Video and Sound Production | Exercises


25.9.25 -   |  Week 1 - 

Haley Alexandra Gray  |  0369029  |  Bachelors of Design in Creative Media

Video and Sound Production VSP60104

Exercises


Table of Content :


Instructions


MIB for Video and Sound Production VSP60104 | Taylors University, Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media





Lecture Material

Video and Sound Production VSP60104


Week 1

- The materials provided are to prepare students for the week 2 activities, where students need to understand the basics of cinematography, including shot size, camera angle, and composition, in order to practise shooting.

- Shot size, camera angle, and composition are all elements of visual storytelling used in film, television, and other visual media.

Shot size :
- Refers to the amount of space visible within a single shot or frame
- Different shot sizes can be used to convey different types of information, or different emotional effects.
○ E.g. Close-up shot shows a small area with a lot of detail, whereas a wide shot shows a larger area of the scene, often used to establish setting / context.

Camera angle :
- Refers to the position of the camera in relation to the subject being filmed
- Different camera angles can be used to create different perspectives / convey different types of information.
○ E.g. A high-angle shot looking down on a subject can create a sense of vulnerability, whereas a low-angle shot loos up to the subject, creating dominance.

Composition :
- Refers to the arrangement of visual elements within a shot or frame.
- Can include the placement of characters or objects within frame / the use of colour and lighting / balance/symmetry of the overall image.
- Is used to create visual interest, guide the viewers eye, and convey meaning / emotion.

Together, shot size, camera angle, and composition are all important tools that filmmakers and other visual storytellers use to create meaning and convey ideas to their audience.


NOTES OF PROVIDED MATERIAL

Shot size :

    - Films are made up of sequences, sequences made up of scenes, scenes made up of shots
    - A camera shot is composed of the series of frames that are shot uninterrupted from the moment the camera starts rolling till stops.

                - Camera shot size Overview :
Fig. 1 Shot Size Cheatsheet, StudioBinder

Types of Camera Shot Sizes
1. Extreme Wide Shot (ELS)
○ Makes your subject appear small against their location
○ E.g. make your subject feel distant / unfamiliar / overwhelmed
2. Long Shot (LS) / Wide Shot (WS)
○ Same idea as ELS but a bit closer
○ Cinematic effect relating to subject and scene
3. Full Shot (FS)
○ Lets subject fill the frame while keeping emphasis on scenery
4. Medium Long Shot (MLS) / Medium Wide Shot (MWS)
○ Frames the subject from roughly the knees up
5. Cowboy Shot
○ Frames the subject from mid-thigh up
○ Called cowboy because it is used in Westerns to frame a gunslingers gun on his hi
6. Medium Shot (MS)
○ One of the most common camera shots; frames from roughly the waist up
○ Emphasises more of your subject while keeping background visible
7. Medium Close Up (MCU)
○ Frames your subject from roughly the chest up; 
○ typically favours the face but keeps the subject somewhat distant
8. Close Up (CU)
○ When wanting to reveal a subjects emotions / reactions (often with face)
○ Perfect for important moments
9. Extreme Close Up (ECU)
○ The most you can fill a frame with your subject.
○ Often shows eyes, mouths, and gun triggers
10. Establishing Shot
○ Is a shot at the head of a scene that clearly shows us the location of the action
○ Shot often follows an aerial shot and is used to show where everything happens

Framing :
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-camera-shots/#camera-framing
Camera Framing: Shot Composition & Cinematography Techniques Explained [The Shot List, Ep 2] 

- The art and science of placing subjects in your shot. Camera shots are all about composition. Rather than pointing the camera at the subject, you need to compose an image.

Types of Camera Shot Framing
Working with subjects in the frame

1. Single Shot
○ When your shot captures one subject
○ Can be set/framed in any shot size, just as long as there is only one character featured.
                ○ Can have an OTS single, (dirty single); technically has more than one person in the frame, but the character in the foreground 
                   isn't featured.
2. Two Shot
○ Camera shot with 2 characters featured
3. Three Shot
○ Features 3 characters in the frame
○ Important in any film with a group of characters
        - Crowd shot - for an innumerable amount of people
4. Over the Shoulder Shot (OTS)
○ Shows your subject from behind the shoulder of another character
○ Emulates perspective; common in conversation scenes.
5. Over the Hip Shot (OTH)
○ Similar to OTS, camera is placed with a characters hip in the foreground, focus subject in the plane of acceptable focus
○ Often suggests power imbalance due to imbalance of subject placement
6. Point of View Shot (POV)
○ Camera shot that shows the viewer exactly what the character sees
○ Transports the audience into that character

- Camera shot angle is used to specify the location where the camera is placed to take a shot
- The position of the camera in relation to the subjects can affect the way the viewer perceives the scene

1. Eye level shot
○ When your subject is at eye-level, they're in a natural perspective (not superior/inferior)
○ Mimics how we see people in real life - our eye line connecting with theirs
2. Low angle shot
○ Frames the subject from a low camera height looking up at them
○ Emphasises power dynamics between characters
3. High angle shot
○ Camera points down at your subjects
○ Creates a feeling of inferiority / looking down at your subject
4. Hip level shot
○ When your camera is roughly waist-high
5. Knee level shot
○ When your camera is about as low as your subjects knees
6. Ground level shot
○ When your cameras' height is on ground level with your subject
7. Shoulder level shot
○ Camera is roughly as high as subjects shoulders.
○ Much more standard than eye level shots, making actors seem shorter
○ Shoulder level shot can maximise the feeling of superiority when paired with a low angle.
8. Dutch Angle / Dutch Tilt Shot
○ Camera is slanted to one side
○ Create a sense of disorientation
9. Birds eye view / Overhead shot
○ From way up high, looking down on your subject and a good amount of the scenery surrounding him/her.
○ Can create a good sense of scale and movement
10. Aerial Shot
○ Shot from way up high
○ Establishes a large expanse of scenery

- Composition refers to the way elements of a scene are arranged in a camera frame. Shot composition refers to the arrangement of visual elements to convey an intended message.

    - Elements of Composition
1. The Rule of Thirds
○ Positioning a character to show their relation to other elements in the scene
○ Points of interest lie on the intersecting lines
○ As the camera frames your shot, keep the image on the intersecting lines; more pleasing to the eye

    Rules of Composition
1. Balance and symmetry
○ Often reveal character traits and power dynamics
○ Create a place so perfectly symmetrical, audience feels overwhelmed.
2. Blocking
○ The way the director moves actors in a scene
○ Uses leading lines to control what the audience sees / how they see it
3. Leading Lines
○ Actual lines / imaginary ones in a shot that lead the eye to key elements in the scene
○ Use this technique to direct the viewer's eyes but also connect the subject to essential objects/situations
○ Essential to convey context
○ Another leading line can be established by characters movement
4. Eye level framing
○ Positions the audience at eye-level with the characters, which plants the idea that we are equal with the character.
5. Deep space composition
○ Filmmakers use deep space when significant elements in a scene are positioned both near and far from the camera.

Depth of Field (DOF) - The term used to describe the size of the area in your image where objects appear acceptably sharp
- Area in question is known as the field, size of the area is the depth of the field.
- Centre most point of the field is known as point of focus 
○ The imaginary 2D plane that extends from the center point is known as plane of focus
○ Anything that falls on the plane of focus is officially in focus.

- Types of Camera Focus
The Viewer's Point of Attention

1. Rack Focus / Focus Pull
○ First assistant cameraman will pull focus to make sure the subject stays within the acceptable focus range
○ Rack focus is an emphasised focus pull; acceptable focus range is intentionally shifted from one subject to another.
2. Shallow Focus
○ Subject is in crisp focus while the foreground / background is out of focus
○ Limits depth of field to create emphasis on subject
3. Deep Focus
○ Everything in the frame is in focus
4. Tilt Shift
○ Rotates perspective within the lens and emulates selective focus
○ Make parts of your image appear in sharp focus, while others are out of focus
5. Soft Focus
○ In contrast to deep focus, this keeps nothing in 100% sharp focus.
○ Caused by flaw in lens or special filters
○ Perfect for filming dream/memory
6. Split Diopter
○ An additional lens element that allows for two simultaneously focal lengths
○ Can achieve shallow focus in the foreground and background, while middle remains out of focus

   
Week 2

Understanding Story telling :-
- Three-act story structure is a popular narrative framework used in storytelling, particularly in film and literature
○ Divides a story into three distinct parts: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution.

○ Act One : Establishes protagonist, their world, situation they find themselves in
□ Act ends with an enticing incident that sets the storing in motion, creating a problem to solve.
□ Problem can be positive / negative, but must be significant enough to disrupt their world.
○ Act Two : The longest and most complex act
□ Protag. Faces a series of obstacles as they work towards their goal
□ Often divided into two parts: First half; protag makes progress towards goal, Second half; a major turning point that is a setback / crisis.
○ Act Three : The story reaches its climax and conclusion
□ Protag must confront the final challenge
□ Climax is the most intense and dramatic part of the story; stakes are highest & tension is at peak.
§ Resolution is the denouement (final part) where loose ends are tied up and satisfying ending comes.
NOTES OF PROVIDED MATERIAL


What is the three act structure?
- A narrative model that divides stories into three parts - Act One (Setup), Act Two (Confrontation), Act Three (Resolution).
○ Keeps your beginning separate from your middle and your middle separate from the end.
- Act one sets up the world, characters, characters goal and conflicts preventing them.
- Act two raises the stakes for the characters to achieve the goal, escalating conflict
- Act three resolves the story with either an achievement or failure. 

- "But the most important takeaway of the 3 act is understanding that one event must lead to another and then to another — this unifies actions and meaning and creates the semblance of a story."

Basics of a Three Act Structure -
○ Structure Chart

- Act 1 : Setup
- Involves intro of characters, their story world, some kind of enticing incident, typically a moment that kicks off the story.
- Usually first 20-30 mins of a film
- Act 2 : Confrontation / Build
- Should raise the stakes, you want your audience to keep watching
- Main chunk of story that often leads us to the worst possible thing to happen to the chara.
            - Plot doesn’t have to move in one direction; there are ups and downs, turnarounds
    □ If a story just builds in a straightforward manner you may bore the audience (predictable)
- Act 3 : Resolution / Payoff
- Bring some kind of catharsis or resolution.

Making sense of the 3 structure act
- Three act structure broken down

Week 3

Storyboard :
    -  In filmmaking is a visual representation of a film, animation, or video game, much like a comic strip.
    - Made up of a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualisation
    - Used to plan shots, understand the narrative flow, and to communicate ideas to the production team.
            - Includes details like camera angles, character movements, dialogue, notes about special effects / sound.
    - A crucial part of the pre-production process - allows filmmakers to experiment with different visual approaches, identify potential problems, and make necessary adjustments before the actual filming begins, saving time and resources.

NOTES OF PROVIDED MATERIAL

Storyboard :

- What is a storyboard?
            - A visual representation of a film sequence and breaks down the action into individual panels
            - It is a series of ordered drawings, with camera direction, dialogue, or other pertinent details.

Traditional vs Thumbnail
            - Traditional Storyboards
                    - basic pencil sketches that include detailed information like arrows for camera movement, characters, props, etc.

            - Thumbnail Storyboard
                    - doesn't have any writing

How to make your own Storyboard

    1. Identify key scenes in the script
    2. Map out key scenes
    3. Add images or sketches
    4. Describe what happens in each frame
    5. Share it with team
    6. Reference it on the day


Week 4

Production :
    - Production Stages :
    The production stages in filmmaking can be broken down into three main phases: pre-production, production, and post-production. 
              
            1. Pre-production
                    - Planning stage of filmmaking, where all necessary preparations are made before filming
                    - Includes writing the script, creating storyboards, casting actors, scouting locations, designing, and hiring.
                    
            2. Production :
                    - Stage where actual filming takes place, where production team will work together to capture all footage needed for film.
                    - This stage can be physically and logistically challenging, as it involves coordinating a large team of people and managing a complex schedule.

            3. Post-Production :
                    - Stage where footage is edited and assembled into final product/
                    - Includes tasks like cutting and arranging scenes, adding music, sfx, colour grading.
                    - Can be time consuming as it requires attention to detail and a keen eye for storytelling.

    Production Crew :
    - A team of professionals who work together to create a film or video. Each member of the crew has a specific role and set of responsibilities.

            1. Director : 
                    - Responsible for overseeing the entire production and ensuring the creative vision for the project is realised.
                    - Work closely with cast and crew to block our scenes, direct actor's performances, and make creative decisions.                    

            2. Producer :
                    - Responsible for the logistical and financial aspects of the production. 
                    - They secure funding, hire crew, coordinate schedule / locations, ensure the project is completed on time and with budget.

            3. Cinematographer :
                    - AKA Director of photography (DP) is responsible for visual aesthetics of the film
                    - Work closely with the director and choose the right camera, lenses, lighting, to achieve desired look.

            4. Production Designer :
                    - Responsible for overall visual design of the film, including sets, costume, props.
                    - Work closely with the director and cinematographer to create a cohesive and immersive visual world for the story.

            5. Sound Designer : :
                    - Responsible for audio aspects of the film including recording and editing dialogue, sfx, music.
                    - Work closely with the director and editor to ensure the sound and picture are seamlessly integrated.

            6. Editor :
                    - Responsible for assembling the footage into a coherent and compelling story.
                    - Work closely with the director and sound designer to shape the pacing, tone, and structure of the film.

Week 5

Mise en scène :
    French term that translates to 'placing on stage'.
    - In realm of theatre, film, etc, it refers to the overall visual arrangement and presentation of a scene.
    - Concept encompasses everything that appears within the frame or on stage and how these elements are organised to convey meaning, emotion, and narrative to the audience.
              
Key Components of Mise en Scene : 
    1. Setting & Location
            - Physical space : environment where action takes place
            - Time Period : The era in which the story is set; influencing costumes, props, set design.

    2.Props & Objecs
            - Items used by characters / present in the scene that can symbolise themes & indicate character traits.

    3. Costume & Makeup 
            - Clothing and makeup that reflect a characters personality, social status, occupation, etc.

    4. Lighting
            - Use of light and shadow create mood, highlight specific elements, and guide audiences focus.

    5. Composition & Framing
            - How elements are arranged within the frame or on stage, including camera angles in film or positioning of actors in theatres.
            - Affects how the audience perceives relationship and power dynamics.

    6. Performance & Acting 
            - Actors physical movements, facial expressions, and interactions contribute significantly; conveying emotions and subtext.

    7. Colour Palette
            - Selection of colours used in costumes, sets, and lighting can evoke specific emotions or symbolise themes.

    8. Spatial Relationship
            - Distance and arrangement between characters and objects which can indicate intimacy, conflict, or hierarchy.

Week 7

Colour Grading VS Colour Correction
    Colour Correction -
            process of correcting (or fixing) colors in a video or a film as a way to get them back to what they should look like for your project
            - Done before colour grading; because raw footage tends to be oversaturated and the colors need to be balanced out. 
            
            How to Colour Correct in 5 steps :
                    1. Normalize your footage as much as possible.
                    2. Fix your saturation first.
                    3. Then fix your brightness and contrast.
                    4. Set your new white balance.
                    5. Double check your skin tones.

    Colour Grading -
            Color grading is the process of grading (or editing) colors in a video or film as a way to give them a stylistic look.
            - Actually begin to create the aesthetic of your videos.
            - right color grading will always help convey a visual tone or mood
            - LUT stands for “look-up table,” and is basically a quick cheat-sheet which filmmakers can use in camera, or more importantly, which editors can use in their edit to give their footage specific grade and look.

            How to Colour Correct in 5 steps :
                1. Normalize your folate as much as possible.
                2. Follow the steps to correct your colors.
                3. Choose your desired look and style.
                4. Make your color adjustments in your editing program of choice.
                5. Double check skin tones and vectorscope.

Colour Theory
    Color theory is two things: 
            - A scientific principle that explains how color hues and saturations are created.
            - A creative discipline that examines how color is used to achieve emotional effect in visual art.

    Types of Color Theory:
            - Color Wheel
            - Color Context
            - Color Harmony






Exercises

Week 1
Editing Exercise

Exercise #1: Mint ad
For this exercise we had to import scenes from a video provided by our teacher into Premier Pro, arrange them in sequence and then export.

Fig.2 Imported media

Fig.3 Arrange the footage in sequence

Fig.4 Marking In the start of the footage

Fig.5 Marking Out the end of the footage






 





Fig.6 Exporting with relevant settings


Final Outcome

Fig.7 Final outcome


Exercise #2 : Doritos ad

Essentially the same exercise as the first one, except we had to do this ourselves, as well as organise the sequence of the clips to get it accurate.

Fig.8 Importing media

Fig.9 Align footage with real video

Fig.10 Marked and completed footage and ready to be exported


Final Outcome



Results for Week 1 Quiz -



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Week 2

This week our teacher gave us a few exercises to work on, including answering questions based on Acts and themes of 2 films, and compiling a shot exercise

EXERCISE 1 -

Now, give your knowledge on 3-act structure a run for the money. By now you should have already watched:1.  Lalin, 2. Everything, everywhere, all at once.

Based on each of the movies, 
1. Which part is act 1, act 2, act 3 respectively? Describe each act with ONE paragraph only. 
2. What is the inciting incident in the movie?
3. What is the midpoint scene in the movie?
4. What is the Climax scene in the movie?
5.What is the theme of the movie?

Answer the questions twice, separately for 1.  Lalin, 2. Everything, everywhere, all at once. Post it in your blog under exercises.

__________________________________________________

Answer set 1 : Everything Everywhere All At Once

1. Which part is act 1, act 2, act 3 respectively? Describe each act with ONE paragraph only. 

a. Act 1 :
i. The first act opens with describing Evelyn's life at home and setting the scene for their family life and business where they run a laundromat. There is a lot of tension and stress within their family, specifically revolving around the mother. The introduction of the turn of events starts in the elevator where Evelyn is introduced to the multi-verse and how she has to save it. 

b. Act 2 :
i. The second act is when Evelyn faces switching through multi-verses and learning skills through that, and where she is also confronted by the thing she has to save the world from - Jobu Tupaki, which is actually her daughter. She faces many other obstacles in the process, while also switching through the multi-verse many times and becoming acclimated to it, as well as overwhelmed where she almost succumbs to Jobu Tupaki.

c. Act 3 :
i. The last act is where Evelyn has a final confrontation with Jobu Tupaki, where initially fighting with violence, she learned to fight with kindness, and eventually defeats the obstacles in her way to get to Jobu Tupaki and to stop her daughter from going into the everything bagel. After the climax the resolution comes where she stops Jobu Tupaki and saves her daughter, as well as the world, andthey go back to normal as a stronger family with newfound acceptance for one another.


2. The inciting incident in the movie is where Evelyn, Waymond and her dad go to the IRS office, and in the elevator alpha Waymond takes over Waymond's body and tells Evelyn about the multiverse and what she must do in that current moment of time. 


3. The midpoint scene would be where Evelyn's father makes her kill Joy (Jobu Tupaki), and where she realises she can't and shifts her perspective on the situation where instead of defeating Jobu Tupaki she wants to save her daughter instead.


4. The climax scene is when Evelyn is face to face with Jobu Tupaki and the Everything Bagel, where instead of resorting to violence with her daughter and the rest of the obstacles in her way she chooses to fight and confront the situation with kindness, raising the stakes even higher for her.


5. The theme of the movie is ambiguous, of course it fits the title of everything being everywhere all at once, it is a chaotic storytelling of the multiverses and switching between them, however I believe the overall theme to be towards love and kindness, and the trials of family and support, where resolution came when Evelyn started fighting with kindness, and accepting things for what / who they were; making peace with her father's mindset, and accepting all of her daughter.


Answer set 2 : Lalin

1. Which part is act 1, act 2, act 3 respectively? Describe each act with ONE paragraph only. 

a. Act 1 :
i. Act one is where we meet Lalin who is a Thai girl that now lives in Japan, whose face is also mystery to us. This act introduces us to the backstory of who she is and how she got bullied for her appearance, and her current life where she runs a social media page that gained a lot of attraction for her 'beauty'.

b. Act 2 :
i. The second act is where she is introduced to this writer who wants her to translate his book, which she then falls for him and they continue to grow their relationship, while she still hides behind her mask. They eventually end up planning to meet, where he travels to Japan to see her, but then Lalin panics, contradicted between her representation on social media and what she really sees in herself, and does not meet him in the end, and he leaves.

c. Act 3 :
i. In the final act, Nut leaves the book for her to read which reveals their relationship and connection in the past, leading her to confront and reveal herself from the mask and to chase after Nut who has already left. In the end she doesn't catch him, but she gains self-acceptance.


2. The inciting incident of the film would be when the guy goes to Japan to see her, where she is confronted with facing him and showing him her true self which she is conflicted by.


3. The midpoint is where their relationship is growing stronger and the guy wants to see her face, but she manages to avoid and dismiss it.


4. The climax is when she reads the book and realises the background of their relationship and the message of the book, for her to be herself and face reality. When she finally realises and takes her mask off, she tries to find the guy who had already left.


5. The theme of this film is about the harsh realities of this world, and self-acceptance. It depicts how the environment can change who you think you are, and that it is okay to mask yourself up to get social validation, when in reality the only validation you need is from yourself, and having real connections through honesty and vulnerability can help find it. 

EXERCISE 2 - SHOT EXERCISE

Shots -

Final Compilation -


Results for Week 2 Quiz -


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Week 3

This week we had to practice shooting using certain camera angles, and compile our footage into a short video.

Shots -

Final Compilation -


Results for Week 3 Quiz -



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Week 4

Results for Week 4 Quiz -




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Week 5

Results for Week 5 Quiz -



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Week 7

Results for Week 7 Quiz -











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