Angle, Level, Height, and Distance in Cinematography

 1) Stills from existing media using angle, level, height, and distance to convey meaning

a. Still image from The Avengers, 2012 showing how angle is used to convey conflict, character, or development.

b. Still image from Thor, 2011, showing how level is used to convey conflict, character, or development.

c. Still image from The Shining, 1980, showing how height is used to convey conflict, character, or development.

d. Still image from Blade Runner, 1982, showing how distance is used to convey conflict, character, or development.

2) Stills I created using angle, level, height, or distance to convey meaning. 

a. A still showing how angle is used to convey conflict, character, or development.

b. A still showing how level is used to convey conflict, character, or development

c. A still showing how height is used to convey conflict, character, or development.

d. A still showing how distance is used to convey conflict, character, or development. 

3) Reflection

    When creating my still photo experiment, I found it difficult trying to give meaning behind my pictures. One thing I struggled with was the distance shot. I knew I could just take a close-up picture of my little brother's face, but I felt like the picture didn't have meaning behind it. So, adding in a box of his favorite cookies which took up majority of the shot gives the viewer the intention that he really enjoys cookies, and that's all he's thinking about. Another example is my angle shot. At first, I just made my little brother sit down and I took the picture, but again it didn't feel like it had meaning behind it. So, I went and grabbed one of his old toy swords and used that as a prop. By doing this, it made my brother seem small and weak compared to what was holding the sword against him. For my height shot, I originally took it without my brother having any shoes on, but then looked back and realized it seemed kind of pointless. Adding crocs onto the image may make the viewers question what the significance of the shoes are, and why his walking is the main focus of the scene. Lastly, the level shot. This shot was the one I struggled with the most. I wasn't sure how to convey emotion or give meaning to this shot. The only thing I thought of was having my brother seem like he's pondering something, and using the level to show more of the ceiling to show he's looking up trying to think. 

Balancing Mise en scène

 1) Stills from existing media that demonstrate Mise en scène

a. Still image from Clueless, 1995, showing how contrast is used to guide the viewers attention.

b. Still image from Riverdale, 2017, showing how color is used to guide the viewers attention. 

c. Still image from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, 2013, showing how size is used to guide the viewers attention. 

d. Still image from Mean Girls, 2004, showing how frontality is used to guide the viewers attention. 

2) Stills I created to demonstrate Mise en scène

a. A still showing how contrast is used to guide the viewers attention. 

b. A still showing how color is used to guide the viewers attention.

c. A still showing how size is used to guide the viewers attention. 

d. A still showing how frontality is used to guide the viewers attention. 

3) Reflection 

The main challenge I faced while doing this assignment was trying to learn the difference between contrast and color. At first, I thought that they meant the same thing so it was hard for me to deicide what to do for each picture if they mean different things. But after I researched my media example, I realized color can be used more as a representation. For example, the pictures I used for color with the TV show character, uses the color red to represent anger or a hotheaded character, which is exactly what that character is. Then for contrast, the exact colors used aren't as important, as long as there's a color that contrasts the rest in order to draw the attention of the viewer first. One other challenge I had was finding an example on how size could be used. At first, I tried to take a picture of my dog standing about 6 feet Infront of a box and then getting down to the dogs level to make her appear bigger than the couch, even though she wasn't. Then, I realized that using that example used more angle than actual size. So, I went back and retook the picture with her next to my little brother who is clearly bigger than her. 

The Rule of Thirds

1) Still image from The Notebook, 2004, demonstrating "The Rule of Thirds."

This still image from The Notebook shows the two main characters, Noah and Allie, slightly off center which aligns them along the intersecting lines of the grid. This positioning is intentional in order to draw the viewers attention to their faces as they speak. This way it enhances the feeling of intimacy between the two fictional characters, and shows the intensity of their conversation. The background of this shot is made up of dark grey skies and the lake, which occupies the upper and lower parts of the frame. The placement of the dark sky and lake is to set the mood for the scene. This background is used to represent the hardships and challenges faced by the relationship of the characters. By placing the two characters off center and leaving a view of the background, it helps create the idea that the conversation Noah and Allie are having is very dramatic and gut-wrenching. Using The Rule of Thirds effectively sets the emotional dark mood of the scene which emphasizes the overall plot tension.

2) Places/Setting/Landscape

a. A photo taken without regard for the rule

b. A photo taken with a) the horizon correctly aligned with a horizontal rule line, and b) focal objects lined up with hot spots (intersections between horizontal and vertical lines on the tic-tac-toe grid)

3) One Figure (Human, Animal, or Stand-in)

a. Photo taken without regard for the rule

b. Photo taken with the object figure aligned with hot spots on either vertical line.

4) Two Figures 

a. A photo taken without regard of the rule 

b. A photo taken with eyes and landscape aligned according to the rule AND figures with neutral spacing 

c. A photo taken with eye and landscape alignment and vertical placement to suggest agreement or attraction 

This photo conveys attraction by having the two models in close proximity of each other, with body language more towards each other rather than away. By having the two models touching, it shows that they have created some positive agreement and attraction. In contrast, if I put these models far away or not facing each other, it would most likely be viewed as a disagreement or conflict. These models are aligned on the left vertical line hot spot, which helps draw attention to the subjects and their body language. By using The Rule of Thirds, it successfully draws viewers attention while overall making the picture more appealing to look at.

d. A photo taken with eye and landscape alignment and vertical placement to indicate disagreement, conflict, threat/ menace.