I come from a background of theatre directing/acting, and it is considered standard practice to block every scene. How many of you follow this practice while filming, and how many prefer to do organic?
I like to plan my shots and block according to my plan, but I am open to adapting what happens in the rehearsal. I'm not a big fan of walking in and just letting the actors go, because it rarely leads to a cohesive whole. They tend to ramble and muddy the lines and intent of the story when they're shooting from the hip. Not to mention the camera operators spend most of their time chasing the shots instead of working in an environment conducive to artful framing. I think a good rehearsal gives structure to what my cast and crew are about to do and allows them to begin to fix the performance beats and camera positions in a way I can hone from. Organic can be useful for spontaneity, but it also means you are sacrificing editorial control later. If you have three cameras and have blocked the scene in a proscenium style, that may not matter. But if you're using a single camera and trying to match later it's gonna be a pain.
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I like to plan my shots and block according to my plan, but I am open to adapting what happens in the rehearsal. I'm not a big fan of walking in and just letting the actors go, because it rarely leads to a cohesive whole. They tend to ramble and muddy the lines and intent of the story when they're shooting from the hip. Not to mention the camera operators spend most of their time chasing the shots instead of working in an environment conducive to artful framing. I think a good rehearsal gives structure to what my cast and crew are about to do and allows them to begin to fix the performance beats and camera positions in a way I can hone from. Organic can be useful for spontaneity, but it also means you are sacrificing editorial control later. If you have three cameras and have blocked the scene in a proscenium style, that may not matter. But if you're using a single camera and trying to match later it's gonna be a pain.