Think short super-hero stories, but filmed from the point of view of the camera in the Hero's belly. Each film would be one or two quick riffs on the superhero genre, filmed from this weird (almost dutch) angle. You'd save on special effects by never having to show the hero himself, and being able to simulate powers just at the edges of the camera's vision. People hundreds of miles apart could make chapters, since we'd never see the hero's face. But you would have to be careful when filming around reflective surfaces.I have a lot of ideas about this. Gimmicks that could be done. I'll type some up in the comments so that those who'd rather be entertained can skip them till they see a film. Those who want to do the entertaining can read the comments and add their own Camera Man ideas.
But I've got no camera - so I'm putting this out there. Anyone can film a chapter in the adventures of Camera Man. If you do, please mention Rolfe Bergstrom and repeated expletives in your credits.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.(We'll also need a catchy Camera Man theme tune that could be posted here for future film-makers to use in their Camera Man episodes. Anyone reading got musical talents? I know "What Silence" does. A superhero theme might be outside your established genres, but what is art without challenges?)
12 comments:
So, here's some ideas to get the ball rolling...
He has a secret identity, so sometimes he's in civilian clothes with the camera just barely poking out through his open shirt.
Other times, he's in costume, with cape fluttering in at the edges of the screen and blocking view.
And the actual DP / camera man (Director of Photography, to avoid Jake's inevitable double penetration jokes) doesn't have to wear a cape. Someone just holds a red square of cloth to the side of the camera and flaps it or runs a fan. Have fun with it.
One of the films should be a phone-booth transformation. It'd be awesome trying to simulate a full costume change inside a phone booth, but from the POV of the bellybutton of the hero.
Perhaps he could fight by wrestling. You'd charge the villain, and then rub the camera against the villain's belly.
Then he leverages the villain up, which is the actor playing the villain just climbing over the camera. The villain-actor dangles their arm into the camera view, perhaps even shouting "put me down!"
He throws him - just a quick blur as a pillow the color of the villain's costume flashes across the camera.
Then cut to the subdued villain laying on the ground.
Cheesy and simple, but stupidly unique.
He could fly. You run with the camera, bouncing higher with each step.
Then cut to the camera being held up, facing down, and raised to the top of a building by a rope.
Evil super-villains could be just as ridiculous. A few ideas...
Lampshade-Head, the drunken villain.
Obviously-a-Mannequin-Man, the evil villain / super-genious who never moves on camera (unless hauled around by his henchmen).
Blackhole Belly. Who sucks Cameraman towards him. It'd look just like the wrestling clip mentioned previously, except context would tell us it was an evil power instead.
Lots of overacting from the other characters who show up.
Snidely Whiplash -style villain monolog. "Curses! It's Camera Man! You'll never catch me!"
Cheesy 50s-era swooning damsels. Perhaps he picks up a damsel to carry her to safety, and the camera gets mushed into her ass or thigh. Like 30 seconds of camera completely obscured while the storyline continues.
In fact, we could have a lot of fun if Camera Man were completely oblivious to the camera in his belly. Nearly every shot could be intentionally blocked, as he approaches and stands beside waist-high walls, short shrubs, etc, that obscure the camera constantly.
That way we can use dialog to mention the super-powers and special effects happening just behind the obnoxious object that's blocking our view.
We need a good origin myth. Was he raised by wild cameras?
Bitten by a radioactive camera?
Does his whole family have machinery protruding from their bellies?
Was he trying to save a TV journalist from a supervillain, when suddenly the villain grabbed the camera and smashed in to superman's gut?
Did he just watch too much TV?
Hell, we could make a half dozen films, each with a different origin myth.
This is open-source, so feel free to use any of those ideas, and/or to post your own brainstorms here as comments.
Black screen. Shot fades in on a poorly lit close up of a bucket of popcorn. There's a movie playing, but we can't see it because the bucket in his lap is dominating everything. But it's barely audible.
"Is this seat taken?" Someone wants to scoot past. Camera Man stands up, and the guy who scoots by is clearly a super villain. Or at least a guy in tights and a mask. CM sits back down.
Movie playing in the background for another 10 seconds or so.
Supervillain leans over, but only gets into the edge of the frame. "Do I know you?" the villain asks.
"No-" in a booming heroic voice.
(Random people in seats around them "shush")
Cough. Clears throat. "no." much softer. "no. I get that all the time... ...I'm Clark Kent." Fade to black. Roll credits.
Post a Comment