G
Guest
Guest
Two individuals, one in the driver seat the other in the passenger seat. What would be the best way to shoot their dialogue?
DVX100Shooter
Veteran
Re: Shooting in a car
Well you could use exterior camera mounts that attach to the side of the door. I want to say the website is www.camerarigs.com, www.filmtools.com may have some as well.
You could shoot from the driver's side of the passenger talking then mount the camera on the other side to get the driver talking from the opposite point of view that is then edit the whole dialogue together.
I guess you could use a lipstick camera mounted on the sun visor or on the dash but a lipstick camera won't match up to the DVX100 quality.
Well you could use exterior camera mounts that attach to the side of the door. I want to say the website is www.camerarigs.com, www.filmtools.com may have some as well.
You could shoot from the driver's side of the passenger talking then mount the camera on the other side to get the driver talking from the opposite point of view that is then edit the whole dialogue together.
I guess you could use a lipstick camera mounted on the sun visor or on the dash but a lipstick camera won't match up to the DVX100 quality.
Cheesesailor77
Veteran
Re: Shooting in a car
Shooting from the back seat works fine too. if the camera moves too much it does kinda look like "oh well, we couldnt put the camera anywhere else so we're shooting from the back seat", but if you keep it still it looks great (low angle helps too)
Shooting from the back seat works fine too. if the camera moves too much it does kinda look like "oh well, we couldnt put the camera anywhere else so we're shooting from the back seat", but if you keep it still it looks great (low angle helps too)
Re: Shooting in a car
Actually, the web address for my site is DVcameraRigs.com. camerarigs.com will get you a nonexistent site. But yes, we not only have a car mount, but designs for a dolly that you can make small enough to dolly across the backseat of a car. You can check out some quicktime movies on the site to see if these rigs fit your needs. Good Luck!
Dan
www.DVcameraRigs.com
Actually, the web address for my site is DVcameraRigs.com. camerarigs.com will get you a nonexistent site. But yes, we not only have a car mount, but designs for a dolly that you can make small enough to dolly across the backseat of a car. You can check out some quicktime movies on the site to see if these rigs fit your needs. Good Luck!
Dan
www.DVcameraRigs.com
skippyfetus
Carbonite Member
Re: Shooting in a car
Bogen also makes car window mounts that you can attach a regular or video head to. That might do the trick. Also, the back seat can be a neat perspective (see Chasing Amy
)
Bogen also makes car window mounts that you can attach a regular or video head to. That might do the trick. Also, the back seat can be a neat perspective (see Chasing Amy
)
J_Barnes
Veteran
Re: Shooting in a car
May I also suggest that if you are of limited budget, time or other resources, the best way to shoot a 2-person dialogue scene is to find a way to shoot it parked and lit.
Matching shots and coverage can be a real ***** in moving car setups. Differing backgrounds, changing lighting conditions, and unpredictable traffic speed on top of whatever errors your crew and actors toss in the mix...in the end you've got a whole pile of slightly dissimilar shots that will have you tearing your hair out.
In my admittedly limited experience, I have found that it's best to cut out all crane shots, night exteriors, children, animals, special effects/stunts, and moving car shots because they can all ususally be accomplished in less expensive and less time-consuming ways. When constrained financially, it's often best to limit as many difficult factors as possible....if possible, of course.
May I also suggest that if you are of limited budget, time or other resources, the best way to shoot a 2-person dialogue scene is to find a way to shoot it parked and lit.
Matching shots and coverage can be a real ***** in moving car setups. Differing backgrounds, changing lighting conditions, and unpredictable traffic speed on top of whatever errors your crew and actors toss in the mix...in the end you've got a whole pile of slightly dissimilar shots that will have you tearing your hair out.
In my admittedly limited experience, I have found that it's best to cut out all crane shots, night exteriors, children, animals, special effects/stunts, and moving car shots because they can all ususally be accomplished in less expensive and less time-consuming ways. When constrained financially, it's often best to limit as many difficult factors as possible....if possible, of course.
Barry_Green
Moderator
Re: Shooting in a car
All excellent points. Furthermore, actors who are driving impose a safety hazard -- they should ideally either be acting, or driving, but not both.
The big-budget way to do it is to load the car up on a really low flatbed trailer, which you'd then tow around town, and that way the actors can concentrate on acting rather than on driving.
All excellent points. Furthermore, actors who are driving impose a safety hazard -- they should ideally either be acting, or driving, but not both.
The big-budget way to do it is to load the car up on a really low flatbed trailer, which you'd then tow around town, and that way the actors can concentrate on acting rather than on driving.
Slapdragon
Well-known member
Re: Shooting in a car
[quote author=Barry_Green link=board=news;num=1087944166;start=0#6 date=06/27/04 at 21:01:28]All excellent points. Furthermore, actors who are driving impose a safety hazard -- they should ideally either be acting, or driving, but not both.
The big-budget way to do it is to load the car up on a really low flatbed trailer, which you'd then tow around town, and that way the actors can concentrate on acting rather than on driving. [/quote]
This would be the ideal way to go about it, and it is not that expensive, just check out a U-Haul place and rent a pickup and a trailer. Remember, do not do any silly crap like having photogs hanging from the car or the like. No shot is worth a photog's life, and a policeman can and will do nasty things to you if they see that crap.
Ideally, you plan a shoot around a photog in the passengers seat shooting the driver, a photog in the driver's seat shooting the passenger, two shots with the camera mounted out the window, and if you really want a two shot straight on, have a glass repairman punch the car's glass and shoot your two shot. Sometimes you will find that car scenes will be shot with cars that have wild components, but this starts getting into expenses that I doubt a DVX100 user will want. Even punching the front glass or removing a car door can be done for a couple hundred dollars if you are in a non-union state, and the car is still a car after the glass / door is replaced.
Lighting car scenes is harder, and a different discussion.
By the way, it is nice to see people here discuss safety. On another forum I was reading all sorts of wild things proposed by students for car shooting and their reply to my concerns of safety was their art was more important.
BTW -- covereage and matching shots when I shot from a car were achieved by having three cameras rolling on jamsync and restricting ourselves to only half the possible 180. The shots we choose was two tight shots and an over the shoulder shot toward the driver. Then we filled in with coverage POV and car XLS so as to limit continuity problems.
[quote author=Barry_Green link=board=news;num=1087944166;start=0#6 date=06/27/04 at 21:01:28]All excellent points. Furthermore, actors who are driving impose a safety hazard -- they should ideally either be acting, or driving, but not both.
The big-budget way to do it is to load the car up on a really low flatbed trailer, which you'd then tow around town, and that way the actors can concentrate on acting rather than on driving. [/quote]
This would be the ideal way to go about it, and it is not that expensive, just check out a U-Haul place and rent a pickup and a trailer. Remember, do not do any silly crap like having photogs hanging from the car or the like. No shot is worth a photog's life, and a policeman can and will do nasty things to you if they see that crap.
Ideally, you plan a shoot around a photog in the passengers seat shooting the driver, a photog in the driver's seat shooting the passenger, two shots with the camera mounted out the window, and if you really want a two shot straight on, have a glass repairman punch the car's glass and shoot your two shot. Sometimes you will find that car scenes will be shot with cars that have wild components, but this starts getting into expenses that I doubt a DVX100 user will want. Even punching the front glass or removing a car door can be done for a couple hundred dollars if you are in a non-union state, and the car is still a car after the glass / door is replaced.
Lighting car scenes is harder, and a different discussion.
By the way, it is nice to see people here discuss safety. On another forum I was reading all sorts of wild things proposed by students for car shooting and their reply to my concerns of safety was their art was more important.
BTW -- covereage and matching shots when I shot from a car were achieved by having three cameras rolling on jamsync and restricting ourselves to only half the possible 180. The shots we choose was two tight shots and an over the shoulder shot toward the driver. Then we filled in with coverage POV and car XLS so as to limit continuity problems.
John C Lyons
Veteran
Re: Shooting in a car
best shot i ever pulled off was riding on a skateboard at the front bumper of the car while it was driving, holding on for dear life with one hand while balancing my DVX in the other.
amazing shot! so realistic because it was!
none like it that i have ever seen in hollywood or anywhere else. unforunately i cant show any of the footage from that scene.
anybody selling their used DVX?
best shot i ever pulled off was riding on a skateboard at the front bumper of the car while it was driving, holding on for dear life with one hand while balancing my DVX in the other.
amazing shot! so realistic because it was!
none like it that i have ever seen in hollywood or anywhere else. unforunately i cant show any of the footage from that scene.
anybody selling their used DVX?
Slapdragon
Well-known member
Re: Shooting in a car
[quote author=the-lyons-den.com link=board=news;num=1087944166;start=0#8 date=06/28/04 at 11:06:50]best shot i ever pulled off was riding on a skateboard at the front bumper of the car while it was driving, holding on for dear life with one hand while balancing my DVX in the other.
amazing shot! so realistic because it was!
none like it that i have ever seen in hollywood or anywhere else. unforunately i cant show any of the footage from that scene.
anybody selling their used DVX?[/quote]
;D
By the way, they sell a teeth extracting kit for the DVX to get cuspids, bicuspids, and incisors out of the camera mechanism. May be cheaper than a new "used" camera, plus you get your front teeth back.
[quote author=the-lyons-den.com link=board=news;num=1087944166;start=0#8 date=06/28/04 at 11:06:50]best shot i ever pulled off was riding on a skateboard at the front bumper of the car while it was driving, holding on for dear life with one hand while balancing my DVX in the other.
amazing shot! so realistic because it was!
none like it that i have ever seen in hollywood or anywhere else. unforunately i cant show any of the footage from that scene.
anybody selling their used DVX?
[/quote];D
By the way, they sell a teeth extracting kit for the DVX to get cuspids, bicuspids, and incisors out of the camera mechanism. May be cheaper than a new "used" camera, plus you get your front teeth back.