"New Wave" Production Brief

Lighting and Camera Techniques for Cinematic new wave: Assignment Brief

Task

To create a 3-minute short film in the style of French New Wave cinema, including stylistic lighting and camera techniques E.g. low key lighting, extreme or unusual camera angles and movement. To better imitate the French New Wave style the film must be either shot in or edited in monochrome black and white, with alterations to the overall contrast of the footage if required.

Production Scenario/Techniques

The scenario for our production is a series of conversations between varying groups of people preferably of the same age group, these subjects will be given a question, which they will discuss amongst themselves exactly like a regular conversation that people of this age group would have on a daily basis. The subjects will be filmed from various angles, ranges and  various techniques will be included such as.

·       Close up shots of the subjects facial features, expressions and (optional) gestures and body movements

·      Mid/long shots to allow the camera to view the area surrounding the subjects and the subjects themselves.

·      Tracking/Panning shots of the subjects to either show them as a group or whilst the subjects are moving.

·      Jump cuts from subject to subject and the environment to separate the conversation and to connect to other conversations (E.g. one subject within a group asks a question and it cuts to a subject in a different group to answer the question).

·      POV shots to show subjects field of vision during the conversation and to show other subjects and environment.

·      The camera will sometimes “drift” from the subjects to view something unrelated in the environment to suggest the camera has become “bored” and the subjects conversation is just background noise in imitation of real life, also this could be used to remind that it is a film to the audience by e.g. showing another camera present in the background.

The use of lighting is also vital during the production so various techniques will be employed to either add importance or exaggeration to a point in the film. Also the use of low-key lighting is required to keep in line with the French New Wave style so at times either a location is required that already has low key lighting or it will need to be created E.g. using a small light source and a reflector. The lighting techniques will also need to be used to compliment the camera techniques E.g. Hard light used for a close up of the subjects face. The lighting techniques required for this are as follows:

·      Low-key lighting is required to keep in line with the French New Wave style, so either location; editing or technical skill is needed.

·      The use of Hard and Soft light is important so various light sources are required of changing degrees of size and intensity E.g. a small torch for Hard light and making use of natural light for Soft lighting.

·      The use of a reflector to make use of different light sources in a location that does not allow it naturally, or for when a certain source and intensity of light is required.

·      The use of light to highlight subjects features or objects in the environment to empathize either subject matter of the conversation or a certain element of the environment.

Summary

The vast majority of these techniques will be utilized in the production of this film to imitate the French new wave style, however it will be edited together in many different ways to create an individual film for each participant in its production.  These techniques are to be used in an attempt to imitate the new wave style and will be planned out prior to actual filming to avoid mistakes in either the lighting, camera tech, filming or editing.