Directing the Camera
Page 25
Books on script writing/development and directing actors are useful up to a point. But to write a great screenplay you need an ear for great dialogue and a powerful imagination, and these are God-given talents. Similarly, the ability to say something to an actor that inspires his performance is intuited by the director and successfully communicated to the actor in the heat of the exchange between them. It is mostly second nature and cannot be taught.
However, the camera is an instrument. Given a certain input it always produces the same result. The masters of visual design have all used the camera in the same way to produce the same superior results. These techniques for successfully directing the camera are described in this book. My experience as a teacher assures me that if a student studies them and learns them, the student can use the camera in the same way as the masters of visual design to produce the same superior results.
A little information goes a long way in the study of visual design. Bob Zemeckis explained to me why the audience must never see the camera move and how to move it so they never see it. I have passed that information on to all my students, and, once they grasped it, they were able to always move their camera so the audience never saw the camera move, employing the same techniques that have been used by every great director from D. W. Griffith to James Cameron to achieve the exact same result.
In addition to learning these key elements of craft, the student must put them into practice repeatedly in order to attain a professional level of competence. The more practice the better. This is because, as I explain in the book, the rules, such as Bob’s Rule (see page 10), are simple. They are simple science and can be learned like math. However, every scene in every movie is unique, and requires a unique application of the rules to devise the very best visual design for that scene. The only way to become proficient at tailoring the rules to the unique requirements of a scene is by doing it over and over and noting how certain applications yield better results under certain circumstances.
If an aspiring director does the above, he will be prepared to succeed as a director in today’s film industry. He will know how to direct the camera to tell a story on film employing the same techniques as Hitchcock, Kubrick, and Spielberg. No other directorial skill is more useful, or in greater demand. This is because, in the world of professional filmmaking, that which goes into the script is carefully controlled by those who are paying for the production. In addition, most successful actors are able to elicit their best performance on their own without the assistance of a director. Therefore, being a great scriptwriter or a great director of actors is a sufficient but not necessary condition for success.
More than anything else, what a director is paid to do and expected to do expertly is direct the camera. In the last thirty years, the visual side of filmmaking has become increasingly powerful and complex. The ability to generate a film that looks like what a modern audience expects a film to look like has become the director’s primary responsibility. It sucks up most of the money needed to make a film and so those directors who always return brilliant results when using images to tell a story, in the tradition of Hitchcock, Kubrick, and Spielberg, will be the most in demand. These trends are accelerating, so, in the future, the requirement that, above all else, a director must be an expert at directing the camera will become increasingly true. All those who aspire to direct can use the lessons in this book to acquire that expertise.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gil Bettman is a director and a Professor in the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University in Los Angeles. He studied creative writing with Robert Lowell at Harvard and, in 1970, was awarded the Harvard Prize for literary excellence. Bettman has directed three feature films: Crystal Heart, Never Too Young to Die, and Night Vision, as well as multiple episodes of the television series Knight Rider, The Fall Guy, and BJ and the Bear. He has also directed numerous music videos for a variety of artists including Chicago and Sammy Hagar, in addition to two feature documentaries for Hagar: The Long Road to Cabo, and Go There Once, Be There Twice.
More information about Gil Bettman is available at:
www.hollywoodfilmdirecting.com/
www.gilbettman.com/
www.chapman.edu/our-faculty/gilbert-bettman
Photo by Nicolas Ordonez
MASTER SHOTS VOL 1 - 2ND ED.
100 ADVANCED CAMERA TECHNIQUES TO GET AN EXPENSIVE LOOK ON YOUR LOW-BUDGET MOVIE
CHRISTOPHER KENWORTHY
BEST SELLER
Master Shots gives filmmakers the techniques they need to execute complex, original shots on any budget. By using powerful master shots and well-executed moves, directors can develop a strong style and stand out from the crowd. Most low-budget movies look low-budget, because the director is forced to compromise at the last minute. Master Shots gives you so many powerful techniques that you’ll be able to respond, even under pressure, and create knockout shots. Even when the clock is ticking and the light is fading, the techniques in this book can rescue your film, and make every shot look like it cost a fortune.
Each technique is illustrated with samples from great feature films and computer-generated diagrams for absolute clarity.
“The camera is just a tool, and anyone who thinks making a movie is about knowing how to use a camera is destined to fail. In Master Shots, Christopher Kenworthy offers an excellent manual for using this tool to create images that arouse emotional impact and draw the viewer into the story. No matter what camera you’re using, don’t even think about turning it on until you’ve read this book!”
— Catherine Clinch, publisher MomsDigitalWorld.com
“Though one needs to choose any addition to a film book library carefully, what with the current plethora of volumes on cinema, Master Shots is an essential addition to any worthwhile collection.”
— Scott Essman, publisher, Directed By magazine
CHRISTOPHER KENWORTHY has worked as a writer, director, and producer for the past ten years. He directed the feature film The Sculptor, which played to sold-out screenings in Australia and received strong reviews. Recent works include sketch comedy for the BBC’s Scallywagga, a title sequence for National Geographic Channel, visual effects for 3D World, music videos for Pieces of Eight Records and Elefant Records, and an animated wall projection for The Blue Room Theatre in Perth, Australia. Kenworthy is the author of the best-selling Master Shots, two novels: The Winter Inside and The Quality of Light, and many short stories. Current projects include screenwriting, several directing assignments, and the development of additional Master Shots applications.
$26.95 | 362 PAGES | ORDER NUMBER 179RLS | ISBN: 9781615930876
MASTER SHOTS VOL 2
100 WAYS TO SHOOT GREAT DIALOGUE SCENES
CHRISTOPHER KENWORTHY
Building on the success of the best-selling Master Shots, this book goes much deeper, revealing the great directors’ secrets for making the most of the visual during the usual static dialogue scene. A strong scene is determined from where you put the camera and how you position and direct your actors. This is especially true when shooting dialogue. The techniques in Master Shots, Vol. 2 ensure that every plot point, every emotion, and every subtle meaning is communicated clearly.
This is the first book to show how important it is to shoot dialogue well. What’s the point of opening your scene with a great camera move, if you then just shoot the actors like a couple of talking heads? Master Shots, Vol. 2 gives you control of dialogue scenes, whether you’re shooting two characters or a room filled with multiple conversations.
Using examples from well-known films, the book gives 100 techniques, lavishly illustrated with movie frame-grabs, and overhead diagrams, to show exactly what you need to get the required result. At all times, the techniques have been broken down to their core points, so they will work on a fully equipped Hollywood set, or with the most basic video camera.
“A terrific sequel to the first Master Shots. If there’s a cool way to move the camera, Kenworthy has explained it to us. I can’
t wait to get this book into my students’ hands.”
— John Badham, director, Saturday Night Fever, WarGames; author, I’ll Be in My Trailer
“Master Shots, Vol 2 will inspire every filmmaker to think carefully about placement and movement of actors as seen through the camera lens. This book increases the reader’s appreciation for the critical work of the cinematographer and the director as they speak the language of film through images.”
— Mary J. Schirmer, screenwriter, screenwriting instructor, www.screenplayers.net
CHRISTOPHER KENWORTHY has worked as a writer, director, and producer for the past ten years. He directed the feature film The Sculptor, which played to sold-out screenings in Australia and received strong reviews. Recent works include sketch comedy for the BBC’s Scallywagga, a title sequence for National Geographic Channel, visual effects for 3D World, music videos for Pieces of Eight Records and Elefant Records, and an animated wall projection for The Blue Room Theatre in Perth, Australia. Kenworthy is the author of the best-selling Master Shots, two novels: The Winter Inside and The Quality of Light, and many short stories. Current projects include screenwriting, several directing assignments, and the development of additional Master Shots applications.
$26.95 | 240 PAGES | ORDER NUMBER 167RLS | ISBN: 9781615930555
MASTER SHOTS VOL 3
THE DIRECTOR’S VISION
100 SETUPS, SCENES AND MOVES FOR YOUR BREAKTHROUGH MOVIE
CHRISTOPHER KENWORTHY
Master Shots has been one of the most successful filmmaking book series of all time. Master Shots Vol 1, 2nd edition and Master Shots Vol 2 have generated cumulative sales of more than 60,000 copies and critical acclaim throughout the world. In this new volume, Kenworthy helps directors define their vision in every shot. This book provides the techniques to make a breakthrough film.
“Master Shots Vol 3 offers fabulous insight into the purpose behind each shot. I’m so thankful for this book — it’s my new secret weapon!”
— Trevor Mayes, Screenwriter/Director
“Finally! Someone has had the cleverness, initiative, and imagination to set down on paper a film language that has been passed down and amalgamated only by word of mouth since the days of Méliès and D. W. Griffith. Like Dr. Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language, Christopher Kenworthy’s Master Shots series seeks to make tangible and permanent what otherwise might be gone with the wind.”
— John Badham, Director, Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, Short Circuit; Author, I’ll Be in My Trailer and John Badham on Directing; Professor of Media Arts, The Dodge School, Chapman University
“A fascinating look at amazingly simple ways to use the camera, making this an essential read for anyone looking to hone the craft of visual storytelling.”
— Erin Corrado, www.onemoviefiveviews.com
CHRISTOPHER KENWORTHY is the creator of a new series of Master Shots e-books (with HD video and audio) including Master Shots: Action, Master Shots: Suspense, and Master Shots: Story. He’s the author of the best-selling Master Shots Vols 1 and 2, with Master Shots Vol 3: The Director’s Vision released in 2013.
$26.95 | 238 PAGES | ORDER NUMBER 196RLS | ISBN: 9781615931545
FIRST TIME DIRECTOR
HOW TO MAKE YOUR BREAKTHROUGH MOVIE
GIL BETTMAN
FOREWORD BY ROBERT ZEMECKIS
The first time director needs all the help he or she can get, especially on the set. That’s what this book delivers. In the highly competitive marketplace where too many films vie for too little screen space, first time directors must meet the visual standards as established by Spielberg, Scorsese, and Stone. A tall order for any novice, but Gil Bettman arms you with the no-nonsense information and strategies to meet these ideals.
You’ll learn:
• Walking the tightrope: How to maximize the director-producer relationship
• Going for the gold: Why “casting” is a job that never ends
• “Eye candy:” How to move your camera like Spielberg
• Silver bullets: Three quick fixes to make bad actors better and good actors great
• Lens craft: The under-appreciated art of picking lenses that heighten drama
• Teambuilding: How to make sure your key players on the set are all on the same page — and happy to be there
• Before and after: How to stay on top of the pre-and postproduction details that count the most
This book will enable you to pull form from chaos and make the best film possible — no matter your resources.
“Gil Bettman has lucidly set down the ABCs of directing so that dedicated students can learn exactly what will be required of them when they step onto a set.”
— from the Foreword by Robert Zemeckis, Director, The Polar Express; Cast Away; What Lies Beneath; Contact; Forrest Gump; Back to the Future I, II, & III; Who Framed Roger Rabbit; Romancing the Stone
GIL BETTMAN has directed three feature films, dozens of primetime TV shows, and many top music videos. He is an Associate Professor in the School of Film and Television at Chapman University in Los Angeles.
$27.95 | 300 PAGES | ORDER NUMBER 113RLS | ISBN: 9780941188777
THE WORKING FILM DIRECTOR – 2ND EDITION
HOW TO ARRIVE, SURVIVE & THRIVE IN THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR
CHARLES WILKINSON
There are many books on the art of directing. The Working Film Director is the only book about the career itself. Building on the success and popularity of the 1st edition of The Working Director, this new edition adds entirely new and up-to-the-minute focus on the current world of the entry-level filmmaker, the filmmaker looking to move up, and the director who’s fighting to reinvent a once promising career. Readers learn where filmmakers find the filmmaking skills they need, how to approach the so-critical first film, how to land that first directing job, and how to get a suddenly silent phone to start ringing again. Using examples from his three decades directing high-profile productions, writer/director Charles Wilkinson shares a thousand lessons learned by himself and his fellow working directors.
This book demystifies the art of maintaining a career in directing film and television, dramatically illustrating how much of what it takes to work as a director actually has little to do with the technical side of directing. The book offers insights into how to cope with the unique emotional and social demands of the job, offering numerous tips on how to handle the intense levels of competition for every single project, and presenting vital insights on how to recognize, avoid, and even reverse the many career-busting missteps dotting the minefield that every successful director must face.
“A must-read for anyone interested in making film or television their career, as well as those interested in film in general. I have never read a more comprehensive and informative study of the working director going through their creative paces.”
— Brent Karl Clackson, Producer, Dead Like Me, The Highlander, The Outer Limits
CHARLES WILKINSON is an award-winning writer/director. His recent documentary, Down Here, received critical and audience success on the international festival circuit. His current film, Peace Out, was named Most Popular Canadian Documentary at the 2011 Vancouver International Film Festival as well as at the 2012 Available Light International Film Festival.
$26.95 | 300 PAGES | ORDER NUMBER 190RLS | ISBN: 9781615931323
CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR DIRECTORS
A GUIDE FOR CREATIVE COLLABORATION
JACQUELINE B. FROST
The essential handbook for directors and aspiring filmmakers who want to get the best visuals for their films while establishing a collaborative relationship with their cinematographer.
Through balancing interviews with working ASC cinematographers and the technical, aesthetic, and historical side of cinematography, this book guides directors toward a more powerful collaboration with their closest ally, the cinematographer. Topics include selecting a cinematographer, discussing the script with the cinematographer, choosing the appropriate vi
sual style for the film, color palette, various film and HD formats, and postproduction processes including the digital intermediate.
“I urge all aspiring filmmakers to read Cinematography for Directors. Frost has the ability to put the director at ease by bringing clarity to the notoriously elusive relationship between the filmmaker and the cinematographer . . . The numerous thrilling interviews she conducts create an empowering message: that the dynamic between the director and their cinematographer can be a relationship of understanding, ease, humor, passion and, above all, true collaboration.”
— Bryce Dallas Howard, Actress (Terminator Salvation, Spider-Man 3, As You Like It, Lady in the Water, The Village), Writer, Producer, Director
“Far too few books about the filmmaking process address the complex, challenging, and intensely collaborative relationship that exists between the director and the cinematographer. Drawing on her vast experience as a working cinematographer and as a film school professor, Frost deftly combines her clear appreciation of the profession of cinematography with a pragmatic guide for how to accomplish these often startling and culturally-significant moments of visual artistry”
— Denise Mann, Head, UCLA Producers Program; Associate Professor, Department of Film, TV, Digital Media, University of California, Los Angeles
JACQUELINE B. FROST has been teaching film and video production and film history for twenty years at various universities including Miami, Penn State University, and the University of Oklahoma. She currently teaches cinematography and advanced film production at California State University, Fullerton where she is an Associate Professor. She regularly teaches a course through the UCLA extension entitled, Cinematography for Directors, on which the book is based. In addition to teaching, Jacqueline has been the cinematographer on numerous sort films, independent feature films, and documentaries that have been screened in film festivals.