiverse, her family, and her alter ego Job Tupaki, who fiercely battles with alter egos in different realms. .

5. What is the theme of this movie?

This theme emphasizes the importance of love and family in life, and the sacrifices made to protect and preserve family. Evelyn travels across multiple universes to find and strengthen the power of love, demonstrating her commitment and responsibility to her family. In the process, she not only has to deal with her own inner struggles and conflicts, but also makes difficult choices and sacrifices for the benefit of her family.