I believe that the term ‘coverage’ needs to be broad in it’s definition when applied to the cinematic world. Coverage of a scene can be as simple as plopping the camera down in front of something, anything, and pressing record. technically speaking, the subject would be covered. But this does not necessarily make for a very interesting piece of work.

To have truly covered a scene, I would like to believe that preparation has been undertaken to collaboratively and uniquely record an event in a way that ensures the content can be displayed in it’s intended form to the audience. This does not necessarily mean that the scene is easy to follow, because it’s possible that we’re not supposed to see everything clearly within the frame. A murder mystery would not be so thrilling if we got a good clear shot of the murderer whom we aren’t supposed to know the identity of. This is why preparation is the key to covering a scene. One must know what needs to be seen, and how it should be shown before filming it, even if this planning consists of purely making a mental note or brainstorm.

Coverage is the way in which a filmmaker unveils the action or situation to us. It can be creative, simplistic, or unconventional, but it must adhere to the needs of the rest of the film. We need to see the frame slowly zoom in on Kane’s childhood sled to reveal the meaning of “Rosebud”, to truly understand when the character truly experienced joy. Without these final few shots, we would be left only to witness the billionaire’s hoarded junk.  Though this might be an extreme example of the term, it proves that the concept of “coverage” alone can be a key storytelling feature. It is not simply an avenue to witness an actor’s talent. It has the power to set the tone of a scene, create suspense, and progress a plot forward.

It is extremely possible that the definition of “coverage” that I have attempted to articulate in this post will completely useless and inaccurate to me within the week, but hopefully I will be able to solidify a definition for this term by the end of the semester.