what do you call these kind of shots?

Jedsterg · Oct 20, 2010

There's something in the foreground obscuring the view and is usually blurred out. Directors like Wong Kar Wai and Danny Boyle usually use these kind of shots. My tutor calls them "dirty shots" but I don't think thats correct as I can't find anything on google.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kRQqksluZk

Look at the very first shot of the plant and the red curtains.

Murdock · Oct 20, 2010

Could be a variation of the "over the shoulder" shot. Only its not a shoulder. It's the "over the whatever" shot. ???

Gonzo_Entertainment · Oct 21, 2010

I calll them "dirty" as well. If I'm doing an OTS shot where the person in the foreground whose shoulder I am shooting over is out of focus it's a "dirty over".

Danimalfilms · Oct 21, 2010

OTS or a Dirty Single is what we usually call 'em. (in dialogue scenes)

Just speculating, but if there's something "cluttering" your foreground it's dirty. I love this technique personally, for having a greater sense of depth in my frame. Also, it's great for some "I spy on you" kinds of shots.

Gonzo_Entertainment · Oct 21, 2010

My DP loves them as well. Ton of shots in my new film where some object is fuzzy in the foreground. It adds a lot of depth.

Danimalfilms · Oct 22, 2010

There's a great scene in Schultze Gets The Blues in which a chess game is played out, and in the foreground there are extras playing while the action takes place behind them. I'll keep looking for the scene, but the movie is great!

A project is coming up soon in which the director wants to shoot it similarly.

David.rhsc · Oct 23, 2010

Jedsterg said:
Look at the very first shot of the plant and the red curtains.

"Foreground"

I've assisted for a show that does this all the time. The DP is always asking for foreground. Sometimes it is a section of chain link fence on a pair of c-stands, sometimes it is just a tree branch in front of the lens. Maybe part of a chair, lamps, little bric-a-brac bits in interiors. We do lots of slow dolly rolls across this kind of stuff during interior scenes.

It's a nice look.

Dirty Single is a similar idea, some near-ground (foreground) object to give depth or to the shot. Sometimes just for nice composition.

learnfilmonline · Oct 23, 2010

In terms of film editing there are a lot of things you all need to know and be good on a particular area. And always, learning is quite easy & sometimes difficult and it depends on how you work on it.

Gonzo_Entertainment · Oct 24, 2010

David.rhsc said:
"Foreground"

I've assisted for a show that does this all the time. The DP is always asking for foreground. Sometimes it is a section of chain link fence on a pair of c-stands, sometimes it is just a tree branch in front of the lens. Maybe part of a chair, lamps, little bric-a-brac bits in interiors. We do lots of slow dolly rolls across this kind of stuff during interior scenes.

It's a nice look.

Dirty Single is a similar idea, some near-ground (foreground) object to give depth or to the shot. Sometimes just for nice composition.

My DP does this as well. More than once we have clamped a tree branch to a C-stand to put it partially in frame close to the camera on an exterior.

David.rhsc · Oct 24, 2010

Gonzo_Entertainment said:
My DP does this as well. More than once we have clamped a tree branch to a C-stand to put it partially in frame close to the camera on an exterior.

It's all about the "Branch-a-loris."

It's funny, because the interior shots with lots of foreground end up looking odd when you look at the set. No one really has this row of low furniture, chairs, lamps, candles, and assorted nick-nacks all lined up in a row roughly parallel to their couch, but when it is so close to camera and moving along from the dolly motion it looks really cool.