Setting Up Your Shots

by Jeremy Vineyard

  The camera pulls back from Gina Gershon in Bound, as she realizes something’s about to happen.

  In The Blue Angel, the camera pulls back from a teacher in an empty classroom to reveal his isolation. Pull Back Retraction is used in Rebecca as a woman sits alone in a big estate. The camera pulls back from a casket at the end of The Crime of Padre Amaro.

  Pull Back Retraction can be seen in The Bride Wore Black. The camera pulls back as one of Julie’s victims suffocates in a storage compartment. As the camera pulls back, the trapped man’s hopelessness is emphasized. At the end of La Strada, the camera pulls back from the Strong Man crying at the beach. This allows us to distance ourselves gradually from the character, allowing the film to end. This technique is similar to slowly turning down the volume to end a song.

  In The Graduate, the camera pulls back from Ben at the bottom of the swimming pool as he contemplates his future. At the end of Poltergeist, the camera slowly pulls back from the television set that has been left outside.

  Pull Back Retraction

  PULL BACK REVEAL

  What does it look like?

  With Pull Back Reveal, the camera moves backwards to reveal the true extent of a scene.

  This technique gradually expands our understanding of a character’s surroundings by revealing more of the character’s world as the camera moves farther away.

  Where can I see it?

  In Goodfellas, the camera pulls back from a cross on Ray Liotta’s neck as he arrives for a date. In Cinema Paradiso, the camera pulls back from a burned-out movie theater to reveal the crowd looking on.

  In The Exorcist, the camera pulls back from a mother yelling on the phone to reveal her daughter listening in the hallway. At the end of Citizen Kane, the camera pulls back to reveal the vast amount of possessions that Kane collected over the years.

  Pull Back Reveal

  OPEN UP

  What does it look like?

  Open Up is the cinematic form of “addition.” The camera starts out with image A, and then moves to reveal additional information or details about the scene (such as unseen characters waiting just out of frame).

  A key aspect of Open Up is that the original objects or characters in the scene are not obscured or lost by the camera’s movement. Open Up adds new information without replacing the original material.

  Where can I see it?

  In Signs, we first see Mel Gibson behind a counter. The camera then Opens Up by tracking left to reveal a knife. Open Up is used in Blood Diamond. First we see DiCaprio sitting with a map. Then the camera tracks right to add Solomon Vandy to the scene.

  In Insomnia, we see two characters talking. The camera then Opens Up to reveal other characters listening in. In High and Low, the motion of actors pulls the camera left and right to introduce new characters one by one.

  Open Up

  CLOSE OUT

  What does it look like?

  Close Out is the cinematic form of “subtraction.” The camera starts out with image A, and then moves to remove characters, objects, or details from the existing scene.

  This technique can be useful when starting with a scene that is complex and has many details. Close Out can then be used to isolate objects or characters within the scene, and to simplify the image for the audience.

  Where can I see it?

  In Blood Diamond, DiCaprio and Solomon Vandy sit together. As Solomon speaks, the camera tracks right to Close Out DiCaprio from the frame. The camera Closes Out a trio in Shock Corridor to show two people arguing.

  In Rebecca, a man and two women stand in frame. The camera then tracks right to Close Out the man from the frame, leaving only the two women. In Hoodlum the camera Closes Out as a group of people sit at a table, and some leave to dance.

  Last Tango in Paris Closes Out a couple by pushing forward so that both people are removed from the frame and the only thing left is the empty space between them. In The Last Picture Show, two people sit side by side. As the man tells his story, the camera pushes forward to Close Out the person listening.

  Close Out

  DRAW IN

  What does it look like?

  Draw In is the cinematic form of “compression.” When two characters start at a distance from each other, the movement of one or more characters can compress the scene.

  The key to understanding Draw In is that the same characters are present in both the wide shot and the medium shot, but the camera moves to keep them within the same relative “zones” of the camera frame.

  In the illustration, the samurai is always in the left zone, and the kimono girl is always in the right zone. As he moves right, the scene is compressed and the distance between them eliminated.

  Draw In

  DRAW OUT

  What does it look like?

  Draw Out is the cinematic form of “stretching.” When a scene starts close on two characters, the movement of one or more actors can “stretch” the scene, dynamically expanding the composition.

  The key to understanding Draw Out is that the original characters are not lost from image A to image B. Instead, their distances change and the camera moves appropriately to keep them both in frame.

  This technique is useful when you want to follow the action of character A, without losing character B from the frame (as you would by simply panning the camera).

  Draw Out

  SPIN AROUND

  What does it look like?

  Spin Around involves circling the camera around the scene in progress, creating a dizzying kinetic effect. You might also hear this referred to as a “360° Dolly.”

  Spin Around is simple, and it adds positive motion and energy to a scene. The camera doesn’t have to move very fast for this to be effective.

  Where can I see it?

  The camera Spins Around Pacino as he’s interrogated in Scarface. We see his reactions, but not the faces of the police.

  In The Untouchables, the camera Spins Around the characters at dinner after their first successful raid. In The Color of Money, the camera Spins Around the pool table as the characters compete.

  In The Matrix, the camera Spins Around a telephone as the characters are transported into their virtual existence. You can also see this in The Crow, when Sarah talks to Eric in his apartment after he’s been resurrected.

  Spin Around

  FLY OVER

  What does it look like?

  Fly Over is a technique in which the camera is carried in a flying aircraft — an airplane, a helicopter, a blimp, or a balloon.

  Fly Over is a grand way to show entire landscapes, covering more area, with more maneuverability than that of any ground-based camera. This technique is commonly used for establishing shots, to begin and end films, and to follow moving objects from far above.

  When Fly Over is used over large cities, the camera often points straight down. This emphasizes the height of the buildings below.

  Where can I see it?

  The camera flies quickly past a lawyer in Carlito’s Way as he walks over a pier.

  In The Shining, you can see a helicopter’s shadow on the hillside as Fly Over is used to follow Jack’s car driving along the road. In Scream 2, the camera flies up from ground level to the sky to end the film. In The Replacement Killers, the camera flies over the city. Fly Over is used extensively in Braveheart.

  Fly Over

  DEPTH DOLLY

  What does it look like?

  A Depth Dolly is a camera movement that is perpendicular to a scene’s line of action, increasing the sense of depth.

  Characters move toward the camera and away from the camera. To further emphasize depth, the camera will occasionally move in front of objects that temporarily obscure the camera’s view. These foreground objects contrast with objects far in the background.

  Where can I see it?

  Depth Dolly can be seen as the students run across campus in Good Will Hunting.

  Depth Dolly

  DOLLY UP,

  DOLLY DOWN />
  What does it look like?

  When a camera is moved around, the angle of the camera has an impact on the meaning of the shot. Most dollies are fairly level as they follow the characters onscreen.

  Dolly Up and Dolly Down are specialized techniques. When the camera is moved, it’s tilted unusually high or low. Dolly Up emphasizes the height and vastness of a character’s surroundings. Dolly Down can transform the ground rolling by into a cinematic event.

  Where can I see it?

  In Le Mans, Dolly Down is used to emphasize the speed of the car as the road moves beneath it. Dolly Up is used to look up at the trees in Miller’s Crossing.

  At the beginning of La Femme Nikita, Dolly Down is used as the camera traverses the streets of France. At the end of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Dolly Down shows the seemingly endless highway flowing by. Near the beginning of Rashomon, Dolly Up looks up toward the trees as the woodsman walks through the forest.

  SPIN LOOK

  What does it look like?

  With Spin Look, the camera spins around an actor to get a glimpse of what he is looking at. The camera may also begin by viewing the object, then spin back around to view the character.

  Spin Look is an alternative to the popular technique of cutting away when a character looks offscreen.

  Where can I see it?

  Spin Look

  In Tombstone, the camera spins around Wyatt Earp as he looks toward a group of horses approaching. Spin Look is used several times in After Hours, as Paul explores New York City at night.

  TRACK THROUGH SOLID

  What does it look like?

  A filmmaker can use Track Through Solid to give the appearance of tracking through a solid object.

  To create this effect, an object is cut open so that the camera can pan, tilt, or move in front of the cutaway portion. When this technique is used, it seems as if the camera has accomplished something impossible, but it is actually a rather straightforward visual trick.

  Where can I see it?

  Watch Blade Runner. When Deckard enters the building, the camera cranes down “through” the roof of the police office. What actually happens is that the office is a cutaway set, and the camera cranes down in front of it. Most audiences will never notice this strange transition. You can also see this technique in Bound, when the camera moves over a wall that divides the two apartments.

  Track Through Solid

  VERTIGO

  What does it look like?

  Also known as a “Dolly Zoom,” Vertigo exaggerates perspective, but keeps objects in the center of the frame at the same apparent size. This is achieved by moving the camera forward while zooming out at the same time, or by moving the camera back and zooming in.

  This technique is used to create the effects of dizziness, confusion, ecstasy, boredom, or surprise.

  Where can I see it?

  Watch Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, in the end where James Stewart tries desperately to conquer his fear of heights. In Jaws, when Martin Brody sees the shark attack at the beach. In The Mask, Cameron Diaz’s sexy character steps into the room, and Jim Carrey and his co-star suffer the effects of Vertigo.

  A very slow Vertigo is used near the end of Goodfellas, when Ray Liotta and Robert DeNiro sit across from each other in the diner.

  EXPAND DOLLY

  What does it look like?

  With Expand Dolly, the camera follows an actor who is moving away. As the camera moves forward, the actor walks faster than the camera — distancing himself from the audience.

  Expand Dolly adds finality to a scene, and is a nice setup for a transition or a fade.

  CONTRACT DOLLY

  What does it look like?

  A Contract Dolly moves the camera forward as an actor walks toward the camera at the same time, making a simple action more dramatic. Combining two opposite actions increases the intensity of the character’s forward movement.

  If the camera can’t be moved, an equally dramatic effect can be achieved when the actor walks toward the camera, and the camera tilts up to keep the actor’s closeup in frame.

  Where can I see it?

  Contract Dolly is used during an airport chase scene in Face/Off. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, a distraught Indiana Jones runs up to the camera, demonstrating a modified version of this technique.

  COLLAPSE DOLLY

  What does it look like?

  Collapse Dolly starts out with the camera moving backwards while facing an actor. The actor walks faster than the camera, eventually overtaking it. The actor then passes out of frame to the left or right.

  Collapse Dolly is a good technique for adding finality to a scene.

  Collapse Dolly

  LONG SHOT,

  LONG TAKE

  What does it look like?

  A typical film has thousands of cuts. Most filmmakers prefer to alternate between close-ups, wide shots, cutaways, etc. when presenting a film.

  An alternative approach is to use a Long Shot, or a Long Take, in which the camera re-frames and repositions itself as the actors move within a scene. No editing is used and the film never cuts to a new image.

  This technique is somewhat like “holding your breath.” If the Long Take is drawn out to a sizeable duration, it can be used to put the audience on the edge of their seats, waiting expectantly for the first cut or edit after an extended sequence.

  Long Take

  Where can I see it?

  A spectacular Long Take is seen in Children of Men, as Clive Owen and his compatriots attempt to escape a violent gang by speeding away while being attacked. One of the most famous Long Takes of all time can be seen at the beginning of Touch of Evil.

  The camera continuously follows the actors in several sections, across the Mexican border.

  The camera cranes slowly over the Irish arriving, being signed into the army, getting on a boat for war, and caskets coming back from the war in Gangs of New York.

  In Rosemary’s Baby, a Long Take is used to show three different states of a scene. The couple moves within the frame and repositions themselves as they discuss Rosemary’s pregnancy. Russian Ark is shot in one long, uninterrupted Long Take. A single Long Take is used in Oldboy to show the character fighting off a host of attackers with a single hammer. Long Takes also open up scenes in Femme Fatale and snake Eyes.

  DELAYED REVELATION

  What does it look like?

  A common mistake made by filmmakers is to immediately show every aspect of a scene. This can be quite boring to an audience if every character and detail is revealed in a basic master shot, and it is not particularly cinematic.

  The alternative is to use Delayed Revelation. With Delayed Revelation, the camera starts on one specific detail of a scene, moves to reveal more information, moves again to reveal more characters, etc. This is generally more suspenseful and more interesting than a simple static shot.

  Where can I see it?

  In North by Northwest, the camera pans slowly to reveal 1) the criminals; 2) the crowd; and finally 3) Cary Grant in the auction house. In Hour of the Wolf, Delayed Revelation is used as the baron introduces his family and friends.

  In Rules of the Game, the camera searches through the crowd as a man looks for his wife who is cheating on him. In Das Experiment, the camera tracks across a group of test subjects to find the main character.

  In Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the scene starts with native chanters, and then finally reveals a giant boat, somehow stranded in the middle of a desert. The camera moves past four people in hiding, from close-up to close-up in The Battle of Algiers. In Day of the Dolphin, the camera pans and zooms to reveal one character at a time.

  EXERCISES

  • Try to think of unique ways to move the camera. Examples: merry-go-rounds, swings, inside a car, on a roller coaster, walking along, on top of a skateboard, on a bike, lowered to the ground, or dancing. Each and every one of these movements can add its own unique kinetic energy to a scene.

  • Build your o
wn dolly. It can be as simple as a board with wheels. You might use something that you already have: a wheelchair, a stroller, a bicycle. Or, simply walk along to visualize dolly movements as you look around.

  • Practice combining movements. Examples: camera moves forward and actors move toward the camera; camera moves backward and actors move past the camera; camera moves sideways and actors move away from the camera. Learn how different combinations of movement can be used to affect the audience.

  • Practice the Track Through Solid technique. You might do this by using a table that can be split into halves, or a thin wall that divides two separate scenes.