Pixar in a Box offered different lessons surrounding storytelling, staging, and structure among other components that complement each other to create films.
While going through the lessons and activities, I kept in mind what I could use for my upcoming documentary. Through the different speakers and visual lessons, I was able to develop a deeper understanding of the different shot compositions used while recording and how important structure is for any visual component.
Although I have experience with different camera shots for photography, it has been important to understand the difference between those and shots used during recordings.
For video recordings, common shots include static shots, dolly shots, tracking, and up and down shots and the dutch angle. Each of these shots provide their own purpose and each help create different environments.
Every time a new setting is introduced, establishing shots or wide shots should be used to give the audience an understanding of an important place. This is often followed by medium, close up shots that detail emotion, action, or a conversation adding context to the story being told. In my documentary, these shot compositions will be used to effectively capture my story.
Through different shots and framing strategies that use subjects, Pixar in a Box reiterated that it is essential to keep in mind the audience when thinking about the different shots to use. Practicing over and over again with different shots and purposes will allow me to keep in mind how everything ties back into the audience of my documentary.
When thinking about my project as a whole, I know all the shots previously mentioned and more will be present, but the question becomes in what order?
These lessons explained the importance of a storyboard and sequencing for a flowing film. Storyboards are vital to visualize your film. The speakers in the lessons made it clear that no Pixar film came at first thought, instead it required a lot of back and forth in structure to get where it ended up at.
I feel more comfortable knowing that while my full story and documentary plan might not come immediately, more ideas will come throughout the storyboarding to make it whole.
Through the storyboard, a clear structure of the different shots used to capture each scene will be included. By keeping the focus of my story and what I want my audience to see at the top of my mind, the sequencing of each scene will be essential.
As the different components like shot compositions and sequencing come together, the film will begin to flow better, but some aspects might still be missing. Unit 2, The Art of Storytelling, emphasizes the pivotal role pitching and feedback plays in any project, regardless of the stage of development.
By presenting your ideas and progress to others working on a similar project, a different set of eyes can create new perspectives and refine the original idea. Throughout the process of my project, I plan on carefully reviewing all the stages and accept different suggestions to maximize the potential of my documentary.
There are more factors to keep in mind as I prepare the first steps of my documentary, but an early understanding of essential parts like shot sequencing and structure will only advance my project further.
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