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CAMERA POSITION, plotted on file cards
It's in the cards
HARLAN WEBBER, ACL
WOULD you be interested in trying a card file method of planning your next movie? It will save you time, thought and the risk of making errors because (1) it will simplify the organizing of your shots into groups for identical lighting arrangements, settings and costumes and (2) it will help you unscramble the shots when the films come back from the processing station. The method is not new. I've used it for a number of years — and liked it. Maybe it will appeal to you too.
First, you make a simple outline on paper of the proposed movie, hitting only the high spots of the sequences. Then follows a detailed outline on paper, breaking the sequences down into individual scenes and subtitles. Main title, credit titles and end title are included in their proper order.
Next you go down the margin of the outline and label the titles and sequences with different letters. There is considerable latitude as to how this is performed in detail, but you might label the main and credit titles A, the first sequence with its subtitles B, the second sequence C, and so on.
You are now ready to transfer the outline to three by five inch file cards. Letters, with numbers after them, are placed in the upper left hand corners of the cards for easy reference. You might label the main title Al, and the credit titles A2, A3, etc. Scenes in the first sequence would then be Bl, B2, B3, etc. On each card is noted the camera position : i.e., Long Shot, Closeup, etc. Also noted is the action in the scene, or the words in the title or subtitle. The sketch shows a series of cards filled in
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setting, action and costumes are under finger tip control when shown above. The spots are in color to key the locale.
for the actual movie scenes reproduced below.
E-l— MEDIUM SHOT— Down angle, Roy left, Janet right, at the kitchen table, coloring Easter eggs. Roy, striped shirt. Janet, flowered apron.
E-2— CLOSE SHOT— Up angle, to show their faces, as Janet reaches for egg to hand to Roy.
E-3 — CLOSEUP — Janet's intent face as she continues action begun in E-2.
E-4 — CLOSEUP — Pattern of dye cups, as seen from Janet's angle, as Roy begins to dye new egg.
E-5 — CLOSEUP — Janet's face, from Roy's viewpoint, in reaction shot to E-4.
E-6 — CLOSEUP — Return to Roy's activity, as seen from Janet's viewpoint.
During the transferring operation, improvements can be made in the original draft by making changes that come to mind, adding or deleting scenes at will; and, while shooting the scenes, further changes can be made easilv. So the method offers considerable flexibility.
Then, too, you can keep a [Continued on page 123]
Plot your film plan on file cards,
says this 8mm. amateur, and save
time in both filming and editing
8mm. scenes by Harlan Webber, ACL