After reading an excerpt from Aesthetics of Video I am sure I will be looking at movies and television
shows through a new lens, dissecting every shot and how each one was pieced
together with another. Each frame should be conceived with great intention in
order to create an aesthetically pleasing work while affecting the viewer’s
subconscious, helping to create interest and depth in the plot. Shot selection
is incredibly important; just recording images and playing them back will not
make the cut. A great deal of thought must be put into storyboarding before
hitting record so that when individual clips are edited together, they work
together to create a compelling and cohesive whole. It is interesting to think
about how a higher camera level in relation to the subject can create a
completely different or even opposite effect than when the camera is placed in
a lower position. On the other hand, this reading gives me a heightened
appreciation for documentaries or news crews who have to film on the spot action
without planning each frame ahead of time. They have to look through the camera
lens and film the action as it is unfolding before them. Filming while seeing
the scene for the first time requires these camera operators to have a great
sense of the theory discussed in this excerpt.
The clip posted below demonstrates the effect a wide shot
can have when everything is in focus (0:54 to 1:13). Dustin Hoffman’s character
is running, trying to stop a wedding that he is already late for. Because he is
very small in this shot and because he is in equal focus with the background,
Dustin Hoffman’s running seems slower than it really is. It appears as if he is
barely moving forward, adding to the suspense.
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