How to Shoot for cutting on Word?

[Blanc/Noir]

So after watching television and movies, I notice that on some cuts, lets say a coversation between two people.

Person A will be talking and then you heard a single word from person B before switching to a camera angle on person B.

I understand getting coverage but the flow, doesnt sound as though it could actually happen from just reshooting the scene. Also sometimes the angle can change halfway through a word.

So my question is how to shoot for this affect, and how to edit for it.

 

[Dreadylocks]

If I'm understanding you question, it's pretty much all done in the editing process. You have two shots with two audio tracks. First you have shot A with it's audio track, then overlap shot B and it's audio where you want person B to start speaking, but just cut out the frames of the shot B's video track until the second word or whenever.

As for cutting in the middle of the word, just do multiple takes from different angles and make sure the actor does the same blocking each time. And you would use the audio from just one shot so there isn't a jump in the middle of the word.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[chilipie]

Sounds like you might be watching some 'L' and 'J' cuts - the video cuts to a different shot before the audio does, or vice versa.

 

[Cracker Funk]

I agree with the above sentiments. It's not how you shoot it, but how you edit it, in this respect.

 

[Dreadylocks]

I think it was in the Hollywood Camera Works DVDs, where they said that even if you want the actors to step on each others lines, you should shoot it with a lot of space in between and let the editors do the 'interrupting.'

For an example of an editor doing this, check out The Cutting Edge. There is a scene that one editor uses as an example, I think it's a Kristin Scott Thomas film, of how he editing it to make it seem like the actors were stepping on each others lines to build tension. It was actually shot much more subdued.

 

[Cracker Funk]

I think it was in the Hollywood Camera Works DVDs, where they said that even if you want the actors to step on each others lines, you should shoot it with a lot of space in between and let the editors do the 'interrupting.'

For an example of an editor doing this, check out The Cutting Edge. There is a scene that one editor uses as an example, I think it's a Kristin Scott Thomas film, of how he editing it to make it seem like the actors were stepping on each others lines to build tension. It was actually shot much more subdued.

Yep, that about says it. There's something to be said for an actual interruption being shot, and shown, in all it's rude glory. But if I have a number of lines that need to be right on top of each other, it's better for them to be shot seperated by space.