Only Kids: Choreography, Anticipation and Performance

Only Kids assisted in supporting my approach to cinematography specifically through the initial altercation between the two main characters Chrissy and Andi in the neighbour’s house. The scene begins with Andi discovering Chrissy sneaking around the neighbour’s house and playfully belittling her. Their exchange gradually escalates as Chrissy withdraws onto the couch when Andi follows, leading to a physical tussle that develops from playful sibling behaviour into a more aggressive confrontation. The argument is then abruptly interrupted by the neighbours returning home, forcing both characters to jump behind the couch to avoid being discovered.

Within this scene, I wanted the camera’s movement, proximity and framing to reflect the changing energy between the characters. Initially, the handheld camera remained relatively controlled, observing the sisters from a slight distance with slower and more deliberate movements. As the scene progressed and the argument became more heated, I began moving closer, increasing the abruptness of my responses. The performers gradually started filling more of the frame, shifting the visual emphasis from their relationship within the environment to the intensity of their performance.

We conducted several rehearsals, yet when we found ourselves on set much of our planning was placed second to experimentation. Our original intention was to capture this scene on a 25mm lens; however, we found that a longer focal length better communicated the intimacy and frenetic energy of the confrontation. We eventually committed to a 100mm lens, which significantly changed the relationship between the camera, performers and surrounding space. Its narrower field of view required greater precision in my framing, while the resulting compositions placed stronger emphasis on the dramatic intent of the scene.

This decision presented practical challenges. Having discovered the long-lensed approach late in the first shooting day, we returned to the sequence the following day to complete the coverage with the 100mm. Differences in the improvised dialogue between takes subsequently created continuity challenges during the postproduction phase. Though the editor Luke Daly helped reconcile these differences, this experience demonstrated how cinematographic experimentation could impact other aspects of production.

Operating handheld with the 100mm lens demanded considerable physical awareness. The performers’ movements shifted rapidly, requiring me to anticipate changes in direction while sustaining an appropriate composition. My familiarity with their blocking allowed me to recognise physical cues and prepare my own movements before their actions fully developed. Weight distribution, balance and spatial awareness became significantly important within the restricted location, where I also needed to maintain safe distances from the performers and surrounding objects.

Reflecting on this experience, Manning's (2009) concept of preacceleration, specifically the anticipation of movement resonates quite strongly with my creative practice and the approach on Only Kids. Instead of simply responding after the performer has moved, I found myself preparing my body to respond to potential movements I sensed developing. The robust rehearsals bolstered my embodied knowledge and allowed me to adjust instinctively, while allowing the performers the freedom to dial in their performance.

The resulting images are not always traditionally composed or polished. There were moments where the increasingly frantic camera movement sacrificed precise framing in order to maintain connection to the actors. This initially challenged my desire as a cinematographer to achieve carefully balanced compositions and controlled images. However, the imperfections became appropriate to the film’s naturalistic visual language. You could almost say it was imperfectly perfect.

Through this experience I was able to acknowledge that a decisions' effectiveness can't be measured by its ability to be technically perfect within a single frame. My embodied understanding enabled me to prioritize responsiveness to maintain focus on the action, but what may have resulted in an imperfect frame in isolation became meaningful in the context of the entire scene. This reinforced my approach by supporting that dance informed cinematography influences not only how the camera moves but also why and when it moves.