Video Production
1.3 How Will Video Communicate Your Idea?
Videos and films are often sorted by type; familiar genres (types) include drama, action/adventure, comedy, horror, science fiction, and more. You might want to think about how you want to approach your idea - do you want to make a fictional piece telling a story or do you want to make an educational or documentary piece presenting facts about your subject?
Educational films can take many different forms including documentaries, news reports/broadcasts, opinions and debates, Public Service Announcements (PSAs), interviews, training etc. This may affect how you plan your idea and production; we will explore fiction film vs. documentary film further in chapter two.
Here are some ideas for different types of videos you might want to consider:
- Encouraging support for social concern. (Focussing on a social issue to voice your opinion or to raise awareness.)
- Biographies. (Telling the story of someone’s life by documenting key events. You could profile a member of the community, or anyone you feel has an interesting story to tell. Showing different life journeys can provide others with knowledge of different social perspectives.)
- Career Profiles. On the job videos capture ‘behind the scenes’ workplace activities to inform about careers. These interesting videos can help people decide what careers they may like to pursue. Some businesses may even be able to use or sponsor your production!
- Community History. Tell a community story; you could perhaps research a place, landmark or an event that happened.
- Documentary. Documentaries present certified facts, found in writing, such as evidence. Documentaries are generally about people, places and things, see Chapter 2 for further information.
- "How To" Video. Training type ‘how to’ videos show step-by-step procedures for how to make something or how to perform a service or improve a skill. Demonstration videos, like aerobics or cooking programmes, allow people a repeat viewing to help learn a process and to possibly follow along.
- Investigative. Investigative videos include experiments, statistical facts, interviews and objective reporting. They present the audience with a question, then set out to provide facts with visuals to present further possible answers to what may need further investigation.
- News and Special Events. News productions are a traditional way to inform people about what current facts impact on their lives and their communities. ‘Talking head’ videos are used to broadcast messages, or to document a special event. Journalism-type videos usually involve interviews, research, lots of script writing, plus fun-to create captions and graphical additions.
- Commercial. Create a short video or music commercial to market a product or service in your community. PSAs are an effective way to provide information about important community issues, such as health and welfare assistance. Contact a local business to see if they would like to be your client for a video to advertise their product or service.
Understand The Language of Film
Once you have decided on the genre or style of video you would like to make, it is useful to have some basic knowledge of film language to help put this into practice. We all have an understanding of this language often without realising it. Learn this language by examining films and adverts. If you understand how light, camera angles and editing can work for you, it will vastly enhance your message.
The first few images of a film or video (the opening sequence) can be very important as they give us lots of clues as to what the production will be about. We look at the opening shots of place and time, and put them into context. We look at the actors we are presented with and make assumptions about their characters and roles in the production and their relationship to each other. We look at the title of the piece - the way it is worded and the style of the lettering and we try to guess what genre (type) it will be. We listen to the sound, which is often predominantly music at this stage, and the tone and beat of this again gives us further clues as to how the film will develop. We do all this automatically - at this time we are extremely receptive and actively involved.
Without realising it, we have begun to read the signals that have been set up for us; we have begun to decode the film language.
Signs & symbols/codes & signals
Figure 1.2: As a symbol of childhood we may assume this ‘lost’ teddy represents more than just a discarded soft toy.
In the spoken or written language that we use, words often have hidden meaning, or a ‘signal’ behind the literal meaning of the word. For instance, the sun is literally a yellowish ball in the sky, but the word ‘signals’ to us meanings such as warmth, cheerfulness, life, etc. A teddy bear is a stuffed, brown plaything but it ‘signals’ comfort and childhood innocence to us. Therefore, these ‘symbols’ have literal meanings alongside hidden signals and implications, which can be used to strengthen the themes in your work.
The codes do not only have to be visual. The use of sudden loud music signals ‘something dramatic is about to happen’. An extreme close-up shot of a person’s face signals ‘this character’s reaction is very important’. Most audiences are able to recognise these codes; even young children are aware of the basics. Let’s look at some of the elements which make up a film/video project, and through which the signals are sent to us. These are the basic criteria through which we can make judgements about a piece.
Use of the camera
Different types of shots are used in a combination to give you information about where and when something is happening, the role of a character and his/her reaction, to draw attention to someone or something, or to create an impression or feeling. Different camera movements can be used to create a specific effect, for example:
- A character walks into a room and the camera slowly pans across (moves from side to side). We feel as if we are the character looking around. By stopping on something, our attention can be focused on this.
- A feeling of unsteadiness or unease can be created by moving the camera diagonally (rolling). Our brains register that all is not well within this screen world.
Lighting
Lighting is important as it conveys the mood or atmosphere of the scene which we are observing. The director can manipulate lighting to achieve the atmosphere he/she wishes to signify. For instance, a sharp contrast of dark and light areas can be produced on the screen as shadows are formed. These shadows can suggest an air of mystery, as used in the ‘film noir’ (dark films) of the 1940s and 1950s. Exaggerated use of this type of lighting can be found in horror films, where under-lighting (placing a light under a face or an object) gives a dramatic, often distorting effect. Adding more light, with less shadows will appear much more normal and realistic but can also be manipulated to give a more glamorous appearance to a character’s face, or add a ‘twinkle’ to their eyes.
Sound
The extra dimension that sound adds to film/video has been acknowledged since the early days of cinema, when live music in the form of a piano, organ or even a full orchestra accompanied the images on the silent cinema screen. Sound in productions today is of course much more sophisticated with a digital synchronised soundtrack combining the elements of dialogue, music and sound effects (SFX).
Editing
When the filming has been completed, the editing process begins. This is a matter of choosing which shots to include, which to put next to which, and what method to use to join the shots together.
The director can create a mood or atmosphere by choosing certain shots in a certain order, to build a picture in our minds. Smooth continuity of events and ‘normality’ for the audience is best achieved by using simple cuts. The director can also manipulate time and space by, say, having a car leaving one place in one shot and arriving at another in the next. Suspense can be created by using short shots frequently edited with other shots. For example, a murderer breaks into a house, we cut to the victim in the bedroom, then back to the murderer on the stairs and so on. Shock tactics can be used by cuts to a sudden close-up of an expression or object. Expectations can be built up by cutting from one shot to another and back again repeatedly, then suddenly replacing one shot with a totally new one. These types of techniques, along with many others are useful if you have a particular point you want to emphasise or highlight for the audience.