Week 8: Five Master Edits With Sound Effects

For my five master shots with sound effects, I chose to do a voice over, use non-diegetic sound, music, a sound bridge, and direct sound.

Non-diegetic voice over: Despite the fact that the overall meaning of the scene was apparent, adding the voice over clarifies what the character (me) was thinking. You can hear an exasperated sound in my voice as I speak, adding to the overall feeling the scene is trying to convey.

Non-diegetic sound: I chose to add in this sound effect because I felt that it captured the feeling of "falling" into the book and as the camera zooms back out it creates the feeling of ascending back out.

Non-diegetic music: The music signifies the leitmotif and whenever it comes on the characters in that scene have to do that specific dance. Without the music, the audience would not understand the leitmotif.

Non-diegetic sound bridge: The sound bridge connects the two scenes of the two characters (Ryan and I) walking. This shows the audience that the two scenes are connected and that the same feeling should be felt for both scenes.

Diegetic direct sound: Without the direct sound of the two characters (Whitney and I) talking in this scene, the audience would not understand what the scene is trying to convey and what the characters are feeling.

Weeks 5 & 6: 5 Master Edits

Week 4: Movie Scenes

"The Sixth Sense"

from Director M. Night Shyamalan

I chose to comment on the movie "The Sixth Sense"'s different shots and angles used. This movie is a horror/thriller, so the use of camera angles affects the audience's level of thrill and surprise. I commented on this movie because I had been interested in watching it, and decided to use this assignment as an excuse to watch it. This film has a large variety of different shots and scenes. If these scenes were shot any other ways, the same emotions would not have been provoked.

This shot is a high angle shot. It is important to this scene because the audience is able to observe Malcome's reaction after being shot in the abdomen. You can also see his surroundings and his wife rushing in from outside the frame to try to assist him. This is the shot in which the audience observes him beginning to die and you can see him struggle to breathe. 

This shot is a follow shot. This shot was important to the movie because at first, it follows Cole as he is walking slowly, but as Cole starts walking faster, and then running, the camera following along increases the speed at which it is moving as well. The viewer feels as if they are also running and the shot also makes them wonder why Cole is running or who he is running from. 

This shot is a reaction shot. Cole's mother, Lynn, is studying the pictures of Cole on the wall as she is cleaning. She notices something interesting and confusing in each picture, which you are unable to see until the camera switches to that shot. This is important because the audience can recognize that she is beginning to be suspicious.

This shot is a point-of-view (POV) shot. This is from Lynn's point of view as she reads writing on Cole's desk. There is a voice over of Dr. Malcome talking during this shot, giving background information of what the writing is. This also shows that Lynn is beginning to think that something is going on with Cole. 

This shot is a low angle shot. This shot shows how to flashlight casts a shadow onto Cole's face, creating a feeling of mystery and uneasiness. Some of his main facial features are erased due to the oversaturation from the light, giving Cole's face a scarier, creepier look. The classic scary/spooky look is a flashlight shining on a face, so I think the film uses this shot to fit that stereotype.

A camera angle used a lot in horror or thriller films is a close-up shot. Usually, this shot is used right before the shot of something surprising and shocking that is unable to be seen. In this scene, Cole's hand is shown on the door handle before he opens the door to an unknown room. It feels as if you are opening the door with Cole, immersing the audience in the scene. Also, the shot shows how slowly Cole opens the door, building up the audience's anticipation to see what it is in the room.

Week 3: Student Blogs

I commented on Cori Holloway and Ryan Witthoff's blog posts about different shots. 

The most interesting shots Cori filmed were the dolly shot, the high angle shot, the low angle shot, and the extreme close-up shot. What I liked about her dolly shot was it felt like you were walking with the subject, giving the audience a feeling of inclusivity. The high angle shot gave a really unique perspective and allowed you to fully observe the scene below. This shot can give the illusion that you are hanging over the edge of something, adding to the scene. Maybe in the scene they are figuratively barely hanging on while the audience feels the same physically. The low angle shot looked like it could be used in music videos or more playful settings. The subject in this shot looks larger than normal, making it seem like they are important even if they aren't. The extreme close-up shot evokes feeling uncomfortable because of the excess of intimacy between the subject and the audience. These are used sparingly because they are used for more serious, intimate moments. 

Ryan filmed a dolly shot, cameo shot, extreme long shot, and reaction shot. Like Cori, he had a very good dolly shot. In this scene, the subject is running away from something, but you don't know what. If the camera moves at the same speed the subject is running, it creates the illusion that the audience is running away from the same threat. In the cameo shot, the audience is closer up to the subject and they are centered in the center of the frame. This lets you know that this character is important and you should pay attention to the scene. It also lets you feel a sense of closeness with the subject because it feels like you are having a conversation with them. The extreme long shot establishes the setting and/or lets you know the subject in the shot is not of importance. The reaction shot creates mystery for the audience and makes them curious to know what is behind the camera that caused that reaction. 

Week 2: Different Shots

This week was our lesson on different types of shots and we were assigned to create 12 different shots and describe our experience. 

1. This shot is a freeze frame shot. I used this shot to freeze a shot of Whitney jumping on the bed. I think this shot can add a comical element to a scene as well as an element of surprise.

2. This shot is a tight shot. Whitney takes up the whole frame in this shot. I think this shot can shock and make the audience uncomfortable with how close it is.

3. This shot is an eye level shot. This shot can also be very uncomfortable because of the unbroken eye contact of the subject.

4. This shot is a cameo shot. Filming against a solid background allows the subject to be the focus for the shot. This shot can be used when something very important is about to be said by the subject. This shot screams to the audience "hey this is important pay attention!"

5. This shot is a close shot. A close shot seems to be the standard shot when a subject is speaking. It draws the eye to the subject.

6. This shot is a low-angle shot. A low-angle shot seems like it would be used more for comedic purposes or something that isn't very serious.

7. This shot is a close-up shot. In this particular shot it shows my hand petting my cat. I think that these shots can be useful in introducing a scene and what a character is doing. 

8. This shot is a flash shot. This type of shot can be surprising and shocking, as well as bring an element of mystery. The audience is not given enough time to fully dissect what is happening into the scene.

9. This shot is a follow shot. This shot can be hard to film if you don't know where your subject is going. I had this trouble when filming, especially because my subject was a cat.

10. This shot is an extreme close-up shot. An extreme close-up shot can be uncomfortable and mysterious. The audience can become uncomfortable from being so up close and personal with the subject but also be curious to see the rest of that subject and the setting.

11. This shot is a tilt shot. Tilt shots can be useful in showing the setting of the scene and providing a glimpse into the action while not instantly revealing the character and the scene unfolding.

12. This shot is a high-angle shot. This can give an interesting perspective and also allow you to observe everything around the subject as a whole.

Why I'm Taking AICE Media Studies

I am taking AICE Media Studies to fulfill my AICE Diploma requirements of taking seven AICE classes. I am also taking this class because of my interest in cinematography and curiosity of how films come to life. I hope to further understand the world of film and be able to develop a film of my own with the knowledge I've learned.