Researching existing products:
Why do we dance?
This documentary takes an original technique by disregarding conventional interviews in favour of a captivating story driven by an engaging voiceover. Its exploration of the motivations behind our movements and emphasis on why we dance is quite similar to the concept of my own research. Deepening the audience's knowledge, it explores this subject further after the dance sequence.
What makes it remarkable is how expertly it uses b-roll film to build suspense for the dance portion. A straightforward transition that includes a blank screen and the sound of a light turning off alters the mood and the music. This mimics the length of our scheduled performance and establishes the scene for the dancers.
Functioning as an interactive documentary, it upholds an upbeat tone, focusing exclusively on the examination of dance's importance instead of individual narratives. This maintains the coherence and immersion of the viewing experience.
The story is enhanced but not overpowered by the deft use of b-roll film, and the spectator is emotionally engaged by the flawless transitions between music and dialogue in the sound design.
The narration holds the attention of the audience the entire time, taking them on a journey through the interpretation of dance's significance. This documentary offers a new viewpoint while maintaining to a connected storyline, in contrast to other films that use interviews.
characters: the silent dancer whose movements convey a lot, and the other dancer who offers insights into the meaning of dance. Their presence gives the subject matter additional depth and authenticity, which helps viewers relate to it on a deeper level.
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Breath:
What makes the documentary appealing to me is that, once again, it chooses to tell a captivating story rather than conduct lengthy interviews.
It is categorised as a performative documentary because of the skilful blending of visual storytelling with personal narrative.
Tone: The documentary begins with a sombre tone as the narrator considers the harsh realities of their surroundings and struggles with the danger of violence. But as the story moves closer to the idea that dancing has the ability to alter, the tone drastically changes, radiating optimism and resiliency, signifying a deep inward metamorphosis.
Features/Elements: The narrator's expressive dancing moves are skilfully captured in B-roll film, which is juxtaposed with visuals of significant locations to enhance the visual narrative.
Sound design: A thoughtfully chosen background music enhances the narrator's voiceover throughout the documentary, adding emotional impact and establishing the subject context. Significant is the deliberate use of quiet at significant points of reflection or realisation, which amplifies the effect of the story.
Story: The documentary's storyline is its only driving feature; it invites viewers to put themselves in the narrator's shoes and share their struggles, victories, and profound moments of self-discovery.
Characters: The narrator is the main character and the basis of the documentary due to his engaging storytelling. Although the narrator's experiences are the main focus, the narrative landscape is given an additional dimension by personal reference to those who have inspired and influenced them throughout their journey towards dancing.
how it links back to the brief:
A short documentary about why we dance connects to the theme of hobbies by showing how dance enriches our lives. It highlights dance as a cultural expression, a source of personal joy, and a way to connect with others. The film also demonstrates the mental and physical health benefits of dancing. Overall, it illustrates how engaging in hobbies like dance can enhance our well-being and bring fulfilment.
How does it link back to the brief:
A short documentary where the narrator reflects on the harsh realities and dangers of their surroundings connects to the theme of hobbies by showing how dance can provide hope and influence positive change. Despite the violence and struggles, the narrator finds solace and strength in dancing. The film highlights how dance offers an escape, a form of expression, and a way to cope with difficult circumstances. Ultimately, it illustrates how hobbies like dancing can inspire resilience and provide a sense of purpose and joy amidst adversity.
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researching job roles/ responsibilities:
Directors hold the creative vision throughout the whole process from pre- production through to the final edit. They direct the making of the film by visualising the script while guiding actors and technical crew to capture the vision for the screen.
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A film editor is primarily responsible for the assembly of a film’s raw footage into the final cut of a film. Most of an editor’s work is done during post-production. But many editors will begin to assemble scenes and sequences during production as well. Editors are responsible for cutting, arranging, and assembling the shots of a film in a way that best serves the film’s story and director’s vision.
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The role and responsibilities of a sound director includes capturing original sound elements, modifying existing sound elements, or some combination of the two. Maybe capturing sound effects that are needed in the film for example, a light switch.
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Another role would be the camera operator, they are the people who is in charge of recording the action that is needed to be captured.
Theme research:
What makes dancing interesting?
Dance is a diverse art form that enthrals viewers all around the world with its beauty, creativity, and passion. Several elements go into making dance captivating, including the following:
Emotional Expression: Dancers may convey a vast spectrum of feelings, from thrill and joy to desire and melancholy. Dancers communicate complex emotions and narratives that touch audiences viscerally through gestures, facial expressions, and movement.
Physical Technique and Skill: Dancing requires extraordinary skill, agility, and physical skill. Dancers study hard to become skilled in a variety of styles, including jazz, hip-hop, ballet, modern, and many more. Skilled dancers frequently astonish audiences with their athleticism, grace, and control.
Dance is an artistic interpretation technique that enables dancers to convey ideas, words, or music through movement. Choreographers craft routines that evoke strong emotions and stimulate audiences' imaginations by fusing symbolic language, storytelling, and visual images.
Cultural Diversity: Dance has a strong cultural foundation in many different countries. Every culture has its own distinctive dance styles, ceremonies, and rituals that are a reflection of their beliefs, values, and history. The wide range of dance forms and the chance to interact with various cultural expressions via movement captivate audiences.
Creative Collaboration: Dancers, choreographers, musicians, costume designers, and lighting specialists frequently work together. The interdisciplinary communication, creativity, and invention that is promoted by this collaborative approach produce dynamic and visually spectacular performances that captivate the audience.
Action Research
Bar titles:
https://youtu.be/6-PI0-gch5s?feature=shared
what is a bar title:
When conducting interviews for a documentary,
titles or lower-thirds are frequently utilised to set
the scene for the subject. The interviewee's
name is usually included in these titles, along
with perhaps extra details like their occupation
or area of specialty. These titles are meant to
help in the viewer's understanding of the
individual's background and the significance of their viewpoint to the documentary's topic.
Different types of bar title elements:
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Name: Usually found at the beginning of the title, this is the most basic component. That's the name of the subject of the interview.
Occupation/Expertise: The interviewee's occupation or area of expertise may be briefly described below their name. This makes it easier to verify the speaker's qualifications and the reasons behind their speaking engagement.
Additional Information: The title may contain further information about the documentary's subject matter, such as its location, association, or any relevant background details.
Design Elements: Titles are often designed to be visually appealing and consistent with the overall style of the documentary. The use of fonts, colours, and visuals can improve the title's appearance and increase the audience's engagement.
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Camera transitions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82keIqP3EMI
I'm curious to learn about different transitions since I think they'll give the B-roll film of my friends dancing a visually appealing touch. In order to ensure that the transitions enhance the dance's rhythm and flow, my goal is to carry out these changes smoothly while they're dancing.
In filmmaking, a camera transition is a method for seamlessly switching between shots. These cuts improve the film's visual appeal while preserving the narrative's flow. There are several methods for carrying out camera transitions, both in post-production editing and while recording (in real-time).
Camera operator movements or adjustments are necessary to smoothly transition from one shot to the next while filming. These changes can involve tracking, panning, tilting, zooming, and the use of stabilising tools like camera cranes or Steadicams. Every transition directs the viewer's attention and strengthens the narrative by establishing a seamless visual link between shots.
Different transitions:
Match Cut with Panning Movement: In order to create a smooth visual transition between both shots, this transition entails panning the camera from left to right in one shot and then continuing the same movement in the following shot.
Tracking Shot: In a tracking shot, the camera follows the movement of an object or subject inside the frame by moving alongside it. When paired with fluid camera movement, this can produce a dynamic and captivating impression.
To capture the joy and fluidity of my friends' dance moves, for instance, I can monitor their movements and smoothly move the camera alongside them.
Whip Pan: To produce a blurred or disorienting appearance, swiftly pan the camera from one direction to another. This transition, particularly when employed to switch between two quick views, can liven up a scenario.
Zoom Change:
Changing the focal length of the camera lens to zoom in or out between shots is known as a zoom transition. By concentrating on a particular detail or removing attention to offer a broader perspective, this can produce a smooth transition.
A zoom transition can be used to draw attention to a certain dance motion or to switch between different parts of the performance.
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I used a panning movement in conjunction with the match cut technique for the particular transition I experimented with. It was somewhat difficult for me to achieve a smooth transition because of the camera's typical shakiness. Although adjusting the transition to guarantee smoothness took a while, the outcome was worthwhile. I plan to use this transition technique alongside with an outfit change in the final documentary to maximise its visual impact. My goal is to provide a visually engaging scene that draws the viewer in and lends a touch of style to the overall story by timing the transition with the clothing change.
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Lighting:
https://youtu.be/NX-PM5wZDgg?si=OAIy-MWUTaMf_bs8
https://youtu.be/b1Uy9vW_zNU?si=yrXXjESnxqfrSzUS
I want to research coloured lighting and normal lighting for the interviews and the actual dance. The interview lighting will play a big role in interviews because it will help the audience focus on the subject. I want to do coloured lighting for the b-rolls because colour and dance can present emotions, for example, with the colour blue it can mean sadness but with the colour pink or yellow it can defect a happy mood. I want to learn how to do it properly because I don't want the lighting in my documentary to look harsh on the characters, I want the audience to focus on them, and defect the mood i am trying to set out which is a happy and exciting mood.
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Natural Lighting:
Using natural light sources to illuminate a scene, such as sunshine or moonlight, is known as natural lighting. It can give situations that are outside or during the day a genuine and authentic appearance. Reflectors and diffusers are frequently used by filmmakers to control natural light and create the desired effect.
Artificial Lighting:
Artificial lighting is the process of illuminating a scene with artificial light sources, such as fluorescent, LED, or HMI lights. Compared to natural light, these lights provide more control over direction, colour temperature, and intensity. Filmmakers can generate a variety of effects and improve the scene's visual composition by utilising a variety of lighting settings, including backlighting, fill lights, and key lighting.
Coloured lighting:
Using coloured filters over light sources to project coloured light over the scene is known as coloured lighting. Filmmakers utilise coloured lighting to express symbolism, set a mood, or evoke particular feelings. Red is often utilised in cinema to convey intensity or danger, green to create an eerie or supernatural atmosphere, blue to convey a chilly or mysterious tone, and warm hues like orange or yellow to convey warmth or closeness. Combining coloured lighting with artificial or natural light sources can improve the scene's depth and visual storytelling.
Three-Point Lighting:
In filming, three-point lighting is a basic lighting setup. There are three main lights in it:
Key Light: The primary source of light used to illuminate the subject; usually placed 45 degrees to one side of the camera.
Fill Light: A secondary light source that is placed across from the main light to lessen contrast and fill in the shadows left by the latter.
Backlight: Sometimes referred to as the hair light or rim light, this type of lighting is placed behind the figure to draw attention away from the background and give the scene more depth.
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The result:
The result:
editing/ reflection:
​Since I didn't have the interview video at the time, I chose to use transition footage in place of the interview titles that I had originally planned to include in my documentary. That being said, I will add the proper bar titles as soon as I have the interview footage. I created the titles by following a tutorial that took me step-by-step through the process. After opening the Essential Graphics panel and going to the templates section, I typed in 'third,' which brought up a list of other title alternatives. I then just changed the template by adding the interviewee's name in place of the placeholder text.
Editing/ reflection:
THE SETUP:
I positioned the light stand and firmly fastened the light fixture for this lighting arrangement. I then took extra precautions to attach the coloured filter to the light in order to get the right tone or atmosphere. To keep consistency and control over the lighting effect, it was essential to make sure the stand was sturdy and the filter was firmly fastened. In order to maximise lighting and establish the intended mood for the scenario, I also changed the light stand's placement and angle.
The result:
Reflection:
My first plan for this lighting arrangement was to use two lights of different colours (pink and blue) to produce a striking visual contrast. Unfortunately, I was only able to obtain one light due to restricted supply. Despite this drawback, I thought the final effect was still visually striking with just one light. I was able to play with creative placement and intensity adjustments to create a distinctive and appealing effect with the single light source. Although my original goal was a dual-colour contrast, the use of a single light allowed me to still add depth and ambiance to the picture, demonstrating the flexibility of lighting approaches in producing desired results.
Pre -production:
Reece are crucial in filmmaking because they involve scouting and evaluating potential filming locations before the actual shoot. This process helps the production team assess the suitability of locations in terms of aesthetics, logistics, and technical requirements. Reece allow the team to identify and address any potential challenges, such as lighting conditions, ambient noise, accessibility, and space for equipment and crew. By conducting a Reece, filmmakers can plan for necessary modifications, acquire permits, and ensure safety measures are in place. Overall, Reece’s ensure that the chosen locations align with the creative vision and practical needs of the production, ultimately contributing to a smoother and more efficient filming process.
SCRIPT:
Scripts are crucial in filmmaking because they serve as the blueprint for the entire production. A script provides detailed descriptions of the dialogue, actions, and settings, guiding the cast and crew through each scene. It ensures that everyone involved understands the story, characters, and pacing, helping maintain consistency and coherence in the narrative. Overall, a well-crafted script is essential for transforming a creative vision into a cohesive and organized film
Shot list:
Shot lists are essential in filmmaking because they provide a detailed breakdown of every shot needed for a scene, helping the director (me) stay organized and ensuring that no critical shots are missed. They allow for efficient use of time and resources by prioritizing and sequencing shots, which minimizes downtime on set. Shot lists also enables me to plan technical aspects like camera angles and lighting setups in advance, helping anticipate and resolve potential challenges. They serve as a clear guide, ensuring everyone understands what needs to be accomplished, which enhances communication and cohesion.
Storyboard:
Storyboards are invaluable on filming days because they provide a clear visual plan for each shot, ensuring that the director's vision is communicated effectively to the entire crew. This advance planning allows for more efficient setups of cameras, lighting, and other equipment, saving time and reducing confusion on set. By illustrating the sequence of shots, storyboards help maintain continuity in the narrative, ensuring that each scene transitions smoothly to the next. Additionally, they serve as a reference point for everyone, facilitating better communication and coordination among the director, cinematographers, actors, and other crew members. Overall, storyboards streamline the filmmaking process, making it more organized and cohesive.
Test Scene:
This test scene turned out pretty well, I thought it would have been more dramatic if I had more b-rolls about dancing and the start scene. The music that I picked for this test scene was perfect since it was upbeat and the documentary is about dancing. This test scene was very short but it allowed me to show what the documentary was going to look like and how it was going to feel. I added videos from the practices that we have done so that it is more interesting to look at and not just have the interviews in it. This links back to the brief since my hobby is about dancing and the whole documentary talks about why we dance?. Overall, this test scene turned out well since the feeling of it was energetic and that is what I wanted the audience to feel about this documentary. This makes them anticipate about what they are about to watch, since most documentaries can be boring and the audience would not want to watch it again.