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The Fallacy of Auto Story
Your camera’s auto everything button is there for a reason – to be turned off. This humorous short video explains the drawbacks of handing off a camera’s imaging decisions to an automatic function.
Camera Detail
The plastic artificial edge placed around in-focus objects communicates an amateur video look. Use less detail for dramatic stories. Use a bit more edge for comedies and non-fiction fare. Illustrated in this clip are examples of high and low master detail (DTL). Which is appropriate for the story you intend to tell?
Camera Shutter
A fast shutter increases sharpness and apparent resolution by reducing motion blur. It can also lead to strobing or stutter in areas of the frame that ought to exhibit smooth motion. A slightly slower than normal shutter can significantly reduce the risk of strobing, especially at 24p.
Point of View
The point of view of a story determines everything; placing the camera, framing a shot, or selecting the appropriate focal length lens. A shift in point of view can often be used to propel a story forward, such as in the campaign scene from Citizen Kane (1941), where the POV shifts subtly from Kane’s son looking up admiringly, to his political nemesis looking down disparagingly.
No Generic Shots
Show me a world I haven’t seen before! For the video shooter every shot is a statement that advances the story in a unique and entertaining way. In this student exercise video from my 2011 Tanzania workshop, the impact of compelling non-generic shots in a chase sequence is clear.
The Less You Show the More You Know
Excluding what doesn’t belong in the visual story is a shooter’s primary responsibility. In the opening scene from Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) the lack of background and context focuses attention more intensely on Meryl Streep, the ring on her finger, and the situation of her impending divorce. In Citizen Kane the dark projection room suppresses the visual story, allowing audiences to focus on the critical aural exposition contained in the scene. When the camera is seized by Communist authorities in Ballad of a Strike (1980),the visual story is played out from inside a paper bag; the black screen containing no picture at all!
Communicate Clear Genre
Audiences are a cooperative lot and are more than willing to laugh or cry, jump up and down, or do nothing at all. The job of the shooter and storyteller is to communicate the appropriate viewer response. The cinematic elements from an actor’s performance and wardrobe to music, framing, and lighting must contribute effectively to this effort. In this short film Second Aid from my 2011 Dar es Salaam workshops the genre is crystal clear from the first frame.
Think Small
With revolution brewing in the streets this short film Sketch from my Cairo workshop in 2010 eloquently captured the simplest of tales without a shred of dialogue or extraneous fluff. You don’t need much to tell a compelling story! This young filmmaker had access to a camera for only three hours, and with proper planning this is what he was able to do! Amazing!