MasterShots Vol 3

by Christopher Kenworhty

  The first frame from Heavenly Creatures shows the teacher apparently writing on the board. There may well be a piece of board held up for her to write on (to make her arm movements seem realistic), but she is not standing anywhere near that wall. She has been positioned a few feet into the classroom, with the camera quite close to her face. In the next shot, she turns away from the wall, and the audience never suspects that anything has been faked.

  In Hard Candy, the opening clearly establishes the wall and the pictures that they are going to observe. This means that when we cut to their close-ups, we don’t doubt that they are standing right next to that wall, looking at the pictures. In reality, they will be a good few feet into the room, to make space for the camera.

  When shooting this sort of setup, it’s vital that you place something alongside the camera for the actors to focus on. If they focus on the actual wall behind the camera, it will make a difference to the focus of their eyes, and this shows up in camera. The illusion will be destroyed. When you give them something to focus on, at the correct distance, they will be able to acquire the right level of focus in their eyes.

  Heavenly Creatures. Directed by Peter Jackson. Miramax Films, 1994. All rights reserved.

  Hard Candy. Directed by David Slade. Lionsgate, 2006. All rights reserved.

  6.5

  FRAMING THROUGH

  There are many opportunities on-set to film through objects, vehicles, windows, and other structures that obscure the view. This is similar to using a “dirty frame,” but here the object is not to enrich the foreground with an out-of-focus object, but to reframe the action. Many effects can be achieved with this reframing.

  In the first frame from AI: Artificial Intelligence, the car is symbolic of the impending separation; the mother is about to leave her son by driving away in that car. By framing the two of them through the car, we sense that she is trying to get back to it, and he is trying to keep her away.

  In The Book of Eli, the character is also framed through the ruined structure of a car. It’s more interesting for us to begin the shot in the car, and have him approach the camera, than to shoot him from outside the car, and then cut to a shot of him exploring the inside. This is a practical way to achieve the shot without a cut, but also far more visually interesting due to the opportunities to use silhouettes for framing.

  The setup from Inception uses the windows to create fear. By exposing the shot so that the outside appears correctly lit, the inside of the room seems dark. This focuses our attention on the character running past the windows. Even though he’s moving rapidly, it’s easy to see that he has a gun. Because the camera is kept stationary as he runs past these window frames, we feel as though we’re not moving, which creates the feeling that he’s catching up. This is an excellent device to use during chase scenes, when you want the audience to feel as though the pursuer is gaining an advantage.

  AI: Artificial Intelligence. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2001. All rights reserved.

  The Book of Eli. Directed by the Hughes Brothers. Summit Entertainment, 2010. All rights reserved.

  Inception. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2010. All rights reserved.

  6.6

  FRAMING FOCUS

  Window frames offer you many opportunities for creative shots. It’s best to work with window frames that contain small panes of glass, otherwise you’re shooting through pure glass, and there isn’t enough frame to make the effect work.

  The shot from Schindler’s List opens with the actor moving to frame right, coming from behind the windows, and then arcing around to the left. This effectively establishes that the windows are there, and that the character is coming from the room behind them. This is vital to orient the viewer. Without this opening, what follows may feel like the actors are outside the building, staring in.

  As he moves further to the left, and peers through the window, we pull focus to Liam Neeson in the distance. The framing effect is further enhanced by the other actors on the left of the screen. Their position is not overly realistic, because if they wanted to peer through, they would move into position to do so, but this moment is so brief that the arrangement still works.

  We cut quickly to a shot from roughly the same position, with a longer lens. This prevents us from identifying with the observing characters too strongly. This is not their story, and they have served their purpose by making us want to observe Neeson voyeuristically. We now do that.

  The lighting on the window frame changes at the cut. This may be deliberate, because the brightly lit frame may have overwhelmed the shot. Although the change in lighting is not realistic either, it is not noticeable when watching the film. You can get away with such continuity problems if the storytelling of your camera moves is strong enough.

  Schindler’s List. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Universal Pictures, 1993. All rights reserved.

  6.7

  PERSONAL REVEAL

  One character’s movement can be used to introduce us to a scene, and then hand over the scene to a second character. In this scene from Cast Away, the boy enters the room and leads the camera all the way over to Tom Hanks.

  The camera’s motion is quite extreme, but doesn’t feel overdone, because we are following the boy. Initially, this is a pan, as the boy moves from frame right to the center of the screen. The camera moves to keep up with him, arcing around the room as he does.

  His focus shifts to Tom Hanks, on top of the ladder, and the camera is panned so the boy moves to the left of frame. Focus now shifts to Hanks, even though he remains a good distance away.

  The camera is still moving in a continuous arc, but now it is heading for Hanks. He comes down the ladder and meets the camera, where it comes to rest.

  A shot like this takes a lot of setting up and rehearsal, but in a few short seconds we have seen important story elements (the FedEx delivery arriving), we’ve established the space, and we’ve been given a dramatic introduction to the lead character.

  To get a shot like this to work, plan the motion of the shot first. Know where you want it to start, and where you want it to end, and then find a way to choreograph the actor’s movement to draw the camera through the scene, handing the motion over to the second actor.

  Scenes like this are not simple to design or execute, but the time taken on setting them up can easily compensate for the time it would take to shoot lots of coverage.

  Cast Away. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. 20th Century Fox (USA/Canada) DreamWorks (International), 2000. All rights reserved.

  6.8

  REFLECTION ESTABLISHMENT

  Reflections are a powerful tool for filmmakers, because they enable you to see in two directions. They can be employed to open scenes in ways that are more creative than a wide shot, or a basic close-up.

  The first frames from AI: Artificial Intelligence show an alternative to opening with a wide shot and then going in for a close-up. Instead, we see Frances O’Connor in the reflection, and then the dinner enters the shot, obscuring her face. From here, we cut to the wide and get an overview of the scene.

  It doesn’t matter that she’s upside down in the opening of the shot, because all we need to see is that she’s the one putting the dinner down. Using the reflection enables us to see this with two shots, rather than showing a wide, then the dinner, and then a close-up of her face. There is nothing inherently wrong with shooting lots of coverage and letting the editor decide the rhythm of the scene, but shots like this are beautiful and economical, achieving many of the results you want without a single camera move or cut.

  The second example illustrates reflections being used to show two things at once. O’Connor is reflected in the metal lid of the coffee jar. This establishes that she’s making coffee, and also shows her in a slightly distorted way, which reflects that way that Haley Joel Osment’s character is viewing her.

  When we cut to him, his face is reflected in the table, just below the eyeline. This is an inventi
ve way of showing that he’s experiencing some degree of conflict. We get a greater understanding of his thoughts than if we saw his whole face.

  By starting with the obscure close-up reflections, we focus on the characters, wonder what they’re thinking, and anticipate the location and situation being revealed.

  AI: Artificial Intelligence. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2001. All rights reserved.

  6.9

  REVERSE REFLECTION

  When you begin working with reflections you quickly see the enormous potential of this device, as well as the complications. It can be difficult to light for shots with lots of reflections, and you have to remain constantly aware of getting cameras, cables, and crew in the shot. Despite these challenges, you can use reflections, and more specifically, mirrors, to create extremely rich shots.

  The first frame from Black Swan shows an elaborate setup that uses one main mirror in the background, which enables us to see the character’s form, and her face, in the same shot. The general clutter, so important for the realism of this scene, is also featured in duplicate, adding to the sense of disarray. A second mirror, on the right, gives us an additional view of the character’s back. To get this would, in fact, take another off-screen mirror — we’re seeing a reflection of a reflection, which is why it appears the right way around. As well as making the shot interesting, this helps reflect the double personalities and illusions that are present in the film.

  The second frame uses the same technique to show Natalie Portman’s face in two different parts of the frame. The other character, in the background, also appears twice. Be prepared to do a lot of experimenting with your mirrors, especially the off-screen mirror, to get the result you want.

  A side benefit of using mirrors is that any space looks larger and yet more crowded when there are mirrors in the shot, because you’re looking in two directions at once. This means your crew will all be bunched up in one corner, but makes for extremely rich shots.

  A simpler use of mirrors is shown in The Road, where we get to see both characters’ expressions through the reflections. There is no need to put both characters in the frame. Having Viggo Mortensen in the middle of the shot makes it clear where the boy is standing, especially when Mortensen turns his head to look at him. A shot like this is useful when you want to show characters assessing themselves but still communicating with each other. By using two mirrors, each actor’s face is given a mini-frame. A large mirror would reflect the whole room, rather then picking out their faces for us to concentrate on.

  Black Swan. Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2010. All rights reserved.

  The Road. Directed by John Hillcoat. FilmNation Entertainment, 2009. All rights reserved.

  CHAPTER 7

  DYNAMIC ACTION

  7.1

  ACTION SHIFT

  Action sequences and chase scenes need a lot of movement, and one of the best ways to get this sense of frantic action is to combine two different types of motion. When put together in one shot you get a more compelling sense of motion than if you cut quickly between shots. Fast cutting is a dissatisfying solution to creating a sense of pace, and it’s more impressive if you can create the effect in camera.

  In this shot from The Adjustment Bureau, you can see that the camera is placed almost in Matt Damon’s way, and as he rushes past, the camera pans with him. This creates a good sense of pace, because he closes up rapidly and shoots past at great speed.

  The camera stops panning, letting Damon run out of the shot. Immediately, his pursuers appear in the shot. They do not follow from behind, as we’d been expecting, but arc from the left, from either side of the stairs that Damon has just climbed.

  The sudden appearance of the pursuers is a surprise, because we’re waiting for the distant pursuer to catch up. This alone increases the pace of the scene. Also, the fact that they appear just as he’s moving out of shot means the viewer gets two sets of rapid motion in the same shot.

  When creating action sequences, see if you can find ways to combine shots and motions, bring characters in unexpectedly. You can move the camera in part of the shot, then leave it steady, as shown here, or experiment with moving the camera throughout, or even work with a completely stationary camera. So long as you combine motion from different directions, you should achieve a similar effect.

  The Adjustment Bureau. Directed by George Nolfi. Universal Pictures, 2011. All rights reserved.

  7.2

  MISDIRECTED MOTION

  Action doesn’t always mean fast motion in every frame. Surprise is as important as movement. Creating a moment of surprise is difficult, because audiences tend to sense that you’re misdirecting them when everything goes still and quiet.

  One solution is to create a moment that feels as though the film is pausing for a moment, but add a camera move. If your shot is too static, the audience suspects a surprise is coming.

  This scene from Blade Runner shows Harrison Ford making a big deal out of yawning and relaxing in the elevator. His performance, combined with the slow arc around him, convinces us that the action’s over for the moment.

  Then, he turns suddenly, arcing in the same direction that the camera just moved, bringing his gun right up to the lens. The speed of the move adds to its impact, as does the proximity of the gun to the lens. Also, we have no idea what he’s reacting to, because it’s behind us, which further adds to the feeling of fear.

  Having the camera low is not essential for this type of shot, but works well here because it means the lens is close to arm-level, and thus the gun, when he makes his move. The same shot could be achieved at head height, or even from above, if you aren’t so concerned about framing a gun. Instead, you could have him turn, and then have somebody else rush into the shot, or have him rush out. There are thousands of alternatives, so long as you combine a slow dreamy move with a sudden countermove.

  Blade Runner. Directed by Ridley Scott. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1982. All rights reserved.

  7.3

  RETURN TO SUBJECT

  When you have one character moving fast in a scene, it can be useful to have another moving slowly. The slow-moving character can act as a focus for the scene, so that the camera is drawn back there after the action has passed. This is especially useful when a chase scene or action sequence is coming to an end.

  In The Fighter we begin the shot with Mark Wahlberg walking toward camera. He’s approaching Christian Bale, who’s off screen, behind the camera. In the background, Jack McGee rushes up. Although we begin the shot panning slowly with Wahlberg, we pick up McGee as he passes, and pan rapidly with him. His momentum takes him straight into a fight with Bale, and in an instant the two men drop to the ground.

  As they fall out of the frame, the camera returns to Wahlberg. It is this return to the slow-walking Wahlberg that indicates the chase is over. If we followed the other two down to the floor, we’d be expecting a brawl.

  This particular scene relies on story elements that may not be present in your film, but the move can still work so long as you have one slow-moving character and another who rushes past. The slow move may be motivated by fear, injury, or something else altogether. When creating your shots, take the mechanics of these scenes and apply them to your own, so you ensure they reflect your own story elements.

  An alternative ending to this shot would be for the camera to follow McKee and Bale, who begin fighting while standing, and then have Wahlberg walk slowly into the frame to break them up. It is the contrast between different paces of motion that makes this shot interesting.

  The Fighter. Directed by David O. Russell. Paramount Pictures (US), 2010. All rights reserved.

  7.4

  PAUSED PUSH

  In many modern action scenes, everything moves at once, so there’s just a jumble of motion and it’s difficult to see what’s going on. A more elegant approach to action requires more skilled fight choreography, but enables you to shoot in a more refined way. The resu
lt is that we actually get to see the fighting, rather than just get an impression of it through fast cutting.

  This does mean, of course, that you’re required to get a good stunt coordinator to prepare the scene realistically. If you have that luxury, then this move is an excellent way to showcase the work that’s been done. Fortunately, your fight can be quite relaxed and this particular setup will make it look far more energetic.

  In these frames from The Phantom Menace you can see that an extremely short lens is being used, because the vertical lines are quite distorted. A lens this short makes anything that moves away from it appear to rush by at great speed. This means that when Ray Park backs into the shot, he does so with surprising speed.

  Liam Neeson follows him into the shot, pushing him backward. Again, the relatively sedate fight is made to look far more dramatic because of the way the lens distorts space. The lightsabers appear to be moving faster than they are, and everybody appears to be rushing back much faster than they are.

  The camera remains stationary until Ewan McGregor rushes in from the side, and then it begins a slow push in. Although we are moving forward, the characters continue to move away from the camera. Without the push, the scene would feel quite static, but with too much motion we’d catch up to the actors.