blocking in general

Directing the Short Film: Blocking Your Shots

    When you write a screenplay, you have shots in your head. Fade in: you have a visual that you can see, and that you want get to the page. But later these written images need to be translated to the screen. In other words, they need to be translated into certain kinds of shots: wide shots, medium shots, long shots, tracking shots, dolly shots, and so on

let the needs of your story determine which shots you will or will not use.
   Don't choose shots in order to prove how slick or innovative you are. At the risk of alienating some of our friends who are Directors of Photography, we need to say here: Impressive camera work is nice, but if your shots don't arise from the story and its needs, the audience knows it, and turns away. The best camera work is the work that the audience doesn't notice. In other words, camera work should always serve story.

do you need an establishing shot? Go wide. Do you need to establish a relationship between two people? Use a two-shot. Do you need for a character's feelings to fill the screen? Call for a close up. Do you want to establish a moment's lyrical quality? Use a dolly and don't cut away. Do you want to establish a moment's hectic quality? Use lots of short shots, from different angles, and a lot of cutaways. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine what shots will best serve a moment in your story.

 In other words, while instinct and common sense serve you well, you don't want to sequence your shots in ways that are boring or predictable. Think about television soap operas and their overuse of close-ups and over-the-shoulder shots. You don't want your film to look like that! Within the limits of common sense there's still a lot of room to be creative. Use your creativity - but again, use it to serve (not dominate) the story.