Hey guys i?m very new to filming, i haven?t even made a short movie except those really amature movies that shouldn?t be even called movies.. I?ve taken 2 classes of photography in college, now i?m thinking maybe i should try making some movies.. I?m one of those people that like many things... Music, Movies and Photography.. I figure why not connect all 3 and make movies cause they do have all of it in one.. I?ve read some books on photography , but i?m not sure how much different is filming ? The way you compose scenes? How do you guys know what Angle ( shoul i record a person from below, same level as his neck/face or from above) Distance ( from camera to the person, how much of a frame should a person be filling in specific scene) where to position the person ? in the center ( i?ve watched few films and specifically focused on positioning characters on the screen, from what i?ve noticed , the rule of thirds is used in film as well, but there is also a lot of those center shots which in photography a lot of people avoid, also when there are 2 people in the shoot the center of the screen is between both people is that some film rule i don?t know about? ) also movements of camera.. from one object/person to another. there is so many possibilities, how do you know your choosing the right one? In photography you can shoot the scene or a person 10000 times and basically choose the best picture, you can also edit it (crop it ) i know you can edit movies but can you crop a frame/scene? wouldn?t it take away from quality of the movie? and didnt fit with the rest of other scenes? In photography quality doesn?t matter that much.. if i?m shooting in high resolution i can cut out half a picture and still make it look great in a bit lower resolution smaller size picture..you know what i mean?
How do I learn all that? Experience? Books? thanks a lot guys!
You are correct about the rule of thirds. It is the most basic, yet most used method of framing. It will continue to be the standard. Angles, angles, angles. Always try and shoot at angles. The three basic shots are the Long Shot, Medium Shot and CLose Up. The LS is mainly used for setting up a scene...providing the settng...showing characters entering and exiting a scene. The MS is more detail for the audience. A group of people...moving in closer ...letting the audience into the scene. The CU is it...the punch...the climax...the drama...the finish. It puts the audience right in the middle of everything. As you move from LS to MS to CU you are increasing the drama, tension, conflict. That is why as you move in you get more in line with the character's eyes, because the eyes tell the truth..tell the story. As you move out from a CU to a MS to LS you decrease tension, drama, etc. And you want to move more out of line with the character's eyes. Understand? Now there are variations of all 3 of those basic shots. So look at your script and first determine what you want out of each scene. More drama...more tension? Move in. If you want less tension and drama, move out. If you want to keep things the way they are then use similar shots to keep the tension and drama as is. Watch some of your favorite films with the sound off and study the framing. It is very basic. If you want a more detailed description I will send you some more info. Email me at clkla?yahoo.com
That's a whole lotta questions you're asking but definately the right ones! To answer in full would require hours of teaching, reading and viewing so get out there and find some of those books and movies (of which there are plenty) on the subject.
Happily you have identified one of the most fundamentaly important, often overlooked and misunderstood elements of cinema - the frame.
The rule of thirds, as in stills photography, can be chucked straight out the window as soon as you've learned it. Composition is about so much more than simply arranging elements (the mise en scene) into three equal areas of the frame.
Remember in the moving image, the frame can be changed during the shot. This is probably the biggest difference to your experiences with stills.
Like I said though, there's far too much to go into here but I will recommend two films in particular that you should watch with regard to framing. 'Once Upon A Time In The West' is the prime example of masterful composition. Also check out 'The Passenger' - the final long tracking shot in that movie is a wonder to behold and says everything that you could ever want to know about composition in one shot!
Best of luck ?:D?
Ross
"Photography does not so much confirm our experience of the world as it actively constructs it." AS-G
"Photography does not so much confirm our experience of the world as it actively constructs it." AS-G
Thank You very much guys foe replying! ?:D? i?ll def check those 2 movies to see what you are describing. Photography seems to be easier to me then shooting a scene. Like you said you just need 1 shoot but in the movies its a continues process... Do you guys have any good books that could teach me more about this process? Thank You!
Books currently on my shelf that may be of interest include:
?url? http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/0198742428/ref=sib_dp_pt/026-9400542-7048408#reader-link?/url?
?url? http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/034910705X/ref=sib_dp_pt/026-9400542-7048408#reader-link?/url?
?url? http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/0415025524/ref=sib_dp_pt/026-9400542-7048408#reader-link?/url?
...and that's barely scratching the surface!
The Guerilla Film Makers' Handbook is probably most pertinant in this case.
Ross
"Photography does not so much confirm our experience of the world as it actively constructs it." AS-G
"Photography does not so much confirm our experience of the world as it actively constructs it." AS-G
Thanks a lot! i?ll def check those books out at the local book store and then decide which one to get.. 🙂
Hey is there a DVD or some videos that show different shots in movies and explain them how they were done? i looked at wikipedia and found a list of those shots..
Aerial shot
American shot
Bird's eye shot
Close up
Crane shot
Dolly shot
Dutch angle
Establishing shot
"Evangelion" shot
Follow shot
Forced perspective
Video frame
Freeze frame shot
Full shot
Head-on shot
High-angle shot
Long shot
Long take
Low-angle shot
Master shot
Matte
Medium shot
Pan shot
Point of view shot
Reaction shot
Sequence shot
Shot
Shot reverse shot
Talking head
Tracking shot
Trunk shot
Two Shot
Vertigo shot
Whip pan
now i was wondering if there is a video that would show all of them ? Or do i have to watch some of the movies and basically figure them out when they show up?
Don't discard the Rule of Thirds and framing. You compose as you shoot but you still need to maintain correct framing...it's called Dynamic Composition. You begin, continue and finish with correct framing or your frames will be off-balance. If you want off-balance framing then disregard framing and the rule of thirds, but do it for a reason. Watch any film and you will see correct framing, static and dynamic composition. It's a matter of how you arrange your frame, but all professional films use it. Learn it, practice it and never forget it.
Oh no i?m def not discarding the rule of thirds and framing, but movements of camera are important as well right? I was just watching " the road to perdition" with directors commentary and i was listening and trying to learn stuff. I really like the framing in that movie. Camera work in this movie is really great. I was wondering since indie movies are usually low budget how do you guys make all the crane , dolly shots? you use some times of alternatives? like skateboard or something for the dolly shot?
You use movement for a purpose, but maintain the framing as you move your subject and camera. Indie's can use wheelchairs, cars or make your own dolly, etc. There are cheaper versions of steadicams, cranes, etc. Be inventive and you can shoot professionally. Rehearsal is key. Rehearse the character moves and camera moves along with your sound people. You have to plan every shot. Don't rush into shooting. Most people are not good at pre-production and it shows up once they get on the set. Take your time and plan everything in advance. Think of everything that can go wrong on your shoot...because it will go wrong...and be prepared for anything to happen. Plan, plan, plan...then practice, practice, practice.
I agree totally that movement, like everything else, should only be done "for a purpose" but framing, again like everything else can be changed during the shot (again, though, only with purpose!)
I refer once more to that fabulous shot at the end of 'The Passenger'. Watch and observe how the framing changes as the characters and camera move.
Ross
"Photography does not so much confirm our experience of the world as it actively constructs it." AS-G
"Photography does not so much confirm our experience of the world as it actively constructs it." AS-G
