Don't Ape the Pro's - Create Your Own Unique Genre

by Ian Simpson (Wollongong Camera Club Movie Makers)

Have you ever bothered to read all the credits that are listed at the end of a commercially released movie? They seem to go on and on - so many people involved in the production of a 90 to 120 minute movie. When you consider the resources available to the commercial cinema and TV production studios it seems quite ridiculous to expect the lone amateur or even a group of video club members to produce a drama video with the same production standards as that of the commercial industry.

So why bother!

We need to be uncompromisingly honest with ourselves and ask ourselves what do we do well and concentrate on that. In other words let us develop a totally different video style, a style that is not even vaguely imitative of the professional scene. A style that is more intimate and that fits well with the limitations of amateur camera and non-linear editing facilities. A style that is primary visual in concept and for impact depends on good ideas and good editing techniques rather than the money and resources of a major cinema studio.

Creative Editing rather than Professional Setups

In the glory days of Super 8 film, the premiere journalist of the amateur movement was Ivan Watson. He on many occasions sought to get amateurs to learn some of the skills and techniques of the old silent filmmakers, especially the early Russian filmmakers. On this subject he loved to reiterate their approach of considering each shot as the “visual expression of a single idea.” The secret was then to join these shots, or ideas, in a sequence that would produce a more profound idea or even a different idea.

The example he often quoted was a sequence where the first shot, shot A, shows a woman looking terrified. If this shot is followed by a shot of a crouching leopard, then the combined effects of these two shots is to create a feeling of apprehension in the viewer, that is we worry that the woman may be attacked by the big cat. However if instead of the shot of the leopard we follow shot A with a shot of a mouse, then the viewer is now amused at the terrified expression on the woman’s face. Ivan often quoted this example to show how easy it is with skilful editing to achieve emotional responses in the viewing audience that was not dependent on high-tech equipment, multi-layered surround sound and widescreen panoramas.

The New Amateur Genre - Visual Variety

So what would a uniquely intimate and visual format look like?

Well for a start the videos would consist of mainly close up views (MCU, CU, BCU). The more intimate format fits well with these close up shots. The technical advantage of making videos that consist of many close views is that the image quality will be very good. Even the heavily compressed amateur formats, such as AVCHD, will still look pin sharp on your 50” high definition screen. In this new amateur genre the handling of all these close up shots means that editing will become more important than it is currently in the cinema.

As an example, let’s look at how the famous Russian director of the silent era, Pudovkin, would shoot and edit a car accident.

• The street with cars in motion.

• A pedestrian crosses the street with his back to the camera; a passing motor car hides him from view.

• Very short flash: the face of the startled driver

• Driver’s foot on brake

• Equally short flash: the face of the victim, his mouth open in a scream.

• Legs glimpsed near the revolving wheels

• The sliding, braked wheels of the car

• The corpse by the stationary car.

This sequence consists of one long shot (LS); three medium shots (MS); and four big close up shots (BCU). The impression of an accident is created dramatically without staging an accident. How would modern cinema handle this sequence? Most probably in one take with a mobile camera showing all the gory details.

Which is more effective? Pudovkin’s I believe.

Why do I mention this example which is obviously from a staged fiction movie? The very type of movie I am suggesting amateurs give up. Because it shows how with a little bit of creative shooting and editing an amateur can create an idea, an impression, without having to stage a very complex activity. The professional cinema, with their access to mobile camera equipment, would adopted the mobile camera / one take approach with great enthusiasm because I believe the widescreen format and continuous scripted dialogue are more conducive to a long mobile shot than to rapid scene changes. But in this instance the professional cinema’s loss can be the amateur genre’s gain. The more visual variety of short scenes showing MS and CU compositions gives the new amateur genre not only a more dynamic rhythm but also a more personal style.

The New Amateur Genre - Creatively Edited Sound

What is the role of sound in this new primary visual amateur genre?

Sound should be used economically to heighten tension, to underline a mood or to be a counterpoint to the visuals. Music would be used effectively, but NEVER as “wall-to-wall” music. Also remember silence can be a very dramatic “sound effect.” To quote the French filmmaker, Rene Clair, “Sounds need to be selected as carefully as the photographed objects.”

In this amateur genre, like the professional cinema, the sound track is made on the editing desk. The sound attached to the images will contribute only a small part to the overall sound track. Sound from a separate recorder will contribute background sounds, can possibly give clearer interview tracks, while additional sound effects can be gained from various sound effects libraries.

The New Amateur Genre - What about it!

So I ask all amateur videomakers to review your skills and equipment and to turn your back on any attempt to ape the commercial cinema.

Rather use your ideas, your skills and your equipment to their true potential. Embrace and develop a new amateur video genre, that is, based primary on the visuals and a more intimate form of story telling. Break each activity or sequence down into a number of manageable shots that the loner amateur can easily achieve. Choose compositions that tightly frame the subject and vary these to effectively advance the story. Finally at the editing stage achieve the required pace and visual effectiveness first and ONLY then consider the sound track. Build the sound track up track by track to achieve a homogeneous whole with the visuals.

Then you will have an example of the new amateur genre!

- Ian Simpson