Chapter 2: Where Do You Put the Camera? Summary and Analysis

Mamet is discussing camera placement with his class. He involves the students in the discussion, asking for their ideas and input. As a scenario for a movie, Mamet offers a simple premise of a bunch of students entering a classroom. One student suggests that the scene be shot from above. Mamet responds that that type of shot is more like TV where the camera swoops down and shows the name of a building. The TV show is establishing a place or character while a film is telling a story. Another student suggests that the position of the camera shot depends on the scene. Mamet concurs: a director is only concerned with what the scene is about not creating a clever camera angle that only serves to distract from the...