First Take (Implementation)

Storyboard part 2 (planning)

To faithfully recreate the scenes from the original film, it's crucial to include all of these shots. Each one serves a specific purpose, helping to replicate the composition, visual rhythm, framing, and narrative style the director employed in the original scene.

 

High angle, two shot, deep focus, 

Shallow focus, eye level, dolly

Low angle, tracking dolly, two shot

What I learned: These six shots (in combination with Part 1) constitute the most important parts of the three scenes. And they are the most important because they are necessary for the context of the scene and the narrative of the film.

Storyboard Part 1 (Planning)

 Before a film is shot, the film is already made, but in drawings. As a cinematographer, after a lot of research, my second step was to break down the scene to transform it into a simpler visual sequence: a storyboard.

(A storyboard is a guide where each panel represents how I want the story to look.)

The first thing I did was look at and analyze the entire extract. Then, I divided it into three scenes (according to the changes in location). The three scenes are: (scene one: the exterior of the ship, scene two: the interior of the ship, scene three: the exterior of the ship again).

Then, I divided the scenes (3) into the important moments, as simply as possible (6 key shots) and then turned them into vignettes. Then I drew each shot, trying to be as accurate as possible, because my goal is to capture the essence and techniques of each shot. And by that I mean camera angle and movement. 

Here are the most important shots from the storyboard:

Wide Establishing shot, low angle, zoom in

Medium shot, Two shot, eye level, tracking shot 

Bird’s eye, crane, POV, short shot 

Research (Camera movements)

After doing some basic research on cinematography, I started watching the Swede scene that my team and I are filming. The iconic "I'm the king of the world" scene from Titanic. As a cinematographer, my role is to analyze each shot of the scene and identify the angles, movements, shot types, and other elements.

Still video from Titanic (1997) 'I'm the king of the world'

After analyzing the scene MULTIPLE times in detail, SECOND BY SECOND, and after identifying every element, I realized that a large part of it was wrong—because I confuse Pan shots with Crane shots. This made me realize that I still need to do a lot of research to plan shots properly. Despite having some things wrong, the time wasn't wasted; you learn from your mistakes, so I decided to strengthen my knowledge specifically about shot types and movements to have a good analysis of the scene and be prepared for production.

I watched this video to gain a better understanding of the topic:

Film Glossary: Shot Movement (Dolly, Crane, Track, Zoom, Tilt, Pan)

The video explanation was masterful; this is what I learned:

Camera movements (where the camera physically moves): dolly/track and crane.

In the dolly shot, the camera physically moves towards the subject; the proportions between the subject and the background change, better mimicking the feeling of moving forward in space.

In the track, the camera moves parallel to the subject; the viewer moves along with the subject.

In the crane shot, the camera physically moves toward or away from the subject; this causes a change in the proportions of the background.

Camera movements (where the camera remains static): zoom, pan, and tilt.

In zoom, the camera uses the lens to move closer to or further away from the subject; the subject and the background change size at the same rate.

In pan, the camera rotates, following the subject from a fixed point; it gives the feeling that the subject is moving closer and further away.

In tilt, the camera moves up or down while remaining at a fixed point; the proportions of the subject and background remain constant.

Research (How to film a POV)

 How to film a POV

What is a POV?

According to Google, a POV is a technique that shows the audience what a specific character is seeing from their own perspective, immersing the viewer in the story and creating a subjective experience.

Throughout the 'I'm the king of the world' scene in Titanic, there are many shots from Jack and Fabrizio's point of view as they watch the dolphins. As a cinematographer, I need to know the correct way to film a POV shot, as the techniques are very important for success.

The video I watched for my research:

How to Film Cinematic POV Shots with a Magic Arm

What I learned through my Google search and the video I watched:

The camera mimics the character's eye level and movement, it often includes some natural shake to mimic human movement. It can show hands or parts of the body to make the perspective more believable. It creates emotional immersion (POV shots help the audience feel what the character feels)

Key Points:

Place your camera inside bags, cupboards, or on moving objects like robot vacuums for unique POVs.

Attach your camera to a car for dynamic driving perspectives. (I don't think I'll implement this one.

Use a magic arm to attach your camera to moving objects like drones or longboards.

Snorricam shot achieves a distorted, "out-of-body" POV, even with a DIY tripod and belt setup.

Action camera POV: Use action cameras for easy, versatile POV shots due to their size and mounting options.

Camera placement: Position the camera to simulate the character's viewpoint, sometimes using a camera rig worn by the actor.

Lens choice: Wide-angle or fisheye lenses can be used to create a more encompassing and intense sense of view.

Research (Wide establishing shot) part 2

 I used this videos for my research:

Establishing Shots: How To Set the Scene & Tell a Better Story

These are the only shots you will ever need.

What I learned:

I learned that a wide establishing shot must do two things: Show the environment clearly, and place the character inside that environment so the audience understands scale. A wide shot can convey a sense of scale, isolation, or grandeur, helping to establish the overall atmosphere of the film or scene. 

• 
  

What I'll implement for my swede:

Keep the camera stable, either with a tripod or propping it against a surface. Shoot from a low angle if I want to make the ship look bigger, make sure the background is not cluttered so the characters (legos for this scene) stands out. 

Research (Wide establishing shot) part 1

For the beginning of the scene, I'll need to record a wide establishing shot. After carefully observing the first 5 seconds of the scene, I realized that a wide establishing shot would be difficult to record due to its scale, so I decided to research this specific type of shot in depth and then implement it in the recording of the swede.

What is a wide establishing shot?

According to Google, a wide establishing shot is a camera shot, typically a wide shot or extreme wide shot, used at the beginning of a scene to show the audience the location, time, and context of the setting.

Visual examples:

Still image from Adobe

Still image from Premium Beat