Classwork: Clapboard

Here are the additional classwork about clapboard that our teacher explained during the lesson which would further help our project creation process. This blog post is written by me (Chelsea). 

During a lesson class, our teacher explained briefly about clapboard and its importance for both production and post-production processes. Here, he explained how to use a basic clapboard and provided a visual explanation, making it easier for the whole class to understand. Using a clapboard taught me a few important things, one of which is that it can tremendously reduce time and allow for more efficient organisation. Since the scene number and takes are written as the thumbnail, it is easier to identify which scenes are which when compiling the files in, for instance, Google Drive because we can already tell from the cover which ones to select for editing. Furthermore, it is helpful to sync sound to the image because background noise may sometimes be a problem. Since students lack professional filming microphone equipment, our teacher suggests hiding a hidden microphone or using a phone voice recorder while filming. The sound of the clap also makes it easier to synchronise and helps identify the shot's starting point.

Here is a video from StudioBinder my teacher shared for us to watch:

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-use-a-film-slate/ 

I've summarised what I learned from the video below:

What is a clapperboard?

A clapperboard (also known as a slate) is a piece of equipment used in film and video production which is used to sync picture and audio, as well as to present information about a scene. 

Appearance of a clapboard:

- Initially, clapperboards were either wooden or chalkboards. They are typically whiteboard material these days, making them more durable and easier to light because they're translucent

- The strips usually have black and white stripes for maximum visibility in all settings. Occasionally, it includes other colours in order to provide a constant reference point during the colour correction process 

- Some clapperboards have smart slates; electronics that include time codes and metadata. While slates without this information are called dummy slates

The 2 main roles of a clapperboard:

1.) It helps to keep all the footage organised and a way for editors to sync sound and picture during the post-production process. Written on the board is the information for each take or shot during production, the editors then can quickly identify which shot is which when they assemble the film 

2.) It syncs the sound to the picture. At majority sound and image are recorded separately so matching the visual and the audio is the quickest way to synchronise. When editing, the editor can look at the sound waves captured by the in-camera audio and the sound waves of the sound equipment, and then line up the spike created by the clap 

Here is what a typical clapboard look like:

How to mark a clapboard properly? 

- Most of clapperboards contain the following information for the editorial team: 

↪ names of the project

↪ director and DP

↪ camera roll or card number

↪ scene number

↪ take number

↪ fps & lens info

↪ whether there is sound being recorded or not

↪ if the scene is an interior or exterior, day or night

All these information is used by the editorial team to keep the footage organised and to cross reference the script supervisor's notes on additional information for each shot 

- When the camera and sound are rolling, the 2nd Assistant Camera holds the clapboard in front of the camera, making sure the information is visible. They call out the scene and take number to be recorded on the audio, and then they say, “mark.” At this point, they clap the sticks together to provide that sync point. Then the director calls action and the scene is recorded.

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I've never realised how important a clapboard is for filming until my teacher's explanation during class. I've always known that clapboards are commonly used in the film industry but I never dived deeper into what the actual purpose is. After hearing my teacher's explanation, I realised that using a clapboard can save a lot of time and that not using one can result in significant production delays. Clapboards are helpful for identifying clips from multiple takes and for syncing sound and audio, which makes editing easier. Based on that, my group and I decided to buy a clapboard as soon as possible. Once our clapboard finally arrived, it has been really helpful and efficient for me and my team during the shooting process. It also makes file gathering and editing much easier and faster. Overall, we had no regrets with buying a clapboard and would definitely use it for future projects.

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Classwork: Technical Elements

Here I will summarise all the technical elements I learned during class (most of the material are taught by the teacher). Most of the notes are in written form, however I will be transferring most of them digitally here This post is written by me (Chelsea). 

CAMERA

Camera Angles

View link: https://padlet.com/chelseatirta1/camera-angles-3r3y9y1vs4cezhai

Practice on camera angles short analysis from the movies "Cast Away" and "Revenant"

Camera Movements

1.) Static: Still, no movement, calm, boring, no action, usually to show dialogue and focuses on composition and what is currently happening

2.) Pan: The camera stays the same but moves left and right, this is used to reveal something and follow what a subject do and is often fast 

3.) Tilt: The camera pans but it moves up and down, to make audience feel like they are moving their head, this gives the character dominance and can reveal more information (e.g. a character's setting)

4.) Push in: The camera moves towards the subject but the subject stays still, capturing the character's feeling and makes the audience feel connected

5.) Pull out: Creates a barrier between audience and subject, making them feel disconnected by detaching from a scene

6.) Zoom: Change the focal length of a camera, to reveal context and draws audience attention

7.) Tracking: The camera moves with the subject or where the character is going

8.) Trucking: The camera follows a subject from the side

9.) Boom: The camera moves up and down to reveal more information, capture surrounding, or to follow a character's action

10.) Random: Also known as camera shake, it is often shaky, handheld and no pattern, this creates a subjective experience, more realistic, creates excitement and energetic (e.g. a fight scene) 

Camera movements summarised into a more simple and concise format:

MISE-EN-SCENE

- Definition: Mise-en-scene is the arrangement and design of visual elements within a frame or a scene, it is essentially everything you can see in the frame

- Mise-en-scene includes: props, set design, costume, hair, make up, colour, performance, lighting, blocking, focus, weather and environment

- Purpose: To convey emotions, theme, mood, character traits and atmosphere

SOUND

Written notes in class and practice on analysing diegetic & non-diegetic sound from the movies "Saving Private Ryan" and "Jurrasic Park"

EDIT

THEORIES 

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The classwork we have been doing has been really beneficial, since I will undoubtedly use all the materials and resources I have learnt about technical elements to my music video project. As I’m already familiar with these technical elements, this post made it easier for me to recall back what I have learned and how to apply it to my project. Creating this blog post is also helpful because I can simply refer back to it if I need to remember something again because all of the notes are arranged here and are not cluttered. In addition to making the lesson fun and enjoyable, our teacher always ensured that we understood the subjects being covered and always provided explanations in words that we could all understand. Generally, I find that writing down my notes is more helpful than typing them online since it helps me better with memorisation and recall. I also use highlighters to make the main ideas or points easier to read and identify. Additionally, we get to view many different films while practicing technical elements, which makes them quite fun even when at times they are challenging. By further practicing and assessing my critical thinking and analysis abilities, I will be able to get more knowledge and proficiency for my music video project or exam, demonstrating that I truly understand its meaning and know how to apply it to properly convey a clear message to the audience.

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Filming Schedule

Here is the filming schedule for our shooting. I created this shooting schedule table and my teammates contributed to discuss and add any necessary information that is important for this production process.  

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Creating a filming schedule has tremendously helped me and my group to ensure that the production stays on track and uses time that is allocated for each scene shoot efficiently. A filming schedule gather the resources that we need to use during the shooting such as the cast, props or equipments. The use of the application Jotform has enabled us to organise everything in one place in detail as well as the calendar feature to serve as a reminder on when to shoot.

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Location Scout & Risk Assessment

Here is my location scout for our potential locations for our music video made by Kalista and Rara.

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My teammates (Kalista & Rara) made this location scout and risk assessment of all the possible locations that are appropriate for each scene of our music video as the pre-production process. They have listed out all the points that needed to be considered including the advantages and disadvantages of each location and any possible hazards and risks that might happen. This research aids us in making decisions of which location is the most suitable to shoot at without causing any damage or harm to the actors as well as the surroundings. Furthermore, the risk assessment table made me become more aware of the potential hazards and the need for increased caution.

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Screen Test

To find a star for our music video, we need to conduct a screen test. Here I will explain the brief definition and purpose of conducting a screen test, the screen test video we conducted as a class and the review regarding the video. This blog is written by me (Chelsea). 

Brief overview of screen test 

According to studiobinder.com, a screen test is a filmed audition in which an actor demonstrates their suitability for a role, in this case, a music video. Generally, actors are given lines of the lyrics to lip sync and perform on camera. Other than that, screen tests are also utilised to see how clothing, makeup, colours and other accessories may appear on an already casted actor. 

Benefits of using a screen test includes:

➠ To see how actor performs on camera

➠ Testing wardrobe, makeup, accessories on the actor to see if they fit the visual style 

➠ Determining chemistry between 2 actors

➠ Having audition footage to help make decisions later 

Below is the video of our class's group audition. We did this as a class, where we all simultaneously acted & lip synced to the song, "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen. Although this song (rock) does not fit with our genre (pop), we chose this song because the lyrics were familiar and the song overall was quite upbeat (matching many of our chosen songs). 

Screen test video link: https://youtu.be/LL4o9gvDgdw?si=Spm2JMCV3pYxYebL

Screen test review

As stated in the beginning of the video, for our music video (song choice: 'The Weekend' by BIBI, 88rising), we were essentially looking for an actor who is:  

✔ Feminine yet confident and bold

✔ Comfortable on camera (not awkward) 

✔ Had the charisma of a possible star 

✔ Matches our planned wardrobe and makeup 

➝ Our main star target is a female, as the song is sung by a female, hence we would eliminate all males from this screen test. However, we might use them as side characters as we want to incorporate male(s) in this music video as well (perhaps no face is being shown so appearance does not matter in this case).

➝ We want our main star to be feminine while also being confident and bold, which means she should be expressive on screen. However, according to the screen test, the majority of the girls here are quiet and reserved, which does not match our primary star's personality.

Overall, we did not find any suitable candidate for our music video, hence we will conduct another screen test that focuses on each individual to analyse their suitability more detailed and precise. 

(individual screen test) 

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Conducting a screen test is quite new to me, especially when I'm participating in the screen test, and I've never done it before. Although I was a little awkward because I'm not used to being on screen, it was a fun experience for the class as a whole, and most of us are enjoying our time together. I also learned how important a screen test is in finding the right candidate for our main star through assessing how they perform on camera. In comparison with when the candidates were already chosen without any screen test, this will result in expectations or vision that is not met when they perform on screen for our final music video, so a screen test helps to ensure that the chosen star truly meets our criteria. Although the class screen test had no suitable candidates for our music video, we had other persons in mind outside of class as our main star, in which we conducted a separate individual screen test.  

(reflection about individual screen test) 

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