WEEK 2 - Introducing the Camera

1 - Exploring the SONY X70 camera through practical demonstrations. We were each told to set up the tripod and camera correctly and got given a task to set them both up in a different location/situation. 

• We also went through white balance which is important because it adds the opposite colour to the image in an attempt to bring the colour temperature back to neutral. Instead of whites appearing blue or orange, they should appear white after correctly white balancing an image.'You might have noticed when examining shots after taking them that at times images can come out with an orange, blue, yellow etc look to them – despite the fact that to the naked eye the scene looked quite normal. The reason for this is that images different sources of light have a different ‘colour’ (or temperature) to them. Fluorescent lighting adds a bluish cast to photos whereas tungsten (incandescent/bulbs) lights add a yellowish tinge to photos.The range in different temperatures ranges from the very cool light of blue sky through to the very warm light of a candle. We don’t generally notice this difference in temperature because our eyes adjust automatically for it. So unless the temperature of the light is very extreme a white sheet of paper will generally look white to us. However a digital camera doesn’t have the smarts to make these adjustments automatically and sometimes will need us to tell it how to treat different light. So for cooler (blue or green) light you’ll tell the camera to warm things up and in warm light you’ll tell it to cool down.' (From https://digital-photography-school.com/introduction-to-white-balance/)
• 'The iris is an adjustable opening (aperture), which controls the amount of light coming through the lens (i.e. the "exposure"). The video camera iris works in basically the same way as a still camera iris -- as you open the iris, more light comes in and the picture appears brighter. The difference is that with video cameras, the picture in the viewfinder changes brightness as the iris is adjusted. For this tutorial, we'll be setting exposure by eye; that is, adjusting the iris until the exposure looks right in the viewfinder (as opposed to using a light meter).' (From http://www.mediacollege.com/video/camera/exposure/). 

                               

- My group to lead reading discussion.

• Rabiger, M. (2004) Directing the Documentary, London: Focal Press. 1: What is a Documentary? (pages 3-7)
• McLane B. & Ellis J. (2005) A New History of the Documentary Film, New York: Continuum. 1: Some Ways to Think About Documentary.

 - Characteristics in documentaries are 

          - Subject

          - Purpose / Viewpoint / Approach

          - Form

          - Production Method & Technique 

          - Audience Response

2 -  Finish researching your individual Creative Project proposal. Bring an outline of this to present to class next week. 

- In your groups finish shooting cutaway footage and prepare your interview(s).

- Reading: Nichols, B. (1991) Representing Reality: Issues and Concepts in Documentary, Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. 2: Documentary Modes of Representation. Rabiger, M. (2004) Directing the Documentary, London: Focal Press. 11: Developing Your Story Ideas.