Composition and Framing Task/Challenge

Composition Challenge

I had taken part in a composition and framing task and challenge. We were all organised into groups of two for the cameras but had our own themes to show through the images. My theme was empty and full. We had looked at different techniques to help us develop our knowledge of composition and framing which will later help us in our coursework for the music videos. 

Certain techniques with composition i feel i still need to develop on such as the framing and the negative space as it makes the final images look less interesting. With the framing part of composition, i need to step away from the creative photography side and not use portrait to frame a picture. 

The photographs which are next to this text are the images i had taken before we had learnt the basics of composition and framing. With this task, i feel as if i had mainly focused on the theme rather than the composition side of the task. The colours of the images are a little too bright which make the images look less crisp. The images of the cups are mainly using the technique of depth of field but i have missed out on the framing, negative space and perspective. I think that the colours for the cups went well as it allows them to stand out from the background due to the concrete being grey, a dull colour, whilst the cups are orange, a positive and bright colour. 

A way that i could improve this is by doing some research into director's work and using this knowledge when filming to make the final product look more interesting. I think when i film my music video, i will mainly focus on the composition and getting a range of different shots for the final outcome of the music video. 

6 Things to think about when composing and framing a picture/film.

1. Negative Space (This was one of the main things i need to focus on when capturing an image or clip)
2. Colours 
3. Perspective  
4. Depth of Field (Which i feel went quite well during this task)
5. Framing 
6. Symmetry

Skills Review

Research and Planning.

I have found many ways to make my blog look more interesting by using different layouts for the planning and research for my first portfolio. We had done a variety of techniques and went only slightly in depth for the research within our group for the planning of the Gangster Film Opening. With the film opening, we had researched the different conventions of the genre and we will be doing the same for this project.

Another part of our research was that we had used questionnaires to research what audience we were meant to be looking for the gangster genre. Within our questionnaire we had asked about what the audience expects from the film opening. I had learnt a lot from the research and planning element of the portfolio as there was a lot more than just typing it all up, there are other ways of showing your work. 

Using Conventions From Real Media Texts.

From watching a variety of Gangster film openings, i was able to learn the wide range of representations and conventions of a gangster film. There were many different shot types and angles within the openings of the film openings which i will use to my advantage when filming our music video. 

Digital Technology

With the equipment, we had used a camera which i had never used before so this meant that we had to learn a new skill to make sure that we were filming the correct scenes. We had a different camera compared to the rest of the class. We had also learnt how to use the basic equipment such as a tripod and how to set up the camera settings properly. When filming, we had taken multiple shots of the same scenes to then pic out which one was suitable and had a better outcome (better focus, better angle, etc.) Working the Tripod and Camera was the easiest part with the technology but the editing process and effects proved to be a lot more difficult. For my A2 project, i would like to improve my skills all together to create a better final video compared to my gangster film opening. 


Post Production

After the filming stage within our Gangster opening, we had then uploaded it onto the computers which has editing software (Adobe Premiere Pro) on. Learning the basics of the editing software i found was quite simple but gathering the correct footage and making the actual final opening  for our gangster film proved to be a little difficult. Whilst editing the final footage, i felt that i had learnt a lot of basic tools on the editing software. I was able to use many different effects on Premiere Pro such as black and white with a little bit of colour to make it stand out more. I will hopefully develop my skills of effects and editing within this project to make my final piece successful. 

Creativity

Seeing as i was not very inspired by the theme of gangster films too much, i feel as if my creativity lacked in my last project. I am able to notice conventions and basic story lines when it comes to that specific genre and was able to use that as influence for my opening. With this portfolio, i think i might be more inspired and have more creative ideas as this is a project i am interested in. I will use the techniques i had learnt from the film opening to use in this music video and make something unique and creative.