Last week we looked at jump cuts and how it’s a good idea to avoid them. Today, however, we’re going to look at how to avoid the jump cut by using the match cut.

     The match cut basically is the exact opposite of the jump cut. While the jump cut fails to connect two different scenes seamlessly, the match cut provides visual logic between two scenes by matching something in one scene with something in the next. The match cut’s job is to provide continuity and flow by following an action or character over multiple shots. 

     To do this, you must think in terms of the average viewer. If you see one character looking of screen, the next logical shot would be to show what that character was looking at. If you’ve done that, you’ve just created a small match cut shot.

     The best thing about match cuts is that although they are common in the film world and easy to make, they also have the potential to create great impact on scenes. This is because they can be used to create metaphors.

     Here is a good example of the match cut being a metaphor from 1971 dark comedy Harold and Maude (director Hal Ashby):

     See how the sequence of shots is a clear metaphor for standing out versus fitting in. Ashby does a good job connecting the importance of seeing yourself as an individual flower instead of lost in a sea of the same flower. Then the director takes it a step further by comparing the field of flowers to a field of unmarked headstones in a graveyard filled with people already forgotten. 

     Check back here next Friday at 7 pm for another lesson on the basics of script writing! 

     For today’s lesson: the dreaded jump cut. Oh, how filmmakers and film-viewers alike hate the jump cut! I mentioned this type of shot a few posts back, but it definitely warrants its own blog post because of how many beginning filmmakers make the mistake of incorporating jump cuts.

     

     What is a jump cut?

• A jump cut is when two or more chronological shots of the same character or action are taken and the shot only varies slightly, causing the elements inside the frame to “jump.” This confuses the audience and generally is just bad filmmaking.

     The first rule of jump cuts: never use them. Unless you are consciously trying to disorient the audience for some strange, aesthetic appeal, don’t ever use the jump cut.

     How to avoid jump cuts:

•        Zoom instead of cutting
•       Shoot from a different angle to make the frame of the two shots different.

     Here’s a good tutorial to wrap up any loose ends and for a better visual example of the jump cut:

     See you next Friday at 7 p.m. for another lesson on the match cut. If you have any comments or questions please let me know!

Hey there,

One shot that many beginning filmmakers tend to forget is the reaction shot. A reaction shot, like its name suggests, shows the reaction a character has to what is being done or said on screen. Whether it is drama or comedy, this is a vital concept that all genres of film must abide by. To do this, you should film the scene like you normally would, capturing the appropriate action and dialogue. For the best results, go back and shoot the scene again, this time focusing on one character’s reaction.

            The reaction should always tell the audience something so only use them when the situation calls for it. You don’t need a reaction shot for every line of dialogue. If you have a scene of a man ordering coffee in a café, chances are you don’t need a reaction shot of the waiter.

            If you’ve learned anything from the past posts I’ve done, it should be that everything in film relates back to the audience. This is why reaction shots are so crucial because it not only lets the viewers in on the mindset of your characters, but it can also tell the audience about the story as a whole.

            Here’s a pretty funny video I stumbled upon that is filled with that show the cause and effect nature of reaction shots from some of the best movies of all time. 

     See you all next Friday at 7 p.m. If you can think of any of your own favorite reaction shots let me know!

Hi all,

     I thought I’d diverge a bit from the structured material I normally post and discuss something a little more fun. Whether it be from special effects or picking the right song to go with a scene, one of the best parts about filmmaking is incorporating sound.

     Sound is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal because it directly taps into the viewer’s emotions. Films do this in a number of ways, but to demonstrate this best I’m going to introduce you to some awesome examples of music montages in film. The first is from Wes Anderson’s Royal Tenenbaums with the song Needle in the Hay by Elliot Smith.  

     Notice how even without context, the montage tells a story. Also note how the scene uses music to influence the viewer’s perspective of the mood of the film. It also makes good use of silence as a tool as well, which many films forget to do.

     Another classic example is from Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko with the song Head Over Heels by Tears for Fears.

     This montage is excellent for not only incorporating a fitting song that matches the pace of the plot, but it also advances the storyline as well.

     Music is a great way to connect with the audience and to create a better feel for your film. So next time you’re planning out a script, challenge yourself and put in a montage!

     If you guys have any of your own favorite montages in film, let me know! See you next Friday at 7 p.m. for a lesson on how to plan before filming.

Rule of Thirds

Hey guys,
     Sorry this is a few days late. I thought I had is set on automatic post for Friday at 7, but it didn't seem to go through.

     We’ve got an important topic to cover today — the rule of thirds! Most people’s first impression of a shot is to make everything in the shot front and center, but normally this isn’t the case. In film, you want the subjects in your shot to be a little off kilter.

     You do this by imagining your shot is broken up into thirds, hence the title “rule of thirds.” To do this, imagine there is an invisible grid of lines running over the shot, cutting your shot into nine equally sized squares. For further emphasis, here is an embarrassing childhood photo of my brother and I that we can use as a demonstration: 

     Imagine this is your shot. Now you’ve broken the shot into nine squares so the “weight” of the shot is focused on the bottom, right third of the shot. By putting your shot off balance, it makes it more interesting and dynamic. A straight on shot is often boring and predictable.

     Check in next week for a post on interesting ways to use sound in your film. See you all next Friday at 7 p.m.

Hi guys,

     Today, I want to talk a little bit about the importance of including entrance and exit shots. A common mistake that beginning filmmakers make is that they do not include their subjects entering a scene or leaving a scene. Without these, the often-dreaded “jump cut” tends to happen, in which characters seem to have been magically placed in a scene or magically disappear from one. You want to avoid this. It’s confusing for the viewers to follow and just isn’t good visual story telling.

     It’s simple. Say you would like to show your character in one location, and then you want to take that character to another:

1.     Take a shot of your subject walking out of the shot. It does not always have to be the subject physically exiting a door, but you want them to walk out of the frame.

2.     Leave the scene “empty,” or devoid of the character, for a few seconds so the viewers know that they’ve made their exit.

3.     Now, show your subject entering a scene at another location by having the character walk into the frame. This way it doesn’t appear like they’ve teleported themselves there.

     Check out this site for some great visual tutorials on how to accomplish exit and entrance shots successfully.

     It does not always have to be this cut and dry. Once you get a handle on the basics, you can try to get a little more creative, like this scene from one of the greatest iconic movies of all time, Dazed and Confused:

     Notice how the camera follows their car into the shot and then the scene cuts to a straight-ahead shot of them walking into the Emporium. It's clean and concise. This is a creative way to show a exit and entrance scene.

    Have a great weekend! And tune in next Friday at 7 p.m. to learn about the rule of thirds in film. 

Cutaway Shot

Hi All,

     Welcome back for a lesson on the cutaway shot. This technique is used to cutaway from the main action, hence the title “cutaway” shot. For example, two people are sitting in a park, feeding pigeons and talking. The first few shots obviously would be on the character that is doing the talking. To make things a little more visually appealing to the audience, you would use the cutaway shot to do a close-up on the pigeon or maybe a child chasing a Frisbee through the park. This way the audience now has a better grasp on the point of view of the main subject, on what the main subject is seeing. You are trying to make sure your audience is as closely emerged into the character’s surroundings as possible.

Cutaway shots can also be used to:

• Show action: say a character is talking on his cell phone through New York and up a head he spots someone being mugged. The camera does a cutaway shot to show the action that is taking place.
• Show reactions: the character is breaking the news to her husband that she is dying of cancer. This is a serious moment that demands a cutaway shot of her husband’s shocked and devastated face.
• Fix mistakes: say the audio of a character is still intact, but the shot is messed up for some reason, you could do a cutaway shot (possibly over-the-shoulder) of another’s reaction to cover-up the mistake.

Here is a good example of the cutaway shot that cuts away from the main scene and introduces a new plot point:

     Notice how Ted’s voice carries over into the next shot, but you don’t actually see him delivering the lines. For all you know, he could be recording them in the studio. Also note how they use the cutaway shot to tell a short recap of a story and then cut back to the main action.

     See you all back here next Friday at 7 p.m. for a lesson on filming exit and entrance shots!