Watch: What You Need to Know About Shooting a Dialog Scene
Dialog scenes are some of the most important in your film—but how do you shoot one?
Dialog scenes introduce us to characters, give us info, and even create tension. Every film contains one (okay, not every); you could probably list off your favorites right this second. However, like everything in filmmaking, they're not as simple to pull off as you might think. So, here to give you an introduction to the basics of shooting a dialog scene is filmmaker JP Caldeano.
For the most part, dialog scenes serve specific purposes, like providing essential narrative information to the audience. This is why the master shot, two-shot, and over-the-shoulder shot are so useful; they are an efficient vehicle for communication that allow you to see who's talking as well as the reaction to what's being said.
But, it's important to remember that these scenes are not just about what's being said, which is why creative cinematography and blocking can actually end up saying a lot more than the characters do. In fact, the dialog can act as a Trojan Horse for the actual message contained within the cinematography.
For example, consider this scene: A married couple are sitting down for dinner at a restaurant. They're talking casually about work. If shot in a classic way (two-shots, OTS shots), this exchange might seem pretty innocuous. Maybe we're getting introduced to the characters and learning about what they do for work. But, depending on the way you shoot the scene, you could turn this benign exchange into a scene depicting the death rattle of a loveless marriage.
How? Try using shots that create a physical distance between the two characters; this can represent the emotional distance between them. For example, two-shots with a wide angle/anamorphic lens (or no two-shots), OTS shots that obscure part of the subject's face, or single shots that only have one character in the frame—all of these could achieve the aforementioned effect.
The video will show you the basic techniques of shooting a dialog scene, but there are countless ways to shoot one. Practice, experiment, and get creative!
Source: Cinematic J
