Firstly, you may well want to re-familiarise yourself with the key terms, composition and rules associated with filming dialogue. A good place to start is THE MEDIA COLLEGE website, which provides a fairly comprehensive glossary of key shots.

Secondly, watch this famous piece of Tarantino dialogue from Pulp Fiction. Notice the references to popular culture, the cutting pattern and WHEN he decides to CUT. What does he convey through his choice of CUTS?



Chapter 13 (The RULES) & Chapter 14 (BREAKING THE RULES) from The Cutting Edge DVD are also invaluable in sowing how cutting patterns associated with dialogue have changed over time.


YOUR TASK:

In groups of 3 or 4 (Editor/Sound Designer, Script-Writer/Director, Cinematographer) film 1 minute of dialogue which contains at least one of each shot below:

* Establishing Shot/Master Shot
* Two Shot
* Shot/Reverse Shot
* POV shots
* Over the Shoulder Shots
* Cut-In
* Cut-Away