How Directors Position Actors On-Screen

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Күн бұрын

A video essay on the two possible ways directors have to block actors. Yes, there are only two types of blocking: either by placing the actors on the same line (2D directing) or by positioning them in layers (3D directing).
In the 1930s, 2D was the most common. You'd find most actors on the same horizontal line in what is called the clothesline, because it resembles a stretched cord on which garments hang (what's it called again?). Bidimensional blocking was, for better or worse, the norm.
2D directing gives all actors visual equality and is specially useful to show two characters talking, in the ubiquitous type of shot that's known as... the two shot.
Layered blocking (3D directing) was already common in the 1910s, but it was the films of William Wyler, Jean Renoir and John Ford in the 1930s that inspired directors to place actors in the foreground, middle ground and background all at once. Orson Welles's "Citizen Kane" is the most famous film that uses tridimensional directing.
Though not that tridimensional, the over-the-shoulder shot is the most common way to use layers. You find it everywhere.
3D is not necessarily better than 2D because it always depends on what the story requires and how creative is the director. Ernst Lubitsch, George Cukor and even Akira Kurosawa, for instance, made many amazing bidimensional shots. Don't forget that actors and cameras can move and rearrange the composition in any conceivable way, going from 2D to 3D or vice versa.
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Пікірлер: 21

@Temaktuk Жыл бұрын

How on earth this channel has only 500 subs?

@GaudiaCertaminisGaming 7 ай бұрын

10 months later 21.7k

@stellviahohenheim 6 ай бұрын

Good channels grow slow because it's organic no need for bots or clickbait

@dutchhistoricalactingcolle5883 9 ай бұрын

Surely the clothesline was developed to deal with the difficulties of microphone placement in early sound films?

@jerryschramm4399 Жыл бұрын

A "Two shot" is actually two people in the same shot? An "Over the shoulder shot" is filmed over one character's shoulder, from their perspective? The "clothes line"? I think it's great that whoever named these shots made it so easy to understand. Much better than the "Merovingian Empire", or the "Holy Roman Empire", for example. Nicely done! And I see the number of subscribers is slowly growing. Excellent! Keep up the interesting videos. Good things will (hopefully) follow.

@Moviewise Жыл бұрын

Yes, these shots are very conveniently named! Thank you for the comment, my fellow fan of history!

@composure07 6 ай бұрын

Love this channel. I need an ELAMIDAM sweatshirt

@guruuu6609 Жыл бұрын

Nice video With so many examples it is awesome I cannot wait for your video on Tone in film

@Moviewise Жыл бұрын

Thank you! And it’s better to wait for that video on tone, it’s an idea I must let develop slowly

@russellandrews1177 8 ай бұрын

Another great video.

@ilghiz 7 ай бұрын

2:00, 5:39 Top Secret (1984) by Abrahams and Zuckers? Great comedy 5:01 The Man from Earth (2007), one of my most favourite movies ever.

@floydffrogfloydffrog7453 8 ай бұрын

You left out the classic "Low camera angle that looks right up the actor's nose" shot. Granted this is an advanced technique, but when mastered can be very effective.