|
|
 |
Kurosawa's shooting style.
Gradually, he gravitated to one shot for one scene. But it wasn't as simple as it sounds. He used multiple cameras with editing in mind. So Camera A would pass in front of Camera B ... knowing that he wouldn't use that portion. He'd have both cameras moving. That kind of move, no other director could emulate. He developed that technique with great difficulty, this Kurosawa style of shooting.
It's not just having one long and one close-up camera. They're both moving.
The simplest example is Actors A and B are talking. Two cameras [filmed] over-the-shoulder shots. That [was] the simplest. That [was] if the actors [didn't] move. Even if they move[d], that [was] basically how we [shot]. But not only [did] he want shots of the speaker, he also want[ed] reaction shots of the listener.
Kurosawa's editing style.
Kurosawa never needed to take notes like the ones I was taking. Every shot went into his head, but I and the [other] assistant editors need the script notes to prepare for editing and catch up with what [was] in his head.
If we shot with three cameras, he'd okay three takes, so we end[ed] up with nine clips. Nine picture and nine sound clips; they all ha[d] to be edited into one. Nowadays computers do that. He [was] like a computer, so he [knew] what portion was good on track one, or where there [was] a mistake on track two. He'd say, "Give me track two from here," so I['d] guess and give it to him. But I'm not like him, so I'd give him the wrong one.
He said he [shot] to gather materials to edit. He [shot] to edit; the cameras [were] part of his editing tool. So editing [was] his final direction of the film. The very last task he [could] enjoy all by himself.
Blocking scenes.
The assistant directors would all take parts. We had to say the lines and move on cue. But we weren't actors, so I would try to take the easiest part. If we made a mistake, he would be furious. He'd yell, "What are you doing?" So everyone was dead serious, reading their lines and moving. He thought it wasn't right to make the actors do this for the camera. He used the staff to block scenes for the camera. Abroad, they usually have stand-ins for this.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
