The Power of Great Close-ups

Hey guys and gals,
I'm new to the group and wanted to introduce myself. I am a director and cinematographer with over 15 years of experience and I'd love to share stories and get into some really great conversations here! I figured that I could start with my take on Insert shots.

Let's talk about David Fincher. He is an all around master filmmaker. Every frame, every camera movement means something. One skill he excels at -- above all other directors -- is how he shoots an insert. An insert is simply a close up. We use them in film to reveal information. A man sits down to write. What is he writing? Shoot an insert of the paper so we can see the text. A woman loads a gun before battle. How many bullets does she have left? Show an insert of that last bullet.
On set, inserts are usually shot last often after you get the dialog coverage for a scene. Dialog always takes more time than anticipated so the insert shots are crammed in at the end. I find myself struggling to just get them shot sometimes. A Fincher insert is a work of art. Not only do they give us information about what the character is doing, but they add texture to the scene -- the world he creates. His lighting is always flawless (and believe me that takes a lot of time) and his lens choices are just astounding. Then he adds camera movement and sometimes complicated blocking even if its just a shot of a microscope looking at clues! Each technique takes us deeper and pulls us further into his moment. I love it when an artist takes such a basic storytelling need and turns it into an art. Watch this great collection of a masters inserts.

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