FILM STUDIES & CINEMATOGRAPHY / EXERCISES
01/09/2023 - 01/12/2023 / Week 1- Week 14
Chew Zhi Ern / 0358995
Film Studies & Cinematography / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's UniversityExercises
INSTRUCTIONS
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LECTURES
Week 1: Module Introduction
In the introductory week of the "Film Studies & Cinematography" module, I was given a comprehensive glimpse into the journey that lay ahead. The course kicked off with a detailed breakdown of the subject outline, providing invaluable insights into the pivotal themes and concepts that would shape our exploration in the weeks to come. This initial overview equipped me with a solid foundation, enabling me to navigate through the academic landscape effectively. Moreover, the module's learning and assignment objectives were crystal clear, serving as a roadmap for my academic endeavors. Finally, we delved into the various assignment types and assessment methods, ensuring I was well-prepared to excel in this dynamic learning environment. This module is a fusion of film theories and digital cinematography, offering a holistic approach to creative media production.
In the introductory week of the "Film Studies & Cinematography" module, I was given a comprehensive glimpse into the journey that lay ahead. The course kicked off with a detailed breakdown of the subject outline, providing invaluable insights into the pivotal themes and concepts that would shape our exploration in the weeks to come. This initial overview equipped me with a solid foundation, enabling me to navigate through the academic landscape effectively. Moreover, the module's learning and assignment objectives were crystal clear, serving as a roadmap for my academic endeavors. Finally, we delved into the various assignment types and assessment methods, ensuring I was well-prepared to excel in this dynamic learning environment. This module is a fusion of film theories and digital cinematography, offering a holistic approach to creative media production.
Week 2: We Are All Storyteller
In this week's module, we explored the art of storytelling. We learned about the different elements of a story, and how to create a compelling narrative. We also discussed the importance of writing from our own unique perspective.
In this week's module, we explored the art of storytelling. We learned about the different elements of a story, and how to create a compelling narrative. We also discussed the importance of writing from our own unique perspective.
- A story is a narrative account of imagined or real people and events. Stories can be told through different media, such as books, movies, plays, and songs. They can be fiction or non-fiction.
- Stories are important because they allow us to share our experiences, our cultures, and our values. They can teach us about ourselves and the world around us. They can also entertain us and make us feel emotions.
Write what you know
- The best stories are those that are authentic and unique. This means writing about things that you know and understand. It also means writing from your own perspective.
- When you write from your own perspective, you are sharing your own unique voice and experiences with the reader. This makes your story more engaging and relatable.
Your unique perspective
Your unique perspective
- Everyone has a unique perspective on the world. This is shaped by our experiences, our cultures, and our values. When we write from our own unique perspective, we are sharing our own unique voice with the reader.
- This makes our stories more engaging and relatable. It also helps us to connect with others on a deeper level.
5 Elements of Story:
Generate Idea:
1. Keep your progress
2. Think about feeling
3. What If
4. Trial & Error
Week 3: The Character
During our third week in the module, we delved into the world of character development, differentiating external from internal features, dissecting character desires versus needs, uncovering the pivotal role of obstacles, crafting character arcs, and appreciating the importance of stakes in storytelling. This exploration allowed us to imbue our characters with depth and authenticity, equipping us to create more engaging and emotionally resonant narratives in our animation endeavors moving forward.
Week 3 Slides
Week 3 Jamboard
Character Development
- Character Development is a lesson that explores how to make audiences care about characters by putting them in difficult situations.
5 Elements of Story:
- Character
- Setting / World / Environment
- Conflict
- Internal: Belief / Philosophy
- External
- Plot / Structure
- 3 Act
- Beginning
- Middle (longer)
- End
- Theme
Generate Idea:
- Techniques
- 'What if'
- Mix (Character & World)
- Inspiration
- Short Story
- 1-15 minutes
- 3 minutes (For this project)
- Can up to 8 minutes
- Learn from existing shorts - Similar idea
- Connect Emotionally
- Relate Story - Similar Experience (Theme)
- Be Interesting
- Emotionally Connected: Sad, Happy, Angry, etc...
- Relatability
- Personal Experience - "write what you know"
1. Keep your progress
2. Think about feeling
3. What If
4. Trial & Error
Week 3: The Character
During our third week in the module, we delved into the world of character development, differentiating external from internal features, dissecting character desires versus needs, uncovering the pivotal role of obstacles, crafting character arcs, and appreciating the importance of stakes in storytelling. This exploration allowed us to imbue our characters with depth and authenticity, equipping us to create more engaging and emotionally resonant narratives in our animation endeavors moving forward.
Week 3 Slides
Week 3 Jamboard
Character Development
- Character Development is a lesson that explores how to make audiences care about characters by putting them in difficult situations.
External VS Internal
- In film and storytelling, characters are complex entities that are developed through a combination of external and internal features. These features help create well-rounded and relatable characters that audiences can connect with.
- External Feature: Design, Costume, Appearance
- Internal Feature: Personality, Beliefs or Drive of a Character.
Wants VS Need
- The wants and needs of a character are essential components that drive their development and contribute to the overall narrative arc. Understanding the difference between what a character wants and what they need is crucial when developing a character.
- Wants: something that drives a character to act.
- Need: something that a character must do or learn in order to succeed or grow.
Obstacles
- Obstacles can be external or internal, such as a person, distance, or fear. (Pixar story artists create obstacles to make their characters face challenges and grow.) Obstacles force characters to confront their fears and lead to fight or flight scenarios. The best obstacles reflect the character’s flaws and shortcomings, making them think about their wants and needs.
- Obstacles: Something that stands in the way of a character obtaining what they want.
Character Arc
- Obstacles are what shape a character and lead to their transformation. Without obstacles, the character’s arc would not exist. Characters need to work for their achievements in order to truly value them.
- Obstacles: The choices a character makes in order to overcome their obstacles and how they change as a result.
Stakes
- Understanding and establishing stakes in a story is crucial to creating tension and engaging the audience. Stakes can be categorized as external, internal, or philosophical and help answer the question, “Why do we care?”
- Obstacles: What is at risk if the character fails to achieve their goal. (OR, what are the consequences of their choices?)
- External: what will physically happen to a character or the world
- Internal: what will happen to a character emotionally
- Philosophical: what will happen to the values or belief system of the world
Week 4: No Class
Lecturer has additional responsibilities.
Week 5: The Story Structure
We studied the key components of story structure in depth during the fourth week of our Film Studies & Cinematography module. We started by obtaining a thorough understanding of the value of structure in filmmaking and realising its role as the foundation of an engaging story. We looked at the idea of a "story spine" as the main structure for creating captivating stories. We also studied the relevance of theme and learned how it gives our stories depth and meaning. The next stage of our journey involved breaking down the three acts of a film, examining how each one affects the pacing and character development, and then going through the three-act structure. With this fresh information at our disposal, we are better able to research and develop engrossing screenplays.
Story Structure / Plot
- Act 1: Beginning (15mins)
- Establish Character (Protagonist)
- Establish World
- Establish Conflict
- Inciting Incident
- Establish Villain (Antagonist)
Story Spine (Statement)
- Once upon a time… (Character, World)
- Every day… (Character, World)
- Until one day… (Conflict)
- Act 2: Middle (30mins)
- Want, Make Mistake
- Midpoint - Revelation, Epiphany
- Need to Learn - Restrategize
Story Spine (Statement)
- Because of that… (Make Mistake)
- Because of that… (Midpoint)
- Because of that… (Need to Learn)
- Act 3: Ending (15mins)
- Character achieved what he/she wants
- Character learns by understand the needs
- Theme / Moral of the story
Story Spine (Statement)
- Until finally…
- And ever since then…
- The moral of the story is…
Week 6: Script vs Screen Writing
In the sixth week of our module, we delved into the world of scriptwriting and screenwriting, dissecting the subtle yet essential distinctions between these two storytelling mediums. Our exploration took us through the unique writing formats specific to each, providing valuable insights into crafting narratives for film and television. We also delved into the vital role of writing software and applications in the professional scriptwriting process. To complete our journey, we learned the intricacies of script breakdown, a crucial step in understanding the logistical and creative aspects of bringing a script to life on the screen. With this knowledge, we are better equipped to craft compelling narratives for various visual storytelling platforms.
Story Element
- Character Development
- Internal
- External
- Personality
- Setting / World
- Conflict / Obstacles
- Internal (Inciting Incident)
- External (Inciting Incident)
- Plot / Structure
- 3 Act (Story Spine)
- Act 1
- Character
- World
- Conflict
- Act 2
- How to overcome
- Act 3
- Conflict resolved
- Goes back to normal
- Moral of the story
- Theme
Script Writing
- Script writing involves turning your ideas, concepts, and stories into a structured and organized written format document that serves as a blueprint.
Format
- Title Page
- Cover Page
- Content Page
- In scriptwriting, a general rule of thumb is that 1 page of a script typically translates to about 1 minute of screen time for film and television scripts. This guideline is used as a rough estimate for timing.
- Font: Courier
- Font Size: 12pt
- Spacing: Single
- Margin for A4
- Top / Bottom / Right: 1inch
- Left: 1.5 inches
- Scene Heading / Slug Line
- INT = Interior / EXT = Exterior
- Location
- Day / Night
- Action Line
Week 7: Visual Language
This week, we embarked on an enlightening journey into the world of visual language. We delved deep into various visual elements, including line, shape, space, tone, movement, and color, uncovering their significance in art and communication. This week's exploration equipped us with the tools to better understand and use these elements to convey powerful messages and create compelling visual narratives.
Elements of Visual Language
- Line
- Shape
- Space
- Perspective
- Tone
- Value
- Movement
- Character Personality
- Emotion
- Colour
- Warm
- Cool
Line
- Storyboard
- Polish
- Quick Sketch
- Quality
- Direction - Line of Action
- Pressure
- Smooth
- Invisible Line - "Eye Contact"
Shape
- Character
- Composition
Space
- Perspective
- Horizontal Line
- Bird Eye View OR High Angle
- Worm Eye View OR Low Angle
- Vanishing Point
Tone
- Dark to Light
- Emotion
- Contrast Ratio
- High Contrast: Mysterious / Sad
- Low Contrast: Happy Moment
- Lead to Audience
Movement
- Storyboard (Line to suggest movement)
- Line of Action
- Static
- Dynamic
- Less Dynamic
- Motion / Speed Line
- Motion Blur
- Fast Move
- Medium Speed
Colour
- Shading (Tone)
- Warm: Subject
- Cool: Surrounding Colour
- Feeling
Glossary of the week:
- Beat Boards: to capture beats and convey critical story points.
- Color: used to create mood or emotion and to direct the eye by emphasizing different parts of the image.
- Complementary Colours: colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel.
- Composition: the organization of visual elements in a space.
- Concept Art: captures key moments from the film, but the art is usually more polished, done in full colour, and meant to express how light and colour will be used in each sequence in a film.
- Contrast: the difference between neighbouring light and dark values.
- Contrasting Colours: colours that are furthest apart on the colour wheel.
- Line: marks that span a distance between two points or the path of a moving point and have thickness, direction, and length.
- Linear Perspective: the illusion of space or depth by positioning lines or objects and adjusting weight and size.
- Lines of Action: an imaginary line that runs down the spine of a character which indicates the force and movement in that movement; used to imply movement by guiding the pose of the character or object.
- Motion Lines: extend from an object along its pathway of motion to make it appear like it’s moving.
- Shape: a two-dimensional, enclosed area that makes up the form of an object.
- Silhouette: a filled in outline of an object or character.
- Speed Lines: a simple way to indicate movement in storyboarding.
- Story Boards: quick drawings representing a frame of the film that are put together and played in sequence to visualize the film before animation begins.
- Tension Point: point where dark and light values meet and create this energy where the eye is drawn.
- Tone: also known as shading; adjustments in lightness and darkness of all the elements in the scene that lead the audience’s eye and create a specific mood.
- Vanishing Point: the point on the horizon at which receding parallel lines appear to converge or disappear.
- Visually Similar Colours: colours close to one another on the colour wheel.
Week 8: Independent Learning Week
No class.
Week 9: Film Grammar
We began an exploration of film grammar, the visual language of cinema, in the ninth week of the class. In order to create gripping cinematic narratives, it is essential to understand the subtle differences between major and minor beats, which was covered in our language introduction. We also studied fundamental shot types, such as dynamic and extreme shots, and how they affect the way a film tells its story visually. With the knowledge we've gained this week, we can now analyse and comprehend film grammar, which will enable us to produce visually stunning stories and compelling tales for the film industry.
Language
- Communicate: Visual Communication
- Rules: Film Grammar
- Emotion
Week 10: Final Project Consultation
Progress Feedback.
Week 11: Final Project Consultation
Progress Feedback.
Week 12: Final Project Consultation
Progress Feedback.
Week 13: Final Project Consultation
Progress Feedback.
Week 14: Final Project Consultation & Submission
Progress Feedback.
REFLECTIONS
Experience:
It was fascinating to delve into the world of narrative through live-action and animated films while doing the Film Studies and Cinematography module. The module's integrated approach gave a comprehensive understanding of the practical, technical, and conceptual aspects of cinematography in creative media production. My learning process was enhanced and my enthusiasm for the art and science of filmmaking was deepened by participating in lectures, tutorials, practicals, presentations, research, information retrieval, and self-study. In addition to pushing my analytical and creative thinking, hands-on projects—such as story development and pitch bible creation—offered insightful lessons about the creative process.Observations:
Throughout the module, the emphasis on developing a coherent and compelling narrative was evident. The step-by-step progression from generating story ideas to character development, setting, story arcs, and themes provided a structured framework for crafting engaging stories. The projects encouraged a blend of creativity and analytical thinking, requiring a balance between imagination and practical execution. The pitch bible development project demonstrated the practical application of the abilities being developed by emphasising the significance of properly conveying concepts, personalities, and visual styles to prospective stakeholders.Findings:
The Film Studies and Cinematography module yielded valuable findings regarding the intricacies of storytelling, character development, and visual communication in creative media production. The projects served as practical exercises in applying theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, reinforcing the importance of adaptability and innovation in filmmaking. The final project, Animatics, provided an opportunity to integrate learned skills into a cohesive visual representation, showcasing the evolution of ideas from concept to execution.In conclusion, the Film Studies and Cinematography module was a transformative journey that deepened my understanding of the multifaceted world of filmmaking. The projects, exercises, and assessments fostered personal and professional growth, equipping me with the skills and confidence to pursue creative endeavors in animation and live-action production.
NOTES
Mother:
- Overprotected
- Loneliness
- Caring
Bao:
- Rebellious
- Curiosity
- Adamant
Son:
- Forgiving
- Grateful
- Supportive
Father:
- Hardworking
- Punctual
- Family Man
- A man of few words
Finance:
- Social Adaptive
- Acceptable
- Put in afford
Mother:
She wants her son always to be in her life, but she needs learn to let him go.
Bao:
He wants to explore and try new things, but he needs to be flexible and considerate on his family.
Father:
He wants to have a harmonious family, but he needs to take the action.
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