Home Movies (1951)

IDEAS FOR VACATION FILMING. What and How to Shoot MANY vacation and travel movies begin with a series of shots depicting the packing of luggage, loading the automobile, and the eventual start, so frequently depicted by close-ups of turning wheels. Such an opening has become trite through widespread use by amateurs, but is still effective provided it is not too long. An opening sequence of this kind is best done in montage or by a series of quick, close shots. ★ ★ ★ THROUGH THE The next frequently used WINDSHIELD medium to suggest travel en route is the camera shooting through the windshield from within the car. Serious disappointment can develop if the camera is not held rigidly. Neither should it be pointed anywhere but straight ahead, because shots made from side windows turn out a blurred mass. If much shooting from the car is anticipated it will be time and money well spent to rig up a substantial mounting within the car on which to anchor the camera. Slow motion helps to smooth out the bumps in filming of this kind, and even a tripod set up in the car lessens the movement transferred to the camera through the filmer's body. GOOD FOR If you have filmed a scenic TRANSITION shot thrQUgh fhe wmd_ shield, don't be tempted to use the scene at too great length. Use it in short sections to denote transition between sequences. If the vacation is a motor trip, start out with a short take of the windshield shot. After sequences devoted to scenes at one stop, cut in another brief take of the windshield shot to denote movement from one place to another. AVOID THE In filming scenes in a big USUAL city, which might be the locale of your vacation, avoid the commonplace subjects that are photographed very well in picture postcards. These include shots of the city hall, the postoffice, street traffic, etc. Get the human interest activities that are unique in that city. The various foreign quarters in New Orleans, the soap box orators in Pershing Square at Los Angeles, the peanut vendor in front of the Capitol at Washington, etc., are ripe subjects for the movie camera. Similarly, when traveling in Mexico or Canada, try to catch in film the human actions that most accurately give the "feel" of a foreign land. REACTION Reaction shots are exPICTURES tremely important in va cation movies. This is a shot, usually in close-up or medium close-up, showing the reaction of a person or thing in the picture to something depicted in the adjoining shots. It might be indicated by facial expression, or by some action. It is inserted in the film sometimes in the middle of the scene with which it is associated, sometimes at the end of it, and occasionally, for effect, ahead of the action to which it relates. AVOID Reaction shots can be put MONOTONY tQ many useS; tQ ayoid monotony. Consider scenery. No matter how beautiful the view, we cannot show more than just so much of the scene without the audience getting restless, unless we break up the succession of views in some way. For example, have one member of the party looking through field glasses, then calling attention of the rest of the people to what he is looking at, and handing the field glasses to one of them. This could precede a shot which is a little more outstanding than the rest of the'sequence. ACTION IN Don't be content with SCENIC SHOTS scemc ^ Re member that yours is a movie camera. Get some action into every shot. Select scenes where natural native activities are going on in the foreground. Get close-ups of characters in activities peculiar to the region. If your locale is a scenic resort such as a national park, stage some action of your own party as actors. When you photograph points of interest, have your family inspecting them and pointing out the main features. • See "VACATION" on Page 218 SUMMER SCENIC 8MB 191