Camera Work

Notorious - Key exchange scene
If a movie is done right, you never notice how much trouble making this shot would have caused the camera men. I never used to notice things like this, I was wrapped up in the story and how the shot got made wasn't any of my concern. I wanted to know what she was going to do with the key now that she had it. I mean, that's why I watch movies, I want to become immersed in the story, I don't want to worry about all the technical details. I suppose that might sound strange, being as I seem to spend most of my time agonizing over technical details.

The Criterion Collection has an expose on the camera work involved in making this shot. They don't explain the crane work, but we would need a crane man to explain that, and this little bit is probably all most people can absorb in one sitting. I know my brain is full. Or maybe it's just that my belly is full of pizza.

Via Posthip Scott.