Making Better Movies with Moviestorm Vol 3: Sound and Light

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SILHOUETTES Shoot the scene conventionally. Shoot the scene again, and film the key moment where the object is in silhouette. Review Did it work? Why would you do this instead of conventional filming? How did the shape of the object affect the shot? (For example, a crucifix casts a clear and distinctive silhouette, a book doesn’t.) Does it work best as a full black silhouette, or when you can see some detail on the object? Why? How can you create a distinctive silhouette of a character by using costume, posture or props? How can you use this to create ambiguity? How did you have to light the scene to make it work? Could you use on-set lights such as car headlights or searchlights, or were you using natural lights. Followup exercises Experiment with moving the silhouetted object so that it becomes fully lit: you may have to move the object or the camera, or find a reason for changing the lighting. 40
FILMING SHADOWS Technique Film the shadow of something, rather than the object, for a dramatic effect. You can film the shadow against a wall, the floor, or another object or character. Sometimes, filming shadows just looks more stylish than filming in a conventional way, particularly in horror or thriller movies. It's a technique that goes back to early German Expressionist films, and is still used today in a variety of movies. One notable example is in Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula, where the shadows actually behave differently to the actual characters: this stands as a metaphor for their inner thoughts. Extreme close-ups can work very well for this type of shot: for example, just the shadow of a hand. With wellpositioned lights, this can be magnified so the shadow is far larger than it should be, and the viewer will accept it provided that the image is dramatic and well-composed. Realism is less important than style. However, if done badly or overused, this effect looks cheap, amateurish, and ludicrous. It’s important to understand when it will work well. Left: a conventional version of the shot with no shadow. Center: the zombie isn't shown, and only the shadow is seen. Right: combining the two adds extra emphasis but can be distracting. Use a scene in a single location – either interior or exterior. A very short scene is adequate for this: 30 seconds or less is sufficient. Dialog is not necessary. However, the scene must have some dramatic moment. For example, someone sneaking up, someone coming in through a doorway, or a key prop. (Note: because of the way Moviestorm’s lighting works, this works best on a fairly small set.) 41
Page 2 and 3: CONTENTS FOREWORD .................
Page 4 and 5: This excellent series of books will
Page 6 and 7: EXERCISES How to use this book The
Page 8 and 9: Once you start thinking about the s
Page 10 and 11: FOLEY OR NOT? Film the scene, and r
Page 12 and 13: AMBIENT NOISE Film and edit the sce
Page 14 and 15: REALISTIC AMBIENCE Go to a busy loc
Page 16 and 17: EMPHATIC SOUND Shoot the scene base
Page 18 and 19: USING MUSIC AS LEITMOTIF Shoot the
Page 20 and 21: USING SOUND TO BRIDGE A SCENE Shoot
Page 22 and 23: CUTTING & DIRECTING TO MUSIC Film a
Page 24 and 25: MUSIC VIDEO Film the piece in five
Page 26 and 27: Lighting a virtual movie scene is a
Page 28 and 29: REALISTIC VS UNREALISTIC LIGHTING F
Page 30 and 31: FAKING LIGHTING CONTINUITY Shoot th
Page 32 and 33: MOSTLY DARK SHOTS Shoot the scene a
Page 34 and 35: DAY VS NIGHT Film the scene in dayt
Page 36 and 37: MOVING LIGHTS Shoot the scene with
Page 38 and 39: HANDHELD LIGHTS Start in a dark set
Page 42 and 43: FILMING SHADOWS Shoot the scene con
Page 44: Matt Kelland is one of the founders

Making Better Movies with Moviestorm Vol 3: Sound and Light

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