2024 - How Are Cameras Not Seen in Mirror Scenes in Movies?

With the film “The Arrival of a Train to La Ciotat Station”, which met with the audience in Paris in 1895, a new field emerged for artists to express their ideas visually: Cinema. The cinema industry, which grew and became industrialized later on, led to watching movies, which is one of the first activities people use to spend time today.

In addition to the cinema industry, the productions on television, which people can access more easily on a daily basis, have also increased. Meanwhile, the quality of movies and television productions is with the development of technology reached different size. With technologies such as 3D display technology, green screen technology and IMAX, the filmmaking process has improved considerably. The directors created new techniques in film and TV series shooting.

In serial film productions, ‘how did the director shoot this?’ We can encounter the scenes we call. The best example of this is mirror scenes it could be. The mirror technique can often be used to add depth to the scene or to create confusing scenes. Especially for scenes shot right in front of the mirror how they can hide the camera There are techniques developed.

How to shoot scenes using mirrors?

Mirrors can cause many image problems in the filmmaking process. TV series production crews, in any scene behind the scenes team it has to avoid being seen, and this can make the shooting stages tedious. The use of mirrors, despite this troublesome scenes, complex lighting and deep compositions It can be very useful for creating.

Mirrors add life to the film as they are also elements that reflect light. Most of the time, it’s because it makes the audience feel like they’re really in the movie. realistic images can help create There are also various types of scenes that can be shot with a mirror in today’s movies before moving on to the techniques of mirror shooting.

reflection shot
point of view shot
double reflection shot
Horizon mirror shot
multi shot
Framed shot
self face shot

reflection shot

In this type of shot, the camera films a reflection in the mirror. Depth can be added to the scene with the reflection shooting method, so in tight spaces It is a sensible shooting method. It can also be used as an effective storytelling tool. The audience watching a scene shot with this technique, as if watching the person on the stage. as if looking behind can get an impression.

point of view shot

In the perspective shot, the movie scene is taken from the point of view of a character looking in the mirror. The camera is usually in such a way that the actor is behind it. directly in front of the mirror is placed. In this shooting technique, the audience actually watches the reflection of the actor.

double reflection shot

In a scene using double reflection shooting, the camera mirror on both sides placed in an area.

Horizon mirror shot

In the horizon mirror shot, it can be felt as if the camera is pushing the mirror in to give the impression of diving in the opposite direction. Then you move to the other side of the image as if the mirror were just a wall.

multi shot

In a scene with multiple shots, a technique developed by using different shots of the same character in front of their reflections is used.

Framed shot

In the framed shooting technique, mirrors, as photo frame used. You can see scenes through reflection. It can be an ideal way to create quality scene compositions and use single-frame reaction shots.

self face shot

In the self-confrontation shooting technique, two characters in the scene are looking at each other. standing face to face is ideal. This technique emerges when the characters in the scene are talking to each other, looking at the reflections in the mirror behind them.

What are the steps to shoot a mirror scene?

Shooting without showing the camera is not as simple as it seems. Especially by the camera when there is a shot with motion or when the characters move on stage, things can get even more difficult. Today, due to the great development of technology, with high-tech filmmaking equipment and visual effects systems becoming more accessible, TV series filmmakers can become more eager to shoot mirror scenes. On the other hand, there are some steps to be followed by the directors who want the series or movie they shoot to contain more remarkable scenes.

Firstly to the shooting angle decision must be made. It is preferable to shoot directly in front of the mirror or from the side. Of course, holding the camera at an angle where it can’t be seen from the reflection makes the job a lot easier.
to camera movements You must decide. If the camera is moving, you must ensure that the player is centered in the image and is visible. Afterwards, the angle at which the camera shooting will end should be decided.
After deciding on the angle and movement, a little more aesthetic issues gain importance. When shooting scenes from the mirror, make sure that the image of the actor is clear in the mirror and, if necessary, lighting should be used.
Like the cameraman, the lighting crew, the boom mic behind-the-scenes crew and equipment, Make sure it doesn’t appear on stage.

What are the techniques that make the camera invisible in mirror scenes?

The techniques used in shooting a mirror scene will vary according to the producer’s and director’s wishes regarding the scene. In mirror scenes, there are some techniques that are often used by directors to make the camera invisible.

One of the easiest and most common of these techniques is to use the camera. hide from reflection it could be. However, directors who want to shoot a realistic scene may not want to use this technique much.
By shifting the camera from its original position, the camera is held outside the frame of the part where the reflection is. For this technique offset is named.
When an actor has his back to the audience or there is more than one actor in a scene camouflage technique available. In this technique, the camera is placed behind the player, but the camera cannot move.
The camera can be hidden by rotoscopy, which is one of the most basic concepts of the visual effects concept. rotoscoping techniqueespecially animations, is a technique that combines scene images taken frame by frame to create movement.

Well, is it possible to shoot a mirror scene without using a mirror?

In some scenes, the director mirror illusion Sometimes it can pretend to have a mirror to create it. There are two commonly used methods to create the illusion of mirrors, which are highly used, especially in horror and thriller movies.

In the first method two-sided installation can be provided. In other words, an impression can be created as if it is reflected from a mirror by setting up another scene in the same way opposite a scene. Of course, this method is not preferred because it is a bit more challenging.

The other method is to create an unreal but real-looking mirror by taking full advantage of visual effects. VFX called and green screen In this technique, the shots are made into a single image thanks to post-production, and a mirror that does not actually exist is revealed.