The number of shots needed to cover a scene depends on:
-What the scene involves
-The intentions of the director
For example, in a scene of Eastenders directed by Steve Finn, there is a fire at the Moon's house. Many of the shots were filmed handheld, or with a steadicam when the actors are running, as this keeps the same feeling as handheld. Eight cameras locked off with no operators and two minicams were used for this sequence, up until the explosion and then a different setup of three cameras was used to film the house on fire, and the crowd assembling outside. When Alfie emerges from the fire later in the scene, a chest rig was strapped to the actor to create the effect that he is moving but the background is not, as the audience are supposed to be in his head, backed up by the muffled sound.
To change from a static camera to a handheld camera, an event is needed, as the established feeling of the piece should remain throughout. The shots filmed also need to be to do with the script, so should be build in around it. These should be shot for the edit, which is like punctuation, as it needs to have a rhythm. A master shot covers all the action, or as much as possible, but should not feature too much empty space.
Script Analysis:
To analyse this script the following questions need to be asked:
Who?
Why?
When?
What?
Where?
Who?:
Robert seems as if he could own the firm, or at least be in a high up position, because he has his own office space. He also claims that the money was his, implying he holds shares in the company. The fact he has come to get his stuff when no one is around shows he is proud, and therefore somewhat embarrassed about what he has done. From the position in the office seems to hold, he would probably be around 40 ,or maybe even 50, as he would have had to work his way up in the company.
Helen, therefore seems younger than Robert, as she seems to be in a less senior position in the company. It seems as if her and Robert were once quite close from the informal way she greets him. The way she talks implies she acts morally correctly, and has morals, as it is clear she wants justice so would like to see Robert punished.
Why?:
The scene takes place because Helen punishes Robert emotionally when she tells him it was her who is responsible for him losing his job. This also backs up the fact they may have once had a close relationship.
When?:
As everyone else in the office has gone home, it is clear this scene would be set at night, therefore it would be dark outside, and lights in other areas of the office may be turned off so only Robert's is brightly and obviously illuminated.
What?:
Robert packs up his things, as Helen comes to the door. He could be positioned by a filing cabinet or sorting through a box facing the camera, with Helen appearing at the door behind him for the master shot. Therefore, when he leaves, he could have to push past her to get out of his own office door.
Where?:
In Robert's office, which could be the only space illuminated as this makes what he is trying to do obvious, and acts like a beacon for Helen to be drawn to, providing her with more motivation.
Filming:
Using the advice from above, I then made my own film from this script:
What I liked most about making this film was that I could experiment with filming and editing a master shot, which I have never done before. I found that this made me think about the staging more, however, there was too much empty space in my master shot, which could have been reduced by framing tighter and tracking the actors, as the main reason I framed my master shot so wide was that the characters were going to have a conversation behind the table, although I didn't have enough time to film enough coverage of this. I think that the staging made the scene more interesting though, as when the character is explaining his alcohol problem, the audience are still focused on him, but can see the other character's reactions to this.
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