Cinematic New Wave Assignment Brief

Camera and Lighting Techniques Unit: Assignment Brief

To create a 3 minute sequence/scene in the style of the French New Wave. To be shot/edited in a high contrast monochrome, using as many stylistic techniques conventional of the French New Wave.

For Example;
Innovative camera movement - making use of objects that already move (i.e in Godard's A Bout de Souffle (1960), Patrica is watched by the camera as both her and the camera travel up an escalator).
Different use of lighting techniques - low key/hard/soft lighting. Trying out different techniques in or to make use of natural lighting, i.e. use of a reflector etc.


Narrative/exploring issues
 The scene that we have decide to shoot will consist of a series of conversations, preferably between a group of young people (18-24?), commenting on contemporary social issues. We aim to achieve a natural looking discussion shooting in a 'real' environment (found through location scouting) and by asking them questions with such topics in mind and simply asking them to comment on them. This allows for a certain degree of improvisation but with slight direction. By allowing the actors to go where they wish with their answer, we are able to further explore the issues of
concentration span; how long does it take for the for the conversation to drift of topic etc. Are concentration levels diminishing due to the ease at which we now access information?

Techniques to include:
Camera;
Close up - face/hands/feet, showing emotion/how people fidget even when mid-conversation.
Tracking/panning - act as establishing shots.
Jump Cuts - use of editing to further suggesting our French new wave inspired style.
Camera Drift - links with idea of concentration span, even camera can't focus for long.

Composition - Thirds

                        Accurate Balance

                        Leading Lines

                        Equal Symmetry

Lighting;
Low Key - encapsulates the style of the French new wave, allows us to develop good lighting skills.
Hard/Soft - to allow us to accurate execute these lighting style we may have to experiment with different sources of light. i.e small touch etc
Natural - this is another important to technique for us and in order to carry this out well we may have to make use of REFLECTOR to encourage use of natural light. Again, keeping to the French new wave inspiration noted in the brief but also allowing us to develop our lighting skills.

Other;
Take audience out of the film - break the escapist nature of mainstream film, force the audience to realise that they are watching a film.