When I am filming dialogue with one camera, I usually do the scene several times, but from different angles, then I edit it together in post-production.

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When the script writing is done, the work has just begun. When the filming is done, the work has just begun. When post-production is done, the work has just begun. When the distribution is done, you decide if the work is done.

Shooting with one camera is what almost all movie makers do - even the big ?Hollywood? movies. The action and stunt scenes being the big exception.

One important thing is always recording the sound. The on camera mic is too far away from the actors to pick up good dialogue tracks. So you will need a microphone on a boom pole to get good, clean tracks.

As Director958 suggested, you will shoot the scene several times. The entire scene. For example: Scene 22 is Bob and Mary sitting at a table - it?s three pages long. You will set up the ?Master Shot? - both people at the table, camera getting a head to foot shot of both of them. On your slate you will write ?Scene 22 - Take 1?

Scene 22 - This will be the entire scene from one angle.

Adjust the lights, move the camera and shoot Bob?s side of the table.

Scene 22A - Close up of Bob.
Scene 22B - Over Mary?s shoulder on Bob.
Scene 22C - A slow dolly push in on Bob - from a full shot into a close up.
Scene 22D - an insert shot of Bob lighting a cigarette.
Scene 22E - a close up on Bob?s hand putting the cigarette in the ash tray.
Scene 22F - a close up of Bob taking the contract, looking at it and signing it (from Mary?s point of view)

Now move the lights, move the camera and cover the scene from Bob?s side of the table.

Scene 22G - Close up of Mary.
Scene 22H - Over Bob?s shoulder on Mary.
Scene 22J - A slow dolly push in on Mary - from a full shot into a close up.
Scene 22K - an insert shot of Mary putting the contract on the table.
Scene 22L - a close up on Mary?s hand snuffing out the cigarette in the ash tray.
Scene 22M - a close up shot of Mary putting the contract on the table, putting a pen on the contract and pushing it to the middle of the table.
Scene 22P - a close up of Bob taking the contract, looking at it and signing it (from Bob?s point of view)

And this goes on and on until the entire scene is covered - until all the shots the director wants have been shot.

You won't use I or O on the slate because those letters could be confused with the numbers 1 and 0.

Then when you are editing you have plenty of angles to choose from. All the sound is in sync and if you recorded it well, with no ambient noise, it will cut together as smoothly as the picture.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

It is really not very hard, especially if you use digital editing software.

Shoot the video and audio for each angle to make sure audio matches with the speakers lips on each cut. If you choose to show the listeners reaction shot or a cut-away to something else you can choose whatever audio you like or record the audio later. Cut-aways and reaction shots are great for pasting over audio problems so make sure you get some on set just in case.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Thanks for tips guys!

I am aware that I need various angles to have something to edit or dialog scene will be unwachable boring. But still I am not sure how to edit later if I shoot sound in every angle. For example - I assume I will use 4-5 angles. I need to shoot entire dialogue in every angle. Now, while editing, for each take I use, I need to leave audio recorded in that take and not in master shot because othervise lipsync will be messed! So, during editing, I use difernet takes to cover action/reaction shots and leave sound from selected take which may be pretty trick if actors didn't speak in each take as much is possible simmilary like in other takes! To simplify problem: during various shots of the same dialogue, accents and intontaion may vary (nobody can interpret lines in completely the same way in every take) and during editing, using sound from takes I mix, I can have pretty "strange" talking scene....

First, if they said things slightly different, or even improved lines in one take it doesn't matter if it doesn't match because only the takes you choose will appear in the movie. Just make sure when shooting that when you have the camera aimed at one character the lines they speak are clean and clear and it won't matter as much if the other lines are spoken by another actor or changed.

If the actors lines are not clear you may have to cut away to the cat or the clock on the wall or the reaction of the other person talking to cover your audio splicing (and non lip-sync that will occur as well).

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

quote:

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Originally posted by arminio
during various shots of the same dialogue, accents and intontaion may vary (nobody can interpret lines in completely the same way in every take)

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Actually this is the job of the actors - to say the lines exactly the same way each time. If they can't, then you will have a very difficult time editing. If they pick up a fork (for example) in the master shot and take a bite of food, and don't do it in the close up, you're going to have a difficult time editing. If on the OTS shot someone takes a drink of water or lights a cigarette and then doesn't do it in the reverse angle, you're going to have a difficult time editing.

It's your job as the director and their job as the actor to say each line exactly the same way. If they don't, you're right, it's going to be a pretty "strange" talking scene....

Yes! As I thought - actors must be able to speak an act as much is possible the same way during all angles...

Thanks for tips!

I somewhat disagree with CI. There are two things going on here. You have action within a cut, and you have action that overlaps the cuts. It is very important to have any actions that overlap the cuts match. This tends to be physical movements and positioning which are very noticable when they are off, but the words, the audio, doesn't matter because the mouth will most likely not be visible in one cut and will be visible in another (if it overlaps the cut).

It also helps to have some idea where you are going to cut before hand or you might be forced to choose cuts you otherwise wouldn't because that's when things settled down enough to match properly.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Offcourse - action and reaction must match but also intonation in different angle shots too, as I assume now. Because if, in editing, I switch to a differnet angle to have reaction to lines spoken in previous take, it must be said in propper way in all takes or everything will sound bizzare and I will be forced to choose angle that fits best as an reaction line instead what fits best to have flow edit.

One of the great things about video is it's so cheap that you can run tests for practically free. In one hour you could try out this scene. It doesn't have to well lit and the actors can be you and one friend. Set up in your kitchen and shoot a master shot and then a close up of each person - you can be reading the script if you like.

Put it all in your editing system and cut it together. You will then have first hand knowledge of the way it works, of what you need to do differently to make it work. Then try it again. This time use the actors you want in your movie. Still no lighting, just as practice. Call it a "screen test".

Unless you're working with a live three camera set up you don't need exact timing on the different takes.

When you have two shots, each a minute long. One is of the speaker and the other is of the reactions, you don't need to have them timed exactly. You won't be showing 95% of the reaction shot, just find the reaction you want during that one minute and plop it into the correct spot and ignore the rest of the reaction shot.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

This was very helpful. But now, how about dialogs with lines that "jump" one in another? By this I mean one actor speaks while other stop his line with his line and after he finish, first continue and vice verse? This is pretty hard to edit unless, for example (as I tested a bit), I shoot dialogs from various angles in the way that only one actor speaks while other is silent while he is of camera...

Stepping on each others lines is indeed a problem. That is one way most movies differ from reality. You could try to rehearse the hell out of the scene so that the actors speak the same way each time.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Yep. Never overlap dialog between actors unless you're sure you're not going to cut at that point.

An experience movie actor will probably already know not to do it, but most inexperienced movie actors are in a rush to get their lines out and regularly speak over the previous lines.