Shot Composition and Camera Movement for Narrative Film: Lecture Notes

Lecture Outline: 1. Basic Shot Composition 2. The Camera Axis 3. Camera Movement 4. Use of Props 5. Really cool stuff

Six Things to Consider With Each Cut according to Walter Murch and why directors should consider the same in planning their shots.
1. Emotion The cut is true to the emotion of the moment. 2. Story The cut advances the story 3. Rhythm Is the pace rhythmically interesting? 4. Eye-trace Where and how the audience perceives whats in the frame. 5. Two-dimensional plane of screen How does the photography capture a 3 dimensional world on a 2 dimensional screen. 6. Three-dimensional space of action. Where characters are in the scene in relation to one another.

Basic Shot Terminology: Character Shot Sizes

The Full Shot: Takes in the character from head to toe: Careful not to cut the shot off at the actors ankles. It gives it the idea that the actor is standing in something nasty. The Medium Full Shot: Cuts just below the knees. Dont frame AT the knees, or the actor will look amputated. The Cowboy: This shot cuts at where a cowboys holster would end. The Medium Shot: Cuts at just above the belt line.

The 3 Ts: Teeth, throat and Tits. Sometimes called 2 Ts by some DPs. The Close-up: Cuts just below the throat. The Choker: A bit tighter than a CU, cutting at the throat.

Actor Spacing Using Edward T. Halls Proxemics

Remote Distance The individual person is not identied as a particular person. Public Distance People who are Unapproachable as individuals Social Distance 10-15 feet. Social environment manners Personal Distance Reserved for close acquaintances of friends. Intimate Distance Physical Involvement

The Rule of 3rds

The importance of eye-trace and character spacing: Putting it all together so far using the Over-the-shoulder shot (not as simple as it seems!) Working with close-ups: Shared Space and Negative Space and their emotional impact on the audience. Lens Height: Where most beginning directors fail.

The Line
How to never be confused again! I used to use shapes to describe this, and feel free to do that if you like, but Per Holmes of Hollywood Camerawork has an easier to remember way: Human interaction patterns using the letters: I, A, L, U, H, and O Doesnt make sense? Ill explain camera and actor staging using these letters of the alphabet.

Putting it all together (so far). The opening table scene from John Frankenheimers Ronin Moving the Camera
Exploring Motivated and Unmotivated moves. Moving between Static Shots: using Ronin and Rosemarys Baby

Props North by Northwest, The Professional and Touch of Evil

The size of a prop in the screen. What props say about character.

Shot Lists: Emotional vs. Standard

Why I hate Story Boards: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Putting it all together one last time: Roman Polanskis Frantic Hotel Room Arrival Scene Cool Stuff: How John Frankenheimer screws with my head. Bertoluccis One Shot establishing shot from The Dreamers Recommended Reading and Viewing: Hollywood Camerawork, By Per Holmes: A truly excellent 6 DVD series on camera movement. Pricey as hell, and worth it. www.hollywoodcamerawork.com Alexander Mackendrick: On Filmmaking By Alexander Sandy Mackendrick, edited by Paul Cronin. Sandy was best directing teacher Ive ever had. He directed among other things: The Lady Killers, The Man in the White Suit, and my all time favorite movie The Sweet Smell of Success. Sandy has since passed on, but all of his class notes have been brilliantly edited into book form by lm writer, Paul Cronin. DO NOT pass this book by! Its an amazing resource.

Killer Camera Rigs that you can Build by Dan Selakovich (yep, thats me): I wont go tooting my own horn, but you can check out the web site and read reviews and comments of others. You can e-mail me with any questions about this lecture or the book at Dan@DVcameraRigs.com www.DVcameraRigs.com Recommended Viewing For Staging Actors The lms of Alexander MacKendrick The Man in the White Suite The Lady Killers (the original!) The Sweet Smell of Success Whisky Galore! For the use of wide lenses and generally packing the frame with information The Films of John Frankenheimer

Ronin The Manchurian Candidate (the original!) The Birdman of Alcatraz For the use of 50mm lenses and camera movement that matters

The lms of Alfred Hitchcock (Particularly ones produced by Selznick) North By Northwest Vertigo Psycho Rear Window For the use of wide lenses and perfect composition The lms of Orson Welles Citizen Cane Touch of Evil For using Longer Lenses and scene transitions The lms of Steven Soderbergh Oceans Eleven The Limey