How to add cinematic touch to ordinary situations

Omar N

Omar N

Active member
Hello all,


I have a documentary project next month with at least one or two scenes that involves cooking local cuisine, and I wanted to get some tips from the pros on how to make it more cinematic. In particular, I really liked Philip blooms piece "Sugared Art." We will have the kitchens to our selves and the chefs will be under our command, so things can be staged, but we are not sure what the local venues will look like when we get there. My question is, what techniques do you guys apply to get cinematic motion on the spot in venues you have never been before? We will have a jib, slider, and tripod. The way I was thinking to do it was to set up the job and tripod and just eye the location for nice shots, focusing on wides first, then mediums, and then soon close ups.


I have decent experience in narrative film, but this will be my first documentary, and coming from a narrative background, I was just wondering what strategies some of you guys use o add a cinematic touch to ordinary situations.


All help greatly appreciated. Thank you!


~Omar
 
One thing that always gets me excited in doc work is repetitive motion bc you can really go for those "roll the dice" shots without ruining your sequence- the guy who shoots "How It's Made" probably thinks he's a genius. Cooking is great for this BUT be careful since some of the big moments wont be easily repeatable without giving your chefs a lot of extra work. Talking things over beforehand is the key and save the 2.8 slider rack from the pots and pans across the room for the chopping and stirring instead of when the whipped cream gets it's peaks. Other than that, your skills from narrative are probably your best guide but give yourself a little more room for error since you're not completely in control of the action- that stand that's just out of frame when you're blocking will always end up in the shot once you start rolling.
 
Hey Omar,

I think you got all the tools that one would want for something like this. I can imagine myself using the jib a lot which gives one flexibility and relatively free movement with steady shots, a slider might not even be necessary but bring it anyway.
Like said before, key is to know what and when the chefs are doing something important, say something that will look nice on camera and try to be aware of when it will happen.

Another thing which would make sense if you can't go to the locations beforehand would be to ask for several snapshots of the locations, maybe from each side of the room and ask how big the space is. I think that will help you to get a better idea if you even will be able to use the jib properly and have enough space for it.

Other than that, I wish you happy shooting and good luck :)
 
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