COGN 21 Methods of Media Production l Professor

COGN 21: Methods of Media Production l. Professor Brian Goldfarb, Dept of Comm l. Office hours Wednesday 10: 30 - 12 pm, MCC 102 l. Email bgoldfarb@ucsd. edu l. TA’s 21: Katrina Boulding, Rachel Cody, Terra Eggink, and Chuk Moran, l. TA’s 22: Lauren Berliner , Emma Johnson, and Eduardo Santana

l. COGN 21 all sections fully enrolled. If students drop, wait-listers will be added in the second week. Offered twice a year (winter and spring) l. COGN 22 sections open. Extra space in: A 01 609446 Tue 9: 30 – 12: 20 Eduardo A 03 609448 Wed 9: 00 – 11: 50 Emma A 04 609449 Thur 9: 30 – 12: 30 Lauren A 05 609450 Thur 12: 30 – 3: 20 Lauren A 06 609451 Fri 9: 00 – 11: 50 Emma

l. Books: Price Center bookstore and reserve in library l. Readings not in the books are on electronic reserve (through Roger) l. Additional handouts linked to Course Web Site (CWS) l. Official (up to date) version of syllabus: http: //communication. ucsd. edu/goldfarb/cogn 21 w 08

Goals of the Course Learn the language of (cinematic) media production n Gain elementary skills in media producing n Connect media production to other areas of the Communication major n Begin to translate theoretical ideas into media projects (and vice versa) n Become a more ACTIVE & ENGAGED viewer / listener n

Analysis of Audio-Visual Media n Frames n Intention n Interpretation n Style, Form, Formal Systems n Genre

Media Clips for Today Safe, by Todd Haynes, 1995 n American Beauty, Sam Mendes, 1999, 122 min. n Scenes from the House Dream, (Media Installations) by David Hoffos, 2003 -present n n Trip to the Moon, George Méliès, France, 1902 n The Most Beautiful Man in the World, by Alicia Duffy, Great Britain, 2002.

Mise-en-Scene Putting into a scene: “the director’s control over what appears in the film frame. ” Setting Lighting Costume & Props Staging Composition Color Movement in Frame Camera Movement Space Time

Scenes from the House Dream I have sought to reveal and examine the sources David Hoffos: of illusion found within genre movies, stage magic, theme park attractions, 19 th century parlours, and museum displays. The evolution of my work has been a steady process of accumulating and inventing techniques and devices and then applying and refining them. In 2002 I embarked on a fiveyear/five-phased project which will result in a series of fifteen to twenty small installations down a long hallway, forming a sort of dream narrative. The installations incorporate multiple channels of video and audio, miniature models, mirrors, lighting effects, video projections, phantom figures, hidden doorways and false walls down a dark hallway.

Scenes from the House Dream Experimental § Installation work § Reflexive (directs us to think about the conventions of the medium and it’s history) §

Trip to the Moon George Méliès, France, 1902 Early narrative construction n Inspired by novels by Jules Verne and H G Wells n Series of single shot scenes n Used cinema in new ways to extend theatrical staging and magic shows n

Constructing Images Framing and the frame

Elements of a “Good” Shot n No rules that can’t be broken n Elements - cohesive? n Eye Trace n Thought provoking n Cues

Photography Framing Composition: X, Y and Z axes Type of Shot: Medium, Wide, Close Up, Extreme Close up Depth of Field Camera Angle Lighting Color

Framing n Removing unnecessary, confusing or competing elements.

Framing n Rule of Thirds

Framing n Rule of Thirds

Rule of 3 rds n Divide the frame into nine areas n Avoid placing object in red area n Horizon lines are top and bottom thirds n Place objects at points 1, 2, 3, or 4

Framing n Rule of Thirds

Rule of 3 rds

Framing: The portrait

Framing: The portrait n Headroom

Framing n Headroom - too little

Framing n Headroom - too much

Framing n Headroom - just right

Framing n Nose-room or lead room

Framing n Nose-room

Close-up Offset

Close-up Offset: Wider Aspect Ratio

Composition n. X Axis

Composition n. X Axis

Composition n. Y Axis

Composition n Vectors - Z Axis Blocking

Composition n Vectors - Z Axis

Composition n Vectors - Z Axis

Depth of Field The area of the z-axis in which the objects appear in focus. Allows for differences of focus of objects in foreground, middle, and background.

Depth of Field Ways to decrease depth of field: § Telephoto lens setting § Subject closer to camera § Open Iris (letting more light into the camera) Lower F-stop.

Depth of Field

Wide Shot Shallow Depth of Field

Wide Angle Shot

Medium Shot

Medium Shot

Close Up Shot

Extreme Close Up Shot shallow depth of field

Angle Low Angle High Angle

Angle Low Angle High Angle

Angle “Normal” Tripod Height

Lighting Terms we use: n High key n Low key n Soft light n Hard light n n n Contrast Fill Flat Direct Indirect

Lighting Terms we use: n High key n Soft light

Lighting Terms we use: n Low key n High contrast

Lighting Low key n High contrast n

Lighting n High contrast

Lighting Soft light n Flat light n

Color Saturated

Color Saturated

Color Muted

Color Muted

Color Temperature--refers to the spectrum of light illuminating a scene (not the color of objects in the scene) n Exterior light - 5400 K BLUE n Interior (tungsten set lights) - 3200 K ORANGE n Fluorescent - GREEN n Sunset exterior - blue/orange n Mid day sun exterior - bright blue White Balance: video camera adjustment to compensate for color temperature.

Color Temperature Clips from Traffic (Steven Soderbergh, 2001) Scenes in San Diego - white balanced normal n Scenes in Tijuana - color balanced orange n Scenes with Drug Tsar and family - color balanced blue n

The Most Beautiful Man in the World Alicia Duffy , UK, 2002, Short independent/art film. n Consider aspects of photography n How is composition used to convey ideas or emotions? n

Still Image Checklist n n n n Framing: Centered, use of rule of 3’rds Tripod height: High, medium or low angle Wide, medium, close up shot Hard or soft lighting Focus and Depth of Field Direct or indirect lighting Colors in the frame