You Are What You Watch or: My Filmic and [Televisionic?] Watching Choices Are Subtly Influencing My Shot Structure.

One of my favorite shows on television is Boston Legal. This is partially because I believe the writing to be amongst the best on television today, but also partially because I love the shot structure and complexity of the production.

Watch the video below and note the shot structure, the frequent movement, and generally well-manufactured production of the show.



In addition, I have also been watching the "Ocean's" film series a lot, mostly because I think Steven Soderbergh is a creative genius. The storytelling style of his camerawork, plus the general look and feel of his films, inspire me to do better.

I didn't think it was making too much of a difference until today in Broadcast Copywriting, I had to write a 30-second situational commercial. I thought through my commercial and wrote it out like normal. Just as I was finishing, I noticed that I had a nineteen-second-long walk-and-talk shot which follows the actors out of one room, down a hallway, into another room and across that room to the next piece of action.

Upon this realization, I realized that you are, indeed, what you watch, at least insofar as film style and shot structure are concerned.