12.7
MOMENTS OF CONNECTION
When the talking is over, and the scene is more about body contact and eroticism, it takes skill to reveal the right details without looking forced. In this example the camera captures just a glimpse of Ziyi Zhang's face as she throws her head back. Then we see her ribs, and the man's hands on her body.
This type of set-up is highly erotic as it takes the focus away from the faces and directly to the body. It is also worth noting that this is probably far more erotic than if she were naked, because of the expectation it brings; expectation and suggestion are more erotic than pure observation of a naked body.
The follow-up shot moves to an unusual angle, looking back down at the two of them, so that her face is upside down in the frame. In fact, her face takes up only a small part of the frame, and the mingled bodies fill the rest. Because the two of them appear to be upside down, this captures the dizzying sensation of an electrifying sexual encounter.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Directed by Ang Lee. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
12.8
A WORLD OF DETAILS
When directors shoot sex scenes they often want to achieve a sense of great eroticism, but without a hint of pornography. One way to achieve this is to attempt to capture the sensation of actually having sex; rather than observing two people, why not put the camera right in there with them so we feel we're part of the experience. That way we feel the movement and scuffle of clothes and bodies, and catch glimpses of the tiny details of clothing and flesh, just as we do in the real world.
This one brief shot, from Stealing Beauty, shows nothing more than a blurred hand, shadow and a hint of bra. A long lens has been used, to throw everything out of focus but the bra. This brief moment is one of many glimpses that make us feel the proximity of this sex scene. Although we also cut back to see the two lovers kissing and touching each other, it is these glimpsed moments that draw us into their experience and make it one of the most sexually charged scenes on film.
Stealing Beauty. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1996. All Rights Reserved.
CONCLUSION
When you direct a film, you have a lot on your mind. The hours are long, sleep is short, and the pressure is high. And yet, in the midst of the circus, you are required to be as creative as you have ever been. As well as getting a strong performance from your actors, you need to shoot in a distinctive way that reflects your story. This is no easy task.
Writing this book helped me realize that the more intimately I knew technique, the easier it was to create under pressure. Time is always running out on a film set. After months or years of thinking about a film, you often have just moments to make a new choice or solve a problem. And then you live with that decision forever. To people who've never worked in film, it seems implausible that we can spend 12 hours getting two minutes of usable footage. For those who work in the industry, it seems like a miracle if we get that much. I hope this book will help you to develop a way of seeing shots, and thinking up your own, that will make you able to work creatively when time is running out.
The better you know your craft, the easier it is to create. I've often heard filmmakers say they don't care about technique, or the history of film, and they just like to “be creative”. Sometimes that works. But usually you see filmmakers on set just “getting the coverage” because there was a technical problem and they couldn't think of a new solution in time. If they had a bit more knowledge about technique, they could probably have created something better.
This lack of vision is often hidden behind shaky camerawork and fast edits. But if you want to deliberately create a film to communicate a story, you need more control than that. This doesn't mean you have to plan every shot in advance, but when technique becomes second nature, it's easier to be original. Think of Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, telling Luke to unlearn what he has learned. When you know something well enough to “unlearn” it, you are on the path to greatness. Unfortunately, many people think the short cut is to avoid learning the technique in the first place. History shows they are wrong. The better educated you are about all aspects of filmmaking, the better you will be at making films.
Now that you know 100 Master Shots, you are better equipped than most filmmakers. Your task is to adapt them, improve on them, and build your own arsenal of workable shots.
I was inspired to write this book because I saw that there are filmmakers out there who refuse to be average, and who find new ways to create. For them, it's not about popcorn and grosses, but about making a great film. The challenge you face is to avoid being average. It takes a lot of time and effort to direct anything, but by the time you get on set, the pressure to get the job done without mistakes turns many a potential genius into a coward. I hope these techniques inspire you to be courageous in your filmmaking. Whatever the pressure, no matter how tired you are, choose greatness.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher Kenworthy has worked as a director and producer for the past ten years. He directed the feature film The Sculptor, which played to sold-out screenings in Australia and received strong reviews.
As a screenwriter he's contributed to the development of several TV shows, and wrote for his brother's BBC comedy show, Scallywagga.
He is the author of two novels and a handful of nonfiction books. He was born in the North of England, but has lived in Australia for fifteen years.
www.christopherkenworthy.com
[email protected]
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOR FRAME GRABS
The author acknowledges the copyright owners of the following motion pictures from which single frames have been used in this book for purposes of commentary, criticism, and scholarship under the Fair Use Doctrine.
Page iii: Onegin. Directed by Martha Fiennes. Siren Entertainment, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1: Patriot Games. Directed by Phillip Noyce. Paramount Home Entertainment, 1992. All Rights Reserved.
Page 3: Fight Club. Directed by David Fincher. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
Page 5: Punch Drunk Love. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 7: Fight Club. Directed by David Fincher. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
Page 9: Patriot Games. Directed by Phillip Noyce. Paramount Home Entertainment, 1992. All Rights Reserved.
Page 11: Superman Returns. Directed by Bryan Singer. Warner Home Video, 2006. All Rights Reserved.
Page 13: Dark Blue World. Directed by Jan Sve'rák. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 15: Sideways. Directed by Alexander Payne. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Page 17: Patriot Games. Directed by Phillip Noyce. Paramount Home Entertainment, 1992. All Rights Reserved.
Page 19: Amélie. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Becker Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 21: Friday the 13th Part II. Directed by Steve Miner. Paramount Home Entertainment, 1981. All Rights Reserved.
Page 23: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Directed by Peter Jackson. Roadshow Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 25: Minority Report. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 27: Hide and Seek. Directed by John Polson. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Page 29: Behind Enemy Lines. Directed by John Moore. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 31: An American Werewolf in London. Directed by John Landis. Universal Studios Home Video, 1981. All Rights Reserved.
Page 33: Murder By Numbers. Directed by Barbet Schroeder. Warner Home Video, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 35: Blue Velvet. Directed by
David Lynch. MGM Home Entertainment, 1986. All Rights Reserved.
Page 37: Children of Men. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Universal Studios Home Video, 2006. All Rights Reserved.
Page 39: Amélie. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Becker Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 41: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Directed by Ang Lee. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
Page 43: Children of Men. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Universal Studios Home Video, 2006. All Rights Reserved.
Page 45: Punch Drunk Love. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 47: 36 Quai des Orfèvres. Directed by Olivier Marchal. Madman Films, 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Page 49: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Directed by Ang Lee. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
Page 51: Amélie. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Becker Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 53: Always. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Universal Studios Home Video, 1989. All Rights Reserved.
Page 55: Onegin. Directed by Martha Fiennes. Siren Entertainment, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
Page 57: The Girl on the Bridge. Directed by Patrice Leconte. Madman Films, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
Page 59: Children of Men. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Universal Studios Home Video, 2006. All Rights Reserved. Page 61: Enemy at the Gates. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. Roadshow Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 63: Rabbit Proof Fence. Directed by Phillip Noyce. Magna Pacific, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 65: Blade Runner. Directed by Ridley Scott. Warner Home Video, 1982. All Rights Reserved.
Page 67: The Shining. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Warner Home Video, 1980. All Rights Reserved.
Page 69: Children of Men. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Universal Studios Home Video, 2006. All Rights Reserved.
Page 71: The Shining. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Warner Home Video, 1980. All Rights Reserved.
Page 73: The Girl on the Bridge. Directed by Patrice Leconte. Madman Films, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
Page 75: Hide and Seek. Directed by John Polson. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Page 77: Rabbit Proof Fence. Directed by Phillip Noyce. Magna Pacific, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 79: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Directed by Peter Jackson. Roadshow Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 81: Children of Men. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Universal Studios Home Video, 2006. All Rights Reserved.
Page 83: Hour of the Wolf. Directed by Ingmar Bergman. MGM Home Entertainment, 1968. All Rights Reserved.
Page 85: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Directed by Ang Lee. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
Page 87: Behind Enemy Lines. Directed by John Moore. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 89: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Directed by Peter Jackson. Roadshow Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 91: Jarhead. Directed by Sam Mendes. Universal Studios Home Video, 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Page 93: Thirteen. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2003. All Rights Reserved.
Page 95: Onegin. Directed by Martha Fiennes. Siren Entertainment, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
Page 97: Amélie. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Becker Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 99: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Directed by Jonathan Mostow. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2003. All Rights Reserved.
Page 101: Minority Report. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 103: Artificial Intelligence: AI. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Warner Home Video, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 105: Lost in Translation. Directed by Sofia Coppola. Universal Studios Home Video, 2003. All Rights Reserved.
Page 107: Artificial Intelligence: AI. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Warner Home Video, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 109: The Double Life of Veronique. Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski. Artificial Eye, 1991. All Rights Reserved.
Page 111: The Double Life of Veronique. Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski. Artificial Eye, 1991. All Rights Reserved.
Page 113: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Directed by Jonathan Mostow. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2003. All Rights Reserved.
Page 115: 36 Quai des Orfèvres. Directed by Olivier Marchal. Madman Films, 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Page 117: Enemy at the Gates. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. Roadshow Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 119: Friday the 13th Part II. Directed by Steve Miner. Paramount Home Entertainment, 1981. All Rights Reserved.
Page 121: Alien Resurrection. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1997. All Rights Reserved.
Page 123: Minority Report. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 125: The Shining. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Warner Home Video, 1980. All Rights Reserved.
Page 127: Underworld. Directed by Len Wiseman. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2003. All Rights Reserved.
Page 129: An American Werewolf in London. Directed by John Landis. Universal Studios Home Video, 1981. All Rights Reserved.
Page 131: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Directed by Jonathan Mostow. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2003. All Rights Reserved.
Page 133: An American Werewolf in London. Directed by John Landis. Universal Studios Home Video, 1981. All Rights Reserved.
Page 135: Blade Runner. Directed by Ridley Scott. Warner Home Video, 1982. All Rights Reserved.
Page 137: Friday the 13th Part II. Directed by Steve Miner. Paramount Home Entertainment, 1981. All Rights Reserved.
Page 139: Contact. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Warner Home Video, 1997. All Rights Reserved.
Page 141: State and Main. Directed by David Mamet. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
Page 143: Contact. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Warner Home Video, 1997. All Rights Reserved.
Page 145: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Directed by Michel Gondry. Roadshow Home Entertainment, 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Page 147: The Double Life of Veronique. Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski. Artificial Eye, 1991. All Rights Reserved.
Page 149: White Oleander. Directed by Peter Kosminsky. Magna Pacific, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 151: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Directed by Michel Gondry. Roadshow Home Entertainment, 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Page 153: The Game. Directed by David Fincher. Universal Studios Home Video, 1997. All Rights Reserved.
Page 155: Girl, Interrupted. Directed by James Mangold. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
Page 157: Girl, Interrupted. Directed by James Mangold. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
Page 159: Girl, Interrupted. Directed by James Mangold. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
Page 161: White Oleander. Directed by Peter Kosminsky. Magna Pacific, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 163: Sideways. Directed by Alexander Payne. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Page 165: The Skeleton Key. Directed by lain Softley. Universal Studios Home Video, 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Page 167: Murder By Numbers. Directed by Barbet Schroeder. Warner Home Video, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 169: Don't Say a Word. Directed by Gary Fleder. Roadshow Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 171: The Quiet. Directed by Jamie Babbit. Sony Pictures, 2005. All R
ights Reserved.
Page 173: The Quiet. Directed by Jamie Babbit. Sony Pictures, 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Page 175: Onegin. Directed by Martha Fiennes. Siren Entertainment, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
Page 177: A Heart in Winter. Directed by Claude Sautet. Gryphon Entertainment 1992. All Rights Reserved.
Page 179: Amélie. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Becker Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 181: Don't Say a Word. Directed by Gary Fleder. Roadshow Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 183: Sideways. Directed by Alexander Payne. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Page 185: 36 Quai des Orfèvres. Directed by Olivier Marchal. Madman Films, 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Page 187: Don't Say a Word. Directed by Gary Fleder. Roadshow Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 189: Romeo + Juliet. Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1996. All Rights Reserved.
Page 191: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Directed by George Lucas. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Page 193: Girl, Interrupted. Directed by James Mangold. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
Page 195: Artificial Intelligence: AI. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Warner Home Video, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 197: State and Main. Directed by David Mamet. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
Page 199: Romeo + Juliet. Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1996. All Rights Reserved.
Page 201: Romance. Directed by Catherine Breillat. Madman Films, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
Page 203: Stealing Beauty. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1996. All Rights Reserved.
Page 205: Hour of the Wolf. Directed by Ingmar Bergman. MGM Home Entertainment, 1968. All Rights Reserved.
MasterShots Vol 1 Page 11
