I'm just starting out and I find myself often having to pick between two of the best takes for a lot of takes. Usually the best acted one is near the beginning. But it's not shot as well, cause the actors often improve a little and their faces go off camera. The camera operator, is therefore late in following them as they move. Then there is the other best take of the same shot. This take is not as well acted but the camera stays on the actor, since we discussed after the improve what to do. But we still couldn't get it as well acted. So that's the choice I find myself having to make often. What would you guys often choose? So far I'm more confident choosing the better acted ones, even though the cam was a little off.
Better acting vs. better shooting takes.
- Thread starter harmonica44
- Start date
Have your blocking staged out, and your composition set up beforehand and you will not have to deal with this problem 
Yeah I can always edit both ways. Sometimes I like to do a whole scene in real time from all one angle without any editing to different angles or takes though. Those scenes are the more pickier ones in this case.
This is what blocking is all about - getting the director, DP, boom-op and actors all cognizant of the frame, placing marks, and practicing any camera movements.
If it is not BAD acting, use the take that works/looks best out of the two.
If it's clip with bad acting, not even Jesus' appearance in it can save it.
A lot of my actors best performances ended up on the cutting room floor because it didn't work with the rest of the film. Don't be afraid to cut and use what feels best for the film.
If it's clip with bad acting, not even Jesus' appearance in it can save it.
A lot of my actors best performances ended up on the cutting room floor because it didn't work with the rest of the film. Don't be afraid to cut and use what feels best for the film.
Go with the best balance...if you need to choose between the two, go with the well-acted one. If the acting is super-bad...try to fix it with ADR. 
Typically a last resort. Ha ha!
As mentioned above...set up your shots and rehearse blocking and camera until you can nail it...then have the actors rehearse a few times while acting (you can shoot these if you want)...then shoot it fo rizzle. If for some reason your focus pulling is muddy a lot (a wave sweeping our nation), get a new puller or hire amazingly patience cast and crew. Nothing is worse than take after take of emotionally charged scenes because camera can't hit it right...
Typically a last resort. Ha ha!As mentioned above...set up your shots and rehearse blocking and camera until you can nail it...then have the actors rehearse a few times while acting (you can shoot these if you want)...then shoot it fo rizzle. If for some reason your focus pulling is muddy a lot (a wave sweeping our nation), get a new puller or hire amazingly patience cast and crew.
Nothing is worse than take after take of emotionally charged scenes because camera can't hit it right...
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My personal preference would be to select the best performance, but only if the shot flaws are slight. Try to evaluate the degree of the performance on a scale (like 1 to 10) and the severity of the shot flaw (1 to 10) and do some math to figure out which shot should win out. Then be prepared to throw that away and go with your gut.
Good idea it is worth a try with some great editing you could make it work.
I've actually done this! In Adam Funn I have a shot where the first half of a line is from one take, the second half of the line from another take, and the video from a third. Our actor's performance was consistent enough that it fit together perfectly.
Currently exporting my second episode of my tutorials on audio post pro work... deals with editing dialog and pacing/ restructuring which I'll post as soon as it's up on the 'tube... specifically germane to this conversation about rearranging what you've shot to get a stronger product at the end.
I just saw the documentary, The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing. Listening to the Hollywood professionals in that film talk about, it's par for the course to mix and match a bit from an actor's performance here and a bit from his or her perfomance there and to construct from those bits the best performance for the film. One interviewee even muses that it's typical for actors to not realize what's been done in the editing room and to imagine that it's some very fine, unaltered performance/take that they delivered but that they do not recall delivering. But there was no magic take in which all the elements came together just right. The magic take was constructed from bits of multiple takes by the editors.
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The magic take was constructed from bits of multiple takes by the editors.
Yes, siree!
Sometimes with a great editing sequence, actors stare at the screen and don't recall that particular performance.
Remember, you can't make this magic if you don't take multiple takes, or better yet, move the camera often between takes.
That's true, but in order to do that I will have to cut to something else in between takes. Sometimes it's bad to cut to something else and it doesn't fit the moment of the scene if you do. I was referring to situations more like that I guess, where cutting to a different thing, will not make the moment work right.
Just added the dialog editing and pacing episode to this thread: http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=35911
It shows how I go about editing a dialog scene tegether... and covers some topics that are being specifically asked about here (and other threads -- I'll just post in the one, but know that the techniques are the same for the last 3 or 4 threads) by H44.
It shows how I go about editing a dialog scene tegether... and covers some topics that are being specifically asked about here (and other threads -- I'll just post in the one, but know that the techniques are the same for the last 3 or 4 threads) by H44.
Or if you're crazy good you move it during takes. I love watching a comfortable DP work...they just go there even mid-take. Move the entire rig, sticks and all. You have to get used to it...it's slightly jarring at first as an actor. I think DP/Director combos are best at this...they have the ultimate freedom.
