When author Harris Watts visited us last season he was a great hit with
members. His books "
Directing on Camera" and "
On
Camera" originally written for the BBC television directors
are now the accepted authority for anyone involved in the art of making
successful video or film. I am sure we all hope it will be possible
for Harris to visit us again before too long.
In the meantime Harris Watts has very kindly allowed the RFVM to
use small extracts from his books to include in our club magazine.
This serves to highlight the value of buying your own copy of his
books, as well as focusing our attention to help us to improve our
technique and the quality of our productions
.
Show Things Happening
(extract from "Directing on Camera" by Harris Watts)
Television is moving pictures. So it's no use turning up to shoot
when the meeting is over, the factory is empty or the children have
gone home. Whenever possible you should shoot action, not inaction.
There's no point filling the screen with nothing happening - it doesn't
offer much of an experience for the viewer to share. You need to show
things happening.
Suppose you are going to make a short film about houseboats. What
are you going to shoot? If your answer is 'Houseboats' and nothing
else, you haven't done enough planning. A collection of shots of houseboats
might make a photographic exhibition, but it won't make a film. Your
viewers need something with a bit more movement.
But there's nothing happening here!
First impressions of locations are often less than encouraging. Spend
some time on the location. Stop and look and think, ask questions.
What is the daily routine of the person living on the houseboat? What
are the advantages and disadvantages of houseboat living? How do you
look for a houseboat to buy one? How did the owner find this one?
What interests you about the boat and owner? What about the neighbours
and surroundings - anyone or anything interesting there? If you are
chatting to someone later about your visit, what do you talk about?
The answers to these questions will give you ideas for happenings
to shoot. The happenings don't have to be grand or important. The
houseboat owner showing the camera (and the viewer) his boat (kitchen,
bathroom, bedroom and so on); the houseboat owner fishing from the
deck (one of the advantages of living on a boat), the houseboat owner
locking up and setting the alarm (one of the disadvantages of living
on a boat), perhaps explaining points and answering questions as he
does so. It begins to feel like a film.
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