There are certain people that have a knack for storytelling. Whether around a campfire or in front of an audience of thousands, these people can keep you captivated for long periods of time, spinning a yarn that leaves you entertained, moved or longing to hear more. Then there are people that tell a story, stutter halfway, round back because they forgot to tell you an important part, and then give a lackluster finish. The audience half listens and leaves disappointed. If you are in the latter half, like I am, there are ways you can become a better storyteller and creative techniques you can use to keep your audience interested in what you have to say.
[REWIND: 4 CAMERA MOVEMENTS YOU CAN DO WITH A SLIDER]
It is similar in cinematography. Some filmmakers just have a knack to keeping the audience engaged, while others, stutter through a story until it is almost painful to watch. When it comes to moving pictures, unlike speaking, telling the story comes from more than the actors and their words. To make scenes powerful, impactful and believable, moving the camera properly might seem like a minor thing, but is an art in itself. In the following video by DSLR Guide, host Simon Cade, takes us through some creative camera movement techniques to become a better visual storyteller. The 5-minute video talks about why and how you would move the camera to enhance the story and how camera movement is like the punctuation at the end of a sentence. It helps “steer” a sentence in the right direction.
On its own, camera movement is worthless. But if you combine it with the performance of the actors, and all the information you’ve already given to the audience, it can be very powerful.
Watch Camera Movement – Storytelling with Cinematography
This video is the fourth in a series on filmmaking techniques. The first three being: framing, lighting, and lenses. You can find all those on the DSLR Guide website here and be sure to follow them on TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/dslrguidance and INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/cadevisuals for more filmmaking tips.
[Via ISO1200]
