Vadim Petrov is a multi-talented keyboardist, writer and producer. He was born in Latvia, Oct 1988 and started to learn piano at Ogre music-school at the age of 4 following his mother's footsteps. During his early studies Vadim began writing music and in 2003 he came 4th at the National Improvisation Contest of Latvia.
In 2009 Vadim came to England and pursued song-writing studies in Brighton Institute of Modern Music. He continued writing music and in 2012 his piano ballad "It's Gonna Be Alright" received a Honorable Mention in The International CD Baby Songwriting competition. He also played the piano on the recording accompanying the talented singer Chloe Paige. Steve Crow called it "a tune with a capital T" on his radio show later in 2013.
During his studies Vadim began writing top-lines for electronic music producers and later appeared as an executive producer on releases by Finnish singer HANNIS including her debut single "Time Has Come" which received a great attention over the internet in Apr, 2014. Over the years they have continued collaboration, their following releases were "Firebreak" (2015) and "In Another World" (2016).
After graduating from BIMM, Vadim returned to his passion for playing piano, he joined a function band and shortly played as a keyboardist on the cruise ship for DFDS Seaways. After coming back from the cruise Vadim began busking on the streets of Brighton and in April 2015 was voted The Best Busker of Brighton by Argus newspaper.
Later on he invented an alter-ego Mellow Zebra and played piano on the streets of Brighton dressed up as a zebra. Since his first appearance back in July 2015 Mellow Zebra has been featured on Latest TV Brighton news, also on BuzzFeed as one of the most exceptional Brighton characters, been captured by BBC and featured on yearly "Brighton & Hove Calendar 2017" as a new contributor to the city's vibrant busking scene.
Currently Vadim is working on various music projects and remains active both as a keyboardist and song-writer / producer.
“The representation of the historical world becomes, itself, the topic of cinematic meditation in the reflexive mode.”
Possesses a form of meta commentary from the filmmaker within the piece focusing on the process behind variation of representation itself.
Of Great Events and Ordinary People (Raúl Ruiz, 1979)
Heavy focus on realism within the film. However, results in the actor’s belief systems to align with those posed in the meta commentary
Concerns of textual voices that overshadow the voices of the actors within, demonstrating the problematics of representation
The use of stylistic devices to achieve a reflexive effect runs the risk of manipulating social actors for textual effect
This can happen instead of provoking a reflexive consideration of how texts are constructed.
To sum it up. The reflexive mode emphasis on drawing attention to conventions that govern documentary film making. Shows the constructed nature of film’s representation of reality.
For week 3 of the Documentary video we had to prepare our own ideas for the final project and pitch them in front of the whole class.
I decided that I would like to make the documentary on Mellow the Zebra, it is a guy that plays piano dressed as a Zebra. Basically a special busker. It firstly got my attention on the street, then I searched for him on the internet and I can't believe what a nice guy he is.
He has such a nice story behind what he does and a good reason. It turns out that he started busking firstly to save for his wedding, then for the honeymoon and now he is playing for a baby. He is amazing. I found his blog and I think that the way he writes and thinks is a lot like me. It would be amazing to do our Documentary on him because I feel a lot like him.
Reading his blog I felt like I know him, it gave me such a strange feeling like I recognise myself. I always believed the story about the 12 souls that were at first and then more people came from those 12 that were divided thru infinity. It is said that we recognise in people the souls that are fragments from the same big soul as ours. I never really believed in this for true until now. It really makes sense. How else can someone that you just found about make you feel so complete, not in a romantic way but still. It's strange.
So this is my idea for the Documentary and I really hope it gets thru. It would be a personal documentary and I could really make people believe in themselves if we could do a documentary about a Zebra playing piano for its wedding.
This Zebra made me believe more in this world, like we are really good people out there willing to make a change for the better here.
This week's reading was one that I really enjoyed because it was really practical. What I learned from it was:
In Documentary, you can begin research almost anywhere and then confirm and amplify the idea you are developing.
In fact, the first step is to find and develop an idea.
Then collect some raw materials:
Keep a journal
Use Newspapers and magazines - With every source you have possible characters, situations, plots, and meanings to be found.
History - The past is full of great and small figures that have participated in the dramas that interest you.
Myths and Legends
Family stories
Childhood stories
Social Science and Social History
Fiction
Than you have to test your soubject
“Do I really want to make a film about this?”
Good documentaries go beyond factual expositions or celebration: they tackle areas of life that are complex, ambiguous, and morally taxing.
Making a documentary is a long, slow process.
Questions to ask yourself after you decide on a subject.
Is there an area in which I am already knowledgeable and even opinionated?
Do I feel a strong and emotional connection to it - more so than to any other practical subject?
Can I do justice to the subject?
Do I have a drive to learn more about this subject?
This mode is one that we could base our Documentary video on. Is this one or the Observational mode.
The Participatory emphasis on interaction between the film-maker and subject. Interviews, conversations, sometimes provocations. Sometimes coupled with archival footage to explore historical issues.
Also:
“What if the filmmaker does intervene and interact?”
Began in the late 1950s
Very portable sound recording equipment made it so speech was no longer reserved for post production
Made predominantly apparent through the Candid Eye series (1958-59) in Canada
The Interactive mode increases the sense of rapport between subject and filmmaker
However; this can also create a conflict of interest with regards to ethical boundaries
Is the progress of conversation natural?
Is there a reaction being incited within the subject(s) i.e. violence, emotional outbursts etcetera.
The presence of filmmaker allows a transparency to be witnessed, whether or not their actions were ethical to achieve the results they seek
This allows the audience to view the conduct and form their own assessment on such actions.
Viewer expectations vary when compared to expository or observational documentation.
The work of production and apparatus are clear within both interactive and reflexive films.
It acts as a more personal recollection of individual perspectives rather than a disembodied voice-of-God.
The Observational mode of documentary arose from the availability of more mobile, synchronous recording equipment and:
Emphasis on direct engagement with everyday life of subjects and on observation by an unobtrusive camera.
Some filmmakers made it their priority to observe lived experience spontaneously.
Observation in post-production editing as well as during shooting resulted in films with no voice-over commentary, no supplementary music or sound effects, no intertitles, no historical reenactments, no behavior repeated for the camera, and not even any interview.
Claim of looking at life as lived
record unobtrusively in the present moment with a disciplined detachment
stresses the non-intervention of the filmmaker
rely on editing to enhance the impression of lived or real time "Dead" or "empty" time unfolds
issue of intrusion is critical
characterized by indirect address, speech overheard
the depiction of the everyday
each cut or edit serves to sustain the spatial and temporal continuity
the camera is comparable to what an actual observer might experience
Our first session of Documentary Video was a bit overwhelming. As you can imagine there are so many things to cover about this domain. And when you thing that we didn't even talked about a camera in 3 hours..
This session was more about an introduction to the Documentaries types, filmmakers and an overview of the Module structure.
One of the most interesting quote that I found is this one:
‘The main problem for those examining documentary is that it is too often thought of in essentialist terms. In other words, the assumption seems to be that there is somewhere ‘out there’, ‘the model’ or ‘typical’ documentary, against which all attempts at documentary are measured.’ (Ward 2005: 22)
Because I also thought that a "Documentary" means something exactly and you have certain guidelines that if you don't respect means that you don't have a Documentary.
Well is wrong. It turns out that you surely have some vogue guidelines but they aren't so strict. You can play along them. You can put your style on the documentary.
In this session we also learned about the differences about the differences between Documentary and Fiction.
The differences from fiction are that documentary:
•talks about actual situations
•honours known facts
•its images and sounds represented stem directly from the historical world
•does not introduce new, unverifiable facts
•speaks about historical world
We also talked about a 1 minute project that we need to do about our 1st day at University or the downfalls of living alone.
These are the basic camera angle types. We’re not focusing on the camera movement in this article, but simply how the direction of the camera can influence a shot’s mood. We’ll also look at how the camera angle can affect the viewer’s perception of the on-screen subject matter.
OVER THE SHOULDER (OTS)
What is an Over The Shoulder (OTS) Shot?
The camera is placed high up behind one of the subjects’ shoulders, so their face is unseen but we can see the back of the head, and usually the shoulders. Can be used with or without other visible people in the shot.
Why would I use an Over The Shoulder (OTS) Shot?
When used with a solitary subject we are viewing the scene from their perspective which makes it a great technique for witnessing something (perhaps with for the first time) together with the subject. When used with multiple subjects it’s good for reaction shots, such as a conversation, as it allows the viewer to feel closer to the interaction.
POINT OF VIEW (POV)
What is a Point Of View (POV) Shot?
The camera is ‘looking’ at a scene through the subjects line of sight, as if through their eyes.
Why would I use a Point Of View (POV) Shot?
Point Of View gives us the illusion that we’ve stepped inside the body of a subject and are seeing the world through their eyes. There’s an emotional attachment we get with this technique as we no longer have the peripheral vision of the scene. This can be claustrophobic so it’s a perfect technique for anxiety and horror themes. We’ll also see the POV when looking through spyglasses or binoculars, or when the subject’s vision is obscured somehow, such as when they’re intoxicated or falling asleep.
LOW ANGLE SHOT
What is a Low Angle Shot?
The Low Angle Shot has the camera close to the floor, looking up at the subject and making it look abnormally big. Sometimes called a Worm’s Eye Shot!
Why would I use a Low Angle Shot?
Shooting from a low angle can make the subject look powerful and overbearing, often emphasizing menace if your subject is the antagonist. If your subject is the good guy this angle can give them hero, protector status.
HIGH ANGLE SHOT
What is a High Angle Shot?
A High Angle Shot has the camera higher than the subject, looking down at it – making the subject look small. This can have the camera just above head height, or several feet higher.
Why would I use a High Angle Shot?
A High Angle Shot makes the subject look and feel vulnerable and inferior to the viewer. This is perfect to visually represent feelings of fear, or the attempt to plead with a stronger adversary.
AERIAL SHOT
What is an Aerial Shot?
These are extremely high perspectives taken from tall buildings, trees, cranes or drones with the camera pointed towards a subject on the ground. Usually taken with a wide lens so we can still see the horizon.
Why would I use an Aerial Shot?
A great shot for capturing the wider environment of a scene, without being obscured by elements on the ground. Perfect for shooting a couple dancing in the center of a room full of other people or, conversely, a single, isolated subject lost within a vast desert.
BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OR TOP SHOT
What is a Bird’s-Eye View / Top Shot? A high, aerial shot looking directly down on top of the scene with no visible horizon. Typically the camera is angled perpendicular to the ground. This used to involve an expensive helicopter shoot, but the recent profusion of affordable camera drone technology has made aerial techniques much more accessible to the video enthusiast!
Why would I use a Bird’s-Eye View / Top Shot?
Can often create an abstract view of the world, making cities seem like giant, complex mazes and mountain ranges look like alien landscapes. These unusual points of view offer feelings of spirituality and are often used as cinematic openers containing title credits.
DUTCH TILT OR DUTCH ANGLE
What is a Dutch Tilt / Dutch Angle Shot?
The camera is tilted, or canted, to the side slightly so that the horizon is at an obtuse angle.
Why would I use a Dutch Tilt / Dutch Angle Shot?
As opposed to still photography where an off-kilter angle often looks very stylish, tilting the film camera produces a nauseating effect, giving the viewer a sense of disorientation. It’s often used when the subject is in an unusual state of mind, unsettling our normal visual expectations, adding tension and anxiety.
OTHER CAMERA SHOT TYPES
There are many others, but we’ll finish up with a few of the more popular shot terms commonly used in television and film.
CUTAWAY (CA)
What is a Cutaway (CA)? A Cutaway is a shot, usually without camera motion, of something away from the main subject but often (directly or indirectly) related to the events of the current scene.
Why would I use a Cutaway (CA)?
Cutaways can be used to show something the subject is secretly thinking of, perhaps a past event or a hidden gun. A quick way of providing external information to the viewer whilst minimizing interruption to the flow of the scene. They can also be used in the editing process to fix bad joins between cuts of the same sequence, or hiding on-camera mistakes, by briefly switching to a separate image.
Cutaways can successfully break temporal space by showing things that have happened before the main scene, or even brief glimpses of events that have yet to take place.
CUT-IN OR INSERT
What is a Cut-in / Insert Shot? Cut-ins are different camera angles or framings of the same scene, interjected into a sequence, to draw attention to a particular aspect of the subject. They’re usually depictions of events happening at the exact same moment in time as the main scene, from a different perspective.
Why would I use a Cut-in / Insert Shot?
If you’re capturing a Medium Shot of a suspected criminal being interrogated you may want to briefly show the viewer a Close-Up of their nervous fingers underneath the table. Or, you may wish to focus briefly on a ring being placed on someone’s finger at a wedding ceremony. As with Cutaways, Cut-Ins can also be helpful in the edit room to cover up any flaws in your footage.
REACTION SHOT OR NODDIE
What is a Reaction Shot / Noddie? Reaction Shots show the facial expressions of a person off-screen to something which has happened, or has been said, in the previous shot.
Why would I use a Reaction Shot / Noddie?
You might use a Reaction Shot to visually emphasize what the viewer should be thinking about a certain event. Perhaps we’ve just seen a man fall off a ladder, or a woman has just announced her engagement. Reaction Shots can help nudge the viewer to laugh or cry.
Used in television interviews, Noddies are silent clips used to break up the monotony of lengthy interviewee dialogue by allowing the viewer to see the interviewer’s reactions. Shot during interview breaks, whilst camera and lighting are set up, they are cut into the sequence at the edit stage. Usually Noddies are simply shots of the interviewer ‘nodding’ their head!
MASTER SHOT (MS)
What is a Master Shot (MS)?
The Master Shot is a full, unedited version of an entire scene filmed using a single camera – usually with all scene members in frame at all times. This is the kind of visual aspect we’d expect when going to see a live stage production, though Master Shots can also involve a moving camera, if the screen is well choreographed.
Why would I use a Master Shot (MS)?
The lack of cuts in a Master Shot helps the viewer stay engaged with the scene though, in reality, a Master Shot is used for the base sequence and then interspersed with Close-Ups and Mid-Shots. Long-take scenes are now rare in cinema and, therefore, capture our attention when performed successfully.
Today I learned about types of shots and angles and there are so many types.. but still they are so useful to learn. I made this blog post because I was doing my research about them cause I was trying to see which suit our project the most.
EXTREME CLOSE-UP (ECU)
What is an Extreme Close-Up (ECU)?
Fills the entire frame with your subject’s features, getting right up close to the eyes, lips or fingers – for instance. It might also be the leaves on a tree or the headlight of a car. We’re able to observe the smallest of details.
Why would I use an Extreme Close-Up (ECU)?
When shooting people this close we are examining their subtle movements and expressions with a microscope. Extreme Close-Ups offer an extreme intimacy with the subject, rarely observed in everyday life. Can also be used to present a mysterious, abstract view of an object, good for opening titles for instance. CLOSE-UP (CU)
What is a Close-Up (CU)?
Fills the frame with a large part of your subject, such as an entire head. Very little background is seen.
Why would I use a Close-Up (CU)?
Often used when a person is displaying restrained, facial emotions such as growing anger or sadness. Practically, the Close-Up is easier to light than a wider shot and backgrounds are less of a worry, though you may lose the sense of location if used too much. Often used in conjunction with Medium Shots. MEDIUM CLOSE-UP (MCU)
What is a Medium Close-Up (MCU)?
The frame is largely taken up by the subject. A head-and-shoulders shot, essentially. This shot would crop a person off just under the shoulders and would be the typical of framing you’d see in a family portrait. Environmental foreground and background elements help give the subject a sense of location, though it can be unclear exactly where the subject is.
Why would I use a Medium Close-Up (MCU)?
A Medium Close-Up (MCU) is perfect for shooting a single person with a lot of spoken dialogue. The subject doesn’t overwhelm the screen. The space around the subject allows them to interact with props that are in easy reach. MEDIUM/MID SHOT (MS)
What is a Medium/Mid Shot (MS)?
A very common shot and likely one you’ll use most often. People are cropped at the waist and there’s enough room in the frame for two or more subjects, without it feeling cramped. There’s also enough room in the background for the viewer to appreciate the scene’s location and time of day.
Why would I use a Medium/Mid Shot (MS)?
Switch on the TV and you’ll see a lot of this type of shot, as it’s used for presenting and interviews. Great for dialogue scenes between multiple subjects. Still close enough to see facial expressions, though this is as wide as you want to be for this. It’s also useful for capturing body language. Often used in conjunction with Close-Up Shots. WIDE SHOT (WS) OR FULL SHOT (FS)
What is a Wide Shot (WS) / Full Shot (FS)?
When shooting people a Wide Shot (or Full Shot) can contain the entire body of a standing person, head to toe. There’s plenty of background space and other scene elements.
Why would I use a Wide Shot (WS) / Full Shot (FS)?
With wider shots the environment begins to play a more important role in the scene, specifically the relationship between the subject and their surroundings. Subjects can move around more freely in a Wide Shot so interaction with other scene elements, and with each other, can be more significant. LONG SHOT (LS) OR ESTABLISHING SHOT (ES)
What is a Long Shot (LS) / Establishing Shot (ES)?
The Long Shot mostly incorporates the wider location, with the subject reduced to a much smaller on-screen element. Essentially creating a picture of the environment and our subject’s place within it.
Why would I use a Long Shot (LS) / Establishing Shot (ES)?
The Long Shot (Establishing Shot) is often used at the start of a scene to provide the viewer with information about the settings, such as location, time of day and atmosphere.
If your scene is dramatically different from the previous scene then it’s common to use a new Establishing Shot. It’s also an obvious shot style for large groups of people or where a lot of action or movement is taking place. As a photographer does, now you have more elements in shot, you can more easily apply composition principles to your scenes. EXTREME LONG SHOT (ELS)
What is an Extreme Long Shot (ELS)?
Atmosphere is key to the Extreme Long Shot, often without any of our main subjects. Typically, in cinema, these show us sprawling city landscapes and beautiful vistas. There can be many elements in the shot, such as buildings or trees, or the landscape can be devoid of objects, such as a shot of outer space or one of endless sand dunes.
Why would I use an Extreme Long Shot (ELS)?
Extreme Long Shots often attempt to show us where we are in the world. Your primary aim with the Extreme Long Shot is to add atmosphere to the sequence by utilising peripheral elements.
During his studies Vadim began writing top-lines for electronic music producers and later appeared as an executive producer on releases by Finnish singer HANNIS including her debut single "Time Has Come" which received a great attention over the internet in Apr, 2014. Over the years they have continued collaboration, their following releases were "Firebreak" (2015) and "In Another World" (2016).
