When you film a scene using separate shots, it’s important that people understand where everything in the scene is. You can use the 180 degree rule, together with looking space and eyeline match, to help them.
Imagine you’re looking at a scene from the side. You can see the whole scene. If you look at one character, they are on the left hand side of the scene facing right. The other character is on the right side of the scene facing left.
It’s much more interesting if you get closer and use separate shots, such as mid shots and closeups. It’s best if the camera moves round so it’s almost full on to the characters. This way we can see their expressions and identify with their emotions.
Shooting like this – first in one direction, then in the other direction that is called shot reverse shot.
To make sure this works, we need to imagine a line between the two characters. This is called the axis of action.
Then we need to keep the camera on one side of that line. If you break the rule you have ‘crossed the line‘. This image below shows us what it would look like.
Now let's move on to Shot reverse Shot.
Shot reverse shot” is a staple of editing in dialogue sequences. Conventionally, it utilizes the 180 degree rule, the eye line match, and rule of change among others. Film historian David Bordwell defines the film technique “wherein one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character.
Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer unconsciously assumes that they are looking at each other, which is a great way of sparing the cameraman time in shooting another long shot from the side whilst showing both characters.
The primary elements of a shot/reverse shot sequence are derived from the three-camera set up. The shots you should have for a basic shot reverse shot are: a two-shot of the characters usually in wide or medium shot;
an over the shoulder shot on character A; and an over the shoulder shot on character B.
This technique is instrumental for Hollywood’s classical editing style, as it typically provides continuity in conversation with characters filmed at eye-level. It is meant to immerse audiences in the dialogue instead of directing their attention to the visual style. But filmmakers have also discovered ways of dramatically enhancing shot reverse shot, through stylistic means that are a little more pronounced.
When cutting a dialogue scene that utilizes shot reverse shot, remember that one character’s reaction to what is being said is just as important as what is being said. This is important, because the emotions of the characters inform the emotions of the audience.
In a film scene, one-on-one conversation should be more than about the exchanged words. An editor does not want to succumb to what Walter Murch calls the ““Dragnet” system”, which only focuses on who is speaking and only cuts to the other party once that speaker is finished. Murch explains that this technique (or lack thereof) offers “a shallow simplicity that doesn’t reflect the grammar of complex exchanges.”Therefore, it is up to the editor to discover the numerous “cut points” for shot reverse shot to have dramatic purpose beyond some leisurely tennis match of verbal serves.
Now let's move on to Leitmotif the ground work for quite a few famous songs.
A leitmotif is usually a short melody, but could also be a chord progression or a rhythm. This idea of using music in this way has been used by many film composers, but known as being perfected by composer Richard Wagner in the 1800’s in his cycle of four opera’s, Der Ring des Nibelungen, where he uses dozens of leitmotifs that are related to specific characters and situations throughout.
A couple of examples of the use of leitmotifs in cinema would be:
John Williams – Star Wars (see below)
Jaws
Indiana Jones
Danny Elfman – Batman
John Barry – James Bond
Don Davis – The Matrix (Neo)
A example of this being in use is the film Series Star Wars, whenever anyone mentions The Force or anything to do with being a Jedi,
they introduce a certain piece of music that would be associated with it.
Song Example:
And it may also be that no character had actually mentioned the word, but the idea of it may be present within the story line.
The particular piece of music that would be associated with the idea of The Force will have been played at many times during the six Star Wars movies and even though it may have slightly changed in how it sounds, the basic structure, melody or chord progression will be the same.
We as viewers/listeners may notice this if paying attention but even if not, the association made may be unconscious but still very effective.
Staying with the film Star Wars, another example of a leitmotif and it’s use would be the music that is used when Darth Vader or The Empire is present:
at that particular time in the story. Here the music (The Imperial March) is associated with both a particular character and the wider context in which he is part of. Due to the popularity of the Star Wars franchise and it’s music, the theme can be instantly recognized as being that of the bad guy and has been used on many occasions, whether in the actual films or for other purposes.
Song Example:
Now since we have gotten to the topic of music being a part of symbolism we might as well tell you what it actually is.
Put simply, a symbol is a physical representation- either an object or mark- that stands in for another object or idea. Symbolism is pervasive throughout all artistic mediums, and the new(ish) production of Cinema is no exception. Now if the idea of symbolism is exaggerated, almost everything in the mise-en-scene could be taken as a symbol, a representation of another object. For instance, Jean Cocteau's La Belle et La Bete meticulous design qualities demand constant symbolic interpretation. But the Fantastical Auteur Poet is not alone in his symbolism; almost every director has used a piece of their particular movie as a symbol of a greater ideal: take Griffith's Southern Town, Eisenstein's Rotten Meat, Renoir's Rose, or Lang's Machines.
2001 is a treasure trove of other symbolic objects which can be interpreted many different ways, like for example HAL's red eye could symbolize the fear of placing too much trust into technology, or even something less concrete the star gate could symbolize the literal splitting of Dave's consciousness into a higher state of being. Perhaps the best symbol from 2001 would be the black monoliths. Throughout the film they just suddenly appear without explanation and leave just as quickly. From the innovation of tool making to the creation of the star child, the black monoliths play a key role in the film but Kubrick gives us nothing as to their origin or purpose. The meaning gleaned off of the monoliths comes from our own interpretation which could be an intelligent design evolution mix, an alien race taking humans under their wing or even God placing these monoliths to bring about necessary changes in man.
Knife Point Proof
The knife in the movie is one of the most compelling pieces of evidence that Lumet brings to our attention, but it's the introduction of the second knife by Juror 8 that breaks the "Guilty" party's argument to shambles. The switchblade knife seems to represent the hard life faced by the "slum-dwellers" and many, especially Juror 10, assume that those "slum-dwellers" have a greater potential of being criminals, which in turn makes it easier for him to automatically vote guilty without thought.
Now let's get to the topic of Graphic Matching
The graphic match is an extremely powerful transitional device in modern editing. Here, an idea is conveyed within a single cut. This cut’s intention is to skip forward or backward in time while maintaining a continuity of action and b) creating a metaphorical link between the images that bookend the cut. It can serve comedic, dramatic, or a purely ideological purpose. Let’s discuss the latter first as it represents the most original use of this cut. In the 1920s, intellectual montage became quite popular among Soviet filmmakers, such as Sergei Eisenstein and Dziga Vertov. This school of thinkers used montage to express a larger idea, often political in nature. The graphic eventually became a part of this criterion.
An example of this would be this:
Typically, the two shots divided by a graphic match share exact focal points and are, thus, easier to recognise. For instance, the classic match cuts of 1960’s Psycho (drain to eye) and 1968’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (bone to spacecraft) follow this model. Their two objects are not only alike in shape, but are positioned at centre-frame. Here, the match cut draws attention to itself but that awareness is transferred to examination of the objects’ metaphorical link.
Generally though, the match cut should be immediately clear to the viewer for it to have that visceral effect. Sound is a useful tool as well, because it can enhance the relationship between the two objects and go beyond the visual. Take a look at these match cuts from AMC’s Breaking Bad: the leaky pipe to the dripping tea bag and the circular saw to the vacuum cleaner. In the second example, the match cut has absolutely no “graphic match”. Continuity is achieved aurally via the buzz of the saw to the vacuum.
Both examples, ultimately, serve a dramatic function. Metaphorically, they show the relationship between domestic, everyday objects – the first object serves a sinister function and the second is mundane. The cuts reinforce a core theme of the show: how the sinister and mundane can exist in the same domestic setting at the same time.
Also, the graphic match can serve as indispensable comedic tool. What is important, however, is the relationship between the objects must carry irony or satire. Generally, the humour results in the editor’s attempt to create a relationship between two images that, in reality, should contradict each other. The Simpsons always made excellent use of match cuts in flashback scenarios.
Take Homer’s wistful recollection of drinking his first Duff Beer. Homer croons a version of “It was a Very Good Year” to a series of dissolves that parody the use of match cuts. For instance, the shot of Homer smiling juxtaposed with the face on his fake ID (which looks nothing like him) combined with a shot of Homer passed out in a bead chair to him kicked back and complacently chugging Duff beer signals the comedy. In comedy, graphic matches work best with subversion.
The graphic match is applicable across all genres and can be used to garner a variety of visceral or emotional reactions from your viewer.
It is extremely beneficial if you want to call attention to the passage of time, or the evolution/devolution of a particular character or thing.
Now let's move on to the final topic Time compression. Essentially you compress time in a video, you are making the duration shorter than real-time. Time compression is at the heart of video editing and is used in most productions to some extent. It is a critical skill any good editor must understand how it works.
First we have: Time Lapse (Fast Motion) The simplest way to compress time is simply to speed up the video clip. This is great for scenes where the action takes place in a single location over a long period of time, for example, a building construction. Fast-motion can also be used with a moving camera, although most editors would tend to use time remapping rather than a single overall change in speed.
As mentioned previously, time remapping allows the editor to smoothly vary the speed of a video clip. When used for time expansion, the video is slowed down. When used for time compression, the video is sped up. For example, imagine a scene in a travel documentary in which a presenter walks around a tourist attraction. Traditionally the video scene would uses cuts and b-roll footage to get from one part of the attraction to the next without showing the walking between them. With time remapping, the scene could be real-time as the presenter explores one part of the attraction, then as they walk to the next part, the camera keeps recording and the action is sped up. The audience experiences the entire walk-through but much more efficiently.
Next we have: Cuts Careful use of cuts can depict passing time. This is one of the most important time-compression techniques to understand it is ubiquitous in film and television production. Using cuts really just involves careful planning to get from one shot to a shot that is later in time, without looking uncomfortable.
For example, let's say the subject of a video sequence is "children getting ready for school". Rather than including shots of every step in the process, the sequence can use half a dozen carefully chosen shots to represent the whole sequence. A shot of breakfast being prepared can lead to a shot of it being eaten — you don't have to include finding cutlery, carrying it to the table, etc. In fact you probably don't need to include the preparation either — if you see someone eating breakfast you subconsciously fill in the preceding part where it was prepared. It is implied and doesn't need to be spelt out.
Place shots of different subjects in sequence to help pass time. For example, a shot of one person waking up
is followed by someone else in the kitchen, then the first person walking into the kitchen. The viewer didn't need to see the first person getting out of bed or putting their dressing gown on. It's a good idea to begin new shots with the subject out of frame.
For example, a shot of the mother combing the kids' hair can be followed by an outside shot of the house where the door opens and the subjects emerge carrying their bags. The viewer subconsciously fills in the gap where the comb was put away, the kids put their backpacks on and the mother picked up her handbag.
But don't always rely on the same techniques to compress time, to the point where you become predictable or artificial. The video will look silly if every single shot begins with the subject out of frame. Mix it up and use different ways to achieve the same time-compressing effect.
Different situations call for different levels of time manipulation. If you are telling a story that takes place at school, you will probably want to compress the time spent getting ready for school a lot. However if the video is about parenting skills you might want to spend a lot more time showing the tasks involved in getting ready for school. Different details for different audiences.
Of all time-manipulation techniques, the most important and most difficult to master is time compression. Thinking about ways to shrink time and practice different methods. You will probably find a few tricks that you can pull off well and consistently but you do need to strive to have a variety of options. This is one of the defining skills of a video storyteller so make sure you invest the effort to get it right.
And that's all folks, thanks for reading.
Information sources:
http://www.aotg.com/index.php?page=graphicmatch
http://www.aotg.com/index.php?page=shotreverseshot
http://learnaboutfilm.com/film-language/sequence/180-degree-rule/
http://film110.pbworks.com/w/page/12610297/Symbolism%20of%20Objects%20in%20Cinema
