Production Tips

Diegesis:
Digetic material is a natural sound e.g. thunder. Digetic material is used so that the characters are aware of it. Non-Digetic material is added for the audience e.g. sound track music. Some types of sound are both digetic and non-digetic material e.g. a characters thoughts in a voice-over are digetic in that the character is aware of them, but non-digetic in the sense that other characters are not.

Micro and Macro origination:
To shoot appropriate material for a film you need to use the micro – macro strategy. If the fiction film follows the conventions of a particular genre, they should use the micro elements – types of camera work, music, style of titles, dialogue, setting and place – will ad up to a macro theme and set of representations. You need to spend time storyboarding and development of ideas before beginning the main task.

Camera work and framing
You should mostly use a tripod for a steady shot unless a hand held effect is required for a certain scene. Most shots are filmed with the camera not moving, unless movement of the camera is an effective exception to the norm. You should rarely use the zoom in and out on a camera and mostly use mid to long shots using close – ups shots sparingly. “Rule of thirds” principle is a useful effect for framing a particular shot. Combining various shots and different distances is essential to the “language of the film”, e.g. long shots to mid shots then finally to close – up shots. This enables the audience to establish the action etc. You need to consider using high and low angled shots depending on the characters power and authority, a high angle shot reducing the characters power and authority and a low angle shot increases it.

Mise En Scene
Mise en scene is all about the atmosphere and continuity of a film. Mise en scene is the most difficult element in the production of a film, but if this element is just right there is a far greater reward. It is essentially about the detail and you need to be careful choosing costumes, lighting, locations and props etc. this also needs to be maintained in each shot unless a change of location etc.

Lighting
Five tips to overcome the problem of not having the standard professional lighting equipment.
1. Use natural light – sunlight, use shadows, in mist, through rain – depends on the effect that is required
2. Use cheap and cheerful artificial light – make use of candles, firelight, torches, car lights, neon signs and street lighting. Keeping in mind health and safety.
3. Create colour filters – can easily shine light through coloured liquids and vases etc.
4. Position the light source for effect – lighting a scene from above, below or in an obscured way will create various types of atmospheres.
5. Ultimately lighting a scene is a scientific process.

Combining sound, image and title
Careful decisions need to be made on titles that will be added to the film. The title needs to have an appropriate font, colour and size. Using trial and error you should end up with pleasing timing if titles for the audience. The title should be in a correct and appropriate place on the screen; it could be on black between shots or over action and then decide how long the title stays on the screen. A question that should be asked, “does the title contribute to the film?” whether it helps the audience’s understanding of the narrative. Music could be added to add ambience to the start of a film.

The grammar of non-linear editing
You need to choose the correct transitions between each shot. Avoid exciting transitions stick to simple and straight forward. Your job is to make the editing invisible to the audience’s eye and so that the viewer believes in the reality of the fiction that is unfolding. Editing is all about the manipulation of time and space. You will manipulate space by editing between two simultaneous pieces of action and manipulate time by editing between two shots to move the narrative forward.