North by Northwest

In every Tuesday session we watch an Alfred Hitchcock Thriller.
As an introduction we began with North by Northwest
The Screen-write from Ernest Lehman and Directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1959 and with great stars such as Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint as main characters.

A "innocent"  New York advertising executive (Cary Grant) is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive.

The Trailer
 The first thing that grabs your attention in this trailer is the Music this is appealing because the Music sounds mysterious and all-round makes you want to watch more.Also it shows all the main thrilling scenes without telling the viewers  what happens next  it send a shiver down your spine which allows you to already know the film will be a thriller and the Voice over man also uses word like "sinister"which is thrilling as you cant help but think  what else will happen so much information flies your way and over whelms you making you crave the ending.

Archetypal Thriller

An Archetypal thriller is defined by the following quotations from Alfred Hitchcock himself with these quotations I will be linking them to north by north-west and how they apply to there titles:

1. "Thrillers are characterised by fast pacing and frequent action"- this quote applies to North by Northwest because North by Northwest has many scenes such as the plane and the Car Chase as is all Car chases it is fast paced and the music adds frequent tension the fact that shots blend in together is a really good effect because it adds an air of mystery and worry for Cary Grant that he may be injured within such a small amount of the film this also makes us want to watch more as we know Cary Grant is "drunk" and in that case making us curious of how he is going to get out of that situation. I've found a Clip of the scene I meant but unfortunately it is of low quality.
2. "Resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of the more powerful and better equipped villains" - this quote applies to North by Northwest because we consider Cary Grant and in some way Eva Marie Saint a hero although they are caught in tricky situations they seem to over come them for example when they are both in the train and Eva hides Grants character at the top of the cabin as she stole the key from the guard this is seen as heroic because no one expects the woman in the film to be able to do that the Fem fatal is seen as a women who is pretty, she is heroic because she can become a role model, also Cary Grant is heroic as he thwarts the plans of the villain to kill him for example with the plane scene,we see Cary Grant run into a corn field this was him trying to have a disguise so the villains could not trap or see him he chooses the corn field because it was convenient  for him and this makes him a hero successfully delaying the villain and not falling for there trap.(The crop duster scene will be analysed further.The clip is bellow)
3. "A thriller is a villain driven plot,whereby he presents obstacles the hero must over come" above is the scene to the car chase this applies to this statement because the villain contributes to many obstacles that are designed to trap or harm Cary Grants character as we said earlier the car chase scene is one of the main  obstacles Cary Grant faces as he is his own worst enemy if he cannot get control of the car he will die and in that case the film would have been finished before it had even started but luckily the character swerves past the attempts of the villain and makes sure he is caught by the police and steers his car so he doesn't fall down the cliffs surprisingly to the villain.
4. "Devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used extensively "- this applies to the North by Northwest as it uses these devices a lot and as all these devices come together to add a lot of effect and complement each other.The best scene to look at for this definition is the auction scene as it has a wide use of all three devices:

• Suspense :The device suspense is used frequently in this scene and throughout the film such as the side road scene and the car chase but as we see in the Auction clip (above) as we see we have the Villain slowly and steadily stroking of Eva's head and then the shot shows the audience very slowly this builds suspense as we wonder When Cary Grants character will appear as he knows the "truth"and then we see that Cary Grant is actually witnessing what is happening,this scene fills us with suspense not only because we want to know when he will appear but it is also gives us the idea of deceit and hurt which makes us wonder how Grants character is going to react. 

• Red herrings:A Red herring is a clue that intentionally allows the viewer to be mislead from the main issue the Red herring in this scene is two things  first is the character Eva Saint is playing obviously before we thought she was an ally and now in this scene she is with the Villain but then by the end of the film we realise she is actually a Secret agent, but the main Red herring is the fact that they seem to be at a art auction but are actually looking out to by the statue with the drugs in them this counts as a red herring because we believe that although the Villains must be doing something wrong they are just innocently buying/viewing pieces of art but the reality is that they are buying a type of drug this is hidden away from the audience until a little later when we find out there real intentions making this a Red herring Scene.

• Cliffhangers :The Cliffhanger within this scene is that we realise that Cary Grants character has fallen into a trap and we wonder how he will get out of this situation he is in, we realise that the character has fallen in an unintentional trap and has in fact trapped his self this also add to my earlier point that all these devices complement each other in this case suspense and cliffhangers go hand in hand.

The Crop Duster Scene 

The Crop Duster scene is one of the most Iconic action sequences within the film as it has the ability to have all we want in a thriller in the short clip:

1. Firstly we see the plane flying by and we consider it just an ordinary plane as does Cary Grants character and then we see that it is really going  towards Cary Grant and that whoever is flying the plane is trying to get him, within the small part we get a point of view shot of the pane going toward Grant and this allows us to be in Grants place as if the plane was coming towards us.This builds panic and tension and overall interest in the audience as you want to know what will happen to the character and you would like to know who is in the plane, As point of view shots allow you to see what the character is seeing we truly feel that we have put our "toe in the cold water of fear" because we can put ourselves into that scene and see how we would react.
2.  As we realise this is an obstacle the Villain has presented to Cary Grants character it builds up the tension we feel,we are already tense from knowing that Grants character is looking for someone by the side of the road and then we see that actually it was a plan to trap or kill Grants character this makings us think that there are forces against Grant and that the villain has an upper hand as does all villains this also leads us to believe that Grant will not be able to get out of the circumstance he is in.
3. When analysing a scene we have to take into consider the surroundings and setting the scene takes place, Within North by Northwest there are many good scene settings but looking at the Crop Duster scene there are many factors to the setting that add an effect to the audience first of all earlier than the clip shown there is a very empty road during that scene all you can suspect is for a car to come, the car Grants character is looking for but all there is a dusty side path and a very quiet road this adds to  the tense feeling because you expect a high action scene but although it is very slow with little action it still adds tension as if it is slowly creeping into a adrenaline filled scene, There is also the Crop scene where Grants Character hides within the crops this adds an effect as we quickly think of a primal scene and that Grants character is fighting/ hiding for his own safety and survival this effects the audience because we are given the mind set that something very serious is happening and that its so life risking that there is a need to hide but the fact that there is the lone crop field in the middle of no where gives us the idea that Grants character is alone in this world of villains and enemies. 
4. Then there is the scene where he has to fall on the dusty paths this is an effect as Grants character is a business man and we do not expect him to be in the middle of crops all dusty this is is effective because as I have said in the earlier point it makes him primal and desperate, desperate because he is doing anything to stay safe/alive even if that does mean throwing himself to the floor and getting his clothes dirty 
5. The Main reason the Crop Duster scene is very iconic is because it has an amazing action scenes that are able to fill you with suspense and slow seeming fast paced action ,First you have the plane throwing the dust bombs , this is an iconic action scene because its is fast paced due to the running of Grants character  and the diegetic sound effects coming from the planes motors and the dust bombs and an air of urgency but the Non diegetic sound at the running scene adds a lot of tension. Then there is the scene when the plane crashes into the truck, Grants character seeks an escape and see there on coming truck but the truck is unable to stop causing screeching and the explosion sound as the plane goes into the truck. Overall this is a thrilling scene made to make our hearts beat outside our chest

MacGuffin

MacGuffin is "a plot element that catches the viewers attention of drives the plot of a work of fiction."The defining aspect of a MacGuffin is that the major characters in the story are (at least initially) willing to do and sacrifice almost anything to obtain it, regardless of what the MacGuffin actually is.In fact,the specific nature of the MacGuffin may be ambiguous, undefined ,generic,left to open to interpretation or otherwise completely unimportant to the plot examples of an MacGuffin is money ,glory,survival,a source of power,or a potential threat, or it might be something totally unexplained.A MacGuffin is common in films and especially thrillers.commonly,though not always ,the MacGuffinis the central focus of the film in the first act ,and then declines in importance as the struggles and motivations of the characters play out.It may come back into play at the climax of the story, but sometimes the MacGuffin is actually forgotten by the end of the film.In TV interviews Hitchcock defined the a MacGuffin as the object around which the plot revolves but, as to what that object specifically is,he declared "the audience doesn't care".In North by Northwest's case we could say the MacGuffin what the Villains are in possession of which is the drugs.

Alfred Hitchcock said Thrillers allow the Audience "to put their toe in the cold water of fear to see what its like" Alfred Hitchcock successfully achieves this within every thriller film he has made but within North by Northwest he does in the scenes above  and the cliff hanger scene, and with his many different devices.

While watching an interview of Alfred Hitchcock it seems his philosophy is that thrillers are meant to be dreamlike and even a nightmare but real enough to shock and scare as if it could actually happen,He also believed that narratives made the storyline /thriller more smooth for the audience to catch on but a dream would be disjointed, I understand Hitchcock's theory on this as if you have a daunting dream sometimes the person dreaming cant even make sense or even understand it as Alfred Hitchcock wanted to make thrillers able in reality he had to make them a narrative. A strong device he mentions in his interview is avoiding a cliché this is the most effective device Hitchcock could possibly use as whatever thriller we look at  you don't expect the ending from the films that we actually have watched the strongest film we have seen with this factor was psycho, the ending was totally unexpected as throughout the film you
are led to believe that the character is still alive,Within the clip below Alfred Hitchcock explains how he made this scene seem like a cliché but more like reality within 3:44 and 7:40.
This clipped interview is beautiful because you can see the amount of passion within his answers an explanation of his devices such as Mystery, defying cliché and suspense.  

Psycho

Today we watched the film from the Director Alfred Hitchcock called Psycho, the film was made in 1960 None of the other Alfred Hitchcock films have had as much as an impact as Psycho on American psyche.and it was a large Box office hit and as time has moved on to be a big fascination in the american society as they experienced something so different,Psycho was such a big hit hat there was a remake in 1998
Originally Psycho was a Novel by Robert Bloch (picture 1), then made into a screenplay by Joseph Stefano (picture 2) who accepted but then denied the chances to do The Bird (1963) and Marnie (1964) both from Alfred Hitchcock.

In psycho there were many famous film stars the three main stars and their characters are Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, Janet Leigh as Marion Crane and Vera Miles as Lila Crane

The plot of Psycho contains a MacGuffin (A plot device that leads you to believe there's a original plot when there is another motive within the fictitious storyline) for example the plot of Psycho is, Marion Crane a office worker in Phoenix is fed up with the way life has treated her,forced to meet with her secret lover through her lunch breaks since he would have to pay alimony if they wed, suddenly Marion steals $40,000 from her employer's client and subsequently encounters a motel owner who has been too long under the domination of his Mother.
As we watched the film we realised that the real threat isn't Marion Crane but a deranged mind ,a mad "man".
A thriller is described as a fast pacing and frequent action there are many examples at which this is present in psycho:
the most famous scene in the world is the Shower scene from psycho which also made Janet Leigh even more famous

Within this scene there is a slow start which we know can build up attention just as well as as a fast pace  because Marion is always moving although not fast she is always in motion but the main part is when she is getting stabbed you can tell something is going to go wrong  but the fast pacing of the attack adds more effect, we need to keep an eye on the motion of the knife and Marion trying to protect her self  then we look at the effect of the music and how the blood trickles down the drain and the shower curtain being pulled off one by one these all cause an effect making us jumpy  another scene that does this is the staircase  it also starts off very slow causing suspicion while he is walking up the steps and becomes fast paced at the end of the scene when he is falling down the stairs,yet again the pace of the music has added effect

Thrillers are also defined by their resourceful heroes who thwart the plans of more powerful and better equipped villains.within psycho there is no obvious hero but if you really look at what each character does I think you can identify a hero in my opinion Sam Loomis and Lila Crane are the heroes,Although the true heroic action comes close to the end of the film I have this opinion because Sam and Lila  never give up the search for his lover/her sister  and in the End scene they make a brilliant plan to find out what is going on which they succeed in even though there are aspects that make us feel the character for example Lila Crane is being foolish for trapping her self but unconsciously to us and the character  we are being led to the truth then when we see the skeleton and Norman in his mothers clothing Sam is holding Norman back, disarming him and in the end put him into prison this is heroic as Sam is resourceful and thwarts Normans plan to also kill Lila.


Another way Thrillers normally have devices that cause effect this is suspense red herring and cliff hangers are used frequently
Psycho hasn't got an amazing plot it is actually pretty basic but the construction of the film  that develops the film Alfred Hitchcock has done a very good job with certain scenes such as the shower and stairs scene you see above as these both bring shock to the viewer,makes us think psychologically and doesn't contain our own expectations always surprising us. if the viewer has no idea what is to happen within the film they will experience the force of Alfred Hitchcock's device and why he intended this.The most unbelievable detail of the film is when Marion Crane is killed because through out the start of the film we are lead to believe she is a main role this is an example of the screenplay tricking us.
When this film was in theatres they were not allowed to enter any other time apart from at the start of the film  Alfred Hitchcock planned this as he didn't want the order of the film to be compromised or anyone to believe the main character is Norman Bates.This also leads to the element of suspense and how it is used in Psycho below is a scene which really builds suspense in a lot of aspects such as Music,what we see.


The first aspect of this scene that fills us with suspense is the Music because in the background  it seems like a violin or an cello  these instruments are always used to make a tense scene where you feel its right to be suspicious also the pace of the music is fast making it an intense scene as it puts our nerves on edge
Another aspect is what we see one of the main effects on me is the link between the title Psycho and the look Marion has within this scene like a psycho she smiles at normally unpleasant thoughts her ideas of what the other characters are saying a made up from her head,anyone can imagine someone else's thoughts but the most mentally ill people assume people are talking about them making them paranoid,look included allows us to feel that something is wrong with this character instantly making us wary of  her making us think she is the Psycho. Also we see that a rain starts in this scene this gives us an idea that the journey she is going on isn't as simple as it seems and that it is unclear where she is going  this is supported by  the reaction of Marion when she cannot see the road as she reacts in panic this also makes us believe that she may have a crash or any other difficulties.

A thriller normally always has a villain involved presenting obstacles in this case we are initially made to believe that it is Normans mother who is the villain but it is actually Norman himself  even though we are oblivious to this we are shown with subliminal messages that we are not aware of until we a shown showing this is the picture bellow the fact that there are stuffed Birds everywhere allows us to believe that Norman is dangerous and a predator  it also supports the fact that Norman likes to preserve dead things not for beauty but to remind him for example his mother, the obstacles that Norman presents is hiding information or clues from the seekers of the information for example he cleans up Marion's dead Body and when he pushes the car into the swamp these are ways Norman causes obstacles as it isn't helping or isn't leading the investigator to the real truth.

Alfred Hitchcock said that a thriller must allow the audience to "put their toe in the cold water of fear to see what its like" I would say Alfred has succeeded in countless scenes within the film  because many times within the film I reacted felt a kind of fear that was thrilling yet interesting and I'm sure if more people had seen this film they would agree and people who are reading this blog and have watched it are probably thinking about there reactions to Psycho, there are many devices used such as on and off screen sound that have a on going effect that gives us an insight to what will happen but despite this we still have a reaction this is because of  Alfred's architectural approach to the common film , we cannot forget about the main scenes in this film that are shown above "Psycho is a brilliant excursion into fear that pushes many of our primal buttons" this is a review that also expresses my view.

The shower scene
If you have seen Psycho the scene that comes to mind is the shower scene and the first images we see is of the attack on Marion  this scene, even if you haven't seen the film you have been told or are aware of it. as  we have said before music is one of the main reasons why a scene has a high effect in this case it is Bernard Herrmann's strident, discordant  music has been used in many other films to add an appearance of a psycho.

Brilliance in any scene lies within amazing editing in Psycho a lot of the editing is left imagined as we only have been hinted Alfred Hitchcock's intentions.
In the shower scene we see a knife ,blood which is actually chocolate syrup,water and a woman's naked body but separately we see the body is concealed strategically and we do not see the blade sink into the skin all we do see is the brief stab and we hear the blade sink in but the rest is our imagination making the scene full in our minds,basically filling up the gaps  this is another reason others may consider Psycho mild compared to today's thrillers and horrors as they depicted as gruesome and very graphic.
Some extra information is that after Psycho was released it was said to spawn a group of people who had Ablutophobia which is a phobia of bathing/ showers  this is because Psycho made there viewers understand how truly vulnerable they are while they take showers this led them to start taking baths a victim of this phobia was Janet Leigh her self  she claimed after the film she never took a shower again.

Editing in film

Today we talked about how to edit a clip or a film. 
Then we were told about some key words we would need to learn about:
Splicing: this is cutting shots of a film then putting it into the order you want it to be in.
Speed of Editing: This is how long each shot lasts. Speed can also determine the current mood in the film for example if it is a fast paced scene/shot it could be perceived as someone being in panic.              
Style of Editing: This is how each shot is joined to the next one for example by blackouts or fades.

Then we watched to clips from Bourne Ultimatum (BU) and Sleepless in Seattle (SIS) and were told to count the shots in the one scene from both we all found that the escape scene had more shots than SIS which made the scene tense allowing us to determine that this was a chase scene and someone is in trouble or has done something wrong comparing this approach to Psycho and the shower scene found that the constant switching of shots in the shower scene also makes us tense and fearful for the character. 

Style of editing
 As we were told earlier Style of editing meant how each shot is pieced together with the next shot but we were given more vocabulary we may need in our written exams or for knowledge in general such as transition, which is the movement from one shot to the next.
With the main topic being transition we talked about straight cut and dissolve which also falls under that heading.
Straight cut: This is the most used transition as it is invisible it is not obvious to the viewer as it moves without drawing attention, in that case making the scene look professional rather than cheep.
Dissolve: This is a shot that dissolves into the other shot in turn this causes an effect that you can see both shots during the dissolve and this can be used to show connections or a subliminal message. For example below in the clip between 1:29 and 1:32.



Fading: This is gradually darkening or lightening the shot until the image becomes black or white, Fading emphasizes the end of a shot or the ending of the film or can show the passing of time.

Continuity Editing  

Continuity Editing gives us a further understanding and it keeps the film realistic and chronologically realistic and in order this generates the feeling that time is moving forward. Continuity Editing may use Flashbacks, Flash forwards and linear narrative these all progress the film in a natural and realistic way.

Preliminary Task: 
In our preliminary task we will need to show our filming skills this includes: graphic match this is when two shots dissolve into each other that have an object of the same shape and size allowing it to flow together these can be done at two different angles.

We will also take another shot showing that the character is looking at something off screen then take  another shot that is zoomed in to the object they are looking at.

Match on action - We see a character start an action in one shot and then see then continue it in the next scene.

Graphic match- The film can choose to place shots in a certain order to create a smooth visual transfer from one frame to another, when two consecutive shots are matched in terms of the way they look for example, in Psycho the shower scene Marion's eye and the shower plug look similar and has been made into a graphic match. 
The 180-degree rule- The 180 degree rule is a guideline that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship in each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two characters/subjects, it is called crossing the line. 
When editing a conversation you have to start with a master shot, a master shot is a shot when you can see all the people in the conversation and then when you want individual shots of different characters you can go into single shots which is called a cut away shot but also we need to consider that you don't always have to see the person currently talking this links into the effects we can use.

Story boarding : 

^ This is a template of a storyboard                                                      ^ This is an actual storyboard 

A pointer when story boarding is that each shot is one of the boxes and if you want to differentiate between characters story boarding normally uses the type of hair the characters have and what way they are facing.   

Lighting in film

Lighting helps convey the mood or atmosphere of the scene we are observing or within the film. The audience’s attention can be guided by brightly lighting an object or gesture important to the scene/ storyline whilst keeping other minor aspects in relative darkness. At the same time a director can also use shadows to build up suspense by concealing elements in the scene or making the shadows move faster or slower from the audience.

Source of light

In a studio lighting is usually constructed  with 3 main sources as shown by the image above.These are :

1)Key light: this is the main light  it is usually the brightest light and has the most effect when it is in use. for example below  the key light highlights all the main features of the character this is considered the main light because the effect causes us to have an opinion on the object or character.

2)Back light: this light is used to counteract the Key light by doing this is makes the character or object more "rounded".for example below the key light is the sun and it shines through leaving a 3 dimensional look to the object.   

3)Filler light:this light helps soften any strong shadows that may appear because of the Key and Back lights, to achieve this there may be more that one filler light.for example below the shadows in the pictures are a lot softer because they used the filler light in company of the key light. 

Angles and Effects
Lighting may also be used for the effects it may make this is caused by different techniques in lighting angles these are mostly achieved with the key light.These are :

Key lighting :
1) Under lighting:this effect is caused when the key light is placed below the object or character the effect caused is a distortion of what is lit this is used in most horror films for example the picture below shows the spooky effect it makes  and the diagram on the right shows us how the effect is achieved even though it is very simple.

2)Top lighting:this is when the main source of lighting comes from above this may highlight protruding features of the characters face or the object for example in the picture below the person's nose is a main feature on his face there for this blocks light from other features of his face.

3)Back lighting:this is when the light source is behind the object or character this creates the effect of a silhouette the impression the viewer may get of this is mystery or brilliance this mostly depends on the interpretation of the viewer for example in my view the picture below gives an air of brilliance that refers to the sun. 

If anyone has any comments or ideas about the pictures feel free to write them below
Thank you 

Sound in film

In today's lesson we found out about different sounds in the media/film.

There are three key elements of sound in a film these are:

1) Dialogue (conversation)

2) Music

3) Sound effects (footsteps, doors slamming etc.)

Then we were told to think about what out of the three categories was the most effective and emotive during a film, most of the class including me decided that the most emotive and effective type of sound in a film was the music that was added into the scene this is because it is meant to give us an inkling of what the character is feeling or what is to come for example in the end scene of the film The Sixth Sense.

   

The Sixth Sense is a film that is considered to be a Thriller, Mystery and a Drama it came out on the 5th of November 1999,the description of the film is that there is a boy (Haley Joel Osment) that suggests that he can see and communicate with the dead /spirits, no longer being able to take what he is seeing he seeks help from a disheartened child psychologist (Bruce Willis) 

The Sixth Sense is a very good example of how added music may have an effect and may give the viewer an inkling of what it is to come in the 1st clip it is the scene and the music added together this music allows us to feel sorrow for Malcolm (Bruce Willis) and then we understand and feel his inner turmoil even though we haven't been in his exact situation we are able to relate. The 2nd clip is just of the ending music I have always believed that classical music is the most emotive and especially classical music made for scores in films as they are meant to convey a range of emotions and themes this can be to show the emotions of the characters or the theme of the film, for example horror/thriller films mostly use eerie music as it is used to make us believe that something bad is going to happen or may go wrong or even if something is not as it seems as is used in The Sixth Sense ,but for romance films there is normally a floral or upbeat tune to make us feel happy and excited that the character is happy.

Music is mostly used to character our opinion on the character that we see/ acknowledge or the mood of the scene this is greatly shown in the anime film Howl's Moving Castle.

Both are great films I highly recommend them to anyone and to all ages although younger children shouldn't watch the sixth sense since they may be psychologically harmed 

All sounds in film can be divided into two categories:

1) Diegetic sound: this is sound that the character can also hear within the film also described as "sounds from within the world of film for example this may be the rustling of papers or the clicking of shoes these are dialogue, sound effects and many more. 

2) Non-Diegetic sound: this is sound that the character cannot hear within the film this is also described as "sounds from outside the world of the film" for example this is the classical music I talked about earlier or Music in general that isn't being played within the film and many more. 

Then we watched a clip of the last king of Scotland and noted what sounds in the clip were Diegetic or Non-Diegetic:  

1) Diegetic: 

                  Moving of papers

                  Footsteps

                  Door closing

2) Non-Diegetic:

                           Classical music -1) Low tone + Deep

                                                        2) Violin + Cello 

After a brief discussion of what we found as a group we moved on to compare two different film clips and wrote a list like the other: 

Clip 1: Slumdog Millionaire -Train

                                                 Children playing/Talking 

                                                 Splashing water   

                                                 Slow pace music/Motionless

                                                 Harp plucking sound 

                                                 Drums

                                                 Men / shouting 

                                                 Muted/Distorted sound  

Clip 2: Rat Catcher - Distant children playing

                                     Church bell

                                     Boy getting hit on the head 

                                     Running up stairs 

                                     Splashing of water 

After another re-grouping we talked about what categories the sounds we hear may be called we named  them  : 

1) On-screen-sound: this is when we can see the source of the sound being heard for example a whistling sound and you can see the person/character whistling.

2) Off-screen-sound: this is when we can't see the source of the sound being heard for example hearing a distant church bell but not actually seeing the church bell.

Editing sound

when editing sound you have to pay attention to picture and sound so they fit together well .

when editing a conversation you have to start with a master shot,a master shot is a shot when you can see all the people in the conversation and then when you want individual shots of different characters you can go into single shots which is called a cut away but also we need to consider that you don't always have to see the person currently talking this links to on/off screen sound  and it also links onto the effects we can use.

^ Master Shot                                                                  ^ Cutaway shot           

Above I wrote about diegetic and non-diegetic sound but there are two categories within Non-diegetic sound : 
Non-diegetic sound:
Parallel sound: this is sound that does match the scene that is being shown. 
Contrapuntal sound: this is sound that doesn't match the scene that is being shown.

An example of both parallel and contrapuntal sound that we filmed and put on to our clip is on my other posts called The argument: The 3 versions. 

The argument: The three versions

The next few lessons we spent doing camera work, this blog is going to explain the 3 different clips and the positives and negatives of  all there clips.
We did this task to test out Non-diegetic sound including Parallel and Contrapuntal sound and film techniques when filming a cover station in master shot and cutaway shots.

Parallel sound:This is sound that does match the scene that is going on in the clip.

contrapuntal sound:This is sound that doesn't match the scene going on in the clip.

If I had to change anything I would definitely re-group and maybe script what we were to say during the filming because we had no dialogue to improve the scene as you can see it is 51 seconds long and I believe with a better dialogue we could have expanded the scene,also the people being filmed were nervous and I would try to make them feel more at ease so it was serious and I would make sure the camera was in line with the peoples faces as the angle made the shot unattractive.Also thinking positively it was our second time trying out camera skills and our first time adding dialogue and I think we did well for inexperienced people.
But it was a great experience and we did have a larger group to work with.

   

This is the the 1st clip and we believe this is parallel music  because the "couple" are having an argument and the music being played is rap battle music we believed this was a good soundtrack because it suits the scene well and it builds up the tense conversation although we were unscripted so the dialogue was made up we tried making  it serious.during the clip there is a part were the screen goes blank and someone is laughing we did this as an effect to transfer the idea that we were a joke to others and that people were laughing at the couples relationship.

This is the the 2nd clip and we believe this is parallel music  because the "couple" are having an argument and the music being played is a  dub-step mix we believed this was a good soundtrack because it suits the scene well and it builds up the tense conversation although we were unscripted so the dialogue was made up we tried making  it serious and although there is dialogue you can hear the musics dialogue also suits the scene one participant wants to sort out the relationship while the music reflects the others anger  the music on its own can remind a view of a machine malfunctioning and that can be expressed though the "couples" argument too that in some way  the relationship is not working and that one of the characters are really not happy as if her anger is being built  .during the clip there is a part were the screen goes blank and someone is laughing we did this as an effect to transfer the idea that we were a joke to others and that people were laughing at the couples relationship.

This is the 3rd clip during this clip I lowered the sound of the dialogue leaving the music on its own I did this to add the effect that the conversation didn't matter for the people any more and that the tension in body language can show there anger and our dialogue wasn't very good.We believe this music was contrapuntal to the scene being played because the sound track was a soft mellow sound where as the start of the conversation and the body language and gestures clearly show that this isn't a happy conversation although the music sound like music that would belong to a love scene or a reconciliation.