Implementing the OTS Shot

As I worked through the pre-production process for our film, one of the key things I focused on was how the shots we chose could best convey our story and the emotions we wanted to create. In my pre-production blog titled "Pre-Production: OTS Shot", I discussed the Over-the-Shoulder (OTS) shot and how it could be used to connect or disconnect characters, adding suspense and tension. Now that we've began production, I want to reflect on how this research shaped our decisions and what adjustments we made along the way. 

The Over-the-Shoulder Shot: Connecting Characters

One of the key takeaways from my research into OTS shots was the idea that they can be used to create a connection between characters during a conversation. The video I referenced by StudioBinder emphasized that the OTS shot, especially in medium close-ups, can help create intimacy and build relationships through storytelling. This idea was useful for dialogue scenes where we wanted the audience to feel a bond between characters. 

However, when we applied this to our film, we faced a challenge: we needed to maintain suspense and keep the stalker's identity hidden. If we had used a traditional OTS shot with both characters clearly shown, it would have given away the identity of the stalker. Instead, we changed the OTS shot to fit our narrative. In the scene where Eva first meets the stalker on the top of the parking garage, we used the OTS shot, but only showing Eva. So, instead of showing the stalker's face, we focused on Eva's

expressions while showing a little of the stalker's shoulder. This choice was purposeful: it allowed us to keep the audience with Eva's point of view, focusing on her reactions without revealing too much about the stalker. By doing this, we created more suspense and kept the audience in question about who the stalker really was. 

The Over-the-Shoulder Shot: Disconnecting Characters

Another thing from my research was how the OTS shot can also be used to disconnect characters emotionally, rather than just connect them. StudioBinder's video explained that visual absence, whether through camera movement or framing, could create a sense of emotional isolation. In the example shown, the camera dollies in to isolate one character emotionally by shifting from an OTS shot to a close-up, which helps to intensify the emotional disconnection between them. We envisioned using this technique to build tension between Eva and the stalker, with a slow camera dolly into a close-up of her face. This would have signified her emotional isolation as she realized something was wrong and started to sense the stalker's intentions. 

How this changed in the rough cut:

In the rough cut of our film, this idea played out differently. Since Eva didn't immediately feel the threat from the stalker in their first encounter, we didn't feel the need to isolate her emotionally in that moment. Instead, we kept the focus on her face in the OTS shot, without dollying into a close-up, because Eva hadn't yet identified him as a threat. There was no emotional disconnect, so we decided to keep the shot more neutral.

OTS Shot in Action

Here's a still frame from the scene where Eva first meets the stalker on top of the parking garage. In this shot, we see Eva's face with the shoulder of the stalker subtly placed in the frame. This draws the audience into Eva's perspective, allowing them to focus on her reactions without giving away too much about the stalker's identity. This shot creates the tension we aimed for—Eva is unaware of the danger she is in, but the audience can already sense that something isn't right. The OTS shot works here to hint at the stalkers presence while maintaining the mystery and suspense that will happen as the story progresses.