Filming Basics 101

Summary

This video script offers a humorous take on the basics of filming, starting with the rule of thirds for shot composition. It advises on framing, including lead room for moving subjects and ensuring eye level is appropriate. The script then covers transitioning between shots smoothly, using techniques like cut on action and reaction shots. It emphasizes the importance of editing to maintain viewer interest, suggesting when to cut based on action, music, or audience reaction. The video concludes by encouraging viewers to break the rules and have fun while creating their own unique content.

Takeaways

• 🎥 **Framing Basics**: Start with the rule of thirds to balance your shot composition.
• 👁️ **Eyes on Frame**: For shots of people, place their eyes along the top third line of the frame.
• 👀 **Look Room**: Provide space in the direction your subject is looking to avoid a trapped feeling.
• 🏃 **Lead Room**: When filming moving subjects, give them space in front to prevent them from leaving the frame.
• ✂️ **Cuts and Transitions**: Use cuts on action to transition between shots without disrupting the viewer.
• 🤔 **Hide Edits**: Use full-frame subjects or reactions as opportunities to switch to different shots.
• 😄 **Reaction Shots**: Use audience reactions to convey the mood and emotions of a scene.
• ⏱️ **Shot Duration**: Vary shot lengths to maintain viewer interest, but don't overdo quick edits.
• 🎶 **Sync with Music**: If there's music, cut shots to match the rhythm or significant beats.
• 🗣️ **Speaker and Audience**: When filming speeches, occasionally show the audience to maintain context.
• 💡 **Breaking Rules**: Know the rules to effectively break them and create unique, artistic shots.

Q & A

What is the first thing to consider when starting to make videos?

The first thing to consider when starting to make videos is framing.

What is the rule of thirds in filming?

The rule of thirds is a guideline used to help compose a shot by imagining the image divided into nine equal boxes by two horizontal and two vertical lines, with subjects ideally placed at the intersections of these lines.

Why is it important to consider the eyes' position when filming a person?

It's important to position a person's eyes at the top one-third of the frame or along the top horizontal line to maintain a balanced composition.

What is look room and why is it significant in filming?

Look room refers to framing a shot in a way that the direction a subject is looking has more space, providing the audience with a sense of where the character is looking off-screen.

How should you frame a shot when the subject is moving?

When a subject is moving, you should give them more lead room by placing them on the opposite side of the frame from the direction they're moving towards.

What is a cut on action and how is it used in filming?

A cut on action is a technique where you cut from one shot to another while the subject is in motion, making the transition less noticeable to the viewer.

Why might you consider cutting to a different shot when a speaker moves their hands or changes direction?

Cutting to a different shot during a speaker's hand movement or direction change can provide a smoother transition and keep the viewer engaged.

How can you use a subject filling the entire frame to your advantage in editing?

When a subject fills the entire frame, you can use this moment to switch to a closer shot or a different angle without the audience noticing the edit.

What is a reaction shot and when should you use it?

A reaction shot is a cut to a character's reaction to something, used to let the viewer feel the emotions and atmosphere of the scene.

How does the length of a shot in a film relate to the content being filmed?

The length of a shot should be determined by the content and the desired effect on the viewer, with faster cuts often used for action and slower cuts for dialogue or emotional scenes.

Why is it important to show the audience in a filmed event?

Showing the audience in a filmed event helps to establish context and the environment in which the speaker is communicating, enhancing the viewer's experience.

What is the final piece of advice given in the script for aspiring filmmakers?

The final piece of advice is to know the rules but also be willing to break them to create your own unique style, and most importantly, to have fun while filming.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Filming Basics: Framing and Composition

This paragraph introduces the basics of filming, focusing on framing techniques. It humorously suggests a mischievous way to frame someone but then correctly explains the rule of thirds, which involves dividing the frame into nine equal boxes to help balance subjects. The paragraph also discusses the importance of leaving room for a subject's gaze direction (look room) and for a subject's movement (lead room), ensuring they don't accidentally leave the frame. It touches on transitioning between shots, mentioning the 'cut on action' technique and using reactions or speaker movements as natural transition points.

05:01

🎬 Editing Techniques and the Importance of Enjoying the Process

The second paragraph delves into editing techniques, emphasizing the importance of matching cuts with the rhythm of the content, such as music or action. It advises on cutting less frequently when filming a speaker to maintain context but suggests occasionally showing the audience to provide a sense of the room. The paragraph concludes by encouraging filmmakers to break the rules when necessary to create their unique style, and most importantly, to have fun while filming.

Keywords

💡Framing

Framing in film refers to the way a scene is composed within the camera's viewfinder. It is crucial for guiding the viewer's attention and creating visual balance. In the script, framing is introduced as a basic principle of filmmaking, with the 'rule of thirds' being a specific technique to achieve this. The rule of thirds involves dividing the frame into nine equal boxes with imaginary lines, and placing the subject at the intersection of these lines to create a balanced and engaging composition.

💡Rule of Thirds

The 'Rule of Thirds' is a fundamental principle in photography and film directing. It suggests that an image should be divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal and vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. In the script, this concept is used to illustrate how to compose a shot effectively, enhancing the visual appeal and guiding the viewer's focus.

💡Look Room

Look room is a concept in film directing that refers to the space in the frame where a subject is looking or moving towards. Providing ample look room helps to make the scene feel more natural and gives the viewer a sense of the space beyond the frame. In the script, it's mentioned that when a subject is looking in a particular direction, the shot should be framed to give more space in that direction, avoiding the appearance of confinement.

💡Lead Room

Lead room is the space in front of a moving subject within the frame, which allows for the motion to continue without abruptly leaving the shot. This concept is important for maintaining visual continuity and ensuring that the action unfolds smoothly on screen. The script mentions that when filming a moving subject, one should give them lead room by placing them on the opposite side of the frame from the direction they are moving.

💡Cut on Action

A 'cut on action' is a film editing technique where the cut from one shot to another occurs during an action that continues in the next shot. This method helps to mask the edit and maintain the flow of the action. The script uses the example of cutting between shots of a person pouring a drink to illustrate how this technique can be used to seamlessly transition between different angles or shots.

💡Transition

A transition in film refers to the way scenes or shots change from one to another. Smooth transitions are key to maintaining narrative flow and can be achieved through various techniques. The script discusses several methods, such as cutting on action or using reactions, to create transitions that are less noticeable to the audience, thus keeping them engaged in the story.

💡Reaction Shot

A reaction shot is a type of shot in film that focuses on the emotional response of a character to something that has just occurred. This technique is used to convey the character's feelings and to give the audience a sense of the atmosphere or emotions in a scene. The script mentions using reaction shots during laughter after a joke to show the audience's response and to enhance the comedic effect.

💡Shot Length

Shot length refers to the duration a particular shot is held on screen. It can vary greatly depending on the desired effect, pacing, and narrative. The script contrasts quick edits, like those in 'The Bourne Supremacy,' with longer shots to illustrate how shot length can influence the pace and intensity of a film. It also suggests that the length of a shot should be determined by the content and the creator's intent.

💡Editing

Editing is the process of selecting and combining shots to create a coherent and engaging narrative. It involves decisions about when to cut, what shots to use, and how they fit together. The script discusses various editing techniques, emphasizing that while rules like the rule of thirds are important, they can also be broken to create unique and artistic films.

💡Cuts

In film, a 'cut' refers to the transition from one shot to another. It is one of the most basic editing techniques and can be used to change the location, time, or action within a scene. The script uses the term in the context of discussing different types of cuts, such as cuts on action or reaction cuts, to demonstrate how they can be used to enhance storytelling.

💡Artsy

The term 'artsy' is often used to describe films or videos that prioritize artistic expression over traditional storytelling techniques. It can imply a more experimental or unconventional approach to filmmaking. In the script, being 'artsy' is mentioned in the context of breaking the rules and creating a unique path in filmmaking, suggesting that filmmakers should feel free to experiment with their craft.

Highlights

Introduction to filming basics for aspiring filmmakers.

The importance of framing in video composition.

Explanation of the rule of thirds for shot composition.

How to balance subjects in a shot using the rule of thirds.

Placing subjects at line intersections for emphasis.

The concept of look room and its role in directing viewer attention.

Providing lead room for moving subjects to avoid them leaving the frame.

Transitioning shots smoothly using cut on action.

Using speaker hand movements for live camera switching.

Hiding edits by using full-frame subjects to transition to different shots.

Cutting to reaction shots to convey audience emotions.

The significance of shot duration in maintaining viewer interest.

Adapting shot duration to music rhythm in videos.

Balancing shot duration for speakers to show audience reactions.

Encouragement to break the rules and create a unique style.

The final call to action to start creating and have fun with filmmaking.

Transcripts

so you want to make videos but your main

experience thus far has been filming

blurry videos of your cat well whether

you want to be the next Alfred Hitchcock

or you just want to impress that special

someone who won't return your phone

calls you've come to the right place

because we're gonna go over some of the

ropes this is filming basics 101 so

let's assume you've got your hands on

some sort of camera old new vintage

iPhone the first thing we need to deal

with is framing step 1 find someone you

don't like

step 2 by a bolt in their name step 3

you said boat for smuggling step 4

call the cops on them they get arrested

you'll get away with it win-win let's

talk about framing as it relates to film

that's a great idea let's go

we'll start things off with the rule of

thirds the rule of thirds is a guideline

used to help you compose a shot

basically you imagine the image being

separated into well first pretending

there are two lines going from left to

right and two more lines from top to

bottom dividing the image into nine

equal boxes this helps you balance the

subjects of your shot and lets you keep

an eye out in case your frame is a

little too busy unless of course you

want your shot to be busy you want to

put your subjects at where the lines

intersect if your subject is a person

you normally want their eyes to be at

the top one-third of the frame or right

along that top horizontal line some

other things you need to pay attention

to when filming our look room and

leaders say you have a subject that is

looking a particular direction you want

to frame the shot in a way that

whichever direction has their main

attention also has the most space this

is known as looked room and it gives the

audience more of an idea of which way

the character is looking off screen

otherwise you can make a character

looked kind of trapped or like they're

in some sort of artsy movie now if your

subject is moving then you want to be

prepared to compensate for that so you

give them more lead room by putting them

on the opposite side of the frame that

they're moving towards this way you can

track with your subjects so they don't

accidentally leave the frame now that

we've gone through the basics of framing

let's talk about going from one shot to

another now if you're filming a sketch

or just simply the next oscar-winning

movie there are a ton of ways that you

can link shots we're going to just

quickly touch on a couple the main way

most of the time when linking shots

together is to hide the fact that you've

just cut from one shot to another from

the audience probably the easiest way to

get from one shot to another is called a

cut on action say your subject is

pouring and cool and refreshing glass of

unhealthy carbonated sugar you can cut

from shot a two-shot beat while the

action is taking place and the viewer

will barely notice because they're too

distracted by something that's happening

on-screen if you happen to be doing some

live camera switching at an event

a good time to transition might be when

the speaker moves their hands or changes

to the direction they've been walking

that way it's just a little bit of a

smoother transition you can also hide

edits in clever ways say someone wants

in front of the camera completely taking

up the whole frame you can use this as

an opportunity to switch to a closer

shot or a different shot entirely it

looks cool

you look cool and your audience doesn't

notice the transition as much

another good time to cut is whenever

someone is reacting to something like

this don't worry about her man she's a

slob anyway I mean look at her it's

probably gonna be fat in a couple years

now say you have a character speaking to

an audience and they tell the best jokes

anyone has ever heard and the audience

is laughing hysterically this is the

ideal time to cut us out to be a cynic

once the laughter dies back down you can

go back to your character again the

reaction shot lets your viewer get a

feel of the room and the emotions that

are playing out there justified shots

that make sense to the viewers and

therefore are usually less noticeable

how long should you stay on a particular

shot well it kinda depends on you and

whatever you're making when we go to see

a movie we're used to seeing quick edits

for example 2004's

the Bourne Supremacy has an average shot

length of 2.4 seconds now that's over

2500 edits and a hundred minute on film

now movie goers have become attuned to

seeing a lot and a little bit of time in

life reduction work harder that doesn't

mean you have to switch shots so fast

you get calluses the goal is more about

keeping it interesting for whoever's

watching it so you don't want to say I'm

shots too long but how long is too long

if there's music being played you might

want to cut you the rhythm with beat of

the song if there's a killer guitar solo

you probably want to cut to that a

little closer now if you're filming a

speaker you probably want to cut a

little bit less as there's likely less

action going on then there would be at

say a concert however if you're filming

someone's speaking at an event you may

really want to consider showing the

audience every now and again if you stay

and glows on your speaker the entire

time the on

can kind of forget the room that the

speaker's talking to from the viewers

standpoint they could be speaking to an

empty room or a group of people once or

even just well look at you you're ready

to make your mark on Hollywood or at

least you know on YouTube

but before you get started let me

mention one more thing throughout this

video I know I talked about a lot of

rules and techniques rules are important

and are generally what you want to stick

to as a guideline however just like any

good rule they can be broken so it's

important to know the rules so you can

create your own path and get all artsy

with it you know more importantly though

in all of this make sure to have fun

film is fun yay now go out there and

make something great when an award and

anything they like