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DIRECTING THE CAMERA: Master Class in Shot Planning
Rather than a technical course about gear and work-flow, this is a workshop for directors on the art of visual
story-telling and the moving camera. Adopt an overall startegy to planning your shots, learn how to maximize the potential
of the moving camera, and discover why eliminating shots and economizing your shoot raises production value.
The weekend includes talks, demonstrations, and over 30 movie clips that highlight
specific techniques and approaches. Course is suitable for directors at all levels, and shooting exercises include variations
to accommodate different levels of experience. Bring a stills camera and a video camera. For the purpose of the exercises,
any simple, consumer-grade camera will do. Best if it has a zoom lens.
SATURDAY
10am-12:15pm
Shot Composition
Talks, demonstrations and movie clips, reviewing:
• Scene coverage and shot types
• Lens choice
• Lessons in composition from classical paintings
• Techniques
in visual story-telling
• Creating 3-dimensional environments on a 2-dimensional
screen
• Exploiting the moving camera when using locked shots
12:15-1PM Lunch
1-3PM Shooting Exercises
(Shoots take place in Byrant Park)
3-4PM Feedback
4-5PM The Moving Camera:
Thinking Backwards
Talks, demonstrations and movie clips, presenting an overall approach to fully utilizing
the moving camera. Discover why economizing and simplifying your shoot will enhance your story-telling, and raise production
value.
SUNDAY
10:00-12:15 Moving Camera Techniques
Expand your tool box: this portion is comprised of talks,
demonstrations, and movie clips, highlighting over a dozen specific camera moves that are easy to execute and make you look
like a pro.
12:15-1:00 Lunch
1-3PM Shooting exercises
3-4PM Feedback
4-5PM
Shot diagrams
Find out why storyboarding isn't the best tool for the vast majority of scenes, and adopt a notation
method to planning your shoots that is easy to execute and communicate to a crew. Talk includes sample clips with corresponding
shot diagrams. Time-permitting, participants will plan
and diagram a given scene.
WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS
RECEIVE:
20% off Ela Thier's Sample Films Bundle: two short films along with the scripts and the original shot diagrams used on set
40% off Hollywood Camera Works |
I wanted to thank you for the excellent workshop last week. There is not enough I can say about it. I feel
as if a huge burden has been lifted in regards to planning and blocking my shots. After your workshop, I threw all my
previous sketches in the trash and blocked new scenes, in all of 20 minutes, that were more economical
and visually interesting than what I had before.
KEITH CHERNIN
As a director,
my "low-budget" mind, stuck in locked shots, is finally freed.
JULIA ALDANA
My short would be absolutely unwatchable and very probably uncuttable without your classes. You are really great at
explaining things, sharing your knowledge, and being patient.
JENNA PAYNE
This workshop will
enhance my film project's production value and strengthen my directing core.
KELLY SEBASTIAN
Over the past
20 years I have photographed numerous feature films at a variety of budgets. Breaking scenes
into a coherent collection of shots is perhaps the least discussed or understood aspects of filmmaking. When working with Ela Thier on her film, she brought a detailed and thorough plan, introducing me to an approach
that I found very useful for the pre-visualization of our film. I would strongly suggest any student or pro take Ela's class.
I learned a lot from my experience with her.
DAVID
V DANIEL
Cinematographer
(American Psycho, Halloween, My Girlfriend's Back)
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Ela is one of
the few directors I've worked with who is a wonderful writer AND knows how to use the camera. Her
unique vision is a joy to interpret. With Ela I always felt that I'm following a specific and well-planned vision, while never
feeling restricted from making suggestions. She is the kind of director I like to serve.
MILTON KAM
Cinematographer
(Red White & Blue, Vanaja, Punching
the Sun)
Ela commands an incredible
understanding of storytelling combined with a cinematic vision that is evident from the moment we sit down to put a film together.
Her raw footage is captured with such clear intent and direction that scenes seem to assemble themselves naturally, allowing
us to spend less time solving problems and more time crafting the details of each scene.
BEN INSLER
Director and Editor
(A Summer Rain, Foreign
Letters, Not Yet Home)
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