Skip to main content

Investigation 1/26: Transitions

Transitioning between different clips is one of the foundations of creating a film. The most commonly used transition between clips is a cut which involves no special movements or visuals between clips. However, different transitions can be used in order to enhance the visual look of your film. I chose to research a few transitions in order to hopefully make use of within my next film.

Whip

The Whip is a transition that uses quick movement. In order to recreate this transition, the camera operator must shoot the end of one clip with a quick and sudden movement as well as the beginning of the next clip with a similar quick movement. The direction of this movement should be consistent between both shots as to keep the flow of the transition. I feel that this transition can be used to its fullest potential during more fast paced portions of a film. Here is an example of this transition

Match Cut

While similar to a normal cut, a match cut transitions between two similar things in each clip. This similarity can be a position, sound, or action. In order to efficiently create this transition, this similarity should be planned out in advance so that the camera operator can work to create a similar composition between shots. With the flexibility of the match cut, it could likely be used whenever would feel appropriate within the film. Here is an example of this transition

Frame Filling

Frame filling is a simple transition which involves the camera being obstructed by an object. This transition begins as the camera moves in one direction and is obstructed by an object, darkening the screen as a result. The next clip begins darkened with an object already blocking it and has the camera move away from the object in order to follow the action. This transition seems that it works best with transitioning between slower moving scenes.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Investigation 3/1: The Tools Of Camera Stability

One of the most important aspects of cinematography that goes commonly unnoticed is having the camera steady. Even a slight amount of movement within a shot can pull the audience away from the film, so it is important to attempt to have shots. There are multiple different ways that you can use to stabilize your camera, some of which are more effective than others. Tripod Using a tripod is the easiest way to stabilize the camera while filming. By having three points of contact with the ground, a tripod keeps the camera extremely stable. The camera would likely only move due to very large movements on the ground or strong winds. The one downside to using a tripod is that it has to remain stationary. If the required shot involves moving around, a tripod can likely not be used. Overall, the tripod is the easiest, simplest, and cheapest way to keep your camera steady. (Image Source) Shoulder Rig A shoulder mount is one way to keep the camera stable while also being able to mov...

Investigation 11/1: Rear Projection

Friday October 30th marked the release of the second season of the hit show The Mandalorian . While there are many things that contribute to how great of a show it is, the one aspect that has peaked my interest the most would have to be it's use of virtual sets. Virtual sets created in real time using the Unreal Engine makes the world of Star Wars  come alive on-screen at home and for the actors during filming. While the technology that creates virtual sets is amazing and will likely change the way that all films and shows are made, it is definitely something that smaller productions and individuals won't be able to make use of. Instead, the tool available to all film makers that I will be discussing today is Rear Projection. Why Use Rear Projection Rear Projection allows for a cheap and easy way to transform the background of your scenes. The concept of rear projection involves the projection of a pre-recorded video behind your actor. This allows for the actor to act within th...

Investigation 11/8: Steadicam Vs Tripod

Previously, I have investigated different tools you can use to stabilize your camera, which can be found  here . Since writing that blog post, I have had plenty of time to test using both my tripod and my Steadicam. While each of them is useful in certain scenarios, sometimes it is difficult to bring both pieces of gear with you for some shoots. For this reason, I have decided to compare the strengths of each to determine which is better for all-around shooting scenarios. Strengths Of A Tripod Using a tripod allows you to get the very smooth and stable shots with minimal effort. From my experience using my tripod, it has been most useful when I have been in front of the camera and unable to closely monitor how the shot looks. With the tripod being able to sit completely still without requiring someone to be near, it can completely replace a camera operator in some scenarios. Tripods also take the edge in smooth tilts and pans. While it is definitely possible to get stable pans and ...