Classwork Space Continued

Visual Log 2 - Space and Perspective

THESE ARE JUST MY OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS ONLY :)

One Point Perspective

Spaces are constructed strong leading lines in a One Point perspective view.
It conveys a strong sense of formality/rigidity. Horizontal and vertical lines gives the space a strong structure, but is also dynamic in a restricting way.
"Move, move, move, move, halt."
Diagonal/ slanted lines always suggest movement/ motion while straight lines suggest stiffness, stillness. The horizontal and vertical lines are restricting us from looking away; Our attention often fixate on where the lines lead to. Strong foreshortening makes it looks like the space is stretching. The visual tension is very strong.

Conformist 1970 Screenshot

In a lot of shots, characters often are placed in unmovable structure/ framework, restricting how the characters can move in that space. A very strong force is being imposed on them.

One thing I often notice is that, I have a visual tendency to get sucked into the image, entering this illusory space in front of my eyes. My attempt to rationalize it would be the everyday urban experience of walking indoor. Objects move backwards as we move forward in a space. By creating the similar visual, it gives me the illusion of sucking the viewers into the space.
Here is two opposite examples.
2001 A Space Odyssey: Star Gate animation feels very swift and smooth, it makes a lot of sense

Compare to Spirited Away,

Haku looks like is moving effortlessly through the flower maze, while Chihiro looks like she is struggling with moving, trying to catch up with the camera. This connects me with the experience of sitting on a bus/ train facing backward. This evoke a sense of disorientation, your body feeling its moving in one direction, while visually seeing the opposite. This unusual experience feels very magical too. It is not the same world we are in.

Two point perspective






























Eyes tend to move across the entire space. Diagonal lines form the space and lead the viewer's attention to a converging edge. However it is not as restricting when compared to one point perspective. For two point perspective that constructs inner space, I tend to also take in the information on the side of the screen as well because of the size of the plains.
Example space odyssey:

Documentary nature of the photo, yes the subject is still the people filming, but we also pay a lot of attention to the set, the props, a strong sense of space as a whole. the space feels more nature too, not as rigid. fits the purpose of "making of," we get to see the entire space.

Versus the very same room in one point perspective

We take the objects as secondary information. We know that the man is the main subject. Compare the two white furniture in the set. we feel like that piece of furniture has a much bigger purpose then the one point perspective one.

Opposite example: Outside, we treat the diminishing dimensions as secondary information. Focus more fixated than one point perspective.

Three Point Perspective

 

not at the eye level, not that often, or when we use it it has a different effect
often observing, but higher or lower angle, often have something bold to say, so even when high or low eye level, filmmakers usually just use one point perspective just my observation
low stability/strong visual impact, stronger than one point very dynamic, aggressive, like a sword, heavy distortion, unique experience, from extreme angle
three dimension, all three must have forshortenin, so must be looking up or down
either spectatorship (spirited away, all disorientation, eerie, alien world, all my friends were creeped out when they watched this as a kid. so effective because they dont use it that often? page 169 i thought it  was three point, but then i turned back because it was too stable, and it was after she was being introduced, kinda familiar with the world) with this sudden shot of three point perspective ), or very dynamic, like men in black, spiderman, gundam: both animation and box art
very subjective kind of shot i would say?
again, of course this can be my lack of reference/ research or imagination

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Visual Log 1 - Focal Length, Angle of View, Depth of Field (DOF)

Focal Length and Angle of View
Street views taken with wide-angle lens with two zoom powers.

 

Examples from films:
Lord of the Rings (Wide-Angle):

Blade Runner (Wide-Angle):

Rear Window (Telephoto):

To showcase the different visual effects various angles of view can give, the subject (BB-8 <3) is shot with three focal lengths while maintaining its size in all three photos.

Even though the physical distance between the subject and the background has never been changed throughout the photoshoot, the visual impressions (spacial distance) are vastly different.

The first one is taken with the shortest focal length (9mm x 2.73 = 24.57mm), and the perceived distance between the subject and the background objects is greatly exaggerated. We can imagine that if there is a object moving from the background to foreground, the speed would be exaggerated as the size of the subject increases drastically while in reality the subject only travels for a relatively small distance. The image is also distorted as if the centre area of the photo is popping out (barrel distortion.) It is visually more dynamic than the other two.

The second photo is taken with a focal length near 50mm (~46.5mm) and the result is closer to what the human eyes see. It is less distorted.

The third one is taken with the largest power of the zoom lens (~101mm), the perceived distance is shortened, i.e the space is compressed visually. But not only that the space is compressed, the subject is very much flattened as well, it gives out an impression as if it is drawn with a one point perspective grid.

To compare the visual dynamics of the three, I drew some structural lines to demonstrate the effects:





Examples from films:
Dolly Zoom in Vertigo, Jaws, and Ratatouille

Wong Kar Wai's Fallen Angels
-Actual Distance versus Mental/ Emotional Detachment



Battlefront 2 Trailer
-SPEEEEED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWHQ77BZDZg&t=13s

P.S. Angle of View vs Field of View?


Depth of Field (D.O.F)
Depth of Field can be used as a tool to isolate subjects from other visual environments or emphasizing distance between visual elements.


Usually the blurrier the subject, we perceive it as being further away from the viewer and vice versa. When the image has a deep depth of field, meaning everything is clear, space seems to be compressed and the viewer's eyes tend to wonder on the image. Shallow depth of field often has the opposite effect, viewers tend to focus on what is clear in the image and treat blurred visual elements as background/secondary information.

The depth of field can also be used for prioritizing the importance of visual elements in a shot.

Let's assume that the situation in these photos is the same: protagonist Woody is having a really sad, lonely moment and his friend, Lenny the Binoculars is checking how he is doing in a distance, all the while respecting Woody's own space for himself.

While the compositions of the two shots are identical,  information is prioritized a little differently.

In the first photo, we focus more on the fact that Lenny is "looking", therefore emphasizing the spectatorship. Since Woody is also blurred in the background, viewers are visually forced to detach from him, strengthening his loneliness.

In the second photo, we have a deeper connection with Woody. We have a blurred out Lenny in the foreground just to "hint" the spectatorship. On the other hand, we see Woody clearly as the subject and we empathize with him. We focus on how he is doing emotionally since we are able to reach the character visually.