Video & Sound Production

Storyboard is a visual representation of a film sequence and breaks down the action into individual panels. It is similar to a trial run for finished film, video, or commercial, displayed in a comic book like form.

What Is a Storyboard?

• Drawing, sketches, reference images or photographs to represent each frame

• A description of the shot (any relevant information on the action, dialogue, or composition)

• Shot specs (shot size, lens length, two (2) shot, etc)

• Arrow to indicate camera and/or character movement or how each shot connects to the next

There Are Two (2) Basic Versions of Storyboard Format:

• Traditional Storyboard

Sketches with basics included detailed information, such as arrows for camera movement, characters, props, etc.

Figure 2.2 Traditional Storyboard

• Thumbnail Storyboard

Storyboard that doesn't have any writing. It is not used as often as detailed ones. If it's just you or a small team, writing might not be necessary.

Figure 2.3 Thumbnail Storyboard

How to create a film storyboard?

• Identify key scenes in the script

When developing a storyboard, it is essential to know what story will come out. Mark up the key parts of the story by highlighting major beats, such as actions, locations, wardrobe, staging, narrative arches, and major plot points.

• Map out the key scenes

Map out the scenes you identified in the script. Assign a number to each one and a relevant title make it easy to link them back to the broader story in the script.

• Add images or sketches

Start visualizing each scene. This part of the process to as idea landscaping where a place to brainstorm the visual features of each beat within the landscape of a story.

• Describes what happens in each frame

While each frame is a static image, which tries to communicate how it will look and feel as a moving sequence which describes the style, mood, and behavior of characters. There consider some of the following:

1. Composition & Framing

Decide how characters and objects will be framed within each shot.

2. Transitions

Plan how each shot transitions to the next.

3. Character Blocking

Determine character positions and movements within each shot.

4. Emotion & Expression

Define a character's facial expressions and body language.

5. Annotations

Use additional notes or captions for things that can't be easily conveyed in the visuals.

6. Dynamic Action

For action scenes, break down fast-paced movements into a sequence of panels to

ensure clarity.

• Share it with your team

Let's invite the team to review the storyboard and share feedback. This is a perfect moment to see how others interpret vision for the story.

• Finally, reference it on the day

Historically, print out storyboards to refer to on the day. Currently, online storyboards can be accessed on the phone or laptop. This way ease as prepare for each scene.

Lecture 4 (Week 4) : Production

Figure 2.4 Stages of Film Production

Production

Production is sometimes used to refer to the entire process of making a film's inception, creation, and release.

Filmmaking Distinct Stages:

• Development (Financing)

This is where it all begins to make the idea into a movie. A producer/screenwriter has an idea. Development is commonly managed by producers, creatives, financing, the general schedule, and so on.

1. The package

A big part of a producer’s job is putting together a package, such as a screenplay, a piece of intellectual property, a director, or some actors.

2. The finance

When you want to make a movie, you need to spend money. It's an unfortunate fact of life. Upon securing funding, the job of the producer in the development stage. There are two (2) ways film is financed:

• Studio

Studio can get money from pre-sales. Which refers to selling a film before it is made to local distributors, relying on slate financing, and taking out loans through things (negative pickups, gap financing, and bridge financing).

• Indipendent

Financing is from networking at festivals, crowdfunding, grants, tax incentives, private equity investments, or even the filmmaker's own pocket.

• Pre-production

Pre-production refers to all the preparation necessary before filming begins. There are three (3) things that happen during these stages:

• Budgeting

A producer has outlined the general costs of a film during the development phase, looking at where money will go during and after the shoot.

• Getting the Team Together

A movie is not made by one (1) person, it is made by hundreds of people. In pre-production, a producer hires these people and the crew will hire head of departments professionals (cinematographer, production designer, costume designer, etc).

These heads will help fill out respective departments with people trusted and feel will need. Some lead actors may already be attached to the project in the development stage, the rest of the cast has to be filled out. This is where a casting director comes into play.

• Pre-visualizing

A director will start planning out what a movie or film looks like. This means making a storyboard or writing out a short list, consulting with the production designer about what the sets look like, and meeting with the costume designer about the costumes.

• Production

When most people describe the making of a movie or film and what happens during the production. This is when the cameras roll and the footage is captured. There are some moving elements within the production stage:

• The Call Sheet

Question about who shows up when? Where? All these answers and more can be found in the call sheet, a document sent out by an assistant director each day before the shoot to tell each member of each department what call time is and what they should be planning to do for the day.

Figure 2.5 The Call Sheet

• The Set Up

The grip and electric departments work to set up the lighting for the shot. The camera department will set up the camera and any rigging involved for a moment. Meanwhile, the makeup-and costumes department will get an actor/actress into the right look for the given scene.

Figure 2.6 The Set Up

• Shooting

Development, pre-production, prep work on the day. It's all led up to this. Here’s a quick run through of the steps typically required when filming:

1. The Assistant Director announces “Picture is up.”

2. AD calls for quiet, then says “roll sound,” prompting the sound mixer press record. Once recording, the mixer will respond, “Sound speeds.”

3. The clapper loader (2nd assistant camera) slates, reading the scene information off the clapperboard and marking.

4. The director says action.

5. When the scene is over, the director says cut.

Once the whole project is in the can, it is time to get the movie seen.

• Post-production

This stage refers to all the work that is done after the footage is captured to finish the film. Here is a breakdown of the post process:

• Picture Editing

Picture editing refers to cutting together the footage to create a coherent film.

• Sound Editing

Getting the right sounds in the right place at the right levels is an entire art form.

• Additional Visual

What is captured on set is often by no means the final image. There is a lot of additional treatment into many shots, including various types of VFX, computer generated images (CGI), and coloring by a colorist.

Once all this work is done, it is time for the next stage.

• Distribution (Marketing)

What good is all of the labor have outlined so far if no one sees the movie, this is where distribution comes in.

• Marketing

Getting people to see the movie and inform them exists.

• Securing Distribution

It is about who knows and is able to sell vision. The major studios usually have an in-house distribution company, while indie studios will typically shop projects around multiple firms.

Production Crew

• Producer

The group leader is responsible for managing the production from start to finish. The producer develops the project from the initial idea, makes sure the script is finalized, arranges the financing and manages the production team that makes the film, and coordinates the filmmaking process to ensure that everyone involved in the project is working on schedule and on budget.

• Director

The director is primarily responsible for overseeing the shooting and assembly of a film. While the director needs the help of numerous other artists and technicians.

• Screenwriter

While the dialogue in a film may seem natural to the viewer, a writer carefully crafts it.

• Production Designer

The production designer is to translate the script into visual form and creates a series of storyboards that serve as the film's first draft, the director's visual guide throughout the production and template to follow during the editing process.

• Art Director

The art director is responsible for the film's setting, the buildings, landscapes, and interiors that provide the physical context for the characters and for acquiring props, decorating sets and making the set believable.

• Costume Designer

Costumes convey a great deal about the film's period and the characters who wear them (economic status, occupation, and attitude toward themselves.

• Cinematographer

The director of photography (DP) is responsible for capturing the script of film or video and pay attention to lighting and the camera's technical capabilities.

• Editor

Shortly after shooting begins, the editor begins to organize the footage and arranges individual shots into one continuous sequence.

• Actors

Responsible for portraying the characters in a film, actors work closely with the director and cinematographer. Considering an actor's role within this larger context suggests that his or her job is much more difficult than just appearing on the set and reciting lines.

• Music Supervisor

Music has been an integral part of movies since cinema's earliest days in the 1890s. A piano or organ player accompanied even the simplest silent films. The silent movie palaces of the 1920s accompanied with elaborate organs and orchestra pits to accomodate large groups of live musicians. Currently, selecting the right music for the film intensify the story for the audience.

Lecture 5 (Week 5) : Mise en Scène

Mise en Scène

Mise en scène refers to the visuals of a film and everything that has to happen to make the finished image look the way it looks, and helps content feel the way needed. Translated from French, it means "setting the stage," Mise en scène in film is the overall effect of how it all comes together for the audience.

Mise en Scène Elements Include:

• Sets

• Props

• Lighting

• Costumes

• Actor blocking

• Shot composition

1. How Location Affects Scene

Location says a lot about characters, intentions, obstacles, and themes.

2. Pick the Right Color

Color in film is a massive element of Mise en scène that permeates every other visual element and creates mood or effect.

3. Set Establishes the World

Since the earliest days of motion pictures, setting the stage has been crucial for creating worlds.

Figure 2.7 Set Establishes the World

4. Props Importance

The use of props as a component of mise en scène is often lumped in with sets or wardrobes. This makes sense on a certain level, but props deserve separate consideration.

Figure 2.8 A Prop

5. Costumes Make the Difference

The costume, or wardrobe, is another key part of the filmmaking arsenal when composing mise en scène.

6. Hair & Makeup

Costumes extend and bind all the elements of mise en scène. By magnifying and externalizing character traits, hair and makeup contribute to the elements of film in even the most complex worlds. Hair and makeup-can revitalize familiar characters, dispel preconceived notions, and make them relevant.

Figure 2.9 Hair & Makeup

7. Lighting Sets the Tone

Film techniques seen and unseen contribute to your mise en scène. Lighting techniques exemplify this “seen and unseen” quality. Lighting is one of the key elements of film. It’s the pièce de resistance in completing your mise en scène.

Figure 2.10 Lighting

8. The Medium (Film vs Video)

Film is the material that records moving images. Different kinds of film and processing techniques lead to different kinds of mise en scene. And between film, chemicals, digital, software, apps, and other tools, the possibilities are vast. Once upon a time, filmmakers had a small selection of black and white films available. Today, the choices are abundant, beginning with size: 8mm, 16mm, Super 16mm, 35mm, 65mm and so on.

9. Picking the Camera

The choice of camera is an essential element of mise en scène. It can paint as distinct and unique a picture as any other element. The heart of filmmaking is manipulating and capturing light to produce a picture. What is used to capture that light, simple or advanced, has an effect.

Figure 2.11 Picking the Camera

10. Camera Placement

The placement of the camera is just as important as what kind of camera is used. Whether at a high angle above the subject or a hundred feet away, where the camera is and what it captures should be determined before arrive on set.

11. Speeding Up or Slowing Down FIlm

As a filmmaker, shape and bend created the world like a wizard. Time can stand still, it can move at a fraction of normal speed or be sped up into a blur. This all comes down to frame rate.

12. Comprehending Composition

Composition is an element of mise en scène that has infinite possibilities. There are rules of composition that many images can be obeyed or broken depending on intent for the shot.

Frame shot is massively important in bringing all of these mise en scene elements together. Characters and action should suggest the layout of the image. Good composition guides a viewer’s eye and leads a viewer’s focus within the frame.

The rule of third is one way filmmakers can imbue their frame and scene with the focus desire.

13. Form & Frame

Every beautiful picture deserves a spectacular form and a well-thought-out frame.

The form is the twin of composition. It’s not who, what, where, or when. Form is the how. How is your mise en scene communicated? Animation? Puppets? Stop motion? Live action? A combination? How are the elements woven together in a symbiotic relationship?

Figure 2.12 Form & Frame

14. Depth of FIeld

Depth of field is one of the subtler elements of film, but a measurable one. Using the camera is another tool to achieve the same effect, often in combination with other elements such as color or lighting.

15. Sound Design

Sound design is one of the elements of film that often gets ignored by amateur filmmakers. Effective use of audio is the easiest way to strengthen a lackluster scene. Whether any sound, music, and sound effects, it is critical to think of what is heard as essential to mise en scène elements.

16. Music

Music becomes a character in the film itself. The rhythm, tempo, and texture of mise en scène are tied to the music. Music can be effective in painting a full picture. It is a way for the filmmaker to communicate to the audience.

17. Know the Talent

The actors are one of the most essential mise en scène elements. Many directors feel that if the cast is correct, that is to say appropriately for the characters, story, and overall vision, then half the battle is already won. Actors’ strengths and weaknesses can be exploited when focusing on the center of a scene.

18. Blocking Actors

The camera placement and movement of talent are essential. Where an actor is arranged, and if, when, and how an actor moves in the scene, all highlight the reason for the scene itself.

19. Action In the Background

The main action in any given moment is what mise en scène comes down to. What’s the conflict, the desire, the intention? How does it unfold?

Background and secondary action can also be memorable and valuable as part of mise en scène.

20. Post-Production

The final step to completing mise en scène with Computer Generated Imagery (CGI). The script breakdown phase is also where you will want to determine what you will aim to accomplish during the post-production step. The ability of filmmakers in CGI can create a variety of elements such as the magical universe, mythic universe, etc.

Lecture 6 (Week 6) : Color Theory

What Is Color Theory?

• A scientific principle that explains how color hues and saturations are created

• A creative discipline that examines how color is used to achieve emotional effect in visual art

Types of Color Theory:

• Color Wheel

Color wheels have been used for hundreds of years to express ranges of color. Newton crucially argued that colors were divided into two (2) categories:

1. The original colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (ROYGBIV).

2. Compounded colors are compounding original colors (blue and green compounded in equal measure make teal).

• Color Context

• Color Harmony

Color Schemes

Color theorists developed tools for artists known as color schemes or patterns of color.

1. Monochrome

Varying tones of one color (usually gray).

2. Analogous

Colors next to each other on the color wheel.

3. Complementary

Colors opposite each other on the color wheel.

4. Triadic

Colors that form an equilateral triangle on the color wheel.

5. Tetradic

Colors that form a rectangle on the color wheel.

Figure 2.13 Color Schemes

Color Grading vs. Color Correction

Color correcting

The process of correcting (or fixing) colors in a video or a film as a way to get them back to what they should look like for the project. Color correction is usually done first because raw footage tends to be oversaturated and the colors need to be balanced out.

How to color correct in 5 steps:

1. Normalize the footage as much as possible

2. Fix the saturation first

3. Then fix the brightness and contrast

4. Set the new white balance

5. Double check the skin tones

Color saturation vs. color brightness

In an ideal video setting, footage will be shot as flat and undersaturated as possible. If footage is oversaturated or too bright or dark, valuable information could be lost, which can make the footage unusable.

It’s the goal of the video editor (or ideally a colorist) to correct any of these imbalances as a way to make sure that there is enough leeway to make color grading decisions later in the process.

Color grading

The process of grading (or editing) colors in a video or film as a way to give them a stylistic look. Color grading is the next step to create the aesthetic of videos. The right color grading will always help convey a visual tone or mood to heighten the narrative.

What are LUTs in color grading?

A LUT stands for “look-up table,” many of these grading looks are achieved and is basically a quick cheat-sheet which filmmakers can use in camera and editors can use in editing to give the footage specific grade and look.

How to color grading in 5 steps:

1. Normalize the folate as much as possible

2. Follow the steps to correct the colors

3. Choose the desired look and style

4. Make the color adjustments in editing program of choice

5. Double check skin tones and vectorscope

What tools can be used for color grading or color correcting?

• Adobe Premiere Pro

• Final Cut Pro

• Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve

• Magic Bullet Colorista

• Fylm.ai

3. Exercise 1: Audio Dubbing

We were tasked to do an audio dubbing task for exercise 1 in this project, which is for the video Everything, Everywhere All At Once. The first step is recording the dubbing using voice recorder and imported all the dialogue audio files in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Making different sounds for the three (3) characters with my own voice sound, using the 'Pitch Shifter' effect (reducing the semi tones for men and increasing it for woman voices). Additionally, we can adjust the volume to make them fit the scene.

The sound effect could be downloaded here: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/

Figure 3.1 Audio Dubbing (Process)

Check the sound shaping result here: https://bit.ly/AudioDubbingg

Figure 3.2 Audio Dubbing

4. Exercise 2: Sound Shaping

For the sound shaping exercise, we were required to have a recording 10 seconds of our own voice and allowed to use our first language, which is Indonesian. Then, we were asked to create four (4) voices of:

1. Phone Call

• Rack effect - Filter & EQ - Parametric Equalizer

A phone call effect could be achieved by raising the midrange to 500Hz - 2kHz and bringing down the treble and bass.

Figure 4.1 Phone Call (Process)

2. Inside the Closet

• Rack effect - Filter & EQ - Parametric Equalizer

• Rack effect - Reverb - Reverb

For making inside the closet sound, we used the same 'Parametric Equalizer' effect to create a muffled sound and 'Reverb' effect. The muffled sound is a sound that is not fully clear or distinct because something is blocking or dampening it. Additionally, the reverb effect makes echoes sound slightly when in a bathroom or restroom.

Figure 4.2 Inside the Closet (Process)

3. Underground Cave

• Rack effect - Filter & EQ - Reverb - Convolution Reverb - Impluse (massive cavern)

An effect sounds like it is from an underground cave. The 'Reverb' effect is used so that it could create echoes only, feeling like the sound adds a sense of depth and space.

Figure 4.3 Underground Cave (Process)

4. Alien

• Rack effect - Time & Pitch - Pitch Shifter

• Rack effect - Special - GuitarSuite

An effect sound like it's an alien is awesome for me because there are no limitations, so basically we can be able to experiment with anything. Therefore, the 'Pitcher Shifter' effect is one of the good ones for making alien sounds using a preset called "The Dark Lord" and the 'GuitarSuite' effect for making it sound more creepy.

Figure 4.4 Alien (Process)

Final Sound Shaping

Check the sound shaping result here: https://bit.ly/SoundShaping

5. Feedback

No feedback are given in this project.

6. Reflection

Exercise 1: Audio Dubbing was very interesting for me, especially using our voices and sound effects on the video. Additionally, Exercise 2: Sound Shaping was exciting because messing up the audio to make another voice. On the other hand, it can be quite embarrassing every time I have to play my voice over and over again.

Nonetheless, this project really helped us become more familiar with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications that we rarely know and use.

◀ Exercises

▶ Project 2

Search This Blog

Cleonify Lab

Video & Sound Production | Project 1

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular

Typography ~ Task 1 : Exercises

Digital Photography and Imaging