Hi,
I am now in post and I have found that some shots are missing (reshoot impossible). My question, is it against all the rules to let ACTOR A be in one part of a room, cut to ACTOR B giving a line, then cut back to ACTOR A who is now sitting (and we do not see him actually move and sit, although he has been seated there just minutes earlier)? I actually have this similar problem in a handful of places.
Just want to know if everyone will point and laugh or throw rotten vegetables.
Thanks.
George
Maybe some people will notice and comment. If the people you show the
movie to have rotten vegetables they might throw them. Someone might
even point and laugh. I'm thinking that in certain parts of the country
some people might stand and shoot guns at the screen. I wouldn't be
surprised if a couple of people farted in your general direction.
But seriously folks....
Try it George. Cut the scene together and see how it looks. You have
no way of knowing how people will react until you show it to them.
And if pointing and laughing is the worse reaction you get, you'll
survive. Just check their bags, purses and pants (bananas are often
hidden in pants) before you admit them into your screening....
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
My guess is that it's going to look like a jump-cut and/or be sort of jarring to watch, especially if you keep doing it. If you can't get it to cut together smoothly (and you'll know if you can't) maybe you can use it as a motif. If your movie is suspense or horror it could actually help.
If not, there's always the old adage:
'If you can't solve it, dissolve it.' - F. Reitz
-V
If ACTOR A looks to the side at any point, you could include a cut to the chair he'll be sitting in to set up the move.
You could also add a very out of focus figure stand in as ACTOR A the foreground as the ACTOR B talks. Then have the out of focus figure start to move.
You could always show feet, or legs, or the persons back. Anything but the face of the ACTOR A as ACTOR B talks and ACTOR A would be moving.
You could add noticeable footsteps and the sound of a chair being sat in (especially if leather) to give the impression that ACTOR A has moved. This is the minimum you should do.
And of course you could combine all of the above.
RJSchwarz
RJSchwarz
So, actor A was seated earlier in the scene. Then you had him get up and move, and you are now missing a shot of him moving back to the chair and sitting down.
If he was seated before, and you have followed his move away from the chair, it will be a jump cut to suddenly see him seated again. I can't think of any cutaway that could properly cover his action and connect the two places (standing and sitting). Unless you have a way to re-light and re-shoot the set with at least someone walking and siting down at the chair (perhaps shot from behind, if original actor is unavailable), it will be quite challenging to cut this together smoothly.
Still; give it a shot. Play with what you have and you never know; it just may work.