Material for a one day workshop, first held at the DComm meeting in Jena in October 2018.
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People will watch as long as they want something: The good girl/guy to win, the bad girl/guy to loose, the couple to kiss/marry, the researcher/detective to find out (whatever), themselves to understand the project (if it is interesting enough), or, more earthly, the U-tube video watching evening to be taken over by sleep.
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The technique to make people continue to want (to watch) is called dramaturgy.
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Introduce main character/topic/challenge/problem as soon as possible which typically finalises act one in the classical three-act scheme. (It is why almost each (Hollywood) movies can be told in three sentences: Act I, II, III.
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Exposition: Lead the audience into the genre, location, story. Give visual, acoustic, stylistic etc. hints/cues, so that they know what to expect (a meditation instructor, murderer/gardener, monster, crazy scientist, kitten, 'funny' bicycle accident etc.)
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Place a visual theme early on. Ideally it connects to your main message/story.
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Legibility: Make key elements easy to spot and memorise.
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no zoom!
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Actors should not look directly into the camera except for interviews. Rare exceptions are possible.
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Try to find a camera position that shows exactly what is needed but nothing else, such as waste paper baskets, cars, visual clutter.
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Camera movement follows actor movement.
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Long shots ('zoomed in') tend to create a more dense atmosphere and help keep background clutter out of sight.
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continuity vs. montage
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How to present activities: continuity, direction, timing, 180-degree rule
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no Achsensprung!
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establishing shot, reverse shot, etc.
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Try to imagine possible transitions between different shots of the same action.
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Each shot wants to reveal something specific. In many ways this is the essence of a shot.
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Avoid small changes in view/perspective. Larger 'jumps' are easily connected by the viewer, especially when cutting within the movement (remember the 180-degree-rule).
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smooth camera movements, i.e. no fast turns
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Some mobile phones have reasonable recording quality, nowadays. However, the handling is still easier with a cam that has a certain size, weight and physical handles for zoom, focus etc.
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tripod, ideally with a damped video head, supporting smooth movements
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one clip for each scene (switch off and on the recording between all takes).
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video/audio synchronisation: at minimum, clap hands within the view of the camera when both video and the separate audio recording is running. This is necessary for each shot.
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It can help to verbally mention the name of the scene and the take so that this info is in both audio streams (cam, separate audio). A piece of paper or a clapper board allow to present the same info in the video stream.
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wait 2 seconds after the action command before you actually start. (silent, in position, camera running -- you(r cutter) will be grateful!)
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Likewise, let pass some time after the action completed, before stopping the recording.
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Music
Only use music you are allowed to use in the context of your movie project. -
Original sound
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The mics should be as close to the sound source/speaker as possible.
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Wind is always to be avoided.
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Post-record sound after the cutting when original sound is of poor quality. Listening to the original sound with half-open headphones can help the speakers to rehearse their speech with high precision. Avoid too loud sound from the headphones as it might ruin the new recording!
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Natural and artificial may light have different colour temperature.
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Added set light should match the available light sources.
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There are specific light sources and/or filters for mixing artificial set lights with daylight or traditional light bulbs.
- Who will see the movie?
- What are they interested in?
- How do you get in contact with them?
- Where do they find the video?
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The most tricky part in writing is to know what to write. (I forgot where I found this quote but I love it.)
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What do you want to say, in five to seven sentences?
- Like a joke you tell to sb. at a bar...
- ...or a project you explain to a colleague in a café.
- Ideally sb. who somehow represents the audience.
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The same in three sencences (three acts). For a short movie it should be one sentence. The shorter the better, but make sure it clearly conveys your point.
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What do you want to show? This should be visually strong.
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Is it really a video?
- If there is nothing to show, then why not make a podcast or a book?
- Why not a podcast, text on your webpage, flyer, personal speech in a park? I don`t want to watch people talking.
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I know the last point is fairly radical and youtube tells us quite the opposite. You could actually make it your strategy to talk to people via video so as to connect to your audience in a personal and emotional way.
The choice of the channel follows the message to get across: Use each channel according to its strengths and avoid using it in non-suitable ways.
- Written text: People can read in their personal way but you cannot control things like accentuation or which voice they associate it with.
- Audio/speech/voice over: You control timing, accentuation etc.
- Combining the two typically results in an interference of two cognitive processes (reading and listening).
- Video
- Still images
- . . .
The above can be condensed into an exposé document. There is no strict form for that, but it should describe your key ideas and decisions (see above) in one coherent document. Its main purpose is to have a basis for you to work with. Ideally, it is also understandable for other people but ultimately it is you who will be making the movie and, hence, rely on it the most.
- Think of the storyboard as a cartoon version of your movie.
- How does the visual storytelling work?
- For each shot there should be at least one sketch.
- What does your audience see first, second, ...?
- Whom do they see do what?
- What do they say?
- What sounds can/need to be heard?
Now that you have established what to say to whom and how you could start filming straight away; so grab your camera call, friends/colleagues X and Y, go to place Z and you just shoot it, don't you?
Before you start, make sure to know in detail about:
- Roles/Actors
- Text
- Locations
- Requisites
- Costumes
- Sound
During the shooting, these documents including the storyboard will tell you what to do and how to decide things when you need to make spontaneous decisions. They also tell actors what to wear, what to say etc.
I did not consult any literature specifically for this text. There are, however, a number of books that were of great help when learning myself:
Field, Syd (1984/1993). The screenwriters workbook/Das Handbuch zum Drehbuch, Zweitausendeins.
Katz, Steven D. (1999). Film Directing Shot by Shot, Publishers Group UK.
Petrasch, Thomas and Zinke, Joachim (2015). Einführung in die Videofilmproduktion, Carl Hanser Verlag.