3.31.2010
3.19.2010
3.10.2010
Movement and Music
I have come to realize that I am a big fan of camera movement that is involved in dance sequences. I love the sweeping shots that really pull you into the rhythm and motion of the dancers. Music videos are a great place to work with this type of movement since dance can be an important part in them. In OneRepublic's "All The Right Moves" music video the camera rarely is still. It really goes along with the music in the video as well as the ballroom type dancing going on as well. I think the movement emphasizes the beat and sort of classical nature of the song. Also, toward the end of the song the beat is stronger and the camera moves faster. Around 3:27 the camera makes a sweeping motion around a pair of dancers as they twirl around the floor. The camera and its operator become dancers themselves here and it is a beautifully executed move. I haven't really thought about it before, but it does take a lot of skill in many areas to fluidly pull off a lot of these shots.
MuteMath - "Typical"
It might be cheating a little bit, but I feel like it's not just about the choice to move the camera. In the linked video the choice was to keep the camera completely still for most of the video except for a few slow zooms, pans, and tilts. It is a creative choice about movement. For this video it works great though because the stillness of the camera makes it objective and emphasizes the bizarreness of the action in front of it. The band created the movement in the scene mostly on their own by disappearing on and off screen and moving away and toward the camera.
Tiziano Ferro - "Sere Nere"
There is not a whole lot of movement in this music video. However, many of the shots were handheld that could have been shot easily with a tripod to stabilize them. Having a bunch of otherwise static shots that are noticeably shaky give the video a more rustic, earthy quality. The content of the song is also brought out in this choice. He is singing about being unable to be with the person he loves (very broadly, translation is hard to do since a lot of his lyrics are strange and sometimes riddles even to native Italian speakers.. but very, very pretty and touching nonetheless.. but I digress.) and so instability of the camera reflects his own emotions of being out of balance and lost.
Tiziano Ferro - "Non Me Lo So Spiegare"
I like how this one contrasts the other video from Tiziano above. It is simple, but the fluid movement of the camera revolving around the car resembling the passage of time and 'cycle' of life is a elegant way of telling a story.
3.06.2010
The Guild (Online Short Series)
The Guild is a web series that parodies the growing world of online gamers. The series started out small and blossomed into a youtube hit. It has been an inspiration of sorts to watch the series grow over its three seasons into a more professional looking piece.
The Guild manages to turn a group of people sitting around playing a video game a visually interesting and very funny story. Additionally they were not legally able to use any footage of the game they are playing (it is never named), so the series must hold the viewer entirely through images beyond the computer.
Each episode starts with the main character "Codex" speaking to the viewer directly. This is done by making it appear that she is keeping some sort of webcam blog on her computer. This is a neat little narration style to remind viewers of what happened in the previous week. Often this is used during the rest of the episodes when a character is speaking to someone through the computer. Almost like a computer point of view.
I also like the way much of the show is lit. As seen above Codex's character tends to keep a nice rim of light around her hair. This works for her character since she is the typical 'do no evil' character, always trying to fix everyone else's problems. Also, her interiors are generally lit in warm amber tones with fairly soft lighting. However the antagonists...
...shown here are generally lit with more shadows. His eyes are in shadow with a nice light hitting his cheekbones, sort of giving him a more hallow look. I also like the light coming in through the blinds, makes the shot feel like a dungeon of sorts. Another example of showing characters personality through lighting and set can be seen here:
This character is very snarky, but the often her tough exterior is all about hiding her more soft, girly interior. So the background of her room with all of the pink and orange tones coming through contrast her actions.
The show has also started to make use of depth of field a lot. Such as here...
While he is in focus in the back, the foreground objects give a sense of the cluttered, messy and very teenager-boy type space he is in. Also, it is simply more visually interesting and provides a convenient way of creating depth.
Ultimately, the show is supposed to be funny, and in sequences like this the comedy is not in words but in the way the scene was shot and edited. The characters are going to a sort of show-down with another guild and this is done with several jump-cuts timed to music. It was also slowed down to be more dramatic.
And after a few fast cuts of them coming closer to the camera. I also like the trick of the frame within a frame using the doorway that they are about to enter.
And finally, of course showing the rival guild that has been picking on them this whole time. Since they are more 'powerful' they are shot with the camera low to give them a looming feel.
The show has evolved quite a bit and I look forward to what is in store for season four. It definitely stays true to the quirky personalities found in the online gaming world.
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