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Film Production
for the DVX100, DVX100a and DVX100b 
The Panasonic DVX - Do It Yourself
- Low Budget - Indie Filmmaking Community |
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Gun Recoil for Your DVX100 Actors and Directors
by Paul Ziegman
Caution: Any and
all gun replicas and firearm props should always be handled with
care and under adult supervision.
In this do
it yourself article I will give you cool tips and tricks on how
to make your inexperienced actor have truly believable recoil on
screen as if he or she has been shooting guns since the days of
the wild west. I will also cover cool how to’s from a film
maker’s perspective so you directors will know how to capture
your actor’s prize winning performance on your DVX100.
It’s in your
hands now
Well now you
have a menacing looking gun that’s sure to boost the film
production value of your flick…now what?? As a director I would
run through the actions (blocking) with your talent before you
start rolling tape so you don’t have to waste any time, tape,
co2, strength and breath. Make sure your cast (and crew, if you
have any) know their marks! This will help big time for finding
the right cinematic framing so you can edit a believable
sequence and film it all in one take.
The most
common mistake for first time DVX 100 movie directors is that
they try to shoot the whole sequence from one angle… meaning
they try to get the shooter and the victim all in one frame or
in one shot… big no no!! What you have to do is line up your
actors on their mark and capture one angle at a time; first the
shooter than the victim taking the bullet or vice versa. Then
you can cut the action sequence together and have more
flexibility with the impact of the gun shot… not to mention the
countless takes for the actors to get the timing right if you
decide to capture them both from one angle.
Frame the
Barrel Off-Screen
For the most
effective gun kick in your digital film (for medium shots or
close-ups) frame the tip of the gun barrel just off screen. The
reason for this is so that you can have a helper stand just off
screen at the tip of the barrel. On the count of three, have the
actor simulate just the facial intensity of the gun firing while
at the same time, your off-screen helper quickly butts the tip
of the barrel with his palm, causing the actor’s arm to kick in
a realistic recoil movement. The key to this is to have your
actor hold the pistol straight and to keep his arm stiff, so
when the helper butts the tip of the barrel with his hand, it
causes the actor to jerk back. Make sure to compensate for the
underscan on the DVX100 LCD monitor.
(continued
on next page -
DVX100
Production Tips and Tricks with Your Actors page 2...)
Do
YOU have a cheap, low budget, do-it-yourself DVX100 tip or trick that
you'd like to contribute?
If so, just email it to
us and we'll post it up!
Thanks
for helping the grass roots grow!
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