I could have included a voice over to make the narrative more understandable
I need to train my hands to be steadier
I learnt about how camera angles can influence the audience to think certain ways about characters: For example, a low angle can make a character seem imposing and important and a high angle can make a character seem meek and vulnerable. I know in the future I need to improve my camera work when filming as to not create unsteady shots, which I can achieve by using a tripod.
For this task, I used a variety of camera angles and shots to tell the tragic story of a black cat who is sombrely reflecting on being cheated on by a pig. Despite the shaky camera work, I still think the specific framing of the shots helped convey the tone of my narrative. I especially like the two over-the-shoulder(?) shots and how the parallel each other: The first one of the cat looking into the window and seeing a reflection of the bed, and the second one of the pig looking towards the opening door in shock.
The opening shot begins as a low angle establishing shot that starts as a curved pan that straightens out in a "J" formation. The angle at which the camera moves is slightly tilted, causing a disorienting effect perhaps akin to a hemispherical image produced by a fisheye lens. Using such unusual camera movements and angles in the very first scene foreshadows the town to be strange and full of anomalies. In the scene, you can see rows of houses and an array of people, easily giving life to the town. As the camera moves, the scene cuts to inside a house, panning to reveal the radio from which the voice over is produced. The tilted angle again connotes a sense of mystery and unfamiliarity, contrasting with the domestic setting of a home. The next couple of shots detail close ups of a hand; cooking bacon and cracking an egg. The next shot utilises an extremely low angle and then switches to a high angle in a kind of shot/reverse shot. These specific shots are used as the egg drops onto the pan, essentially tracking the egg as it falls. The domestic and joyous atmosphere suggested by these scenes, combined with music, creates a shocking reveal at the end of the sequence. The continued use of close ups in the sequence not only creates emphasis on the food, but also creates enigma codes on who the hand belongs to. The next shot has the camera zooming out on the TV at a dutch angle, revealing an empty living room. This specific zoom and angle subtly insinuates there's something slightly off about this house. A close up of the toaster then pans over to a glass. The hand then places the plate of bacon and egg onto the table and rests itself on the side. The radio starts to become distorted as the camera very gradually zooms out to reveal that the hand is severed. The music switched to ominous sounds, emphasising the sense of foreboding. The camera pans over one last close up of the hand and then follows the trail of blood it left behind, transitioning into an artistic ripple of blood that forms the opening title. This confusing and disturbing pay off to the domestic scenes beforehand create an instantly eerie atmosphere, as well as foreshadows the main antagonist of the series as a threat to the peace of the town.
Film/TV stills
This shot from "Lawrence of Arabia" uses a two shot to create a binary opposition between the two men in lighter colours and the mysterious shadowy figure in the distance. The use of costume to emphasise conflict helps the audience side with the men in lighter colours. The audience feels a similar sense of unfamiliarity and confusion as they look on in the distance. The way the shot is framed makes the audience feel as if they are in the scene with the characters, as the camera is positioned at eye-level. The extreme long shot creates a sense of distance and furthers the tension.
This shot from Harry Potter uses a dutch angle and medium shot in order to create a sense of enigma and tension. It's clear that there's something wrong in the anticipating atmosphere of the shot and the tense looks on the main characters faces. The shot makes the characters seem unbalanced, emphasising how this is a situation that the characters are finding difficult to grasp. The medium shot makes it so you feel an emotional connection to the characters and understand what they're going through.
This famous shot from "the Shining" utilises a close up to create an exhilarating fear and tension in the scene. The audience witnesses every detail of Jack's crazed expression, serving as an incredibly tense and horrifying moment for both the audience and his wife. The way his face is bordered by the door connotes how he's demolishing all constraints he once had and has snapped as he attempts to brutally axe his wife and child to death.
Meets the brief; the video is both contrapuntal and parallel
The contrapuntal was humorous;
Caused a reaction from the audience
Song choice
Same track used throughout
Transition from parallel to contrapuntal was obvious
Editing:
Timing; clips are edited to the time of the music
Clips were selected to match the lyrics and other aspects of the song. (Such as the scream)
Visuals and music fade out
EBI:
I agree that I could have cut back to the Fullmetal Alchemist footage to create more parallel sound near the end.
I also could have used clips from other shows in both contrapuntal and parallel segments
TOP 3:
Soumeya: The song choice was brilliant in order to create an obvious parallel and contrapuntal sound. The multitude of clips created a very entertaining video showcasing how jarring country music is.
Barbara: The contrapuntal was well executed; Her use of 'Marley and Me' footage over that horridly annoying LSD song caused me lots of emotional pain. She also cut from parallel to contrapuntal and back to parallel at the end over one song.
Santosh: His video showcased a very obvious contrast between the parallel and contrapuntal sound. Like all the top 3, he used 1 music track.
Through this task, I learnt that sound is important in film and TV in creating a mood and reaction from the audience. For instance, contrapuntal sound can be used in film to create a sense of detachment or irony in the scene. Using annoying anime music over a slow depressing death scene can cause the audience to find the scene humorous, and so it's important to know how and when to use contrapuntal sound. Similarly, using parallel sound can help emphasise the emotions or tone of a scene.
