0:00:00.000,0:00:02.259 --Thank you Roosevelt, here's a song[br]coming your way right now. 0:00:02.259,0:00:05.839 "Nowhere to Run" by[br]Martha and the Vandellas 0:00:05.839,0:00:08.500 Yes, you know what I mean. 0:00:10.980,0:00:13.799 Hi my name is Tony and[br]this is Every Frame a Painting. 0:00:13.799,0:00:16.530 Today I’m going to honor[br]the incomparable Robin Williams. 0:00:16.530,0:00:18.920 There have been a lot of[br]moving tributes over the last month, 0:00:18.920,0:00:21.210 but I’d like to sidestep[br]what others have said 0:00:21.210,0:00:24.529 and focus on something else:[br]how he moved in a scene. 0:00:24.529,0:00:29.029 --You do an eclectic celebration of a[br]dance. You do Fosse, Fosse, Fosse 0:00:29.029,0:00:31.000 You do, Martha Graham,[br]Martha Graham, Martha Graham! 0:00:31.000,0:00:33.730 Blocking is the choreography[br]of the actors and the camera. 0:00:33.730,0:00:36.430 To put it bluntly, the actors move.[br]How they move tells us something 0:00:36.430,0:00:38.469 about the characters,[br]the scene and the story. 0:00:38.469,0:00:41.489 --but you keep it all inside. 0:00:41.489,0:00:44.300 Good blocking is good storytelling.[br]If you’d like to see this for yourself, 0:00:44.300,0:00:46.500 pick a scene and watch[br]how the actors move. 0:00:46.500,0:00:50.500 --We're all gonna sit down[br]and we're gonna finish it. 0:00:50.500,0:00:53.000 Three minutes later,[br]this is how he makes her sit. 0:00:53.000,0:00:55.500 --Anybody up for iced tea?[br]I'm gonna make some tea. 0:00:57.800,0:01:00.559 You could watch this film with the sound[br]off and still understand 0:01:00.559,0:01:03.570 most of the story. That's good blocking.[br]Everything you need to know about 0:01:03.570,0:01:06.119 the characters, their relationship[br]and how it changes 0:01:06.119,0:01:09.560 is presented to you through physical[br]movement. Blocking is a collaboration 0:01:10.040,0:01:13.020 between actor and director. Even though[br]the director approves it, the actors are 0:01:13.020,0:01:14.800 ultimately the ones who[br]have to perform it. 0:01:14.800,0:01:17.330 And that's why Robin Williams[br]work is so dynamic 0:01:17.800,0:01:19.300 --You move with it! 0:01:20.800,0:01:22.300 --Lead with something! 0:01:22.500,0:01:25.210 Few actors could express themselves[br]as well through motion 0:01:25.210,0:01:27.200 Whether that motion was big 0:01:29.210,0:01:30.810 or small 0:01:32.000,0:01:35.360 Even when he was doing the same movement[br]in two different scenes 0:01:35.360,0:01:38.100 you could see the subtle variations he[br]brought to the arc of the character. 0:01:39.100,0:01:41.250 Sometimes he would move[br]and the camera would be still. 0:01:44.100,0:01:46.320 Other times...[br]--You're just a kid. 0:01:46.320,0:01:50.130 he would be still and the camera[br]would move. This shot lasts 0:01:50.130,0:01:52.880 2 minutes and 45 seconds and is the[br]first time these two characters connect 0:01:52.880,0:01:56.060 which Gus Van Sant shows by having the[br]camera literally bring them together. 0:01:56.060,0:02:00.290 --You don't know about real loss because[br]that only occurs when you love something 0:02:00.290,0:02:02.110 --more than you love yourself. 0:02:02.110,0:02:05.710 And in other films, he moved with the[br]camera, creating an elaborate dance 0:02:07.710,0:02:09.190 --And all the time he's mumbling.[br]--What's he mumbling? 0:02:09.190,0:02:10.190 --Mumbling truth. 0:02:10.190,0:02:11.620 Or a less elaborate one. 0:02:13.620,0:02:17.730 To watch his work is to see the subtle[br]things an actor can do with his hands. 0:02:20.730,0:02:21.989 his mouth 0:02:24.989,0:02:26.500 his right leg 0:02:30.230,0:02:31.999 and his facepalm. 0:02:35.999,0:02:37.950 Robin Williams' work is an encyclopedia 0:02:37.950,0:02:40.920 of ways that an actor can express[br]himself through movement and he was 0:02:40.920,0:02:43.909 fortunate to work with filmmakers who[br]used his talents to their fullest. 0:02:43.909,0:02:47.540 --I want you to find your own walk[br]right now, your own way of 0:02:47.540,0:02:49.739 striding, pacing, any direction,[br]anything you want, whether it's 0:02:49.739,0:02:52.299 whether it's proud or silly. Anything. 0:02:52.299,0:02:55.299 I can't talk about how he pulled off[br]so many different characters 0:02:55.299,0:02:57.060 because I have no idea. 0:02:57.060,0:03:00.950 But I can talk about a few things that[br]directors did to help his performances. 0:03:00.950,0:03:02.500 Here are five. 0:03:04.280,0:03:07.840 #1: They let him play it straight[br]through. Movie acting is weird because 0:03:07.840,0:03:09.770 it’s hours of preparation[br]to shoot one angle. 0:03:09.770,0:03:12.880 And sometimes the actors only[br]get a few seconds to really act. 0:03:12.880,0:03:15.500 --My God, the children. 0:03:15.880,0:03:18.930 Many directors here have a history of[br]shooting scenes in 1 or 2 set-ups 0:03:18.930,0:03:20.630 which helps the actors keep their rhythm 0:03:20.630,0:03:24.270 Some preferred elaborate camera moves.[br]Others liked it very simple 0:03:24.270,0:03:27.640 But no matter what, they shared a common[br]desire to let all the actors perform 0:03:27.640,0:03:29.390 uninterrupted, as much as possible. 0:03:29.390,0:03:34.590 --It's me, Alan, mom and dad![br]I'm home! I'm back! 0:03:35.590,0:03:38.300 #2: They gave him[br]something physical to do. 0:03:38.300,0:03:42.840 Open the window. Pick up the apple.[br]Put the cans back in the right spot. 0:03:42.840,0:03:45.700 --I said, well, you know[br]what I'm dealing with here? 0:03:45.700,0:03:47.700 These gestures sometimes[br]repeated later in the film 0:03:47.700,0:03:50.700 giving us a nice before-and-after[br]portrait of the character. 0:03:53.700,0:03:56.500 --Eleanor?[br]--Yes? 0:03:56.500,0:03:58.290 Other times they were[br]just one-off moments. 0:04:01.290,0:04:04.740 As an editor, I can testify that when[br]I’m looking at 12 takes of a scene, 0:04:04.740,0:04:06.570 these little gestures make[br]all the difference. 0:04:08.570,0:04:12.670 #3: They used blocking to tell the story[br]visually. Human beings are wired 0:04:12.670,0:04:14.700 to respond to subtle[br]changes in body language. 0:04:14.700,0:04:18.010 We often derive more understanding from[br]a person’s movements and tone 0:04:18.010,0:04:19.800 than from the actual words they say. 0:04:19.800,0:04:21.548 --You forget the girl. 0:04:21.548,0:04:22.419 One of the great things[br]about good blocking 0:04:22.419,0:04:25.610 is that it’s universal and doesn’t[br]need to be translated or explained. 0:04:25.610,0:04:29.850 --you playing Dear Abby[br]--I know, because she's my sister! 0:04:29.850,0:04:32.100 Even if you can't speak English, you[br]understand exactly what's happening here 0:04:32.100,0:04:34.310 --Come on![br]--I don't like you, sir. 0:04:34.310,0:04:36.310 --Why not? I got a great personality,[br]you ask anybody. 0:04:36.310,0:04:40.270 #4: They let him listen.[br]--That started with Peter Weir 0:04:40.270,0:04:43.200 where he said, if you just listen[br]there's a great power in that. 0:04:43.200,0:04:46.550 A good percentage what you think of as[br]acting in a movie is actually listening. 0:04:46.550,0:04:48.970 Sometimes that’s what happened[br]in the moment. Other times, 0:04:48.970,0:04:51.990 we editors find those moments [br]and move them around in the edit. 0:04:51.990,0:04:54.550 As they say, acting is reacting. 0:04:57.550,0:05:00.610 And lastly: They didn’t let perfection[br]get in the way of inspiration. 0:05:00.610,0:05:03.660 There’s a real desire sometimes to film[br]it exactly the way it was in your head 0:05:03.660,0:05:06.910 or on the page, but working with Robin[br]Williams was about opening yourself up 0:05:06.910,0:05:08.560 to sudden bursts of inspiration. 0:05:08.560,0:05:15.250 --She used to fart in her sleep. One[br]night it was so loud, it woke the dog up 0:05:15.250,0:05:19.430 So be open. This man improvised[br]many of his most iconic moments. 0:05:19.430,0:05:21.020 Maybe he was onto something. 0:05:21.020,0:05:23.020 --There's great moments that obviously[br]people have rehearsed and gone over 0:05:23.020,0:05:26.080 and gone over and gone over, but[br]literally when the stuff really hits you 0:05:26.080,0:05:29.470 it's usually something that happened[br]and it happened then 0:05:29.470,0:05:32.000 and that is what film is about:[br]capturing a moment. 0:05:35.550,0:05:37.250 Farewell, Robin Williams. 0:05:51.539,0:05:55.490 --He is an editor's nightmare though,[br]editors see him and they go "AGH!" 0:05:55.490,0:05:58.900 because he shows up, you cut on him all[br]the time, you can't cut on half a phrase 0:05:58.900,0:06:01.690 --Like it's hard to get a[br]two-shot right now right? 0:06:01.690,0:06:05.000 --Dammit I can't hold it! Dammit Jim,[br]the camera's too wide! Bones, go wide! 0:06:05.000,0:06:06.350 --I'll be back.[br]--We love you.