Looking at the use of camera in TV shows and Films in order to make it relevant to my product, I singled out 'Peep Show' of which I have already analysed and used in my Case Study essay. To follow the theme of first person camera, I felt that as I now have a theoretical and visual understanding of what I want to produce due to my essay, that I can also include the thesis of which I developed in order to represent my story to its full potential. I definitely will aim to include a representation of women which relates to my research, and is shown through the use of camera.
The use of first person camera is a personal method of representing someone's life in Peep Show. As long as there is a person passing in the street or someone sat in a café looking out, their eyes can be used as a camera. The style is similar to that of CCTV and gives the impression that the characters are being constantly watched.
This also aids the use of camera when filming as a shaky framed shot can be stabilised in editing, however it also gives a more realistic effect. Ideally I would use a GoPro camera, but these are much out my price range. Due to the first person interaction style I am opting for, the slight shake of the camera would be relevant to the moving of the persons head or facial expression, therefore must be carefully considered when filming.
Complications - When filming and recording speech for my project, I must ensure, the audio matches the characters face as the camera changes between faces of the actors in a scene. If I fail to do this, I have found ways of which I could overcome this challenge, by having a steady shot until the person has finished talking. This could drag the piece out too long, and so when it comes to post production I will have to see what it feels like. I will have to film some filler shots, such as nods, blank faces as if listening and general casual expressions of discomfort/natural responses in conversation. To make this as genuine as possible, I may leave the camera filming whilst giving directions to the actor(s) and seeing what response is gathered, as all footage is useful when it comes to editing the piece together. Similarly, I could simply use the exact audio filmed so it syncs to the faces of the characters, or use audio from when first person camera is looking at something other than the speaking character to avoid sync mishaps.
Continuity - if the camera shifts from looking at one character to the other, when the camera switches sides in the 180 degree rule, the characters head has to then be facing the way they were last talking. When I come to storyboard this shortly, I will definitely make sure that I have taken into account continuity issues as this could substantially lower my professional standard of film and final product.
This second clip is an example of how extremely effective a scene can be using first camera filming, however also how hard it can be. The pros of this 'party' situation are that there are plenty of potential eyes to use as the camera. This gives the film-makers a free reign of where the camera angle is going to be, and therefore makes the scene more interesting and comfortable to watch. However, the eyes can only be used if attention is brought to the centre of the scenes conversation, which character Mark does. This utilizes the number of camera points in the room and creates an effective first person camera effect.
On the other hand, a con of having a party scene is that due to the higher volume of eyes, they aren't personally linked to the character and therefore hold interest for a shorter period of time, meaning that the camera will have to change more frequently. This then has a knock on effect with continuity and sound in order to sync them successfully to fit in with the scene as a whole. Continuity wise, it is simpler to control by having the character move his position whilst he is being watched, and then cut to his point of view in order to mask any room changes made by characters. Background continuity is also an issue due to the number of people who are now required to do exactly the same movement for a number of takes. Practically impossible!
ANALYSE:
Modern RPG such as Halo (cut-scenes), Doom (film), Blair Witch Project (film), Cloverfield (film)
