It’s not all about clicking “record” and hoping for the best.
Industrial Technology Multimedia students learn about the pre-production stage of cinematography
Industrial Technology Multimedia students have been learning about cinematography this term. They are learning that there is much more to creating a professional film than just picking up a phone or a video camera and shooting some footage and editing it together. The more planning that is done the better the end result should be.
To create an industry standard multimedia project means that students work through three stages: Pre-production, Production and Post Production.
The focus in the first half of this term has been pre-production.
In the pre-production stage students have explored shot types like:
- establishing shots
- wide shots/long shots
- mid shots
- two shots
- over the shoulder shots
- close ups
- extreme close ups
They have drawn characters to illustrate these shot types and they have set up shots and taken photos to demonstrate their understanding.
They have been exploring the different camera angles and have been taking planning shots of their families, pets and other things around their house to make a connection between what they are reading and what it might look like when they are able to film.
They have been learning how important it is to frame a shot correctly to ensure that what you are trying to express in the shot is achieved.
An important part of the planning process is storyboarding. A storyboard is a shot-by-shot visual plan that shows what a film will look like before the film is shot. A storyboard acts as a visual guide to the team that will shoot the film.
Students were given part of a script to storyboard. Even those students who claimed that they couldn’t draw were able to produce storyboards that would assist a team in shooting the scene.
I look forward to seeing what they come up with when we move into the production stage. It will be a little while yet because there is so much more to learn about the pre-production process. I hope to share what they film later this year.
Mrs Anzellotti
Industrial Technology Multimedia Teacher