Shooting Movies for Laptops

Evolution of story telling. Netflix and all streaming platforms should consider giving directors guidelines for shooting for laptops and other digital devices. The final destination of movies - where we will watch them - determines how they are shot.

1. Making films for the cinema screen.

2. Making movies for television.

3. Making movies for digital devices like laptops.

The cinema screen is wide. That’s why we enjoyed long scenes of snow on Austrian mountains as we munched popcorn. Bollywood dances and martial arts films such as Hero, directed by Zhang Yimou are also spectacular on cinema screens. More recently, Black Panther and Wakanda Forever directed by Ryan Coogler are a cinematic delight.

We don’t have time for that now because we are spoilt. We really don’t have the time for the aesthetic. A whole buffet of movies is waiting for us online. That’s why directors must shoot tight to lock in our attention.

Example. A driver should get into the car and the director should cut to when it arrives at grandma’s house. We don’t have the time to watch the driver inserting the car key, putting on seat belts, checking rear view mirror, reversing three times, watching car wheels, leaving the gate and travelling for two minutes on the road. You’ve lost us. We click out.

Opening and End Credits

At the beginning and after the movie, we see names of actors and actresses and behind the camera people like writers, producers and directors.  I’m in the business so I know credits mean a lot to their careers. They are probably the only people who remain behind to see those credits rolling. All cinema-goers are long gone.

If I’m watching a movie on my laptop or iPad, do I have time to watch credits? Probably not, because of the buffet. My hand is itching to click on the next movie. The point is, movies are now on a different platform, and should be shot to suit that platform.  

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.