Shooting Dialogue

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© Copyright Tom Jantol. All Rights Reserved
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Dialogue scenes are often an underestimated part of the Machinima making art. This small article will try to outline the fabric for the proper shooting of dialogue scenes. Following these few rules we can make our characters look more convincing and story more believable. Consequentially, our movies will be better, our fame will travel faster and glory will conquer the world!

• Red carpet, undoubtedly, starts right here, with this picture of common heights based on an average character:

Best way to start shooting a dialogue scene in your masterpiece is to carefully build a scene around a Master-scene shot. With a Master-scene, shooting script (you have a shooting script, don't you?) doesn't necessarily need to be broken down into specific shots because the Master-scene approach will cover all the basic possibilities. This practice of retaking the same event from multiple viewpoints can be applied to almost any situation but it is especially useful for shooting dialogue scenes.

So, here goes a simple explanation of which camera angle to use, where and why.

   Master-scene. In a dialogue scene, it is typically a medium shot of two characters, 
   framing them from about the knees up, also called a two-shot. The master scene captures   
   the entire scene from beginning to end without interruption. Traditionalist directors will 
   get the whole scene in one shot, whether or not they plan to use all of it in the edit. 
   That because the master scene is directors/editors all-purpose alternative for any other 
   take that is unusable. 

• Medium or full medium shot used in Master scene is, like we said, a kind of all-purpose safety net. They also allow the viewer to pick up on the character's movements and gestures. Body language is important in conveying emotion and the medium shots remains close enough to capture that emotion. These shots are best for individuals or small groups; more than three or four people in the scene will require using different type of shot, full and wide shots.

   Medium full shot: enough for basic information: main characters 
   with faces and body language, part of environment.

• Full and wide shots are basically the launching pad for many scenes a director will put together. They help establish a character in a specific location, by identifying both the character and his environment. These shots also allow characters to show body language.

This full shot is full of information: number of characters, exterior, time of day, weather, even possible motive of gathering, body on the floor.

   Close-ups of first character. The setup for the first characters close-up comes 
   in closer and reframes his head and shoulders. Another term for a character's close-up 
   is the single, or a clean single. A variation that includes some of the other character's
   body in the frame is called a dirty single, these days a standard style of shooting. The 
   purpose of a dirty single is obvious; to show the other characters' body language, such as 
   nodding of the head or gestures as he reacts to the first character speech. 

Be Aware! It is unmistakable mark of bad directing to shoot only the character's speaking parts in closeups. It is equally important to capture the emotions that play on his face as he reacts to what the character says. In fact, we often must cut away from the speaker as soon as possible so that her lines play under her partners reaction shots.

• Close-up: whole face, all face expressions.

• Dirty close up can be "over the shoulder" shot that centers one character in the frame as viewed approximately over the others shoulder. Basically, this is the speaker's upper torso that includes the side of the listener's head. Of course, reverse angle should complement and seem opposite to the height and eyeline of the first.

• Extreme Close-up of first character. These shots may frame the character's head or even just the eyes or mouth. Extremely powerful shots, but they should be used sparingly for emotional climaxes.

Extreme close-up on this illustration is also "Point of View" shot, where character looks straight at the camera.

• Medium, close-ups and extreme close-ups of second character, also called reverse angles with respect to the shots on the first character. Camera angles should correspond to the character's relative heights and eyelines. For example, if the first character is taller, the camera should be looking up at him, as the second character does - and the reverse angle should look down on the second character.

Generally, it is good practice in shooting second character to "mirror" takes of first character.

Typical 'over the shoulder' shots shows us characters stage relation. But, on more subtle level this shot can tell us much more: male is dominant, he is taller and space behind him is open. Female character is trapped by male in front of her and dark, closed space behind. She is a victim of this situation and probably our hero - before they even open their mouths, just with careful positioning of camera.

Here are a another couple of important shots and derivation for building good dialogue scenes:

• Establishing shots - shots of environment in which dialogue is taking place. This term can also describe storytelling function, not just technical design of the shot; to establish situation in which dialogue takes place it isn't always necessary to show environment. For example, close up of keys in policeman hand can establish jail environment and situation.
• Cutaway shots - any shots that takes the viewer out of scene to add some information. For example flying of police helicopter above fugitive character head.
• Insert shots - shots with some meaningful detail, for example extreme close up of wrist watch that some character in dialogue scene anxiously looks at.

Extremely important in setting up dialogue scenes is to not cross the "stage line". Stage line (also known as the 180 degree rule) is imaginary line between two characters on the scene. To assure visual continuity, all camera setups in a scene must be on the same side of the line or axis. (We can call "stage line" also "axis of action".) If we fail to follow this rule, characters will swap sides on the screen during a scene, which can be disorienting to the audience. Quite simple, if we stay on same side of stage line, left character will always be left and right, right.

Cameras 1 and 2 are on right side of stageline, respecting 180 degree rule of line between two characters. Do not cross that line.

Perhaps our movie need large crowd that is having a heated discussion in some dramatic situation like, for example, traffic accident or some family scene at the dinner table. We don't want the viewer to be confused by constant cutting between close ups of characters talking. Furthermore, there are potentially as many stage lines as there are pairs of characters which can be extremely confusing for director and viewer, both. There are at least two easy solutions for such cases: in first we can use additional camera - one or two cameras for focusing on the main characters dialogue, after we pick one possible stage line exactly like in two character scene, while the third camera retains a view of the entire group. Later, in editing process we can put shots from additional camera between the shots of first two and that way constantly remind viewer where each character is staged in relation to the rest of the group.

Cameras 1 and 2 are on speaking characters, respecting chosen stage line. Camera 3 is on whole group. It is recommended that camera 3 retain his position even if we change speaking characters stage line.

Second solution is to simply draw a line down the middle of group of characters and shoot the scene from just two setups, one of either side of the group, respecting a single stage line drawn through the group center. Useful trick is to use some central element to position whole group around it, like dinner table, street light or a body on the floor. This element we can then use like a position marker; center of that element then becomes center of stage line.

Sometimes in group scenes we will want to cross a stage line for dramatic purpose, to intentionally disorient the viewer, but even then it is recommended that scene - viewer - maintain even minimum sense of orientation. One of the ways to do that is to insert a neutral angle every time we want to cross the stage line. This neutral angle must not be an over the shoulder shot of any character, just clean medium or close-up near stage line.

Camera 1 and 2 with chosen stage line between speaking characters. If we want jump over stageline on camera 4, before crossing we must insert neutral shot from camera 3.

This was more or less just the basics for the setup of characters and cameras for shooting dialogue scenes. If we follow these few rules our dialogue scene will look proper and well oriented. Our talking heads will actually talk to each other. But, is this enough for viewer to believe our characters? Of course not!

All little crafts involved in directing movies lay mainly on director's sense of story. Besides voices of characters, acting, the director's sense for moment in story, for context in which dialogue scene take place, will make dialogue more or less convincing. Machinima author is often one man crew - director, screenwriter, actor, camera man, editor - and in that somewhat privileged situation, sense for story is even more important. So, main goal of this little tutorial isn't just to teach author how to shoot a dialogue scene, but to help him developing his own sense.

If that make any sense!