Shooting dialogue

Planning

When you’re preparing to shoot your script, it’s useful to make a shot list that includes: Scene #, Shot #, Shot Size, Location, and Description.

In the description column, it’s a good idea to list all of the lines of dialogue you intend to shoot in that shot size. This will allow you to tick them off as you go. In the shot list, below, for example, the students have listed each of the key moments they plan to capture with that camera setup.

Preparing to shoot dialogue

Recording great sound is easy with the help of PENPAL SAM!

• Plan. Choose the best location and reliable crew to help you out. Shooting a dialogue scene near a busy road is probably not the best idea!
• Equipment. Select appropriate microphones, booms and tripods for the job. Did you remember extra batteries and headphones?
• Noise. Do you best to reduce all ambient noise and ensure that the recording is as clean as possible.
• Proximity. Get your microphone as close to the actors as possible.
• Ambience. Always capture a clean atmosphere track. This will form the basis of your sound mix.
• Levels. Check the levels are peaking at -12dB before each take. You know you’ve done your job correctly when your actor is not talking, you shouldn’t be picking up any ambient noise.
• Sound test. Always do a test before you start. This will avoid embarrassing mistakes like not recording audio because the microphone is switched off.
• Action calls. Practicing action calls is a great way to ensure that you are recording, e.g. “Quiet on the set! Camera rolling! Sound rolling! Action! Cut!”
• Marker. Using a slate can help you identify shots easily in post production but markers also perform another important function. The ‘snap’ of a clapperboard gives you a distinct sound that can be used to line up different sources of audio in post production. If you don’t have a clapperboard, a simple clap will do!

Framing dialogue

Headroom. The space above the actor’s head, too much or too little headroom will look unconventional.

Look room. Often called ‘nose room’, is the space between the actor and the edge of the frame, too little look room and a shot will look unconventional and claustrophobic.

Master shot. A master shot is a wide shot that captures the entire action in a scene. An important part of the coverage you will shoot, it serves as a reference point, establishing the position of characters in a scene. In the edit, scenes often begin and end with this master shot.

Reaction shot. Reaction shots capture the non-verbal reactions and expressions of characters listening to the dialogue. These shots provide insights into their emotional responses and help convey the impact of the conversation. Reaction shots can be inserted as a character continues to speak. If you are focused solely on the reaction of a character, your might not cut to the speaker at all. These reaction shots are often called ‘noddies’.

Rule of thirds. When composing shots for film and television, the rule of thirds is an essential compositional technique. The rule of thirds states that if you divide a frame into thirds vertically and horizontally, the points of interest in that frame should be positioned on these lines or where these lines intersect. It’s aesthetically pleasing and will help you compose visually appealing images but, more importantly, it’s conventional. This technique is often used when framing over the shoulder shots or singles. 

Over the shoulder shot. The over the shoulder shot is one of the most commonly used types of shot composition in film and television and a conventional ways to shoot dialogue. Because your audience has watched thousands of hours of film and television, the over the shoulder shot is a natural and unobtrusive way to film two people speaking. Over the shoulder shots often alternate from one character, to a reverse shot of the other character. When you’re filming over the shoulder shots, reducing the depth of field by using an aperture of f1.8 can make the shot more appealing.

Single. A “single” is a shot that has one character or subject. It typically involves framing the shot in a way that includes only one person or object as the main point of interest, as opposed to a two shot or over the shoulder shot which includes more than one character. A single is often used in dialogue scenes when the primary emphasis is on an individual’s reactions or expressions. It can also be used to isolate the subject from the person they are talking to.

Shot size

Medium shot. Medium shots frame characters from the waist up. in dialogue scenes, they are useful when it comes to conveying body language.

Medium close up. Medium close-ups frame the character from the chest or shoulders up, often delivering greater emotional impact than medium shots.

Close up. Close ups typically frame the character’s face, conveying expression and emotion. Close-ups are effective for emphasising specific reactions or important lines of dialogue.

Tight close up. While close ups typically show a character’s entire face, a tight close up will often get closer, framing out a character’s forehead and chin to focus intensely on their expression. Tight close ups are often used in particularly intense encounters.

Two shot. A two shot is a shot, typically from the waist up, that has two characters in the frame. It emphasises the interaction between the characters and can be used to create a connection between them characters.

Sound terminology

• 180 degree rule. An imaginary line between two characters who are speaking, crossing this line when filming a conversation means it will appear as if the actors are looking in the wrong direction. 
• Blimp. An enclosure for a shotgun microphone that prevents wind from hitting the microphone.
• Boom pole. A pole for positioning an attached shotgun microphone the optimal distance from actors. 
• Clipping. Clipping is a waveform distortion that occurs when an amplifier is pushed beyond its limit, the simplest way to avoid this is lowering the input level.
• Framing. When you’re framing dialogue, you should pay attention to the following elements:
  • Headroom. The space above the actor’s head, ensure that there isn’t too much or too little. 
  • Look room. Often called ‘nose room’, is the space between the actor and the edge of the frame, too little look room and it looks claustrophobic. 
  • Over the shoulder. The over the shoulder shot is one of the most commonly used types of shot composition in film and television and a conventional ways to shoot dialogue. Because your audience has watched thousands of hours of film and television, the over the shoulder shot is a natural and unobtrusive way to film two people speaking.
  • Rule of thirds. When composing shots for film and television, the rule of thirds is an essential compositional technique. The rule of thirds states that if you divide a frame into thirds vertically and horizontally, the points of interest in that frame should be positioned on these lines or where these lines intersect. It’s aesthetically pleasing and will help you compose visually appealing images but, more importantly, it’s conventional. This technique is often used when framing over the shoulder shots or singles. 
  • Eyeline match. Make sure that your actors are looking in the direction of the person they are talking to. If the eyeline doesn’t match, your dialogue scene won’t look right. 
  • Single. A “single” is a shot that has one character or subject. It typically involves framing the shot in a way that includes only one person or object as the main point of interest, as opposed to a two shot or over the shoulder shot which includes more than one character. A single shot is often used in dialogue scenes when the primary emphasis is on an individual’s reactions, expressions, or interactions. It can also be used to isolate the subject from the person they are talking to.
• Master shot. Usually a wide angle, full shot. As a dialogue scene progresses, the camera will move closer to the actors as the conflict increases.  
• Noddies. Additional coverage of a dialogue scene that shows one of the characters listening and reacting to the other character. 
• Proximity effect. The proximity effect in audio is an increase in bass or low frequency response when a sound source is close to a directional microphone. 
• Shotgun microphone. A directional microphone that has a narrow forward sensitivity which makes it suited to recording dialogue on location. 
• Shot reverse shot. Dialogue is often shot using ‘shot reverse shot’. A character is talking to someone, usually out of frame, we cut to another character who is looking in the opposite direction. It is assumed they are talking to each other.
• Signal to noise ratio. Signal-to-noise ratio is the measurement used to describe how much desired sound is present in an audio recording, as opposed to unwanted sound (noise). This nonessential input could be anything from electronic static from your recording equipment, or external sounds from the noisy world around us, such as the rumble of traffic, or the murmur of voices in the background.
• Single. A shot of a character in a dialogue scene where they are framed individually. 
• Wombat. A furry cover for the blimp that prevents wind from hitting the microphone and creating unwanted, low frequency rumbling. 
• XLR. An electrical connector commonly used by audio devices.