{"id":101437,"date":"2018-04-30T06:00:24","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T11:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=101437"},"modified":"2018-04-25T11:17:26","modified_gmt":"2018-04-25T16:17:26","slug":"when-use-close-up-shot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/when-use-close-up-shot\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Design a Close-Up Shot \u2014 And When You Should Use It"},"content":{"rendered":"

The close-up shot is a director’s secret weapon, but it requires technical know-how and narrative timing. Here’s what you need to know.<\/h2>\n

Cover image via REDPIXEL.PL<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

There is a scene in Five Easy Pieces<\/em><\/a>\u00a0wherein Bobby Dupea (Jack Nicholson<\/a>) wheels his ailing father (William Challee<\/a>) outside in the cold to view the sunset, confess, expose, and apologize for his estrangement from the family. It\u2019s a powerful sequence and a raw and emotional disclosure for our main character.<\/p>\n

The scene requires intimacy, and Bob Rafelson<\/a>\u00a0knew that it required a close-up \u2014 but one that served the story and the character. These men have had a turbulent, cold, and distant relationship. The sequence begins reflecting the past with a long shot of Nicholson and Challee against a dramatic sunset. They are both small and insignificant against the majestic sky.<\/p>\n

\"How
\n<\/a>Image via Columbia Pictures.<\/em><\/p>\n

They stop dead center in the frame, and at this camera distance, Nicholson fixes the blanket on the old man\u2019s lap and utters \u201cYou cold\u201d to someone too sick for words. It\u2019s the first step at connection, and on action, as Nicholson bends down to his level, Rafelson cuts to a medium two-shot. He\u00a0sustains this shot for about 40 seconds, until Nicholson earns his close up<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 until the character is ready to reveal something. And even then, Rafelson frames the shot below his shoulders to not be too intrusive. He allows his actor to determine the frame.<\/p>\n

Rafelson doesn\u2019t rein in the performance\u00a0\u2014 if Nicholson needed to drop his head, the camera moved with him. When Nicholson leans and nearly leaves the frame, Rafelson cuts quickly to a reaction shot of Challee then\u00a0returns to Nicholson swinging back in. It\u2019s at that exact moment when Nicholson loses it emotionally, and he becomes his most vulnerable. All of this is by design, not luck or spontaneity. The people in the editing room chose these moments precisely to reflect the director’s\u00a0vision for the emotional result of the scene.<\/p>\n

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The Payoff<\/h3>\n

\"How
\n<\/a>Image via Paramount.<\/em><\/p>\n

Just like the source material, the close-up (by design) is the payoff shot.\u00a0A line like \u201cFrankly, my dear, I don\u2019t give a damn\u201d in Gone With the Wind<\/a><\/em>\u00a0only has power because of the nearly four hours we\u2019ve\u00a0spent watching Rhett Butler pursue, sacrifice for, and ache over Scarlett O\u2019Hara. When he says that line, it\u2019s a release for the character and the end of his story.<\/p>\n

The same principle applies to shooting. The close-up shot is a window into the character. It can\u00a0reveal the character\u2019s growth moment (John McClane\u2019s confession to Powell that he never told his wife he\u2019s sorry in Die Hard<\/em><\/a>); it can\u00a0depict a character discovering something important (Gene Hackman<\/a>\u00a0unraveling the truth in The Conversation<\/em><\/a>) or create tension between characters (the standoff in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly<\/em><\/a>). It can be all this and much more. It is a tool the director uses to let the audience know that a particular moment is important.<\/p>\n

If you overuse it, you run the risk of fatiguing the viewer and undermining the truly important moments. If you avoid it completely, you may be missing opportunities to reveal character and risk emotionally alienating the story.<\/p>\n

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Technical Considerations<\/h3>\n

\"How
\n<\/a>Image via United Artists.<\/em><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll want to use a longer lens<\/a> (70mm-100mm) for a close-up. A longer lens makes the depth of field shallower<\/a> and throws the background out of focus. A wider lens tends to distort faces, making them look abnormal. Longer lenses reduce that effect. If you were to use a 24mm lens, you would have to move the camera very close to your subject to frame the actor for a close-up and\u00a0 contend with a lot more background than you would using a 70 or 85mm lens.<\/p>\n

In terms of storytelling, overusing the close-up might undermine the artistic vision. If you highlight every scene as special, then nothing is particularly special. In addition, overusing the close-up can disorient the viewer. If there are no establishing shots or master or medium shots<\/a> that show the viewer where they are in the context of the events in the film,\u00a0you can create a frustrating experience\u00a0that won\u2019t serve the story.<\/p>\n

Continuity is also an important consideration. You may be so focused on the depth of field that subtle aspects of continuity could get lost. For example, if you were shooting outside, was there a breeze in the establishing or wide shot that later, when you are shooting the close-up, is missing? Has the natural light dramatically changed, and will you need to artificially match it to the master? The temperature? If so, pay attention\u00a0so the actor doesn’t appear cold in the master but comfortable in the close-up.<\/p>\n

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Up Close and Personal<\/h3>\n

\"How
\n<\/a>Image via Artisan Entertainment.<\/em><\/p>\n

The close-up is a powerful design tool for the director. It should spring from the screenplay, giving the viewer clues and insight into story and character.<\/p>\n

Try to imagine Ellen Burstyn<\/a>\u2019s powerful story about wearing the red dress in Requiem for a Dream<\/em><\/a> from across the room. And see what the director (Aronofsky<\/a>)\u00a0conveys by getting out of the close-up as soon as Jared Leto<\/a>\u2019s character begins to lie. He stands, moves away, and ends up framed at the very edge. He is so far removed from the\u00a0previous intimacy that he is practically out of frame. That<\/em>\u00a0is filmmaking that serves the story and resonates with the audience.<\/p>\n

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Looking for more cinematography breakdowns? Check out these articles.<\/p>\n