… for Random Weirdness

Tip #826: Capture Stunts Better with a Long Lens

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

The key to stunts is to imply danger while keeping everyone on set safe.

This article, written by Rubidium Wu, first appeared in PremiumBeat.com. This is an excerpt.

Shooting on long lenses is an easy way to capture normal actions and make them appear as dangerous stunts. It’s a good technique to learn and practice, because, ultimately, a director’s first duty is making sure everyone — stunt performers, actors, and camera crew — gets home safely at the end of the day.

However, the history of stunts in movies has been marred by injuries and deaths of stunt performers (and sometimes even camera crews). Lloyd himself suffered numerous injuries and burns throughout his career, even with the primitive camera tricks they used to distance him from danger.

As cameras and optics evolved, filmmakers found innovative ways to make stunts safer and sell better. The most used and useful of these is via a long lens, which continues to be a cheap and effective way for filmmakers — of all levels and budgets — to sell stunts right up to present day.

In the article linked above, Rubidium provides examples, tips and links on the best ways to shoot stunt work.