My incredibly hard "one take" project...

MatthewC

MatthewC

Well-known member
Alright. I was listening to a tune tonight, and suddenly I got this wicked idea for a short film under five minutes long.

It will involve running, lots of running, nonstop running actually, until the end. A character will be running down the streets, across yards, over fences, etc. nonstop for around 4 minutes. How would you recommend doing this in one take? My idea is a sunroof on a car, and film the person running.

Also, any tips for shooting outside with just a standard digital camera?

This sounds impossible and it very well could be. I hope to eventually show it here but it won't be for months.
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Use a helicopter ::)
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Well, it would depend on the shot right? I mean if youwanted to have the framing directly on his back, then this is my suggestion. ( Make sure the guy shooting this can keep up with him too. :P )

Build one of those homemade 'steady-cam ' things off the numerous site i've seen it on. I built one and it works quite well. I would like to mod it a bit more to make it a little bit easier to control. If anyone doesn know what i'm talking about, its the 'contraption' that is made of pipes and a weight at the bottom, so that when you run or walk fast, it will dampen the camera shake that normally comes into play.

Then just plan it all out and run right behind him. It might be a little difficult since the camera is about 4 - 5pounds and then you'll have about 1-2 lbs of pipes and then another 2.5 lbs of weight at the bottom. ;D

PLUS, you'll be running for about 4 minutes.

But that would be the only way to get that shot with out cuts in one take.

Otherwise , if your not going to go through alleys and up stairs and all that and canfit a car , then just go for that.

just my .02
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Hitchcock did a whole movie (Rope) in one shot. Actually that's not true, he was shooting film and could only acquire about ten minutes of footage at a clip. This movie was shot in a series of 8 continuous takes. Every 8 minutes the camera zoomed into a dark object (i.e. someone's back) while the camera was reloaded and started again at the same spot as soon as it was done. There are a few conventional cuts in the film, but not many. Maybe you could do something like that?
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Good ideas, all of them. I'd like to keep it all in one shot, and hopefully pretty steady. I have some plugins for Premiere that can do that.

The problem with this film is this:

1) I will be running flatout, the entire time. I'm hoping to get so winded that I'm falling down by the end, and not acting it. Maybe vomit or something, so you really get the feel hes running for his life. I'm pretty fast, I doubt someone could keep up.

2) The ending. I want the whole event to be smooth, but Im going to need to spicen up the middle a bit, tripping, falilng, etc. as realisticly as possible.

3) The ending, somehow the person will get out of the car and follow me into a house. I'll run upstairs and do a short dramatic scene, then end it. The problem here is whether I can do it or not (I love acting) and get it in one take, but I figure after running that hard for so long and so fast, I will be in character pretty damn good.

4) I'm doing this in town, during the day. Meaning the whole thing will be done int he city streets of downtown where I live. Traffic, etc. could cause some obstacles. I'm going to want to try and keep the car at the same distance the whole time. At various points it will be behind me as I run onto the road, beside me as I'm on the sidewalk, etc.
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Discounting "Rope," because of the technical limitations (ten or so minutes per load), there have been at least two (that I know of) feature movies comprised of one continuous shot (taking advantage of the longer running time of DV and HD tapes as compared to film mags. They are:

Russian Ark (shot on HD)
Big Monday (shot on DV with an XL-1)
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

another one you may want to check out is "Time Code" 4 Cameras shooting simultaneously in realy time. Directed by Zemmeckis i think. worth a watch if anything.
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

"Timecode" was directed by Mike Figgis.

The DVD is great. Tells you how they did it several times to get it all with the right timing.
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

It is a guy running? Why not just go handheld and put an end to this misery (in the nice sense of the expression, of corse...)?
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

sounds like you are trying to reshoot "RUN LOLA RUN"

A suggestion. Try to make films with a story. shooting for the sake of shooting is a bit boring and leads nowhere. :P
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

[quote author=mroczkowski83 link=board=news;num=1109534272;start=0#9 date=02/28/05 at 16:58:02]sounds like you are trying to reshoot "RUN LOLA RUN"

A suggestion. Try to make films with a story. shooting for the sake of shooting is a bit boring and leads nowhere. :P[/quote]

No, I definately have a story. I'm a little worried to reveal it here...is it secret??? Is it safe??

I would like to have a guy chasing me, but as I said above, I'm sprinting full speed, top speed. I run pretty damn fast and I doubt my friends, holding a camera, would be able to keep up.
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

so slow down!!!

and youre right it was Figgis. I was at the premiere of the film in Toronto and he did the soundmix for the movie LIVE while we were watching it on the big screen. Incredible. He had the sound board set up at the bottom of the theater.
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

[quote author=mastermind link=board=news;num=1109534272;start=0#11 date=03/04/05 at 06:33:30]so slow down!!!

and youre right it was Figgis.  I was at the premiere of the film in Toronto and he did the soundmix for the movie LIVE while we were watching it on the big screen.  Incredible.  He had the sound board set up at the bottom of the theater.[/quote]

I cant slow down, thats the entire basis of the short film. LOL
You need to see hes running as fast as he can, as long as he can.
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

I would recommend the lightest DV stabilizer available with a really good, really fast operator. It's not out of the question, but finding the right person would take some effort, and it wouldn't likely be one of your friends (I wouldn't even know who out of the entire LA Steadicam community I would recommend for this, even if price were no question!).

The "Rope" suggestion has some merit; there are likely places that you could hide cuts (such as moving across walls, trees, whip pans etc). Properly done, the audience would never know the difference. And if they believed it, there's not much to be gained from being able to tell someone "I really ran that fast for 4 minutes"; if the film ends up being worth watching, it should stand on its own either way.
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

did anyone see the X-files episode where it was shot in the queen marry? It was from what I rememberd looked like it was shot continously with a steady cam. It was one of the coolest episodes.
 
Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Re: My incredibly hard "one take" projec

Spidey,
That was one of the coolest episodes !!
I totally forgot about that one, I'll go through my dvd's and find it.

MatthewC,
I can't believe nobody has brought up THE most logical solution to this dilemma.
A bike .... with pegs.
We used to do it all the time with our skateboarding videos.
It's still going to be a challenge, but if it's easy to do, it's not worth it, Right?

;D CAVEMAN
 
Caveman,

Thats what I originally planned, but I wasnt thinking of pegs. Great idea! i'll let you guys know how it turns out in a few months when I'm back home!
 
golf cart

golf cart

I just did a shoot with a golf cart serving as my dolly. That may work for you. unless you want the camera to follow you directly behind your back while you go over fences. If that is the case it is going to be tough. Have you ever tried to climb a fence at top sped while holding a camera in focus? i magine it will be tough. no matter what i want to see the final project
 
Well, I'm going to at least try a one shot, see if its physically possibly or not.

Theres a few factors:

1) Is it possible to run that long, etc.
2) Can the shot be taken the entire time, and have it seem semi professional?

I'm thinking of maybe cutting it right near the area he ends at, then I can make a few endings, as Ive got different ideas.

If anyone wants to hear my idea, PM me cause Id love some opinion on my ideas.
 
Dude,

Not to be a pain or anything, but everytime I see one of your posts I think it's mine. Have you considered changing your name? How about, Bucky Goldstien? I don't think that ones used...

:cheesy:
 
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