Thread by @looseyliu

Ello! Me again :) I've been wanting to do another #storyboarding thread on some techniques to simplify the #filmmaking process -- to help answer that ever-nagging question: WHAT SHOT COMES NEXT?

Let's start with the first idea here: "SHOT / REVERSE SHOT." You might actually hear this a bit more in live-action filmmaking. But what does it mean exactly? I really like this definition from joe940 on Slideshare. plus adding my paraphrasing:

so let's back up & imagine you *IRL* are observing a conversation - to follow along, your eyes naturally move back and forth between the two ppl as either one speaks, or lingers on one as they react in an interesting way or as they take a moment to ponder...

What u naturally do w/ ur eyes (+turning ur head) is what camera+editing do for the film audience: mediating b/t either side of the scene as it unfolds (not to mention, dropping u in the middle of the action too!)

⭐ THIS is the essence of "Shot / Reverse Shot"

Now, let's put you in the MIDDLE of the "action" (like some invisible ghost standing between the two speakers). So now, you get to see each personal more frontally, which is also more along the lines of what the film camera would see...

Instead of talking heads, you could also imagine yourself watching a tennis match IRL: you're constantly looking back and forth between either side. (I mean......... you could even think of a tennis match as a metaphorical conversation in its own right!)

THIS to me is the secret sauce to shooting a scene: think of your scene as a CONVERSATION, whether it has dialogue or not, whether it's a character watching TV or brawling someone else, whether it has 2+ characters or just 1 person on their own

So how do I find the Reverse shot? Start by visualizing ur scene overhead & identify the line of action (& remember 180 rule). Try to stage the scene along 1 straight line; avoid placing characters in a square/circle. It simplifies the way u shoot!

You can also ask:

Now let's break down this chase scene from The Incredibles (2005). We'll go over just a few sections, but feel free to observe these principles in action in the rest of the sequence!

Here's a shot-by-shot anatomy of a few different moments, along w/ some overhead diagrams. Notice: Most of the cams point in ONLY 2 DIFF DIRECTIONS, diametrically opposed!

⭐Moral of the story: u really *don't need* to shoot in a million diff directions/angles!!!

Now let's talk about film technique no.2 -- "PUNCH-IN / PUNCH-OUT." I'mma use this term rather liberally, so here's what I really mean:

re: camera moves, the general idea is abt connecting 2 or more compositions in just 1 shot. A zoom or dolly can cover the 2 shots/keyframes of a Punch In/Out. Or a horizontal pan can cover the same as a Shot/ReverseShot. These simple moves are EVERYWHERE! for a reason!

Altogether, including the shots w supporting camera moves, "Shot/ReverseShot" and "PunchIn/Out" cover almost 80% of this Incredibles scene!! Wowza!

But for the shots that BREAK this pattern - WHY?? These shots can actually accomplish a variety of things, mainly *introducing new information* or a new idea.

Here are some other things you can "say" as a filmmaker, when you break this standard shot pattern:

Let's look at some of those outlier shots at work here in this Incredibles sequence, and what their filmic purposes are:

These ☝️ can often be the more dynamic "hero" shots, but use them only when u wanna say something specific! Shot/ReverseShot already works to ground u in the action. So imagine watching 2 ppl talk but then suddenly floating miles above??! 👎 Ejects u out of the scene!

I would even argue that Shot/Reverse-Shot + PunchIn/Out make for the most natural shot pattern, and if you stick to them for most of the scene (instead of doing crazy shot after crazy shot), you can even help make those HERO SHOTS feel more impactful!

To really observe these shot patterns at work, I'd most recommend watching live-action films! They're EVERYWHERE!

(FYI anime isn't always a good source to study this. not a bad thing and i love anime, just a very different cinematic language that's often more poetic, ambient)

So next time ur stumped on what shot to #storyboard next, ask:

* What do I see if I point the cam the opposite direction?
* What actions from this other angle can advance the scene?
* Or is it time to intro a new idea, & break the shot pattern?

This vid does an incredible job explaining a complex scenario like multicharacter dialogue. Notice the line of action changes depending on who's speaking (aka. who's IMPORTANT in each key beat/exchange), but the backbone is the Shot/ReverseShot volley!

And another video about using Shot/ReverseShot in conjunction with POV's, and how to subvert this shot pattern for unique cinematic effects!

In conclusion, K.I.S.S.! These 2 techniques are really simple, elegant shot patterns that audiences actually EXPECT. Especially in fast-paced action scenes, all these traits really help ur story read CLEARLY & INSTANTLY: important stuff! No need to over-complicate!

ok out of thread space, byee