Transcripts
1. Welcome: In this course,
you will dive deep into the Art of cinematography, focusing on closeups
and mastershots. Master shots are scenes captured in one uninterrupted take, where the camera
moves throughout the whole scene to
tell the story. These are very demanding
on the creators and the crew since everything has to happen perfectly in time. Hi, my name is Bill Zlotorowicz. I'm a director, screenwriter, and an academic teacher as
Polish national Film School, my phones were awarded at renowned film
festivals including Locarno International
Film Festival. In this class, you will learn the Art of capture
in intimate moments, conveying emotions
and highlighting key details through
close-up shots, you're going to explore the
techniques of seamlessly transitioning between shot
types to enhance storytelling. Save time on set and guide
your audience attention. In mastershots, you're going
to gain confidence to craft visually stunning shots
that resonate with your audience while saving
time and resources on set. In this class, everything is
practical and applicable. We are going to put
your new knowledge to the test with a quiz. Now, welcome to cinema explained and hopefully
see you in the class
2. Mastershots - theory: Thank you for taking my class. So today we're going to
talk about mastershots. But before we are
going to do that, I'm going to mention
briefly that at any point during the lecture, you can change the
tempo of the recording. Also during this class, I might mention
that you can deepen your knowledge about the
certain topic by taking my other courses on Cinematography in this case
is just remember that I want you to finish this
class first and then go and deepen your
knowledge on other courses. Okay? So nobody says that when
shot begins as a close-up, it has to stay a close
up till the end. You can plan a shot
in a way that it changes from one cell
type to another. And I would advise you to
do it as often as you can. It saves you a lot of time on the set because every time you change the position
of the camera or change the lens,
it takes time. In most situations, it will
require change of lighting, which always takes the
most time on the set. Another reason to
use the transition within a shot that it makes you think about the most
important theme in the scene beforehand. Every time you plan
a complex shot, it shows, you know, exactly what the scene is about. This way, instead of editing
your material afterwards, you use the camera on the set to guide your
audience attention. Let me show you one scene
from my Film, mother, or we are going to watch only
the beginning of the scene. And then I'm going to stop
the recording to explain. Let's watch the first
shot on the scene. It can serve others. It's moving in them. They change those set of sigma
muddle batches to Mason. You put your mask we
are convenient of it was at them next time, but within us is to Cj's pagoda. Joe's kidneys. Take your laptop. As you have seen. First,
we've seen a boy in a full shot when he entered
the frame through the window. Then as he got closer
to the camera, we could see him in a close-up. I will call it a close-up. And when the boy
notice the father, he turned around and his close up transitioned to a medium, full shot of a sitting farther, it became a to shot basically. You can consider
this shot and OTS, which means over the shoulder because you can see a little bit of the boy on the right
border of the frame. In this particular shot, we could even call it
an over the hip shot, since the father
is sitting and we see Boys heap on the
right side of the frame. But I'm joking, It's
just an ODS shot. Now, let's watch an example from the classics of the cinema. It's going to be a Hidden
Fortress by Akira Kurosawa. I want to show you that this technique of combining
different shot types in one take was extensively used in cinema
for quite some time. In fact, back in the days when the camera has
were huge as a core, filmmakers preferred to arrange the action for the camera within the frame with the
actor moving in and out or closer
and further away. Now, let's watch the scene. In this shot, we are going from the food shot to a regular close up when you see his face with a little bit
of the air above the head. Then we go to a full shot again. Then he stops for a
moment and we see him in a cowboy shot for
a fraction of a second, and then we transition
to a full shot again. Now, why do we transition
from one shot to another? Because every type of a shot
gives you different kinds of information that helps
us to tell the story. At the beginning of the scene, you need to show your audience the space around the actors, and what circumstances
they are in. You're probably going to
use wide shot to do that. And when the audience recognizes the context
of the situation, you can move forward with the
camera to begin to capture the cell emotions of the
characters with close-ups. There are certain rules or guidelines helping you
to build a sense of space in the scene
so your audience won't be confused
about what's going on. This spatial relationships
in the scene are covered by 180 degree Rule. You can learn more about
it from my course. There you will find sets of rules to cover the
scene properly. At this moment, you are focusing on how to use
establishing shots and how to mix them
with close-ups to build tension between
the characters
3. Shotlist & Quiz: I've come up with the way
of testing your skills in naming the shot
sizes with an exercise. In this exercise, we're
going to watch the scene that was shot entirely
in a mastershot. And then we're going to list every shot that you are
going to recognize. Now. Take a pen and paper or you can note the
shots on your computer. It's totally up to you. You can use the cheat sheet from the guidebook to recognize the different types
of shot sizes. Now, here is how we're
going to do this. I will play the
scene whenever you see a number on the
top-left corner, it means that I want
you to list this shot. This scene is obviously
a mastershot, so the camera will be traveling between
different shot sizes. Usually you'll have about 10 s to write down the
description of the shot. Since the scene is 10 min long, I will speed up the parts
where camera is stationary. If you feel like 10 s
is not enough time, you can pause the recording
at your convenience. The goal here is to do the
exercise in your own time. If you feel like checking
the cheat sheet, go ahead and do it. Now. I want you to
be descriptive in the way you are writing
about the shots. Let's take this
frame for example. I would write to shot
of tar. This is here. Cate Blanchett is star
in three T's close up at the piano and the
Student playing a cello in medium full shot. Now, this is still
a 3D is close up. And please don't be bothered by this space above her head. In this particular film, this is the aesthetic of the
framing that they went for. There is a bit too much space
above the actor's head. But since it's
consistent in all film, I think it's a
conscious decision and the preference of
this cinematographer. Now, regarding the
Student playing a cello, I would still call it
a medium full shot, or a cow boy shot. Even though the piano
is obscuring her legs. If not the piano, her legs would be here. In the next lesson, we will go through the
scene together and I will give you all my
answers to the quiz. Good luck, and let's go. Thank you, Max. Very good. I'm just for my own edification. Why did you come to Juilliard? Join the other fellows? Now, I know you're all conducting
students have Mr. Wolff's, but how many of you are
also studying composition? Like what's your
name? Olive Kurt. Alright, olive. What
do you make up? What we've just
been listening to? It's pretty awesome. I mean, there's incredible
atonal tension. I agree about the tension part. Now, you can intellectually
contemplate or masturbating about the felicity
of the so-called atonal. But the important
question here is, what are you conducting? What is the effect? What is it actually doing? To me? Good music can be as ornate as a cathedral or bear
as a potting shed. So long as it allows you to
answer both those questions. Max? What do you think? When yes. The intent of her Composition is vague, say the least. So if her intent is vague, how do you, as a conductor, have a point of view
about anything? Now, to be fair, I mean, there are times when you
will simply have no choice. Why not a carrier? Like something like
Bach's Mass and B minor. I'm not really into block. You're not into bar. Oh, Max. Have you read the
Schweitzer book? No. Well, you should. It's important text. The Antonia Break old thought. So so much so sure. What, uh, that's,
that's your choice. I mean, after all, a soul
selects her own society. But remember the flip side of that selection closes the
bowels of one's attention. Now, of course, siloing
what is acceptable or not acceptable is a basic construct. Similar gaze. Now this isn't all
filigree, right? It could be a first-year pianos. Or then you must be aware that verres
once famously stated the jazz was a ***** product
exploited by the Jews. Didn't stop Jerry Goldsmith from ripping them
off for his planet. If the gait score, it's kind of a perfect
insult, don't you think? But you see the problem
within Rowling herself as an ultrasonic epistemic
dissident is that if box talent can be
reduced to his gender, birth, country,
religion, sexuality, and so on, then so can yours. Now, someday max,
when you go out into the world and new guests conduct for a major or minor orchestra, you may notice that the
players have more than light. Alright, everyone.
Using maxes criteria, let's consider Max's thing in this case on a
boulevards dot here. Now can we agree on two
pieces of observation? One, and you are a robot when unfortunately, the architect of your soul
appears to be social media. You want to dance the mask, you must SIP service the composer. You've got to
sublimate yourself, your ego and yes, your identity. You must in fact
stand in front of the public and Garden them. Literary yourself
4. Quiz explanation & Class project: Okay. I hope you had the
time to list all the shots. You can now rewind it and
watch it again because in a moment I will go through it and give you all the answers. But before I will, I just want to talk about a little bit about
the scene itself. In cinema, usually master shots, which are scenes captured
in one shot, are misused. Usually the directors decide
to do them to show off. For example, when a
screenwriter becomes a director and gets to
direct his first film, they usually fill it
with this kind of shots because they are so
difficult to make on set. Unfortunately, most
mastershots that I see have no merit behind them. Now, this mastershot
is different. We see the scene in one uninterrupted take for a
reason later in the film, this situation that we have just witnessed will be pulled out of context and edited by students who are secretly
filming our main hero. So this way of shooting the original scene in
mastershot gives us the experience of
being there and participating in
her classes, right? I totally agree that
what she was doing at the class in the
scene was inappropriate. I teach at which Film School. And personally, I would never
talk to a student like that or touch a student like
this to prove a point. But still, we can see how misleading the edited
snippets of these classes were and that
mastershots gave us this clarity and
objective point of view. Okay, now let's get back to the scene and list
all the shots. Alright, let's begin the
explanation of the quiz. Thank you. Very good. So we've arrived
to our first shot. I'm going to call it
a to shot of tar. And a student in a
medium full shot. This is a medium full shot, a typical medium full shot. Again, we are ignoring the additional space
above the head. This is the aesthetic
of the movie. Let's go forward. Join the other fellows. Now, I know you're all conducting students
have Mr. Wolff's, but how this is a single shot
of tar in medium for shot, since the Student left and went backwards
towards the seats. This shot went from being a
to shot to a single shot, but she is still seen by the
camera in a medium for shot. If you are also studying
Composition. What's your name? Olive car. Alright, olive. What do you make it what
we've just been listening to? Pretty awesome. Now, a big change since the tar is not the main
subject of the frame rate. Now, as you can see
here in this frame, the Student is the main subject. Therefore, there is a two ways that you can name this shot. I would say that it's
it's a two shot. There is a wide shot of a
student and tar is scene from the back in a medium for
shot or an OTS shot, which is over the shoulder shot on a wide shot of students. There's incredible
atonal tension. I agree about the tension part. Now, you can intellectually
contemplate or masturbate about the felicity
of the so-called atonal. But the important
question here is, what are you conduct? Now, again, we are always interested in the
subjects of the frame. And in this shot, tar is one subject, but the camera also focuses on the nervous student who
was conducting, right? So it's a two shot of tar in extreme wide shot and a
student in a cowboy shot. What is the effect? What is it actually doing? Me? Good music can be made as a cathedral or
bear as a potting shed. So long as it allows you to
answer both those questions. Max? What do you think? Now? Now this one is easy. It's a dirty single of a
student in a medium for shot. Although you can
argue that since his legs are almost
fully visible, you can also call it a full
shot, as we can see here. In the shot sizes cheat sheet. This might be this shot as well, although in this
particular shot, we don't see his feet. You have to remember
that in a mastershot. You have to make compromises because you cannot
move the camera. Since you're moving
camera so much. Sometimes it's impossible
to see his feet. The see, for example, the students feet and the
shoulder of our main character, tar when yes, The intent. Now, she becomes a main subject
of the shot for a moment. That's why I would
say that shot number six is a medium shot
on top or this is just a brief moment
because it's happening in the transition between two definite positions
of the camera. But you have to keep those
transitions in mind as well as you'll see here
in the transitions. You almost always have a good composition of
the shot, like here. In this shot, number of six of her Composition is
vague, say the least. So, if her intent is vague, how do you, as a conductor
have a point of view? Now, shot number seven
is a medium Photoshop, although it also serves a
purpose of establishing shot, since we see all the orchestra
there is behind her, since the camera
is moving so much. Many of those shots that
are medium full shots serve a purpose of a establishing shot because they ground
us in this space. And again, since the
aesthetic that was established by the director
and the cinematographer, I mean this additional
space above the head. You don't see the feet. Normally, it would
be a full shot where you would see
her feet as well. This is how you usually
do it in movies. You do full shots as
a establishing shots. But as I always say, this is Art and there are no definitive answers
for anything, you sometimes have to break
the rules to make your point. These are many times the most interesting
parts of your movies when you break the rules
to make your point. Anyway, let's move forward. Okay. She's going to sit, but it's still the same frame. Why curiae? Now, again, during
the transition, we see her in a single medium shot of tar while she's transitioning the shocks
mass and B minor. I'm not really into bond. Now, this transition lens
at shot number nine, which is a to shot of a student in medium shot and
tar in a cowboy shot, which is just another name
for a medium Photoshop. Max read the Schweitzer book. Now. Shot number ten is a to shot of tar and a
student in a medium for shot. We've began this scene
from a shot like that. They were standing at
the podium back then. The scene is kind of a battle between the character tar and a student that has his preconceptions about
musicians and how, and how their
personal choices in their personal life
should influence our way of looking
at their music, which our main character
tar, doesn't agree with. Anyway, let's move forward. It's important text. I'm told me a break
whole thought, so so much so. Sure. That's your choice. After all, it's another
translation, your own society. But remember the flip
side of that selection closes the bowels of
one's attention. Now. Now a proper establishing shot. As you can see, shot number
11 is wide shot on tar. But again, you can see
that they still went with the aesthetics of additional
space above the head. Of course, siloing what is acceptable or not acceptable
is a basic construct. It's the same shot, even
though she's walking around. Now, it transitions. Filigree right? Now we have a two shot and it's a two shot of medium full shot on tar and Student
playing a piano. It could be a first-year. Then you must be aware
that verres once famously stated the job was a *****
product exploited by the Jews. Now, the shot number 13, it's a two shot, obviously, while walking away
from the piano, tar is in a medium
for shot, obviously. And a student is
scene in a wide shot, stop Jerry Goldsmith
from ripping them off for his plan
of the game score. It's kind of perfect
insult, don't you think? But you see the problem
within shot number 14. Now we get into the
close-up area, right? It's a to shot. Tar approaches the camera
to a 3Ds close-up. Students is in a perspective
in an extreme wide shot, the alphas and ultrasonic
epistemic dissident is that if box talent can be
reduced to is gender, birth, country,
religion, sexuality, and so on then silicon years. Now, this one is a
little bit tricky. It's similar to a dirty single on the students
sitting at the piano. Yet the camera is focused
very much on time. You will see it in a
moment someday, max, when you go out into the world and new guests conduct, see, the Student got just
a little second of attention and then the camera
went back to tar, right? I would go for a to
shot on the back of the tar and I would add the information that
it's maintained. Three T's close-up. Now, let's move forward. Major or minor orchestra. You may notice that the
players have more than light. Alright, everyone,
using maxes criteria, let's consider a max is
now we arrive at shots 16. It's a medium shot
on top or with a student in the background
still in extreme wide shot. Now why is it a medium? Because we see here from
waist up this time it's not a treaties anymore thing in this case on a
boulevards daughter. Now can we agree on two
pieces of observation? One, you are a robot. When unfortunately
the architect of your soul appears to be
social, know he's leaving. And this little
moment you want to see this is a
imperfection because it would be perfect if Dar
would approach from here before our student
would leave the frame. This is the thing
about the transitions between the different
shot types, right? This is the only
imperfect transition between one shot
size and the other. But they fixed it
really quickly. Dance the mask.
You must see this. It's like it was a
second, only a second. But I wanted to point it out because it's a
great way for us to learn and for me
to explain to you what is the difficulty
of the mastershots, the main difficulty, and apart from photographing the theme
of the scene and so on, which they did here brilliantly, I would say that the
technical problem of the mastershots
is the transitions. If you can, you always want to have a strong composition
in the frame. And you always want
your subject to be present in the frame
in the first place. Anyway, we are here
at the 17th shot. We're almost done. And this is a single
medium close-up on tore. This is easy, right? Purvis, the composer. You've got to
sublimate yourself, your ego, and yes, your identity must
in fact stand in front of the public and
garden literary yourself. And now she went back to a single on tar in
medium, full shot, as I said before, since they have this aesthetic of additional space
above the head You see her in a
medium for shot. Normally you would see her legs and the shot would probably
be frame somewhere here. Now, your way of describing
the shots could be different, but remember that the most
important thing is clarity. And if the clarity is there
than there is no problem, you can always change
the phrasing or words or the way you're
describing the shots. Anyway, for a scene
that is so complicated, the shotlist alone
is not enough. The Best would be to
prepare a photo storyboard. The top-down view for
a scene like this, you have to do a full
rehearsal and you need your cinematographer to be there with you to
shoot the rehearsal. You can shoot the
rehearsal on your phone. There are great
apps that imitate lenses and actually print the
information into the image. If you want to learn more about the way of planning
the camera movement, you can watch my
course Cinematography, Subtle Art of
placing the camera. Now, let's talk
about your project. I want you to find
the scene shot in a mastershot and list
all the shot sizes, just like we did in
this scene from Tar. It would be great
if you could Upload your list to Project gallery. And if you drop a link
into the scene on YouTube, then I'll be able to
give you feedback. I'm always giving feedback on every project that
is submitted it. Okay, congratulations on
completing this class. If you felt like you
need to understand the basics and proper noting
Techniques for shot sizes. Be sure to watch the course fundamentals
of Cinematography. Beginner's guide to I, captivating close-up
is a great class to start this series. Now stay tuned for
future courses from the series in one of the
following courses we will explain for Techniques you
can use when you're filming an actor and to pick the right shot size
when you're filming, I've come up with
my own invention, which I call the Rule
of greatest distance. And it's also the topic of a
future class in this series. Now, if you've
enjoyed this class, consider making a review. It's going to help other
students discover this course. Also reading your reviews keeps me Related to do more classes. Now, all my courses
are fully modular, which means that
you can watch them separately in any
order you like. But it was designed as a part of a full curriculum that teaches
you practical Filmmaking. So the best way to check out the whole curriculum is my
website, cinema explain.com. Thank you for taking this
class and see you soon.