Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1949)

289 FILMING THE GARDEN DEAN DEMPSEY, ACL PROUD of your family? Proud of your garden? Well, here's an easy-to-shoot scenario that features both in some lighthearted summer lensing. There are four in this film plan — the Tot, the Teen-Ager, Dad and, of course, Mom — but you can add or subtract characters to fit your own family. Probably shoot it all in one afternoon. THE FAMILY GARDEN Scene 1. Long shot. Framed through the trellis or garden gate, Mother is seen right center planting bulbs. She is on her knees digging and is dressed in attractive gardening clothes. 2. Semi-closeup. An over-the-shoulder shot of Mom as she trie6 a bulb in the hole she has just been digging. The hole needs to be deeper. 3. Closeup. An upward angle at Mom's face, as she works intently at the planting. After a moment she calls over her shoulder a couple of times. 4. Medium shot. Mom is in the foreground, facing the camera but looking down at her work. In the background we see the rear door of the house. Dad opens the screen, steps out hesitantly, but still holds the screen door. 5. Semi-closeup. Dad in the same setting as he asks innocently: "What it is?" No title is needed. 6. Semi-closeup. Mom as Dad would see her. She pauses in her planting, looks over her shoulder toward him, picks up a handful of bulbs and says: Title. "We must get these bulbs planted today!" 7. Semi-closeup. Dad as in Scene 5. He nods an unenthusiastic agreement and slips back through the screen door. 8. Medium shot. Mom as in Scene 4. She sighs resignedly, turns toward the camera and away from the back porch. As she continues her work Dad is seen coming out of the door and moving towards her across the garden. He has a bottle of beer or coke in one hand, two glasses in the other. He moves left center and begins to put them on a garden table. 9. Semi-closeup. Dad as he puts the glasses and bottle down on the table, looks up and over towards Mom and motions her to come join him in a cooling drink. 10. Semi-closeup. Mom as she looks up, lays aside her tools, brushes the dirt off her hands and starts to rise. 11. Closeup. The two glasses, with Dad's body in the background, as he fills both glasses. As he sets down the empty bottle, Mom's hand reaches in at one side for her glass, Dad's reaches in at the other, and the glasses are raised out of scene. Elizabeth Hibb "WHA HOPPEN?" says Mom's tiny tot, as she concentrates on a cutworm in the cucumber patch. For the story, read Scene 18. 12. Semi-closeup. A two-shot from behind of Mom and Dad relaxing on the chairs beside the garden table. They turn in profile towards the camera and raise their glasses in a salute. As the glasses come down, the flowers of the garden are seen in the background. 13. Semi-closeup. Another two-shot of Mom and Dad. The viewpoint is now from the side, looking over Dad's shoulder towards Mom. She smacks her lips in enjoyment, looks out over the garden and then points out one of the plantings to Dad's attention. His head turns to look. • 14. Near shot. One of your favorite flower beds, as it might be seen by Mom and Dad. 15. Semi-closeup. A two-shot of Mom and Dad in reverse of the one in Scene 13. Dad turns back, looks at Mom in happy appreciation and then points in turn to his favorite flower bed. 16. Near shot. The flowers at which Dad was pointing. You can follow here and in Scene 14 with one or two full closeups of the flowers if you wish. 17. Semi-closeup. Mom and Dad from full front this time. They both smile in appreciation, but then as Mom turns from looking at the flowers an expression of consternation floods over her face. Dad follows her gaze, pauses and then bursts out laughing. 18. Semi-closeup. Their youngest child is crouched in the vegetable patch, peering intently at a cutworm on the cucumbers and is about to reach for it with fascination. 19. Medium shot. From behind the youngster, with the camera looking up from ground level. We see Mom hurrying towards the child, scolding as she comes. 20. Semi-closeup. The child as she sees Mom hurrying towards her. She forgets about the cutworm, straightens up and starts to run away. 21. Semi-closeup. Mom from [Continued on page 307] THE FAMILY FILM Mom's the word around this flower patch — film-planned in thirty-odd scenes and a couple of titles