Shooting with a camcorder

In many cases, the sequences are made to appear as though shot from multiple cameras, when what you are likely seeing was all done on one camera.

You'd basically set up one shot (For example: over the shoulder from one subject, looking at the other) and have all the dialog spoken in one go.

Then set up the reverse shot (ie. from behind the other subject, looking at the first)... again, run through all dialog...

Then perhaps set up a "master" shot of both (ie. wide)... run through... etc.

These are then edited together, giving the appearance of multiple cameras.

This is REALLY basic advice. Special care will need to be taken in capturing dialog, because that's actually what will make the whole deal "appear" seamless.

Sounds basic, just let me know if I have it right.
Film the enitre piece of dialouge from various angles and then edit it together? Is that basically it?

Like, in a film, because multiple cameras are used in a conversation scene for instance, it seemlessly shifts between angles.

Click to expand...

Very rarely are films made with more than one camera. Some television sitcoms are made this way, but films almost always use a single camera.

The general idea is that you shoot the scene over and over again with your one camera from different angles and then edit them together.

Here's a thread that discusses it in great detail: http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=26553&highlight=conversation

And don't be shy about your camcorder! I make movies with my camcorder all the time.

Yup, just make sure you get a lot of coverage and inserts and cutaways so u dont have a problem when something doesnt match in the editing room.

inserts and cutaways are details of some seeming related object, point of interest that is neutral to the action \ dialogue. Like if you scene is two people talking while smoking cigars, you could insert shots of the ashtray. The ashtray is not important to the action or dialogue but it doesn't seem out of place to see it on the screen.

Just to take wheats lead and further the explanation and perhaps make him hate me in the process :

The insert can be important to the action/dialogue and can be used quite effectively to give the scene different moods, like tension.

And a cutaway is a shot that is not in the master shot of the two characters conversing with cigars (like an insert). For example, they are having cigars but beforehand we saw that they were in a location where something else was going on in the room next to theirs. We could cutaway to see that action for a few seconds and then return to our characters.

wheatgrinder said:

Like if you scene is two people talking while smoking cigars, you could insert shots of the ashtray. The ashtray is not important to the action or dialogue but it doesn't seem out of place to see it on the screen.

Click to expand...

Inserts and cutaways can be important to the scene. The scene that pops to mind is in "Mr Smith Goes To Washington" where he is speaking with a pretty girl. The cutaway shots of him crumpling the brim of his hat adds to our awareness of his nervousness as much as his voice and body language. I'm sure that others can provide more current examples.

It is just as important to incorporate into the edit the reactions of the person not speaking. This may seem obvious, but many first time filmmakers always want to focus on the speaker.

BTW, cutaways, inserts, long shots and the like where you do not see the mouths of the speakers allows you to "re-edit" the dialog. You can shorten it, put in longer pauses, substitute words and phrases from different takes, etc. On one recent project I did a dialog edit without the picture that really expanded upon the scene and told us more about the story and characters. (I ask for all of the production sound from the unused takes.) It was only one additional line and a word substitution, plus eliminating some of the space between the lines of dialog - I even overlapped the dialog in a few places - and a long pause. The director went back and re-cut the scene to match my dialog re-edit, and the only way to make everything fit was to use an insert and a cutaway. One shot was actually of the actor reacting to something that occurred on the set before action was called.

The point of the story is that making sure that you have plenty of coverage, inserts and cutaways so you can edit the dialog with regards to the story and the dialog flow rather than sticking strictly to having to see the mouth of the person delivering the dialog.

FrankLad said:

In many cases, the sequences are made to appear as though shot from multiple cameras, when what you are likely seeing was all done on one camera.

You'd basically set up one shot (For example: over the shoulder from one subject, looking at the other) and have all the dialog spoken in one go.

Then set up the reverse shot (ie. from behind the other subject, looking at the first)... again, run through all dialog...

Then perhaps set up a "master" shot of both (ie. wide)... run through... etc.

These are then edited together, giving the appearance of multiple cameras.

This is REALLY basic advice. Special care will need to be taken in capturing dialog, because that's actually what will make the whole deal "appear" seamless.

Click to expand...

Exactly what I would have suggested - in the first year of media studies we have to put a short dialogue sequence together and this is exactly what we're taught to do. Also I would recommend getting shots from each camera location of the character in focus just listening to the other character. These can be very helpful especially if your actor accidently looks at the camera when saying a line and you don't notice it.

Ernest Worthing said:

Just to take wheats lead and further the explanation and perhaps make him hate me in the process :

Click to expand...

Too late for that. wheat despises all of humanity.

Kidding!

semiazus, a great deal of how seemlessly it all cuts together will have to do not just with how you shoot it and the amount of coverage you get, but very largely from your actors' performance. Rehearsal is very important. Improv can be a lot of fun, but it can make editing a nightmare, so try and get your actors, through rehearsal, to deliver a consistent performance, the same way every time.

"so try and get your actors, through rehearsal, to deliver a consistent performance, the same way every time. "

i've had a good actor be so spot on the editor didn't realize he was syncing the wrong sound until about 40 seconds into the shot when it finally started going out of sync because the actors delivery was IDENTICAL between the two takes.

Semiazas said:

aside from the obvious sarcastic responses I may get

Click to expand...

Do you often get sarcastic responses here? I've read most of
your posts and don't recall any. It seems everyone here is
very helpful.

Semiazas said:

Like, in a film, because multiple cameras are used in a conversation scene for instance, it seemlessly shifts between angles.
How would I do stuff like that with a camcorder?

Click to expand...

You will shoot a conversation scene with a camcorder the same
way you would shoot a conversation with a film camera or a
professional video camera.

You will shoot the scene several times. The entire scene. For
example: Scene 22 is Bob and Mary sitting at a table - it’s three
pages long. You will set up the “Master Shot” - both people at the
table, camera getting a head to foot shot of both of them. On your
slate you will write “Scene 22 - Take 1”

Scene 22 - This will be the entire scene from one angle.

Adjust the lights, move the camera and shoot Bob’s side of the
table.

Scene 22A - Close up of Bob.
Scene 22B - Over Mary’s shoulder on Bob.
Scene 22C - A slow dolly push in on Bob - from a full shot into a
close up.
Scene 22D - an insert shot of Bob lighting a cigarette.
Scene 22E - a close up on Bob’s hand putting the cigarette in the
ash tray.
Scene 22F - a close up of Bob taking the contract, looking at it
and signing it (from Mary’s point of view)

Now move the lights, move the camera and cover the scene from
Bob’s side of the table.

Scene 22G - Close up of Mary.
Scene 22H - Over Bob’s shoulder on Mary.
Scene 22J - A slow dolly push in on Mary - from a full shot into a
close up.
Scene 22K - an insert shot of Mary putting the contract on the
table.
Scene 22L - a close up on Mary’s hand snuffing out the cigarette
in the ash tray.
Scene 22M - a close up shot of Mary putting the contract on the
table, putting a pen on the contract and pushing it to the middle
of the table.
Scene 22P - a close up of Bob taking the contract, looking at it
and signing it (from Bob’s point of view)

And this goes on and on until the entire scene is covered - until
all the shots the director wants have been shot.

Then when you are editing you have plenty of angles to choose
from. All the sound is in sync and if you recorded it well, with
no ambient noise, it will cut together as smoothly as the picture.

Gonzo_Entertainment said:

i've had a good actor be so spot on the editor didn't realize he was syncing the wrong sound until about 40 seconds into the shot when it finally started going out of sync because the actors delivery was IDENTICAL between the two takes.

Click to expand...

I, too, have had this happen. Surprisingly often.

FYI: I only hate a SUBSET of humanity.. and nobody here (yet) has gone so low as to be included in that set


Thanks for adding much useful information. I was trying to keep it simple and in the context of the previous comments about using inserts to cover mistakes... Even if you treat your inserts as irrelevant, you'll still have useful footage for covering dialogue issues. Treat them AS important, and you'll have even more options in editing. Having options is the SOUL of coverage method (yes\no\maybe?)

wheatgrinder said:

Having options is the SOUL of coverage method (yes\no\maybe?)

Click to expand...

Mostly?

(Actually yes is probably correct, but what fun is picking from the list?)