"Gabriel's AICE Media Studies Blog"

 The setting was the most successful choice in achieving my intended meaning, a train station is already a place where you are supposed to leave, a place to move, so its simple existence gives the bittersweet feeling of loss and/or goodbye. During the shoot, I had to count on the trains for them to stop and rapidly take my pictures before they left. Also, I had to wait for people to clear the space, so the focus remains on the solitude of my subject. I decided to do this on afternoon, with the sun setting, which gives a lowkey and warm lighting, this was intended to enhance the sense of nostalgia. I, too, used long shots and high angles that suggest the leaving or loss of someone. For a future project, I would include different angles to see if, in doing so, the best projection of the subject could be obtained.   Throughout this project, I got a better understanding of how mise-en-scene influences the ability of films or pictures to provide a feeling or vibe.

  Story Board  I looked for inspiration for my sequence of shots from online examples of similar subjects; with my framing and angles, I was looking to create a casual effect while keeping the cinematic feeling of such a moment. * Story Board Reflection *  Most of my storyboard translated very well to actual shots, but some did not, as I lacked people when creating the pictures. At that point, I differed from the storyboard; as I just had one person and intended to have two while shooting, I decided to include the use of a P.O.V shot to state that two people were being separated, a farewell. The storyboard conveyed well the meaning and emotion of the theme when I included some long shots to represent "separation", the girl who leaves looking to her departure, and the person staying (included in the P.O.V shot), which suggests the sadness of the loss.

 My main creative vision or purpose before I began designing my mood board was to evoke a feeling of nostalgia and/or loss. The brown colors, the image of trains leaving, and two people being separated would communicate, in my opinion, these feelings. The brown colors connect with the idea that time passed, like old books or photos, but also decadence. Seeing a train leaving suggests a separation or a moment that won't come back, also represents movement, the passage of time, and the impossibility of stopping it. And the two people separating each other relate to the loss of someone or something. * Mood Board Reflection * Looking back, I think all the elements of my mood board represent well the emotional and bittersweet tone of a farewell. Creating this board helped me greatly at the time of composing my photography decisions by giving me an idea of the costumes, lighting, time of the day, and even the angle of the shots, everything to enhance the mood of the subject.

   This project had the intention to further develop camera abilities by practicing shots and angles using a specific theme or topic. I was assigned the following prompt: "A Farewell at a Train Station" .  I instantly thought of something nostalgic or romantic when I got this prompt. I felt excited by the idea of conducting a more complex practice that includes a better eye for detail and camera handling.

Practicing with Different Camera Shots and Angles Reflection During this assignment, I learned the different angles and camera shots that are used in Media Studies. I did not specifically struggle with any of them; it was fun to do this practice. Close-Up: Extreme Close-Up: Long Shot: Bird's Eye View/Extreme Long Shot: Two Shot/Mid Shot: Point Of View: Over the shoulder: