Attempt a definition or explanation of the term “coverage” in the context of film production.
Coverage, in short, is the sequence of shots that need to be filmed in order to capture all the action present in a scene. Different angles and shot lengths need to be recorded within a scene for different purposes: for example, a wide shot is needed to establish the location, or a close up is needed to emphasise an important element within a frame. However, behind the scenes it’s much more than just a choice of shots.
Going deeper into the dynamics of coverage within the film industry, the need for coverage is a compromise between both economical and creative factors. More often than not, decisions about coverage in modern commercial Hollywood films are stemmed from economical considerations. This means that the studio’s goal is to have the most amount of options for the editor to work with in the limited amount of paid crew hours available.
Theoretically, a scene can be covered with all the action present in just a wide shot of the whole location – but obviously keeping the same shot for long periods of time is considered boring for an audience to watch. Hence, multiple coverage points are needed so there can be cuts between whatever element of the scene is considered the most important at certain moments. For example, if there are two characters speaking, we could choose to focus on either the character that is talking, or the reaction of the character who is listening. In addition, a scene should be “covered” so that all the important action in a scene is captured even if any problems arise in post production – for example, if the editor realises during playback that one shot is out of focus or has audio problems.
Apart from a few simple traditions for variation, coverage is rarely though about as an artistic or cinematic device. It is usually not used to create subliminal meaning like more obvious elements such as mise en scene or music, so it’s something that regular movie goers aren’t aware of, and something that is not a focus for even cinema enthusiasts.
However, just within these first few weeks of The Scene, I have become increasingly aware of the possibilities that choices in coverage can provide in a film. For some directors, coverage is not just an economical constraint but a stylistic device that can be used to create additional meaning or enhance aesthetic quality. I hope that despite it being a struggle between art and business traditionally, I can continue to learn to appreciate the power of coverage from a cinematic standpoint.
—-
Week 4 addition: in Wednesday’s tute Robin discussed how most people thought wrote about coverage as something that is thought out completely during pre production according to the script, and then executed according to plan during shooting. He noted that whilst this is true, that it is indeed mostly decided well in advance to production, there are some cases where directors will decide on the day according to the real set and actors. Some directors will observe how the actors move through the space and then decide which type of coverage is most effective. However, obviously this will take much more time and therefore is not ideal economically. I hadn’t considered this factor of timing while I was writing about coverage initially, but I thought this tidbit was relevant regarding my point around economic vs artistic considerations.
