Shooting dialogue

[Patrik Vale]

Hi!

I am shooting some independent low-budget short movies. One of the problems i faced is shooting a dialogue. Is it all about repeating it three times from different angles (wide, over-shoulders)?
When to use over-shoulder and when just a talking person... How about shooting with two cameras, does anybody do it...
I would be thankful to hear some advices from you...

[Rich Mayer]

if you have 2 cameras then go for it, this depends exclusively on your budget and preference, but since you are starting out you really dont have a preference yet so try it out, since Im used to being the camera operator I would never shoot with 2 cameras because I NEED to see the footage Im getting to make many decisions on the spot... again it depends on you and how you work and direct

As far as close ups and over the shoulders, listen to your dialogue and then analize at what part of the dialogue you need to push the close up, look at movies (good movies of course) and notice at what moment they do the close up, it is not random it usually matches a specific moment of the dialogue

[Melvin Harris]

Originally Posted by Patrik Vale

1. Is it all about repeating it three times from different angles (wide, over-shoulders)?

2. When to use over-shoulder and when just a talking person...

3. How about shooting with two cameras, does anybody do it...

1. In certain cases, yes. There are many techniques you could use to save time and keep continuity but in certain cases, especially if the dialogue is short and the scene is sparse, then yes. And more confusingly, there are certain circumstances when you don't have to, but the quick and dirty is yes, there will be the need for repetition.

2. Hopefully, you have studied and broken down the script (or have even storyboarded) and know where the scene is going, what plot points are important, and what's the what. Your shots will come from that bit of homework. Of course, there are some happy accidents that happen on set, and if you can get the talent to recreate those instances then a OTS, or CU, or ECU, from a WS, or MS might serve you well depending on how you or you DP works. I mean think about it... In No Country for Old Men, when Chigurh is in the gas station talking to Thomas Thayer, the old man at the counter, the cuts spoke almost as clearly as the characters talking. When to show a person, and not to; when to see both, and when to focus on one; when to see an action, and when to see a reaction; these are things that you have to know before you walk on set- they are your (or the directors) choices, and they are vital and will dictate how you both shoot and edit your pieces.

3. I personally don't. In my personal opinion, as far as I am concerned, for my purposes it's cheating. Again, that's IMHO as far as I am concerned. But others can answer for themselves.