Blog 18 - Creative Camera Use

In the creating of our video we had to use a number of different effects and techniques. For example at the very beginning of our video we sped up the sunset by 5000% and then reversed it to create the opening 5 seconds. We also used a number of different camera movements to create different shots. In seconds 12 - 22 we used a panning shot of the forest we were setting the video in. This also worked well as an establishing shot as it set the scene for the rest of the video. Another type of shot we used was a close up. This allowed the audience to see facial expressions very clearly. We found this worked well as part of a powerful beginning:

Another way in which we used a close up was to apply the rule of thirds. This meant the subjects face was in the left third of the shot as this is where the viewers eyes are naturally drawn to. It was also important for us to ensure she was singing in time to the music so that she could be lip synced correctly.

Another type of shot we used was an extreme close up. We used this when filming in the studio for the scene when the boy is building the coffins. We wanted to show the significance of this section and felt it was important to show details such as a nail being hammered in to clearly show the narrative:

We also used this type of shot to focus on the eyes of the male character. This was highlighted as the most important part of his body and therefore showed a relationship between him and the main female character when the shots cut between the two of them. this was to relate to the use of 'MY' in the song title which suggest a relationship.

We used different transition effects between shots such as cross fades and jump cuts. We used cross fades on the parts of the music that were slower such as the long 'you' at the end.

Other camera techniques we used included slowing down footage. This worked well in one of our ending shots when the main character was running across a Field. Slowing it down worked well with the tempo of he music and there was an abstract contrast between the action of her running and the speed at which it was shown.