Anatomy of a Scene
For those of you who enjoyed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows--Part 1 (and still can't get enough), here is a link to a New York Times interactive feature in which director David Yates discusses his technique for creating tension and danger in the coffee shop scene.
Some of these elements did register with me even in my first, emotional experience of the film--like the frequency of hand-held camera and the unease that produced--but a lot of it didn't. And I was a film student once, long ago! Also, thanks to my tediously slow dial-up account, the fact that the scene paused every few seconds gave me a really good view of the blocking. There are some great shots.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/19/movies/20101118-harrypotterandthedeathlyhallows1-anatomyofascene.html
I get excited when I think of how film technique can translate into writing, and I'm reminded just how big a toolbox there is to play with.
Some of these elements did register with me even in my first, emotional experience of the film--like the frequency of hand-held camera and the unease that produced--but a lot of it didn't. And I was a film student once, long ago! Also, thanks to my tediously slow dial-up account, the fact that the scene paused every few seconds gave me a really good view of the blocking. There are some great shots.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/19/movies/20101118-harrypotterandthedeathlyhallows1-anatomyofascene.html
I get excited when I think of how film technique can translate into writing, and I'm reminded just how big a toolbox there is to play with.