Does CLOSE ON need a location?

[alex whitmer]

In my current project, I have a woman flipping through a book as she narrates historical events, which are acted out. My question is this;

Do I need to re-tell the location everytime I do the...

...CLOSE ON a woman's hand turning the page.

The woman is a mystery, and so I do not want to disclose her identity or location...just oddball CLOSE ON's from time to time to keep the mystery alive, and keep the POV clear.

Thoughts?

A

[-XL-]

Re: Does CLOSE ON need a location?

Not entirely sure what you're asking but I'd probably do it something like:

FADE IN ON:

An old hag's hands. They leaf through the pages of an old leather book.

EXT. MEDIAEVAL BATTLEFIELD - DAY

A flock of arrows sail through the clear blue sky...

CUT TO:

THE OLD HAG'S HANDS --

etc etc...

[alex whitmer]

Re: Does CLOSE ON need a location?

Sorta not quite.

John and Sally sit on their horses and drink in the smoggy horizon.

JOHN
This is unsettling.

CLOSE ON an old woman's hands turning a page, fixing the dog-eared corners.

SALLY
Should'a saved the green stamps.

They ride off into the sunset.

A

[-XL-]

Re: Does CLOSE ON need a location?

That makes for a slightly confusing read. If you really don't want to establish a location for the old woman then perhaps add a CUT TO: before the CU of her hands and then rewrite the slug when you return to scene. i.e.

EXT. DESERT PLATEAU - DAY

....

John and Sally sit on their horses and drink in the smoggy horizon.

JOHN
This is unsettling.

                                                                       CUT TO:

AN OLD WOMAN'S HANDS turning the page of a book, fixing the dog-eared corners.

EXT. DESERT PLATEAU - DAY

SALLY
Should'a saved the green stamps.

....

*shrug* perhaps someone else can come up with a better way to write it. Remember, clarity is key.

[alex whitmer]

Re: Does CLOSE ON need a location?

I thought CU was a no-no.

[Biohazard]

Re: Does CLOSE ON need a location?

Don't direct the movie, write it.

Find a way of describing the shot in the action without using any mention of the camera.

Some lady's hand flipping book pages...how can that information be displayed any other way than with a close shot? From far away? Of course not.

[alex whitmer]

Re: Does CLOSE ON need a location?

Don't direct the movie, write it.

Find a way of describing the shot in the action without using any mention of the camera.

Some lady's hand flipping book pages...how can that information be displayed any other way than with a close shot? From far away? Of course not.

But.....does it need a slug to describe where the hand is..... a room, a park....all we see is the hand.

Other shots do have a specifice backrounf neccessary for the shot. Most don't.

A

[-XL-]

Re: Does CLOSE ON need a location?

I thought CU was a no-no.

Hence why I shied away from any mention of camera angles in my example and simply implied them by my choice of description.

CUT TO:

AN OLD WOMAN'S HANDS turning the page of a book, fixing the dog-eared corners.

Like Bio said, it can't be seen as anything other than a CU despite the fact you haven't specifically said it is a CU.

Make sense?

As for whether a location is necessary... I would say no, as per my earlier example. I would, however, cap the first image - whether it be the hands or the book - and keep it consistant so that the reader recognises it throughout.

[alex whitmer]

Re: Does CLOSE ON need a location?

Thanx. Appreciate the feedback.....I need to back and make sure the consistency thing is happening.

A