Robert Rubio

Why are storyboards so important for planning your film?  How does the script relate to the storyboards? In the film industry, storyboarding is very important for planning your film, because by doing so, you have a visual idea of how to frame your shot. It just makes filming a lot easier by already knowing, and having a visual representation of your shots for others to know what you want. The script relates to the storyboards because the script includes descriptions of what is happening during the scene and gives you a better idea visually for each shot. 

In your own words, summarize each act of the three act structure and explain what it's role in the story is. The Setup is when everything is introduced. The characters, the story, and the atmosphere that surrounds them. This is when we learn about the main characters motives, and their impacts on the story. The Confrontation is the midpoint of the story. This is when the protagonist is affected by the changes taking place in the film. The stake are high in their moment of crisis. The Resolution is the final confrontation of the film. It's usually the showdown between the protagonist and antagonist. The loose ends are tied up, and reveals information that was left unknown throughout the film.

In your own words, explain the differences between an outline, synopsis and a treatment. An outline is where you write down your ideas, your key plot points for your story. A synopsis is a one page description of the overall story. A treatment is a short version of your script. The treatment can range from one to three pages.

What is a pitch?  Why is it so important to the rest of the film?  What are three things that you learned about pre-writing and the pitch in yesterdays keynote? A pitch is your idea for a film, a summarization of the story and it's characters. This is important for the film because it's how you're going to sell the story to potential buyers. I didn't really learn anything yesterday from the keynote, because I already knew what pre-production and brainstorming is.

What are three major tips from this article that you took away on how to create a great pitch? Three major tips are to never reveal the entire story, because of time and possible confusion. Focus on essential elements of the story, such as things that the buyers want you to answer for them. Lastly, leave the buyers in suspense. You want them to be intrigued by your story, and wanting to know more. You basically want the buyers to understand the story, and be interested by it.

What is pre-production?  What are the steps that a filmmaker must take to transfer an idea in their head into a form that is ready to be filmed on camera? In the film industry, pre-production is known as the process before filming begins for a film. It's the process where everything is planned out for filming. It begins once a project has been greenlit. The cast sound and signed on. The director is found, sets and locations are set, and the screenplay is in it's final touches. Basically, pre production is the work that's done before actually filming begins.

Now that you've learned about framing, angles and composition, how has it improved your appreciation of watching films and television? What are 3 examples of how you've seen these principles in play out in the world? Honestly, my appreciation of films and television hasn't improved. But this is because I already appreciate them. I've know about framing, angles, and composition before taking this class. I didn't start attending this class without knowing anything. I have a great appreciation for film, so naturally, for my own knowledge, I began researching a lot during my own time. An example of all of this are for building,and how they're designed.

What are three things that you've learned about in the camera and composition unit?  What are two things that you still have questions about?  What is one thing you want to learn more about? Three things that I learned the meanings behind some shots and angles, 2-D and 3-D Screen Direction. I found it interesting that the good usual walks in the direction from left to right, implying that they're going the "right" way. I don't actually have any questions about composition, I understand everything that's been reviewed. One thing I would like to learn more about is the Golden Mean and maybe see examples of Hitchcock's Rule.

What is the Hitchcock rule?  How does it apply to filmmaking?  What is one example of when you put a close up of a detail in your film?  Why did you choose it? The Hitchcock Rule, created by Alfred Hitchcock himself, states that the size of an object in the frame should be proportional, or equivalent to its importance to the story at that moment. This applies to filmmaking by helping the audience focus on something, and give details to the main focus. I made a short film two years ago, and I put a full shot of a chair from a worms eye angle, to show that the chair would be important to the story.

What does the video narrator have to say about how characters should enter and exit the frame? What happens if these rules are not followed?  How does this apply to diagonal movement in the frame? Characters should always enter and exit the frame from the same direction, or else it'll appear as if the character turned around and is walking towards the opposite direction. The same rules still apply to a diagonal movement in the frame.

What are the differences between a high and low angle shot?  What do they mean you show them on screen?  How is an eye level different? High angle has the camera above a subject, looking down. Low angle has the camera below the camera's eye, looking up. High angles can represent weakness and overpower. High angles can represent power and dominance.  Eye level is different because the camera is placed at the actors height, looking directly into their eyes.

What are the key differences between full, medium and close up shots?  How does this apply to over the shoulder shots?  Two shots?  How do different lenses effect these shots? A full shot is framing an entire persons body within the frame. A medium shot is when you frame only half of the body within the frame. A close up shot is when you frame someones face within the frame, which shows more emotion within their expressions. This applies to shots such as over the shoulder depending on how you want your shot to look. Different lenses effect these shots by making things seem closer or further away to or from each other.

Movement in film can be used in a variety of ways.  What are some that you noticed are mentioned in this film?  What ways are they used?  What are some films that you like that you could go home this weekend and study for their movement?  What aspects of their camera movement interest you?  Please explain. Movement can be used in many ways, such as anticipation and mystery. It's used to give the audience an intense feeling, to keep their heart beating. Or it can be used to uncover a mystery, or to just establish a scene, bring the audience to the character's level, or to give the character's a sense of power. I always study the way movement is used in movies. The two movies that I think have great movement are Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The aspects that I enjoy are that they bring the audience to a sense of unease, a curious camera, especially in The Prisoner of Azkaban.

What is the difference between zooming and dollying?  What does dollying and trucking add to the shot? Zooming is the technique of magnifying your shot from the same position. Dollying is when you pan the camera towards an object, moving through space. Trucking is the same, only it's panning side to side. Dollying and trucking add a three dimensional feeling as it's moving through space, not standing in the same position.

Summarize what an objective, subjective and POV shot are.  What are the key differences between an objective, subjective and POV shot?  Why are they different? Objective is a shot observing a scene as if the audience is in the movie, but invisible. Subjective is the point of view through the eyes of a character, being the character him/herself. The Point Of View shot is a shot showing us exactly what the character is seeing. Objective can be described as an establishing shot. Subjective view is a first person point of view. Point Of View shot is a third person point of view.

What is headroom?  What is lookroom? What lead room?  Why are each of these important for your compostion? Lookroom is the space that you leave in front of someones face on screen. Lead room is allowing extra space in front of a moving object so that the viewer can see it has somewhere to go. Headroom is the amount of space between the top of someone's head, as well as top of frame. These are all important for composition because a well established shot will grab the viewers attention, and will enjoy the film better than poorly established shots.

What is the "Rule of Thirds?"  How is it used in video production?  How should you compose your subjects in the future in the frame?  Why? The Rule of Thirds are the frames used when taking pictures or filming. The screen is divided into 9 rectangles, horizontally and vertically. This is used to frame you object or location. This can be used in video production to frame the subjects and locations in a shot. In the future, I don't plan to do anything differently, because I always frame everything that I put on screen.

What does zooming do?  Is it overused?  Why? Zoom is the ability to bring your point of view closer or further away from an object. Zoom is overused because it's a function that everyone loves it, and you can do many things with it. I personally prefer to use only a small amount of zoom, because the camera will later become very shaky, and will look poorly filmed.

What does focus and exposure do?  How do you check to see if your subject is in focus when shooting?  How do you check to make sure your subject is exposed correctly? Focus is the cameras ability the get a clear image of an object on the camera, it can be person, place, or thing that the camera can focus on, giving a clear image without blurs. You can manually focus with the camera while shooting just be using the 'focus ring' near the lens. Exposure is the amount of light that is shown on the object on camera. Too much exposure means there's too much light, under exposed means there's little to no light on the object. By adjusting this, you can use the iris to control the amount of light coming through the lens.

In your own words, please explain what color temperature is.  What is white balance?  What color is outside lighting vs. inside lighting?  Why is it important to white balance your camera? Color temperature is the adjustment of color that your camera shows. The temperature of light. White Balance is the process of adjusting the white light that your camera picks up, outside or inside. Color outside is usually a blue light, and inside is orange/yellow. It's important to white balance, because light can be overexposed and will look bad on camera, or 'under' exposed.

Take some time and type up three goals that you have to complete during this unit.  How do you plan on accomplishing these? I don't have any specific goals as to what I'd like to accomplish during this unit. One of my goals is to, obviously, learn everything about how cameras work, and how to work one. I need to know everything that I can possibly learn for the future. My second goal is to have 100% full knowledge on one of the class cameras. My third and final goal is to not break one of the class cameras, because I just don't need and want that to happen.