Monday 18 March 2019

composition - How can I get people to take an expression which fits the scene?


I have heard that there are specific indirect questions that can be used to get people to be more natural in front of a camera. Many people, who have many expressions to offer, when put in front of a camera seems to produce one or two standard "camera expressions" which they are accustomed to.


Are there any guidelines for helping models get into the feeling of the scene?


Direct transmission seems to bring anxiety. I find that the classic "hold that position" or "don't move a muscle" to be the most counterproductive statements invented. What should I say or do instead?



Answer




One trick I picked up from Zack Arias is to get the person to "move in" to the expression; you time your snap right to get the expression at the right moment.


For instance, he'll have the model close her eyes, and then have her open them. Between the time she's in the resting state of eyes-closed and the posed-looking state when she's conscious of the camera, there's a brief moment of natural expression. Get good enough with your own timing and you can capture that.


It's the motion that's the key. "Freeze" leads to conscious stiffness and anxiety, as you mention. Our brains are not used to holding body parts in still position; we're always moving.


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