Unit 5
The Language of the Camera
Structure
5.1 Introduction
Objectives
5.2 Visual Communication
5.3 Colour Balance, Shots and Camera Angles
5.4 Camera Movement and Studio Lighting
5.5 Summary
5.6 Glossary
5.7 Terminal Questions
5.8 Answers
5.9 Further Reading
5.1 Introduction
In the previous unit, you studied about the different types of cameras available in the market place as well as the features found on a camera. In this unit, the discussion on cameras continues with the focus on the language of a camera, i.e., shots, composition and lights.
Before delving on the language of a camera, it is absolutely essential to understand visual communication because television happens to be a visual medium. Thus, the unit will begin with a discussion on visual communication. Then the discussion will turn to colour balance and camera angles. Balance in a camera refers to the intensity of colours. The final section of the unit will discuss studio lighting.
Objectives
After going through this unit, you should be able to:
• Define visual communication
• Discuss colour balance, basic shots and camera movement
• Explain the fundamentals of TV production
• explain the mechanisms of studio lighting
5.2 Visual Communication
Television happens to be a visual medium. Whatever one communicates to viewers through the television is basically nothing but visual communication. Visual communication basically means communicating through visual aids and is described as the transfer of ideas and information in intelligible forms. Visual communication is partially or wholly dependent on vision, and is primarily presented or expressed with two-dimensional images; including signs, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, colour and electronic resources.
Communicating with Still Pictures and Videos
Pictures form the common element in visual communication whether it is video, posters, charts, flip charts, slides and so on. Pictures selected must serve the purpose of communication to the viewer (audience) through the subject (content) of communication.
Pictures are usually aimed at stimulating imagination, conveying ideas, presenting facts, organizing knowledge or changing attitudes. The choice of the pictures is made based on facts and information, discussion and debate or skills. Thus, at each stage of your input, you must decide the outcome of your communication. Besides comprehending the purpose of using pictures to communicate ideas, keeping in mind the profile of the audience or the viewer is important.
Videos have been used as a mass media and dissemination tool to a great extent. Many projects at present have an independent unit for production of videos that can help in development work. Video plays a significant role in educating and development of communication. It helps in spreading messages prepared by professional producers.
5.3 Colour Balance, Shots and Camera Angles
Balance refers to the global adjustment of intensities of colours (especially the colour red, green, and blue). An important goal of this adjustment is to render specific colours – particularly neutral colours – correctly; thus, the general method is sometimes called grey balance, neutral balance, or white balance. Colour balance modifies the general mixture of colours in an image and is used for colour correction. The basic idea behind colour balance is to get colours besides neutrals to appear appropriate or pleasing.
Different kinds of lighting appear identical to the human visual system. Our brain automatically compensates for it, so that a white object appears white against any light. But a subject in the shade is slightly bluer than the same subject in bright daylight, and radiant light bulbs are orange in comparison with both.
People shooting a film are required to use coloured filters on their lenses (or special films). Digital cameras can digitally alter the colour information from its sensors to compensate for the various colours converging from various light sources. The setting that controls how and to what extent this is done is termed as white balance.
5.3.1 Camera Shots
In filmmaking, a shot is a series of frames, which runs for a continuous time period. Film shots are a vital part of a movie where angles, transitions and cuts are used to further convey emotion, ideas and movement.
The term ‘shot’ can refer to two different parts of the filmmaking process:
a) In production, a shot is the moment that the camera starts rolling until the moment it stops.
b) In film editing, a shot is the nonstop footage or sequence between two edits or cuts.
Let us now study the different sorts of camera shots used by camera operators. They are as follows: (a) Extreme long shot
An extreme long shot can be taken from as far as half a kilometer away and is typically employed by camera operators as a scene-setting, establishing shot. An extreme long shot usually depicts exterior settings like scenic landscape or outside of buildings. There are few details visible in an extreme long shot and it is generally employed to give a general impression rather than specific information to a viewer.
(b) Long Shot
A long shot typically depicts the subject in his or her entirety and is intended to place the subject in relation to his or her surroundings. While a long shot focuses on characters, a lot of background detail becomes conspicuous. It is also referred to as a full shot. The basic use of a long shot or extreme long shot is to establish the scene before he viewers and therefore these are considered important.
(c) Medium
Shot
A medium shot depicts a figure from the knees/waist above and is generally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action. Variations in relation to medium shots include the two shot (containing two figures from the waist up) and the three shot (contains 3 figures). If the shot contains more than three figures than the shot becomes a long shot. In medium shots, background detail is minimal, probably because location has been established earlier in the scene. Another type of medium shot is the Over the Shoulder Shot, which positions the camera behind the shoulders of one figure while depicting another figure.
(d) Close-Up
A close-up shot, as the name suggests, depicts a subject from up close. In such shots the focus is on a specific detail and not on the background. A close up shot is taken to magnify the subject to show its importance.
(e) Extreme Close-Up
As its name suggests, an extreme close-up shot is an extreme version of the close up shot. An example of an extreme close-up shot would be an extreme close-up of a face that shows only the eyes or lips without any background detail. This is a very artificial shot, and can be used for dramatic effect. The tight focus required means that extra care must be taken when setting up and lighting the shot – the slightest camera shake or error in focal length is very noticeable. The extreme close up shot is also known as Big Close-up shot. The basic use of big or extreme close up is to highlight the facial expressions of a character.
Along with this, other advanced camera shots exists. They are discussed below.
Advanced Camera Shot Types
• Two Shot: A shot that depicts two individuals (or other individuals) together.
• Cut Away (CA): Cutaways shots are employed in the editing process to fill in footage which is different from the main action.
• Point of View (POV): A point-of-view shot is an effective shot that makes the viewer feel that they are viewing the action from the point-of-view of the performer. It is taken from near the eyelevel of the actor and shows what he or she might see. It could be used to give the perspective of other animals too like a frog, a bird, or a fish.
• Cut in Shot: It is a type of shot that depicts some part of the subject, like their hands or feet, in detail.
5.3.2 Camera Angles
The relationship between the camera and the object being photographed provides the audience with emotional information, and directs their judgment with regard to the character or object in concern with regard to the shot. The extremity of the angle is directly proportional to the symbolism of the shot. The various types of camera angles that can be employed by a camera operator are as follows:
o Bird’s-Eye View: As the name suggests, this presents a scene from directly above.
• High Angle: Here, the camera is elevated above the scene of action using a crane for a general overview. High angles make the photographed object seem smaller, and less significant (or scary). The object or character often gets dissolved by their setting as they become part of a broader picture.
• Eye Level: A fairly neutral shot; here, the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that actors’ heads are on a level with the focus. The camera is placed approximately five to six feet from the ground.
• Low Angle: Such an angle increases the height and give a sense of speed–up motion. The background of a low angle shot tends to be just sky or ceiling, thus disorienting the viewer. This angle is used to make characters seem larger than life and more powerful.
• Oblique/Canted Angle: Sometimes the camera is tilted to portray or imply imbalance, transition and instability. This technique is used to depict point-of-view shots.
Activity 1
Using the Internet as your resource, watch videos of various camera shots and camera angles discussed above.
Self-Assessment Questions
1. Fill in the blanks using appropriate words.
(a) __________ basically means communicating through visual aids and is described as the transfer of ideas and information in intelligible forms.
(b) _________ modifies the general mixture of colours in an image and is used for colour correction.
(c) An _________ can be taken from as far as half a kilometer away and is typically employed by camera operators as a scene-setting, establishing shot.
(d) ________ are employed in the editing process to fill in footage which is different from the main action.
(e) A ___________ depicts a figure from the knees/waist above and is generally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action.
5.4 Camera Movement and Studio Lighting
Camera movement is an essential part of the language of a camera. Through the movement of a camera, a director decides on the movement of action. Unlike still camera shots, moving a camera is often time-consuming, and decelerates the action, since an effective moving camera shot takes a long time while the same information may be presented on screen in a series of fast cuts. A camera operator or the director must chose the style of movement and the method of moving the camera depending on what is being conveyed. The following are the basic methods of camera movement:
• Pans: This is a movement that horizontally scans a scene. The camera is mounted on a tripod, which serves as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned, often to follow a moving object kept in the middle of the frame.
• Tilts: It is a movement that scans a scene vertically.
• Tracking Shots: These shots are sometimes called trucking shots. The camera is mounted on a moving vehicle parallel to the action, usually following a figure or object in motion. Complicated tracking shots are featured by a track being laid on set for the camera to follow, thus the name. The camera might be placed on a car, a plane, or even a shopping trolley, which makes it economical.
• Handheld Shots: The hand-held movie camera was widely used during the Second World War. After the war, documentary movies took over commercial movies, demanding the production of smaller, lighter cameras that could be moved in and out of a scene fast, producing a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ effect.
5.4.1 Studio Lighting
Lighting has two goals: to get enough light and to use the light you have to shape and define objects in the scene. Lighting is often tried out ‘on paper’ by using a lighting diagram before it is actually set. Many potential problems can be spotted in the process of constructing a lighting diagram. The most common of these is to light for a theoretical ‘stage front’ instead of lighting for specific camera positions. It’s also useful in anticipating problems with shadows falling where they are not wanted.
Let us now look at some of the lighting methods employed in the visual media.
Three-Point Lighting
The Three Point Lighting Technique is a standard technique employed in visual media such as video, film, still photography and computer-generated imagery. It is a simple and versatile system forming the basis of most lighting. The technique uses three lights called the key light, fill light and back light. You will need three lights to utilize the technique fully, but the principles are still important even if you only use one or two lights. As a rule:
• If there is only have one light, it becomes the key.
• If there are two lights, one is the key and the other is either the fill or the backlight.
Key Light: This is the main light that is usually the strongest and has the maximum influence on the appearance of the scene. It is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that the side is well lit and the other side has some shadow.
Fill Light: This is the secondary light placed on the opposite side of the key light. It is used to fill the shadows created by the key light. The fill will usually be softer and less bright than the key. To achieve this, you could move the light further away or use some spun. You might also want to set the fill light to more of a flood than the key.
Back Light: The back light is placed behind the subject and lights it from the rear. Rather than providing direct lighting (like the key and fill), its purpose is to provide definition and subtle highlights around the subject’s outlines. This helps separate the subject from the background and provide a three-dimensional impact.
A fourth light could be used to light the background of the entire scene.
Setting up the Lights
The following describes how one can set up the lighting in the studio:
(a) Start in Darkness: There should be no default lights and no global ambience. When you add your first light, there should be no other light in the scene.
(b) Add your Key Light: The Key light creates the subject’s main illumination, and defines the most visible lighting and shadows. Key light is representative of the dominant light source, such as the sun, a window, or ceiling light - although the key does not have to be positioned exactly at this source. Create a spot light to serve as the key. From the top view, offset the key light 15 to 45 degrees to the side (to the left or right) of the camera. From a side view, raise the key light above the camera, so that it hits your subject from about 15 to 45 degrees higher than the camera angle.
(c) Add your Fill Light(s): Fill light softens and extends the illumination provided by the key light, and makes more of the subject visible. Fill light can simulate light from the sky (other than the sun), secondary light sources such as table lamps, or reflected and bounced light in your scene. With several functions for fill lights, you may add several of them to a scene. Spot lights are the most useful, but point lights may be used.
From the top view, a fill light should come from a generally opposite angle than the key – if the key is on the left, the fill should be on the right. However, one should not make all of the lighting symmetrical. The fill can be raised to the subject’s height, but should be lower than the key. At most, fill lights can be about half as bright as your key (a key-to-fill ratio of 2:1). For more shadowy environments, use only 1/8th the key’s brightness (a key-to-fill ratio of 8:1). If multiple fills overlap, their sum still should not compete with the key.
Shadows from a fill light are optional, and often skipped. To simulate reflected light, tint the fill colour to match colours from the environment.
(d) Add Rim Light. The rim light (also called back light) creates a bright line around the edge of the object, to help visually separate the object from the background. From the top view, add a spot light, and position it behind the subject, opposite from the camera. From the right view, position the back light above the subject. Adjust the rim light until it gives a clear, bright outline that highlights the top or side edge for the subject. Rim lights can be as bright as necessary to achieve the glints one wants around the hair or sides of the subject. A rim light usually needs to cast shadows. Often one will need to use light linking to link rim lights only with the main subject being lit, so that it creates a rim of light around the top or side of the subject, without affecting the background.
Three point lighting can be a simple starting point for lighting just about any subject. In a more complex scene, there are other types of lights used as well: These include practical lights, bounce lights, kickers, and specular lights, which serve other visual functions.
The vocabulary of describing lights by their visual function is something you can apply in any scene. There is usually some direction from which the light is brightest, and that is where the key light should come from. Nature plays a vital and dominant role in decisions related to an outdoor shot. In outdoor shots, the sun fills in for the studio’s key, fill and backlight. In the role of key light, the sun classically fits the definition when one uses a reflector to target it exactly where one needs it. It is pertinent to note that reflectors are easy to move, and their bounced sunlight is a softer light. Moreover, the size of the source determines the softness of a light - the bigger the reflector, the softer the light. Morning and late afternoon are best angles to contour shadows when working with sunlight as the key light. As the sun moves, the colour of the light also changes. The sun can also be used as a rim light - or back or hair light - to separate the subject from the background.
Reflectors come in a range of varieties, from art-store purchases of white core board to photography-store flexible reflectors. With many sizes, colours and price ranges, the choice of reflectors depends on how one plans to hold them: the way to reflect light is to keep the material steady in the wind. One must be aware of rippling fabric reflectors, which create a wavy light or core boards that blow out of position.
Diffusing sunlight can be a challenge. There are professional diffusers, light stands and arms for this specific purpose. The quick solution to a bright day is simply to find a tree to act as a natural diffuser. If there is a need to shoot with the sun behind the subject, one can place a reflector in front of the subject to increase the light in the shadows.
High Key and Low Key Lighting
A high key image is a bright image full of light and mostly white tones while a low key image is dark with minimal lighting and rich in black tones and lots of shadow areas. High key lighting is usually far more complex and requires many more lights than low key lighting. Low key can be achieved with just one or two lights and a couple of reflectors.
Moreover, high key images as well as low key images make intensive but divergent use of contrast. When approaching a shoot of a dramatic portrait, the decision of making it a high key, low key or
‘just’ a regular image has a great impact about the mood that this picture will convey. High key images are considered happy, whereas low key portraits are dramatic and convey a lot of atmosphere and tension. Let us explore these two dramatic lighting alternatives further.
When looking at a high key picture, there are two things one notices right away. The first is that the picture is extremely bright. To create a high key image one needs to set exposure levels to high values. However, one should be careful so not as to over–expose. The other noticeable feature of high key images is the lack of contrast. Not only is the tone bright, it is spread evenly across the scene. This is done by carefully setting the lighting of the picture. Shadows cast by the model (or subject) are suppressed by lighting in the scene.
On the other hand, in low key images, the tone is darker, and the controlling colour is usually black. In such images, there are a lot of dark areas in the picture. Low key images are also notable for the considerable amount of contrast that they display. The rim light is most conspicuous in low key images. A light surrounds the subject illuminating only the contours of the shape. Thus, there is a contrast between dark shapes and bright contours in low key images.
Some illustrations of 3 point lighting would be nice to have, since the descriptions can be a bit difficult to visualize.
Self-Assessment Questions
2. Fill in
the blanks using appropriate words.
(a) Tracking shots are sometimes called _________.
(b) The ____________ technique is a simple and versatile system forming the basis of most lighting.
(c) The ________ is the secondary light placed on the opposite side of the key light.
(d) A ________ is dark with minimal lighting and rich in black tones and lots of shadow areas.
(e) To create a __________ one needs to set exposure levels to high values.
5.5 Summary
Let us recapitulate the important concepts discussed in this unit:
• Visual communication basically means communicating through visual aids and is described as the transfer of ideas and information in intelligible forms.
• Balance refers to the global adjustment of intensities of colours (especially the colour red, green, and blue).
• An important goal of this adjustment is to render specific colours – particularly neutral colours – correctly; thus, the general method is sometimes called grey balance, neutral balance, or white balance.
• In filmmaking, a shot is a series of frames, which runs for a continuous time period.
• Film shots are a vital part of a movie where angles, transitions and cuts are used to further convey emotion, ideas and movement.
• The relationship between the camera and the object being photographed provides the audience with emotional information, and directs their judgment with regard to the character or object in concern with regard to the shot.
• The extremity of the angle is directly proportional to the symbolism of the shot.
• Camera movement is an essential part of the language of a camera. Through the movement of a camera, a director decides on the movement of action.
• Unlike still camera shots, moving a camera is often time-consuming, and decelerates the action, since an effective moving camera shot takes a long time while the same information may be presented on screen in a series of fast cuts.
• The Three Point Lighting Technique is a standard technique employed in visual media such as video, film, still photography and computer-generated imagery. It is a simple and versatile system forming the basis of most lighting.
• A high key image is a bright image full of light and mostly white tones while a low key image is dark with minimal lighting and rich in black tones and lots of shadow areas.
• High key lighting is usually far more complex and requires many more lights than low key lighting.
• In low key images, the tone is darker, and the controlling colour is usually black. In such images, there are a lot of dark areas in the picture.
• Low key images are also notable for the considerable amount of contrast that they display.
5.6 Glossary
• Colour Balance: In photography and image processing, colour balance is the global adjustment of the intensities of the colours.
• Shots: In filmmaking and video production, a shot is a series of frames, that runs for an uninterrupted period of time. Film shots are an essential aspect of a movie where angles, transitions and cuts are used to further express emotion, ideas and movement.
• Fill Light: a supplementary light used in photography or filming that does not change the character of the main light and is used chiefly to lighten shadows.
• Key Light: the main source of light in a photograph or film.
5.7 Terminal Questions
1. Write a short note on visual communication.
2. Describe the basic camera shots employed by a camera operator.
3. What are the various types of camera angles that can be employed by a camera operator?
4. Describe three point lighting and explain what do you understand by high key and low key lighting?
5. Examine the lighting methods employed in the visual media.
6. How does one set up the lighting in the studio?
5.8 Answers
Answers to Self-Assessment Questions
1. (a) Visual communication; (b) Colour balance; (c) extreme long shot; (d) cutaway shots; (e) medium shot.
2. (a) trucking shots; (b) three point lighting; (c) fill light; (d) low key image; (e) high key image.
3. (a) prime; (b) focal length; (c) normal lens; (d) zoom lens; (e) depth.
Answers to Terminal Questions
1. Refer to Sections 5.2
2. Refer to Section 5.3.1
3. Refer to Section 5.3.2
4. Refer to Section 5.4.1
5. Refer to Section 5.4.1
6. Refer to Section 5.4.1
5.9 Further Reading
1. Utterback Andrew. Studio Television Production and Directing. London: Taylor & Francis, 2007.
2. Donald R. Ralph and Riley Maynard. Fundamentals of Television Production. Noida: Pearson Education, 2007.
3. Zettl Herbert. Television Production Handbook. New Delhi: Cengage Learning India, 2011.
4. Mehta Nalin. Television in India: Satellites, Politics and Cultural Change. London: Routledge, 2008.
5. Millerson Gerald and Jim Owens. Television Production. London: Taylor & Francis, 2012.
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