by Gil Bettman
“Directing the Camera by Gil Bettman is by far the best book in print on the art of using a camera to tell a story. This book succeeds where most others on the topic fall short, because the author understands that a great movie is not a combination of cool shots, but rather a great story well told scene by scene.”
—JoAnne Sellar, Academy Award–nominated Producer: There Will Be Blood. Producer: Inherent Vice, The Master, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, Boogie Nights
“Gil Bettman’s great new book analyzes and defines the visual language of a number of ground-breaking directors and provides clear instruction on how to best emulate their craft. For anyone who wants to learn how to use the camera to tell a story as these directors do, it is a must-read.”
—William Teitler, Producer: Rob the Mob, What Maisie Knew, Zathura, Empire Falls (TV), The Polar Express, How to Deal, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Jumanji. Executive Producer: Tuck Everlasting, The Hurricane
“Gil Bettman has written a masterful guide to the art of visual storytelling, using a seamless blend of theory and practice. Directing the Camera is essential reading not only for aspiring filmmakers, but for all those who love the visual language of cinema.”
—David S. Ward, Academy Award–winning Screenwriter: The Sting. Academy Award–nominated Screenwriter, Sleepless in Seattle. Screenwriter: The Mask of Zorro, Major League, The Milagro Beanfield War. Director: Down Periscope, Major League I & II, The Program, King Ralph, Cannery Row
“Gil Bettman’s book on directing will not only be informative and challenging to the novice, it will make directors who’ve been working away at the craft for years realize how much we need to articulate the challenges of our ever-evolving art form.
Best of all, it makes you want to go out and shoot.”
—Raymond Defelitta, Director: Rob the Mob, City Island, The Thing About My Folks, Two Family House, Cafe Society
“Don’t leave this one off your bookshelf! Gil Bettman demystifies and elucidates the principles of moving camera so any tyro filmmaker can jump light years ahead in learning how to create dynamic and exciting action or dialogue scenes.”
—John Badham, Director: Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, Blue Thunder, Stakeout, Short Circuit, The Shield (TV), Psych (TV), Nikita (TV)
“Directing the Camera nails how to use a camera to tell a story. Bettman has walked the walk. Now he talks the talk.”
—Penelope Spheeris, Director: Wayne’s World, The Little Rascals, The Beverly Hillbillies, Black Sheep, The Decline of Western Civilization, Parts I, II & III
“It’s one thing to be knowledgeable and insightful about working with camera for today’s movies. It’s another thing to be able to communicate those theories to students and then follow them up with solid examples that dissect, analyze, and explore not only the ‘How’ but the all-important and essential ‘Why’ of camera movement. Gil Bettman accomplishes both in an erudite yet entertaining way.”
—Donald Petrie, Director: Miss Congeniality, Grumpy Old Men, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Mystic Pizza, Just My Luck
“Gil Bettman’s new book contains everything you need to know about visual design to launch your directing career. His ultramodern approach shows you how to weave and integrate dynamic camera motion into a narrative.”
—Olatunde Osunsanmi, Director: Evidence, The Fourth Kind
“Gil Bettman dismisses the notion that filmmakers are hapless artistes who intuit their way through a day’s work. Instead, his superb book is a mandate to harness storytelling logic. His message is blunt: Get involved and stay employed. Directors disinterested or unschooled in visual technique proceed at their own risk.”
—Thomas Ackerman, ASC, Cinematographer: Snow Dogs, Rat Race, The Muse, Beetlejuice, George of the Jungle, Dennis the Menace
“. . . the first viable grammar for the language of filmmaking. Bettman lays out the ways and means of directing the camera in a simple and truthful manner. It is a great read for the aspiring director and cinematographer.”
—Johnny E. Jensen, ASC, Cinematographer: Material Girls, Rosewood, Rambling Rose, Grumpy Old Men, Lost in Yonkers
“At an early stage in my professional career, I got to work with Gil Bettman, and, in the process of collaborating, he passed on to me all the wisdom he has put in Directing the Camera. Gil’s excellent ideas about how, when, and why to move the camera have stayed with me throughout my career.”
—Byron Werner, Cinematographer: Breakout, Phantom, Lucky, Scary or Die
“Gil Bettman’s moving master approach is extremely helpful for directors who are always looking for energetic and dynamic ways to tell a story, providing more fluid performances from the actors, and time efficiency on a busy set.”
—Allan Fiterman, Director: Embarque Imediato, Living the Dream, Cheias de Charme (TV), Louco por Elas (TV), Ciranda de Pedra (TV)
“Gil Bettman’s intense and focused book provides directors with the tools they need to give their films the look that will engage today’s audiences.”
—Garth Holmes, Chairman, Co-Founder, AFDA, The South African School of Film Medium and Live Performance
“Gil Bettman has always known his way around a moving camera. So it comes as no surprise that he has put his understanding into a clear and inspiring book, Directing the Camera.”
—Harald Stjerne, former Chair of the Department of Directing and Screenwriting, The Stockholm School of Dramatic Arts
“Directing the Camera extends the reach of a gifted teacher who has a profound understanding of his craft and a genuine passion to convey it to others.”
—Pavel Jech, Dean, FAMU, Film and Television School of the Academy of Performing Arts, Prague
“Gil Bettman’s approach to teaching how to use a moving camera to tell a story is remarkably effective. Without a doubt, Directing the Camera is by far the best book in print on this very important subject.”
—Professor Herman Van Eyken, Head of School, Griffith Film School, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
“Professor Bettman’s excellent book on directing the camera is by far the best one on the topic. It will benefit all beginning directors throughout the world.”
—Daw-Ming Lee, Professor and Chair, Department of Filmmaking, Taipei National University of the Arts, Taiwan
“Gil Bettman’s workshops have translated into a deep understanding of technical virtuosity that can be learned and, as applied by talented young directors, has resulted in award-winning films. Directing the Camera captures the dynamism and clarity of Gil Bettman’s teaching, and will be required reading for all my students.”
—Jenny Granville, Chair, The Northern Film School, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, UK
“This book is the bring-your-script-to-life toolbox, complete with instruction manual, that many writers never get to have.”
—Chad Gervich, TV Writer: Dog with a Blog, After Lately, and Cupcake Wars. Author: How to Manage Your Agent and Small Screen, Big Picture
“Bettman packs a tremendous education into this deceptively short book, and directors at every level of expertise will learn from it.”
—Gregory McNamee, Contributing Editor, Encyclopedia Britannica, and former literary critic, The Hollywood Reporter
DIRECTING THE CAMERA
How Professional Directors Use a Moving Camera to Energize Their Films
GIL BETTMAN
Published by Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 379-8799, (818) 986-3408 (FAX)
[email protected]
www.mwp.com
Cover design by Johnny Ink. www.johnnyink.com
Copyediting by Gary Sunshine
Interior design by William Morosi
Printed by McNaughton & Gunn
Manufactured in the United States of America
Copyright 2013 by Gil Bettman
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bettman, Gil.
Directing the camera : how professional directors use a moving camera to energize their films / Gil Bettman.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-61593-166-8 (pbk.)
1. Motion pictures--Production and direction. 2. Cinematography. I. Title.
PN1995.9.P7B3245 2014
791.4302′33--dc23
2013033108
Printed on Recycled Stock
To David E. James
great teacher and friend
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Robert Zemeckis
Preface
How to Use This Book
PART ONE WHY TEACH HOW TO DIRECT THE CAMERA?
CHAPTER 1 THE IMPORTANCE OF DIRECTING THE CAMERA
PART TWO SHOOTING DIALOGUE SEQUENCES WITH A MOVING CAMERA
CHAPTER 2 WHY MOVE YOUR CAMERA?
Overview
When Do You Move Your Camera?
Bob’s Rule: The Three Kinds of Camera Movement that Are Invisible
• Externally Generated Camera Moves
• Externally Generated Camera Moves — Seamlessness and Eye Candy
Seamlessness
Eye Candy
• Internally Generated Camera Moves
• Moving Establishing Shots
Those Who Break Bob’s Rule and Why They Do It
The Rise of the Snoopy Cam
Dogma Picks Up the Snoopy Cam
The Snoopy Cam Today
Summary Points
For Teachers
CHAPTER 3 THE GOOD MOVING MASTER
Overview
A Model Moving Master and Coverage — Jerry Maguire
• Task 1 — Establishing
• Task 2 — Seamlessness
• Task 3 — Eye Candy
• Task 4 — Drama
• Task 5 — Coverage
The Default Pattern for Designing the Best Moving Master
The Master for The Mahjong Parlor from Conundrum — Following the Default Pattern
The Master with Warren Feur from What Lies Beneath — Seamlessness to the Max
• The Master with Warren Feur — How Seamlessness to the Max Adds Eye Candy
• The Master with Warren Feur — How Seamlessness to the Max Helps Reveal “Everything”
The Master of Norman’s Confession — A Unique Master for a Unique Scene
• Norman’s Confession — Opening Beat — Why Zemeckis Departs from the Default Pattern
• Norman’s Confession — Middle Beat — Why Zemeckis Departs from the Default Pattern
• Norman’s Confession — Final Beat — Why Zemeckis Departs from the Default Pattern
Where to Design the Best Moving Master
Never Settle — The Key to Designing the Best Moving Master
Summary Points
For Teachers
Fifteen Walk and Talk Scenes
PART THREE. . . . DIRECTING ACTION SEQUENCES
CHAPTER 4 DIRECTING ACTION SEQUENCES
Overview
How to Put the Camera in the Right Place
How to Put the Right Lens on the Camera
How to Get the Right Number of Pieces
Summary Points
CHAPTER 5 LENS SELECTION
Why Force Perspective?
Lens Selection as a Joint Responsibility Between Director and Cinematographer
The Basics of Perspective
Extreme Telephoto and Extreme Wide-Angle Versus Normal Perspective
Lenses — Field of Vision and Depth of Field
General Applications of Different Lenses
• General Applications of Field of Vision and Depth of Field
Wide-Angle Lenses
Telephoto Lenses
• General Applications of Perspective
How Lenses Affect Movement
• Motion to the Lens or Away from the Lens — The Z-Axis
• Motion Across the Lens – The X-Axis
• Motion Across the Lens – The Y-Axis
A Good Way to Learn How Lenses Affect Motion
Summary Points
For Teachers
CHAPTER 6 BREAKING DOWN YOUR ACTION SEQUENCE
The Theory Behind Storyboarding and Pre-Visualization
The Storyboard in Practice — The Story in the Storyboard
The Storyboards for the Ambush from Never Too Young to Die
What We Actually Shot
Summary Points
For Teachers
CHAPTER 7 DIRECTING A CHASE SEQUENCE
The Basic Rules
Tie-In Shots
The Story of the Chase
Strategy #1 — Wide-Angle Lenses — Pogo Cams — Narrow Spaces
Strategy #2 — Long Lenses in Open Spaces = More Eye Candy
Geography in Chase Sequences
Humor
Shooting Action/Chases with the Wide Lens Versus Shooting Action/Chases with the Long Lens
Summary Points
For Teachers
CHAPTER 8 DIRECTING A FIGHT SEQUENCE
The Basic Rules
The Two Setup Rule
Segments and Coverage
The Importance of Mastering Fights
The Importance of Good Operators and Good Assistants
The Joy of Stunts
Summary Points
For Teachers
CONCLUSION
About the Author
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I received invaluable help in the writing of this book from Jeremy Lipp.
All of the 3D illustrations are the work of a brilliant young director, Yunjiao Chen.
They generously contributed their time and their talent. I am fortunate to be able to count them as my friends.
I am also deeply grateful to Alan Grodin for his legal advice. Luckily, he is still in my corner.
ON THE USE OF PERSONAL PRONOUNS
In the interest of clarity and economy, the personal pronouns “he,” “him,” and “his” as used in this book often may be taken also to mean “her or she,” “him or her,” and “his or hers.”
FOREWORD
by Robert Zemeckis, Director, Flight; Beowulf; The Polar Express; Cast Away; What Lies Beneath; Forrest Gump; Back to the Future I, II & III; Who Framed Roger Rabbit; Romancing the Stone
Dynamic visual storytelling has become a “must” in the cinema of the last thirty years. Audiences raised in a digital world demand it. Technological advances fuel that demand.
This new book by Gil Bettman teaches core lessons directors need in order to make the movies today’s film industry and its audience want to see. It lays out the crucial elements of craft integral to shooting suspense-driven action scenes and dialogue sequences energized by a moving camera.
There are other books out there that tackle visual storytelling by taking a shot-by-shot, cookie-cutter approach. But Gil’s book goes beyond the shots to the overarching principles of visual design which make the shots.
When I met Gil he was directing music videos and action-oriented TV shows like Knight Rider. From there, he went on to make some A+, B-movies, which were wall-to-wall stunts. I championed him at that point in his career because I recognized that he was a gifted visual storyteller. Those gifts have provided him with unique insights which he clearly and energetically lays out in this book. I know that the lessons in this book are the ones that an aspiring director must learn in order to make a successful movie, because I can open this book to any page and read a description of how I use a camera to tell a story.
PREFACE
This b
ook aims to teach an aspiring director what he will need to know about directing the camera in order to succeed as a contemporary filmmaker. In the first half of the book I instruct how to best tell a story using a moving camera, and in the second half of the book I address how to shoot action sequences. A complete understanding of all the lessons contained in this book will enable a first-time director to work as an equal with an experienced cinematographer in formulating the visual design of his first professional film. From that point on he can solidify his understanding of how to best direct the camera by repeatedly applying the theories taught in this book to the unique demands of each scene in each film.
The need for the book has become increasingly clear to me since the publication in 2003 of my first book, First Time Director. Since then, I have been asked to teach a seminar on directing the camera at twenty-two film schools in sixteen countries on every continent where film schools exist. My seminar is in demand because, historically, film schools, as well as books on directing, have focused on teaching directing students skills other than directing the camera, primarily script development and directing actors. And with good reason. A film can only be as good as the script and the performances. Never better. Hence the historic emphasis on script and actors in the instruction of directors.
But starting in about 1970, the way films looked started to change radically. The camera started to move more and more, until shooting with a moving camera became the norm. At the same time, increasingly powerful and sophisticated CGI graphics enabled filmmakers to use visual storytelling to transport their audiences more convincingly into other realms and other times. These trends were pushed further and faster by the big-budget Hollywood studio movies, and they changed the expectations of audiences worldwide. The film idiom morphed and began to require a more dynamic visual component. Today, if a director wants to command the complete respect of his audience he can no longer rely strictly on telling a great story through great performances. He also must exhibit brilliance in the area of visual design. This is equally true of both art house films which aspire to become classics as well as Hollywood “tentpole” movies. To my mind, this necessitates the need for this book.
