h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The "trombone" shot - A3841472
Author: Smooshie - U1376747

OK, so this is my second attempt at writing something for h2g2... not even had the first one published yet!

If anyone wants to take a toothpick to this one and scrape out the forgotten slivers of meat and missed chucks of carrot feel free. It'd be handy if people with no experience of filmmaking could also tell me if what I've written makes sense... especially the bit about the basis for the name of the "trombone" shot.

Ta very much.

Mike aka smooshie

Fascinating entry, and very well explained too

FYI, the ascending (or descending) note produced by moving a trombone slide in or out is called a glissando.

Title - The 'Trombone' Shot (inverted commas, not quotation marks)

'Master of Suspense' doesn't need to be capitalised.

'Vertigo' - Vertigo and ‘Jaws’ - Jaws (no inverted commas). The names of films should be in italics throughout the entry.

'Spielberg shot’ - Spielberg shot (no inverted commas)
Anything that is already put into italics generally doesn't need either inverted commas or quotation marks.

"it was stolen by Steven Spielberg"
'stolen' is a very strong word... and since it's an effect which can be used by everyone with a camera and the right know-how... in other words, just about anyone in the film industry, it's not really anyone's to steal.

"so much so it became known as the 'Spielberg shot’"
'so much so' suggests that Spielberg used it over and over again, which isn't the case. As far as I'm aware, it became known as the Spielberg shot because Jaws was so successful, because it was executed so well, and because its timing in the film was so well thought out. Also, as far as I'm aware, it was not Spielberg himself who coined the term. Someone, somewhere must have thought of it, and it simply caught on, in the same way that someone called the World Trade Centre 'ground zero', and suddenly everyone's calling it that.

"Individually a zoom and track are difficult enough manoeuvres themselves."
That should be either:
'Individually, zoom and track are difficult enough manoeuvres themselves'
Or:
'Individually a zoom and track manoeuvre is difficult enough itself'

"a special lens 'zooms' in to the subject"
"Comparatively, a tracking shot is where a subject"
Let's use either inverted commas or italics for emphasis, and stick with that choice throughout the entry.

"a tracking shot is where a subject is moved closer to through the use of a track and dolly"
That suggests that it's the subject being moved, not the camera. And there's an extra 'to' in there.

"in some cases collapsible"
That's not really necessary, since 'portable' suggests that it might be collapsable anyway. But if you want to keep that in there... collapsible - collapsable.

"with a seat and mechanism"
'and with a seat and mechanism'

"added difficulty of keeping focus..."
A simple full stop instead of the ellipsis is all that's needed there.

"and it’s background"
'its'

"the looping brass extension"
'the slide'

"this trombone shot"
'the trombone shot' or 'this shot'

Top stuff - went thru the list and made the necessary alterations.

Big thanks - I'm seemingly crap with the fine detail, so your subbing is much appreciated! And I've got to get on top of the its and it's thing...

Ta 4 now.

Mike aka smooshie

*bustles in with big glasses and kind teacher smile like in school*

When something BELONGS to 'it' there is NO apostrophe.

'The mac had its pocket torn off.'

When you are SHORTENING 'it is' there IS an apostrophe.

'I hope it's big and black.'

This can be confusing because posessive usually uses an apostrophe, but not when you're using 'it'. No I can't say why though I'm afraid, it's just one of those things.


Will read this entry later, that lesson was really me bookmarking

Kat

Read it. Liked it. Can't come up with a thing I think should be changed.

NBY

In film studies and media studies classes it call a contrazoom rather then a trombone. Because of this I'd suggest changing the entries name.

People will look for a contrazoom if you get what im on about.

If anyone uses the h2g2 search facility (I hesitate to call it an 'engine'), this entry will appear in the results because it contains the word contrazoom. If contrazoom is the accepted industry term for it, the title could be changed to 'The Contrazoom or 'Trombone' Shot'.

What Brantisvogan said. I think that "trombone shot" should stay in the title, whatever else may be added. It gets a person more curious and interested in reading the entry.

NBY

Hmmm I grudginly agree.

Although perhaps something more specific
e.g

'Film techniques: Contrazooms or 'The Trombone shot''

I say that because theres plenty of techniques out there in film land that would make enteries such as chromakey, panning, tracking, crane shots, cable shot (mmmmm cable shots.. AD like cable shots)

The Wikipedia entry calls it simply 'The Dolly Zoom'. The Editors might want to tack '... - a camera techniques' on the end, the way that they do with bands and television series, but I think that would make the title just too unwieldy.

Thanks for that - interesting; I work in the business and most DP's and Directors I know call it a "Trombone" shot. However, I have listed the alternative names it is known by, and as there isn't a definitive title for the technique, it's ended up with loads of names, some used by others and some not.

I appreciate your advice, but I feel its current title is best, as I've listed the alternative names within the entry.

Ta!

Mike aka smooshie

You sub might change it though so bear that in mind. My guide entery took months to get into the guide and went through several name changes

Ahh well, can't win everything. If a sub changes it, they change it. Still, at least I'll have submitted it in the form I'd best like it in...

A big, fat, TROMBONE!

Mike aka smooshie

As opposed to the Pot Noodle horn?
Good Entry, leave it as is
HF

Cheers there Hoopy Frood - notice U R a scout; does this mean you'll pick up the article?

lovely stuff!

Mike aka smooshie

Keeping me eye on it...
HF

Mike,
I love this Entry as I love Hitchcock, the stair fall in Psycho still grabs me.

Here's a few more ideas to hopefullt help push it into the EG...

Watch your spelling in places, think there's a couple of focusses out...

Some Editors think it's good form to italicise any name of a piece of work, like Vertigo, or Toy Story (there's an EG Entry on Pixar worth taking a look at).

Link to other EG Entries always go down a treat and I think you'll find there are OODLEs that you could link to. Here's a few for starters...use the Search facility to find some more

How to Make an Amateur Film A626131
Skateboards A158681
and Trombones A530650 just to clear up any confusion...

Outside links aren't favourable although ones to BBC sites are good form

Only ideas, but might make the whole process a bit quicker.
HF

Outside links are okay as long as they're likely to stick around a while, in other words websites belonging to some sort of an organisation rather than personal websites