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The Rules of Filmmaking

There are no rules! But there are a few basics that, if you chose a traditional route, you should at least know about. Again, these aren't laws but they do make the job of telling a story simpler and clearer.

Stage Line

Put two actors in front of your camera, so that they are both in profile, facing each other. Between any two actors talking, there is a thing called the Stage Line. Draw a line in your mind between both their noses. Say you shoot this shot, called a 2-Shot, then want to shoot just the left actor, called a Single. Move the camera so you just see the left actor. Now, the person on the left, who is looking at the person on the right, is looking from left to right across the screen, meaning their nose is pointing toward the right side of the screen. When you turn the camera to shoot the person on the right, this person is looking from right to left. When cut together, it looks like the two actors are looking at each other. Sounds simple? It is, but imagine forgetting this and, after shooting the actor on the left, you move the camera to the opposite side of the two actors, then shoot the other actor. Now, the actor who WAS on the right will be looking left to right, just like the first actor. When you cut this together, they both look like they are looking the same way, and not at each other!

Making sure you stay on the same side of the Stage Line is important to establish who is talking to who, who is looking at who and a general geography to help the audience understand where they are.

Framing

You are close on one actor as he/she speaks to another actor not in the picture (Off-screen). You might think having them in camera is enough, but there are some basic concepts that govern WHERE in the frame you put the person. Typically, if the actor is looking off the right side of the screen toward the other actor, you want to place them on the left side of the frame, allowing what is called Nose Room. The further off they look, the more Nose Room should be allowed. This concept is rooted in the Thirds Rule. Any frame is divided into three vertical panels. Each is 1/3 of the screen and provides a guide for balancing the image. In the above example, if your actor is looking off frame right, you customarily want to put the middle of the actor's head on the line separating the left and middle thirds.

Though this may seem a mathematical and stiff concept, once you understand the basics of it, its use becomes much more aesthetic than mechanical. As you look at a frame, see how it makes you feel as you pan the camera to the left and right. Depending on the action in the scene, you may find that it feels "right" to place the actor differently in the frame. The concept applies not only to single shots but also to even the widest shots.

The Importance of Camerawork

In early filmmaking, the cinematographer was always classified more as a technician rather than artist. As the art has evolved, so has this perception. The cameraman or woman is now seen as an integral part of the process. When shooting your film, remember that you, as the cameraperson, are seeing the final image that the audience will see. What you show, or don't show, tells the story just as much as the actors.

Study current television and film with the thought of photography in mind. Note how the frame line is placed above an actor's head, or how a particular camera Pan or Dolly Move affects how the story is told. Even the smallest detail is important and should be considered. Though there are millions of things a professional cinematographer considers when operating camera, here are a few of the most basic:

Head Room: When shooting a Medium Shot of an actor, for example, where you see from chest to top of head, try and place the top frame line just above the top of the head. As you move further out, this rule is lessened, but headroom should always be considered. Beginning camera operators often forget this, leaving half the frame above the head empty, a common and unfortunate mistake.

Height: Someone walks into a room. Do you shoot it at a convenient height for you to operate the camera, or do you put the camera on the floor? Or how about climbing up on something and shooting down? There are a host of options when deciding where to place the camera, and all have an impact on what you're trying to say. The low angle can be tension filled or even awe inspiring. The high angle looking down can make the actor look small and insignificant. How do you want the scene to "feel?" When lining up the shot, see how different heights feel to you, and how they seem to tell your story.

Camera as Actor: As mentioned above, the image the camera captures is as much part of the acting as the actors. Keep this in mind when shooting your film. Sometimes, simply holding a few seconds longer on an image can carry a huge dramatic moment even further, or add to one that you feel is lacking. Or, choosing a close- up of something in a scene over just using a wide shot can add mood or tension. Think how Hitchcock shot the Psycho shower scene: The bloody hand grabbing the curtain, the insert of the blood running down the drain, the silhouette of the killer; all very specific and dramatic uses of camera framing and style. It doesn't cost any more to choose one angle over another, but the difference could make or break a film!

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