What do Doechii, Wes Anderson, and the Barbie Movie have in common? They all utilize the “Tableau” technique in their visuals. The word “tableau” refers to a picturesque grouping of persons or objects, creating a striking scene or a representation of a picture, statue, or scene by one or more persons suitably costumed and posed. It’s usually easy to recognize when the scene has a very striking composition and one distinct motion.
Every year in collaboration with House of Chow we create the #UnapologeticallyAsian Campaign for social media to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. This year we had the opportunity to work with a group of dancers to utilize the “Tableau” technique.
Here are three key components of creating a shot like this:
1. Directing movement: We instructed one dancer to remain still while everyone else moved in place, creating a striking contrast by isolating the stationary dancer.
2. Camera Movement: We shot in slow motion and used “Push In” camera movement to make it a clean and non-distracting motion.
3. Composition: We arranged the dancers according to colors, hairstyles, and body type to create a balanced and well-proportioned composition.
Using “Tableau” technique felt like a perfect introduction of the dancers in the final edit of the video. Take a look and feel free to reach out if you want to create your next motion project with us.
