ACMI worked with our partner RMIT University and their Bachelor of Communication (Media) program to help students produce a series of short explainer videos communicating concepts across film, TV, videogames and digital art.
The project was run as a studio subject with ACMI working with RMIT course leaders to provide guidance and critique to the students throughout the concept development and production of these pieces.
What is Mise-en-scène?
by So Young Oh
Mise-en-scène is the stage design and arrangement of actors in scenes for a theatre or film production, both in visual arts through storyboarding, visual theme, and cinematography, and in narrative storytelling through direction. The term is also commonly used to refer to single scenes that are representative of a film. Mise-en-scène has been called film criticism‘s “grand undefined term”. This video explains what mise-en-scène is by defining it and using examples from films and directors.
Putting Australian Cinema to the Bechdel Test
by Ruby Amoore
The Bechdel Test is a measure of the representation of women in fiction. It asks whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. This video discusses the test and Test, and examines how Australian cinema fares.
How framerates affect how we see moving images
by Cormack Pratt
This micro video essay tackles the debate between mediamakers over framerate by establishing the history of film framerates in Hollywood and its lasting effect through the 24fps standard. Videogames, VR and some digital artworks have progressed to hundreds of frames a second – will film and TV follow?
The Clapperboard: a Melbourne invention
by Jessica Robson
Delve into the history of the clapperboard and why they are still used today in the film industry.
Breaking the Angle of Axis
by Malachy Lewis
The 180 Degree Rule is important to follow when filming and editing a scene for a film, but, like all rules, what happens when it is broken, and how can it be broken for creative effect?
The Art of the Title Sequence
by Andrea Garcia
This video looks at the purpose of the title sequence and its artistic merit as well as how it’s able to convey certain narratives, tones and characters without explicitly telling the audience.
A Short Story of Film, Video and Digital Formats
by Luis Barra (narrated by Rhys Duggan)
The moving image has evolved; from films, videos and digital formats. Films can be more organic whereas other formats such as video can be more practical. Technology plays a key role in the development of new formats. This micro-video essay travels back in time to explore the evolution of the moving image.
Who is in a videogame development team?
by Haoran Shi
This video focuses on five different roles within a videogame development team: game designers, 2D/3D artists, Programmers, Level Designers, Sound Engineers and Testers.
What is a Foley Artist?
by Yining Tao (Jessica) and Ziyu Xue (Wanda)
Foley is an irreplaceable element in films, TV and radio – but what is it? And what does a foley artist do?
What is a MacGuffin?
by Rhonda Hodgson
A "MacGuffin" is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters. Learn more about how it's used in screen works.
Unpacking different shot types in cinema
by Jeremy Lawang
Shot types define the mood of a narrative and help convey a specific meaning of a scene or particular moment in a film. There are various shot types and all have a different meaning and purpose in dictating the emotions of the audience.
Pepper's Ghost
by Jude Islip, Jessie Mahina Caesar, Sarah Jackson -Harris and Sherly Lim
This immersive video essay explores how the historic cinematic technique of Pepper’s Ghost was used to transform the way in which people engage with the unreal. Displaying those passed or simply artificial, revolutionised the way people interact with the non-tangible elements of screen, cinema and theatre. In this video, we explain the origins of this technique and how it can be achieved, not only in the real world, but in your lounge-room too.
Breaking the 4th Wall
by Georgia Bertolino, Beatrice Madamba & Tiani Wiropuspito
This video essay aims to define what it means to ‘break’ the fourth wall, a technique aims to confuse and distort the audience’s viewing experience.
To learn more about this collaboration with RMIT, visit the Screen Lab website.
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