(Reading) Recommendations for Camera Blocking / Scene Design

[Hanno Mertin]

Hi everyone,

in my film school I am learning a lot, but yet none of my cinematography teachers have talked about “rules” for camera blocking / scene design for classic yet complicated staging of actors. For example in the podcast episode with Editor Lisa Churgin she talked about a “rule” for how to shoot a triangle staging of actors having an interaction of some kind, like a dialogue – something that comes up all the time. Paraphrasing a bit, but Mrs Churgin said, “youre either in the triangle or you are out of the triangle", and Slawomir Idziak had mixed both "in" and "out" during the movie 'Gattaca' - she said it didnt cut together so they had to reshoot it.

At my film school, the directors most often expect me (a cinematography student) to be aware of such “rules” on how to cover a scene, from simple one-on-one to complex table group interactions. So this comment from Mrs Churgin sparked my interest because that seems like a “rule” one should know ahead of time. I am aware of the importance of eyelines, the 180 deg rule and controlling “looking space” in the composition of a frame, I assume those all play into these kind of situations and are the foundation of it all. I wondered if there are more of these kind of “rules” (a term not to be taken too seriously but still very fitting for what was described in the episode). So if anyone has a recommendation for how to study simple to complex camera blocking situations, either in the form of a book, articles, videos or maybe even movie scenes that show various blocking situations, I highly appreciate your input.

Thanks guys!
All the best
Hanno

@hannomertin
Cinematography Student | Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg

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[Hanno Mertin]

Oh sorry, something got messed up with the formating there I guess

@hannomertin
Cinematography Student | Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg

[Roger Deakins]

I learnt through shooting documentaries and from watching films. I would suggest watching the masters of camera blocking: Melville, Tarkovsky, Bresson, Goddard, Huston, Wilder, Kirosawa ….. Study a film, a good example would be Army of Shadows, and try to understand why Melville moves the camera in one scene and shoots with a locked off camera for another. When and why he crosses the line. Why he uses a long series of seemingly simple shots to build up an event or simply cuts from one event to another with no connecting tissue. Why he holds a shot for an extended length of time or uses a rapid montage – etc.

[Hanno Mertin]

Yes Sir, will do. Luckily my film school has a fairly extensive library of films 🙂 thanks for taking the time.

@hannomertin
Cinematography Student | Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg

[rama lingam]

Master Roger I am just wondering Why he holds a shot for an extended length of time in ‘army of shadows’ Nazi marching opening scene?

[Author]

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