Batman: The Dark Knight Rises

Batman process from Julian Popely

Anna Karenina

Anna karenina from Julian Popely

How to shoot a conversation

Shooting a conversation is very similar to shooting someone walking, it's all about diversity. You want to have a wide range of shots and angles to stop the viewer from getting bored.
My example of a conversation will be from Star wars a new hope where Han and Greedo have a conversation in a bar.

When watching the scene i saw 5 different camera angles, none of them lasting very long. There were two over the shoulder shots from Greedo's side looking at Han, then two mid shots, one of each character, and finally an extreme close up of Han and his gun under the table.

This range of shots is to keep the viewer entertained as conversations, like walking scenes, aren't very interesting to watch. These are the master shot, the master shot is the most important shot as it shows both characters, and the surrounding area.. Character 1 and 2 master shots mainly focus on one character each, they are mid shots but can also be close ups and are used to show a reaction or the person talking. And the pick up shots are used like fillers or to show extreme detail in something that is happening. Most conversations are only filmed with one camera, this means that the conversation has be done over and over again.

This is where continuity editing comes in. It is important for things not to get too out of place when filming a scene more than once and from different angles, for example the characters must be wearing the same clothes.
The 180 degree rule also applies to conversations, it may be broken, but as a rule of thumb you shouldn't cross the line. This stops the viewer from getting confused.
To conclude, getting lots of different angles and shot types is crucial, it keeps the audience entertained as you keep having to adjust your vision and take in the new surroundings.  It is very similar and follows some o the same basic rules as how to shoot someone waking.