AudioMedia - November 2008 - (Page 63)

video guide A Sound Pro’s Guide To Video HD Acquisition: Part 4 several times, towards and away from Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro sitting at a window seat in a diner. The movement and effect it has on the background Miller Camera Support recently introduced a new range unsettles the audience, preparing it for the carnage to of fluid heads for HD and ENG shooting. The Compass come. For The Departed ( ) DoP Michael Ballhaus, family offers two models, the Compass  and , which who also shot Goodfellas, used a Panther Evolution are compatible with any professional mm tripod. dolly on several key scenes. Each has attachments for cameras housing ¼-inch A variation of the dolly shot is the contra-zoom, in which the camera tracks in or out while the focus is and pin and ¼-inch and /-inch screws, allowing zoomed out or in at the same time. This stretches the camcorders to be fitted direct on to the fluid head or perspective of the scene, conveying a giddying sense by using a tripod adaptor plate. Four counterbalance of a character’s emotions. Alfred Hitchcock had wanted positions can be selected and both the Compass  to use such an effect for his version of Rebecca but in and  are able to cope with cameras weighing the technology was not sufficiently developed between -kgs. to achieve it. By it was and Hitch thought a trackout/forward zoom would be perfect for the scene in Vertigo when James Stewart looks down the stairs in the bell tower. He was told that to do it would cost > backwards; a crab dolly is capable of sideways movement as well. , , due to the amount of equipment needed, but a miniature was made In many cases the dolly is run on tracks, so any take that follows the of the scene and the shot achieved for a mere , . action is known as a tracking shot. Film sequences involving a moving The contra-zoom was used many times after its debut in Vertigo dolly are also called dollying shots, travelling shots or, if a motorised vehicle is used, VERSION 2 shot. SSR a trucking OLIVER 14/10/08 9:11 pm Page 1 but Steven Spielberg and DoP Bill Butler made it an iconic move in the scene in Jaws ( ) when Roy Scheider sits on the The leading manufacturers of dollies include Panther, beach and realises that the shark is approaching Microdolly Hollywood, Matthews, and Vinten. a group of swimmers. Since then it has become The moving camera is a standard part of film/ something of a cliche by being used extensively programme making grammar, to the extent that in film, TV drama, and even sitcoms like Scrubs. many viewers often wish the Director would keep An effective recent example is in Road to Perdition the damn thing still. From the earliest days of ( ) for Jude Law’s first appearance. cinema Directors and Directors of Photography have Part two of this examination of camera support and preferred to move the camera where they can rather camera movement will look at cranes, heli-cams, handheld shooting, and that than have it absolutely static. But any movement has to bring something to a bastion of the horror film, the Steadicam. scene and most cinematographers will ask themselves whether they need to move the camera for a sequence. The moving camera can thrill, it can stir emotions, and create tension and suspense. In many ways it is the essence of cinema – sometimes extravagant for dramatic effect, at others barely perceptible but still moving the viewer in ways that can be hard to explain. In the wrong hands and inexpertly executed with The Institute of Broadcast Sound ill-suited equipment, a moving camera shot is just that – an obvious trick on the part of the Director or Cinematographer to rescue a scene that is not working. The moving camera might be thought of as a relatively modern device but it goes back to silent film. In America Billy Bitzer moved his camera on films for DW Griffith, but this was minimal compared to what was done by the German expressionists. The opening of FW Murnau’s Last Laugh ( ) has the camera riding down in a lift and then travelling across the hotel lobby to the revolving doors. The talkies initially rooted the camera to the spot inside a soundproof cabinet. But once the problem of camera noise had been solved movement could be combined with sound to create atmospheric and unsettling 29 November 2008 images. Hollywood horror films of the s, such as Frankenstein ( ), 30 November 2008 combined the fluid camera moves pioneered by the expressionists with dramatic editing, and eerie noises and music, to create a landmark film and scare the pants off audiences. BBC Maida Vale Studios, London W9 Through the s and ‘ s Directors tended to rely more on continuity Two one-day seminars which are open to anyone interested editing, with the exception of some of in developing their knowledge of microphones and mic the darker film noirs. Although Alfred placement; from novice to experienced practitioner. Hitchcock used cutting for effect in his Delivered by industry experts and sponsored by Skillset, thrillers he often combined that with a the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries. moving camera. Rope ( ) was shot in continuous takes, so dolly shots provide For details see www.ibs.org.uk the rhythm that would otherwise have been missing. Bookings: 0300 400 8427 (Option 1) The tracking shot is a common technique in today’s cinema, but used or malcolm.johnson@ibs.org.uk in the right way for the right scene, it can still be devastatingly effective. Martin Scorsese is a noted exponent of the moving camera and tracking shots in particular. His Goodfellas ( ) contains a standout example when the camera moves, ne w s Microphone Placement Masterclass AUDIO MEDIA NOVEMBER 2008 63 http://www.ibs.org.uk http://www.ibs.org.uk

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AudioMedia - November 2008

AudioMedia - November 2008 Contents Recording News Post News Broadcast News Geofocus: Italy What's Up UK AES Review For the Record Studio Snapshot: Aquarium Abbey Road Plug-ins Brilliance Pack Neumann TLM67 Mercenary Audio KM-69 IZ Technology ADA Final Cut Special: Bond TC Powercore 6000 EP Productions Nagra VI Product Sampler: Location Tools Video Guide AMSR News Shure KSM9 Big Beach Boutique 4

AudioMedia - November 2008

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