Cinematographer Hugo Will recently sat down with Peter Rosenfeld, a camera operator who's worked on films like The Social Network, Gone Girl, and Chicago for directors like David Fincher and Oliver Stone.In their conversation for CinePro Film School, Rosenfeld addressed a problem that consistently trips up operators. Is your body blocking an actor's eyeline? What can you do about it?Imagine you're shooting a conversation, positioned camera-left to stay close to your actor's sightline. Then you swing around for the reverse angle, and suddenly you're standing exactly where your actor needs to look. You’re super in the way.Check out their conversation. - YouTube www.youtube.com It’s Important to PrepRosenfeld points to prep as the big fix. When he gets prep days at a rental house, he works with his assistants to establish every eyepiece configuration he'll need during the shoot.That includes standard positions for handheld and dolly work, as well as setups that allow him to relocate the electronic viewfinder to the opposite side of the camera.This advance planning creates options when blocking creates conflicts. If he needs to maintain a tight actor look while physically getting out of the way, he can shift the EVF on an articulating arm.The actor gets their proper sightline. The operator stops being an obstacle.Technical preparation solves problems before they happen, which saves valuable time on set.What If Handheld Leaves No Options?Handheld doesn't offer many choices for your viewfinder positioning. Your body has to go somewhere, and sometimes that somewhere is precisely where the actor needs...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - 3 days ago