Tips for Shooting Out of Sequence
by Patricia Locke

When working with a do it yourself movie production schedule that requires you to shoot your scenes out of sequence, consider the following tips that will help sell your shots:

Line of Sight
This is an extremely important factor needed to sell shots out of sequence. For shots where your actor looks off-screen to his co-star, be sure to keep your actors’ line of sight consistent, even if it means having a stand-in for your actor to deliver to. Or even consider putting up a tennis ball on a microphone stand for them to act to so it doesn’t seem like your actor is staring into oblivion. Just make sure your actor has a correct point of reference (height and distance) to deliver his/her lines and actions to.

The Line of Sight with a Reverse Angle
Because you’re shooting out of sequence, be aware of how you frame each actor. Both of your subjects should never be framed up on the same side of your DVX100 LCD monitor. So if you’re shooting your actors for the same scene but on different days, be sure to note where the first actor was framed. Then just frame the second actor on the opposite side.

In & Out of frame
This particular film production technique is important because it helps to tie in different shots of a performance. For example, to help create the illusion that they are interacting together in the same room you can have your actors reveal themselves by walking into frame just for that particular shot. Or if you are combining two locations to create the illusion of it being shot in one place, you can just have your actor leave the frame and then pick up the next shot at the next location as your actor enters into frame.

WARNING: Your subject should never exit and enter the same side of the frame. So if your actor leaves the first shot on the left side of the frame, they shouldn’t enter the next shot on the left side of the frame. They should maintain the same direction of movement and enter from the right side of the frame.

EZ NOTE: exit left = enter right. And vice versa.

Continuity and Details
One thing that tends to get overlooked is the attention to detail. A strong eye for detail will make or break a scene that has been shot at separate times. Keeping continuity with actor’s marks, blocking and placement, wardrobe, props, pacing, reactions, makeup, etc. will be the key to believability for your audience. It’s the continuity that will connect the separate shots in the scene and if done well enough, your viewers won’t even be able to tell that they were shot at different times.

Stand-Ins and Wardrobe
Remember: for over-the-shoulder shots or any shot where your actor’s face isn’t shown, then a stand-in can come in and save the day. If it’s a shot that shows things such as hands, feet, shoulders, you can get away with it. A very helpful tip here is to have your stand-in wear the correct wardrobe to help the illusion.

Remember, if your movie storyline and digital film is compelling enough to keep the suspension of disbelief going amongst your audience, the last thing they’ll be looking for is technical tricks and stand-ins. Just do your best to get your DVX100 digital movie completed by any creative means necessary and get it out there!