A fun aspect of classic film is creativity in simplicity.
For us on the "A Gift For All Ages" team, one of the coolest way to put this technique into affect was with the "master-shot." A master-shot is essentially a long take where much of the scene unfolds. Typically, in modern movies, directors will kinda-sorta use a master shot, but they often cut away from it many many times in editing, creating a montage of shots that fly-by the viewer rapidly.
In a classic films, however, that fast pace doesn't typically exist. Scenes breathe. "Golden Era" actors would get a chance to run through a majority of a scene uninterrupted, creating a rhythm to the narrative by themselves. What happened on stage was brought alive by the characters.
That was our strategy as well. Our cast set the pace.
We'd let multiple minutes unfold while the actors did their thing. It was wonderful! We'd accentuate emotional moments from the actors with subtle moves in camera, but otherwise we just let things roll.
A few close-ups and medium-shots are needed along the way to highlight certain plot details and exposition, as you can see here, but, much like a stage play, what you see is what you get!
Can you think of any famous long takes in classic movies?
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