Security Camera Transition

Security Camera Transition-Cinematography and lighting


 







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Author Topic:   Security Camera Transition
CaptainStubby
posted 01-23-2001 12:10 AM              
Hey, this forum is great.
Got a question and hoping for some ideas.

I'm trying to shoot an interogation scene in a police station... I want the point of view to be from the angle of a security camera in the corner of the ceiling... and then the cops are going to pull up footage of another security camera on a TV in the room. I then want to switch to watching the footage being shown in the room without just cutting straight to it.

what would be a creative way to make it obvious that you're seeing the new footage, even though it's still from a security camera.

I know it could be done with a simple cut to the new shot after the cops press "play"... but that's dull.

Oh yeah, this is a school assignment... and one of the requirements is that there be no sound.

crazy lou
posted 01-23-2001 12:22 AM              
what about just messing with the horizontal or vertical hold on the TV? make it flicker or roll, i've seen that on security camera footage before. look around the web for filters if you need one, they may be out there.

later
Tom

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sketchman
posted 01-23-2001 01:25 AM              
and shoot your footage with a fish-eye lens, or do it in post, to give it that "security camera" feel. and you might even want to re-record your footage off a monitor, to get that TV look to it too.

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FXMan
posted 01-23-2001 07:56 AM              
AND.............. film it in black and white or remove the color in post. Most security cameras are inexpensive (relatively speaking) and are NOT color cameras. Plus reduce the resolution for that segment of the footage if you can adding in some noise or whatever to give it a grainy, low res feel. Just a few more thoughts...

FXMan

Frank Milne
posted 01-23-2001 12:36 PM              
Alright, are you shooting in film or video?

In both cases here's what I'd do...

I'd set up a boom crane from above and face the interogation room from one side. Start shooting from behind the interigatees head. We'll call him subject A. Across from him are the interogators.. cops.. subjects B and C. As the action occurs I'd cricle the table moving around behind the B and C subjects showing the front of A for the first time in the shot. Also we'd see a camera in the corner behind the subject A which wasn't in frame until we moved to this position. The camera would then continue it's cirular arch to show the other profile of A,B and C to end up behind subject A again this time pivoting the camera to face the security cam prop. Move toward the security cam then quic kly fade to black before the focus goes blurry. The do a match cut to the scene within the security cam watching the scene play out from the high angle.

If in video I'd show some other guys watching the action from a remote location on a TV.. the previous scene would set up that the action is going on simultaneously to the current scene.

If in film I'd use a slow film stock but treat it as a faster film stock and get a grainy effect. Make it look more rough and rugged.. maybe even drag the final print through some sand a bit. Okay maybe not that. You could geta fast film and just film in the dark underexposing it a bit too... or maybe over exposing it.. security cameras often overexpose... right? Or just use video for that footage.

I reread all my crap and came to the conclusion that a quick storyboard or diagram might be helpful. Drop me a line if you're interested.

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www.frank.milne.com

[This message has been edited by Frank Milne (edited 01-23-2001).]

CaptainStubby
posted 01-23-2001 01:51 PM              
Thanks a lot everyone, I started storyboarding some of these ideas.
I hope they work out...

I had thought of tracking the camera around before... but wondered if it would work out. I guess if somebody besides me thought of it it might.

--Trey

DigiteyeZ
posted 01-24-2001 01:40 AM              
don't forget, if you desaturate the color, to add a blue hue to the picture (like the viewfinder of a consumer camcorder). that's how the typical security cameras are.

Tek2019
posted 01-24-2001 10:09 PM              
If I understand your question right the cops are looking at a screen showing the image fomr one camera and you want them to switch to watching a different camera. What about that quasi-digital boxy dissolve effect that is on every computer editing program? Give it a shot.

DK
posted 01-24-2001 10:14 PM              
Maybe you could use a wipe that looks like the vertical hold is screwing up. Just a thought..

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