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How To Use the Invisible Split Screen Effect To Add Drama To Your Films

Jul 30, 2015 by Allen Mowery 1 Comment

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invisible-split-screen-fincher

Timing is a huge component of successful filmmaking.  So is framing.  And director David Fincher has a good handle on both.

There are a variety of reasons to use invisible split-screen composites in filmmaking, from honing the timing of shots to multiplying your actors on small-budget projects.  When properly applied, this technique can be used as a tool to craft a dynamically powerful scene and is a trick that Fincher admits to implementing countless times throughout each of his films.

In this tutorial, Ben Gill gives us a breakdown of the technique, how masters like Fincher apply it, and how you can create it yourself.

In theory, this technique is sort of a glorified version of dramatic sync tempo, except that, instead of cutting away from the scene, you are cutting the scene itself and manipulating time within it.  You essentially become a time-bending wizard…thing…person…

This can be great for even low-budget films, as Ben shows in the tutorial.  Mastering timing is [almost] everything in storytelling, and when you might be having to cut corners on budget elsewhere, making certain that your film has a high impact value can greatly offset that fact in the minds of viewers.

Want some more budget filmmaking tips?  Check out some tricks for shooting a film with a two-man team.

And, now…

To see an example of the sometimes-not-so-invisible split screen effect applied horribly wrong, feast your eyes on this:

https://youtu.be/2nm2JiQxHWk

[via Reddit]

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Filed Under: Tutorials Tagged With: David Fincher, filmmaking, how to, video editing, video effects

Allen Mowery: from diyphotography.net

About Allen Mowery

Allen Mowery is a commercial and editorial photographer, pseudo-philosopher, and wannabe documentarian killing time amidst the rolling hills of Central Pennsylvania. When not shooting client work or chasing overgrown wildlife from his yard, he loves to capture the stories of the people and culture around him.

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