Thoughts on handheld camera work

HBlack

HBlack

Underage Member
This is regarding using it as an aesthetic choice, similar to what was done in "Unawakening", which was presented at the previous dvxfest. I'm considering using it in a short I'm doing soon, and am looking to get some opinions on it. Nothing over the top, but just a bit of intentional shake/camera movement to add intensity to a scene. Any thoughts on when it has been used effectively or ineffectively in the past, and what you think of it as a technique?
 
It needs to be justified by the action or used consistently throughout the film - especially in a short. Naturally, an entire picture can be shot handheld, but then placing static or classically realized shots within same will be jarring for the viewer.

Conversely, if you intercut unmotivated handheld with otherwise stable tripod, dolly, jib and even Steadi footage, it will often look more like the operator has made an error.

Justified would be:
  • Character POVs
  • Chase / Fight / Action sequences
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I really liked it in the Bourne movies - seemed to me that they really nailed the technique in Ultimatum, but Supremacy and Identity seemed to be too shaky at times. My wife noticed that the first two made her nautious, but not the the third. As a way of conveying intensity I think it works well. To further expand the snap zooms and handheld work in The Office give it a totally different feel that I also like a lot. I'd do some testing and see what you think. Maybe shoot a test scene both handheld and on a tripod.
 
The Office is a great example of how the camera movement can break the fourth wall. Every time they move the camera with snap zooms to catch a moment, you become aware that there is a camera crew "documenting" what happens at Dunder-Mifflin.

When the characters make eye contact with the viewer in an aside, it naturally reinforces this.

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I liked it in The Office, but I hated it in I Am Legend. It just really annoyed me for some reason. Only in the beginning though. I think its personal preference but I'm not very fond of handheld work to be honest.

-Kegan
 
i love handheld camerawork. it evokes a more organic feeling in me when the frame isn't being "controlled" or rigid. the freedom of movement conveys a sense of there being a human perspective viewing the events as they unfold. and the movements, much like our attention (the camera's point of view), is free to go where it needs to.
 
I think handheld should be used very, very sparingly. If a movie uses it to the point of
making the viewer nauseous (Cloverfield and others) it is being overused. As for being
"realistic", walk around your house and then describe what you saw. Does it look closer
to steadicam or handheld?
 
Erik Olson said:
It needs to be justified by the action or used consistently throughout the film - especially in a short. Naturally, an entire picture can be shot handheld, but then placing static or classically realized shots within same will be jarring for the viewer.

Conversely, if you intercut unmotivated handheld with otherwise stable tripod, dolly, jib and even Steadi footage, it will often look more like the operator has made an error.

Justified would be:
  • Character POVs
  • Chase / Fight / Action sequences
e
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This, Sir; is an excellent post! :thumbsup:
 
Naturally it depends on the project and the mood you want to achieve. Handheld can give a general feel to an entire movie, or punctuate a scene when used sparsely.
Saving Private Ryan, United 93, and others have used it as a general style creating a fantastic documentary feel.

American Beauty (scene where Cooper punches his son) is my favorite scene to show just how powerful it can be when it's used rarely (as that's the only handheld scene in the movie). It was such a shock to the viewer and that's exactly what the scene needed.

The second half of Titanic used it well for creating a panicked atmosphere without feeling documentary.

Now for short films? I use it as a last resort. I think it's too easy to simply shoot scenes handheld and it comes off as cheap. Now, that said, I usually find at least one scene in every movie I make where I use handheld as nothing else will work as well.
 
Handheld is a tool available to the cinematogrpaher, just as steadicams, dollies, jibs, tripods, and the occaisonal parachutes are. Don't use it just because "it looks cool". Use it because it means something in the context of your story.

24 uses handheld to emphasize the sharp dramatic suspense and constant pounding action that the show's plot and format contain, but the camera always gets steadier when scenes are more mellow.

Cloverfield is a great example of extreme handheld filmmaking with great success. The style of the camerawork fits the plot perfectly. It is not a movie about a monster. It is a movie from a person's camera who was trying to escape a monster. In that context, the style of Cloverfield was perfectly executed, and I have a great deal of respect for Michael Bonvillain and what he did in that film. That aside, I don't think Cloverfield should really be brought into a discussion about handheld camera style simply because the basis of the movie basically required handheld, and so it wasn't so much a stylistic choice as a perfectly executed required one.

The Office is a great example of handheld played down. In this context the moving camera serves more as a realism factor to emulate typical documentary style footage.


Remember though... all of these handheld camera styles are being accompanied by huge budgets and production values. Using handheld in a low budget short film will most likely be mistaken for an amateur mistake unless you execute it with style and meaning in mind rather than aesthetics...

Here's an example of what I mean. Lets say Person A hits Person B, who falls to the floor and is then kicked again by Person A in the ribs. The shot of Person B falling down could be done handheld, as could the punch or the motion of the kick. However, the shot of Person A looking down in disgust, or of Person B's face on the floor wouldn't fit into a handheld style because there's no motivating factor in those specific shots for the handheld look. I would avoid excessive camera movement in any shots that don't also come with a great amount of movement, violence, or any other stylistic need for blurriness or shakiness.

Still, I'd try my hardest to avoid any handheld at all in a short film.
 
In my case, it's a zombie movie which takes place mostly in a basement, with two living characters. I was planning on using tripod/slow dolly shots for the more calm bits of conversation, as well as when the characters are sitting around doing nothing while listening to the radio, while using handheld for the more tense bits of conversation and action scenes. Nothing too ridiculous, but just with a tiny amount of movement to cause a bit of unrest. The camera will be on a shoulder rig. I know it's hard to assess with this little information, but any thoughts on that?
 
to be absolutely sure, shoot some tests. Have somebody get in makeup and shoot a mock up of one of the scenes using handheld and using tripod/dolly. Edit them and see which you like best.
 
Yeah, I do plan on doing at least one day of test shooting with stand-ins before hand to get the lighting and camera work right. I might just get a few takes of handheld and with the tripod for each shot, because it only takes about 10 seconds to switch from one to the other.
 
About the only majority handheld films I can stand are Children of Men and Cloverfield. I couldn't stand the latest Bourne film for example, The camera work was just way too annoying and overblown.
 
HBlack said:
Yeah, I do plan on doing at least one day of test shooting with stand-ins before hand to get the lighting and camera work right. I might just get a few takes of handheld and with the tripod for each shot, because it only takes about 10 seconds to switch from one to the other.
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That's an interesting idea. If that works for you then by all means go for it. Personally though I prefer rehersing with the actors (even if it's not on-set) and then making the decisions based on how they're playing the scene.
 
i adore handheld, especially when the story is really trying to depict something that we can really relate to and experience with the character. Makes it more real/documentary like.
 
PaPa said:
i adore handheld, especially when the story is really trying to depict something that we can really relate to and experience with the character. Makes it more real/documentary like.
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and actually, it isn't so much that it "adds" a documentary feel to the content -- becasue if the camera has the freedom to look where it wants, it actually IS more real because it's capturing the action in the moment and is not restricted by what the shot is supposed to be. the inherent spontaneity is tangible and is more real, imo. it doesn't just "look" more real. you know?
 
The only problem is when it breaks the fourth wall and there isn't supposed to be a camera there. If you're aware of the camera, and there is no explicit suggestion that there is a camera crew with the character, then the director has made a poor decision.

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That's the difference between good handheld work and bad handheld work in an action scene. The camera shouldn't be making spontaneous movements of its own accord to capture different aspect of the scene. That's what editing is for, and handheld cinematography needs to be limited to prevent unwanted 4th wall break ins. Look at any well edited action scene. Most likely it is a combination of handheld and tripod. The handheld works because it is either barely detectable or is erratic to the degree that fits the emotion.

Here's another way to look at handheld in action scenes...

This is less a realistic factor as far as making it feel more documentary style as much as it is a physical and inherently visual manifestation of the emotional (or what have you) conflict between the competitors in the fight. If you think of handheld style in this manner, you should be able to judge to what degree you should make the style apparent in your compositions.
 
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