Genre in the Movies

What did you learn about genre and film from this video? Why is it important to a film?

The most prominent genres seen in modern films are western, crime, war, comedy, science fiction.

Genre means "kind" or "type"and played a crucial role in literary theory before film. After the introduction of film, genres helped differentiate between films. Hollywood especially took advantage of the genres films have developed. Genres provide a framework for production decisions, making it convenient to follow certain stereotypes with the genre. Developing a film based on a certain genres allows the filmmaker to predict the turnover. The audience is more likely to be interested in a film that is associated with a genre they already enjoy. Genres are also important to film theory, contributing to the idea of appealing rituals and ideologies. 

Genre

What genre of films do you tend to gravitate toward the most (sci-fi, horror, action ?) Describe how your answer reflects your attitude and approach toward life.

I tend to gravitate towards comedic films the most. I don't enjoy sci-fi or action movies as much because the plot is usually too unrealistic for me to be fully indulged in. I like most things to be light hearted because I am not good at taking very many things seriously.  I especially enjoy it when there is a hint of humor in dramatic scenes because it breaks the tension that becomes unbearably strong at times. Most films have some sort of comedic twist to it but I enjoy it when there are so many of those comedic aspects to it to a point where the film is able to be labeled "comedy."

The Hot Seat Technique

What is the hot seat technique? How can you apply this to the next script that you write to create interesting characters?

Hot seat is a technique where the writer sits in an empty seat and "become the character." This forces the writer to create a backstory behind the character to give them life. This activity leads to a greater understanding of the character, therefore becoming more believable on the page. A believable character is more likely to be loved by the reader. I can apply this technique for my next script to help my characters be more two dimensional. Hot seat allows me to understand that a character does not appear just in the story, but also has a past and future the reader will never know about.

Characters and Empathy

What is the key to creating empathy with the audience and our characters? How does success play into this?

Desire is key to creating empathy with the audience and our characters. Desire can make the audience relate to the character because motivation to work towards a goal is common for many. Success is helpful in developing empathy because a good majority of the audience believe that they are the unsuccessful underdogs. Success is effective if it has the background of the character trying very hard to achieve the specific goal. We can relate to the emotions the characters are going through as they face the challenges.

Story Spine Reflection

Did the exercise help you craft an interesting story synopsis? If or if not, why? What are two things that you learned from the exercise?

The exercise only helped me craft an interesting story synopsis to a certain extent. For the most part, it made it easier to create the storyline because a specific outline was already presented for me to fill out. However, because the structure was so rigid, it made it hard to expand the story beyond the given structure. Not only was the structure rigid, but I also lacked the ability to create dynamic characters to begin with. Therefore, the story lacked the element of empathy for the audience  to relate with. Overall, I learned that creating dynamic characters was hard and that storylines generally follow the same structure.

What is good storytelling?

What is good storytelling? Name 3 important key elements of telling a good story. Why are they so important?

1. Character Development
Whether it be a documentary or a film, the audience needs a certain subject to follow that develops as the story progresses. Having a dynamic character grabs the audience's attention because it adds realism to them compared to a stagnant character.
2. Story Arc
Not only is a stagnant character unappealing, but a stagnant story is also unappealing. The audience needs to have a
3. Cinematography
Having good composition that matches the scene is vital for good storytelling. This requires appropriate lighting for the scene.

Recording Dual System

What are 3 separate things that the presenter says to keep in mind when setting up dual system audio? Why are each of them important?

1. Turn off all controls that allows the recorder to automatically alter the audio

Although these systems are made to compensate for the changes in the sound source, they often create more problems and is therefore unhelpful to keep them in these settings.

2. Figure out whether the microphone used requires phantom power or plugin power

Most condenser microphones such as shotgun microphones and condenser microphones with XLR cables require phantom power. Most lavaliers and some microphones with 3.5mm plugs require plugin power. If the microphones operates on battery power, it is also in the best interest to set the recorder to plugin power.

3. Set the gain to the right level

In order to make sure that the audio gain is set to the right level, it operator must watch the meter as the subject in front of the camera is talking. Based off the meter provided, dial up or down the gain until the loudest point is around -20 dB.

External Camera Audio Settings

What are 3 separate things that the presenter says to keep in mind when setting up your camera to record audio? Why are each of them important? What is one different thing that you would like to learn more about?

1. Auto or Manual

Manual level is generally used under normal circumstances. Auto is used when the shooting in rough situations where there is no time to control the audio levels.

2. Mic Line and Phantom Power switch

Mic Line asks what type of signal is getting sent into the camera. (Line level signal has a slightly stronger signal) Which option to use is determined by the type of recording device it is connected to. Generally, if it is a microphone, it is will be set to a Mic level signal. If is a mixer, it should be set to a line level signal.

3. Internal or External

INT is used when determining that the the microphone attached to the camera is going to be used. More often than not, the camera is going to have an external microphone attached to it, so it will be set to EXT.

Camera Menu Settings for Audio

What are 3 separate thing that the presenter says to keep in mind when setting up your camera to record audio? Why are each of them important? What is one different thing that you would like to learn more about?

1. Audio Input- Internal Mic Low Cut

It is important to utilize this feature when shooting outside because it is helpful when cutting off wind noise. LC1 and LC2 identifies the intensity in which the audio is protected from the wind noise or any low frequency noise.

2. Audio Input- Internal Mic Sensitivity

This feature may be turned on when an external microphone is unavailable and important audio such as a dialog has to be captured. Although this inevitably increases noise, it can be a useful function under emergencies.

3. Audio Input- Mic/Internal Mic Attenuation

This function can soften or dampen the sound captured overall. This function is useful in loud situations such as a concert or potentially a documentary. However, it is important to keep in mind that  this function can only be used if the external microphone does not require phantom power.

I would like to learn more about how audio can be altered in post production.

Zoom H6N Audio Recorder

Summarize 3 different key functions of the Zoom recorder that you picked up from this short video. What is one question you still have on how to operate the recorder?

1.  Audio Input

There are 4 volume controls for each audio input on the face of the recorder. the 6 buttons below it can enable or disable each of the audio inputs.

2. Basic Functions

Some basic controls consist of playback, record, and stop recording. These functions can be enabled by pressing on the buttons with the corresponding symbols.

3. Formatting the SD card

In order to format the SD card, press the menu, SD card, format, and then yes. Once the process is finished, the menu button can be pushed to exit pout out of the screen.

How can I connect the recorder to the microphone?

Best Sound from Lav

Summarize 3 of the most important suggestions that this video gives on getting the best audio form your lavalier microphone.

1. Choose the microphone with the pickup pattern that works with the type of shoot

Omnidirectional microphones are used in most cases because it is more likely to produce a fuller sound. Cardiod pickup pattern is useful in noisy environment because it will only pickup sound coming from the subject. However, this type of microphone is ineffective in picking up the full spectrum of audio.

2. The placement of the lav

The lavalier microphone is typically attached to the placket or lapel of the shirt if the subject's clothing offers one. If there is a strict time constraint, it may be a better option to set up the microphone on the outside. If you don't want to the microphone to be seen or if there is a lot of wind outdoors, it may be a better option to keep the microphone inside of the subject's clothing.

3. Choose the correct recorder

Field recorders can offer a 24 bit which will help capture a larger spectrum of audio. However, depending on time constraints and the production size, it may be useful to simply connect the audio to the camera.

Lav Walkthrough

Summarize 3 different key functions of a lavalier that you picked up from this short video. What is one question you still have on how to setup a lav?

1. TV programs such as the news and talk shows often utilize lavs

These microphones are often used in scenarios where it is generally okay for the microphone to be seen. This is because the lav requires the subject to have a box connected to the microphone, making it fairly hard to make it completely invisible especially if the character is mobile.

2. Lavs cannot be used for important speeches

More often than not, the lavs are only able to capture audio that are lower quality compared to other types of microphones. Lavs are significantly closer to the subject compared to other microphones, making it easier for it to capture unwanted audio.

1. Make the lav as invisible as possible

In order to hide the lav, the microphone can be placed inside the buttons. It is helpful when the subject is wearing a collared shirt. 

How do I ensure I get the best sound from a lav?

The Boom Microphone

Summarize 3 different key functions of a boom microphone that you picked up from this short video. What is one question you still have on how to operate a boom?

1. Get the microphone as close as possible to the subject's mouth

Although directional microphones can pick up audio from far away, it is always better to capture them as possible. When a subject is talking, the microphone cannot be in their general direction or over their head.

2. Watch the Rehearsal

Knowing how the scene is going to be played is vital for a boom operator especially for dialog scenes. By knowing the rhythm of the conversation, the boom operator will be able to acknowledge when the next character will start talking. 

3. Keep the mic steady

Because the microphone is so sensitive even the rubbing of a hand against the boom pole can be picked up. Furthermore, it is important to wrap the cable around the pole to make sure the cable does not make any audible sound.

How do you know what kind of microphone to use on the boom pole?

Recording Great Audio for Video

What are the benefits of using a microphone on a boom vs a lav vs on the camera? What are the differences between single and dual system recording?

Microphone on a boom is beneficial because it can be completely hidden. On the other hand, a lav is harder to be hidden because it must be attached to the subject. Furthermore, lavs are more likely to create rustling/rubbing sound against the actor's clothing. A boom simply needs to be out of the frame and therefore easier to be kept hidden. A single system is directly plugged into the camera. This way, the audio picked up by the microphone is automatically synced with the recorded video. Dual system recording refers to a system which the microphone is plugged into a digital audio recorder and/or sound mixer. Although this system is requires two or more people, this way can be more beneficial because it allows freedom for the camera.