Essay Example on How do filmmakers use camera techniques to tell a story?

Essential Question How do filmmakers use camera techniques to tell a story Have you ever read a book that captured your attention Authors use written language to communicate their story When you read a book the author provides some details of the event but the reader is left to fill in other details of the scene in his or her mind Each reader creates a slightly different version of the scene Additionally the reader uses the author s descriptions to imagine what the characters look and sound like The author may provide some details but ultimately the reader creates the images in their brain Authors use written language while storytellers use a combination of descriptive spoken language facial expressions voices phrasing and timing to weave their tale You are being drawn in and your imagination is stimulated Storytellers remove one detail from the reader s responsibilities Storytellers are also tasked with creating the characters voices The readers no longer has to imagine what the character sounds like This information has been provided to them Both authors and storytellers share one common trait 

They strive to produce an image with words There is no visual scenery to watch Based on descriptions the reader or listener must fill in the details The reader or listener is given the responsibility of creating images in their brain The story becomes very personal to the reader or listener One person may imagine the scene just a little differently than another person Authors and storytellers help you create the scene in your mind and you experience the events as they unfold Filmmakers are also artists that tell a story Filmmakers are different than authors and storytellers in one respect Filmmaking is a combination of spoken words with visual imagery Unlike books or storytelling where your imagination must supply a visual image of the scene the filmmaker must provide all the images to the audience as well as the sounds The viewer is no longer responsible for providing these details Some people prefer reading books where they get to create the scenes using their imagination while others enjoy the luxury of viewing the scene through someone else's imagination Using camera techniques to tell a story The camera is one of the tools that filmmakers use to tell a story Filmmakers must master the art of storytelling through the camera lens 

After you watch a movie people will often comment on how good an actor was but it is rare to hear anyone comment on the camera work Good camera work should enhance the movie but should be so subtle that you are not distracted by it So how do you use a camera to tell a story It seems pretty easy just point the camera at the subject and press record But after decades of film making directors have developed techniques to enhance the storytelling process SHOTS ANGLES and MOVEMENT Over time filmmakers have discovered that the audience will quickly lose interest in the production if the camera just sits stationary focused on the scene Today's audiences expect different camera shots from various angles and the video should include camera movement The view may change from a close up shot of an actor's face to a long shot of the room and then to a shot of an item on a desk The camera may move with an actress as she walks through the scene or change to a wide shot of the scene from overhead All of this happens within 5 seconds In fact if you watch a television show today you will see that the view rarely if ever remains on one shot for more than ten seconds 

Try it the next time you are watching TV You will see the audience is presented several views of the scene in a short period of time Each view is selected because it serves a purpose In filmmaking nothing is random Each view has been carefully chosen based on its ability to accomplish one or more of these tasks Relay information Presents facts the audience needs to know Express emotions Encourage the audience to connect emotionally Encourage thought Foreshadowing Clues that let the audience predict upcoming events Imagine a scene where a character has just been given bad news The actress is portraying the emotions that a person might experience when given tragic news There is shock disbelief denial and anger She has tears in her eyes and her lip is quivering Other characters in the scene may be expressing empathy for her If the filmmaker chooses to use a long shot of the entire scene the emotional impact will be lost This scene requires carefully placed close up shots to capture all of the emotions being portrayed Directors use three camera techniques to create a scene Shots Angles Movements