videomaker magazine tips

 

This article originally appeared in the Videomaker Magazine November, 2002 issue. Pages 59-61
Reprinted with permission from Videomaker Magazine, Chico CA., Videomaker Inc. All Rights Reserved
Call: (800) 284-3226 for subscription information
For this and other articles visit us at www.videomaker.com
©2005 Videomaker Magazine. Reproduction of this article for any use other than personal is prohibited.

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Storyboard - Test Case

by Tad Butts

The plot is simple:

A man wakes up to find himself the subject of a mysterious experiment. How does it end? You decide!

With just a few basic props and some imaginative camera work, you can create your own sense of dread and impending doom. And what could be more fun than that? But it's not just about putting a few clever shots together to tell a story. For this video to work, you'll need to create the right mood through your choices of lighting, location and sound. It's a perfect opportunity to experiment with some of the techniques you've picked up here in the pages of Vidoemaker magazine.

Try lighting from below or directly above to create eerie and interesting shadows. Frame your shots from unusual angles. If you can, try setting up the shoot outdoors at night to create an infinite black background, or maybe in a barren basement with stark concrete walls. Add a rapidly increasing heartbeat to your soundtrack to intensify the suspense; in short, do anything to enhance the overall sense of the surreal. As for the final result, we're leaving that up to your fiendish imagination. And don't forget to send us a copy to your results, we'd love to see how your experiment turns out.


CLOSEUP - The subject looks a bit groggy and bewildered. A shadow crosses his face. MEDIUM SHOT - Reverse Angle POV: A pair of scientists, their faces half obscured behind surgical masks, menacingly loom over the subject (the camera). CLOSEUP - The subject: a headband studded with sensors is placed on his head. ANGLE WIDENS to reveal him seated in a chair within a stark, barren room.

MEDIUM SHOT - The scientist lifts a clipboard and studies the subject's file. He nods to his assistant and she walks away.   CLOSEUP - A switch is thrown. (Audio: An electric humming or grinding sound.) MEDIUM SHOT - The assistant throws a glance back over her shoulder.

Continued Next Page


This article originally appeared in the Videomaker Magazine November, 2002 issue. Pages 59-61
Reprinted with permission from Videomaker Magazine, Chico CA., Videomaker Inc. All Rights Reserved
Call: (800) 284-3226 for subscription information
For this and other articles visit us at www.videomaker.com
©2005 Videomaker Magazine. Reproduction of this article for any use other than personal is prohibited.


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