Who remembers the instructive and entertaining video essays from Every Frame a Painting? After seven years of radio silence, a new one has finally appeared - the subject is the “two-shot”, i.e. a shot in which two actors act together. More specifically, it's about the “sustained two-shot”, i.e. a particularly long shot.
This was popular in classic Hollywood, but has gone somewhat out of fashion for several reasons - expensive film material no longer needs to be saved on set, and the “two-shot” places great demands on the actors, as mistakes cannot be hidden in cuts afterwards. It is often easier to cover scenes repeatedly with several cameras and then edit the best takes together afterwards, which is more in line with modern viewing habits.
But it is precisely because the two-shot is demanding in terms of acting - and also dramaturgically - that something magical can develop. And when time is running out on set, a two-shot can sometimes be the saving grace, as emphasized here in the video essay.
Incidentally, this also brings up another plus point of the “Every Frame a Painting” clips: they always offer a very practical look at film history. Well worth watching.
