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.

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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...

Elements and Principles of Cinematography

Bird's Eye Curved Lines Diagonal Lines Emphasis Formal Balance Framing Horizontal Lines Informal Balance Leading Lines Movement/Rhythm Proportion/Scale Repetition Rule of Thirds Simplicity Unity Variety Vertical Lines Worm's Eye

Investigation 10/12: Visual Storytelling (Show Not Tell)

Visual storytelling describes the process of telling your story by only using visual elements rather than verbally. An easy way to look at verbal storytelling is to examine a children's book. The narration of a children's book bluntly tells the reader everything they need to know about what is going on. It tells who characters are, what they are doing, how they are feeling, and more all by directly telling the audience. Visual storytelling is the opposite as it uses only visual elements to broadcast the story to the audience, leading them to discern the story from what they see. Visual storytelling is a very general idea with different techniques to do so. Some of these techniques can be found below Visual Storytelling Through Framing Since visual storytelling is a visual form of telling a story, framing your shots within a film properly can convey your story without any dialogue. While most films use dialogue to enhance its story, the use of framing is so powerful that a film ...

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