Here’s a simple exercise to practice combining 6 different kids of shots (or more)
-Subject walks down the hall, turns the corner.
-Subject sees something scary or unexpected
-Subject drops papers to the floor
When in post production (editing), use transitions that support the main idea
Here’s how to block this out using a simple story board. In Hollywood, several cameras are used at the same time from different angles and positions. The clips from each camera are then combined in post production. But you have just one camera, so the “talent” in each of your projects will need to repeat the action so the single camera person can get each shot. The shots are then brought into iMovie on the Macbook Air and edited as post production there.
Here is a sequence of some suggested shots and angles. Adjust these as you’d like:
- camera looks from inside room through the glass in the door seeing Student walk by, holding some papers.
- camera looks straight ahead at same student walking down the hall: high, side or low angle
- camera looks from behind student walking down hall: high, side or low angle
- camera positioned around corner: student walks around corner toward camera: low angle is especially effective and subject walks out of shot. (Camera does NOT follow the student, but remains pointed in same position during entire shot.
- student opens door, looks shocked and drops papers
- camera shot at end focuses on the papers.
- There are several things that could be done with this last shot. Drop of blood on the papers? A scream “off camera.” Camera twists/turns as if student is reeling/spinning;
- an alternate ending is that the student disappears
- clip of student entering room or walking down hallway
- then clip of empty doorway or hallway
- fade clip of student in empty doorway/hallway to empty doorway/hallway to make him/her disappear
Remember, there are many ways to tell the story. If you watch TV, be watching for these kinds of camera shots.