Video & Sound Production - Lectures
20.4.2026 - ..2026/ Week 1 - Week
Aida Tan Jie Fei / 0385645
Video & Sound Production / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Lectures
LIST
INSTRUCTION
LECTURES
Pre-production -Preparation
- Idea Development
- Story
- Storyboard
- Visual References
- Location
Production -Principle Shooting
- Lighting
- Costume
- Principle Shooting
- Offline Editing
- Online Editing
- Audio Editing
Week 1 Asynchronous Study
Students need to understand the basics of cinematography such as shot size, camera angle, and composition in order to practise shooting. Shot size shows how much of a scene is visible and helps convey information or emotion. Camera angle refers to the position of the camera and creates different perspectives. Composition is the arrangement of visual elements, such as placement, colour, lighting, and balance, to guide the viewer and express meaning. Together, these elements are key tools for visual storytelling.
Shot Size
A camera shot is a continuous recording from when the camera starts to when it stops. Shot size is the foundation of shot selection, and together with elements like camera angle, framing, and composition, it shapes how the audience perceives a scene. Shot choices influence tone, pacing, and emotion, and are planned by filmmakers based on the story and organized into a shot list.
- Extreme Wide Shot (ELS)
- Long Shot (LS) / Wide Shot (WS)
- Full Shot (FS)
- Medium Long Shot (MLS) / Medium Wide Shot (MWS)
- Cowboy Shot
- Medium Shot (MS)
- Medium Close Up (MCU)
- Close Up (CU)
- Extreme Close Up (ECU)
- Establishing Shot
Framing
Camera shot framing is the intentional arrangement of subjects within a shot, requiring adjustments in camerawork and planning through a shot list to communicate ideas. Although changes may occur during filming, a shot list shows good preparation, and the video introduces different framing types and when to use them.
- Single Shot
- Two Shot
- Three Shot
- Over-the Shoulder Shot (OTS)
- Point-of-View Shot (POV)
Camera Angle
The camera shot angle specifies where the camera is placed to take a shot. The camera’s position in relation to the subjects affects how the viewer perceives the scene. A scene may also be shot from multiple angles to enhance cinematic effect and emotion.
- Low Angle (LA)
- High Angle (HA)
- Overhead
- Dutch Angle
- Eye Level
- Shoulder Level
- Hip Level
- Knee Level
- Ground Level
Composition
Composition is the arrangement of elements within a camera frame to convey a message. While there are rules in shot composition, they can be broken to create more interesting and impactful visuals.
- Rule of Thirds
- Balance and Symmetry
- Leading Lines
- Eye-Level Framing
- Depth of Field
- Deep Space Composition
Zach King
Style
The video blends everyday magic with a micro-adventure. It turns the simple act of charging a phone into a tense, tiny mission inside an electronic world. The pacing is super fast: it starts like a thrilling blockbuster movie and ends with a sudden, funny twist that keeps you hooked.
Art Direction
The art direction shines through giant props and color contrast. The team built oversized items like a massive charging cable and a pencil bridge, making the tiny world feel real. Inside, it uses cool tech-blue lights, while the real bedroom uses warm, cozy lighting, making the final twist pop.
Character Design
The character looks like a hardworking but unlucky worker. By putting on a blue jumpsuit and a tool belt, the creator instantly becomes a repairman. His acting is full of funny contrasts—sweating while moving the huge cable, acting professional at the screen, and showing pure terror at the end.
Visual Effects
The effects are great because they mix real acting with computer graphics smoothly. The early scenes use clever camera cuts, and the actor actually climbs giant props, making his movements look natural. The ending uses computer visuals for the screen, and clever green-screen editing to make him shrink and fall backward onto the bed.
2.Video 2:They say there's an iced coffee at the bottom of the feed
Style
The video perfectly blends interactive meta-humor with a high-stakes rappelling adventure. It reitnerprets scrolling a feed into a thrilling dive down a digital abyss. Fast-paced and kinetic, the narrative packs the adrenaline of an action blockbuster and a witty, short-form comedic twist into a tight 30-second window.
Art Direction
The art direction thrives on rapid color shifts and the physicalization of digital elements. Sharp contrasts between a sleek kitchen, snowy mountains, and a lush grove instantly sell the illusion of world-hopping. Crucially, the virtual "heart like" icon is turned into a tangible plastic climbing clip, bridging the gap between screen and reality.
Character Design
The character design delivers a charismatic yet hardcore urban explorer. Pairing a casual orange hoodie with a heavy-duty climbing harness instantly defines his daredevil persona. His anti-gravity performance casually catching water and grabbing lemons while suspended—creates a delightful contrast between high-intensity action and relaxed charm.
Visual Effects
The effects are great because they blend real acting with smart video editing without you noticing. In the early jumps, the camera uses everyday things like desk edges or trees to block the view for a split second, hiding the change of scenery. The big finale uses clever shrinking visual tricks to show that all those worlds were just video clips being swiped on a phone screen.
3.Video 3:If Zach King made Barbenheimer
Style
The video brilliantly combines childhood toy fantasies with blockbuster-style comedic twists. Inspired by the global "Barbenheimer" phenomenon, it reimagines children playing with toys in a living room as a full-scale war zone between real-life green toy soldiers and Barbie's army. The pacing is intense: the first half builds an epic cinematic battle filled with gunfights and explosions, while the second half introduces a giant human hand to hilariously snap the viewer back to reality, creating a brilliant contrast.
Art Direction
The art direction thrives on a violent clash of iconic colors and the physicalization of miniature toys. The battlefield contrasts the high-gloss "plastic green" of the army men with Barbie’s signature "neon pink." Forcing these incompatible aesthetics onto a barren landscape creates an incredible visual punch. Furthermore, the team created life-sized green soldier suits and brought in a massive real tank, executing the absurd yet grounded realism of the short perfectly.
Character Design
The character design delivers a hilarious contrast between flawlessly recreated plastic green soldiers and a totally out-of-place Barbie faction. Zach and his squad are completely coated in iconic toy-green paint, wearing glossy plastic-textured uniforms and helmets, moving with a stiff, toy-like stiffness. In sharp contrast, Ken charges forward atop the tank wearing a loud, neon beach tank-top and a pink visor, providing instant comedic relief through visual irony.
Visual Effects
The effects are great because they blend real acting with smart video editing without you noticing. The first half uses high-end movie effects like giant fire explosions and smoke to make the toy battle look undeniably real. The big finale uses clever shrinking visual tricks: the sky splits open as a giant human hand reaches down from the clouds, swatting away a plane and grabbing the heavy tank like a tiny plastic model.
Three act structure
The three-act story structure divides a story into three parts: setup, confrontation, and resolution.
- Act One (Setup): Introduces the protagonist and their world, ending with an inciting incident that disrupts their life and starts the story.
- Act Two (Confrontation): The protagonist faces obstacles and challenges, making progress at first, then encountering setbacks, ending with a major turning point or crisis.
- Act Three (Resolution): The protagonist faces the final challenge (climax) and the story concludes with a denouement, tying up loose ends.
Act 1
2. What is the inciting incident in the movie?
3. What is the midpoint scene in the movie?
4. What is the Climax scene in the movie?
The climax is the heartbreaking scene where Arm surprises Lalin by coming to her apartment in Japan. She sees him through the peephole, and, paralyzed by fear and self-loathing, she refuses to open the door. Through the door, she tearfully asks him to go away, confessing the lie she has been living, before he sadly turns and leaves. This moment represents the final confrontation with her internal conflict, where her fear of judgment overpowers her desire for love.
5. What is the theme of the movie?
Act 1
2. What is the inciting incident in the movie?
Alpha-Waymond reveals the multiverse to Evelyn and tells her that Jobu Tupaki — the destructive chaos spreading across realities — is actually her daughter Joy from another universe. This moment forces Evelyn to leave her ordinary life behind and become the reluctant hero who must save the multiverse.
3. What is the midpoint scene in the movie?
4. What is the Climax scene in the movie?
The climax takes place at the everything bagel. Evelyn and Joy are about to be sucked into the black hole of nothingness. Instead of fighting or giving up, Evelyn embraces her daughter, holds her face, and says, “Of all the places I could be, I just want to be here with you.” She proves that love is not about fixing, controlling, or winning — it’s about choosing to stay, even when everything is broken.
5. What is the theme of the movie?
Week 3 Asynchronous Study
Storyboard
A visual plan that shows how a video or film will unfold shot by shot through a series of drawings and details.
- Drawings, sketches, reference images or photographs to represent each frame.
- A description of the shot is any relevant information on the action, dialogue, or composition.
- Shot specs is shot size, lens length, two-shot, etc.
- Arrows to indicate camera and/or character movement or how each shot connects to the next.
Traditional Storyboard vs Thumbnail Style Storyboard
Steps of creating storyboard
- Identify key scenes in the script
- Map out the key scenes
- Add images or sketches
- Describe what happens in each frame
- Share it with your team
- Reference it on the day
Quiz
Week 4 Asynchronous Study
Production Stages
1.Develop
The development stage is where a film begins. A producer or screenwriter comes up with an idea and develops it into a movie. This stage is usually led by the producer, who is responsible for organizing the creative team, financing, and production schedule.
The Package
During development, one of the producer’s main jobs is creating a “package.” A package includes the main creative elements of a film project, such as the screenplay, director, actors, or intellectual property.The screenplay is the foundation of the project because it affects the dialogue, costumes, budget, and production schedule.A package also needs strong sell-ability so investors or studios can see why the movie is worth supporting. If a studio approves the project, it is called being “greenlit.” If not, the film may enter “Development Hell,” where the project can remain delayed for years before finally being produced.
Financing
Making a film requires money, so one of the producer’s key jobs during development is securing financing.Studios usually raise funds through methods like pre-sales (selling distribution rights before the film is made), slate financing (investing in a group of films to reduce risk), and various types of loans.Independent films rely on more diverse sources, such as crowdfunding, film festival connections, grants, tax incentives, private investors, or even the filmmakers’ own money.
2.Pre-production
Pre-production is the preparation stage in filmmaking that begins after a project is approved and financing is secured. It involves all the planning needed before filming starts, with three main tasks to complete.
Budgeting
After securing funding, the producer works with the line producer to break down the budget in detail and plan the shooting schedule. This includes allocating costs for cast, crew, locations, and equipment, as well as handling logistics such as props, costumes, set design, and transportation.
Getting the Team Together
A film is usually made by hundreds of people. During pre-production, the producer builds the team by hiring department heads—such as the cinematographer, production designer, and costume designer which often with input from the director. These heads then assemble their own teams.At the same time, the casting director handles the actors. They read the script, work with the director, organize auditions, and recommend the best performers to fill the remaining roles.
Pre-visualizing
Pre-production is not just about logistics, but also creative planning. The director, often with the director of photography (DP), develops the film’s visual style by creating storyboards or shot lists, and working with the production designer and costume designer on sets and costumes.At the same time, location scouts search for filming locations, while tech scouts evaluate practical concerns such as power supply, noise, transportation, and lighting conditions.Once all preparations are complete, filming can begin.
3.Production
Most people refer to filmmaking as the production stage, which is when filming actually begins and footage is captured. The overall filmmaking process is like a marathon, while production is more like a sprint, with tight schedules because longer shoots cost more.
The Call Sheet
A call sheet is a document sent out by the assistant director the day before filming, listing who needs to arrive, when they should arrive, and their daily schedule. Typically, the crew arrives first to prepare, followed by the cast for filming.
The Set Up
Before filming begins, a lot of preparation happens on set. The lighting team sets up the lights, the camera crew prepares the camera and equipment, and the makeup and costume departments get the actors ready for their scenes.Actors may also do quick blocking rehearsals with the director, while the camera and sound teams run through the scene to ensure everything is ready and any issues are resolved before shooting starts.
Shooting
Under the assistant director’s guidance, sound and camera are rolled, the slate is marked, the director calls “Action” to start, and “Cut” to end. Each take is repeated until all footage is completed.
4.Post-production
After filming ends, the film enters post-production, where all the captured footage is processed to complete the final movie.
Picture Editing
Picture editing is the process of assembling filmed footage into a complete film, done by the editor in collaboration with the director. It usually goes through three stages: the assembly (organizing and placing shots), the rough cut (refining pacing and structure), and the fine cut (making detailed adjustments toward picture lock).
Sound Editing
The sound team is usually very large and mainly includes sound editing and sound mixing. Sound editing involves organizing and placing all audio elements such as dialogue and sound effects, while sound mixing adjusts the levels and balance of all audio tracks to suit different playback environments like cinemas. At the same time, the composer creates the film score, which is integrated into the final sound mix.
Additional Visuals
Much of what is filmed on set is not the final image, as many shots require extensive post-production work such as visual effects (VFX), including compositing and CGI, as well as color grading. The film also needs titles and credits, which involve typography and motion design. Once all of this is completed, the film moves on to the next stage and is ready to be shown to audiences.
5.Distribution
Distribution is the stage that ensures a film reaches its audience. Without it, all the work done in previous stages would have little purpose. This stage is often complex, time-consuming, and costly, and it involves many different tasks and processes.
Marketing
To reach audiences, a film must be promoted. Film marketing varies greatly depending on budget and scale, with big studio films and low-budget films using very different strategies. Even with limited resources, promotion is still possible through trailers, posters, and electronic press kits.
Securing Distribution
Securing distribution is similar to an extension of development, relying heavily on connections and the ability to sell a project. Major studios usually have in-house distribution, while independent filmmakers often pitch their films to different companies, or find opportunities through film festivals or sales agents. If all else fails, the internet remains an option. Once a film is released, the five-stage filmmaking process is complete.
Quiz
Production Team
1.Director
The director is mainly responsible for overseeing the filming and overall creative control of a movie. Although often seen as the film’s main creative force, the director relies on many other artists and technicians to complete the work. They are at the center of production, but always work closely with the entire team.
2.Producer
The producer is the head of the production team and is responsible for the entire process from development to completion. They develop the project, finalize the script, secure financing, and manage the production team. They also coordinate schedules and budgets to ensure everything runs smoothly. Without the producer, a film cannot be made.
3.Cinematographer
As the visual interpreter of the script, the DP must master both the aesthetics of light and the technicalities of the camera.By manipulating light, selecting film styles, and controlling camera angles with precision, they materialize the director’s vision and atmospheric goals. This behind-the-scenes craft is the very essence of cinematography.
4.Production Designer
As the first artist to visualize the script, the production designer crafts storyboards that act as the film’s first draft, mapping out the narrative's visual flow through continuous sketches.Beyond ensuring a consistent visual style from start to finish, the storyboard remains a vital guide for the director on set and a blueprint for the editing process.
5.Sound Designer
The sound designer is responsible for the audio aspects of the film, including recording and editing dialogue, sound effects, and music. They work closely with the director and editor to ensure that the sound and picture are seamlessly integrated.
6.Editor
As shooting begins, the editor steps in concurrently to organize the footage and assemble individual shots into continuous sequences. Even for a single scene, they must sift through a vast ocean of raw footage to select and arrange dozens of distinct shots.The editor’s precise curation and sequencing of these shots play a decisive role in shaping the film’s final rhythm and visual outcome.
7.Screenwriter
While film dialogue may sound natural, it is actually crafted with great care by the screenwriter. More than that, the writer shapes the plot and transitions to ensure the story unfolds seamlessly and compellingly.Although the contributions of screenwriters and producers are often overlooked by the public, they are the very soul of filmmaking because without a script, there is simply no movie.
8.Art Director
The art director is responsible for the film's settings, including the buildings, landscapes, and interiors that define the characters' physical space. Their duties encompass acquiring props, building and decorating sets, all to create a believable cinematic world.
9.Costume Designer
Costumes convey a wealth of information about the time period and the characters, including their economic status, occupation, and psychological state. Therefore, it is essential to use costuming skillfully to visually define a character's traits.
Quiz
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