Creating a Sequence


A story is visually more compelling when it uses shots that are taken from different perspectives. These shots are then assembled, or edited, much the way they were shot - as a sequence.

Tip #1 - Shoot footage in the order you think you might edit

A sequence is a collection of shots of the same activity taken from different angles and then edited together in a logical order. If the action is repetitive, you can shoot from several angles of the same action and then edit them together to create the illusion of one continuous action, a type of edit called Matching Action. The edits are made seamless when the timing between cuts is such that they look seamless, which means that viewers are largely unaware of the edits.

At minimum, a sequence requires two shots of the same activity taken from different angles. Many sequences are composed using several shots. The shots can be ordered in any combination that makes sense as long as continuity is maintained.

When photographers enter the field they'll shoot the same activity from several angles. To avoid jump cuts, each angle should be set roughly 45 degrees from the previous. See Shooting a Sequence

 


Storyboard sequences before you shoot them

Complicated action sequences may require that you first storyboard the scene. The storyboard allows you to visualise key shots and can offer immediate clues to potential problems or production requirements, such as location, camera position, lens use, audio pickup, cutaways, set design and props, and how much post-production will be needed.  

Below is a storyboard example from the famous truck chase scene in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), courtesy Paramount Pictures. The storyboard is courtesy Chong Suk Lee from the web site: http://web.me.com/chong621/ChongToons/About_Me.html