teaching Advanced Film-W Production Techniques If, Storyboards, set designs, graphics, camera angles, continuity
Solutions to many problems of film and TV presentations involve pre-production planning and a thoughtful analysis of the topic's requirements. With experience, production decisions can he made as work proceeds. However, film or TV productions frequently impose a pace which forces hasty decisions. This can result in inconsistent live action scenes or ineffective graphics and titles, unless the "story" and presentations have been carefully planned in advance. Storyboards
Many film producers employ a storyboard-a series of 4 X 6-in. index cards which have the complete narration and a simple sketch of each scene to he recorded. This facilitates the preliminary organization of a film or TV tape and helps to visualize the final produot. Once a topic has been chosen and the presentation outlined, we are faced with the critical question of exactly what the students will see on the screen. This is the function of the storyboard, I n general there is a tendency on the part of the teacher-producer to put too muoh information on the screen a t one time. There are no specific "rules" as to how much can be displayed a t one time. But the efficiency inherent in film and television and their ability to focus attention on details suggests that each scene should he limited to highly specific details with irrelevant background information, colors, etc., deleted from the scene. The final decision on the content of each scene must depend upon how the scene appears in the camera viewfinder. However, the storyboard serves as an important check that details are not omitted nor that the actual shooting time is too short or too long for each scene. Usually, the storyboard will specify the overall scene length (obtained by reading the narration slowly aloud, and timing it to the second). During the filming or video taping, the scene will he composed in the camera viewfinder from several camera angles into components which can be edited into the final copy: For planning purposes, live action scenes usually run from 3-30 sec in length. Graphics or titles should run twice as long as it takes to read or interpret them. For "one-teacher" productions you can record your narration on a tape recorder and play it back during the shooting of a scene. This provides a guide to scene length, and aids in synchronizing action with narration. Frequently the audiotaped narration can he transferred to a S-S mm magnetically stripped film using projectors 31 8
/
lournol of Chemicol Education
such as the Kodak Model M-11A, Bolex S34-8 or Eumig Mark-S. For maximum effect, the narration should not simply describe the action seen on the screen. Rather, plan a narration that points out significant details, or tells the student what to look for next in a scene. The narration will he distracting if it describes details which can be easily seen. New concepts in projector designs such as the Bolex Multimatic and the Kodak Ektagraphic 120 which project films in 5-min, self-rewinding reels suggest that the teacher might well design films on the basis of 5-min modules. Longer presentations could he built up from these basic modules and assembled in several versions.
" Figure 1. 0, The objective camera angle fllmr from a sideline viewpoint and follows a manipulofion imperronally. Whot the student sees on the w e e n is a magnified version of whot he seer when the teocher presents a classroom demonstrotion. b, The subjective comero angle fllmr from o personal viewpoint: the comero lens becomer the eye of the chemist the manipulation. This technique emphasizes close-ups and is effective in producing 8 mm fllms or TV tapes which generally are dir~layed on relatively small screens.
camera Angles
One of the first decisions made in pre-production planning concerns the role the students will play, e.g., whether they will simply observe a demonstration on film or TV, or will they vicariously participate by collecting data from the screen. There are two basic camera positions-the objective and subjective-which are of interest to the teacher producing films. These camera positions determine the audience viewpoint and area observed (Fig. 1). People photographed from the objective camera angle should appear unaware of the camera and never look directly a t the camera. A typical background for demonstration apparatus filmed from the objective camera angle would he a laboratory coat or preferably a lightbox or sweep. Subjective camera angles are good for showing students how to do something. Occasionally if a procedure involves a large piece of equipment such as a spectrophotometer, the student may trade places with the chemist operating the equipment by following the first objective shot with subjective shots of the operation or parts of the equipment. Styles developed for entertainment are often distracting in the classroom. For example, to make the most effective educational use of film and TV the producer of lecture demonstration or laboratory instruction subjects might well minimize introducing personalities through the media. Backgrounds
In planning an instructional film or video tape, the pictorial background should he given early consideration. Carefully selected backgrounds should help differentiate details in complex apparatus and accentuate minor changes in colors of solutions, gases, etc. Although commonly suggested, there is no truly "neutral" background. Color, texture, the apparent separation of the subject from surrounding detail; all subtly affect the viewer's appreciation of a film or video image. For informational purposes, the most desirable background color and material will depend on the overall treatment of the film or TV subject. If the scene consists of long or medium shots of instrumentation or apparatus in use in the laboratory, the detail of glassware, people working, etc., should be well lighted and in adequate focus so the viewer will he able to identify the background details at any time the central image does not occupy most of the screen. Although a natural background setting might be a laboratory bench or rack and would be preferred for scientific accuracy, probably most teacher produced films will not be photographed in the laboratory. A small area adjacent to the laboratory serves nicely as a studio while retaining easy access to chemicals and equipment. Attention to details can be made a t a relaxed pace, and a neutral background can facilitate lighting, close-up scenes of reactions, apparatus, etc. New designs of facilities might very well consider such combination facilities of lecture-preparation with film/TV production areas. Good lighting helps separate a subject from the background, by putting an "edge" or highlight on the subject. However, to minimize distracting or misleading shadows, in using a sweep, (Fig. 2) t,he subject should be positioned at least two feet in front of the back-
Figure 2. The choice of a bockgmund for large sweeps would b e a seamless sheet of very light gray pmper (available fmm Dirploy Products Co., 3 6 1 W.52nd Street, New York,New York 100191. The sweep slim;notes distracting hard to light background details and simplifies composing scenes.
ground. Depending on the camera angle, the sweep can be fashioned 9 ft wide by 6 ft high above a low table, or 3 4 ft wide and just high enough for the demonstrator to reach over thus eliminating ties, lab coats, etc. from the scene. The low table or work bench minimizes high, shaky camera positions. Legibility, Graphics
Good graphics and simple animation can amplify and clarify the verbal and live action components of a film or TV tape. Many problems associated with graphics stem from the assumption that the legibility in one form assures legibility in all forms. Our experience in reading and writing material is acquired primarily from the printed or typewritten format read a t a distance of about 12 in. Since a 23-in. TV screen or small 5-8 mm screen is not much larger than an 8'/. X 11 page, yet, commonly viewed from distances of 15 to 25 ft, very special considerations should be given to line weights,
Figure 3. Field guide for graphics reduced b y I/
