Shot, Reverse Shot

Recreation of the Pulp Fiction opening scene

Shot, reverse shot - a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing opposite directions, the viewer assumes they are looking at each other.

To create the shot, reverse shot we filmed each section separately according to the order of the lines on the opening scene of the Pulp Fiction script. This means that we did not film the entirety of the master shot, close up of character one and over the shoulder shot of character two in one whole take. If we filmed all the shots in one whole take it would have worked better because it would have taken less time when editing, composing the frame and setting up the camera.

Problems we faced included differences in lighting as we filmed on two different days at different times. This problem also affected differences in hair, make-up and costume. Because we filmed on a location, which was open for other people to use before and after we filmed, it meant that the location set up and the framing would be slightly different. Despite these issues we did try our best to create an identical mise-en-scène to the one created in the first take.

The best way to create a successful shot, reverse shot would be to film the master shot entirely so that it is all in one take, then to film the second shot which would be the entire close up shot of character one. The last thing you need to film would be all the footage for the over the shoulder shot of character two. By filming the shot, reverse shot like this you would save time when editing because there would be less clips to sort out and you would also be more flexible with your shots; this is because if you do not like the over the shoulder shot, for example, you still have the entire scene filmed as a close up of character one that you could use in your sequence instead. Shot, reverse shot typically provides continuity in conversation with characters filmed at eye-level. It is also meant to immerse audiences in the dialog (and thus the story).

Media Skills

One of the skills I have developed whist completing this task was my confidence when using the camera. I now know how to use it properly and rarely need to ask for assistance. I have also developed skills when framing. A lot of the locations needed to be modified in order for the frame to look right and correspond with the script. There is a lot of camera movement in my preliminary task. For the main camera movement sequence there was a lot of retaking involved because we were using the wrong lens so it would not focus on what we wanted it to. This experience helped to develop my camera movement skills because I now consider the lens option when I know the shot will not be stationary.

When editing I feel as though I have developed less skills in comparison to the skills I developed when using the camera. However, I am now more comfortable using Final Cut Pro on my own and I know how to use various tools, such as 'cut'. I also know feel very comfortable adjusting video and audio and sound editing within Final Cut Pro. I think I still need to work on importing and converting methods as I am unsure about them.

Preliminary Task

Preliminary Task Analysis

Shot Number 1

This first long shot was filmed through a window to give a mysterious and secretive feel to the video. We incorporated a bomb element to the existing script therefore we wanted the main character (Baz Willard) to be an enigma to the audience. Mr Willard's body language also depicts feelings of tension and mystery because he is hunched and walking at a fast pace. There is no sound in this scene apart from the diegetic sound of the door opening and Mr Willard's footsteps but because we filmed from quite far away it is very quiet.

Shot Number 2

The first shots then cuts to another mid shot of Mr Willard walking to the reception. The fact the camera is set up so that it looks like it is taking the place of someone (point of view shot) peering around the corner shows that Mr Willard is unknown. The camera also moves slightly, which helps the audience believe that there is someone spying of him from their point of view. The fact that we cannot see his face makes the audience curious as to who he is and why we cannot see his face. The camera proceeds to follow Mr Willard right up until he places his hand on the door handle. We chose to film him through this door because it looks quite similar to the doors you would normally find in buildings, such as offices, that have receptions. There is no sound in this scene apart from the diegetic sound of the door opening and Mr Willard's footsteps. This helps to create a very eerie atmosphere, which is what we wanted to create.

Shot Number 3

The panning shot of Mr Willard then cuts to an extreme close up of the door handle and him opening it. The extreme close up builds tension as the audience is anticipating what will be inside this door that we can only see the handle of. The long intro has also helped to build tension. The camera stays in the same position throughout the whole clip, which includes Mr Willard walking in. The camera goes out of focus when the door opens but then comes back into sharp when the door closes again. The door opening is the only diegetic sound.

Shot Number 4

After the extreme close up shot of the door handle coming back into focus the camera cuts to a high angle close up shot of a desk draw with a bottle of 'vodka' being placed inside. We were given this prop and were told that it had to be included in our sequence. Instead of just placing it in the background of shot we decided to incorporate it in a more interesting way. It shows just what type of person the receptionist is and gives her character some meaning instead of just being the receptionist. After the bottle is put inside the draw she closes it and it cuts straight to the next clip. Again the only sound used in this was the diegetic sound of the bottle being dropped and the door closing. We kept all the objects in the draw because we thought it would make the draw seem like it was actually being used by the receptionist and makes the scene seem more believable.

Shot Number 5

The next clip is a high angle over the shoulder shot, however the camera stays facing Anna (the receptionist). We did not switch the position that the camera faces because we still wanted to keep Mr Willard an enigma to the audience. Anna's costume is one that suits her job role. The tailored shirt and jacket is one that receptionists commonly wear. This scene is the first scene that has narrative in it and this is the only sound you can hear throughout the scene.

Shot Number 6 & 7

A cut transitions to a close up of Anna's face as she receives the call from Mr Ripley. Whist the voice over of Mr Ripley talking is still being played in the background the camera then cuts to Mr Willard waiting in the waiting room. Similarly the camera moves in a way which looks like someone is spying on Mr Willard through the glass window in the waiting room door (shot number 7) This camera movement helps to exaggerate further that the audience should be weary of Mr Willard and that not a lot is known about him. The only sound you can hear in this clip is Mr Ripley's voice. We filmed the voice over live but we got the actress to stand far away from the camera, but close enough so you were still able to hear her, so that it would sound as if she was speaking through an earpiece.

Shot Number 8 & 9

The next shot is a mid shot of Anna coming to collect Mr Willard because she needs some details from him. Anna's costume now shows what type of trousers she is wearing; again smart tailored trousers that a typical receptionist would wear. There is also dialog in this scene but you can also hear the diegetic noise of the door opening and closing. The mid shot then cuts to a circling panning movement from an over the shoulder shot of Mr Willard to Anna. The camera movement helps to build tension between the characters because it is circling around them both. Mr Willard's costume (big fury coat) helps to mask his face, keeping his identity concealed. The panning shot adds variety to the type of shots used and brings the sequence to life.

Shot Number 10

In shot ten, you realise why you needed to be weary of Mr Willard. This is an extreme close up shot of a phone timer symbolising a countdown to a bomb. The closeness of this shot highlights how serious the situation has become. There is no sound in this clip. We chose not to include sound because we thought it would make the shot harder to take seriously.

Shot Number 11

Shot number ten directly cuts to shot eleven which is an extreme close up of Anna's mouth saying "What do you Mean?". The extreme close up helps to highlight Anna's anticipation and curiosity and also builds tension as we have just previously seen a shot of Mr Willard holding what looks to be a countdown for a bomb. The angle of the camera is slightly to the left of Anna's face, this helps to add depth and variety to the camera shots and angles used within the sequence. There is no other sound but Anna's dialect.

Shot Number 12

The final shot transitions from a cut editing technique and is another extreme close up shot of the same phone timer only this time the timer starts from three seconds (so effectively the timer is just about to go off). This shot is the climax of the sequence and creates a lot of tension as the audience is wondering what is going to happen once the timer reaches zero. Similarly to shot ten there is no sound in this shot. The sequence finishes with a cut to a black, blank screen to leave the audience wondering what has happened and what the significance of the timer actually was (cliff-hanger). The black screen helps to emit a dramatic feel towards the video.

Post-Production (Editing) Reflection

Before we started editing we received a tutorial on how to use Final Cut Pro because lots of people were unfamiliar with using Macs and this type of advanced software. We nominated someone in our group to take notes on how to convert the files into a format suitable for Final Cut Pro. This sheet helped us get to grips with Final Cut Pro and make it easier to use. It will also help us in other scenarios where we will need to use Final Cut Pro when editing other pieces of work.

Notes we made on Final Cut Pro

The first thing that we did when we started the actual editing process was to delete all of the unwanted 'blooper' clips as they were not needed and we didn't want to get confused as to which was the right clip because some looked similar. Then we put all the clips into order. This way we knew what clip to use next and overall it just saved time in the editing process. Once we had put all the clips in order we started going through each clip and cutting it when necessary. This process was long as it required us to watch each clip over and over again to make sure that we had cut it in the right place and that the whole video flowed smoothly. In one shot we edited the sound and the video in a way where they did not match (put a sound clip with a video that didn't have an audio, sort of like a sound bridge). This helped make the video look more professional as it shows that we considered different ways of linking video and audio. It also helps with the continuality of the whole video as it is not just clip after clip. We chose not to include subtitles as they were not needed and we also chose not to include any music because our preliminary task had an mysterious vibe to it and we thought that by adding music it would perhaps make it harder for the audience to take the video seriously.

When using Final Cut Pro I found using the tools (e.g. the 'cut' tool) and putting the clips in order easy. However, I found navigating around the software and knowing where to find everything difficult as it is not always obvious. I also found that converting all the files quite difficult as well. Next time I would like to experiment more with the visual and sound effects to enhance our video and make it a lot more interesting to watch. I think that by doing this it will also develop my editing skills when using Final Cut Pro.

Pre-Production Reflection

During the first lesson of pre-production we were put into groups. The first thing that we did as a group was read the task sheet and the script ('Pop Goes...' by Gezza Floored) that was given to us in our preliminary task pack. After reading the script we went onto the 'Newlands Media Studies' YouTube page to look at some previous preliminary tasks that had been created by former Newlands pupils to see what was expected of us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsiVqaYVC7I After this we decided to go straight into storyboarding what we were going to film. During the storyboard process we decided what each person in our group was going to do (acting or filming). We also decided where to film in school as we knew (with the time period we were given) that filming outside of school was not going to be practical (location scouting).

Preliminary Task Sheet

Script (page 1)

Script (page 2)

Storyboard (page 1)

Storyboard (page 2)

As a team we all worked well with each other and everyone agreed on things such as the setting and types of camera shots would look good. We also managed to get the task completed in time due to the fact we were all organised and efficient. I also think we overcame problems quickly without getting stressed. For example, one of our panning shots took a long time to film because the camera would not focus on the person we wanted it to focus on and instead focused on the other actor. As a team we decided to try again with a different lens, which worked perfectly.

However there are some things that I would change next time around. On the first day of filming we forgot our memory card for the camera, this meant that we had to walk all the way back up to the classroom to fetch it, wasting valuable filming time. We also changed our location because it was not very practical. The beginning of our clip was going to be someone getting out of a car but due to school timings and the risk involved with this it was not going to be possible. Therefore next time around we need to be a lot more organised and consider locations a lot more carefully in order to save as much time when filming as we had to wonder around the school trying to find an empty classroom that we could film in. As a group we decided not to use any of the shot list sheets. I think if we had completed the shot lost sheets it would have helped us during filming in an organisational sense because it clearly shows us the order in which we need to set up the camera and in turn saves time. I also viewed some of the other preliminary tasks completed by students in another media class; they had all included music. I think if we had added music it would have enhanced our preliminary task in an atmospheric sense.

Camera Shots

Directors of photography and directors have to consider four main features of any set up that they wish to shoot. These four main features include:

Depth - The distance from the camera lens to the object in the frame.

Framing - Making the main object in the frame sharper then the softened background.

Composition - The arrangement of the objects in the frame.

Focus - The objects chosen to be put in the frame.

As a way to understand these camera shots further we recreated some famous film scenes using the cameras. Shawshank Redemption (top) and The Taxi Driver (bottom) were the two still images we recreated. We analysed these film stills so that we could understand the position of the characters and the lighting used. Especially for The Taxi Driver still image there was a real emphasis on what was focused in the frame because the gun is out of focus but closer to the camera (foreground) and the character was in focus but further away from the camera (background). This shows that the character is the most important thing in the frame and that's where the director wants the audience's attention to be.

The second picture is our recreated 'Taxi Driver' moment. It was difficult to recreate this picture because we could not get the focus correct. Every time we would get everything in place in the frame it would look as though the gun was out of focus and the character was in focus, like the original. However when it came to actually taking the shot it would swap the two around and therefore to overcome this problem we changed the lens to see if that made a difference, which it did. The fourth picture was also quite difficult to recreate because there was no possibility of rain being created in the shot. However we did chose a location which had an element of blue (radiator and floor) to try and match it as best we could.

To create a certain tone, mood or meaning to a piece of media directors and the light coordinators need to think about lighting and camera angle. To create isolation you would normally place the object far away from the camera and have an open space around it to show that it is alone and 'isolated'. To create a sense of darkness or horror you could shine a light above the object to create a shadow. This shadow would highlight the mysterious persona that normally corresponds with a dark or horror genres.

During the time in which we recreated these iconic film stills it was important to know how to use the camera in terms of switching lenses, putting the battery and memory card into the camera properly. These were all tools which we learnt during this process.