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I think it’s a terrific thing anytime someone comes out with a video essay critiquing how action is observed on film. Tony Zhou and Chris Stuckmann did it awesomely in 2014 and portals over at Film Riot and John Nguyen’s Indie Action Tutorials are all exemplary in this matter among others as they each showcase their take on how action and fight choreography should be approached.
More notably, in nearly each case, the conclusion deals greatly in the consensus stemming from the proverbial elephant in the room: Shaky Cam. It sticks out like a sore thumb for many a film fan and critic, while it is inherently worth mentioning why the method of vigorously maneuvering the camera during a key stunt or fight scene has become so consistent in major motion pictures, and YouTube user Rossatron is here to delve quite a bit on that matter with his new video essay, Let’s Talk About Shaky Cam.
By about the six minute mark, he leaves off with some terrific points and facts about how action is shot for major blockbuster movies, dealing with issues that mainly have to do with conserving money and expenses. By this, he also paints a stark picture that shows how action films are treated between large and small scale movies in an analysis that also sheds light on the importance of supporting smaller productions with artists who are apt on how to achieve quality action.
Personally, I have always felt there was a specfic formula that big movies abide by in shooting action and to be frank, it’s also embodied why I enjoy reviewing smaller films a bit more compared to major films as you’re basically weighing in on the studio’s decisions and not so much as the immediate filmmakers. At any rate, this really is a must-see and is worth every second if you care about making coherent action design relevant again in action cinema. Watch and comment below with your thoughts on it!
