In today’s class we looked at how actions are captured in film, and how we film/edit for continuity. A rather obvious (albeit only when pointed out to me) ‘epiphany’ moment was in realising that certain people are talented at certain things, and hence look more natural doing these things in front of a camera. Of course, this makes sense when considering complex actions of even skills that are quite specific to an interest or trade, such as playing a sport or a mechanic working on a car. However it can extend to the most mundane of actions, and when filming for realism, it is important to factor this in. For example, some people look natural and comfortable getting out of a car, whereas others look awkward, and this is something to take into consideration. In class we were given the examples of Robert De Niro, who is a ‘talented’ walker, and Clint Eastwood, who can empty pockets and shrug off a coat with skill. I suppose this is something I had never really thought about before. Surely everyone can walk, right? I soon found out later, when filming our own ‘talents’ in three shots as a part of the class exercise, that I certainly cannot. I tend to bounce when I walk, and it comes across as lanky and awkward in front of the camera. What a skill to have! I think this has really opened me up to something I would never have considered when going to make a film, and yet I feel like this is something that is really important for a director/D.O.P to know when filming. If your actor can’t perform a certain action and make it look natural, you need to be aware of that or be able to figure out a way to frame the shot so that the attention is elsewhere, or that you can fool the audience into believing the actor does know what they’re doing / can do it well. Very interesting!
