[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.20,0:00:10.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hi my name is Tony and this is a\Nquick Every Frame a Painting.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.36,0:00:14.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Maybe you get this. Sometimes I’m\Nwatching a scene and I just get so bored
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.48,0:00:18.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Instead of being staged uniquely, the\Nscene is just this: standard coverage.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.50,0:00:21.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Nobody moves, everybody gets a close-up,\Nand we’re stuck here
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.11,0:00:23.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for five minutes cutting back and forth.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.50,0:00:27.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,{\i1}--It’s like a lot of films one\Nsees today. They’re what I call{\i0}
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.00,0:00:29.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,{\i1}photographs of people talking.{\i0}
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.09,0:00:33.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,{\i1}And bears no relation to\Nthe art of the cinema.{\i0}
Dialogue: 0,0:00:33.12,0:00:37.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So here's one alternative from\NAkira Kurosawa: instead of going
Dialogue: 0,0:00:37.22,0:00:40.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to standard coverage, stage the\Nscene in simple geometric shapes.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.76,0:00:49.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This scene comes from The Bad Sleep Well\Nand it focuses on two things
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.30,0:00:53.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,squares and triangles.\NHere, Nishi hands the case to Shirai
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.08,0:00:55.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and as he sits down again,\Nwe get a very simple triangle:
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.67,0:00:58.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,two sets of eyes and the\Nbag with the stolen money.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.80,0:01:03.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Notice that Kurosawa doesn’t\Ncut between reactions.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.30,0:01:06.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Instead our eyes naturally look at\None person’s face, then the other.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.82,0:01:09.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As Shirai grows afraid, the triangle\Nstretches out.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.25,0:01:12.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even though we’re not thinking about it,\Nnotice that the door is
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.17,0:01:14.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,always in frame in the background,\Nto prepare us for when...
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.87,0:01:21.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As Moriyama approaches, the camera\Nreframes to trap Shirai inside a square.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.30,0:01:25.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And as the shorter man backs up...
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.82,0:01:29.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we get this great composition:\Nthree men, three sets of eyes.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.11,0:01:34.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even though the verbal drama happens\Nbetween the two standing men,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.02,0:01:37.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,its Nishi’s face closest to center frame\Nbecause we need to see his reaction
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.73,0:01:39.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and make sure his cover isn’t blown.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:42.13,0:01:45.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Kurosawa breaks the triangle with a hand\Nand then a reveal.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.03,0:01:51.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Notice how just by moving his eyes,\Nwe pay attention to Nishi.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.56,0:01:54.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the triangle has subtly changed.\NThe two men on the left
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.22,0:01:55.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have been brought closer together,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.98,0:01:58.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while the man on the right breaks\Naway to focus on the money.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.00,0:02:05.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We get one last attempt at forgiveness\Nbut it doesn’t work.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.61,0:02:08.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Shirai hesitates for half a second\Nand the scene ends
Dialogue: 0,0:02:08.73,0:02:12.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,much as it began, with one person alone\Nplanning his next move.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.00,0:02:14.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even though he never says a word,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.93,0:02:18.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Toshiro Mifune owns this scene with\Njust his posture and his eyes.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.55,0:02:21.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And Kurosawa, by staging it\Nin triangles and squares,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.56,0:02:24.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,gives our eyes multiple points\Nto focus on, and a complete story
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.50,0:02:26.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in two and a half minutes.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.98,0:02:29.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There’s even a geometric beauty about it
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.39,0:02:35.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,1 person, then 2, then 3, 2, 1.\NIts a masterpiece of visual storytelling
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.04,0:02:38.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you liked this exercise, try\Nstudying any other Kurosawa.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.55,0:02:42.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For each film, he found bold,\Nsimple, visual ways to tell the story.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.32,0:02:45.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Seven Samurai has circles\Nand groups of seven.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.28,0:02:48.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Yojimbo has horizontal rows\Nand diagonal lines.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.23,0:02:51.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the Hidden Fortress has\Ntriangles and more triangles.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.71,0:02:54.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the next time you have\Nmultiple characters in a scene,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:54.74,0:02:57.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,don't just shoot generic close-ups.\NBe creative
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.81,0:03:00.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and see what kind of\Nshapes you can make.