802 The Making of a Blockbuster: Using Cinematic Techniques in e-learning Laura Kratochvil, Northrop Grumman www.elearningguild.com
What story does this house tell? A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words by Phillip Sexton Pictures with a Story to Tell Simple exercises to invigorate ideas of what a picture really could say. http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1582974721/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link 1935-1943 Federal photographs taken were distributed by the agency to newspapers and magazines to build support for the government s New Deal rural programs. http://www.amazon.com/picture-worth-1000-words-image- Driven/dp/1582974721 Story? Page 1
How can we tell better stories? Can you identify a famous story in the media recently? Story Basics A story with visuals, motion, sound??? Page 2
Cinematic Theory Call up a friend The Voice of the storyteller (instructional designer). Applying media elements: motion, visual, audio, timing/presentation in a particular way to tell the story. Wheee! Movie Night! I love movie night! Acting is all about honesty. If you can fake that, you've got it made. George Burns I want to make people cry even when they don't understand my words. Edith Piaf Every time I get a script it's a matter of trying to know what I could do with it. I see colors, imagery. It has to have a smell. It's like falling in love. -Paul Newman elearning Guild Learning Solutions, Edge and Emotion What elearning Programs are Missing, Oct. 27, 2008 Page 3
1. It s for the audience. Throw things at them, hurl them off a cliff, or pull them into a dangerous love story, and they know that nothing will happen to them. Use characters to tease and pull them along to their goals. 2. See, hear, motion the emotion. Particular uses of visuals, sound, motion, should involve knowing what emotions you want the audience to experience at a particular time. A close-up will fill the screen with emotion, and pulling away to a wide angle shot will dissipate that emotion. A sudden cut from wide to closeup will show a sudden surprise. A strange angle will heighten the dramatic meaning. Give a visual perspective or camera view through another s eyes to involve the audience. Montage, a sequencing technique in which a series of short shots 3. A little less conversation, a little more action Keep it conversational and short! You don t have to tell everyone everything. Show a smile, disappointment voice inflections in narration a little sarcasm, humor, can help get the point across See blog.cathy-moore.com for ideas Writing Ideas: http://blog.cathy-moore.com/?cat=9#slideframe_1 4. Twists, Tension, and Timing Chaotic sounds, unsettling, busy visual motion creates early tension, can t hear something is wrong feeling. Have some things happen at once. Visuals move faster on screen to show tension create pace. Games Page 4
THE BIRDS (See YouTube) POV in courtroom; can t see stranger but others can seems mysterious, questionable; Close ups, Ingrid s view after some drinks NOTORIOUS Opening Scene (YouTube Notorious Scene 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0wfv6d3-2e The next day POV: Close up with drink; cut to strange angles sense dizziness NOTORIOUS (YouTube Scene 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3mjjoqivrm The Cameo Early Easter Egg Out of his 52 films, Hitchcock was a cameo in how many? http://www.filmsite.org/hitchcockcameos.html Page 5
elearning + elearning Episode Cinematic Techniques Actors, audience follows characters, typically more polished. Characters present information, staged Optimal Prescribing http://multistorymedia.com/optimalprescribing/00_menu.html Page 6
Museums on the Web - Best of the Web http://www.archimuse.com/mw2008/best/index.html elearning Documentary Stories - no video, pictures and the power of sound http://www.itvs.org/facetoface/intro.html TED Wish Pangea Jehane Noujaim's wish: I wish to bring the world together for one day a year through the power of film. http://www.pangeaday.org YouTube style, personal, close face shots, personal perspective on a topic what really happens, on the ground http://www.6billionothers.org video close ups Portrait of contemporary mankind universal questions, what can we learn from life s difficulties. Flip Videos Created DevLearn Session 402 Get Hi-Fi from Lo-Fi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adlornfup4 o Actors http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmmnanobls w napkin style http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi-plzs5_ja Common craft cut out style Thanks to George Aston and Mark Chrisman!!!! Page 7