Alfred Hitchcock’s Four-step System to a Great Scene

[gokhanersan]

Tarantino was saying he wasn’t a fan of Hitchcock..perhaps because Hitchcock reminds him what it takes to rise above sophomoric film making. Subbed.

[AndreNitroX]

I know this isn’t original to say. But Hitchcock is the reason I fell in love with the process of movie making it makes the experience of watching a movie so much richer to hear of all the skills it takes to film a shot.

[truefilm]

Awesome video! Imagine how difficult it was to shoot some of the scenes with those ultra heavy and bulky Mitchell BNC rack over cameras. No reflex viewfinder during the shot and focus pulling was done blindly after rehearsing. Rack over had to be aligned frequently with special tools. Unthinkable nowadays. These were the finest craftsmen (-people). Hitchcock filmed "Rope" with a technicolor camera, the size of a truck....

[SuchetB]

Wow after this explanation it can be simpler to understand how Hitch was doing it so good! The PSYCHO stair scene is a classic and the shower scene, they are terrifying and have been inspirational in stuff like SALEM'S LOT and slasher movies. Amazing videos as usual from you Wolfcrow - Thank you.

[pentelegomenon]

Tracking shots work well for suspense because they're weird, especially when they appear to change the scene. A camera spinning around a subject is actually less eerie because the scene doesn't appear to change, meanwhile the way that Hitchcock shot the guy going up (and down) the stairs in Psycho drastically changes the scene, you see the floor fall away from the foreground into the background.

[claudiamanta]

Excellent material, thank you for sharing.
It makes sense to use static, claustrophobic shots when the scary stuff happens because it induces a state of freeze in audience. The viewers are held there, cannot move and cannot leave. The viewers are allowed to move and breathe after that through wide shots and camera panning.

[rnilu]

I lost interest in modern movies after watching movies by Alfred Hitchcock. Such a fantastic filmmaker.

[amritbasavaraj]

Good video. I'm a cinematographer. In all honesty, you were perhaps a little biased in this video. It's a no brainer that Alfred Hitchcock is an amazing storyteller in "building" suspense. Most of this aura around him came not entirely from his movies but the time he existed in. His treatment to a story was something that people at the time had never heard of, we can only truly understand if he was successful in his artistic pursuit if a person on his own feels what you've been explaining. No good story, no good shot, "needs" to be explained. The best example of his mastery, in my opinion is The Rope. That scene you explained from Birds, the shot taking was sub optimal. It failed to communicate the danger, the torment the character was feeling at the moment of the scene. In the Shadow of a Doubt, the last scene had so much more potential. Purely on the basis of shot taking, the slow tilt down was an absolute distraction. Each significant event in a scene has a peak heat moment, in these moments the camera has to be *motivated* by action and nothing else. It all goes back to what Einstein said, "You are a master of something only if you can explain it to an 8yr old". Have an amazing day! Keep up the good work!

[hillcountrycinematics]

I'll never view a Hitchcock classic the same again. Thanks for the insight.

[jaywilliams]

Wow! You've got me hooked. I'm an old Hitch fan from childhood and I've seen several documentaries on his work. This is one of the best.

[BhratyadhikaraPradhana]

Hitchcock is a brilliant and a true, genuine pioneer BUT if you said that he could "direct a movie while he was sleeping".. is a truly an overstatement

[LuizPaiva]

I love your videos man
Thanks for sharing such high quality content

[videobytesjacobbradley]

Great video my man. You might say that the secret 5th step is the personality and heart of the craftsmen and women who make a film possible.

[AlbertKarhuFilms]

Your videos have taught me so much, a BIG thank you, Sir!

[millthor]

Fantastic video as always! I feel that nearly all camera movement shots in Hitchcock’s masterpieces are reveal shots. He mastered with great technique how to make the perfect reveal and did it over again!

[nandinhars]

lucky that I found this on youtube! thank you so much

[jamesdrynan]

Another video shows how Hitchcock built the suspense in the schoolyard scene. It's chilling when Raymond Burr sees her flashing the ring and looks directly into the camera. Frenzy was an absolute masterpiece. I enjoyed the humor when the inspector was discussing the case with his wife. Her exotic dishes were hilarious!

[medardbitangimana]

I'm proud of the fact that I've watched all the movies used in this analysis. And I consider Vertigo to be the greatest movie ever by anybody

[undisclosedsender]

I'm a Hitchcock scholar. But I haven't had time to watch one in years. Your vid analysis makes me want to watch 5 or 6. The shots are constructive, yes ...but I never noticed how gorgeous.

[hetmanjz]

0:32
"Dolly: camera moves towards or away from the subject.
Tracking: camera moves to the right or left of the subject."
Really? I think many cameramen would disagree with the basis of the distinction being which axis of movement the camera follows.