What is Visual Style?
- Visual style is 'the image structure and style of the film. For business this is the basis of the style you want to portray whether that is retro, feminine, edgy or quirky.'
- 'The director ultimately decides on what the audience is going to see via the placement and angle of the camera and whether the film is recorded from a first or third person view.' [1]
Visual Themes of The Identity
Dark in dramatic, emotional moments
Light in soft, natural moments
Retro in the 1989 scenes
Modern in the present day scenes
Urban when the character is suited to her surroundings
Upscale when the character is out of place
Dark
The dark themes of the series would be seen when either the character feels alone, or there are plot twists or chaotic scenes take place. Such as Lauren walking the streets of Philadelphia and London, finding out Helen's secret or Amanda trying to kill Lauren.
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| House of Cards example of a dark scene |
Light
The light themes of the series would be seen when the characters have a sense of hope, such as arriving in London, or when Lauren's on her way to her birth parents' house.
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| Doctor Foster example of a light scene that's not overly colourful |
Retro
The retro themes of the series would be seen at the beginning of the first episode, when Helen is pregnant with Kathleen and Frank's baby in London, 1989.
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| Ghost example of a film that was shot in 1989 for representation of costume and setting style |
Modern
The modern themes of the series would be seen throughout the rest of the episodes, with the use of modern settings, clothing, props and style.
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| Mr Robot example of modern themes |
Urban
The urban themes of the series would be seen during the Philadelphia scenes of the first episode, along with some areas of London, including streets, homes, workplaces etc.
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| Creed film, set in Philadelphia, example of urban themes |
Upscale
The upscale themes of the series would be seen largely in areas of London, such as when Lauren visits her birth parents' house, goes to a London bar or stays in a hotel.
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| Sherlock, set in London, example of upscale themes |
Framing of The Identity
'The images you record are the building blocks and foundation of your video productions. As your foundation, some thought and planning should go into how your shots are composed. A well-composed shot grabs and holds your viewer's attention. It also influences the mood of the scene or the comfort level of the audience.' [2]
The most common types of framing that I can imagine within the series are wide shots, medium close-ups and close-ups, as I feel that they capture the key visuals and details of characters and surroundings. These also draw from the directional style of my director T.J. Scott, which can be seen in his work such as Orphan Black and Gotham, along with the cinematography styles of DoP Aaron Morton.
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| Nashville example |
This example gives a feel for the surroundings, the character's body language and the character's expression. I think that this type of framing would be very suitable for any scnes that involve a character using a prop or having a conversation, as it allows for varying focuses on certain details.
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| Orphan Black example |
This example gives a broader scope of the character's settings and surroundings and the sense of the character's mind set - such as if they feel lost in their surroundings, on a mission, leisurly walking etc. This framing type would suit scenes of the characters travelling through towns to get to destinations, having conversations or altercations in public and to symbolise a characters vulnerability or independence.
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| Black Mirror example |
This example allows for a large amount of detail on the character's expression and feelings, allowing less space for other details, the sole focus can be on the character. This would be suitable for moments of realisation for characters, in depth conversations between characters, or signs of emotion towards someone or something.
Shot Types & Angles of The Identity
'Whereas shot sizes direct who and what we see, camera angles affect how we perceive it. Is a character going to appear dominant and tall? Or short and weak? A strong weapon in the cinematographer’s arsenal is the ability to position the camera in relation to the subject or scenery.' [3]
The shot types and angles that I think would highly suit scenes of The Identity include establishing shots, high angle shots, low angle shots, and depth of field shots. These allow for symbolism behind certain visuals, give the them more diversity and allow for artistic, stylistic interpretations of shots as opposed to simple framing. These shots types and angles can again be seen in DoP Aaron Morton's work, especially when focusing on Orphan Black.
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| Philadelphia photo example of an establishing shot |
Establishing shots would allow for a better sense of location and scenery in the series, depicting whether the settings are urban or upscale, colourful or dismal, bright or dark, day or night, cold or warm etc. These shots would be used for establishing the locations of London 1989, Philadelphia, and London now.
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| Orphan Black example of a high angle shot |
High angle shots can create a sense of bellittling a character, or a sense of them being-taken-aback by something. As for example, if they are approaching or standing before something that evokes fear, change, hope, or even something that's simply bigger than them, high angles are able to express this more dramatically. These shots would be used for Lauren arriving in London, and nervously approaching both her parents' and Amanda's house.
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| The Walking Dead example of a low angle shot |
Low angle shots can create a sense of a character's power over something or someone. As these types of shots can be used for standing over someone or something, and holding or aiming a prop. The low angle gives a clear representation the the character is above whatever they are holding or looking at. I think that low angles would suit moments of Lauren finding evidence about her past, and her and Amanda's character using weapons.
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| The Social Network example of depth of field |
Depth of field allows for the focus of a shot to remain on a character or switch focus from one character or prop to another without needing to change shots. These shots are effective for conversations, reaction shots, or a realisation about someone or something from a character. Depth of field would work in scenes of Lauren confronting her mother Helen about her secret, Ethan acting suspiciously or Amanda about to attack Lauren.
Lighting in The Identity
'Light can sculpt and describe a scene or character, it can hide or reveal key areas of your frame, it can enhance suspense and evoke emotion.' [4]
The lighting in the series would be one of many important visual elements. Using natural lighting, lens flare techniques and stage lighting to achieve certain atmospheres and tones for each scene. This would again be typical of the talented directorial and cinematography work of my chosen crew.
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| The Hunger Games example of natural lighting |
The subtle use of natural lighting can create a realistic feel to a scene, especially if taking place in daylight or outside. It can highlight certain facial features or settings without appearing to be too harsh. Natural lighting would work very well with many daytime scenes in The Identity in order to create realism, and give a softer comparison to harsh evening scenes.
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| Orphan Black example ofLens Flare |
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| Luther example of Lens Flare |
The use of lens flare allows for a more artistic feel to a scene using daylight, creating a softer impression of the visuals. Lens flare would be well suited to lighthearted scenes in the series, such as Helen lovingly looking at her pregnant bump and Lauren feeling hopeful on the morning bus journey to meet her parents.
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| Creed example of stage lighting |
Stage or set lighting can be used to create a number of different colours and atmospheric tones in a scene. It can also be used to create contrasting colours, such as the above reds, oranges and purples. Suited to indoor scenes, especially set at night, set lighting opens up creative decisions and possibilities with lighting. This lighting would be suited to scenes such as the warm but shadowy bar scenes with Ethan and Lauren, warm evening home scenes in Philadelphia, and the creepy, dark scenes in Amanda's home.
Knowing the visual style of The Identity is another factor that brings the concept to life through knowing how it would be shot, lit and the themes that would be seen within the visuals. Also, having researched and selected my crew first, I can be sure that the decisions on visual style would work for my crew members' own style. I will next be working on Editing Style.
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