From American Cinematographer, Camera Technique Dominates Filming Results by Claude W. Cadarette (January 1940)
Every movement of the camera must have a definite purpose behind it, and if it is done without a good reason you are just retarding the tempo of the picture.
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note from ryan: This is not something I learned today, but a truth that was retold from an article written over 70+ years ago! It's quite frustrating that such advice and wisdom has been around for so long, yet legions of new filmmakers and directors insist on camera moves with no motivation or justification. What Claude failed to mention, is unjustified camera moves not only slow the tempo of the picture, but the tempo of the production. Elaborate dolly shots can cause longer set-up and execution times.
I read, discuss, and discover new things about cinematography everyday. Most of it, I consider incredibly interesting. Everyday I will share one of those things, maybe more if I have time.
Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
11.5.09
James Foley: Control vs. Creativity
From American Cinematographer, More Trouble in Little China by Eric Rudolph (March 1999)
Film: The Corruptor
Director: James Foley
DP: Juan Ruiz-Anchia, ASC, AEC
Foley and Anchia were also motivated by a mutual desire to return to a more adventurous style of filmmaking. "Directing feature films is a strenuous exercise," Foley acknowledges.
"You're getting up at five in the morning and going at it for 12 or more hours, day after day. It's physically exhausting, and it's tempting to make the safe, conservative choices to get through the day more easily. However, over the course of several films, I've learned that the threat to good filmmaking is not the danger of getting out of control; the threat to creativity is to be too much in control."
Foley believes the high-risk nature of mainstream filmmaking pushes creative people toward the safe center. "There is an unconscious tendency toward the center and tremendous pressure to do things the correct way," he says. "You're expected to shoot the master and then the close-up, so everyone will be happy with you. Once in a while, we'd get a call from the producers of The Corruptor after they'd seen the dailies, and they'd ask, 'Where's the close-up?' Sometimes my response was, 'Who says there is one?' Fortunately, despite occasional questions of that sort, [our distributor,] New Line Cinema, was very supportive of our unorthodox approach."
Film: The Corruptor
Director: James Foley
DP: Juan Ruiz-Anchia, ASC, AEC
Foley and Anchia were also motivated by a mutual desire to return to a more adventurous style of filmmaking. "Directing feature films is a strenuous exercise," Foley acknowledges.
"You're getting up at five in the morning and going at it for 12 or more hours, day after day. It's physically exhausting, and it's tempting to make the safe, conservative choices to get through the day more easily. However, over the course of several films, I've learned that the threat to good filmmaking is not the danger of getting out of control; the threat to creativity is to be too much in control."
Foley believes the high-risk nature of mainstream filmmaking pushes creative people toward the safe center. "There is an unconscious tendency toward the center and tremendous pressure to do things the correct way," he says. "You're expected to shoot the master and then the close-up, so everyone will be happy with you. Once in a while, we'd get a call from the producers of The Corruptor after they'd seen the dailies, and they'd ask, 'Where's the close-up?' Sometimes my response was, 'Who says there is one?' Fortunately, despite occasional questions of that sort, [our distributor,] New Line Cinema, was very supportive of our unorthodox approach."
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