Looking for Movie Scenes Shot in a Booth
March 28, 2012 6:41 AM Subscribe
Hi all! I'm in a film production class and I have to shoot an intimate scene set in a restaurant booth.
Frankly, I'm having problems figuring out how to stage everything, so I'd like to take a look at some similar movie scenes. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any. YouTube has been no help (maybe I'm not searching properly).
Can anyone suggest some specific movies with scenes set in a bar or restaurant booth? I'd prefer something film noir-ish but I'll take any suggestions.
Thanks!
Diner.
Goodfellas booth scene.
Reservoir Dogs - not a booth, but similar feel.
Pulp Fiction has several booth scenes.
posted by googly at 6:47 AM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
Goodfellas booth scene.
Reservoir Dogs - not a booth, but similar feel.
Pulp Fiction has several booth scenes.
posted by googly at 6:47 AM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure how to parse the word "intimate" in your first sentence. Assuming you don't mean, y'know, intimate intimate, I'd recommend the following:
Coffee and Cigarettes
The opening scene to Reservoir Dogs
Certain scenes in the middle of My Blueberry Nights, especially the one where the camera dollys away from Rachel Weisz and then back -- a perfect expression of Norah Jones' character's nervousness and uncertainty
In the Mood for Love
posted by gauche at 6:49 AM on March 28, 2012
Coffee and Cigarettes
The opening scene to Reservoir Dogs
Certain scenes in the middle of My Blueberry Nights, especially the one where the camera dollys away from Rachel Weisz and then back -- a perfect expression of Norah Jones' character's nervousness and uncertainty
In the Mood for Love
posted by gauche at 6:49 AM on March 28, 2012
Dumb and Dumber! (the opposite of film noir, I realize...) Also, Chasing Amy, and Pineapple Express.
posted by kpht at 6:54 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by kpht at 6:54 AM on March 28, 2012
I like the final scene of The Sopranos for the ambiance and dread.
posted by carmicha at 6:56 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by carmicha at 6:56 AM on March 28, 2012
At the risk of sounding ridiculous, what about Seinfeld? Nearly every episode included an intimate scene in a restaurant booth (intimate = crowded space, lots of tight and medium shots).
posted by Buffaload at 7:06 AM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Buffaload at 7:06 AM on March 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
posted by newmoistness at 7:13 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by newmoistness at 7:13 AM on March 28, 2012
I always thought this scene from Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery, was in a booth. Now I realize it's not. But it's engagingly filmed and certainly intimate.
posted by Erroneous at 7:13 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by Erroneous at 7:13 AM on March 28, 2012
Billy Wilder's The Apartment (1960) has some scenes in a restaurant booth, between a woman and a married man with whom she's been having an affair. One of the scenes shows up here, starting at about 20 seconds in. Not a noir, quite, but a noir-ish situation (a dying affair) and noir-ish shadowy black-and-white cinematography.
posted by theatro at 7:18 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by theatro at 7:18 AM on March 28, 2012
When Harry Met Sally, the "I'll have what she's having" scene.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:29 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:29 AM on March 28, 2012
Oh! And Sweet Smell of Success (1957). Gorgeous black-and-white, with a very dark/venomous sensibility. One scene in a booth appears here, starting at about 02:27.
posted by theatro at 7:50 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by theatro at 7:50 AM on March 28, 2012
In that same segment of Sweet Smell of Success, there's a second booth scene, right after the first one; Falco stays standing for the first part of it, but then he sits down in the booth at about 07:38.
posted by theatro at 8:00 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by theatro at 8:00 AM on March 28, 2012
As gauche mentions, In the Mood for Love has an amazing scene where the main characters, over dinner, discover their spouses are cheating on them with each other.
Frustratingly, this is the youtube clip with sound and no subtitles
And this is the clip with the subtitles and no sound
posted by sestaaak at 8:19 AM on March 28, 2012
Frustratingly, this is the youtube clip with sound and no subtitles
And this is the clip with the subtitles and no sound
posted by sestaaak at 8:19 AM on March 28, 2012
Eating and talking scenes are littered with continuity issues- watch out for the actors drinking and eating action. I like the eating scenes in Saturday Night Fever. Another place to look for inspiration, beyond diners, could be car interior shots.
Overall, I would look at how you want to set up the scene (wide or ?), deciding if you want "over the shoulder shots" or singles, if the characters will ever be in a "two shot", if you need the characters physical positions to change to reflect the scene (this could be accomplished through actors moving, camera movement, or in framing changes), and how the scene should end.
posted by jade east at 9:03 AM on March 28, 2012
Overall, I would look at how you want to set up the scene (wide or ?), deciding if you want "over the shoulder shots" or singles, if the characters will ever be in a "two shot", if you need the characters physical positions to change to reflect the scene (this could be accomplished through actors moving, camera movement, or in framing changes), and how the scene should end.
posted by jade east at 9:03 AM on March 28, 2012
Near the end of Rumble Fish, there is a great booth in a seedy bar scene with Dennis Hopper, Mickey Rourke, and Matt Dillon. Black and white, lots of smoke.
posted by perhapses at 9:07 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by perhapses at 9:07 AM on March 28, 2012
Zero Effect has a scene about 2/3rds of the way through. Steve Arlo (Ben Stiller) gets to the bottom of what character Gregory Stark (Ryon O'neal) is getting blackmailed for.
posted by Green With You at 9:15 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by Green With You at 9:15 AM on March 28, 2012
Small group (3-4): "Diner" is a great movie, available on Netflix streaming, and has multiple scenes set in a booth at a diner.
Here's a typical scene (gets really good from about 2:00 to 3:00, but the whole thing's worth watching).
Large(r) group: If I remember right, St. Elmo's Fire has a scene or two at a table in a bar. Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion has a scene or two set at a table in a diner with five or six people.
A couple: The Coen Bros.' The Hudsucker Proxy has a few scenes set at bars and might be getting more toward your target time period.
posted by brentajones at 9:34 AM on March 28, 2012
Here's a typical scene (gets really good from about 2:00 to 3:00, but the whole thing's worth watching).
Large(r) group: If I remember right, St. Elmo's Fire has a scene or two at a table in a bar. Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion has a scene or two set at a table in a diner with five or six people.
A couple: The Coen Bros.' The Hudsucker Proxy has a few scenes set at bars and might be getting more toward your target time period.
posted by brentajones at 9:34 AM on March 28, 2012
Community season 2, episode 19 "Critical Film Studies" has long scenes with Jeff and Abed in a restaurant booth.
posted by alchemist at 9:46 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by alchemist at 9:46 AM on March 28, 2012
Here's the Chasing Amy clip mentioned by kpht above. It's probably not the best example of how to shoot a scene in an interesting way, though.
posted by puritycontrol at 10:56 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by puritycontrol at 10:56 AM on March 28, 2012
There's a great scene from The Man Who Wasn't There in a restaurant booth. Coen Brothers, Roger Deakins ... hard to deny that they know what they're doing. Bonus points: modern film noir.
posted by komara at 11:32 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by komara at 11:32 AM on March 28, 2012
The beautifully-lit Chinese restaurant scene in Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King.
posted by Sallyfur at 2:49 PM on March 28, 2012
posted by Sallyfur at 2:49 PM on March 28, 2012
The well-known dinner scene in Alien. While it might not be a booth or bar, the dynamic between all of those sitting at the table (as well as the unexpected dinner guest) wouldn't have been as poignant without the excellent angles of the actors faces.
posted by DisreputableDog at 4:38 PM on March 28, 2012
posted by DisreputableDog at 4:38 PM on March 28, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Jairus at 6:46 AM on March 28, 2012