Making Better Movies with Moviestorm Vol 1: Basic Camerawork

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REVEALSFilm the scene and at the end, reveal the thing you haven‟t been telling the viewer.ReviewGet a friend to watch the scene – you can‟t spring a surprise on yourself! Thenask your friend for their reaction.Was the reveal predictable?How did the reveal change the scene?Also review it yourself:How does music affect the reveal - how can you use it to emphasize it or distractthe viewer?What other ways could you have used to reveal the same thing?Follow-up exercisesSometimes the reveal can be effective if done early. Try revealing the hidden item part-way through the scene, andsee how this changes the viewer‟s perception of the second half of the scene.Try doing the reveal in two or more stages; for example, show a shadowy figure watching at first, but only at theend of the scene reveal who it is. Ask your viewer at what point they guessed the truth. If you can achievemisdirection and they get it wrong, so much the better!Film the scene without using the reveal at all – just put the viewer in the picture to start with, and see how thataffects the scene. This is classic Hitchcockian technique, using suspense rather than surprise.Experiment with the different feels you get if you pull the camera out or pan it to create the reveal versus a simplecut to the revealed object or reframe. Or else try a reveal where a character steps out of the way to showsomething they have been obscuring.A very tricky technique is the implied reveal where you cut to something that isn‟t there. For example, end on a shotthat suggests someone could have been watching, but without showing them. Or if the dialog is about an object, cutto show that it is missing. This requires great subtlety.32
POV SHOTSTechniqueFilm a sequence, or part of a sequence as if from the point of view (POV) of a specificcharacter.POV shots are a useful tool for filmmakers. They help the viewer identify with a particular character by literallyallowing them to see through their eyes. They are also very useful for reveals: the viewer may not know who acharacter is, and cannot see their face or what they are doing.Modern viewers are used to POV shots from videogames, but it rarely works if you try and emulate this style,particularly in action sequences. However, POV can be used effectively in many other situations. One classicexample, which we will use below, is a stalker furtively following a victim. In an adventure story, when the heroenters a new location, you can use a POV shot to suggest him looking around. Even in conversations and drama, youcan use POV to show what a specific character is seeing; this is one step more intimate than an over the shouldershot.Continuing the scene from the previous exercise, these two shots are an alternate way to tell the viewer thatthe couple are being watched. The camera is in the same position as the watcher in the previous exercise.Looking at the camera implies that there is someone there to see, so the viewer knows this is a POV shot, notjust a neat composition. Ducking the camera further down into the bushes suggests that the watcher is hiding.If you move quickly between these two shots, it suggests that the watcher is trying to avoid being spotted oridentified.Create a set with a suitable hiding place (parked cars, an alleyway, bushes, etc)and two characters.33
Page 2 and 3: CONTENTSFOREWORD ..................
Page 6 and 7: EXERCISESHow to use this bookThe bo
Page 8 and 9: STATIC VS MOVING CAMERASFirst film
Page 10 and 11: LONG SHOTS VS CLOSEUPSFilm the scen
Page 12 and 13: USING CU/ECU - TELEPHOTO VS CLOSE C
Page 14 and 15: EXTENDED SHOT DURATIONFilm the enti
Page 16 and 17: EMPHASIS ON DIFFERENT CHARACTERSFil
Page 18 and 19: CONVERSATIONFilm the scene with a t
Page 20 and 21: TELEPHONEFilm the conversation thre
Page 22 and 23: FOLLOWING WALKSFilm the character w
Page 24 and 25: WALKING OFF - OUT OF SHOT OR OUT OF
Page 26 and 27: DEPTH OF FIELDShoot and edit the sc
Page 28 and 29: RACK FOCUSFilm the scene with the t
Page 30 and 31: FOREGROUND OBJECTSFilm the scene, u
Page 34 and 35: POV SHOTSHave one character walk th
Page 36 and 37: IMPLIED VS SEENFilm the scene and s
Page 38 and 39: THE CROWD ILLUSIONFilm the scene, a
Page 40 and 41: CONSTRAINTS ON NUMBER OF CAMERASSho
Page 42: Matt Kelland is one of the founders

Making Better Movies with Moviestorm Vol 1: Basic Camerawork

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