From even before Norma Desmond called for the infamous shot, right?
"Alright, Mr.DeMille, I'm ready for my close up."
Hollywood has been obsessed with the close up.
It was the money shot for every classical movie star,
but today it's used more and more just to fill a scene
and I think that's pretty lame.
I want you to do better.
Not because I care about you,
but because I treat my low-grade depression by binging on film and television.
And I think it'd be nice if I watch something great for a change.
So today we're gonna go over the close up in modern cinema.
And we even outline ways
that you can make that camera angle pop.
But before we go further,
how about you click that link and subscribe,
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"Yeah, that's right,baby."
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So what is a close-up shot?
A close-up typically frames a characters face for a motion.
Whereas close on an object for plot detail.
There are all kinds of variations of the close-up.
From a medium close-up shot like this.
To an extreme close-up shot like this.
Let's take a look at a few directors
that are crushing the close-up game
and see what we can learn from what they're doing.
First up, I want to talk Fincher.
That guy does everything with a purpose.
These close-ups are all about information.
It's like his secret weapon.
Check out this reveal from "Zodiac."
"-Just down basement.
-Not many people have basements in California."
We spent the entire movie acquiring clues.
Then we shift right into the close up to reveal something.
And it's not just in "Zodiac."
When Fincher wants to go in close,
he goes in extremely close.
Damn, I have never seen a human hand burn at this angle.
You're crazy Fincher.
"A lot of people who are just like: What the fuck?
Who is this twerp?"
But what about someone who's using close-ups for purely emotional purposes.
I'm talking about Steve McQueen.
He uses them in every one of his films
but none are more powerful than the close ups in "12 Years Slave."
In this medium close up, we sit for 483 seconds.
This is a quiet scene of contemplation.
Once again, McQueen wants the audience to understand
that there are no words for what's befallen this man.
We have to steep in the inhumanity of slavery and recognize it fully.
The number one rule in cinema is "Show, Don't Tell."
And in this scene,
we can hear Steve McQueen loud and clear.
But what if you want to get across emotion and information.
Look no further than Kathryn Bigelow.
To combine both and show you how it's done.
In the "Hurt Locker" Kathryn Bigelow
uses extreme close-ups to build tension
as we watch characters literally defuse a bomb in front of us.
The use of these shots and rapid editing create a whirlwind
that harkens back to the standoff
at the end of Sergio Leone's "The good, the Bad and the Ugly."
We not only get the fear and frustration of the characters in the scene,
but we get a close-up look at the process of taking apart a car bomb.
But what if we want our audience to laugh?
Let's talk Farrelly Brothers.
For my money, there's no better close up
than the Frank and Bean scene in "There`s something about Mary."
Most of the scene is shot wide,
but every time a new person enters the bathroom,
we get a close-up of their reaction,
and then a follow-up close up of Ben Stiller's horror,
as everyone deals with the situation at hand.
It's comedy gold.
"Mike, Eddie, get down there quick. Bring everybody.
Bring a camera, you`re not gonna believe this."
And the whole sequence ends with an unexpected close up
of the actual downstairs situation.
"We got a bleeder!"
As you can see, there's an art and nuance to the close up.
If you do it right, your audience will reward you.
Now you've got a good grip on close up shots,
it's time to try them out in your own work.
Ready for production?
That's where StudioBinder`s software can help.
We can get your call sheets, storyboards, shooting schedules
and script breakdowns ready for your next project.
So get out there and get creating.
See you next time.