All language subtitles for MasterClass Ron Howard Teaches Directing - 124 - Frost Nixon Steadycam Staging

so that last one was you know a pretty

rough um assimilation of what we did

with it as a movie it was kind of

applying the same aesthetic

sensibility uh to this scene uh today as

as when we as when we shot sh the film

but I want to experiment a little bit

today and this is something that I

actually thought about for the movie we

didn't really have time to explore it

this way and I ultimately rejected it

but today I'm going to we're going to

experiment with it a little bit which is

the idea of playing it in long extended

steady cam shots I'm not sure we'll get

it to be a Warner MH but using a steady

cam I want to go at the scene in a

different way and which is going to

require some different staging now when

you're working in a in a in a scene

that's a Warner you know if you think of

a movie like Birdman yeah or you know it

all had the the feeling of a of a Warner

um it requires some technical um

willingness uh and and and uh you know

adeptness from the actors because very

often you have to work with the camera

operator you know what we were doing was

a little more spontaneous and natural

and the camera was handheld and it could

move to find the shots but when you get

into this kind of of uh highly

choreographed sort of shooting the

actors have to be a little more

technically willing to really hit

specific marks and make it you know

seamless so uh we're going to we're

going to work on that now the only thing

that I'm going to change for starters

because we have to reblock is instead of

going in that Alleyway because it would

be very difficult to do much with the

steady cam inside that narrow Alleyway

instead we'll assume that when you want

to go that you're going out the garage

door and we'll finish out here and this

is an area where you know the steady cam

can operate and move around you guys a

little bit okay cool so so let's just

begin to experiment it may be one shot

it may be three shots I'm not sure um

but uh uh just walk in um and U um you

know do do do what you were doing more

or less and let's see how much we can

adapt uh you know a single shot to that

and then we'll have to start tweaking it

okay but but I'm going to sort of be the

steady cam now for a second and we have

our steady cam operator work with me

here a little bit they want to roll on

this

okay okay all right and so maybe we

maybe we'll just hinge him in like in a

profile or something and action what

Revolution let him come through you you

just let Richard Nixon claim the country

was in a state of Revolution with with

protesters bombing and assaulting police

officers that's not how I remember it

what I remember is people protesting

peacefully and legitimately against

that's what I Remember music off please

music off we need to see that hang on

who so so how are we going to see that

so we we've come into this

situation that's that's that's pretty

good because we get him yelling if um

maybe you might need to motivate us so

so what is your last line uh that's what

I remember that's what I remember now

you walk over here like you're a little

bit disgusted that's what I remember

walk away from him that'll carry the

camera across to you you make you can be

a little further over here in yeah right

and then you kind of be wide enough so

that when you come across you see him

yelling at this guy right and then

that'll pick up your next line right

yeah okay let's see how that

works from the top no no just from here

okay

that's that's what I Remember music off

please music off by the end wire tapping

students and breaking into journalist

homes was beginning to sound like a

reasonable response I'm sorry you feel

this way but I simply cannot share your

VI now on that line because we're going

to be on trying to do this as a Warner

if you shift a little bit so if you say

I'm sorry you feel that way but I really

can't share your view so stay with him a

little bit more and that'll keep you in

in this state cam shop go ahead sorry

you feel that way but I simply cannot

show your and then go right right about

what oh that's good because that carried

you over right that's good okay about

any of it

frankly I thought today was a huge

Improvement are you

nuts let me tell you how bad things were

today after taping finished I overheard

two crew members say they wish they had

voted for him when they had the chance

and if he ran again for office today

pressing in he'd have their support you

made him look presidential for Christ's

sake

and forget about the trivia David who

who cares about whether Nixon took the

White House bed when he Europe where he

traveled well it's

irrelevant it's just a sort of Bol

anecdote that would distract

a or

what go and say

it you're going to say talk show host

come around right about there is that

going to be okay if

was look it's pointless me trying to

answer your

points I simply do not share your

pessimistic and and your sharing your

pessimism you share your pessimism and

your alarm and this in this pathetic uh

uh self- flagellation is is just

depressing and it's threatening to to

derail the entire process come over to

these

guys sorry can I over his line I think

he might cuz he's yelling at them if

you're here and you sort of drift

keeping the idea the one are going I

think there I saw one break we're going

to break for so this will be the second

shot if you come over and you get these

guys and then you could maybe get over

and pivot on his shoulder and come back

into a situation here with with David

right and he says so such and such and

so and so and then when he breaks to

leave because at a certain point he

walks away yeah and when that happens

you know you just can hold and slowly

press in on

him and we'll just hear his line you

know which is uh you know with his line

his line about what Burger King and then

we'll just hold we'll just play that one

off camera okay so that'll be a

different way of doing it so it's not

exactly a warer but it's a

tour uh I'll take it so let's let's try

that and there aren't a lot of

accommodations but the uh you're going

to come down to here MH and what was

this wide shot here what were we doing

here let's see they oh they oh they came

to here and then he he brought us over

and then he brought us back to

David okay should we try it yeah let's

let's uh let's put on the put on the put

on the machine and give it a

go maybe being a little tighter on to

begin I left so you're kind of almost a

closeup tight profile

okay come on down here yeah let him let

him enter right about here carry him

close-ish for a bit let him just go a

step or two let him go and then and then

pick up zelck and then pivot and this

time for the steady cam instead of being

over here on his right shoulder you can

be almost right behind him okay not too

close like I am but so let him take his

distance and then we'll be with you okay

okay great let's try it

okay and action what Revolution David

you just let Richard Nixon claim that

the country was in a state of Revolution

with with protesters bombing and

and bombing and assaulting police

officers that's not how I remember it U

let's cut cut now we want to let we want

to Pivot with him a bit and then come

around here and then back up okay right

and so then we press in on him when he's

a little bit disgusted and carry them

over will fall into a wide yeah yeah

fall into a wide okay let's try it again

cool and you tighten up that line of

course yeah yeah yeah really attack him

this time okay you know you've really

lost your temper and I think if you are

kind of laughing that off it's a nice

contrast okay ready and action what

Revolution David you just let Richard

Nixon claim the country was in a state

of Revolution with protesters bombing

bombing and assaulting police officers

that's not how I remember it good what I

remember is people protesting peacefully

and let's do one more time now you can't

go quite that wide cuz we're trying to

keep you in this shot so we have to

accommodate the steady cam so you yeah I

like that kind of pinch in a little bit

yeah that's that's good we'll try one

more okay here we go yeah just that blue

that blue Mark right

okay that was a good on the wide and you

can pull back a little more aggressively

once you make that pivot sweep back and

get the ground okay ready and action

what Revolution David you just let

Richard Nixon claimed the country was in

a state of Revolution with protesters

bombing and assaulting police

officers that's not how I remember it

what I remember is people protesting

peacefully and legitimately against the

Vietnam War that's how I remember it

music off please music off get out of

here by the end wiretapping students and

uh uh uh uh sorry by the end wiretapping

students and breaking into journalist

homes was beginning to sound like a

rational response well I'm sorry you

feel this way but IBL cannot share your

view about what about any of it

frankly I thought today was a huge

Improvement are you

nuts let me tell you how bad things were

today after the taping finished I

overheard two of the crew members say

they never voted for him when they had

the chance and that if he ran for office

again today he'd have their support you

made him look presidential for Christ's

sake and forget about the trivia David

who cares about whether Nixon took the

White House to Europe when he traveled

well it's irrelevant and it's just the

sort of Bal anecdote that would distract

a

sorry a

what now go on and say it you're about

to say talk show host aren't

you yeah I was now start to

be look it's useless me trying to answer

your points frankly I don't share any of

your s of pessimism or alarm Okay hold

one second actually let's let's stop for

one second I want to go back to

here um there's a um well actually we

just do one more take when he says I

thought it was a huge Improvement press

in on him okay right and then when they

all overreact just stay with him and

then we'll cut

okay because I want to pick it up in a

in a very wide where they're all react

like oh my God that's ridiculous and

then you could slowly press in so

that'll be our second piece let's just

take one more from the top good okay

here we

go and when he oh by the way the other

little thing is is that when he when he

goes over there right try to swing

pretty aggressively so that you could

see the the imaginary guy at the table

leaving okay at the desk okay ready and

action what Revolution David you just

let Richard Nixon claim the country was

a St in a state of Revolution with

protesters bombing and assaulting police

officers that's not how I remember it

what I remember is people protesting

peacefully and legitimately against the

Vietnam War that's what I Remember music

off please music off by the end

wiretapping students and breaking into

journalist homes was beginning to sound

like a rational response go a little bit

that way oh there we go there great I'm

sorry you feel this way but I simply

cannot share your

view about what about any of it frankly

drifting arm I thought today was a huge

Improvement and cut great now we're

going to cut very wide start back here

because we're going to be cutting off

he's off of an angle straight in on him

let's let's get over

here let's see if we can see more guys

so we make it an extreme yeah that's

pretty good who stay stay here you're

good I think if you're up a little here

as high as you can get that'll be a nice

Cut point of him reacting and when you

react because of this camera kind of

react uh this way so instead of going

off that way kind of go okay you know

yeah so we see your fa then move past

then you can move past

him and you start pressing into the

50/50 right

okay no are you good so you have that

high let's see let's just clear find the

lens back up just a little no no no uh

uh yeah there you go great great great

good a little too much head room great

okay ready mhm okay so just take it from

uh overlap just that line about I

thought it was a huge success yep ready

and action I thought today was a huge

Improvement

go press in are you nuts I do it one

more time come in sooner come in sooner

that that Gap particular with the steady

cam is is a little bit of a dead moment

cool okay ready and action I thought

today was a huge Improvement are you

nuts let a little bit too too soon too

soon wait for re okay clear okay cool

I'll give a little thumb snap is when

you're clearing when he's cleared frame

ready start a little

higher okay wa wait you're a little

blocked come this way just here there

you go good ready and action I thought

today was a huge

Improvement are you nuts let me tell you

how bad things were

today after the taping finished I

overheard two of the crew members say

they never voted for him when they had

the chance and if he were to run again

for office today he'd have their support

f l you made him look presidential for

Christ's

sake and and forget about the trivia

David who who cares whether or not Nixon

took the White House bed with him when

he Trav to Europe well it's relevant and

it's just a sort of Bal anecdote that

would distract

a distracted

what go on say

it talk show host is that what you're

going to

say yeah I

was look it's useless me trying to

answer your points frankly I don't share

any of your sense of pessimism or alarm

and this this ridiculous self

flatulation is in my

view depressing and it's threatening to

derail the whole Enterprise guys keep

going if any one of you really believes

we are going to

fail you best get out now start to Pivot

or it'll infect everyone

else no

one all

right good now I suggest instead of

festering around the hotel for the next

5 days we we go our separate ways over

Easter but before we go Caroline and I

would like you to join us for a little

celebratory dinner at Patrick teros new

place

celebrate celebrate what David the fact

that we're all going to be working at

Burger King what are we

celebrating my

birthday it's my birthday

Bob I'd like to celebrate it with a few

friends

great let's just try one more of those

now and we'll do a slight variation on

it and this will be the last one of

these that was really good if you guys

have a little more space so on this

moment here you're with them right and

you're you're you're favoring this way

come around 50/50 then go to these guys

and try to get down here a little sooner

and on their reactions and then pivot

you want to be over his shoulder yeah be

just or a piece of him in a little wider

on that little wider on that and then

you can slowly start this this press in

and then you want to C we miss his line

are you okay with that I'd rather stay

with it if you can just try to come

around yeah yeah I mean if if you could

maybe you could even go here you'll need

to go a little closer to him you know on

once uh you know um we see where where

are you at that point you're in the

50/50 here you're back here right so

this is what we really have so you're in

here

and maybe you should be a little more

like down kind of in here so that we can

find you here there we go good something

like that right and you can hold that

and now just make this a really slow

creep so that when they peel off now

you're holding

them right and then you can press on

into David does that make sense yeah

okay let's try it let's take it from

that same pickup okay then so you're

still a little stacked you're good

you're still a little stack hang in

there guys

cler we're not okay yeah so when he gets

into this 50/50 yeah come on for a bit

great ready start high and wide I like

that great is everybody in good find the

lens and action I thought today was a

huge

success are you nuts oh I'm sorry I had

little acting note don't press in on him

too fast so he's going to he's going to

be slower no it's just take more time

are you nuts and make it a more boring

in like slower later during the course

of the speech so it's like a ler by

layer yeah so it's not a quick move it's

kind of a is intense attack okay so you

don't w't need to rush in just creep in

with them ready and action I thought

today was a huge

Improvement are you

nuts let me tell you how bad things were

today after the taping finished

I overheard two of the crew members say

they never voted for them when they had

the chance let's do it one more time and

we're as long as we're doing it might as

well do it right we're lining you up

here too much so when he breaks why

don't you go ahead and come on over here

and just kind of look out the garage

like you're trying to think of what to

say or something like that and then you

can turn around as they confront each

other and try like you don't know what

to do and then when he turns to go you

have to kind of give for that okay right

okay last one of these here we go

and ready

and action I thought today was a huge

Improvement are you

nuts let me tell you how bad things were

today after taping finished I overheard

two crew members say they never voted

for him when they had the chance and if

he were to run again for office today

he'd have their support you made him

look presidential for Christ's sake and

forget about the trivia David who who

cares whether Nixon took the White House

bed with him when he traveled Europe

well it's

irrelevant and it's just the sort of Bol

antidote that would

distract or

what no go on say it is he St commending

you're going to say talk show

host yeah I was now keep keep getting in

look it's useless me trying to answer

your points frankly I don't share any of

your pessimism or alarm and this

ridiculous uh self flagellation in my

view it's just depressing and it's

threatening to to derail the whole

Enterprise so if any one of

you feels like we are going to

fail walk away now good stay there or

it'll infect everyone

else no

one now he's past right

good now I suggest instead of festering

around the hotel for the next 5 days we

go our separate ways over Easter

uh but before we go uh Caroline and I

would like you to join us for a little

celebratory dinner at Patrick ter keep

the sh celebrate to celebrate what David

the fact that we're all going to be

working at Burger King what are we

celebrating my birthday Rob it's my

birthday like to celebrate my birthday

with a few friends

cut damn I almost wish I'd shot it that

way in the movie