Filming a telephone conversation

swiperstopswiping

swiperstopswiping

Well-known member
I need help on figuring out the best way to film/portray a telephone conversation on the screen. I was thinking of doing a split screen convo, with one person talking to one another on the opposite sides of the screen, but only have 1 dvx camera, and figure that this will be difficult to film. Does anyone have any ideas? I've read the other forums using the search function, but still need a little more extra information that is more particular to my "one camera" situation. Thanks
 
There are so many ways to film this scene; perhaps you should think about what context the conversation is in ?

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There is no textbook way to shoot this is my point. Your style should be dictated by the action taking place and the motivation on screen.


(and you don't need 2 cameras; shoot em' seperate and spilt it in post)
 
I was thinking about filming it seperately, but I want to portray both actors on the split screen at the same time, meaning that the intervals for doing that have to be perfect. I can't really cut anything out of the conversation in post if I do it in this particular method.
 
Seems like the easy and cheap thing to do would be just record one of the actors to a tape recorder (actor A) and have the other actor respond to it during the take (actor B). During that actor's take (actor B), record him onto another tape recorder and then play it for the other actor to respond to (actor A).

I'm sure if you take a few takes on both sides with this method at least one set should sync up nicely.
 
Questions: which of these actors is your protaganist? What do you want to portray with the shot? Whats the point of the dialogue...

You can shoot both actors separetly and link in edit... when you switch back and forth if you want to still here the other persons voice, you can add a phonline effect to the sound..... or just have normal volume. But all this comes down to the answers to the questions I asked.
 
There is a thing that let's you record phone convos. onto your computer..... Modem Spy. I'm using it to record phone conversations where I need that phone type sound to the audio. So all I would do is link up one phone to the computer (plug the phone line into that.) and then have the other actor in the other room, so you can get both voices on the same recording, to sync up in post.

Take the output of your computer into your mixer/camera, so you get both halfs of the conversation on the tape.

I guess this is more for conversations where you'd cut between the two, but something as simple as a split screen, just film one actor and have the other in another room,.... could even be a different city or state, you just have to call them and tell them to call whatever number you connect the phone to, doesn't really matter.

(I guess that's another problem, finding a phone line. Worst case a 100' phone line run would work.)


Better yet, if possible have the other actor off screen and just saying the lines while the other says their lines into the phone.
 
If you want split screen and you dont need it to be one continuous shot on each side just film multiple angles of both sides (at least 2 angles) - then you can cut each side to adjust the timeframe so the conversation matches up.

As a last resort film inserts of other actions to stretch time when needed - like the persons hands writing something - or clenching their hands with anxiety over the conversation.

it all comes down to be able to pace the two sides properly.
 
swiperstopswiping said:
I was thinking about filming it seperately, but I want to portray both actors on the split screen at the same time, meaning that the intervals for doing that have to be perfect. I can't really cut anything out of the conversation in post if I do it in this particular method.
Click to expand...

I see; I think timing here is your poblem.
You could make sure in production when the actors talk to each other they give enough beats waiting to hear the other actors response. But the conversation has to be tight so that there is no lapse in their communication since you will be showing them both on the screen ... They have to rehearse the conversation and keep it at the same pace to avoid an unauthentic lapse.

Another thing you can do for the timing issue which is a little more work but may be worth it:

When you shoot the first actor over the phone have the other actor respond out of the frame to get more authentic timing and then cut out the out-of-frame voice in the editing. But also record this conversation on some record device (have someone only record the dialogue of the actor who is in the frame. pause it whenever the actor out of the frame speaks and start again when the actor over the phone speaks.)

and then when you go to shoot the second actor over the phone have someone play the recording of the first actor's dialogue and have the actor in the frame respond to that. So someone in the crew would play the tape, pause it when the actor in the frame speaks and then play and pause and play, etc. until the conversation is over. Then cut out this out-of-frame recorded voice in editing.

This is a little leg work but it will mak sure the second actor is in synch with the first since you only have one camera and you want them to be both on the screen throughout the conversation.
 
there is not need to tightly time the conversation unless you want each half to be uncut - if you have more then one angle you edit the time where you need it.
 
If you had two cameras, would you shoot it until you got just one take? I'm assuming no, in which case editing between shots with on camera should be no problem.

Another possibliity is to build a set where you've actually got the edge of a wall between the two actors and then shoot it with one camera.
 
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