ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXHow does Patrice Chéreau do this?
6 years, 1 month ago - Tim Benjamin
Cinematography / directing question.
I've been studying some of Patrice Chéreau's filmed theatrical (i.e. live theatre) work, which I think is really great.
Here are two examples (with some amazingly intense acting!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azmGhYY-oyw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZucC3k6AnA
But I can't figure out how he films this. It surely must be done in a single take because there's a live audience there. That implies it's a multi-camera setup, at least 3 cameras. But I can't see the other cameras in each shot on the reverse, and trying to figure out their locations, surely they should be visible - it's not exactly an elaborate set, and the cameras are obviously(?) not fixed and remote-controlled, and anyway, there's no place to hide them. And yet, I cannot see them. What am I missing? (it's the same with other plays he's filmed that can be found on YouTube - an apparently multi-camera setup but not visible on the reverse angles)
Grateful for any advice - I'm looking to accomplish something similar!
Cheers,
Tim.
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6 years, 1 month ago - John Lubran
The camera must be way back from the stage. Perhaps one is much closer and off the sticks judging by a very slight wobble. That closer camera is being carefully avoided by the others. I imagine that each operator is being directed through an ear piece by a director who can see each cameras view on monitors and through a vision mixer. That's how these things are usually done where there's a budget.
A second method would be to have each camera shooting predefined sections with linked time code and then edited.
At a pinch where little or no budget is available an especially skilled camera person who understands the visual geometry and dynamics of single camera live recording, as opposed to the entirely different directorial dynamics of the human eyeball of a theatre audience, can often make a recording that's not flat and unwatchable on screen. Something that few theater directors understand.
However the example provided are indeed multicamera takes.
Response from 6 years, 1 month ago - John Lubran SHOW
6 years, 1 month ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
Multicamera, operated, cameras are aware of one another in geographical terms and are not lit and indeed will have longer lenses to be further back (and will have several "seat kills" for obstructed views).
Not necessarily in this case, but "trick of the trade" is to get all your closeups and cutaways on a rehearsal when there is no audience, then cut them in after
Response from 6 years, 1 month ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin SHOW