Steve Hickner Presentation

The power of the cinema is in the reaction shot.

The more you shame a character in Act 2, the better it is in Act 3.

Tools at disposal:

• Sound
• Music
• Costume
• The way someone speaks

Try for less shots. Doing something less is more artistic.

Having a character low in the frame shows a low moment for them.

Do not show closeups in a sequence. Show the world as well.

View through objects.

Emphasize something by having the shot before contrast.

For a large stage, contrast it with a person.

To show a speeding object's speed, show moving things in the foreground.

Our eye goes to the point of contrast, light/darkness, color, movement, or 3/4.

Movies:

• Breaking Away
• War Horse
• Driving Miss Daisy
• Easy A

In a 2 hour movie, the inciting action is around 9 min. The end of the first act is around 28. End of second act is 60. And a plot point in which a revelation occurs is at 87.

Plot points move the story in a new direction. This usually occurs at the end of the first act. The first plot point is a lesser degree of the second one.

Never put the end of the frame at the joint.

Movies needs to always have set pieces. They always show the style of the film.