FILMING YOUR MOVIE 2

Coverage means making sure you’ve got all the shots you need for your scene, so there won’t be any awkward jumps or gaps when you try and edit it together.

For short factual items, you can follow a rule of thumb: if you’re showing a person doing something, film a couple of long shots or very long shots to introduce the setting, then make sure you get shots of the person, the thing, and the person with the thing. Always film a couple more shots than you think you need.

One way to make sure you’ve got coverage is to film a master shot: a long shot or very long shot of all the action. You should also shoot cutaways – details of other parts of the setting. You can then cut back to these shots to cover any problems or gaps when you edit.

If you’ve only got one camera and you’re shooting a drama scene, set up the camera for a master shot in a position that will cover the whole action, and then film the actors doing the whole scene, before you film the mid shots and closeups.

If it’s a live event or performance, you’ll need a second camera for this. Set it up on a tripod where it can cover the whole action, start it and leave it running. Remember that SLR cameras can’t record very long clips, so if the event lasts longer than the maximum clip length you’ll need to use a camcorder instead.

If you’re cutting between

close-ups of two actors talking to each other, film the whole scene with the camera on actor 1, then move the camera round to face actor 2 and film the whole scene again. You can then cut between these two shots, and the cutaways and master shots, when you edit. You can use exactly the same technique for interviews. Remember to follow the rules of continuity so that the shots will work together Rehearsing.

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