Making The Fourth Wall

1. Making the Fourth Wall - Episode 1: The Basics: Hello, everyone. Welcome to an exciting series of tutorials, of filmmaking and cinematography. My name is Georgia Dradis and I'm the content development director at Stocks the United Today And for the next 10 days, we're gonna be shooting a short film here in beautiful Atlanta, Georgia, and we're gonna use the short film as a backdrop to teach you some of the fundamentals on filmmaking. In this very first episode, we're gonna cover some of the basics and what you need to know if you're transitioning for photography to video. For those of you who are photographers, you already have an amazing head start when it comes to video. So when you transition to video, you'll find a lot of the basics of fundamentals are exactly the same. The exciting part about video is all the amazing new storytelling opportunities that you will have. I think it can often be intimidating getting into film or video often, especially when you see what goes into it in the amount of people in the amount of equipment. But as long as you follow a few fundamental rules and basic guidelines about telling a story with motion, you'll find you don't need any of that big fancy equipment or you don't need all those extra people. You just need a camera capable of capturing motion, and that's it. So let's start with the very basics. Frame rate is expressed in frames per second. Also refer to as FPs for short at 24 frames per second, you would get the cinematic look that you're used to when you're watching movies. It's what gives you that nice motion. The way to achieve slow motion is to shoot footage of the faster frame rate, like 60 or 120 frames per second. And then you played back a standard speed, something like 24 frames per second. A good rule of thumb regarding shutter speed is that when you're filming in real time and not slow motion to double your frame, right. So, for example, if you're shooting at 24 frames per second, said your shutter speed to 50. Hey there, I'm just setting up our B camera for a shoot. Today, some of the standard settings were shooting 24 frames per second with 100 80 degree shutter to maintain that cinematic motion blur we're all used to seeing and we've got a base eso of 800 on this camera. It's a black magic or so many pro. But thankfully, this camera's got built in and D filters which otherwise you would need to put in front of the lens. Luckily, with this camera, they're all internal. Helps us up quite a bit. We're gonna be shooting raw 12 bit color depth just so that we can get all of the dynamic range and all of the sensor information. And it gives us the ability to change the i s so and change a lot of the settings after the fact in case we run into trouble where, as if we were to shoot on pro rez, we wouldn't be able to do that, We would be locked in at whatever settings we shot at, and it kind of doesn't give you a lot of flexibility. So for the for the movie, we're shooting in raw so that we have that ability to change things after, if we need to. Unfortunately, not gonna be able to shoot lossless because that's about 500 megabits a second and we would run out of cards in no time. So we're gonna shoot a 3 to 1 compression ratio with the anamorphic lenses were using. Unfortunate were not able to use the full 4.6 K resolution of this camera. We have to go to a three can anamorphic mode. Then we have to go to our setting, in turn, are two times anamorphic t squeeze on. Let's have a look at some camera angles. The term camera angle always refers to the way a shot is composed. Now let's examine some examples of how the angle of the camera is relative to the subject. When you're looking at an eye level angle, this is the most common view being the rial view angle that we're all used to. It shows subjects as we would expect to see them in real life. It is a fairly neutral shot. Ah, high angle shows the subject from above. The camera is ankle down towards the subject, and this has the effect of diminishing the subject, making them appear less powerful, less significant, weak, scared or even submissive. A low angle is used when we want to show subjects from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or dominant. A bird's eye view is a scene directly from above. This is a completely different in somewhat unnatural point of view, which can be used for dramatic effect or showing different special perspective. The opposite of a bird's eye view is the worms view. This angle is close to the ground, looking up, conveying an unnatural point of view from the ground up. A slanted or Dutch tilt angle is where the camera is purposely tilted to. One side for the horizon is on an angle. This creates an interesting dramatic effect. Communicating confusion of some kind, or that something isn't right. Now let's dive into shot types. An extreme wide shot is often used as an establishing shot in the extreme wide shot. The subject is barely visible in the medium wide shot. The subject is visible, but the emphasis is still to place him in his environment. In a wide shot, the subject takes up the full frame in a mid shot. We show more details of the subject, but we elude still to the full subject, and in a close up, a certain feature of part of the subject takes up the full frame with an extreme close up. We can focus on extreme details of our subject and over the shoulder shot is when we're looking from behind a person to the subject, a point of view, shot or p o. V shot is basically a shot from the point of view of the subject. Here are some tips that you can remember if you're transitioning from photography to video with video, moving your camera is very important, but just as important as knowing when to move the camera. Think about composition throughout your shots, what the composition is at the beginning of the video and then again by the end of the video. And be aware of some common issues people face when they first enter the world of video. Most cameras will give you the option for auto white balance. At the very least, some will give you options for auto eso, but those are usually photo cameras as opposed to cinema cameras. But you really want to make sure you stay away from using auto settings because depending on the types of lighting, you're either going into or out of it will change on camera with white balance he will have . You can sometimes have competing light sources, Um, and that will confuse typically will confuse the camera, and the colors will also shift in the middle of the shot. The effect that it has is it makes the audience more aware of the camera than the story itself, and it removes them from the stories. So you want to make sure you always take color temperature readings, light meter settings and locked down all of the settings. Before you start rolling. You're looking to make the transition from still photography to video or film. There's a camera out there for absolutely everybody at every absolutely every price point. The technical differences, while certainly something to consider, should in no way stop you from making that transition. All you need is a little creativity. No, no camera is going to stop you or help you or make you tell a better story. It's all up to you, not the camp. Many different types of stories can be told through video, and depending on how you shoot a shot, you can totally change its meaning. Mood and feeling. Understanding some of these filmmaking basics will help you achieve exactly the results you're trying to convey. This wraps up our first episode please come back for episode two, which gonna be all about composition. If you liked the episode, make sure you, like, subscribe and leave us. Um, comments. Have a beautiful day. And another thing you need to know about being a filmmaker is that you might sometimes have to stay up till five o'clock in the fucking morning. How fun. That was it, by the way. We're done, like, so packed. 2. Making the Fourth Wall - Episode 2: Composition & Focus: Hey, everyone, welcome to our second episode in our tutorial, Siri's. This episode is all about composition and focus. Composition is like an art in itself, and many consider it as one of the most important aspects of visual storytelling. The way you arranged things in a shot can tell a story all by itself. And if you study some of your favorite films, you will notice how masterful this art can be. Composition isn't just a technical decision, but also perhaps one of the most expressive aspects of cinematography. Composition is how one positions different elements inside the frame and the skilled decision of what to show and what not to show and how to show it. The question, however, isn't only where we positioned these elements, but also why. So here are some composition tips for you to consider intentionally direct the position of elements in your frame to enhance the meaning, emotion and outcome you want to achieve. Classic composition techniques such as the rule of thirds are still useful and still found today in professional video and film. The rule of thirds is a guideline that proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, and that important composition elements should be placed along those lines or their intersections. Try and tell an entire story with just one shot using composition to help him composition first and foremost should drive viewers attention. What should the view would be looking at, and how can you make them look at it? Here are some composition examples for you to explore. Quadrant system is similar to the rule of thirds, except the frame of split into four quadrants, right left, top and bottom. Using the frame within the frame is a great way to lead. The viewers eyes into a shot, adding depth and context and drawing their attention. To a certain point, leading lines is another great compositional tool. You can use them to drive years attention to a specific part of the frame, whether it's a person or a vanishing point, where all these lines converge. If you have an imposing characters, another cool trick just center them in the frame. You can use negative space to once again draw the attention of the viewer, or you can subliminally enhance specific emotions. Your characters air failing, having lots of visual interest in the background of your shots, such as wind rain snow, and makes an even greater impact. If your subject is still and using movement of groups, you can enhance a scene. By contrast, ing an actor against a group of people balance framing, staging and depth are all key and how you frame space in a scene. Now let's talk a little bit about focus. It is important to find your focus before you start recording, so practice the move with your hands beforehand. If you're planning on moving in and out of focus, it's very popular to go for extreme, shallow depth of field. But try to avoid it unless it's necessary for your story or shot, I highly recommend investing into focal hand one or wireless one. If you have an assistant camera focus puller handful for this helps you to see that all your polls that way you can go from one object to another unit. You need to have the jerks or anything like that there, and it was Thailand in transition to wear in the audience, looking at Hollywood movies for inspiration. You'll notice that a lot of the time, the backbone is not out of focus except to specific shots like close ups. So don't be afraid to close down to a lower F stop. When you have two people in a shot, you can switch focus between them to aid the story. Use intentional focus changes within a shot. Don't just play with the focus. Hunting for your subject. A good example for switching focuses when a character turns to look at something, and you could create a sense of being that character by switching the focus toe. Unveil what that character is looking at. There's no bad. We're focusing. There's warm, unintentional focusing that doesn't fit the story. So if your continent focused, But you're trying to get a still shot, this beautiful, still shot of someone a portrait shot, let's say on just hunting. Focus in and out that it just looks jarring to meet in the middle so way. Have a moment in this film in the very beginning, where exporters getting ready to commit a crime. So we have these big focus pulls in another focus. That's because in his mind set, he's a little bit intoxicated. He's feeling a little bit of that buzz, and we're right there with a vengeance and cameras trained that emotion. But if you're like I said, if you're going for a still shot, I don't think it's a good idea. Pull focus and hunt for it. Find the focus. Rehearse it. Blocking was originally a theater term. The refers of positioning a movement of actors in stage in movies and film. Blocking a scene simply means you working out the details with your actors as faras their movement in relation to the camera. This particular set wanted to give our actor space I'm interpreting, really in the moment that felt something that might have been better. So while we did have a B and C blocking way kind of built into the camera work and in some of the dialogue, a little room for interpretations while blocking is important to kind of get the initial flow, Um, initial art, visual art and dialogue art between both like actors and the people that are shooting, I think building in that wiggle room and knowing that there needs to be a certain margin of air built in as well, you could be flexible with with its happening Very So thanks, guys, for watching. We hope you had as much fun as we did making this episode for you guys. Join us next time on an episode, all about lighting. And if you liked this episode, make sure you subscribe, like and leave comments below. Have a beautiful day. The labour. Enough. We have to fix that. You can get a new lamp, please. About lighting. And this is the easy one is gonna take all night. Okay, We keep having planes were right next to one of the largest airports in the world. So, uh, having planes flying directly overhead and you don't want to get a perfect take and have plain fuck it up last second. So we're a siren or dog fight, like we just had their dogs barking, but angry neighbors, angry neighbors. Yeah, way. Walk somebody up this morning. It wasn't happy. Yeah, definitely. Have 3. Making the Fourth Wall - Episode 3: Lighting: Hello, everyone, and welcome to our third episode in our tutorial, Siri's. Today it's all about the important subject of lighting. We can talk about lighting and natural light and best practices on how to use both - beautiful clap back street overlooking Atlanta, Georgia Downtown clue. Our morning shot are in a position. Get the camera trying to get shot of downtown Atlanta with vandalized car Here. Just the sun's coming up right before the sun's coming up so we can get all that together and kind Good magic hour and blew. Our are two of the best times of day to shoot with natural life. Magic Hour is the hour leading up to sunset or just after sunrise and blew. Our is the short time after the sun goes down, or just before it comes up blue. Our is great for night scenes and magic hour lighting can be taken advantage of for its soft and warm qualities that make your shots live up to its name. As you can imagine, working within these limited times of day, you must ensure you've planned your shoots in advance. Dancing with light is more about using different lights to create certain moods, feelings and tone, or enhance the story that directors trying to tell a cinematographer It's your job to really make sure you convey whatever director is looking for with lighting, camera, camera movement and yeah, and all of that makes together if we're trying to late someday moody or something funnier or if we were going for some of the moody and this room, it's obviously to tell that is gonna be an interesting conversation. Maybe something happened. Something's about to happen, something that adds drama. So therefore, we paint this scene with more of a dramatic stylized lighting. Lighting is one of those very important aspects of cinematography that, although into Girl, it doesn't necessarily follow a specific set of rules, since a different lighting set up of the same scene can create a different mood until a different story. Having said that, here's some of the main and most common terminology for lighting placement. First, let's talk about the key light. A lighting set of always starts with sending up the key light first. By definition, this is your main light for the scene and is used to eliminate your actor or subject for dramatic uses. Experiment with the key lights placement, for example, placing the light on the side of the actor can create a dramatic, mysterious effect. After setting up the key light, you will end up with some shadows on your actor or subject. This is where the fill light comes in to fill those shadows, typically the filet displaced opposite the key light and at a lower power in the key light . Sometimes a fill light can be achieved using a reflector. Thirdly, let's talk about the backlash to help separate your actor or subject from the background. And to create depth, a back line is placed behind and typically hire your actor or subject. Now let's talk about practical lights, lamps, candles, car lights, a TV, computer monitor or phone screen can all be used as a practical life. This can enhance your story where creating some unique and dramatic effects. A couple of ways to shoot a natural light is to use the sun as your back lines almost always avoid overhead sunlight. I don't have the sun blow your actors faces and create harsh shadows, creating an unflattering look over all, the lighting will be even on your actors if the sun is behind them, while it will also help separate them from the background. Better so try to use the sun as your backlight instead. So generally speaking as a cinematographer always scout the location prior and determine which lights where will suffice. And after that, take your time. Make plans show up with a solid idea that you can execute or please try on. A lot of our contributors, however, do use natural and practical lighting. But I highly suggest at least trying to introduce some professional lighting elements and executing them or experimenting us in the end that will definitely dramatically increase the quality off the scene, their shots and their final product favorite lights to work with our light mats and something that we're using here extremely thin led lights, and they serve a very specific purpose. But they're always easy to use, easily applicable and every situation and fast efficient and they produce great late location is obviously very pivotal to your film. Smaller, uh, short film production. So we wanted to choose locations that already had great lighting so didn't set up too much . Obviously we have a little bit today we're having to still blocked. This particular location is a perfect example for utilized natural light, properly or appropriately, in this case, lightest, quite diffused, based on what's going on outside way had some bound on on just to fill it in. But we never really set up any lights as long as the exposures correct and the quality of life is there, I think you should be always get to go. And even if you do introduce lights, you go should always be to recreate natural light. When you light stuff, it should never look. Let it should feel like they're no lights and, like as if you don't know work. Best work shows No word, I think. And in this case, we worked for time. You know, defensiveness scenario, of course, but sometimes just got to roll with it. Work with what you have, which is this natural light. Shooting in natural light can be very liberating, and you can achieve some amazing results when done well. But make sure that you plan your shoots in advance and bring the right tools for the job. Because natural light can be notoriously hard to control things like bounds and D filters and flags can all help with all of that. Also important to consider the timing of day that you're going to shoot. And don't forget about your story because all the different ways we're gonna use natural light can really enhance that story. We're using Different to help us maintain our exposure to stop or half way maintain the shallow field in your quite open to a field where your character office I wanna be your can . You got out some day. Apply D's on some cameras have a built in for these sunglasses, often times when you're shooting in naturally lit settings, especially super wide settings where you can't hire somebody at operate a crane with like a massive boom, which most of us don't have. The resource is for my oftentimes like to use the playoff skyscrapers. The sun in the sky scraper using that is like a diffusion or amounts right here we have a beautiful, massive skyscraper over to my left, that side lighting my face perfectly a very cheap and easy way to create some pretty dynamic lighting without having to set up any life whatsoever. Sometimes, Daniel, I'd like to be a little bit heart or a little bit too country too strong or maybe the latest too strong and talent in the background is too dark or, you know there's hard shadows. So you're trying to make it look more natural again. That goes to always came with natural look. Um, so you always You always introduce diffusion, and that way it can soften out your late. So sometimes we'll help with the hard shadows. Sometimes role. It'll just make it look less so. RSI less when she when filming in natural light Bounce is your friend. Oftentimes, when you're using led practical lighting or fluorescent lighting, like all of these light sources have different power. Refresh rates on what happens is if the power refresh rate in the shutter speed on a DSLR shutter angle on a more pro Sumer camera, higher and camera. If those don't match, you get flicker. Oftentimes, um, that's very, very difficult. Almost impossible to fix a post. Some light sources just won't work at all because the power of fresh rate either is coming for a bad power source or there's too much or too little power going to the actual light source. So there's a mismatch on that will be the flicker, but that's just something to be very, very mind flood because it completely ruin your shot. Be distracted to see that flicker on the sensor. So if that problem doesn't rise, you only need to adjust your shutter angle on a higher in camera or the shutter speed on a DSLR, usually somewhere between, like 61 60th of a 2nd 1/80 of a second will fix most of that flick here. But it's just something that you have to play around with until it looks right in camera shooting a scene where it's happening to our early morning big issues. With this, they are just last summer already coming up shot. I really don't know son might be played around. These cases would walk. This sounds something like a flat 20 for their absolute out of frame. But in this case, time resources to make decent. Do you have? Thanks for watching Hope you learned lots. You try to win this thing, by the way. Oh, here we go. Uh, join us next time, though for then episode all about motivated camera movements, one of my favorite subjects. And if you liked this episode. Make sure you, like, subscribe and leave us some comments. Have a beautiful day. I'm gonna try to get this shooting in natural light can be very I have the good goals now this is great and only took 50 takes And all the different ways natural light can enhance that story this 4. Making the Fourth Wall - Episode 4: Camera Movement: Hello, everyone, and welcome to another very exciting tutorial. In today's episode, we're gonna talk about one of our favorite subjects. Camera movement. For anyone transitioning from photography to video camera movement is perhaps one of the most important things. Toe learn, get used to and keep in mind during every shoot way before we talk about anything else. What we should probably get out of the way is the most important rule We think you should know. If you're going to move your camera, you should make it intentional and back it up with some much needed motivation way mean by intentional camera movement. Trying notto have the camera shake when it's not supposed to try to use Gimbels, Steadicam, shoulder rigs and any intentional handheld shots. Just ensure that you are steady as the smallest amount of movement could be jarring to the audience. Even the most tiniest movement looks a lot smaller in your camera monitor than it does on the bigger screen. If you're going to be walking with your camera or moving it through a scene, you will almost definitely need some kind of support. Following characters on screen. You have a couple options. MOVED you can either move with them with stabilization device like steady cam or a slider are banned or double. Or you could do a lot with a problem with, and it's just a secondary point of view, so I sometimes take you out of it. Feel it feel more like a spectator rather than with another big consideration to make with your camera movement. Is your lens focal length? Using longer lenses can make it a lot harder to get smooth footage because it seemed such a small portion of the scene using a wider focal lens. Contrast, Klay help de emphasize the cameras movement and make the small bumps and shakes a lot less noticeable. Biggest trick that framed So helps Way Very good example of making a lot of a lot of planning. The reason we want to make sure your camera movement is motivated is that every time you choose to move your camera or use a tool to move your camera with, you should have some intention behind it, and then it should support your story. As you can see cheating in here. That shot sister getting what looked like a prospectus in another car driving through the parking garages. Tracking with are a few bag right now. Speed car Yeah, steady. True City tracking. If you wanted to move the camera from one character to another, if you wanted a pan from one part of a scene to another, you could do that by using something the camera can follow that can help that transition and make shot better. And also it keeps the audience engaged. This could be a person walking by and night and being passed her dropped. It's a very great way to do this. Another example of motivated camera movement is the potion and push out when your story requires it. You could consider moving your camera slowly towards your subject, adding to the moment a layer of importance, emotional depth or to keep your viewers attention to what's important. Also, these can be used to emphasize a character's point of view or situation that they're in. It's easy to wanna move your camera all the time, but when you're using camera movement in an intentional and motivated way, it is in those moments, your characters and story will just shine through. Hey guys, this concludes the fourth episode on motivated camera movement. Hopefully, by now, you know when and how to move your camera. Join us for the next and final episode on the emotion of lenses. You like this video? Make sure you subscribe, like and leave some comments and have a beautiful day. Thank you. I appreciate it of our favorite subjects. Camera movements. Uh, it didn't go following characters on screen. You got a couple. So before we get anything else, let's get and let's get back here. Is doing well, Ellen. I don't know how you're still alive. 5. Making the Fourth Wall - Episode 5: The Emotion of Lenses: Hello, everyone, and welcome to 1/5 and final episode on cinematography and film making. Today we're gonna talk about lenses and lenses are crucial part of the story telling and filmmaking process. They're necessary to achieve the type of shot that the director DP or story requires. Lenses can also help us convey specific emotions that we want the audience to experience and in some cases, those air underlying emotions that contrast to what the characters are actually doing. 3500 shots. Because here, particularly both shooting 50 and both being personal and showing environment so bridging close up. The reason the 80 mil and slants in this terrorist mostly to really focus on the character betrayed their emotions, and I sleep from the world around a lateral tracking in with a fixed focal length brings you into the space with your character, brings you into their world. But a zoom lens instead separates the character from their environment and it and brings you more into their head, so it's a little more intimate that way, but they're two very different, um, storytelling device. So what kind of emotions can you expressed by choosing a certain type of blends. Firstly, let's explore what happens when you use a wide angle lens. A typical wide angle lens has a focal length of 24 to 35 millimeters. The types of emotions you can achieve with this kind of lens is a sense of location. By establishing an environment or seen, you can also create a sense of wonder or isolation. These lenses air also perfect for landscapes commonly used for establishing shots. Using a 50 millimeter lens can achieve normality in perspective. It is basically what our eyes see. So if you want to capture everyday life or create a sense of feeling or understanding for your character, or bring your year into the scene, make sure you use this lens. These lenses work best for subjects at close to medium distance. Telephoto and zoom lenses can create incredible depth of field and could be used to direct attention. Close ups on important emotions limits distractions. It allows you to focus on a response. It can hint and place importance on a line of dialogue and so much more. Telephoto and zoom lens can make the viewer feel very close to the subject. A lot of times shorter telephoto lenses are used for portrait's, as they tend to make your subject really stand out from the back. Macro lenses can draw attention to the magic of the ordinary show details, textures, important story elements such as objects or even subtle details of hands or faces otherwise missed by the human nine. Here are some ways that you can achieve some additional emotional depth to create more empathy, you can have your actor look directly into the lens. This can create empathy with that character, making them easier to connect with, enhancing the emotions that they're feeling the same convey achieved with the actor Shot from the front. But the actor seeing just past the camera off screen profiles can create mystery. Shooting an actor and profile could have a stark effect. Makes them less identifiable, makes them more mysterious, as if they're hiding something, they can be less approachable. One thing that remains important, whether you're doing photography or video of the model releases and permits you need to have in place every time you shoot, it's very important that you get agreements in place from property owners or models to show that they approve of what you're filming or where you're filming, or their participation in what you're doing. It's just important to get things in writing toe to avoid problems later on on and helps use a property release or a model release in lieu of ah, piece of paper. You can also use APS like Easy Release. But today we've got a old fashioned analog newspapers, so we're gonna get our property owner to sign up from the release. Also, permits could be a big problem, sometimes in larger cities. So I like to try to either find private residences or places that look so run down. The no would care if someone was filming there. Anyways, this location happens to be a place for people decently, often because the beautiful view that we have behind us, you use a Heyzer when you want thio minutes for mood, and it's for creating a little bit of atmosphere where maybe there isn't any, and I think where we used it, it was actually in aid of filling up some dead space, which is actually could be quite useful for So we had a party that ran long into the night , and there weren't many people left at the end of it. So we turned a little bit of haze on, create a little bit atmosphere and fill out some of those gaps, and you don't need much just a little bit. What's true? Do you find the stories that are meaningful to you? And that's something I feel like that hits your heart or your head. You're gonna pour yourself into more than someone else's story or something that you don't necessarily believe. It's like, true, to use an individual as an up and coming filmmakers, all of us. We should always remember to experiment, take risks. Do not get stuck in a chamber where we repeating the same thing. Just make sure we always push the line forward and raise the bar higher and just keep trying. Keep failing. But as long as we're trying with making it will make it work. Eventually it'll be worth in the end way. Just wrapped are short film, and that means it's also the end of the tutorial videos. Thank you so much for watching. We hope you enjoyed them, had fun and also learn something. So if you really like the videos, make sure you subscribe like and leave us. Um, comments. And, as I always say, have a beautiful day. Characters. What can I get it? I'm gonna jump off the roof now is that it's cold, so I can ask a question. What's that big thing?