1
00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,360
Hi my name is Tony and this is a
quick Every Frame a Painting.
2
00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,480
Maybe you get this. Sometimes I’m
watching a scene and I just get so bored
3
00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,500
Instead of being staged uniquely, the
scene is just this: standard coverage.
4
00:00:18,500 --> 00:00:21,110
Nobody moves, everybody gets a close-up,
and we’re stuck here
5
00:00:21,110 --> 00:00:23,000
for five minutes cutting back and forth.
6
00:00:23,500 --> 00:00:27,000
--It’s like a lot of films one
sees today. They’re what I call
7
00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,500
photographs of people talking.
8
00:00:30,090 --> 00:00:33,120
And bears no relation to
the art of the cinema.
9
00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:37,220
So here's one alternative from
Akira Kurosawa: instead of going
10
00:00:37,220 --> 00:00:40,809
to standard coverage, stage the
scene in simple geometric shapes.
11
00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,300
This scene comes from The Bad Sleep Well
and it focuses on two things
12
00:00:49,300 --> 00:00:53,079
squares and triangles.
Here, Nishi hands the case to Shirai
13
00:00:53,079 --> 00:00:55,670
and as he sits down again,
we get a very simple triangle:
14
00:00:55,670 --> 00:00:58,000
two sets of eyes and the
bag with the stolen money.
15
00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:03,300
Notice that Kurosawa doesn’t
cut between reactions.
16
00:01:03,300 --> 00:01:06,820
Instead our eyes naturally look at
one person’s face, then the other.
17
00:01:06,820 --> 00:01:09,250
As Shirai grows afraid, the triangle
stretches out.
18
00:01:09,250 --> 00:01:12,170
Even though we’re not thinking about it,
notice that the door is
19
00:01:12,170 --> 00:01:14,869
always in frame in the background,
to prepare us for when...
20
00:01:17,869 --> 00:01:21,300
As Moriyama approaches, the camera
reframes to trap Shirai inside a square.
21
00:01:24,300 --> 00:01:25,820
And as the shorter man backs up...
22
00:01:25,820 --> 00:01:29,110
we get this great composition:
three men, three sets of eyes.
23
00:01:31,110 --> 00:01:34,020
Even though the verbal drama happens
between the two standing men,
24
00:01:34,020 --> 00:01:37,729
its Nishi’s face closest to center frame
because we need to see his reaction
25
00:01:37,729 --> 00:01:39,130
and make sure his cover isn’t blown.
26
00:01:42,130 --> 00:01:45,030
Kurosawa breaks the triangle with a hand
and then a reveal.
27
00:01:48,030 --> 00:01:51,560
Notice how just by moving his eyes,
we pay attention to Nishi.
28
00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,219
And the triangle has subtly changed.
The two men on the left
29
00:01:54,219 --> 00:01:55,979
have been brought closer together,
30
00:01:55,979 --> 00:01:58,000
while the man on the right breaks
away to focus on the money.
31
00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,610
We get one last attempt at forgiveness
but it doesn’t work.
32
00:02:05,610 --> 00:02:08,729
Shirai hesitates for half a second
and the scene ends
33
00:02:08,729 --> 00:02:12,000
much as it began, with one person alone
planning his next move.
34
00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:14,930
Even though he never says a word,
35
00:02:14,930 --> 00:02:18,549
Toshiro Mifune owns this scene with
just his posture and his eyes.
36
00:02:18,549 --> 00:02:21,560
And Kurosawa, by staging it
in triangles and squares,
37
00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,500
gives our eyes multiple points
to focus on, and a complete story
38
00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:26,000
in two and a half minutes.
39
00:02:26,980 --> 00:02:29,390
There’s even a geometric beauty about it
40
00:02:29,390 --> 00:02:35,040
1 person, then 2, then 3, 2, 1.
Its a masterpiece of visual storytelling
41
00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,549
If you liked this exercise, try
studying any other Kurosawa.
42
00:02:38,549 --> 00:02:42,320
For each film, he found bold,
simple, visual ways to tell the story.
43
00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:45,000
Seven Samurai has circles
and groups of seven.
44
00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,230
Yojimbo has horizontal rows
and diagonal lines.
45
00:02:49,230 --> 00:02:51,709
And the Hidden Fortress has
triangles and more triangles.
46
00:02:51,709 --> 00:02:54,739
So the next time you have
multiple characters in a scene,
47
00:02:54,739 --> 00:02:57,810
don't just shoot generic close-ups.
Be creative
48
00:02:57,810 --> 00:03:00,000
and see what kind of
shapes you can make.