The View: A “Back-to-the-Camera Shot” Montage from Plot Point Productions on Vimeo.

Anyone ever tell you that sometimes the best answer is the simplest one? That’s what this video reminds me of. There has to be more than 80 shots from more than 80 great movies all illustrating one simple point – sometimes it’s okay to turn your back to the camera.

Whether with subtle camera movement, background movement or no movement at all, this simple shot can convey so many emotions. I felt wonder, anticipation, anxiety, power, weakness, happiness, glory and fear. Four minutes of multiple shots taken from only a single angle walked me through all of that.

I had this in mind as the Toronto Marlies goaltender looked out over the darkened ice surface in Unfinished Business. The game was about to start and the team was filing onto the ice for the anthems. The goaltender stayed at the bench observing what was going on. Anticipation. That’s what I was going for. I had seen this video only a few days before I began shooting the half hour documentary and both the simplicity and the power of this single angle stood out.

-C-