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Supporting critical and creative thinking skills

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Supporting critical and creative thinking skills

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Short video on how to support creative and critical thinking skills for students. Provides insight into the benefits and ways that we can support these essential skills for 21st Century learners in our classrooms.

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“Creativity and Critical Thinking Skills in School: Moving a shared agenda forward” Conference

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Perhaps the most comprehensive resource I have found for FTVNM and Media Arts students that are studying Film techniques. It offers in depth explanations of technical and symbolic codes, styles, film techniques, angles and so much more.

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Perhaps the most comprehensive resource I have found for FTVNM and Media Arts students that are studying Film techniques. It offers in depth explanations of technical and symbolic codes, styles, film techniques, angles and so much more.

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On paper, you're ready. You took the courses. You read the books. But do you know all the key cinematography techniques? The things that come from being on set?

Perhaps you've been working Director of Photography for years. Would a quick refresher on some of the 30 best cinematography techniques and tips hurt?

We've compiled some of the best tricks of the cinematography trade into this one post that will get you jobs, keep you working, and keep your work inspired.

So whether it's on paper or on set, we're gonna make sure you're ready to shoot.

Let's jump in!

Watch: Advanced Filmaking Techniques

What is cinematography?

Cinematography definition

It can be hard to simply define cinematography and all of its nuances. Technically, cinematography is the art and the science of recording light either electronically onto an image sensor or chemically onto film stock for a film or video production. Functionally, cinematography is understood to encapsulate everything having to do with the camera - its movement, the images it captures, the light it receives, etc.

Masterful lighting and cinematic techniques gave The Third Man some of the best cinematography ever

What does a cinematographer do?

A cinematographer or director of photography (shortened to DP or DoP) is the crew chief that presides over the camera and light crews on a film or video production. They usually get involved throughout the entire production lifecycle and liaise closely with the director to create the images you see onscreen.

So what exactly does a cinematographer do?

Dissect the screenplay

Research film techniques and cinematic techniques that relate to the subject matter and elicit the intended emotional responses from an audience.

Creates shot lists, floor plans, and lighting diagrams

Manages the camera and light crews

Make decisions about cinematic elements such as lenses, filters, lights, and other camera/lighting requirements.

Responsible for making decisions about aspect ratio, digital effects, image contrast, and frame rates.

Make decisions about camera movements and film lighting techniques to prompt a specific emotional responses from an audience.

Often liaises with the director and colorist during the color-grading phase on a project

That's the job of the cinematographer in a nutshell. As we move forward through these 30 best cinematography techniques and tips, let's keep in mind what the real aim of the job always is: telling a story visually.

Top 7 Cinematography Techniques & Tips

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 2.1

The best cinematographers think outside the box

When Stanley Kubrick set out to film Barry Lyndon, he and his longtime cinematographer John Alcott wanted to break new ground and needed to develop new cinematography techniques.

They wanted to shoot the entire film with natural light. A pretty daring and ambitious film lighting idea.

For an indoor candle-lit scene, they wanted to ACTUALLY film by candlelight. This would have pushed the film stock of the era too far.

So Kubrick and Alcott borrowed a special lens made by NASA to complete their scene.

​Cinematography Example: Unique camera techniques were used to create this stunning shot

The result of this solution is nothing short of painterly.

Finding the next great camera technique may just be a matter of devising a creative solution to achieve your visual goals.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 2.2

Story over spectacle
​

"There's nothing worse than an ostentatious shot or some lighting that draws attention to itself, and you might go, 'Oh, wow, that's spectacular.' Or that spectacular shot, a big crane move, or something. But it's not necessarily right for the film - you jump out, you think about the surface, and you don't stay in there with the characters and the story."

- Roger Deakins

Who are we to argue with Roger Deakins, one of the greatest cinematographers of all time?

Remember you are always telling a story. A visual story, yes, but a story all the same. That means not getting too preoccupied with developing a distinct "cinematic style" and instead focus on story.

The irony:

Doing that will unveil your own unique voice, just like it did for Deakins.

Watch Deakins share his advice and cinematography techniques for DPs:

Some of the best cinematography ever became practically invisible in its service of the story. Gordon Willis, the genius director of photography behind moody oscar winning classics like The Godfather and Manhattan, took an entirely different approach to All The President's Men.

​DP Gordon Willis used light to show that in the newsroom, light would uncover the truth

Perhaps the greatest cinematography technique you have will be your ability to recognize what will serve the story.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 2.3

Study great cinematography

Remember to stay inspired. Study great cinematographers.

Even the greats studied the greats.

When asked how he made Citizen Kane Orson Welles said "John Ford, John Ford, and John Ford".

This was in reference to Ford's own classic Stagecoach, which pioneered not just the western (no pun intended), but some of the dramatic chiaroscuro film lighting and camera technique.

​John Ford's cinematic technique in Stagecoach had a big influence on a then young Orson Welles

It's safe to say Orson Welles considered Ford's work to employ some of the best cinematography techniques ever. Ford's great cinematography was so powerful for Welles that it led him to to create his own all time classic.

And groundbreaking film lighting techniques.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 2.4

Manage your time effectively

The camera and lighting crew is often the biggest crew on a film set.

You are going to be interacting with all of those department heads, and you are directly (or indirectly) in charge of all of them and their work.

This means always having a plan and executing it. Which means having and respecting storyboards and a shot list. Using the proper tools are cinematography techniques unto themselves.

Why?

You will ALWAYS be under the gun for time. Just like money, there is never enough.

The 1st AD will be asking how low until picture is up constantly. Because the Producers will be asking HIM how long until picture is up constantly.

So before you even step on set, know the coverage. Know the set-ups. Know the lighting plans. Know it all backwards and forwards and how you'll move efficiently between them.

In film school you probably learned how to light.

But did you learn how to light fast? Or how to efficiently adjust when daylight is almost gone? When you might not make the day and you feel the the entire production waiting as you get a little fill on the lead actress?

Be ready.

But how?

Be prepared.

The crew will often look to you to move forward. Don't let them down.

Use shot list software to know the ins and outs of every shot. In the video below, DP and ShareGrid cofounder, Brent Barbano, walks us through his process of creating a professional shot list:

It doesn't stop with the shot list. The shooting schedule is just as critical. Communicate with your AD so you can prioritize the order you'll be shooting which scenes. That means working with film scheduling software and seeing how logistics will affect everything you do.

Here's Brent Barbano how cinematographers should work ADs to understand the shooting schedule:

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 2.5

Be an artist (but a reasonable one)

While you shouldn't get too precious with your work, and alway serve the story, be versed in visual art and design terminology.

It can be great shorthand with your Director and Production Designer, as well as others.

Time is of the essence and great cinematography need not be painstaking. At the same time, treat your shots, and each frame, like a work of art you want to get right.

Even if you're doing it on the fly, make sure your framing works from a purely visual standpoint. There are many excellent camera techniques you can implement to achieve this.

Take some time to familiarize yourself with great artwork. The tools of creating powerful images may have changed, but the basic principles have remained the same for hundreds of years.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 2.6

Take creative chances

Push yourself creatively.

We touched on this a bit in other cinematography techniques, but emphasis never hurt.

The overall idea here is to emphasize that taking risks can pay off. If they are calculated ones that you run by others.

Don't be afraid to break some of those rules that instructors drilled into heads. Dogmatic cinematography techniques can be detrimental to innovation. Some rules were made to be broken.

Plus...

Playing it safe leads to getting into the habit of average/mundane shooting.

Your best cinematography might appear when you think out of the box.

Pick your spots, of course. If you get too crazy all the time you might have some issues staying employed.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 3.1

Know the script

Seems like another 'no brainer'.

But...

Far too often camera crews and even DoP's don't know the script backwards and forwards.

And you can see the same mindset at play in online forums and groups where the focus is skewed so heavily towards gear and technical cinematography techniques versus the art of visual storytelling.

Being a cinematographer is as creative as it is technical.

Make sure the ideas you bring to the table are grounded in a knowledge of the scripted material.

We know debating fancy new camera and gimbals are fun, but the best DP's aren't just gearheads.

DP Gregg Toland innovated and truly "changed the game" with light and shadow on Citizen Kane

A great early example of a DP and Director innovating together and serving the story is Citizen Kane.

DP Gregg Toland kept his depth of field, and used light and shadow to direct the eye, creating a more dramatic look.

Without a focus on how to serve the story, such innovation would have been rendered meaningless.

So?

Make notes in your script. Bring up visual suggestions, questions, and ideas.

Have conversations about styles to emulate, other film's this story reminds you of.

The better you know the project the better you'll be able to help serve it.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 3.2

Use the right gear for the job

Not every shoot will need a fully decked out Alexa package with cinema zooms. Sometimes a shoulder mounted ENG camera is exactly what a project needs.

Get familiar with ALL types of cameras and lenses. Not just the big ticket cinema stuff. Being precise about what you need is one of the most important cinematography techniques you'll develop.

Because if and when the director asks for something out of the ordinary you'll need to be ready with not only suggestions, but also the requisite knowledge to implement them.

Knowing how to achieve the same end goals will make you favorite of producers as well.

Which likely means more jobs.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 3.3

Perform camera tests

Learn how to do traditional camera tests with a chip chart, color chart, and human models, and then do them once you get your hands on the camera.

With proper testing, you can see exactly how the camera reacts before you get on set and determine a lot of lighting and shooting strategies beforehand.

As opposed to on set where you'll have a dozen people waiting for you to get to know the camera.

You might have learned to do this in film school. But we're putting it here because we don't want anyone to take it for granted.

Sometimes certain basics fall by the wayside. This is one you should never let that happen to.

FOR THE BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BE SURE TO TEST:

Different camera settings (ISO, working stop, LUTs, color spaces, etc)

Filters

Lighting choices (color temps, diffusion, direction, brightness)

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 3.4

Make a shot list

You'll want to make a shot list right after a tech scout to determine what lenses you need. A well organized shot list is going to be one of your best tools on set.

In StudioBinder, you can create a new shot list. From there you can spin off new shots, group and sort your shots by type.

You can even add pictures from your scout directly into the app, which will create a storyboard you can show your director.

How to Create a Shot List

You can also quickly add and organize shots on the go.

Many other cinematography techniques are dependent on your ability to understand and utilize tools like this first!

As a shot list example, take a look at how lifestyle and adventure filmmaker Matt Komo planned out a 24-hour film production using StudioBinder's shot list feature.

How to Plan Your Shot List

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 3.5

Location, location, location

We mentioned John Ford before, but another thing he helped institute was shooting on location for maximum visual impact.

Ford's cinematic technique: Shoot epic locations like Monument Valley

Ford shot countless westerns in Arizona's stunning natural landscape of monument valley.

He knew the location well, and the towering red rocks helped him frame his shots perfectly.

Find good locations. Understand what the light will look like there at different times of the year, or day (more on that later).

The better your locations, the better your look with potentially less work from you and your crew.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 3.6

Storyboards, moodboards, and never say "fix it in post"

Well, you can say it. Sometimes it's fun to say.

Just try not to depend on it.

The best cinematography typically comes from your locations and lighting and not with DaVinci Resolve. Post production software will not be listed amongst our cinematography techniques.

Plus, whatever you can't capture naturally on-set, might takes way more time and money to recreate in post.

The best way to make sure to get the best look the first time around? Give yourself TIME to create it.

That'll mean planning the shoot carefully, and committing to your game plan on set. If you don't think you'll have time, use screenshots from existing films and tv shows and create a storyboard or moodboard in StudioBinder and share it with your team as a previz.

If it looks good here, chances are it'll work for you on set.

Remember, you are being hired for your expertise in cinematography techniques.

Your producer will love you for saving him thousands. Post fixes are way more expensive than having the Art Department touch up a flaw.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 3.7

Check and double-check the call sheet

The triple check the call sheet.

Why?

Because otherwise you could be late. Or in the wrong place.

You might get through film school without ever seeing a proper professional call sheet.

Does this really belong among other cinematography techniques?

Maybe. Maybe not. Do it either way.

If that's the case, look at some now. Check out the call sheet function in StudioBinder and get to know what you'll be looking at.

This is what production will send you EACH day. You'll want to know where everything important is on it.

They will put in important details about the next days shoot. Many of them you will be consulted on.

Some of them are just good to know. For example, how long will you have between crew call and first shot?

How long will you have to change scenes?

What time is the talent arriving? When are they done make-up? How does any of this effect your planning?

I don't know. But you should. And you WILL.

Because you're going to know all about call sheets before you even get one.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TIP 4.1

Prepare to do it all

You probably left film school with certain ideas about what a cinematographer's role on set was.

Surprise!

It won't always be that way.

On some jobs you'll have to serve as your own gaffer. And electric. And grip. And... production designer.

The list could go on.

You should have a working knowledge of every role on a set.

This isn't just in case you have to fill in. It's also so you can understand and respect the process of everyone else's work.

Knowing how long to give hair and make-up is important. Knowing that you need to allow for them to have "last looks" before you roll can also come in handy.

The set needs to flow, which means you need to be in sync with everyone else. It's ideal not to act as though you are an island.

So get to know the whole process.

And be ready to fill in...

You probably left film school with certain ideas about what a cinematographer's role on set was.

Surprise!

It won't always be that way.

On some jobs you'll have to serve as your own gaffer. And electric. And grip. And... production designer.

The list could go on.

You should have a working knowledge of every role on a set.

This isn't just in case you have to fill in. It's also so you can understand and respect the process of everyone else's work.

Knowing how long to give hair and make-up is important. Knowing that you need to allow for them to have "last looks" before you roll can also come in handy.

The set needs to flow, which means you need to be in sync with everyone else. It's ideal not to act as though you are an island.

So get to know the whole process.

And be ready to fill in...

CINEMATOGRAPHY TIP 4.2

Develop (and follow) a workflow

As cinematographer Art Adams puts it: "Block. Light. Rehearse. Tweak. Shoot. Repeat. Every. Single. Setup."

It really is that important. If you can't light the actors, use stand-ins.

Make sure they're at least same height and approximate skin tone. All the film lighting techniques in the world can't light someone who isn't there.

A key part of this is communicating that this will be necessary to the director, 1st AD, and the actors. Everyone wants to work with you, but no one likes be surprised.

If you keep a consistent workflow then you become easier to predict. Your team knows what to start doing when.

Suddenly the production starts to hum along.

​Look at this happy film crew just humming right along...

CINEMATOGRAPHY TIP 4.3

Lead your crew

Some of the most important filmmaking tips aren't actually camera techniques or film lighting tricks, but people skills.

Crews respect clear, fast decision making.

Be aware of how much work you're creating for them. They're probably happy to do the work but will become unhappy if they find themselves being told to take down a light and then they have to put it right back 15 minutes later.

So be clear and respectful. Take the blame for mistakes. Be a responsible leader.

Efficient cinematographers are the best cinematographers in the crew's eyes. Because it means good cinematography, fast setups, and finishing on time.

Keep track of who you've worked with in your crew, and who you've worked for in production in a crew database like in StudioBinder.

Learn more about how to use Studiobinder's crew contact lists here.

You don't want to lose track of anyone, or forget them.

You never know who you might need on a job, or who the next job might come from.

Utilizing and managing your team are both good cinematography techniques.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TIP 4.4

Hire the right team and listen

Remember how we mentioned that huge crew?

And how you're in charge of them?

Well, keep in mind that starting out you may not be the most experienced person on set.

In fact the most experienced person may be working for you, with years of camera experience and film lighting techniques under their belts.

Your gaffer and key grip in particular are both highly trained creative individuals. Use them to help solve problems. You don't have to figure everything out on your own.

Check your ego at the door.

This is a pretty good policy no matter what you are doing. Ego's only ever get in the way.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TIP 4.5

Don't argue in public

Try not to argue.

Disagreements happen all the time. The first thing you should try and do is see where the other person might be right.

After you've done that and there is still a fundamental 'misunderstanding'...

I'd ask for a sidebar. Take a moment to cool down, and discuss away from everyone else. Then talk it out.

Because no one ever looks good calling people out in public. Even if you are right.

Also doing the whole "Can I talk to you alone for a second" might as well be arguing on set.

So find a tactful peaceful time and place to approach this talk.

This is especially true if it's cinematographer vs. director.

Directors can get defensive if challenged in front of people, because they look like they're not in charge. Talking privately eliminates that fear of embarrassment.

Remember what we said about egos? Check them at the door.

At the same time, recognize that not everyone else will be doing that. So be careful of egos.

They are FRAGILE.

A film crew on a set is like an army going into battle. Remember who the enemy is. It's not the men and women you are in the trenches with.

Keep morale high, fight for the same things. Approach disagreements as though you want to same end result and just see different paths. Work together to find the right path.

This sort of approach will keep your set functioning well. It'll keep you working.

It'll keep you sane.

Before you get to set, have some go-to strategies for working with difficult crew. Of all the cinematography techniques in this post, that one might serve you the most.

CAMERA TECHNIQUE 5.1

Keep the frame moving

How you use your frame is one of the most critical camera techniques. Whether it be moving that frame, or moving items within that frame. You want to keep things active and visually engaging.

A director has a lot on a film set to manage. Try identifying a way to get the camera moving during a rehearsal or blocking of a scene.

If production can afford it, talk with the director about where you could use a dolly, or a jib, or even a steadicam.

Strategize on where you can insert some cost effective camera movements that will help bring the project to life.

All this is to say, that you don't need to be Michael Bay and throw a bunch of unmotivated camera movement in your projects. Check out our video below to give you some great examples of motivated creative camera movements that'll take your cinematography to the next level.

Pro TIP

The video above is part of a free 5-part video series called Filmmaking Techniques. It's e ssential viewing for visual storytellers.

CAMERA TECHNIQUE 5.2

Get creative with lenses

You don't ALWAYS need a 21mm wide shot or an 85mm close up. Slapping a wide lens on for a close up, or a long lens for an establishing shot are creative cinematography techniques that intrigue viewers.

Of course you only want to do that if it works for the story you're telling. But experimenting never hurt.

Sometimes the thing you 'tried for fun' can send you in a creative new direction. Don't be afraid to give something unorthodox a look. Time permitting, of course.

Speaking of unorthodox...

Looking for creative lens choices? Two words:

TERRENCE MALICK.

For more creative lens inspiration, make sure to check out our Mastering the Shot List video series on Youtube, where we take a closer look at the creative camera (and defining) lens choices by famous auteurs such as PT Anderson, Aronofksy, Tarantino, Tarkovsky, Refn, and Inarritu and others.
Watch Now: "Mastering the Shot List" for Creative Inspiration →
Creative lens choices can be important in creating a cinematic look, but planning this well in advance is more important.

Our video on The Lens Plot, popularized by Sidney Lumet's 'Making Movies' will help fast-track you.

What's Malick without his "creative" lens choices? Ep1 of Mastering the Shot List

CAMERA TECHNIQUE 5.3

Look through the frame

Even if you aren't looking through a monitor, it's vital that you look at your shoot through a frame of some kind. Whether it's an old-school director's viewfinder, a mobile phone camera, or just your fingers.

​Even the great Alfred Hitchcock resorted to the finger-frame.

This frame is what the audience will ultimately see, and you have to be able to picture what's going into it. Any device that helps train your eye to think of the world in terms of the frame will make you a better cinematographer in the long run.

CAMERA TECHNIQUE 5.4

Bring a quality camera to tech scouts

Bringing a still camera on location scouts is so important, we hesitate to even refer to it as one of our cinematography techniques. But it does merit some further consideration.

When all else fails, you can use your phone, but ideally you want a DSLR with the same size sensor as your shooting camera.

Most 35mm equivalent cinema cameras have an APS-C (or close to) sensor.

You should also bring a zoom that has the same approximate focal range as the lenses you'll be shooting on. You can test out different focal lengths and find exact camera positions.

CAMERA TECHNIQUE 5.5

Find ways to add depth

You probably already know that all depth in film is, essentially, an illusion. You're tricking the eye into believing that a flat picture has a third dimension it really doesn't have.

So how do you really use that in terms of story?

​In The Graduate, Ben runs towards a telephoto lens. It gives the impression he's getting nowhere.

In Jaws, the depth of field is toyed with to emphasize a moment of terror (aka the "dolly zoom.")

There are many ways you can add depth, and moving beyond one trick is essential if you want to move to the next level of cinematography techniques. Here are 5 ways you can add depth to your shots.

CAMERA TECHNIQUE 5.6

Choose a working stop

Changing stops shot to shot leads to depth of field inconsistencies, since lens sharpness changes at different stops.

Most lenses are sharpest at 2-2 ½ stops closed from wide open.

For every scene you should be able to choose a single exposure and stick to it for every angle. In some cases stick to a single stop for a whole sequence or the whole show.

Know the trade offs when you pick your stop. For example, shooting wide open almost always means less sharpness when the lens is in focus.

FILM LIGHTING TECHNIQUE 6.1

Mix color temperatures

We've mentioned some classic black and white inspirations and cinematic techniques, but what about the standard today (for the last 60 years): color!

Try using colors to create the same kind of dramatic contrasts and juxtapositions. Enter film lighting color gels:

​Mixing discordant colors can be a dramatic and effective cinematic technique

Suddenly the image catches the eye in a different manner than before. Similar to the way more classical cinematic techniques leveraged bright outlines and shadows when shooting black and white.

Wes Anderson preferred camera technique: color and center-staging

Colors pop more when they are laid alongside contrasting colors, and photographed properly.

Some of this comes down to production design, but it's also where cinematic film techniques from different departments start to co-mingle.

When it comes to identifying the right colors, having an understanding of color theory is critical. The video below will walk you through the principles, and it's part of a free 5-part video series called Filmmaking Techniques. It's e ssential viewing for visual storytellers.

Related Posts

If you're looking to take your film color theory to the next level, also make sure to pickup our free ebook on Film Color:
FREE Ebook Download: See Over 50+ Examples of Color in Film →

FILM LIGHTING TECHNIQUE 6.2

Hard light versus soft light

Hard and soft lighting techniques create very different feelings. Try experimenting with both to get a sense of what you like for what types of scenes.

A lot of people are using LED panels nowadays but it nearly eliminates all hard light (which may not be the preference). Use fresnel and pars when appropriate.

Hard lighting would definitely qualify as a sexy cinematic technique

Hard light is way easier to control than soft light. Hard lights can be softened, but soft lights can't be hardened. If you really need to control shadows and keep light from spilling everywhere a fresnel will make your life easier than a kino.

Much softer lighting used here by the Coen Bros

You don't need to always opt for what looks sexiest, of course. Remember one of our other cinematography techniques: telling a good story.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 7.1

Don't go into debt for gear

This is a good guideline in general. Going into debt is never ideal.

When it comes to camera gear there can be a tendency to try and make yourself and your work more appealing by owning all the cool toys.

Yes, it might help when packaging your services, but at some point it's not worth creating a mountain of debt over it. If you want to invest in one camera, say, and you think you can make the cost back in a few jobs, sure.

But invest carefully. Know that your quality of work, and how it is to work with you, will factor in more than how much gear you own.

The dirty little secret?

Once producers know you own some cool gear, they might hire you hoping to get it for free. Or at least heavily discounted. So after a while, your client incentive becomes a wash.

Producers. Gotta love 'em, right?

So when should you buy gear? Brent Barbano, cofounder of ShareGrid, can help you figure out when it makes more sense to buy or rent gear.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 7.2

Reel > Camera Gear

Things break. Gear gets obsolete. Spending $100K on fancy camera equipment will not make jobs come to you.

You're a cinematographer, not a rental house.

The best cinematographers can create the best cinematography from any camera they're handed.

The job is to know how to evaluate the limitations and advantages of your gear, reach into your bag of filmmaking techniques, and make the best image under those conditions.

Equipment will come and go. Your expertise and skills on-set will only get better with time.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 7.3

Know when to end your reel

This is more of a job hunt technique than a film technique.

Nevertheless, remember that people have short attention spans.

VERY short attention spans.

So when designing a reel to send out to jobs or post on crew job sites like ProductionBeast, keep it short. Many directors and producers will decide to turn it off in the first 30 seconds.

Don't take it personally. They have tons of these to watch.

Use that knowledge as a tool to create a better reel. Grab them with your best stuff first.

And then get out fast.

So even if you're one of the best cinematographers in the world, you're looking at 2:30 max.

Also don't pad your reel. Shorter and higher quality is better than a few more shots, some of which aren't the best.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 7.4

Stay on top of new tech (also drones)

Technology marches on. There will be no shortage of new toys to play with. Research them as best you can.

Know how and when to use them.

For example, aerial drones with cameras attached have gotten cheaper and cheaper, and fly-over shots that were once the providence of well-heeled studio productions are now yours.

But as amazing and EPIC as drone video footage can be, they do have their limitations. For example, did you know that most drone cameras currently don't have zoom lenses? Read more about drone cinematography techniques here and here.

CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE 8.1

The best cinematographers...

Are equal parts artist, technician, and manager.

It's a multi-faceted job, and no number of film techniques will make up for hard earned experience.

The more you work, and the more you practice, the more likely you are to formulate those well crafted shot lists that make the entire shoot a breeze.

We know we didn't cover everything. Maybe we covered things you know and learned in film school.

Tell us in the comments below some some cinematography techniques YOU picked up in the field!

Oh, and in case you can't remember everything you read above, download our convenient, Cinematography Techniques Cheatsheet PDF below, so you can print and take it with you when you're on the move (or at least until all of these points become second nature).

Until then, break a lens!

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StudioBinder

StudioBinder is a film production software built out of Santa Monica, CA. Our mission is to make the production experience more streamlined, efficient, and pleasant.

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30 Cinematography Techniques You Won't Learn in Film School

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On paper, you're ready. You took the courses. You read the books. But do you know all the key cinematography techniques? The things that come from being on set? Perhaps you've been working Director of Photography for years. Would a quick refresher on some of the 30 best cinematography techniques and tips hurt?

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Intercultural understanding - First Nations teaching resource

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Intercultural understanding - First Nations teaching resource

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Informative text on engaging with First Nations content and concepts. Created for Drama classrooms but much of what is covered is easily translated for media arts and FTVNM classes also.

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Interactive quizzes that can be used to engage students in theory concepts within the Media Arts.

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn – any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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A collection of online digital art games that can be used to kickstart creativity within students. Use these games as a warm-up activity to get students thinking creatively at the start of a lesson.

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I've been asked the question 'Where can I find free online art games that I can use in the classroom?' I've been scouring the internet and below is a selection of free online art games that are great fun and might well link to the projects you teach. They can be a useful extension task if you have computers or iPads in your classroom. Bookmark this blog post as you are sure to want to come back to it!

Colour

This game is a great way to consolidate knowledge about hue, saturation, complementary, analogous, triadic and tetradic colours. If your students do not know these terms part of the task can be to look them up. I wouldn't normally teach about triadic and tetradic colours. You have to match the colours on the screen which is harder than you think. At the end of the game, you are given a score and therefore the excuse to play again as you have something to beat!

This is Sand

Challenge your students to make a landscape with 'This is Sand'. This would make a great homework if you are teaching a project on landscapes. It is a simple idea: students sprinkle digital sand in layers to create images. They can subtly change colours and download their creations.

Street Art

Street art is a game by The Tate. I have mixed opinions about this one as it's quite limited, although I do like the wall background and the spray paints. What do you think?

Inspiral Web

Are you old enough to remember the old fashioned spirograph? Well, this is the web version. You can choose different disks and different colours and save your creations.

Jig Zone

Jig zone is an online puzzle site with an art section. Students do the puzzles by dragging the pieces into place. A simple activity to fill the end of a lesson if you only have 5 minutes left and starting something else would be unwise at that point.

Quick, Draw!

'Quick, Draw!' is interesting as it asks the question 'Can a neural network learn to recognize doodling?' It asks you to add to the worlds largest doodling dataset. You have 20 seconds to draw the items it asks for. I think the learning here is simply opening children's minds to the idea that a computer can learn.

Auto Draw

Auto draw's main feature is that you start drawing and it tries to recognise what you are drawing. You can then click on the picture and your drawing turns into that picture. There is a useful tutorial if click on the menu in the top left-hand corner under 'How to'. You can add text and shapes. There are more colours than you might think in the colour picker. I think you could use the shapes and colours and text to teach colour theory.

Weave Silk

Weave Silk is a wonderfully therapeutic game that involves symmetry. Simply use your cursor on the screen to make symmetrical patterns. It has a slide where you can change to rotational symmetry and colours can be blended. Challenge yourself to make flowers, birds, bats and if you're feeling ambitious - faces!

Kern Me

If you teach graphics you will love this game. Kerning is the spacing between letters or characters in a piece of text. This game teaches students to create the correct spacing by eye. Great fun!

Shape Type

'Shape Type' is a letter shaping game. Students need to move points on the letter to try and get a pleasing shape to the letter. Super tricky but quite addictive!

50 Famous Paintings

'Can you name the 50 Famous Paintings' is on the 'How Stuff Works' website and has many easily recognisable paintings.

TriviaPlaza

TriviaPlaza is a quiz site which has an art section. Be warned - they quizzes are difficult. Suitable for frustrating bright students aged 16+ or for art teachers to test their knowledge!

I'd love to keep adding to this blog post, so if you know of any cool free online art learning games, please comment below.

Don't forget to check out all the Free Resources on The Arty Teacher!

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Free Online Art Games for the Art Classroom - The Arty Teacher

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'Where can I find free online art games that I can use in the classroom?' The answer is on The Arty Teacher website. It offers a great selection of art games.

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Tips for Engaging students in digital classrooms

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Tips for Engaging students in digital classrooms

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4 useful tips and planning for and executing engagement using digital tools within the classroom. Learning to connect with 21st Century students and the ways in which they learn and engage with the world around them.

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Simple strategies to help you design instruction and implement classroom projects that inspire and challenge

The creative application of technology can help you engage digital learners in content, reinforce skills essential to life in today's world, and, most importantly, require them to actively create rather than passively consume.

There are plenty of conversations happening about how to engage today's digital learners, but it's important to remember that using technology is only one part of the solution. With the pressure of today's classrooms, student use of technology needs to help them progress toward specific learning goals and should require them to apply what they know to create something new or solve a problem. The liberal application of technology for technology's sake is no longer sufficient.

The following four ideas can help.

1. Tap into their passions

Digital learners are idealistic and passionate about issues that affect them. Climate change, privacy rights and freedoms, and health and safety, are just a few topics that engage today's students. Listen for the challenges and passions in your student population and see if they connect to content, ideas, or issues you want to address.

You might consider having students create public service announcements to explore content issues in depth while practicing writing and communication skills. A public service announcement, or PSA, is a type of advertising designed to inform viewers about an issue and get them act or to change their behavior. Ellen Phillips and Marielle Crespo hooked their students using a fictitious letter from a local politician. After learning a local playground wasn't clean or safe, students visited the site, documented problems they discovered, and worked in small groups to develop a series of PSAs to address the problem.

When developing a PSA, students have a chance to practice and apply persuasive writing skills in a real-world, authentic context. A short PSA targeted at a particular audience encourages students to focus on writing organization, as well as voice and word choice.

2. Connect to their world

With all of the pressures to "cover" curriculum, it often seems difficult to invest time in real-world projects. But if we only focus on delivering information, our students end up doing work that bears no resemblance to what they see people doing in the world beyond the classroom. While vocabulary building, math facts, and algebra problems may be important indicators of comprehension, these tasks are not necessarily motivating or interesting and certainly do not create a compelling hook for those students who always ask "why do we have to know/do this?"

While project-based learning and authentic tasks are designed to forge a strong connection between what is learned in the classroom and why it is valuable in the world outside of it, there are other ways to make these connections. What do your students talk about or do when they aren't in a classroom? How can outside interests be used to help them develop a deeper understanding of the curriculum or build important skills? For example, many science teachers have students explore the physics of sports when studying Newton's Laws of Motion.

When Tiffani D. Brown noticed that her middle school students were not engaged by daily journal writing, she made an effort to meet her students "where they already were - in the land of MP3s and YouTube - and [her] classroom was forever changed." She didn't abandon her curriculum or her learning goals. She simply took the time to find examples of popular music she could use for writing prompts that turned into discussions about symbolism, metaphor, and more.

Students spend a lot of time watching TV. While it's probably safe to assume that most students are not always watching high-quality educational programming, they have most likely seen great storytelling, watched news broadcasts that affected their mood, and watched a video biography on a person who interested them.

Using a computer to fill out a digital worksheet isn't any more compelling than using a pencil to fill out a paper version. Encourage students to show what they know, and capitalize on their interest in technology, by creating news broadcasts or video biographies on classroom topics using formats similar to those they see on screens outside of the classroom. Technology tools make it easy for students to create, rather than just consume, these types of media.

Students often decide which movie to go see by watching trailers online. Movie trailers are fast-paced and exciting, conveying in just a few moments the details of a story while making the viewer want to see more.

Instead of creating traditional book reports for Four ways to engage digital learnerss your students are reading, ask students to "sell" the books to other readers by creating movie-style trailers. Creating a book trailer helps students focus on key details, summarizing, character analysis, and writing, and the content of each trailer gives you an opportunity for you to assess reading comprehension. As they learn to think about and audience and how to change their behavior, they learn to write persuasively, a focus of the new Common Core State Standards for language arts.

3. Make students the experts

In the flipped classroom, students first explore a topic at home and then return to class to ask questions, address misunderstandings, and apply knowledge in a new project. To reinforce learning, especially for difficult topics, ask students to create learning resources like videos, animations, and tutorials for new topics and processes.

When you require students to teach something to someone else, they must take the information apart and think about how best to share it so that it results in understanding. This process of deconstructing and reorganizing information helps students cement concepts and provides an opportunity for you to pinpoint misconceptions.

Having students develop instructional materials also demonstrates that you value their expertise, time, and effort. When second-grade teacher Katy Hammack found that worksheets and reviews weren't helping her students master grammar, she began creating tutorials in Pixie that her students could refer to on their iPod Touch devices. She soon found that students internalized grammatical rules more quickly when she had them create the tutorials themselves. She shares, "When I notice someone having a grammar problem, I refer them to a student-created tutorial designed by one of their peers... and once-struggling students take pride in the fact that their work is being used by other students."

4. Give their voice a platform

Ask your students to tell a story. Digital storytelling is a great way to get them to delve deeper in the content you are studying. For example, have students create docudramas showing historic events or scientific processes through the eyes of a particular person or object. As they write the story, they not only show what they know about the content, they have a chance to apply everything they have learned about perspective, voice, organization, and audience.

Rather than merely retelling stories, ask students to adapt, extend, or create new versions of books they are reading. Students can modernize a fairy tale to make it more relevant, comparing similarities and differences along the way. This instructional strategy is mentioned in Classroom Instruction that Works as well as a Reading: Literature standards in the Common Core.

If we really want to give student voice a platform, we have to let them choose the story, the topic, and the characters. Adapting a book or story may be more engaging than just retelling it, but ultimately students need to tell their own stories. An autobiography is a great first step, but this should only be the beginning. If we want our learners to find their voice, we must give them less instruction and more well-crafted opportunities for learning. In the words of Gary Stager, " Good prompts do not burden a learner, but set them free."

Popular Topics

What can your students create?

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The creative application of technology can help you engage digital learners in content, reinforce skills essential to life in today's world, and, most importantly, require them to actively create rather than passively consume. There are plenty of conversations happening about how to engage today's digital learners, but it's important to remember that using technology is only one part of the solution.

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Exploring engaging activities for students in Media Arts. This resource is from the US so some resources may not be appropriate for the Australian curriculum. However, there are still some engaging ideas for Australian students.

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Media Art is a broad term used to describe art that is created using film, video, audio, and other forms of digital and Web-based media. ( Source)

The technologies and processes used and adapted to create media art may be traditional, including, but not limited to, photography, film, photocopy art, analog and electro-acoustic sound, classical animation, and video/television. ( Source)

Media Art: Defined as art that is produced using or combining film, video, and computers, the media arts encompass a diverse array of artistic work that includes narrative, documentary, and experimental films; videos and digital products; and installation art using media. ( Source)

"students are taught to value the aesthetic qualities of media and the arts while using their creativity for self-expression through creating art and media"

See also these categories on the Media Literacy Clearinghouse website: Motion Pictures Radio/Sound Television/Video Visual Literacy

Digital media content and tools provide educators and students with tremendous opportunities to be media creators as well as media consumers. How do you help your students understand the ethics and etiquette of this landscape? How savvy are you about integrating media production projects into your work with students? We've gathered a range of resources and references on these topics and more to help you foster digital media literacy in your classroom. Check out these two new areas of the PBS Teachers site: PBS Teachers Launches New Digital Media Resources Digital Media Literacy and Project VoiceScape

Resources: Lesson Plans: (see also recommendations in the SC support document Introduction to Media Arts) Recommended Resources:

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Art: Media Arts - Media Literacy Clearinghouse

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Media Art is a broad term used to describe art that is created using film, video, audio, and other forms of digital and Web-based media. (Source) The technologies and processes used and adapted to create media art may be traditional, including, but not limited to, photography, film, photocopy art, analog and...

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Extensive list of resources for film and sound. Particularly useful for FTVNM students in senior years.

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Numeracy in the Arts - Making Numeracy appealing

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Numeracy in the Arts - Making Numeracy appealing

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Resource exploring where Numeracy occurs in Art...The answer is: EVERYWHERE!

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Numeracy is everywhere in the visual arts

Some one asked me this recently. Here's my response after a bit more thinking (and internet browsing):

1. Using and understanding measurement

This could involve measuring up a canvas, creating a border, or reading a plan.

2. Using and understanding location, distance, and directions

This could involve instructions on either a small or large scale, or use of grids or vectors for placing objects.

3. Using and understanding shape, size, scale, proportion, sequence and orientation in 2-D and 3-D

This covers just about all aspects of drawing, painting, and could encompass sculpture and computer-aided design as well.

4. Number relationships, patterns, and spatial awareness

Both maths and art are built around patterns and relationships between objects.

5. Developing pattern awareness and critical numeracy skills

Creating patterns involves counting, measuring, and sequencing in different ways.

6. Critical numeracy skills

Learners could engage in the deconstruction of media texts, or discuss how they make decisions about everyday issues relating to content which involve mathematical concepts.

Some further, deeper discussion on art and maths

Art captures our imagination and allows us to see the world in ways that we normally wouldn't. How does math make this happen? Let's look at some examples:

Take the Rothko paintings, for example. Their use of colour is very important in creating a sense of emotion, but so is their layout on the canvas. You might see one that has three rectangles and two squares, which adds up to five elements.

But when you look at one of these paintings, it doesn't feel like there are five elements, for example. Instead, you see only what's depicted in the painting - nothing else. The mind is very good at filling in gaps and we perceive a single scene instead of focusing on individual components.

This is also true for these paintings by M.C. Escher, a famous artist who played with architecture and perception

Note how the images in these drawings are very carefully arranged to create a sense of infinity, even though they're bounded on all sides. This is done by using mirroring and repeating elements such as staircases and trees.

In this drawing, you'll see the same elements repeated in inverted forms. This makes us perceive a singular scene rather than a complex drawing with multiple parts.

It's all very rich in terms of maths and numeracy. I'd love someone to expand on this further.
If you want a couple of short easy-to-digest books on Learner Centred Teaching that were written by me - a human, then I suggest these:

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Where's the numeracy in the visual arts? 6 Sexy Solutions -

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Some one asked me this recently. Here's my response after a bit more thinking (and internet browsing): This could involve measuring up a canvas, creating a border, or reading a plan. This could involve instructions on either a small or large scale, or use of grids or vectors for placing objects.

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Provides information on learning the literate in media texts. Explores authenticity and reliability in online media media sources.

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Center for Media Literacy | Empowerment through Education | CML MediaLit Kit ™ | | Empowerment through Education

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Experience CML’s On-ramp to Media Literacy course for yourself!

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An extensive list of resources for Media Arts classes.

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Free Media Arts digital resources for classrooms

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STOP MOTION PODCASTING DOCUMENTARY
AFTRS Media Lab provides accessible media arts resources to Australian primary and secondary teachers and students. Media Lab will help build core creativity and storytelling capabilities that will be required for the jobs of the future.

The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) is the nation's leading screen and broadcast school that delivers future-focused, industry-relevant education, research and training.

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STOP MOTION PODCASTING DOCUMENTARY AFTRS Media Lab provides accessible media arts resources to Australian primary and secondary teachers and students. Media Lab will help build core creativity and storytelling capabilities that will be required for the jobs of the future.

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The Orb - looking at Tasmanian Aboriginal artworks and perpectives

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The Orb - looking at Tasmanian Aboriginal artworks and perpectives

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The Orb is a collection of multimedia learning resources about Tasmanian Aboriginal histories and cultures. It explores the interconnections between people, Country, culture, identity, and the living community. The multimedia resources have between three and five sections in which Tasmanian Aboriginal people share their stories about Country, cultural resources and practices.

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Walk in our shoes, see through our eyes and journey alongside us... the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community.

- From Gumnuts to Buttons
About
The Orb celebrates Tasmanian Aboriginal people and the interconnections between Country, culture, identity, and Community.

The Orb features interviews with Tasmanian Aboriginal Community members. It provides teachers with Australian Curriculum aligned resources to assist the teaching of Tasmanian Aboriginal histories and cultures.

Contact: aboriginal.education@decyp.tas.gov.au

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From Gumnuts to Buttons About The Orb celebrates Tasmanian Aboriginal people and the interconnections between Country, culture, identity, and Community. The Orb features interviews with Tasmanian Aboriginal Community members. It provides teachers with Australian Curriculum aligned resources to assist the teaching of Tasmanian Aboriginal histories and cultures. Contact: aboriginal.education@decyp.tas.gov.au

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Introduction to camera angles with examples of what each angle might be used and the story they can tell.

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You've hopefully learnt all about shot types, now it's on to the camera angles you can use in conjunction with those shots. The way the camera is angled can contribute to the meaning the audience will get from the shot and can be used to make characters look strong, weak, intimidating, inferior. They can also help an audience get a sense for what a character is experiencing and what they are feeling; all these by simply changing the angle of the camera.

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You've hopefully learnt all about shot types, now it's on to the camera angles you can use in conjunction with those shots. The way the camera is angled can contribute to the meaning the audience will get from the shot and can be used to make characters look strong, weak, intimidating, inferior.

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Stages of editing and camera shot. Provides insight into planning and being thoughtful during the creating process of filmmaking.

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Recommended for Year levels: 5-VCE
Learning areas: Drama, English, Media & Media Arts, Technologies
Capabilities: Creative and critical thinking

What is editing?

Editing is the art of putting film shots and clips together to make a completed film project. However, it's not just about assembling the footage; an editor also makes all kinds of decisions that affect how the finished product will look, feel, and sound.

An editor will decide on the length of all the shots, which takes ultimately get used, and much more. They're also instrumental in choosing how music and sound are used in a film.

An editor's job is important, and a lot can depend on what an editor does with the footage provided. One editor might edit a film in a completely different way to another editor, and that can affect how the final story is told.

What do I need?

Editing software is a must. Apple's iMovie for Mac works well and is free. Movie Maker for Windows is free also. Some other programs used by professional editors include Final Cut Pro which is available on Mac, Adobe Premiere, available on Mac and Windows and DaVinci Resolve.

You can also find some great tutorials for all these different editing software online and we've listed some here:

Movie Maker: there's a wonderful introduction by a young YouTuber on the basics of Movie Maker here and Movie Maker has their own tutorials here.

iMovie: Vimeo Film School have a series of very helpful and easy to understand video tutorials, starting with Ep 1: Introducing iMovie

DaVinci Resolve: Blackmagic design have some wonderful videos about DaVinci Resolve. You can start here with basic editing.

Final Cut Pro X: Ripple Training have a create series of short how-to videos on YouTube. Here's a playlist of all those videos.

Premier Pro: Here's a twenty minute tutorial on Premier Pro that works through the basics through to some more advanced skills. Watch it here.

Once you can access some editing software, you can get stuck into one of the lessons below:

1. The rough cut

Let's start with the basic tools you'll encounter when editing, and the layout of editing software.

Although the layout and tools available might change between editing software, the basic layout and tools remain the same. The library is usually in the top left corner, your preview window top middle, and your film's timeline at the bottom.

Your first task will be to edit together a scene using the footage provided (you'll need to download this below).
What you'll need

Editing software
Try and familiarise yourself with the software before starting this task

A script

Footage to edit - download The Deal footage package 1

Create a rough cut

The word 'cut' can be confusing as it's used in film in a variety of ways. A director might call 'cut' on set when they want the camera to stop filming and actors to stop acting. When it comes to editing we refer to every change between shots as a cut, and then we also use the term cut when referring to what stage a project is at.

So a rough cut is where you have put the video files into the order you'd like them, but you haven't completed the scene or movie. When the editing process is over, and it's time to start on sound design, we call it a fine cut.

To create a rough cut you'll need a script for the project you're working on. We've provided a script for the footage we've provided to help you edit the scene together. You can also watch the video below to see how it's done.

Using a script, edit together a rough cut of The Deal. You'll notice you have several different shots that each cover the whole scene, so it's up to you how you edit the scene together using these shots.

Don't worry at this stage about getting it perfect, just get them in the order you think works.

The script will help you put the scene together, but it won't tell you which shot to use for each action or line of dialogue. That part is up to you. But you should think carefully about what is happening in each moment, and which shot you think works best. Have a look at the page on shot types if you need a refresher on camera shots and their use.

As you bring a clip from the library into your timeline, you should be able to select in and out points, meaning, the section of the clip that you want to use. You don't have to bring the whole clip into your timeline if the clip is quite long.

Now, go to the start of your project and play it back. Make sure you're happy with the order of the clips. When you're happy, move onto your fine cut.

2. The fine cut

A fine cut is where you get your project to the point you're happy with how all the footage has been cut together. This means you'll need to get rid of all the unnecessary parts of your clips, for instance, there are lots of moments where the actors stop acting, the director yells out 'action' and 'cut', and also where you can see the clapper loader.

You can use your software's trim tool to get rid of the parts of the clips you don't want. Trimming is where you drag the start or the end of a clip backwards or forwards to hide the parts of the clip you don't need.

When you make a fine cut, this is where you make decisions as an editor what you think works best. You might like some shots to hold for longer, and others to be shorter. Ultimately you want your scene to move smoothly from one shot to the next.

Keep going and make adjustments until you feel the scene is working.

3. Adding music

Music can add so much to a film, it can bring energy, create suspense, all kinds of things. Ultimately though, music adds to the feel and tone of the film and help elicit certain emotions out of your audience.

Along with your video files, you'll find an audio track in the folder you downloaded. Make sure this is in your library for use. Bring the music into your timeline and place it where you'd like it to start.

Like your video clips, you can trim the music file once in your timeline.

1. Bring the piece of music into your library then place it into your timeline underneath your footage. Position the music where you'd like it. You can trim audio files like you do your video files so it ends or starts where you'd like it to.

2. Find out how you can bring down the volume of the music so it doesn't drown out other the dialogue in the scene.

4. Quick cuts, jump cuts & condensing time

Let's extend some of your editing skills, and focus on some different ways to condense time using different editing techniques.

Download The Deal package 2. This will give you more footage to work with on your scene.

Quick cutting

One of the simple yet magic things about editing is you can condense time through different editing techniques. We can take a scene or an action that might take a little while, and speed it up by shortening the clips in our scene.

When it's done really fast we call it quick cutting, but condensing time in a film doesn't always appear to be quick, it can just be less slow. Either way, you're condensing your clips to leave just the parts of action you do want.

For example in the footage you have for The Deal, there are several shots where the character of Sarah puts her briefcase on the table, opens it, pulls out a pen and pad, writes in the pad, puts the pen away, puts the pad on the table, and pushes it towards Claire. All together in real-time, Sarah's actions in this part take around 35 seconds!

We can condense the time it takes for her to do this by using the different camera shots we have of this action and cutting them quite short so we just see the main actions.

1. Import the necessary footage

2. Using the various shots of Sarah's entrance, edit her entrance down from 25 seconds to less than 15. Make sure we still see what you think are the important actions. Refer to the script to help decide what you should keep. Watch the tutorial below to get some tips.

Jump cuts

Jump cuts are used with footage in which the camera shot holds for a long time and a character moves around in that space. It can help show a passing of time, like a character waiting for someone and getting very bored. Instead of showing them waiting for ten minutes we could use jump cuts and show them in different positions looking restless. We still get the idea they've been waiting for a long time, and are tired of waiting, without having to show them waiting the entire time. Jump cuts are also used to make people disappear or reappear (or teleport) within a shot.

Watch this video about jump cuts on Vimeo to see the technique in action.

1. Using a long take of Claire waiting, experiment with jump cuts to show a passing of time. We want the effect to be that Claire has been waiting for some time. Watch the tutorial below to get some tips.

2. Condense time your own way. Try making the middle section of the scene (Sarah producing her briefcase, writing something down, passing it to Claire) go a little quicker. You can do this by quick cutting, or jump cuts.

3. Re-edit your music file to better suit your update edit

Reflection
How did you go? Which time condensing technique did you prefer? Did you prefer the scene when it was sped up, or did it take some suspense out of the scene?

Inserts, cutting on action, L and J cuts

Let's go beyond the fundamental editing skills and look at more advanced techniques employed by professional editors. These techniques will make your scene look extra special, and give it more depth and detail.

The techniques include L and J cuts, insert footage, and cutting on action.

You'll need to download another package of footage to experiment with these types of cuts and techniques. Download The Deal footage package 3 below.

You can use your existing cut of the scene, or start afresh.

Insert

An insert is a piece of footage that shows us another perspective on the action taking place.

In The Deal, we have lots of shots such as a long shot, a two-shot, and a variety of close-ups. These shots cover the main action taking place and shows us mostly character expressions and obvious body language.

An insert shot is usually a close-up or an extreme close up of something else that's happening as part of that action. It might be a shot of a character fidgeting or tapping their fingers. An insert could also be a shot of an important prop or item in the scene.

So inserts can offer us another perspective on the main action taking place, they can tell us more about how a character is feeling, or they can draw our attention to an important item.

1. Work the insert footage of the briefcase, the close-up on Claire's hands, and close-up pan shot of the pad on the desk into your rough cut.

Cutting on action

Cutting on action is where you cut from one shot to another, right on a point of action. Because you're changing the audience's viewpoint of the scene, it makes the action more dramatic and impactful. You don't have to cut on every moment of action, but it's a good rule to do it where you think it works.

Even in a scene without a great deal of obvious action (like fighting or a car chases) you can create impact by cutting on all types of movement, big or small. Even cutting from one shot to another when a character turns around, sits down or looks up can be effective.

1. Include at least two cuts on action in your edit of The Deal.

L cuts and J cuts

L cuts and J cuts refer to when the audio (usually dialogue) from one clip or scene plays over the footage of another clip or scene.

Say we have filmed a conversation between two characters, and the film footage we have are two separate shots focusing on them individually, so in the edit we cut from one character to the other depending on who is talking.

An L cut is when character A is talking, but before they finish talking we cut to character B so we see their face but still hear character A talking.

A J cut is the opposite, it's where character A is talking, finishes talking, but before we cut to character B we hear them start talking.

L and J cuts don't just have to be used for conversations though, you might find other interesting ways to use them, such as using them to transition from one scene to another.

To perform these kinds of cuts, you might have to detach the audio from your video files so you can extend or shorten the audio file separately from your video file.

Be careful when moving the audio files once they're detached from your video file, as you don't want to put the audio and video out of sync.

If you're keen to learn more about L cuts and J cuts, go to The Beat's great rundown here.

1. Find an opportunity to perform either an L cut or a J cut (or both) on a line of dialogue.

2. Complete your scene and produce a fine cut.

3. Go through your scene and identify if there are 'blip' noises anywhere where one clips cuts to another. If you do find any, this is because of changes on audio between clips. Experiment with slight fade-ins or fade-outs on the clips in question to see if you can get rid of those annoying blips.

Reflection
What moments did you end up using to cut on action? What was the impact of cutting on action to your scene? Did you try and condense time in any part of the scene? Why, why not? Did you experience any issues when using L cuts or J cuts? What were they, and how did you overcome those issues?

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Recommended for Year levels: 5-VCE Learning areas: Drama, English, Media & Media Arts, Technologies Capabilities: Creative and critical thinking What is editing? Editing is the art of putting film shots and clips together to make a completed film project.

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A simple and effective look at the stages of production when making a film. From preproduction elements (costs and treatment writing) to post production (editing and preservation).

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The director Robert Rodriguez is famous for getting his shooting done rather quickly. He has described his process as one long day of work, beginning with shots and moving into editing all within the same day. He likes to be able to review his work as it's produced so that he knows what the final product might look like. Compare that to someone like George Lucas, who spends quite a bit of time and budget in post-production, and it's easy to see that technology has taken film in very different directions.

Technology's greatest impact is perhaps felt in new cameras that allow cinematographers to shoot in a higher definition, letting viewers take in more of the amazing work in set design. Technology also drives entire segments of film now, enabling movies that were not possible before. Here are some examples where technology has driven film making.

Costs

Film is the preferred medium of old school film makers, but it's usually too costly for a studio to authorize. Film carries several disadvantages, that dwarf the authenticity that the film maker is going for. Aside from the expense, film is impossible to reuse. That means a day of shooting must have footage the crew can use, or else every resource consumed that day was a waste. The costs of film don't end the day of shooting either. Cinematographers who use film must develop it, and then there is the costly process of editing the film.

Going digital largely means foregoing the large canisters of film that used to be synonymous with film making. It also means production companies complete their shoot schedules with less waste, keeping the entire project under or close to budget.

Editing

Post production is another area where digital trumps the usage of film. Adding visual effects to film was often a precise art, where the effect had to blend seamlessly with what was being shot. This was a painstaking process that editors no longer go through. Digital effects are created and added to the shot within the same program or family of programs. This software also allows editors to work on entire sections of a film, easily piecing scenes together after the post production effects are added in. That includes audio, which now has a high definition digital file that ensures the audience will hear every word and action that they see.

The end result is a piece of film that looks cleaner, with effects that blend seamlessly with the movie. The audience usually can't tell when CGI has been used, but it's a powerful tool film makers have increasingly used to set atmosphere.

Shooting

Shooting in digital is much easier because you can do more in less time. Multiple cameras can run on the same shot, so you always get the angle you want without having to waste time on retakes. I like shooting digitally because it makes it easy to shoot multiple takes, and to get multiple angles more economically. A director's bread and butter is pace and performance. I love being able to shoot everything. Even, with the actors' permission, the rehearsals. You never know what pieces you'll be able to use later in editing.

Coupled with the new steady cam equipment that film has taken a liking to, the end result is a more intimate shot. The audience feels present in the moment because the lens we are allowed to look through feels authentic. Film makers also spend less time re-shooting the same scene to get the right angle.

Distribution

The process of distributing film in digital has not quite hit the apex of what it is capable of, but the indie film maker especially stands to gain. Distribution through YouTube has been the most common form of marketing for quite some time. Studios have released big-budget trailers, while indie film makers have sought funding and interested eyes posting content through various YouTube channels. Of course, the adverse affect is that quality has significantly declined, but that's more a function of volume. YouTube users also crowd source what is popular with a thumbs up, helping others to find new and interesting content without spending too much time digging for it.

Rights to films are already distributed to consumers digitally, but this market has not been fully tapped. There is much debate as to the future of film consumption, but companies seem willing to distribute films online. The 2011 film Tower Heist with Ben Stiller was almost released to Comcast customers alongside the theatrical release, but the idea was scrapped after several theaters threatened not to show the film in protest. Although digital promises an exciting new world of distribution, the business of film has yet to catch up with this idea.

Preservation

The preservation of film isn't something we think about as consumers, but it's the very reason we still have re-mastered copies of Ben Hurr and the Star Wars trilogy. Film will crumble and damage over time, and it's extremely flammable too. There are simply too many methods for film to outlive its usefulness. Digital films can be stored on company servers, without taking up too much space. The costs to maintain this infrastructure are also lower than the costs to store and re-master film.

Digital archives are also easy to backup and restore. Pixar had a now famous incident when creating Toy Story 2, where one of the animators lost almost the entire film working on it at home thanks to a bad backup. Aside from this small gaffe, the backup system has allowed production companies access to earlier versions of a film, as well as a source to store shots used for dailies and extras.

Without technology, it would be nearly impossible for Hollywood to produce the volume of films that it does. Film might be a nice thought for that vintage feel, but the practicalities of digital have largely put the film versus digital debate to rest.
Charles Matthau, son of Walter Matthau, is a film and television director best known for adapting books into movies.

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How Tech Has Shaped Film Making: The Film vs. Digital Debate Is Put to Rest

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The director Robert Rodriguez is famous for getting his shooting done rather quickly. He has described his process as one long day of work, beginning with shots and moving into editing all within the same day. He likes to be able to review his work as it's produced so that he knows what the final...

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A aesthetically pleasing mood board that can be used to create a visual 'map' of students thought process when building a creative project. Here students can search for inspiration, colouring, themes and ideas that might correspond to their creative project in class. This then serves as a digital diary of these thought processes.

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Discover recipes, home ideas, style inspiration and other ideas to try.

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Mixed media arts - combining digital and traditional artforms

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Mixed media arts - combining digital and traditional artforms

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Exploring the benefits of combining traditional and digital artworks for the benefits of student learning and understanding. Building understanding of 'creative tool-boxes' for students.

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By the time our 21st Century children hit secondary school age, it's almost certainly a personal mobile device that is their most utilised creative tool. Cathy Hunt, educational consultant, author and St Hilda's School Visual Art teacher, talks about the integration of digital technologies in the visual arts class rooms.

When I think back to my earliest teaching spaces, access to digital technology was very limited. My classes had to move out of the studio and book into 'computer labs' to gain access to computers, and those were 'tethered', desktop machines. What that meant was that it was generally during research tasks and word-processing written assignments that technology integration occurred, and it rarely permeated our art-making tasks.

From pre-school to higher education, in forward-thinking Visual Arts courses around the world mobile devices now permeate the classroom environment. The 'tactile and the techy' can comfortably co-exist in studio spaces where teachers design lessons for a contemporary context. Despite some initial fears about iPads and smart phones amongst mess and materials, it is a curriculum designed to explore hybridity, honour diversity, mash-up and merge, that best reflects a mixed-media approach so familiar to artists, and leverages the non-linear nature of the creative process. Multiple literacies are essential in a developing a culture of innovation, meeting the needs of diverse learners and supporting visual literacy in an increasingly visual world.

Although our students can access a range of media for art-making, it is often the connected camera driving the production of original content, and social media that provides the strongest conduit towards an audience for their work.

Students can develop a rich 'creative tool-box' and a flexible, experimental and mixed-media approach that aligns with the needs of the 21st Century learner.

Despite the frequency of their image production, it takes an art teacher just one glance toward the photo library on a student iPad or phone to see that opportunities to explore visual language abound! While photography is often the entry point for creativity on mobile devices, purposeful lesson design can effectively link tactile materials, processes and practices together with digital tools to produce rich learning experiences.

"As we look to design lessons that create seamless technology integration, we try to link tasks to develop rich learning experiences. For example, a project might start with a student creating a drawing in pencil, and then photograph taken of the sketch with the iPad camera follows. The opportunity to digitally manipulate the image using apps results in a new work, and it is saved to the camera roll. Printing the work, adding a wash of colour across the paper and cutting it into pieces sees the creative process continue."

By engaging with the creative process through these mixed-media workflows, unlimited possibilities can be explored as techniques, processes and media combine. Once the mindset kicks in, paint and pixels merge. For example:

Creating hand-drawn progressive sketches on paper, photographing those images, and then creating 'flip-book-style' animations using a Gif app, sharing them on Instagram.

Using iPhoneography to capture portraits, importing them into apps for manipulation, then printing and ripping the up the pieces for a collage.

Capturing the development of a three-dimensional work using time-lapse photography with an iPad as a reflective tool.

For some inspiration for the classroom download Cathy's e-book for free ipad Art: Lessons, apps and ideas for the ipad in visual arts. The book explores a range of lessons, apps and ideas for teachers, providing practical, hand-on guides and examples of real teaching.

Cathy is a well-known advocate for the creative integration of technology in education, developing ground-breaking programs for students around the world that combine hands-on, tactile and collaborative ways of working with mobile devices.

Cathy is an Apple Distinguished Educator currently serving on the Advisory Board for the Asia-Pacific region. Recent accolades include the 2016 International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) Mobile Learning Innovation Award, two Digital Innovation in Learning Award honourable mentions from Edsurge/Digital Promise and 21st Century Learning International's Teacher of the Year finalist. Cathy's iBook, 'More iPad Art' also won Best Non-Fiction and Best Reference title at the iBA Awards in Nashville.

As an award-winning educational consultant, presenter, author and experienced Visual Art teacher at The St Hilda's School on Australia's the Gold Coast, she has worked with thousands of teachers globally to connect creative technology and cutting-edge pedagogical approaches with diverse learners. Cathy is probably best known for her work on iPadartroom.com, a home base for educators to engage with innovative ideas, resources and technology for learning in that combines paint and pixels.

www.ipadartroom.com
@art_cathyhunt on twitter

Banner image: Using a kaleidoscope app on iPad, students hover their iPad camera over an expressive pencil drawing. The reflections present starting points for new works on canvas. Image courtesy of Cathy Hunt.

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Mixing Paint & Pixels: Considering a 'Tra-digital' approach in visual arts

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By the time our 21st Century children hit secondary school age, it's almost certainly a personal mobile device that is their most utilised creative tool. Cathy Hunt, educational consultant, author and St Hilda's School Visual Art teacher, talks about the integration of digital technologies in the visual arts class rooms. When I think back to my earliest teaching spaces, access to digital technology was very limited.

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Exploring how to integrate digital teaching and learning within the classroom. This model focusses on going beyond traditional learning activities to promote students' use of critical and creative thinking skills

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The SAMR Model was designed to help teachers infuse technology into learning. Find out more about the SAMR Model in education.

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Free storyboard software that allows full customisation of characters/settings etc. Could be used as a digital differentiation tool for students that aren't comfortable drawing out their storyboard

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Free Storyboarding Software — Online Storyboard Creator

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Storyboard That: Easy online storyboard creation! Perfect for filmmakers, teachers, and students. Create storyboards and comics with Storyboard That today!

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A cheaper and equally powerful alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Allows students to edit, manipulate and create new images and visuals that can be used within the classroom.

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Please enable JavaScript

You must enable JavaScript to fully view this webpage. If it is not enabled, your experience will be limited and you will be unable to purchase products, complete forms or load images and videos.

As the only fully-loaded photo editor integrated across macOS, Windows and iPad, Affinity Photo is the first choice of millions of creative and photography professionals around the world. With incredible speed, power and precision, the award-winning software has everything you need to edit and retouch images, create multi-layered compositions, beautiful raster paintings and so much more.

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Affinity Photo - award-winning photo editing software

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You must enable JavaScript to fully view this webpage. If it is not enabled, your experience will be limited and you will be unable to purchase products, complete forms or load images and videos. As the only fully-loaded photo editor integrated across macOS, Windows and iPad, Affinity Photo is the first choice of millions of creative and photography professionals around the world.

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A powerful alternative to Adobe InDesign. Allows students to create and arrange page layouts to create magazines, zines, books and articles.

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Optimised for the latest tech on Windows and Mac - and chosen by Apple as its Mac App of the Year - Affinity Publisher is the next generation of professional publishing software. From books, magazines and marketing materials, to social media templates, website mock-ups and more, this incredibly smooth, intuitive app gives you the power to combine your images, graphics and text to make beautiful layouts ready for publication.

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With essentials like master pages, facing page spreads, grids, tables, advanced typography, text flow, full professional print output and other amazing features, Affinity Publisher has everything you need to create the perfect layout - whatever your project.

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Free yourself from the constraints of tired, traditional text layouts. Let Affinity Publisher help you visualise your text in creative new ways and flow it seamlessly through your document.

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Gain creative control over titling and other stand out text

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Ensure the baseline of your text is aligned across all columns and spreads

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Whatever the brief calls for, you can rely on Affinity Publisher to handle all the standard file types you'd expect, leaving you free to create the most ambitious, content-rich combination designs, pulling in raster or vector assets from multiple sources.

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Customise the all new Preflight panel to receive live warnings for possible errors in your document, including poor image resolution, bleed hazards, overflowing text, spelling errors, missing images or font resources, and more.

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Affinity Publisher - Professional Desktop Publishing Software

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You must enable JavaScript to fully view this webpage. If it is not enabled, your experience will be limited and you will be unable to purchase products, complete forms or load images and videos. Optimised for the latest tech on Windows and Mac - and chosen by Apple as its Mac App of the Year - Affinity Publisher is the next generation of professional publishing software.

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An interactive and creative video creation tool. Incredible interactive videos to embed in presentations for teachers and students. Powtoon is highly customisable. Some powerful tools include whiteboard doodling, animated videos, customisable character design, screen recording ect.

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Powtoon | Create Awesome Videos Yourself

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Powtoon gives you everything you need to easily make professional videos and presentations that your clients, colleagues, and friends will love! No design or tech skills are necessary - it's free, easy, and awesome!

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Learning about digital natives and how to connect to Gen-Z learners.

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Over the past couple of decades, teachers have seen a new generation of students: those who have never known a world without the Internet. Many of them grew up immersed in a digital world. They are the digital natives.

The earliest digital natives are now sending their own children to school. Today's teachers, many of whom are digital immigrants-people who transitioned from an analog world to a digital one-must find ways to reach digital native students and their caregivers.

The great news is that digital natives want to learn. It's just up to educators to help them succeed in finding answers while staying safe in a digital environment.

What Does it Mean for a Student to be a Digital Native?

What is a digital native? The term was coined by author Marc Prensky to describe a person who grew up surrounded by technology and is familiar with the Internet from an early age on. Today's students are digital natives, and increasingly, so are their parents (and many of their teachers). This can be tremendously beneficial-for instance, when scheduling online learning or virtual parent-teacher conferences when in-person learning isn't possible.

Non-natives could be considered "digital immigrants." These are people who were born in the pre-digital world, but have since adapted to the Internet and everything that comes along with it.

The educational system structure was designed for that analog world. It was created and cemented before the Internet revolution. That's why it's important for teachers, whether they're digital immigrants or digital natives themselves, to change the traditional approach to learning.

How Digital Natives Process Information in the Classroom

Prensky wrote that digital natives are used to receiving information quickly, and they are used to multitasking. They like graphics before text instead of after, and they function best when networked. They respond to instant gratification and frequent rewards. The "accent" of a digital immigrant (preferring a printed report rather than one online, for instance) strikes digital natives as odd.[4]

Others caution against taking the "digital native" concept too far. Hillary Scharton writes that children aren't born knowing technology, and that the belief that digital natives excel at multitasking can be detrimental to their learning.

"Children face increasingly packed schedules, so they're more likely to multitask-by frequently task-switching and/or using different kinds of media at the same time. Studies show that's hard on our cognitive load, so people who multitask consistently end up taking longer to shift their attention and having a harder time filtering out irrelevant information," she writes.[5]

Even taking that into account, today's students are different because their reality is different. And that means schools will have to adapt to the way these new students think and learn. To the typical digital native, learning comes from doing, not from a lecture.[2] More than half of students surveyed say they learn best by doing, not by listening.[3] Getting the students involved is the key to helping them learn.

Using Technology in the Classroom to Teach Digital Natives

Integrating technology into the classroom is a necessity.[1] Many educators, especially digital immigrants, struggle to find the best way to do this. There are some handy guidelines for the proper role of technology in education. Six key points are:

Try the technology yourself: Go through the program on your own before using it with your students. That way you can troubleshoot any problems in advance.[8]

Listen to your students: Listen to what your students know about technology. They can likely teach you something.[9]

Communicate with parents through tech: Use digital resources (like apps, texts, or social media groups) to keep parents informed about class activities and upcoming assignments.[10]

Be active: Prioritize active digital activities, like online learning games or interactive lessons, over passive activities, like watching a video.

Train: If you're an administrator, schedule a faculty training session on how to use your school's technology and answer any questions.[11]

Focus on citizenship: Focus your technology-based lessons on teaching your students digital citizenship, or skills that will help them thoughtfully and effectively navigate digital media.[12]

The good news is this doesn't mean teachers need to be intimately familiar with every new form of tech or social media platform. Remember, tech is only the means to an end, not the end itself.[6] Focusing solely on the technology ignores one thing: the students. Instead, embrace and encourage your students' desire to find things out through methods they're familiar with. And keep in mind that even students who are inclined to non-tech careers will need to be literate with technology.

Teaching Strong Digital and Media Literacy Skills

Instead of debating over allowing students' technology in the class, schools should support their students and let them explore their digital world. Using the Internet for research will increase student enthusiasm about finding things out on their own.[7]

Be sure to introduce your students to Internet safety and elements of digital citizenship as a key focus. These elements include balance, safety and privacy, respect, connecting, learning, and critical thinking.

Here's a guide to media literacy skills that will help your students navigate the virtual world. Media-literate students should be aware how to combat misinformation, think critically, and evaluate their sources.

Communicating with Digital Native Parents

Many students are now the children of digital natives themselves. Those parents are most likely to respond to reminders and notifications over digital channels, like emails, SMS messages, Facebook groups, or app notifications.[10] They are less likely to believe face-to-face meetings (when possible) are the best way to discuss their students, and are more accepting of digital methods.

That notion is backed by research. Several studies have found that weekly text messages about children's performance in school, or with tips for at-home practice, led to increased communication with teachers, better performance in school, and fewer absences.[13]

Commonsense.org has a list of some popular apps, such as ClassDojo and Bloomz, that teachers can use to communicate with parents. Teachers should remember that not every family may be able to afford Internet access, so old-fashioned printed notes and bulletins still have a place in the student's backpack.
Sources:

1. "Teaching Digital Natives." ASCD InService. June 2017. https://inservice.ascd.org/teaching-digital-natives/

2. "We Need to Rethink Education for Digital Natives." Adobe Blog. September 2018. https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2018/09/05/we-need-to-rethink-education-for-digital-natives.html

3. "Getting to Know Gen Z." Barnes & Noble College. https://www.bncollege.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Gen-Z-Research-Report-Final.pdf

4. Prensky, Marc. "Digital Natives Digital Immigrants." MarcPrensky.com. October 2001. https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

5. Scharton, Hilary. "Busting the Myths of the Digital Native." OurChildren.org. May 2019. https://ptaourchildren.org/busting-the-myths-of-the-digital-native/

6. Bowman, Sam. "Educating the Digital Native: Teaching Students in a Binge-Watching World." Faculty Focus. March 2020. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/educating-the-digital-native-teaching-students-in-a-binge-watching-world/

7. Lynch, Matthew. "How to Teach a Room of Digital Natives." EdWeek.org. June 2016. https://www.edweek.org/education/opinion-how-to-teach-a-room-of-digital-natives/2016/06

8. "How to Integrate Technology." Edutopia.org. November 2007. https://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-implementation.

9. Reissman, H. "7 smart ways to use technology in classrooms." Ted.com. September 2017. https://ideas.ted.com/7-smart-ways-to-use-technology-in-classrooms/

10. Venezky, R.L. "Technology in the classroom: steps toward a new vision." Education, Communication & Information, 2004, 4(1), pp. 3-21.

11. Couse, L.J., and Chen, D.W. "A Tablet Computer for Young Children? Exploring its Viability for Early Childhood Education." Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 2010, 43(1), pp. 75-96.

12. Keswani, B., Patni, P., and Banerjee, D. "Role Of Technology In Education: A 21st Century Approach."Journal of Commerce and Instructional Technology, 2008, 8, pp.54-59.

13. Minero, Emelina. "Parent Engagement in the Digital Age." Edutopia. November 2017. https://www.edutopia.org/article/parent-engagement-digital-age

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Understanding, Teaching, and Reaching Digital Native Students-and Digital Native Caregivers - Waterford.org

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Over the past couple of decades, teachers have seen a new generation of students: those who have never known a world without the Internet. Many of them grew up immersed in a digital world. They are the digital natives. The earliest digital natives are now sending their own children to school.

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ThingLink is an incredibly interactive and collaborative digital tool. This tool allows for deeper learning and teaching through interactive nodes that can be attached to images, videos and 360° images.

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ThingLink: Create unique experiences with interactive images, videos & 360° media

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Easily create interactive and immersive visual experiences for online communication and learning. Start a free trial!