"The Psychology of Movement and Blocking a Scene" by Peter D. Marshall

The study of movement psychology found that 'movement' is controlled by deeper emotions. This means that 'attitude and emotion can change movement' as well as 'movement can change emotion and attitude.'

This takes us back to Newton's First Law of Motion: "Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it."

In filmmaking terms, this translates into "a character must be MOTIVATED before they will take action." MOTIVATED being the key word!

There are two kinds of movement between
characters: 'toward or away' and 'moving or still'.

1. Toward or Away - when you change the space between characters, you indicate a change in the relationship.

a. If a character walks toward another character, that could indicate anger.

b. If a character walks away from another character, that could indicate fear.

2. Moving or Still - character movement is also a way of expressing opposition and resistance.

a. Moving characters create lots of energy. (Dynamic)

b. Still characters create less energy. (Peaceful)

Basic Blocking and Staging Techniques

To help you begin, I suggest you start thinking of blocking as the choreography of a dance or a ballet - all the elements on the set (actors, extras, vehicles, crew, equipment) should move in perfect harmony with each other.

1. What is Blocking?

a. Blocking is working out the details of the actor's moves in relation to the camera.

b. Blocking is the dramatic use of the camera to help find the truth in a scene.

c. Where the camera is placed is determined by what is important in the scene.

d. Blocking is like a puzzle - keep working at it until the whole scene falls into place.

e. Reveal a character's thoughts or emotions through actions. Actions are more revealing of a character than dialogue. (Doing not saying.)

2. Whenever you start blocking a scene, you must know these five things:

a. When (and where) were the characters LAST SEEN? (EX: Before Scene 7)

b. What is the LAST shot of the previous scene? (Scene 6)

c. What is the FIRST shot of the scene you are on? (Scene 7)

d. What is the LAST shot of the scene you are on? (Scene 7)

e. What is the FIRST shot of the next scene? (Scene 8)

3. Your blocking plan (or shot plan) is determined by:

a. Whose POV is being expressed at the time? (The writer's, the character or the director?)

b. What distance are you from the subject? (The size of shot - are you close or far?)

c. What is your relationship to the subject? (The angle of view - choice of lenses.)

4. The opening position of a character is where the characters start in a scene and is a very important element of blocking

a. Use your knowledge of the characters to help you imagine their opening positions.

b. Different character types tend to move to different places in the room.

- Strong characters could move to the middle of room

- Weak characters could move to the side of room

5. Two ways to stage space

a. Staging across the frame

- Left to right

- Right to left

b. In-depth staging

- Foreground to background

- Background to foreground

6. Two methods for staging groups and individuals

a. Zone coverage - when you stage the coverage of groups in the same location. (Like battle scenes/sports events/crowds.)

b. Man-to-man coverage - when you stage the coverage of individual characters according to their movement in relationship to others.

7. Four staging techniques

a. Static camera (The camera doesn't move)

- Subjects can be still

- Subjects can be moving

b. Moving camera (The camera moves)

- Subjects can be still

- Subjects can be moving

c. Static subjects (The subject doesn't move)

- Camera can be still

- Camera can be moving

d. Moving subjects (The subject does move)

- Camera can be still

- Camera can be moving

8. Four basic reasons to move the camera

a. Move for emphasis. (The camera moves into an actor.)

b. Move to emphasize a subject in a group. (Pan or dolly.)

c. Transfer attention from one subject to another. (Pan or focus.)

d. To connect movement from one space to another. (Pan from the door to a desk or go from room to room.)

9. Subjective and objective camera angles

a. A subjective camera angle is a shot taken close to the 180 line. (You can see the face and eyes more clearly)

b. An objective camera angle is a shot taken perpendicular to the 180 line. (It is wider - more profile to the actor)

10. The dramatic circle of action is determined by the size and shape of the space that the action covers.

a. Any space is divided into three parts:

- Foreground

- Middle ground

- Background

b. You can place the camera IN the action. (Action flows around the camera.)

c. You can place the camera OUTSIDE the action. (Keep a distance from the action.)

11. Camera height is used to show the physical relationships (or status) between people.

In real life, there are two kinds of status relationships:

a. Equal to equal. (Good cop and bad guy. Doctor and doctor)

b. Superior to inferior. (Judge and defendant. Teacher and student.)

Director Questions for Blocking

1. Do I understand the writer's intentions? (Story & themes.)

2. When was the last time the character's were together? (How many scenes ago?)

3. Reveal a character's thoughts and emotions through actions as much as possible.

4. What normal activities (business) would the character's be doing at this time?

5. What is the character's emotional state at this time in the scene?

6. Where is the focus of interest (main emphasis) at each moment in the scene?

7. What is more important: business or dialogue? (Show or tell.)

8. What is the intention of the scene? (Create tension? For laughs?)

9. What kind of coverage do I need?

10. How much time should I allow to shoot this scene?

When you first start directing, blocking a scene can be one of the hardest (and most embarrassing) parts of your job. If you get it wrong here, you could waste valuable shooting time trying to get out of the mess you created!

NOT FOR LOVE: The Story of a Child Bride

Josphat Keya, Victor Ombogo and Clarence Ilavonga from Hot Sun Foundation/Films set out to shoot the trailer concept for the documentary Not For Love. Josphat was the Local Producer/Director, Victor the D.O.P and Clarence was the Asst. Cameraman.

We had spent almost two weeks preparing for the shoot which was to take place in Isiolo approximately 400kms from Nairobi. The concept of the trailer was initiated by Sha’ Givens. Josephine Kulea a child bride rescuer was our contact person for in Isiolo.

On Friday 1^st October we set to Isiolo for the shoot. It took approximately 4 hours for the first stop at Nanyuki approximately 250kms from Nairobi. We met Josephine, who accompanied us to Isiolo town.

We reached Isiolo 80kms from Nanyuki at around 4pm. Now it was raining in Nanyuki but the climate was totally different at Isiolo, it was hot. We went for some refreshment at a local restaurant while planning for our transport to our destination-Kipsing Village/Town.

Now here came the thrilling news, from Isiolo town to Kipsing our destination it was approximately 60kms. The road to Kipsing is bumpy rocky and dusty, not to mention risky. The previous three days two warring communities in the region were at it again. The road to Kipsing cut through one of the communities. Josephine had organized for us transport from the town to Kipsing. She had called the local driver from Kipsing. This guy had the only vehicle in the entire Kipsing. It was an old Army Land Rover. The driver and his colleague were attacked on the way, by a group of young men wielding guns. Luckily no one was badly hurt except for his colleague who had some small bruises on his arm. It took them exactly 12 hours to get to Isiolo. One thing to mention is that there is no telephone network, 200metres from Isiolo town and onwards to Kipsing.

The land Rover arrived Isiolo at 11pm. With the driver half drunk. He later told us that you had to drink for you to drive that route, just incase you met an armed gang.

Now in terms of production, our budget for transportation to Kipsing shot up 13 times. We had under budgeted for that, as we didn’t know the distance from Isiolo town to Kipsing. But I managed to take my crew that very night to Kipsing. It wasn’t easy because that driver had just narrated the fate that had befallen them while they were coming. This freaked everyone out, even me I felt death waiting for us. But the other side of me kept me strong, as the producer/director I had to make sure that my mission is carried out in due time. So if we spent another night in Isiolo as the other had suggested that meant, extra expenses, and not beating my shooting deadline.

Our journey to Kipsing turned out to be adventurous, and fun to. Yes fun, the bumpy ride. The area is semi arid, we crossed 19 dry rivers.

We reached Kipsing at around 4am. We spent the night at Josephine sister’s place. That came to be our accommodation for the rest of our stay

Saturday 2^nd October, our first day in Kipsing starts early with my crew waking up at 5am to capture the rising sun behind the hills of Kipsing. As we are rolling the camera we are greeted by some of the locals who’ve come to see what “these strangers” are doing. They are very friendly. After having our breakfast, we set out to one of the manyattas that is going to be our main location. The sun is scorching. We carry our equipment and set out to an almost 3km walk; yes we wanted to walk and experience the area. The area is dry and dusty. We walk through the dry river but amazingly the locals have found out a way to get water from the dry river. They dig within the riverbed not so deep and water comes out. Clean pure water.

We reach our main location a compound with 5 manyattas. We find some of our cast ready waiting for us inclusive of two old men. We start our shoot. It becomes so challenging, to have the old men back to take as many different shots as we can. They can’t speak Swahili, so we use the help of Josephine and her sister who translates to them. It becomes difficult for them also to explain why they have to keep on redoing what they had done earlier, but it ends well. Our next scene also takes place there, our driver arrives and we set out to the next scene at the river, some kilometers. Before we leave one of the girls mother is angry, she quarrels that we are working her daughter out. Josephine intervenes and explains to her, she commands a lot of respect as we later realize.

We wind up our shoot at the river and head to our host’s place to have lunch. The sun is now very hot, we are not used to this kind, but we must complete the shoot. After having lunch we start having the interviews. We finish with Josephine. Now the two girls we have to look for suitable locations, as we do this the sun is setting very” fast”. Though we manage to shoot, but we realize that the lighting s not good. So we schedule a reshoot the next day.

After the long day of shot we are taken to the other end of Kipsing to visit Josephine’s grandmother. We also learn that it is in the same family that Josephine rescued two young girls who had been subjected to early marriage. She doesn’t even fear how she will be received there.

Sunday 3^rd October, We are up early this day we have a lot to do being the last day of our shoot. Our driver is waiting for us. We set out to one of the girl’s manyattas to have our interview with her. This time she does it very well my crew is happy, we come back to Kipsing town for the second girl interview, she is a bit shy but we manage to get her interview.

What is left is preparing to depart form this wonderful community. We have hard our best experience with the people. They were already part of us and we were like a family to them in the short period that we were with them.

We board our vehicle nicknamed “Zion Train”. Accompanying us is the mothers of the two girls that Josephine rescued. Since the rescue they have never visited their daughters who are in Isiolo town in a child welfare society. In our company is our security guy just incase we encounter armed youths on our way. We depart Kipsing at around noon. Our ride is the same bumpy and dusty. On our way we encounter zebras and ostriches, hyenas are the common things. There.

We reach Isiolo town at around 6pm, I get to learn that the driver was fast. We pass by the rescued girls centre where the meeting is so emotional.

We spend the night in Isiolo town. As we wake up the next day we are all looking forward to Nairobi another 6-hour journey.