Sunday 4 May 2014

Behind the Scenes: Ten Second Acting

In Shadow Laughter we have something of our own lexicon.  Somewhere near the beginning of it all, the phrase, 'ten second acting' emerged, to describe our action in front of the camera.  As regular viewers will be aware, there are many shots involving both Hamish and myself.  Usually, there is no-one else to press the shutter and so the timer is set.  Having pressed the button, one of us then races into position, and we act motionless until the shutter has gone off, after about ten seconds.


In this early episode, (above) shot in the office / dining room, we needed several takes to get the lighting just right.  As well as getting into position in time, it's important to be in character, too, so stance and expression are key factors in the ten second acting routine, as they are in regular acting.  Everything is compressed into a small time frame.


Later in 2012, came this dark moment,(above,) where two accomplices are disposing of a body.  The camera was positioned higher up, on a ladder, and so the challenge was to press the shutter, quickly get down from the ladder without injury, and get into position.  

Our idea to use masks for the 2013 Halloween shoot, (below) presented different challenges; mostly that it was hard to see out of the masks!  The other challenge was to press the shutter, get into position, then make sure the mask is also correctly positioned.  It was tricky for this particular image, as we look to be enjoying a casual cup of tea.  In reality, it was all touch and go.


Stay tuned, and join the adventure! 


Shadow Laughter schedule: 
Tuesday - trailer
Thursday, Saturday, Monday - Episode posts
Sunday - Blog






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