Shot lists, scene breakdowns...which is which, and what comes first?

Rob Lohman · June 17th, 2005, 03:06 AM

Okay, how about we expand this a little bit with this:

When do you start a new "scene".

For example. A woman and a man are talking in the living room. During the
conversation he moves to the kitchen. She follows and the talk is continued
there.

If we see the man exit (but the camera does not follow), we then see her
exit and we cut to the kitchen. Is the kitchen a new scene? (I think it is,
because it is a new location).

If that is so. What now if we decided to shoot it with a steadicam that
follows them from the living room to the kitchen? Is it now just the one scene?

Joshua: thanks for the info. However, you say 80 shots with 25 setups. That
is an average 3.2 shots per setup. I'm wondering for what "kind" of movie you
get this. Because for the work I've done almost every single shot changes
the camera setup (unless you count the cutting forth and back between
two people talking [ie over the shoulder shots] as different shots?).

Now that is not to say that I can't imagine multiple shots with the same
setup, but I'm not seeing this happen very often.

Could you describe some of the multiple shots you are having for that movie
in a single setup?

Thanks!

p.s. perhaps my definition of shot (or scene, or setup) is different than yours
(or somebody else's)....

K. Forman · June 17th, 2005, 05:51 AM

I'm sure most peoples definitions are different. What you described above, could be taken as two scenes, or one. Personally, if it were same physical location, in most cases I would consider it one scene. It really depends on the story, and locations.

Patrick King · June 17th, 2005, 06:41 AM

Is there some reasonably priced piece of software that walks you through this process?

Script > storyboard > scene list > shot list

Joshua Provost · June 17th, 2005, 09:42 AM

Rob, you are right. When I say shot, I meant more along the lines of a cut, because it's based off the storyboards, which were also cut by cut.

However, there were also shots that had the same setup that were separated in the script and in "time." Like a set of shots that occur in the beginning of the film and reoccur at the end of the film. Planning ahead prevented us from having to move back and forth to that position, if we had been shooting strictly chronologically according to the script.

Robert Martens · June 17th, 2005, 10:01 AM

Ooh, that might make it easier...I had been doing it shot-by-shot, and trying to connect all the interweaving cuts into coherent shots in my head (I might have a dozen cuts for a two person conversation, but only two shots), but getting all the cuts on paper first seems like a smarter idea. I could then note, after getting it all written down, which cuts were from the same camera position, then modify the list.

June 17th, 2005, 03:06 AM	#16
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	Okay, how about we expand this a little bit with this: When do you start a new "scene". For example. A woman and a man are talking in the living room. During the conversation he moves to the kitchen. She follows and the talk is continued there. If we see the man exit (but the camera does not follow), we then see her exit and we cut to the kitchen. Is the kitchen a new scene? (I think it is, because it is a new location). If that is so. What now if we decided to shoot it with a steadicam that follows them from the living room to the kitchen? Is it now just the one scene? Joshua: thanks for the info. However, you say 80 shots with 25 setups. That is an average 3.2 shots per setup. I'm wondering for what "kind" of movie you get this. Because for the work I've done almost every single shot changes the camera setup (unless you count the cutting forth and back between two people talking [ie over the shoulder shots] as different shots?). Now that is not to say that I can't imagine multiple shots with the same setup, but I'm not seeing this happen very often. Could you describe some of the multiple shots you are having for that movie in a single setup? Thanks! p.s. perhaps my definition of shot (or scene, or setup) is different than yours (or somebody else's).... __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

June 17th, 2005, 05:51 AM	#17
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	I'm sure most peoples definitions are different. What you described above, could be taken as two scenes, or one. Personally, if it were same physical location, in most cases I would consider it one scene. It really depends on the story, and locations. __________________ www.SmokeWagonLeather.us

June 17th, 2005, 06:41 AM	#18
Patrick King Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Enterprise, AL Posts: 857	Is there some reasonably priced piece of software that walks you through this process? Script > storyboard > scene list > shot list __________________ Fear No Weevil!

June 17th, 2005, 09:42 AM	#19
Joshua Provost Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 493	Rob, you are right. When I say shot, I meant more along the lines of a cut, because it's based off the storyboards, which were also cut by cut. However, there were also shots that had the same setup that were separated in the script and in "time." Like a set of shots that occur in the beginning of the film and reoccur at the end of the film. Planning ahead prevented us from having to move back and forth to that position, if we had been shooting strictly chronologically according to the script. __________________ Owner/Operator, 727 Records Co-Founder, Matter of Chance Productions Blogger, Try Avoidance

June 17th, 2005, 10:01 AM	#20
Robert Martens Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 820	Ooh, that might make it easier...I had been doing it shot-by-shot, and trying to connect all the interweaving cuts into coherent shots in my head (I might have a dozen cuts for a two person conversation, but only two shots), but getting all the cuts on paper first seems like a smarter idea. I could then note, after getting it all written down, which cuts were from the same camera position, then modify the list.