Beginning, Middle, and End

Any good well thought out shot that is advancing the story should have a beginning, middle, and end. Sometimes these are clear. The dolly starts to move as the individual enters the frame, it continues to move as the individual stops, and it ends as the second person enters the room and walks past the camera. Sometimes, they are not so clear and you need to manufacture them.

When I suggest manufacturing them, I am not saying pick some arbitrary moment and say it’s the middle or end, but rather that there is probably something wrong with your shot – at best it can be improved on and at worst it’s, gulp, movement for movement's sake (remember, sliders don't have to slide), or at the very least, IT CAN BE BETTER! 

If the shot you are setting up does not have a clear beginning, middle and end, use this as an opportunity to consider why it doesn’t and ask yourself, is there a moment that exists that you can make something out of to give you that middle or end? It's a time to consider why you are moving. If a shot doesn’t have a ‘why’, it may not be the right shot. Every single shot should say something, in the way it moves, and many times, in the way it doesn’t move. Remember, everything we do as camera operators should serve the story, and if you can’t break down your shot into these three elements (ok, sometimes there are several ‘middles’), it doesn’t mean you should kick it to the trash heap, but rather that you should spend a minute exploring, and ask yourself ‘Is there something more we can do to tell a better story’? 

I’ll say it again; every shot should tell the story. Checking for these elements in each setup will challenge you to make sure that your shot is telling a story and, if not, will challenge you to make it better. Are there times where this doesn’t apply? Sure, but view it as a means to checking yourself rather than a rule that rigidly needs to be followed. Remember, there are no rules beyond telling the story well.