Handheld camera shots are starting to get on my nerves!!!!! by chrisisall

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Handheld camera shots are starting to get on my nerves!!!!!

POSTED BY: CHRISISALL
UPDATED: Thursday, July 26, 2007 02:45
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 2334
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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 8:58 AM

It worked on NYPD Blue, Firefly, and even BSG- BUT COME ON NOW!!!!
Everything is getting shot that way and I'm sick of it now!!!
Mission Impossible 3 is almost IMPOSSIBLE to see!!!
I'm getting rid of the gorram DVD 'cause it makes me dizzy to watch it!!! Freakin' WWII 16mm newsreel stuff ain't even THAT shakey!!!

Where will it end Chrisisall

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 9:12 AM

CAUSAL

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
It worked on NYPD Blue, Firefly, and even BSG- BUT COME ON NOW!!!!
Everything is getting shot that way and I'm sick of it now!!!
Mission Impossible 3 is almost IMPOSSIBLE to see!!!
I'm getting rid of the gorram DVD 'cause it makes me dizzy to watch it!!! Freakin' WWII 16mm newsreel stuff ain't even THAT shakey!!!

As with most things, when the effect is not the point, when it serves to make a point, it works great--ref Firefly and BSG. Creates that whole you-are-there vibe. But when the effect becomes the point, when it becomes, "Look how cool we are--we have handheld shots!" it just loses all value. And when you swim in a sea of crappy knock-off handheld junk, it makes it hard to watch the original handheld stuff without gettin' pissed. Kind of the same reason I stopped listening to Nirvana and Jane's Addition and the Smashing Pumpkins once alt-rock got ripped off as the New Big Thing. Not that they started sucking, but I just hated Three Doors Down and all the other alt-rock clones so hard that I could hardly listen to any alternative at all.

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 9:20 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Causal:
it works great--ref Firefly and BSG. Creates that whole you-are-there vibe.

Mission Impossible 3 looks like it was shot by a cameraman with SERIOUS DT's!!!! Gives me that whole you-are-wittnessing-an-earthquake vibe.
There is such a big difference between fluid shots and missed focus, and 'shake it 'caust it's cool' photography.

DP Chrisisall

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 9:56 AM

JADEHAND

Guess you won't be going to see this then: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/11808/

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 10:34 AM

GRIZWALD

Well now, that looks fun!

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 10:36 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Jadehand:
Guess you won't be going to see this then: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/11808/

Can't play it, what is it?

Chrisisall

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 11:36 AM

MSG

I'm with you Chris. I'd like the camera to hold still long enough for me to at least be able to identify which is the sky and which the ground

"I'm not all that interested in the mental health of people who want to kill me. "- Leroy Jethro Gibbs

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:18 PM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Big 'C'

You're having a rant? Well I never.... Can I join in?

You're so on the money. It's more evidence of hacks making films these days. Every director wants a brand, a signature that identifies him beyond his counterparts, hence we have to endure things like camera wobble, instead of genuine craft and ability. It doesn't end there, have you seen the unnecessary editing that goes on nowadays? More evident in action films, that pass by like a collection of still photos thrown at your face. Then there is the overblown score from a frustrated composer. I mean I love film scores, always have, and I wanted to be a film composer, but I can't take them any longer. They are just ridiculous overblown fanfares! Used like filler between the cracks, BIG gaping cracks that the story fell through.

However all that is insignificant when it comes to the use of CGI. Man it is everywhere. Sometimes for absolutely no reason whatsoever. It's just dreadful! There's that HOUR in King Kong where you feel like you're watching a demo from a software manufacturer. Just endless redundant 3D animation of just dinosaurs running about, creatures rising up from the ground and crawling around.... Pointless!

The other day I watched Key Largo. Man what a breath of fresh air that was. There was a story! An engaging one at that. Great characterisation, superb unassuming camera work and lighting, and acting of the highest class all seamlessly put together by a director who understood his craft.

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:43 PM

JOSSISAGOD

I'm assuming, MI:3 is over an hour and a half, WITHOUT commercials(as Firefly,BSG,NYPD Blue, had), Joss himself, said, that the reason Serenity didn't have the hand-held shots, was because, you'd get sick of looking at hand-held shots in a feature length movie. I lost interest in the Mission Impossible movies about half-way through MI:2

But I'm betting you knew all that already.

Fe'nos Tol
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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:45 PM

JADEHAND

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Jadehand:
Guess you won't be going to see this then: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/11808/
Can't play it, what is it?

Chrisisall

It's a trailer for a movie coming out on 1-18-08. It's from JJ Abrams (Alias, Lost, MI:III) it's all handheld. Kinda Blair Witch like, like you're supposed to be there. No title for the film has been released.
it's currently being filmed as "cloverfield" but that's not the real title.

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:17 PM

CYBERSNARK

There're rumours that the J.J. Abrams movie might be Cthulhu-related.

But yes, I've long-since come to loathe shakeycam action sequences.

Remember the battles in Transformers? 'Cause I don't. Couldn't see a gorram thing. Just blurr-blurr-smudge-blurr-flash-blurr-blurr-explosion-someone's eyeball-blurr-flash-smudge. . .

I rewatched Serenity last night. Felt like giving every other director in Hollywood a good shake by the scruff of the neck: See?!? Now that is how you film action sequences!!

Wide shots, people! WIDE SHOTS!!

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:39 PM

HEWHOKICKSALOT

It takes all kinds to make the world go ‘round. Unfortunately, some are pedaling in the wrong direction...

Many thanks, Cybersnark, for speaking so eloquently and vehemently on the Wide Shot subject. You've brought up another wonderful point I love to discuss.

I'm a huge fan of old Honk Kong action films. Those guys, and girls, didn't mess around with non-stop 3-second editing. Some of their scenes were three, four, even five minutes long with NO CUTS, and from a perfect distance to appreciate every move. That takes serious planning and one highly skilled crew. I'm not sure if anyone here has seen "The Protector", or better yet, the original Thai version "Tom Yung Goong." There's a fight scene in it that lasts over 6 minutes, uninterrupted by cuts or shaky camera work. Beautiful motion, fluid captures, no mess.

As for Cris's original point, shaky-cam is definitely the new vogue. Remember back in the 90's the whole steady-cam trend. The damn cameras were on rails. It seemed so sterile and uninvolved. Then came NYPD Blue and The Bourne movies, and hey, lets put these movies in a blender. Cut 'em up, shake 'em up, and glue 'em back together. Now, certain scenes look great shaken up a bit, but not the whole damn movie.

Excellent points, folks.

Rob O.

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:18 PM

BIONICBATMAN

Did you run the camera on Firefly Chrisiall?
Sorry if you have already answered this.

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:43 PM

FUTUREMRSFILLION

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Jadehand:
Guess you won't be going to see this then: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/11808/
Can't play it, what is it?

Chrisisall

can you say "Blair Witch Project"? shaky hands and snot.

Lovely

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 4:53 PM

MAGDALENA

"No power in the 'verse can stop me!"

It worked on Firefly - and I haven't seen enough of BSG to know if it worked on there - but it worked because it was subtle... it wasn't "Hey look at how wobbly this shot is... don't you just get an organic feel from this shakey wobbly effect... OOOoops - wheeeee!!"

It drove me bonkers on NYPD Blue and I loved that show... but there were days I just couldn't watch it... then local TV shows started doing it all the time and even adds were wobbling about the place... it was like some drunk person with some gross motor issues was in charge of the camera...

I am so glad others are over this tired and overdone effect too! Thanks Chrissisall - I think I needed to have a whine about something and this worked a treat!!

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Thursday, July 26, 2007 2:34 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
have you seen the unnecessary editing that goes on nowadays? More evident in action films, that pass by like a collection of still photos thrown at your face.

These film students watch Hitckcock's The Birds and see the scene where Tipi Hedren watches the gas ignite an explosion and think "Hey! I can film a whole MOVIE that way!"
So...if you have Delerium Tremors AND Attention Deficit Disorder, these flicks are PERFECT for you!
The rest of us...well, not so much.

Shaken, not stirred Chrisisall

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Thursday, July 26, 2007 2:36 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by HeWhoKicksAlot:

I'm a huge fan of old Honk Kong action films. Those guys, and girls, didn't mess around with non-stop 3-second editing. Some of their scenes were three, four, even five minutes long with NO CUTS, and from a perfect distance to appreciate every move.

Drunken Master 2 (AKA Legend Of The Drunken Master).
A masterpiece of action film-making.

'Nuff said Chrisisall

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Thursday, July 26, 2007 2:42 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by jossisagod:
I lost interest in the Mission Impossible movies about half-way through MI:2

John Woo knows action, so MI:2 held my attention, even with the machine-gun editing. But MI:3 was thougherly disconcerting. Almost made me lose my lunch. That and Cruise yelling "Go go go go!" every few minutes...

Stop stop stop stop Chrisisall

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Thursday, July 26, 2007 2:45 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Cybersnark:

I rewatched Serenity last night. Felt like giving every other director in Hollywood a good shake by the scruff of the neck: See?!? Now that is how you film action sequences!!

Wide shots, people! WIDE SHOTS!!

Joss needs to teach classes. Serenity was a class act, photography, editing (I love you Lisa), and every other which-a-way.

SerenityISALL

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