Camera Shots Quiz
Wow... long time no see. We had a project earlier this week. The goal of it was to create a story with two inanimate objects and fifteen still shots. On the assignment was a list of ten shots and some angles we were required to use in the project. The rest was up to us.
My partner and I began by brainstorming. We really wanted to solidify our idea for the story, however I am sure that to an outsider's perspective, it looked like we were doing a whole lot of absolutely nothing. Anyhow, we ended up settling on a story about a plastic water bottle who is being bullied by a metal water bottle. We then moved on to creating a shot list. The main point of this project was to be able tell a story with shot choice, so, obviously, we took our time planning the shots as well. Quality over quantity is always a great thing to aim for. I'm sure you've heard that plenty of times, though.
The first half of the story sees the metal water bottle as this big, bad bully, which is why we emphasize this using low angle shots. The plastic water bottle is this weak, helpless dude who clearly wants no issues with the metal water bottle, and is therefore framed within a high angle shot. We show their relationship using two shots. However, the second half of the project tells an entirely different story. One about the support you are able to gain through friendship, and the emptiness one feels without it. You will see this down below. Bottom line is that we really, really, really wanted the shots to reflect the characters' thoughts and emotions.
With a plan already established, shooting the project was quick and easy, taking around only twenty minutes. We did this during our lunch break. A group of my friends followed us around while we shot it... it felt like we had paparazzi or something. Such a fun experience.
I believe my partner and I did an excellent job at creating an interesting short story, planning the shots, and executing our plan. Everything we did had intention behind it, which is what we are to strive for when we will be creating full scale projects later on. If I could improve one thing about our project, it would be that our over the shoulder shot, the second shot, was not very over the shoulder-y. To fix this, I would have positioned the camera closer to the subject on the left so that the view of the metal water bottle lurking behind him is truly positioned over his shoulder. This would also give a closer look at the plastic bottle's face, which shows his obliviousness.
Overall, I am pleased with how my partner and I did on this project. Good job, us!
-jd