Task 8 - Using Continuity Rule

Own Video - First Attempt

This short video is based on a detention with an impatient teacher and disrespectful students who then get into a fight. We then embedded the continuity rule into our storyboard.

This sequences includes the following:

Match On Action

This is shown when the teacher walks out of the door to get the head teacher to discipline the students properly. We carried this out well as a group and also in the way i edited it to look as if the action was continued rather than it being two shots.

Eye-line Match 

This technique is shown when the teacher asks the students why they were so late for their detention. One shot is just the teacher by herself and the other shot is of the students. This is an eye-line match because it shows both the teachers perspective and the students. We carried this out very well.

Shot, Reverse Shot

This technique was demonstrated when the two students were arguing. We, as a group decided to do the over shoulder shot reverse shot because we believed it would be more effective; we were right. We went from one students shoulder to show his perspective and then to the other student to show his perspective and although they were in different shots, it looked as though it was happening instantly which is what the aim was.

180 Degree Rule

We showed this technique when the two students were fighting and we had both students in the shot at once and they both stayed on either the left or the right they never switched sides. This was a good example of the 180 degree rule and i believe we carried out it well.

Point Of View

This technique was demonstrated when the student that got the paper thrown at him brought his head up from the table and looked at the piece of paper. This was our best attempt out of all of the continuity rules that we came across. 

Task 7 - Understanding Continuity Editing

Continuity Editing

Continuity editing is where you film a shot that helps maintain a sense of realistic chronology and creates a feeling that time is moving forward. You would expect to see this type of editing in movies; mainly action, however it is spread across all genres of movies, TV programmes, possibly adverts. Although continuity editing is seen as time moving forward that doesn't mean to say that you can't include flash backs or flash forward, as long as the scene will retain the realistic element.

Continuity editing techniques

Match on Action - the match on action technique links two shots together. i.e we would see a character start in one shot and then in another shot within a different angle we would see the character finishing the same action they started in the first one. Film makers would use them because it ensures that the action portrays a natural movement although it had been performed twice. If the film maker didn't use them the action won't look realistic and would lack continuity. This is shown in the images below. You would see this technique in almost any movie/television show. If you we're focusing strictly on the UK, you can see it in soap operas like Eastenders a lot. Directors use it because they save money on the facilities because they all have ready-made sets for the actors so the match on action makes it look as if the characters are actually going in and out of the real world when in reality they're moving from one set to a different set.

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Eye-line Match - this technique links two shots together which allows the audience to experience an event in the characters perspective, i.e we see a character looking at something/someone off screen and then we get a shot of what they would be looking at. A film maker may use them to give the audience the realist perspective of the film, the make the audience feel as if they are a part of the characters life. If a film maker failed to use this technique this would lead to the movie lacking continuity and it wouldn't give the audience the most natural experience that they could have. You will see this technique mostly in movies, any genre but the editors use it to concentrate on both the object that the character is looking at and the expression on the characters face.
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Shot, Reverse Shot - this technique, much like the 2 prior also links two shots together. The first shot would reveal one of the characters and then in the second shot reveals the second character which allows the audience to use their own initiative to acknowledge that both characters are interacting with one another. Film makers use this technique to help maintain a sense of realism because in real life situations, when you are having a conversation with someone it does switch from one person to the other one and if the film maker failed to use this technique it would also lack continuity. This technique is featured in any conversation on TV, let that be in a soap opera, an advert, a movie. Anything with two characters, using paralinguistic or not. Editors use it because they like to concentrate on both characters facial expressions while they're communicating to then interpret the other characters reaction.
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The 180 Degree Rule - this technique is more of a guideline rather than a technique, it states that two characters or other elements within the same shot should maintain the same left/right relationship to each other and if the camera passes the 180 degree line the two subjects will cross the line and switch positions. A film maker would this technique to prevent confusion from the audience, because if one character moved position in one shot the audience may think that the film maker wasn't aware of what he was doing, thus leading to possible negative reviews due to non-professionalism. That would also be what would go wrong if the film maker did not use this guideline. The 180 degree rule is usually found in movies because so the character don't seem as if they're on opposite sides, otherwise it can confuse the audience. Live TV show's are also an example for instance, 'i'm a celebrity..' Ant is always on the left and Dec is always on the right; also not to confuse the audience.

Task 6- My Montage

Montage

Shivam, Samuel, Timi, Danielo and I made our own montage, no longer than a minute. We created a french montage. We were intending on the storyline being a team that has been coached to perfection and embarrasses the other teach players by making them fall over then winning the competition at the end. Our montage makes meaning because you can see the determination in Samuel's eyes right before he's about to throw the ball in the basket. You see a lot of emotions in such a short time. Them emotions are: determination; as previously mentioned, happiness; from Timi as he passes the ball to his teammate, scared; from Timi's face when he falls over, excitement; when the team wins the league and proud; when I am clapping my hands to encourage my team.

   I think, as a first attempt of a French montage, it was successful because a French montage is simply editing the clips. However, that not me saying that we couldn't improve. I think our storyline was well thought out but i think we could have filmed it and acted it out better than what we did. We shall remember this for future reference.

Task 5 - Understanding Montage Theory

Within the editing industry there are many techniques that may be used, including a montage. A montage is like I said one of many techniques used that is demonstrated by selecting, editing and piecing together separate clips that join together to make a whole. The shots are juxtaposed in a fast-pace fashion that portrays a compressed version of events which conveys a lot of footage/information in a short period of time.

The French Montage - within the French film industry; due to "montage" being a French word, its literal meaning is assembly, therefore within French film the term identifies the process of editing quite simply.

Hollywood Style Montage - within Hollywood cinema the montage technique is used to condense a long sequence into a short one. An example of this would be the legendary Rocky training montage. Hollywood film makers may choose to include a montage for the sole reason of saving time and being able to portray many events in short period.

Soviet Montage - within the Soviet cinema a montage is often used to reveal a hidden meaning of a shot. Soviet film makers used juxtaposing shots to create a new meaning that didn't exist within any of the shots alone.
                This idea came from a young soviet film maker called Lev Kuleshov that did an experiment in 1920 when he took a head shot and was able to portray the image for various meanings. Shown in the image below:

Another example of a Soviet montage would be 'Modern Times'  and 'Strike'

'Modern Times' is an example of Soviet cinema. As we know, sheep follow each other and that is the clip. That clip is then juxtaposed with humans all moving within one direction with gives off the impression that humans are like sheep because they just follow each other.

'Strike' is a movie that was made by Sergei Eisenstein which show two unrelated scenes. One being a butcher working in a slaughter house and the other one with striking workers being pursued by Russian troops. This is an example of soviet cinema because both of the shots juxtapose each other to create a hidden meaning. That meaning being that the troops are linked somehow to the slaughter house because they're all running out to their death.