We include video in our workshop on moving image since it is a very
modern medium of expression.
In our video experiments we talked about the cinema language
and explained terms such as camera angles, camera movements, montage etc.
Since we did not have the equipement for video editing, but only a camera
and some lights, we experimenting on short stories by doing the montage
while shooting the scenes.
Exercise 9: Using "CUT" as a punctuation point
For this experiment we watched early movie films by Melies
and analyzed the way he accomplished several tricks
like dissapearing and appearing of persons and objects.
Students were enthusiastic with this possibility
of making "magic tricks" on video
and decided to shoot a short story about a "Magicians' School"
where they learn how to vanish and appear again.
In order to make the trick succeed, the "Actor" must collaborate
very well with the camera man and director.
He has to stopm moving and stay still, exactly when the cameraman stops
the camera. Then he could vanish (get out of the frame) or make someone else
appear (get into the frame) while the camera is not recording.
All the time needed for those changes the "actor" must stay still and not
change his/her position. At the exact point that the shooting begins again,
everyone in the frame must move, starting from the position he/she had stoped.
Below you can see some stills of the short video.
You can see the streaming video by clicking here
Exercise 10: experimenting on camera angles and stage design
We experimented with different positions and angles of the camera
as well as reconstructions of the sorounding space
in order to accomplish unexpected and tricky movements
(a)
In the short video named "the box" the students rearranged very carefully
the tables in the classroom making a fake floor, so that the actor could come out
and get back into a small box!
below you can see some stills of the video. click on image for larger view
you can see the streaming video, click here
(b)
In the short video named "climbing" a student is climbing on the classroom wall!
The students used cut as a punctuation point
in the developement of the narration and they changed the position of the camera
searching carefully for the camera angle that would make the scene more realistic
and convincing. They also had to to accomplish the continuity of the movement
and be sure that the surrounding objects would be in about the same relative position
after the "cut".
Below are some stills from the video:
