USING COLOUR IN VIDEOS

HOW COLOUR IS USED IN CINEMA

By Bill Bohlen

The Effect of Colour in Movies (and Videos)

Just as vision and sound affect us emotionally, so does colour. That’s why movie makers and videographers use colours to create the atmosphere they desire. We too can do that.

Color can affect us psychologically and physically, often without us being aware, and can be used as a strong device within a story. Knowledge gives you control, and control means you can manipulate and use color to give your work a powerful and beautiful edge.

Being able to use color to create harmony, or tension within a scene, or to bring attention to a key visual theme can be used to spectacular effect.

In the sense of the work of the world’s greatest cinematographers we admire so much nothing is accidental. A strong red color has been shown to raise blood pressure, while a blue color has a calming effect. Some colors are distinctly associated with a particular location or place, while others give a sense of time or period.The

The Colour Wheel

People engaged in using colour in their jobs, including film makers, often employ a colour wheel in their work. The wheel comprises 12 colours based on the primary colours, red, yellow and blue and a combination of mixes of these.

Pairing of two colours is mainly used to come up with complimentary colour schemes which can be used in films and videos/

  

Two colors on opposite sides of the color wheel make a complimentary pair. This is by far the most commonly used pairing. A common example is orange and blue, or teal. This pairs a warm color with a cool color and produces a high contrast and vibrant result. Saturation must be managed but a complimentary pair are often quite naturally pleasing to the eye.

Orange and blue colors can often be associated with conflict in action, internally or externally. Often a internal conflict within a character can be reflected in the color choice in his or her external environment.

The color palette of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s “Amelie” is a great example of a complementary pairing of red and green.

Green Screen or Chroma Key Technique

Chroma Key or Green Screen technique is used by Videographers and Filmmakers to superimpose one image on top of another in a layering fashion.

Chroma is the colorfulness relative to the brightness of a similarly illuminated area that appears to be white or highly transmitting. One colour, usually green is digitally removed in the layer in the editing process.

It is a great skill to have as a videographer or filmmaker.

How do they do that:

Clip 1

The object or person that is to be seen in a totally different clip is filmed standing in front of a green background. Any colour really can be used, but generally green is the industry norm. The green colour will then in the editing process be removed to reveal the background of the main clip.

Clip 2

This is the background or the main clip in which the added object or person will appear.

Here is an example. The person (object) is filmed standing in front of a green background, which will then be removed to reveal the background in clip 2.

Green Screen Process

You need an editing program that can do the “keying” process to be able to use this technique. Both Adobe Premier and Final Cut incorporate the keying function.

Most Editing programs can do it.

- Adobe Premier

- Final Cut

- Filmora

- Windows Movie Maker

This technique is a great way to enhance your videos.

Here is an example of an object falling onto the Champs-'Elysees in Paris

CLICK ON ARROW

FILMING TECHNIQUES

Tell a Story

Plan to tell a story and try to evoke emotion from your audience.

Watch other people’s videos and adapt what you like and ditch what you don’t like.

What is the main goal when making a movie

First and foremost, grab the audience and keep them captivated.

Ever go to the movies? Of course you do! Ever walk out of a movie? It has to be pretty bad for you to walk out of a movie, right?

Ever watch television? Most people do. Ever change channels in the middle of a television show? Of course you do. If a show gets boring, you’re gone. How come you change the channel on your TV so quickly but it takes you so long to walk out of a movie? Because you paid for the movie. So there is a natural tendency to slog through a movie, no matter how bad it is. People who watch television or watch videos on line have extremely short attention spans. If something gets boring or bad, they’re gone. So you can’t hold on to good material and save it for later.

Composition

Use the  Rule of Thirds. Use active and negative space.

Frame shots the same as you do when taking photograph

Scene Length

Keep your finished scenes short. Between 1 and 5 seconds, unless there is a specific reason. Maybe your filming a wedding, concert or sporting event it is acceptable to have long scenes, but for travel movies, I don’t recommend it.

I suggest you watch a few documentaries on television and take note of the length of scenes professionals use. But so you can edit your production successfully, take an extra 3 or 4 seconds before and after every shot. It makes it all that much easier when you edit your final production.

Filming Techniques

Don’t use your camera like you use your eyes. For example if you walk into a room, your eyes, including your head will move around the room to take in all the details. You must not do that with your camera.

The best thing is to walk around evaluating everything and then shoot the most important things from their best angles. Don’t shoot the same things from different angles, unless you want to create a special effect.

Steady Camera

In videos, it is very important to hold your camera steady. That is why it is recommended to use a tri or monopod when recording scenes. Of course it is not always possible to schlep a bulky tripod with you when you’re traveling.

There are other methods to hold a camera steady:

Mini tripod

Small beanbag – sitting on a table or fence

Folded up towel to support the camera

But if you haven’t any of those things with you, learn how to hold your camera very steady by:

- Hold the camera in both hands with elbows anchored against your body. Take a deep breath before you ‘Button On’ and hold your breath until you ‘Button Off’.

Lean against a wall, tree, fence, anything to keep your camera steady.

Using a monopod held in your hands with the camera attached to it also helps greatly to keep your shots steady.

This is especially important if you are walking with your camera while filming. Walking with just the camera will result in ‘swimming footage.’

You can also construct your own inexpensive ‘Steady Cam.’ Just Google ‘Build a steadycam and there are lots of suggestions of how to go about it.

Another method of moving with the camera smoothly, is if you keep it mounted on the folded tripod on your shoulder. That way you get a great effect.

Video

Frame rate, also known as frame frequency and frames per second (FPS), is the frequency (rate) at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called ‘frames.’ The term applies equally well to film and video cameras, computer graphics, and motion capture systems. The frame rate is now generally abbreviated as ‘p.’

In the PAL system of Television and Videography in this country, the progressive frame rate is 25p. This means that your camera will capture 25 pictures in every second.

In the US and countries who have adopted the US system, NTSC, the frame rate is 24p.

Zoom

The zoom function is provided by the camera manufacturer to assist the user in framing a shot.

A lot of amateurs, when they first get a camera, use the zoom like they would playing a trombone, constantly zooming in and out, then in and out again, just because the camera has this function. DON’T! Chances are you’ll make the viewer feel seasick if you overuse the zoom function.

Use the zoom sparingly and if you do, zoom in or out very slowly and certainly not in every scene. Again, watch documentaries and see how often the pros use their zoom.

Pan

Panning refers to the rotation in a horizontal plane. Panning a camera results in a motion similar to that of moving their head from one side to another.

Like zooming, use it sparingly and if you pan, do it very slowly unless you desire an special effect.

Tilt

Tilting refers to a technique in which the camera is stationary and rotates in a vertical plane, similar to moving your head from top to bottom or bottom to top.

Like zooming and panning, use it sparingly and slowly.

Make it Interesting

Don’t use too many shots of the same subject or object. If you like an object, study it and determine which is the best angle to shoot it. A well framed shot says much more that lots shots of the same thing.

Make your movies look interesting. Film action in your scenes rather than move the camera. You could for instance do the following:

Film a subject as you normally would, but instead of just ‘ button off’ at the end, pan your camera onto a neutral surface, wall, sky, bushes, water etc. before button off.

Start the next scene from another similar neutral surface, then pan onto your subject. Digital editing makes this very simple but the end result is memorable and will be noticed by your viewers.

Another interesting scene change:

Have one of your friends or travel companion walk right up into your camera. Then, in the next shot,  get the person to stand in front of you facing away. Place the camera against their back and make them walk away, thus opening your new scene.

Think up new ways to do similar things yourself.

Camera Movement

Unless your camera is mounted on a dolly or a steady cam, it is best keeping your camera movements to straight shots or simple slow pans or tilts. (See pages 11 and 12) on how to hold your cameras for best filming techniques.

Camera moves can make your project look super professional or incredibly amateurish depending on how well you use them.

Professional videographers usually follow this one rule of thumb: when it comes to camera movement, it must be motivated. Because it looks cool, is usually not a valid reason for using tricky camera moves. Instead, you can use camera moves to change the viewer's perspective making what you shoot look bigger, smaller, or even scarier. You should use camera movement to tell your story better and to enhance the viewer's experience.

Don’t Cross the Line

Also Known as The 180º Rule

When shooting people interacting with each other, imagine an invisible line between the people’s eyes. Place the camera(s) on one side of the line only. Don’t shoot from the other side or the viewers will get confused because both people will look in the same direction.

Still Images

It is perfectly acceptable for you to add still images in your production. I suggest however if you do, apply the Ken Burns Effect rather than just a fixed picture.

Ken Burns Effect

We’ll discuss the Kern Burns Effect in detail during our Editing session. The Ken Burns Effect is a type of panning and zooming effect used in video production from still imagery.

The name derives from extensive use of the technique by American documentary maker Ken Burns. Most, if not all, editing software can apply this effect. During playback, a still image looks like it is moving, thus making it look more look like moving pictures in your film.

If you’re lucky enough to be in a place where there is a festival in process, you have ample opportunity to capture wonderful subjects, people, costumes or traditions. Ask locals what’s going on while you’re filming them.

Cutaway shots

Shoot plenty of cutaway shots that you can use when you’re editing. An example, say you’re filming a ‘talking head’ explaining something on camera. That can become extremely boring, so CA shots can be used to show what is being talked about.

Film plenty of footage

When you’re on location, shoot plenty of different scenes of any format we discussed earlier. There is nothing more frustrating when you’re back home editing your film and you realise you forgot to film something or the footage you shot is unusable for any reason.

Remember:

Shoot a couple of seconds before and after your shots

Shoot scenes from different angles

Frame shots  in various formats

Apply the Rule of Thirds and other Composition practices

Take lots of Cut-away shots

Before leaving a location check some footage for vision and sound.

Practical Experience

In week 2, we put into practice what we’ve learnt so far. We’re imagining we are somewhere in a place we’ve never been before and we’re shooting a travel video.

You may care to work in pairs or in groups.

Remember:

·      Shoot a variation of shots, starting with an Establishment shot

·      Plan to create a 1-2 minute movie

·      Shoot scenes of between 3 and 10 seconds

·      Shoot in different angles

·      Take 1 or 2 seconds before and after each shot

·      Take note of composition (Rule of Thirds)

·      Hold camera steady

·      Try a crabbing shot or two

·      Shoot an On-Camera introduction

·      Try to tell a story or evoke emotion

·      Try to add humour

·      Include an interview