Maximizing Your Space
by Paul Ziegman
page 2 (...continued
from previous page)
First,
shoot your actor from the side of the bed that is facing the
wall. That DVX100 camera setup will give you one angle.
Second, cheat the space by MOVING THE BED AWAY FROM THE WALL
and shoot your actor again - this time from the side of the
bed next to the wall. This will not only make the room
appear to be larger, it will allow for more coverage. You
can also do things such as clearing out the closet of
clothes enough for you to fit inside to get a clear shot of
your actor without showing the closet in the frame. This can
buy you an extra few feet of space and increase the movie
production value.
Multiple Angles
Shoot multiple
angles of your actor within the small workspace. For example, let’s
say your actor is still sitting on the bed. Shoot your actor from an
Overhead angle (straight down), shoot from the foot of the bed, if
there’s a bedroom window you can shoot from outside the window into
the room.
Use the Clutter for Depth
Utilize the
clutter in the room to create depth in your composition. For
example, your actor is still sitting on the bed. The room is
cluttered with furniture, a computer desk, etc. Use these things
to provide interesting compositions to your shots. Shoot your
actor from behind the computer desk, partially obstructing your
foreground. Shoot your actor through the space of the plant
leaves on the nightstand. There are no rules that say you can’t.
Plus, we all know that Mini DV digital movies can use all the
depth of field they can get.
Lenses
Lenses are a great
way to manipulate the look of your film production space through your
DVX100. On the downside, though, they’re pretty expensive for us indie
folk. Nonetheless, a quick way for any filmmaker to maximize the
workspace is to use a wide angle lens. It’ll definitely give the
appearance of a larger area however it’ll distort the picture similar to
the image you get when looking through the peep hole of your front door.
Depending on the type of scene you’re shooting this could be for you.
Maximize That Space!
Remember,
the point of maximizing your location production space is to
creatively work around and with the obstacles in your space.
Learn to make do with what you got and you’ll be ready for
anything on your independent film and video production! Good
luck!
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!
