Same Shot Twice?

[RyanT]

I've been on many a shoots in the past little while in which we finish with a setup, get the shot, then move onto the next. The next is a later scene, but the same exact action and usually on the shot list it is the same exact shot. About 80% of the time the DP will insist that we change the shot, "just because".

I agree that having the same shot over and over with the same action can get quite boring, as it's always good to have some shot variation, but when the shot appears twice in the film, I never see much gained from it, except time lost.

I don't know though, maybe I'm just all about efficiency. I know I know, the standard answer for anything is it depends on what you're trying to convey and say with the shot, but when does it not come down to that? Yeah, never.

So, do you guys mind this sort of thing, or do you like to switch it up? Am I alone on even seeing this? I just hope I'm not alone on my ideas.

 

[Gohanto]

Usually when you revisit a location, the mood and purpose of the scene has changed so you should be changing the shots. However, there are exceptions. The American Beauty dinner scenes are both shot in the same angles because it gives an objective view of the characters such that we can see exactly what has changed in each of them.
Run Lola Run repeats shots for similar reasons.

 

[Capt Quirk]

If nothing else, it just gives a visual break from what you've already seen.

 

[Jim Brennan]

Yeah, I think that people expect a bit of variety with enough of a touchstone to realize they are in the same place.

IMHO, using the exact same shot in a later scene demands more motivation than changing it would. Bringing people to the same location, with the same set up but with some obvious difference (a newcomer, an injury, or some sort of tell to show what happened in between) is an effective way to have subtext. Sometimes the characters don't even have to address it, but the audience gets it. Establishing a recognizable framework, then intentionally deviating can be an effective storytelling method.

But, if it's just the same location (as mentioned by Gohanto), there should be a different purpose to the later scene, which would demand a different set up for a different emotional impact.