Summary
For this module, we were tasked with completing pre-production for a montage video. For my video, I decided I wanted to capture the excitement and tension of being a real estate agent. Along with this, we did reading on shot composition and understanding the importance of different camera shots.
Reading and Writing
To go along with the assignment, I read several chapters in The Bare Bones Camera Course For Film and Video on the basics of video recordings and composition. Chapter one discusses the basics of how cameras operate. I’ve taken several video classes so I was already familiar with a lot of these topics, but it is still good to have a refresher on the concepts. One section of chapter one goes over how different camera lenses work, from wide angles to telephoto lenses. I first learned about the value of different lenses from watching skateboarding videos, and how important it is to have a lens that can capture more versus a normal lens.
Chapter two goes over composition and the importance of balancing the camera frame. An old-school technique in the composition is the rule of thirds, where the frame is divided into thirds horizontally and vertically (Schroeppel 33). By following the rule of thirds, it helps to alleviate unbalanced compositions and make them more agreeable for the eye. When there are so much different kinds of video, it is important to make yours stand out. Color is also another important method of how to draw the eye of the audience, and or where you do not want them to look. Color psychology is also important to consider while filming a video, as a certain color will make the audience feel a certain way. If the color makes the audience have an emotion you were not expecting, it might be wise to adjust the colors. Leading lines are also another important aspect of compositions, and how they can draw the viewer in.
What’s important is making your composition stand out, so a variety of different camera techniques can help make that happen. Chapters five and six go over camera moves and montages, and what they can do to improve your video. There are a variety of camera moves, from zoom in and outs, pans and tilts. Each move can add energy and emotion to your scene that might not be there otherwise. One tip that is very important in chapter 5 is to “begin and end every move with a well-composed static shot (Schroeppel 82). Making sure to begin and end with a static shot is especially important in the editing process, and gives the pan a more professional feel. A montage can help communicate a lot of information in a small amount of time (Schroeppel 86). Primarily used in commercials, a montage can still work to move the pace along even in long-form video.
Also, I read Video Pre-Production Planning Check-list – 11 Steps to a Successful Project, Storyboarding Tips: How to Plan & Visualize Your Next Video, and Acting Tips: 12 Camera Shots Every Actor Should Know. These three provide more information on ways to improve your pre-production and understanding of camera shot methods. In Video Pre-Production Planning Check-list – 11 Steps to a Successful Project, Fox breaks down what you should do during pre-production. Even though it might not be as fun as production, it is still important to get the most out of your filming time. From defining the objective, audience and to develop the key messages, pre-production is necessary to keep the video’s goals in focus. Storyboarding is helps guide the narrative for the video, as well as understand what visual and audio segments are needed. Storyboarding Tips: How to Plan & Visualize Your Next Video goes more into the storyboarding process, and what a solid storyboard includes. A good storyboard helps convey the concepts of the video and what you will need to make the video. It is important to remember both the video and audio components, as bad audio can ruin a good video.
In Acting Tips: 12 Camera Shots Every Actor Should Know, Kantilaftis breaks down the different types of shots most commonly used in Hollywood productions. These shots vary from classic shots like establishing or close-ups, to more experimental shots like the low-angle shot. Even though I don’t plan on becoming an actor, understanding these methods of shooting can help even smaller productions. These shots help in narratives and can help for more non-traditional videos.
Research to Inform
These examples demonstrate different examples of visual composition. From the Rule of Thirds to leading lines, these demonstrate the care to make craft a visually pleasing composition.
This montage, from the Edgar Wright film Hot Fuzz, is a montage of the main character moving from the big city to a small village. The Rule of Thirds is shown several times, and there is a lot of effort to make sure the frame is balanced. For example, when the main character is sitting at the train station he is positioned to the left, and when the scene cuts the train comes in to balance out the frame. There are a lot of examples of leading lines, with the train or fencing leading to the main character’s face.
In the introduction scene of Blue Velvet, directed by David Lynch, the audience is presented with the dichotomy of a pleasant small town that reveals to have more sinister elements. Lynch uses color effectively to demonstrate the differences between the two elements, from the bold colors of the town cut with the dark colors of the ground. Lynch also respects the rules of panning, by making sure to start and end the pan on static shots so the audience can register it. Leading lines are also effectively used, as the lines of the fences draw the viewers down into the ground.
Wes Anderson is a director that puts a lot of effort into making each frame feel like it has been crafted with care. This trailer, from The Grand Budapest Hotel, shows off a lot of different techniques for visual composition. My favorite, around 29 seconds in, is the depth of field used to blend the colors of the lights. Even though the colors draw the eye and they blend beautifully, the audience is still drawn into the character’s eye. Anderson also puts a lot of effort into perfectly balancing each frame, whether that is the placement of the actors, scenery, or props.
Create
The biggest challenge for this video will most likely be coordinating with the real estate agent that I am working with. Given he is out and about meeting with clients, it will take a lot of planning to make sure every moment of the montage is spent wisely.
The pre-production planning document and visual shot composition list are available below.
Works Cited
Schroeppel, T. (2018). The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video. Langara College.
Fox, J. (2021, March 7). Jimm Fox. OMM. https://onemarketmedia.com/author/jimm/.
Kantilaftis, H. (2020, October 28). Acting Tips: 12 Camera Shots Every Actor Should Know. Student Resources. https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/12-most-popular-camera-shots-actors-should-know/.
Robertson, M. R. (2012, October 17). Storyboarding Tips: How to Plan, Visualize, & Storyboard Your Video. Tubular Insights. https://tubularinsights.com/storyboarding-tips/.
Bailey MeCey 
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