So, to make a scene flow better togerther I should record same action from different angles, and location, at least 30 degrees off..
Would the very last scene in my short, where the guy is opening a door to the car, be a good example of scene flow?
That's about the gist of it. In addition to changing the location of the camera, it's also good to choose the type of shot, as far as wide, medium, close, etc. You also need to consider the 180 rule, as has already been mentioned in this thread. The 180 is difficult to describe -- better to watch an example. Indietalk's own sonnyboo has a nice tutorial on it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdyyuqmCW14
In my case, using a single camera, I had to record him opening the door from 3 different angles (from his back, his head from above, and from inside of the car).
Single camera shoots are normal.
In that case, does the organization of the shot or scene play the vital role? When we got to the scene, I pretty much got my camera out, pointed at him and started recording
This short was very good learning curve for me. I'm guessing for next weekend short I should have some kind of organized list with how I want each scene to look and camera location, instead of randomly choosing a spot, and shooting. Otherwise I will get another jump-cut-short..
For excerise, I think I should put the camera on tripod and do a short video of me walking through the house, and try to make as smooth as possible without any jump cuts. Would that work?
That's a good idea for a short. You might have more fun getting a couple friends involved, doing something silly, but in the end, all that matters for this particular exercise is learning how to shoot and edit something that cuts together smoothly. Even if you do something without a plot (like, walking to the fridge, grabbing milk and drinking it, before leaving kitchen), it still will be incredibly easier to use a volunteer actor, so that you can just concentrate on the camera.
As far as organization is concerned, you definitely want something planned. Some directors want to storyboard an entire movie. The impression I get is that most directors only storyboard the real complicated scenes.
For low-budget indie stuff, one problem that often arises is that you may not be able to see your location until you get there for the shoot. In that case, you really can't do any blocking (including camera placement) until your on the set. Even so, you'll still want a plan before you start shooting. In these instances, one method I personally find useful is simply to draw myself a little map of the space being used. Then, on this map, I also pinpoint where the action is, an where the camera will be for each shot, and what type of shot is it -- "master", "over-the-shoulder", "ultra-close", etc. This can be accomplished rather quickly, and it can help make sure you get all the coverage you need.
Finally, get used to shooting a variety of ultra-close shots, both of your actors, and of random stuff in the scene, to be used as cutaways. Sometimes you will find yourself in situations in which you just don't have two shots that cut together well, for a particular action. In one shot, the dude's hand is in front of him, in the next shot, it's behind him. Well, what if you had an ultra-close shot of his face, so that we can't see anything except his face? Now, you can still cut from one shot to the other, by putting his face in between. Or, maybe you use a reaction shot, like the person who is listening to him. Or, maybe you use an ultra close-up of the cat sitting in the window. These kind of shots will often be necessary to smooth out continuity.
Crackerfunk (off topic): it took us nearly two hours to get to the ellensburg from seattle! I used to rock climb in that location. but the bad thing is that I didn't bring enough water for three of us, the last couple of scenes we were thirty, tired, and too hot lol.
Yep, 2 hours sounds about right. I went to school in Eburg. I could do it in 90 minutes, but that's only because I made the trip so often that I knew all of the locations where the police hung out. Also, as you've learned, water is very important to have plenty of, on every set, regardless of your location.
Cheers!
