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Leonov, The Feast at Zhirmuna, as an example of an exemplary scenario. Then he asked the students to think about how they would shoot it. It is instructive how Eisenstein suggested they go about this visualization. We liked two details which very strongly revealed the personalities of the main characters.
OK, afterwards! Set up the shots so that the meaning of the inner-shot action is clear. A shot should be like a line in a poem—self-contained, with its idea crystal clear. This makes it more likely that, when you add the camera, you will enhance whatever that design is meant to express rather than obfuscate it. A camera setup is when the camera is moved from one position to another, most likely requiring a lighting change.
As mentioned earlier, more than one edited shot can be taken from a single camera setup. Storyboards are drawings of each individual shot. However, the beginning director should be warned. Storyboards should be the end of the process: annotations of moments in an overall orchestration. This can be fruitful in exploring possibilities in the previsualization of action sequences. Other programs can put your characters into motion. Remember, the storyboard is the end of a process, and these electronic bells and whistles will not release you from that obligation.
Jack and Jill go up the hill, to fetch a pail of water. Jack falls down and breaks his crown. Jill is happy. Also, we would determine the dramatic blocks, the fulcrum, and the major narrative beats. The circumstance is that they are brother and sister whose chore it is to bring home water. Moving rapidly, an empty pail, being carried by a Young Man. The syntax of the above sentence indicates the varying emphasis in the shot. We start with rapid forward movement of an empty pail being carried by someone—which introduces the chore—and then pan up to that person for his entrance into the scene.
Trying to keep the pace, a Young Girl Jill would be equally determined but obviously not equipped for this arduous trek. Here we would have a two-shot that would resolve the spatial separation between our characters. It would also be wide enough for us to see the slope of the terrain—the UP. The fact that they are brother and sister could be intimated by age difference and attitude. Distance between the two increases The above implies a two-shot, which again resolves spatial separation while letting us in on the plot-point.
Jill, exhausted, stops to rest. A question is raised here. Jack believes he has won, but in his exultation he loses his concentration. Jack takes a step, loses footing. Jack loses pail. Jill startled. Pail falling. Jack struggling to gain footing. Jack losing his footing and falling, DOWN. Jack with broken crown. Jill smiles. However, I maintain that they can also be arrived at before you bring in the camera.
It takes place in a dance hall: Truman is having a good time. Dream-girl is there. Truman spots dream-girl. What the previous scene does that inexperienced directors might not get to with visual storyboards alone is to indicate clearly the narrative beats that each shot conveys. They jump out at you. But if you look closely, the camera for Alicia has been moved to create an angle that supplies more energy to her entrance.
Pan left with him to center of room, revealing patio through open French doors in the background. He rubs his forehead Figure This shot Figure locates Alicia geographically and shows how determined she is to overcome her ineptness with domestic duties. She is making every effort to make herself into something she has never been—all for the love of this man. He hunches his shoulders Figure E-4, from camera setup 2, MS: Alicia enters frame left carrying two dinner plates Figure Camera pans with her into LS as she enters patio, sets down the plates on the table, and hugs Devlin Figure It is minimal to be sure, but nevertheless it does its job of bridging the movement to a new geographical paragraph, which in turn alerts the audience to the escalating action.
This new paragraph comes about because of the substantial change in camera angle rather than a change in staging. The job of the staging up until now has been only to render the action of the scene—to get them both onto the patio. Now Hitchcock sets in motion the use of proximity as a way of making physical what is going on internally by starting the second dramatic block with them together.
In this second dramatic block Figure he uses three 3, 4, 5. Alicia kisses Devlin. She places his arms around her waist. Hitchcock continues in separation, cutting 11 times between the close-up of Alicia and the close-up of Devlin Figure , camera setups 4 and 5, edited shots E6 through E First shot of second dramatic block.
Acting beats turned into narrative beats. Connecting tissue between second and third dramatic block. This camera move conveys the emotional as well as the physical distancing of the two characters Figure Shot widens to a two-shot.
To mask the beginning of the move, Hitchcock has Devlin begin it off-screen. As Devlin moves behind Alicia, the camera tilts up to a medium two-shot to accommodate his arrival in the frame. The close-up of Devlin heightens his reply, and with this cut, Hitchcock goes into separation again for seven shots back to the volleying across the net between Devlin and Alicia Figure —turning seven performance beats into seven narrative beats.
Take note of the dialogue. See how it has heated up and how this rendering through separation articulates that escalation. Likewise for edited shots. At this point, the fulcrum, the scene could go either way for Alicia. Hitchcock articulates the apex of the fulcrum by having Alicia stand, changing the direction the scene was headed. As she walks toward Devlin, a possibility is raised along with a question: Will Alicia attain her want? Contains fulcrum of the scene. This close-up of Devlin Figure is the end of the fourth dramatic block.
Camera setup 12, E, tracks with Devlin from the patio and then pans with him as he enters the living room, as Alicia enters the right edge of the frame and looks out on the patio Figures , , , and This is another example of What does the shot tell you? We will now take what you have learned and apply it to a short screenplay that I have written especially for this purpose. There is a protagonist who wants something very much and an antagonist who wants very much to prevent him from getting it.
We would like to engage an audience with this story, and to that end we will apply our detective work, staging, camera design, and preliminary work with actors. One note of caution to you directors who might by nature want to move along quickly; make sure you have thoroughly digested Part I. You might need to look at the Patio scene from Notorious again.
Do the same with the staging and camera. Understand the reason for every step the characters take either toward or away from the other, why Alicia sits, why she stands. Understand the job of each edited shot, why the camera is where it is, and why Hitchcock cuts at that moment. A more intense focus, a more powerful lens, must be brought to the text now. The essence of every dramatic moment should be discovered and related to a dramatic whole.
If we think of the screenplay as a forest and the dramatic moments as trees, we ought to be able to immerse ourselves in the forest to see every tree in minute detail.
He reads it again and again and again. He need not read it in consecutive daily sessions. In fact, he would do well, if time permits, to set it aside for a while after each reading and check on what he remembers of it. He might even try to forget it. He should let it work on him before he works on it.
To begin with, even experienced directors may see little more in a script than an intelligent theatergoer would. Like him, the director will be amused, laugh or cry, shudder or thrill. These reactions are not without value; they may even prove important. Read the screenplay now as if it were going to be your next directing project. Counterman looks at the wall clock: Customer walks the length of the counter, past the dish of apple pie, and sits at a table in the empty restaurant, facing Counterman.
He runs his hand over the surface. It seems to pass muster. He inspects the fork. He looks up at Counterman. This customer would be very disappointed. Customer gets up and approaches the counter. Standing in front of the piece of apple pie, he takes out a gun.
Counterman sets the pie back on the counter. Customer puts the gun away and sits on the stool. He pushes the napkin and fork away. Counterman places a new fork and napkin on the counter. Counterman walks away from Customer. He leans on the end of the counter, his head in his hands; a picture of utter defeat. After a beat, he steals a glance at Customer who is wiping the new fork vigorously — some might say compulsively.
A ray of hope comes to Counterman just as the fork is about to cut into the pie. Customer looks up at Counterman, quizzically. Apple pie is as good a way to go as any.
Probably better than most. Counterman raises his hands in surrender. He begins busying himself with a wiping rag. The Customer stares at him. Counterman says nothing. But you know cops. Customer looks down at the piece of pie, hesitates, then places the fork on the counter. Customer lays two dollars on the counter and stands. Customer goes to the door, stops, and turns back to Counterman. Customer hesitates a beat, then takes out the gun and tosses it to Counterman.
Before Counterman can answer, Customer turns and exits. Counterman looks at the clock: He places the gun out of sight, goes to the piece of apple pie, replaces the napkin and fork, turns to the coffeepot and pours a cup of coffee. It is obvious that she can take care of herself. The Counterman smiles lovingly at the Female Cop. She picks up the fork and smiles lovingly at the piece of apple pie. He is the character in whom we place an emotional investment. He is the one we care most about.
That is not to say that we are not interested in Customer, our antagonist. We hope that all our characters are interesting, even the ones we might not like. We have a much shorter train trip in A Piece of Apple Pie, not only in duration, but thematically. That does not mean that we bend them out of shape— that we attempt to turn Counterman into Hamlet.
What it simply means is that we attempt to render any story we are working on in the fullest, strongest way. That is our obligation. However, this does not explain his adoration for his beloved. It is located somewhere in his character, but the director does not necessarily have to delve into it unless the actor fails to do so. Each actor who plays the part will come up with different reasons for adoring the Female Cop.
Reasons that work for him! She likes apple pie, right? She loves apple pie! She adores apple pie! It is the highlight of her day.
She eats it on an exacting schedule at this particular diner that she has come to expect will deliver precisely what she wants. She has yet to be disappointed! He is in love with Female Cop and does not want to disappoint her, and he knows absolutely what would disappoint her. No apple pie would disappoint her. And then, who knows, she might never come back. Of course, it has taken him weeks—maybe months—to get his nerve up, so tonight he will allow nothing to get in his way!
I have found over the years that the tendency for most beginning directors is to not push relentlessly toward the most dramatic situation but instead to gravitate to the most obvious. Because he is a bully. Or the other alternative is that he is simply crazy. Is that the best we can imagine: someone who slinks into the diner in the throes of raging paranoia? How interesting can he be if he is that one-dimensional? And today, with the nudging of his psychiatrist, he has come to a momentous decision.
He is not going to take it anymore! So he is actually in an expansive mood when he walks into the diner. What about the gun? Well, one of the people who pushed him around recently—literally—was a mugger. He bought the gun just to be absolutely sure that nothing will spoil this evening. There is no one answer. How does Female Cop see Counterman?
I would keep it. But Counterman is not Mr. Reliable to Customer. What is he? If we pay heed to our circumstance, at the moment Customer comes through the door he should see Counterman as what? In much of this detective work, there is no such thing as right, but you should be relevant. Celebrant cannot be used for the way Female Cop sees Counterman.
It is too respectful. It makes him too important to her, thereby diminishing the job he must do—the distance he must go to achieve his goal. Finally, what is Customer to Counterman? Customer, our antagonist, wants to begin living the life of a man who will not be pushed around—the life of a man who gets what he wants.
He might not really want a piece of apple pie, and in fact he might not even be hungry. Even though wants are most likely contained in the circumstance, it is necessary to ferret them out and make them clear for each scene. Even in this scene, both Counterman and Customer must change their initial wants. Customer must give up the idea of beginning his new life, on this night, in this diner, to not eat something that would be harmful to his life, even though it is a life that he can no longer stand.
Sometimes a character will say or do something that is not wedded to their immediate want and can be attributed to their innate character. What verb would be most relevant? It might very well be a fact.
We need an action that contains the immediate intent. Instead, he sees the compulsive cleaning of the fork. We hope that there will be some chuckles, but for the most part it is a safe drama. Safe for the characters, that is.
It can probably best be described as a dramatic comedy. We will interpret the actions of our characters with this tone in mind, and it will be an important factor in selecting our cast and determining how we choose the music, the lighting, the camera moves or lack thereof , and even the costumes.
I think I have chosen the spines, and hence the tone, best suited for this material, but not everyone has to agree. Strasberg said that directing a scene was like making a salad.
First, you must chop all the ingredients into pieces. The writer divides the story into acts, sequences, and scenes. The director, if using the methodology laid out in this book, divides these units of text into dramatic blocks, then into narrative beats.
The actor, in his performance, must break the text down into still smaller units—moment-by-moment units called acting or performance beats.
It comes from the process of visualization. These might include a face, maybe the layout of the location, or a piece of blocking—even individual shots. In addition, as you become more visually experienced, a series of shots combined with staging will announce themselves. Wait for them to appear again and again. A good image will persist, and, if it does, pay attention to it.
At this stage in the methodology, it is good to know the location in which you will shoot; but even if you do not, an approximate location can be imagined, and adjustments can be made to accommodate the actual location. Visualization at an early stage helps in choosing the actual location or in constructing one and is helpful in arranging furniture and similar items to accommodate the design that is in your head.
It will anchor your design and will serve as a reference point for both your staging and camera. It will help enormously in organizing your narrative beats into coherent patterns of action and will indicate the possible need for new geographical paragraphs when you get to your staging and camera.
In addition, knowing your dramatic blocks is immensely helpful when working with actors. With this work accomplished, we can now proceed to identify our narrative beats. In the following breakdown of Apple Pie into narrative beats, some acting beats are included as examples and are presented in lowercase. The actor could choose to be cool—not wear his heart on his sleeve— knowing that this would only turn off the Female Cop.
However, as we have discussed earlier, Customer is expansive, he is a new man, and he wants the whole world to know. And right now the whole world is Counterman. It seems quite innocent at the time, but that is all that is needed to indicate her potential for becoming her own person. If a character is performing a series of more or less the same actions, we should look for adjustments in the performance that lead toward escalation of the actions.
It is as far as this particular action can go. Customer wants to celebrate. He does not expect to be deterred. Therefore, in the previous series of actions—in the verbal ping-pong that is going on—Customer is holding on for dear life to his want, and this will infuse all of his actions.
Still, when we add the camera, we can choose, if we wish, to articulate this beat further. Counterman looks toward door. Counterman grabs pie. This is often referred to as the subtext. He leans on the end of the counter, his head in his hands: a picture of utter defeat. It is the nadir of the downward trajectory in his dramatic journey. If this story was being told orally, the narrator might choose this moment to relight his pipe. Or you can look at it another way: they expect more than that.
One way of doing that is to make sure they are privy to the dilemma of our characters. Hence, it would not be articulated and is not considered to be a narrative beat in my design at this point in the process. Oh, no, why not? The Customer hesitates a beat, then takes out the gun and tosses it to the Counterman. Customer turns and exits. The same is true of the following.
On the other hand, in teaching direction wherever such a dubious course is hazarded I suggest that the teachers insist on having the students state in writing all that they propose for themselves and their collaborators in the planning of a production.
General notions or a nebulous inspiration may delude the student. This latter work will serve as a vehicle of communication to relevant crew members, for it is they who must execute your design. We are now ready to proceed to our staging. We have seven stools to choose from, but it becomes obvious fairly quickly that S1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 are not convenient to the pie case and coffee pot. Before committing ourselves to S4, we should go through the rest of the scene and see if our selection holds up.
Customer rejects two tables, so he would end up at table T3 if he initially chose the last table, T1, which makes psychological sense for his character and also gives us an opportunity to introduce the entire geography of the restaurant early on in the story.
T3 is directly across from S4. Is that the spatial dynamics that will serve us best? There is. If we put the pie in front of S4, the angle between the two men is less acute than if the pie were in front of S5 Figure In just a few moments, when Customer approaches the counter and sits, he will be head-on with Counterman, no matter which stool we choose.
That being the case, it is better to begin with an angle between the two men that is appreciably different because changes in spatial angles can enunciate narrative beats, signifying to the audience that something has changed.
S5 gives us an appreciable increase in the angle between the two men. Through lecture, section discussions, readings and screenings, we will investigate historical contexts cultural, industrial, technological in which media have been produced and consumed in the US and globally.
This class focuses on the style, structure and storytelling strategies in a wide range of media forms, from narrative films and television series to documentaries and videogames.
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