Shooting my Shots

     To begin working on our camera skills, our Media Studies class was asked to choose five different types of shots and then to film our own shots. The first one I did was the Extreme Close-Up.


For this shot, I asked my mom to film my eyes really up-close up. And although it took a little longer than I expected, between all the laughing, watery eyes, and apparent unclear giving of instructions, I was ultimately able to get the type of shot I wanted.

My next shot was an Extreme Long-Shot, this one my mom also took, but I directed her and was in the actual video.


The main issues I had with this was trying to eliminate the background noise and trying to create a wide-enough shot. Initially I had wanted to the shot to be taken from very, very far away so that the viewer could hardly see me, but then I changed my mind because I thought no one would be able to tell that I was the subject if I blended in as a small part of the scene. Since I changed how far away the camera was I wasn't able to get exactly the shot I wanted, but it's all about trial and error, so now I know for the next time.

This next one was an Establishing Shot, which I actually decided to do after I saw how pretty the sky looked the evening I went out to film my shots.

                                         

At first to capture this house on the corner of my community, I stood on my skateboard to see if I could get slightly higher off the ground. This attempt to get a higher looking shot resulted in a very wobbly video so of course I had to redo it. Fortunately on the second try, I got the shot I wanted. Although it was a little wider than I thought it would come out, I'm happy that I got the sky and its colors to show after all :)


For this Point of View shot I included some action. The first time I tried to do this I was carrying my skateboard in my hand and I had it in portrait mode...so when I realized it needed to be in landscape, I reshot it. This time I decided not to include the skateboard though, because I did not want to risk dropping my brand new phone again. I also made sure to pan the camera around to show what was behind me for dramatic effect, as if something or someone, maybe invisible, was chasing me, hence why I was running. I did originally want to do a POV Shot of something simple like me organizing my desk or preparing food, like in a Wes Anderson film, but since it was just the single scene, I decided against it.

This final shot, was a Tilt shot. 


My last shot was very simple to film, and was actually a last minute decision as I decided to replace my low-angle shot. Although in my video, nothing very significant is shown, I happen to love the use of tilt shots in movies that I watch, because in combination with the pan shot, it often creates a "fun" atmosphere no matter the genre of the film or mood of the scene.

Overall, this was a fun experience and I hope to use the skills I have learned on a larger scale one day.

Comments

  1. Daniel MoralesSeptember 1, 2020 at 1:09 PM

    1) My favorite shot of yours was definitely the POV shot. I think you displayed excellently what it is and how it looks. The shakiness and looking around really gave the shot a good, anxious vibe to it. Also, the heavy breathing is a nice touch, letting me know that you are frantically trying to escape something.
    2) Your extreme long shot is good, but I feel like the camera should be positioned farther away from the subject. I feel like it is actually more of a normal long shot, rather than an extreme one. I understand that your surroundings made it hard for you to make sure the subject was emphasized, so next time try to find a better area to film your extreme long shot.
    3. I think that your establishing shot is pretty good and establishes the setting well. It captures the area and the sunset, indicating that you are in a neighborhood and what time it is. The only thing I would have changed is from what angle the house is being filmed. The front area of the house would've served as a better establishing shot then its side.
    4. You captured what a tilt show is perfectly, slowly panning the camera up. In a simple shot, this works, but in the future I would like to see a little more content in the shot, rather than the branches. For example, pan up to reveal something important of the scene, like a person or special item.

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  2. Tori RaginSeptember 1, 2020 at 2:32 PM

    Hey Hannah,
    I really enjoyed your shots for this assignment. I think you did a great job!
    1. I also choose eyes for my extreme close up. I think there is something really telling about just having the eyes be the focus of the shot and nothing else. I loved the end result you posted. The detail really shines through.
    2. Your extreme long shot was really well done. I loved how you were the only focus on the screen , but you were far away enough that I couldn't recognize any details. I think the setting was great and it reminded me of almost getting lost while skateboarding. In skateboarding, you kind of lose track of where you and and where you are going. The emphasis on the world around you was a great choice for this shot.
    3. Your point of view shot was really good too. Surprisingly I was getting scared even though it was broad daylight and I knew it was just for a project. When you looked back and kept shooting the point of view as if the audience was you, it kept me engaged.
    4. Your establishing shot was beautiful. There is something about it that reminded me of the beginning of an indie flick, with the house being the main focus, but also the background and the sunset setting the scene.
    Overall, I loved all your shots. I think you did a great job. I loved the nature that you add as well.

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  3. Melanie ReynosoSeptember 1, 2020 at 4:14 PM

    1. I really like this extreme close up. It feels as if I'm looking into your soul. Great work.
    2. The extreme long shot was also great. You were far enough that it wasn't possible to focus on details, and this allows me to soak in the background but still notice your presence. Nice skating skills too.
    3. I appreciate your effort with the point of view shot. I was able to see your hands as if I myself were you. This really allowed me to feel like I was the person in the scene, rather than the one viewing it.
    4. I also really like your tilt shot. It allowed me to see the entirety of the tree, which was great. It felt as if I were the one looking up at the tree, which immersed me into the shot even more.

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