moviemaking craft – 2 Reel Guys

Episode 23: Communication

“What’s the worst time you’ve ever spent in an editing room?” Sometimes, those times are easier to count than the good times. Why? Because the team creating the program don’t know how to talk to each other.

In this episode of the 2 Reel Guys, co-hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan share techniques learned from years of editing video and feature film projects. Larry shares his experience of editing video under the pressure of live and nearly-live deadlines, while Norman explains how he gets inside the head of the director to figure out EXACTLY what the scene is supposed to be about.

Creating film is all about collaboration and this episode shows you how. “Improving Communication in the Editing Room” – this week, on the 2 Reel Guys.

Episode 22: Directing Actors

How do you direct actors for the camera? It isn’t rocket science, but it isn’t as easy as you may think, either. In this episode of the 2 Reel Guys, co-hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan discuss the challenges of directing actors.

Unlike traditional theater, film and video has the ability to really get inside an actor’s performance. What can a director do to help them feel more secure, so they can give the best performance? How do you balance wide shots with tight shots, geography with emotion? What should you say as soon as a take is completed and who should you say it to? These questions and more are covered in this episode of the 2 Reel Guys.

“Directing Actors for the Camera” – this week, on the 2 Reel Guys.

Episode 21: Creating Funny

“Everyone knows what’s funny, right?” With those words, co-hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan explore the process of creating comedy on video. Along the way, the 2 Reel Players risk life and limb to showcase techniques that make a joke work.

Discover the values of timing, setting up and thwarting expectations, and how to bury a joke until the audience has forgotten about it, only to spring it on them when they least expect it.

“Creating Funny: How to Setup, Build, and Pay-off a Joke” – this week, on the 2 Reel Guys.

Episode 19: Sound Design

Sound design is more than just sound effects. It is the entire aural environment of your movie. Sometimes, sound design can be simple — just one person talking. However, most of the time, it is layers of sound all carefully mixed together to provide a greater sense of reality to your images.

In this episode of 2 Reel Guys, hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan discuss what sound design is and, using the same scene, provide four different examples of how the “feel” of a scene is influenced as the environment of sounds it contains changes. Then, they discuss some techniques you can use to improve your own sound design.

Episode 18: Documentaries and Reality

Unlike feature films, most documentaries (or reality shows) are unscripted. In many cases, they start shooting with only an outline and the script is developed as the material is shot and edited.

However, just because a documentary is unscripted does not mean it is disorganized, or that it can ignore the basic tenets of storytelling. In fact, just the opposite. As hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan explain, story-telling is just as important as scripted projects. And in this episode, they give you some tips you can use to improve your own unscripted projects.

Episode 17: Telling Stories with Music

Music, in whatever project you are creating, suggests the emotional response your audience should be having at that moment. But how do you use music, and how does your story impact the type and placement of the music you use?

In this episode of the 2 Reel Guys, hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan examine the impact music has on a project, using several specific examples of the difference in emotional content and meaning that occur when you use the same music, but put it in a different place.

Episode 16: Editing Secrets

Editing is story-telling. While we can all agree with that, that sentence isn’t particularly helpful. What editing is actually doing is telling your story by juxtaposing different shots so that your audience sees, hears, and feels what you want them to feel.

This sounds so easy… but the choices are virtually endless.

In this episode of the 2 Reel Guys, hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan examine how the process of editing can enhance your story. Along the way, Norman deconstructs a scene and shows how changing the placement of shots, the addition of close-ups, and altering the timing can completely change the emotional focus of a scene.

Episode 15: Solving Production Problems

Shooting your film is a time of constant problem-solving. But how do you decide how to solve a particular production problem? Back in Episode 4 we discussed how to adjust resources based on People – Facilities – Time – and Money. Is that the best criteria to use?

In this episode of the 2 Reel Guys, hosts Larry Jordan and Norman Hollyn look at how problems can be solved by looking at them from the perspective of the story you are telling. Plus, they supplement this with a few stories of their own.

Episode 14: Dancers

In Episode 6 we acknowledged that many filmmakers are afraid to work with actors. And we learned that this is often because they don’t know how to talk with them. The same is even more true when you’re working with dancers. Yet a good set of dancers, working with a good choreographer, can have just as much impact on your story as actors.

In this episode of the 2 Reel Guys, hosts Larry Jordan and Norman Hollyn look at how different stories can demand different discussions with your dancers — and help you to see that working with dancers is no different than working with any other collaborator. It all tracks back to your story.

Episode 13: Camera Angles

There’s an expression that there is only one correct camera position for a shot. We don’t actually believe that, but what IS true is that an understanding of what different camera angles, positions, and the blocking of the actors within the frame, can help bring your story to a deeper level.

In this episode of the 2 Reel Guys, hosts Larry Jordan and Norman Hollyn look at the implications on your story of your choices of where to place your camera when you shoot.