Video & Sound Production — Exercises
Chan Zhi-Ren Zenndan / 0369069
Video & Sound Production / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's UniversityExercises
Table of Contents
1. Lectures / Asynchronous Classes
2. Instructions
3. Exercises
4. Reflection
1. Lectures / Asynchronous Classes
Week 1
Document 1.1 Week 1 briefing slides (22/04/2025).
Mr. Martin held a physical class where he explained the three main stages of filmmaking: pre-production, production, and post-production. He then outlined how our upcoming projects will follow these stages and how each class is designed to build up our skills for them.
Shot Size
Extreme Wide Shot (EWS)The person looks really small, and you mostly see the big environment around them.
Wide Shot (WS)
You can see the whole person from head to toe, but with 'grander' surroundings.
Full Shot (FS)
The person fills the frame from head to toe, but you still see a bit of the surroundings.
Medium Wide Shot (MWS)
Shows the person from about the knees up, so it’s a mix of person and background.
Cowboy Shot (CS)
Frames the person from mid-thigh up.
Medium Shot (MS)
Shows the person from the waist up.
Medium Close-Up (MCU)
Shows the person from the chest up, focusing more on their face but not too close.
Close-Up (CU)
Gets in close on the face.
Extreme Close-Up (ECU)
Zooms in really tight on something small, like an eye, to make it feel intense.
Framing
Camera Angle
Composition
Rule of ThirdsPlace things off-center to make the shot look better and feel more balanced.
Breaking the Rule of Thirds
Putting something in the center can create tension or draw attention.
Symmetry and Balance
Perfectly even shots feel powerful or a bit strange, depending on the story.
Blocking
Where characters stand or move helps show emotion or who’s in control.
Leading Lines
Lines in the shot guide your eyes to what matters.
Eye-Level Framing
Shooting at eye level makes us feel connected to the character.
Depth of Field
How much of the shot is in focus. More blur means more focus on one thing.
Rack Focus
Changing focus during a shot shifts what we pay attention to.
Bokeh
A soft blurry background that helps show emotion or isolation.
Deep Space Composition
Placing things near and far in the shot adds meaning or distance.
After going through the notes, we are to take the quiz for Week 1. Fig 1.0.1 shows my results.
Fig 1.0.1 Week 1 quiz results (29/04/2025).
Week 2
The three-act story structure is a popular narrative framework used in storytelling, particularly in film and literature. It divides a story into three distinct parts: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution.
Act One: Setup
Introduces the protagonist, their world, and current situation. It ends with an inciting incident; an event that disrupts the status quo and pushes the protagonist into action.
Act Two: Confrontation
The longest act, where the protagonist faces obstacles and challenges. The first half shows progress; the second half presents setbacks. It ends with a major turning point or crisis.
Act Three: Resolution
The story reaches its climax as the protagonist faces and overcomes the final conflict. The resolution ties up loose ends and concludes the protagonist's journey.
The three-act structure offers a clear, effective storytelling framework that helps create engaging narratives.
As instructed, Fig 1.0.2 shows my results for Week 2's quiz.
Fig 1.0.2 Week 2 quiz results (06/05/2025).
Lalin —
1. Describe Acts 1, 2, and 3.
- Act 1 introduces Lalin, a 'Net Idol' living in Japan, where she presents a perfect image online to hide the pain from her past. Flashbacks reveal her traumatic experiences of being bullied in high school for her appearance.
- Act 2 begins when Lalin gets a message from an author who wants her to translate his work. To her surprise, he has come to Japan to meet her. Lalin is nervous and unsure whether she should meet him, fearing she might be exposed.
- Act 3 begins when Lalin has a flashback to a moment from her high school years, realizing that the author is someone from her past. This revelation helps her confront her insecurities and accept her true self, embracing her imperfections.
2. What is the inciting incident in the film?
- The inciting incident occurs when Lalin receives a text message from an unknown author asking for her help translating his book.
- The midpoint scene in the film is when Lalin realizes the identity of the author and discovers that he is someone she had empathized with during a school event,
- The climax scene of the film occurs when Lalin runs through the busy streets of Japan, desperately chasing and finding the author before he leaves.
5. What is the theme of the movie?
- Empathy, emotional connection, and personal growth from the past.
Everything Everywhere All at Once —
1. Describe Acts 1, 2, and 3.
- Act 1 begins when Evelyn is seen overwhelmed by family and business troubles while dealing with taxes. She then learns about the multiverse and that she must stop a powerful threat, beginning her journey into other realities.
- Act 2 begins when Evelyn learns to jump between universes and explore different versions of herself. She faces strange challenges and enemies while trying to understand that Jobu Tupaki is actually her daughter from another universe.
- Act 3 begins when Evelyn confronts Jobu Tupaki, who struggles with the chaos of the multiverse. Evelyn realizes that the only way to stop the destruction is through love and understanding. She helps her daughter find peace, and in the end, the family comes together and reconciles.
2. What is the inciting incident in the film?
- The inciting incident occurs when an alternate version of Waymond arrives and tells Evelyn that she's the only person who can save the multiverse.
- The midpoint scene in the film is when Evelyn fully understands the immense power Jobu Tupaki holds, and realizing that Jobu is her daughter Joy from another universe.
- The climax scene of the film occurs when Evelyn confronts Jobu in the "Everything Bagel." She stops the multiverse's collapse by reconciling with her daughter.
5. What is the theme of the movie?
- Love, connection, acceptance, depression, nihilism, and despair.
Week 3
Storyboarding in filmmaking
A storyboard is a visual representation of a film, animation, or video game, similar to a comic strip, showing a sequence of images to pre-visualize scenes.
It helps plan shots, understand narrative flow, and communicate ideas to the team, often including camera angles, character movements, dialogue, and technical notes.
Storyboarding is essential in pre-production, allowing experimentation and problem-solving before filming, saving time and resources.
After going through the notes, we are to take the quiz for Week 3. Fig 1.0.3 shows my results.
Fig 1.0.3 Week 3 quiz results (08/05/2025).
Week 4
Production Stages
- Pre-production is the planning phase involving scriptwriting, storyboarding, casting, location scouting, set and costume design, and hiring the crew
- Production is the filming phase where all footage is captured with coordination of cast, crew, and schedule
- Post-production is the editing phase including scene assembly, sound, visual effects, and color grading
Production Crew
- Director oversees the entire production, guiding the creative vision, directing actors, and shaping the film’s look and feel
- Producer manages logistics and finances, securing funding, hiring crew, and keeping the project on schedule and budget
- Cinematographer handles the film’s visual style through camera, lighting, and lens choices
- Production Designer creates the film’s visual world, designing sets, costumes, and props in collaboration with the director and DP
- Sound Designer manages all audio elements, including dialogue, effects, and music, ensuring seamless integration with visuals
- Editor assembles footage into a coherent story, shaping pacing, tone, and structure with the director and sound designer
After going through the notes, we are to take the quizzes for Week 4. Fig 1.0.4 shows my results.
Fig 1.0.4 Week 4 quizzes results (15/05/2025).
Week 5
Mise en scène (French for "placing on stage") refers to the visual arrangement of a scene in film, theater, and visual storytelling. It shapes mood, meaning, and narrative through:
- Setting: Time, place, and environment.
- Props: Objects that support story or character.
- Costume & Makeup: Reflect character traits and era.
- Lighting: Creates mood and directs focus.
- Composition: Framing, positioning, and camera angles.
- Performance: Actor movement and expression.
- Color: Evokes emotion or symbolism.
- Spatial Relationships: Shows dynamics like intimacy or power.
Fig 1.0.5 shows my understanding on Week 5's quiz.
Fig 1.0.5 Week 5 quiz results (21/05/2025).
2. Instructions
Document 1.1 Module Information Booklet (21/04/2025).
3. Exercises
Week 1 Tasks
Students are required to make basic edits on Adobe Premiere Pro. Mr. Martin showed us the proper way of editing, emphasising the use of keyboard shortcuts rather than dragging clips.
The first video's clips was simply attaching the clips together in Premiere Pro. Video 2.0.1 shows the outcome of the editing.
Video 2.0.1 Mints exercise, Week 1 (23/04/2025).
The second video's clips were not arranged in order, and students are required to go through each clip to sort them in the correct order. Video 2.0.2 shows the outcome of the editing.
Video 3.0.2 Doritos editing, Week 1 (23/04/2025).
Week 2 Tasks
Students are divided into groups of three to capture the following shots:
1. Close-up shot
2. Frontal Medium Closeup (MCU) // Soft background
3. Frontal Medium Shot (MS) // Soft background
4. Extreme Close-Up shot
5. Side Angle MS // Soft background
6. ¾ angling MCU shot // Soft foreground
7. Low-angle Wide shot
8. Eye-level Medium-Wide shot
Following the video Mr. Martin showed us about captions, I followed how to create titles in between scenes.
Fig 3.0.1 Edit on 'Captions and Graphics' workspace (01/05/2025).
Utilise the Type Tool and the Rectangle Tool to create titles.
Fig 3.0.2 Type Tool and Rectangle Tool (01/05/2025).
Video 3.0.3 shows the compilation of all 8 shot sizes.
Video 3.0.3 Shot size compilation, Week 2 (01/05/2025).
Week 3 Tasks
Students are divided into groups of 5 to capture the following shots:
1. Deep focus-FG: MCU, BG:full body
2. O.S on M.S
3. O.S on M.w.S
4. Tight M.S
5. Tight M.S side angle
I followed the same instructions used in Week 2 to compile the clips.
Video 3.0.4 shows the compilation of all 5 shots.
4. Reflection
Over the past few weeks, I learned a lot about the filmmaking process, especially the stages of production, different shot types, framing, and how to structure a story using the three-act format. The hands-on exercises, like editing in Premiere Pro and capturing specific shots in groups, helped me understand how theory connects with practice. I also gained a better appreciation for how visual choices like camera angles and composition affect storytelling. Overall, it’s been a useful and practical introduction that made me more confident in both filming and editing.
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