Film Better Dialogue With One Camera! | Shooting & Editing Tutorial

Dialogue is the most common scene type in narrative filmmaking. It can also be the most boring to watch if you aren't thinking about the tone of your story. In this video Garrett discusses how to think through, set up, film, and edit dialogue scenes to make your films the best they can be.
Gemini Effects Series bit.ly/35hfPKf
// GEAR IN THIS EPISODE //
Litepanels Gemini 2x1 bhpho.to/35aEAaU
Litepanels Gemini 1x1 bhpho.to/35cWHgy
Anton Bauer Dionic XT150 bhpho.to/3j6bf6u
Canon C200 bhpho.to/2TaYj51
Rokinon Lens Set bhpho.to/3dGQygy
Teradek Bolt 500 bhpho.to/2ISTcod
SmallHD Production Monitor bhpho.to/3ktjYB6
//TABLE OF CONTENTS //
0:00 Intro
1:10 Dialogue Scene
2:11 How To Approach Dialogue
4:10 Setting Up Your Shots
7:51 Filming With One Camera
10:33 Successful Editing
13:24 Conclusions
// THINGS TO KNOW //
Let's connect on IG - / garrettsammons
I made these for you - sellfy.com/garrettsammons
The music I use fm.pxf.io/garrett
// #filmmaking #howto #dialogue //
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My name is Garrett. I am a full-time commercial producer, part-time film professor, and avid whiskey enthusiast living in Metro Detroit. I began on KZbin to help bridge the technical and financial gap filmmakers face by giving away the same content I talk about in my classrooms. Learn tricks of the trade, discover new gear, stay up with filmmaking trends, dive into how I pull off cinematic looks, and so much more.

[@henriquemoreira4176]

great video, but how did you edit the dialog of those j and l cuts, when they're overlapped? I think this scene is flawless in the terms of framing, blocking and audio!

[@garrettsammons]

You can use audio from other takes when showing the reaction shot. Either sentences are spliced, or we just use the audio from the incoming shot. Also, in the performance, the dialogue wasn’t always as tight as it ended up being in the cut.

[@henriquemoreira4176]

@@garrettsammons that makes a lot of sense, thank you! it really works well when used properly

[@BDoughly]

i came to the comments just for this.

[@blaylock1978]

@@garrettsammons This was going to be my question as well. I think this answers it. So you are recording everybody else’s dialogue at the same time and when people are supposed to be talking over one another, you are just simply not recording it that way but in edit you’re overlapping that audio to make the conversation seem quicker and natural. But, ultimately every single person is saying their lines during every take?

[@Dan1elAndrade]

@@blaylock1978 that's what I understood. Everyone's saying their lines during every take, not because you are going to use all of the lines recorded in every take, but because it helps actors act better.

[@vincenttheriault796]

Great video, thanks. One thing I would add, about the J and L cuts : it's not just about masking the edits. We tend to find J and L cuts more pleasing because it is more natural. Imagine you are listening to a conversation between two persons (as if you were the camera in the scene). When one person speaks, you watch him/her. But when the other person starts responding, you don't watch him/her immediately. You HEAR him/her first, and THEN you turn your attention to him/her (J cut). And sometimes, you wanna watch the reaction of the other person while he/she is being speaking to (L cut). This kind of editing mimic what it is like to follow a conversation in real life.

[@garrettsammons]

Great advice Vincent! Thanks for your insight.

[@TheSpecterRanger]

Yes. Some of the most amateur looking dialogue is when you always watch who is talking. Don't forget to take into account what information is being said in the scene. If a character is learning something important for the first time, it's often fitting to see them hear the news rather than the person saying it (if their reaction gives insight into their emotion and informs the story.) Sometimes seeing a group of people's reactions is more important than the speaker, like when two people are hearing something and they have a visual exchange with each other. This sort of thing is a good reason to have an additional two-shot of these two characters so that you can see them both interacting as they listen to some vital information. Don't take this to mean that you should shoot endless amounts of coverage, with every possible combination, but rather that you should pick the shots carefully that best show the important details in a conversation. This may require more (or even less) shots than "basic coverage," but it also saves time because you know what parts of the scene you need from each angle, and therefor don't have to over-shoot and run through the entire scene for every single take.

[@skoobakane]

man your cool you teach so cool

[@CoachAnthonyMiller]

I'll be shooting my first film this Thursday. So glad i came across this video it was immensely helpful. Thank you.

[@Jai_jagannath003]

Always Congratulations Keep Creating

[@roehaus1]

This is HANDS DOWN... one of the best tutorials that I have ever seen explaining the working relationship that should exist between writer, director, DP and editor. Congrats on a great video!

[@garrettsammons]

Thanks Jerry! Always happy to help 🙏

[@producer4hire]

This has been by far the most immersive and informative video I've have seen on this site. Everyone always talks about shot sizes and focal lengths, but nobody sets up the camera and shows how their explanation relates to world experience. You've done just that. Took me from theory to actual practice. Thank you!! Amazing and insightful work! Bravo!!

[@garrettsammons]

I'm so glad! Let me know if there are other scene types you'd like me to make videos on.

[@ewanjonesfilms8446]

Currently planning my cinematography work for my grad film and this helped me out incredibly, thank you so much!

[@TheDreamworkCoach]

Such a great video packed with practical information! The advice on L cuts and J cuts is particularly awesome. Thank you!!

[@monteestowes1245]

Ridiculously helpful. Came across this in the middle of storyboarding and subbed

[@jpfiuza]

The tip on the reaction shot was superb. Great video, keep it up!

[@bilaashaep2407]

This is Master class, Thank you Garret.

[@HEIR.BRANDON]

Great storytelling and scene breakdown Garrett!

[@teampetty7603]

Garrett , thank you bro. You are a great teacher I hope you prosper. I subscribed just because of this video.

[@webstervisuals6520]

This is something which I waited for all my entire life 😍

[@stockhousefilms]

Wow!!! best dialogue video I’ve ever seen extremely informative!!!!!

[@The22Century]

This video answered all my questions about how to film dialogues scenes with one camera. Really needed that. Thank you. Subbed.

[@terrytang5367]

I better start working on my shot list! Thank you for your video! Exactly what I want!

[@abeeeshen3852]

Great tutorial! Thank you for talking about tone of the shots. I think that is real big

[@SmoothMoodProject]

It is very rare that i sit and watch a video from the beginning till the end! Great job and i learned a lot!

[@jacobsnightmare1807]

Wow!! This was amazing! You deserve your own Masterclass episode! Made me feel better about working my upcoming project with one camera, too! Thank you. Definitely subbed!!!

[@sorellamber]

This material is so helpful! Had to subscribe! Great work here!

[@brianhayes260]

Subscribed off of this video alone! You dropped some jewels! Thanks for sharing!! 💯

[@bendyarms]

Dude this is so good. You went beast mode on all these videos.

[@garrettsammons]

Thanks bro! I’m stoked to finally get these out into the world 🤙

[@kelvinnimelyjr]

Wooow, the best and most helpful video I've watch so far as it relates to film making

[@mattceccotti]

New subscriber about to shoot some scenes for the first time ever and utterly clueless....thank you for this, it's incredibly helpful!

[@dannydirect]

Excellent vid. TY for your great insight dude. Especially your thoughts on the (overlooked) importance of reaction shots 🔥

[@gyarney]

You packed a lot of gems in less than 15 minutes.. great video

[@qaanithmasoodi17]

The best video on shooting dialogues, thank you man. Make more

[@MobileFilmmaking]

Probably the best tutorial I've seen on having multiple shots. As I'm shooting my first feature this year, this will improve my scenes dramatically. THANKS SO MUCH!!!!

[@mariahbulivou5529]

This whole video was so well explained and so helpful I learnt so much!! Thankyou

[@christianschonberger9695]

Very helpful! First thing I noticed, after the first j-cut, is the framing: female detective - left, male detective - center, guy who lives there - right. You never break that rule and I love it. As much as I am in favor of experimenting, dialog shot and edited by the rules is by far the best. One last thing: also love that you framed the actors with just the right amount of "dialog air" (negative space in frame). Thanks for making this.

[@jaspermeulendijks4033]

Absolutely amazing video! Thanks!!

[@BRO_Ld_ISREAL]

THIS IS EXACTLY THE INFORMATION I WANTED!!! THANKS GARRET, I SUBSCRIBED!!!,THANKS.

[@eizanrosa2992]

First video i watch from your channel and i love your passion, thanks for make this content. Greetings from spain

[@BayBoyFilms]

You answered all the questions I had. Great video. Just gave you a sub!

[@damancandance1]

damn dude you are such a great explainer and teacher for this stuff thank you for the breakdown.

[@stefang9291]

I normally don't ever comment, but this video was incredibly useful. It really dives into the specifics of things and a lot of what you mentioned weren't things that I noticed naturally. Thank you for putting it together!

[@NewMoviesonCinema]

I love your studio setup very quiet and I easily focus on you than disturbed by cameras or lots of unnecessary props.

[@charliexmovie]

beautifully done Garrett

[@ShotByChuka]

This is so good mehn. Thank you so much!!! Learnt so much from this video

[@zoanyway]

Basics. But such very nice coverage of the topic with a perfect example to work from. Keep it up!

[@mfcreativemedia]

learned alot of things on this video. you got me subbed

[@spurzstudios]

I loved every part of it🙌🏽

[@JacobVossFilms]

These filmmaking specific-subject deep-dive videos are my favorite of yours. Keep making them, they're so helpful! :)

[@garrettsammons]

I'm working on a series of them right now. Stick around!

[@SaulMarquezRousset]

Una clase magistral! Gracias por compartir!!

[@ScribblebytesWorldwide]

It was soooo good. I tried to keep looking at the technique but I kept being pulled into the characters, how the shot choices progressed the character arc.

[@MichaelSteighner]

Working on shooting my first short film with a friend in a few days. There’s so much information that I have been looking for, in this video! All in one neat little package. Thank you!

[@garrettsammons]

Good luck! I’m sure it’ll turn out amazing 🤙

[@allaripidugulu5406]

No body xplain like you brother..till now... urs every Word So valuable for Upcoming Artists n Filmmakers... Thanks for your support...

[@twistedwizardry5153]

Best explanation yet subbed!

[@yikesdarnell]

Thank you for sharing this, this is great information for beginners.

[@sunilkokkiligadda]

Hands down one of the best tutorials on this very important filmmaking subject. Thank you so much...!!

[@VanStubbs80]

This was very helpful thank you!

[@AliMalik-jp3qs]

Incredibly informative and well made video.

[@DawmFilms]

This is the best video for how to shoot a dialogue scene 🙏🙌🔥 thank you very much 🙏

[@Yahoodee1]

Extremely helpful and very much appreciated.

[@simlinedrew]

Just what I needed!!

[@KristoferBurns]

This was fun to watch 🔥

[@markelrandle1029]

so much info in one video , thanks Garrett ! first one I saw from you, definitely won't be the last

[@garrettsammons]

Happy you found it helpful!

[@SourceAwareness]

Much Love and Appreciation for you, Garrett, you are Awesome. 🤠 Wishing you all the Best, man.

[@turtlemediacreations2826]

Excellent buddy ! i loved it thanks for the tips

[@rebth1st]

This was great. I am currently enrolled in the Los Angeles Film School Bachelor of Science in Online Digital Filmmaking program and we briefly touched on a little of what you explained. I am in my 8th month and my camera techkit will come at the end of the month but I already have a buttload of professional equipment. What you described in this video is so insightful. Thank you.

[@AnnexF]

Perfect tips! Great video!!!

[@KervyKun]

This is more than helpful, this is perfect

[@albgoode2u2]

EXCELLENT. DIALOGUE scenes always made me wonder how they were shot. Now I know, EXCELLENT

[@RickyCatalogue]

I really enjoyed watching and of course learned from it! I’m new to filmmaking and I’m very passionate about it. Been doing voluntary production for a none profit group on family for a year+ now. I write, shoot and edit for them. I own one dslr camera and that’s all I shoot with. I’m presently working on a personal short film on domestic violence here in SA which should be out by month end. Well, at a point, I felt bad with several takes and having my characters repeating from the beginning just like you explained. I also don’t have the budget to hire more cameras and stuffs. So, I usually make do with what I have. With your video today, it feels good to know that I’m not alone, that a professional like you could do same. I’m encouraged to continue until I’m able to buy a second camera. Thanks for sharing this to encourage people like me. Thanks so much! I subscribed 🤝

[@onyebuchidavid1860]

Thank You Sir So glad i came across this video it was immensely helpful.

[@zogood3495]

Thank you so much for the insight on film making

[@garrettsammons]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lionchasermedia]

Thank you for this! I’m currently scheduling cast and crew. This is going to be implemented into my short. I’ll be shooting in December. This really does help, brother! Thank you!

[@garrettsammons]

You’re going to crush it Daniel! 🤙

[@sp00ky_ruby65]

Brilliant video, thanks for the help. I’m filming my first ever directed/written film and this really helped. Cheers!

[@garrettsammons]

Glad you found it useful!

[@stillstrong9444]

Dude i am stuned ! wow. .

[@mychalumicox196]

Great info, thank you for this post.

[@jamesb2059]

Extremely helpful. Thanks.

[@manishraj3784]

Very well explained. Thanks for sharing.

[@one5films]

Your awesome man! Great information!

[@meezy1128]

great vid bro. very helpful

[@peachypeaches7472]

THE BEST❤ THANK YOU

[@mychalsimmons4177]

This is so DOPE THANK Q

[@jorgeclosabenitez7681]

You've got such a great energy bro, keep doing videos like this ;)

[@garrettsammons]

Thanks Jorge! 🤙

[@Profmorphious123]

Thank you for this.

[@qhwecumexez336]

thanks very much for the knowledge. You've earn a follower

[@dinbali]

wow this is explained so well thank you

[@THEOFFICIALALALA]

I don't usually comment but I just had to commend @Garrett Sammons for a well detailed explanation of how to shoot a dialogue scene. Incase no one noticed he went far into explaining how to direct, blocking, shoot and preparation for the shoot and even to the edit. Thank you very much Garrett.

[@yerritsricky3263]

This was amazing helpeddd so muchh !

[@JohnnyJayVisuals]

Sheesh this is exactly what I needed to see starting to want to get into short films and wanted to see how it was done

[@garrettsammons]

Should I make more like this?

[@danishear6574]

You are such a brilliant communicator. I'm about to do my first short film. Thank you for these gems~~

[@sanjeez103]

awsome !! Thanks for sharing

[@derik_niez]

I really enjoy this type of content, thanks for sharing

[@garrettsammons]

Happy to help dude!

[@derik_niez]

Much appreciated

[@jcon654]

amazing teaching THANK YOU

[@fshahnewazstudio]

Brilliant tutorial

[@kagiso8415]

Fantastic, Thanks !

[@CompleteProducer]

super helpful video! side note, but in regards to trimming your beard, the guys from Queer Eye recommend trimming your beard from the top of your adam's apple down, because it looks more natural that way. I only say that because you trim line looks a little high. Someone once told me the same and it improved my look and my life. Hope this helps.

[@cheemantavedantam5036]

Saw it for the second time. I like the content.

[@dheerajrattan]

very Helpful video for aspiring filmmakers ... i loved the profile short at 1.36

[@diazfilms]

This was sooooooo gooood it shouldn't be free!! Thank you 👍🎬

[@garrettsammons]

Haha! I’m glad you found it so helpful 🤙

[@gvuprise1465]

Thank you so much. Please we need more videos.

[@garrettsammons]

Coming right up!

[@mohbati9139]

Really enjoyed this video and very informative. Oh god I'm an actor and always I tell the director let other actors be with me during the single scenes but most of directors refuse and force me to do it alone!!!!!

[@hameedtacharakalpudukudi5980]

Thank you sir...💕 It's a great video...👌

[@CordeleRocks]

Garrett this was fire bro 🔥🔥🔥

[@garrettsammons]

Appreciate that man!

[@SebastianChuffer]

You are amazing explaining things Garret.Thanks!

[@garrettsammons]

I appreciate that Sebastian!

[@SebastianChuffer]

@@garrettsammons How do you plan your dialogues scenes? Do you record everything for each shot?

[@garrettsammons]

Precisely. I’ll run through the scene with the actors in rehearsal/table read to get the right tone. On set, I’ll setup a camera or two and then run the whole scene. Change over cameras and run it again with new angles.

[@prachititupe2518]

grt video pls keep creating content like this

[@nwikajoseph2247]

This is cool man I love this

[@nwikajoseph2247]

This we aid me have a better film look in my next project