This entry will be labeled how to shoot a phone scene. Shooting people talking on a phone is really quite absurd when you consider the point of medium. You're trying to take a picture of a conversation where the visual does not exist. It's not like two people talking in a Cafe on Damen Ave in Chicago. You can't show Kelly leaning in to whisper a secret to Keisha, and Keisha recoil her body when she's shocked at what she's heard.
On the phone, I usually find myself just pacing back and forth. Maybe you sit down and drink a bit. (And that's it, those are literally the only two choices.) It lacks intimacy, how can the viewer get a feel for the relationship?
Robin Wright demonstrates a solution for both issues:
One thing we see at the beginning of the scene is both characters sit down on opposite sides of the scene. So our brain connects the conversation as if they were sitting down at a table across from each other. Their eye-lines further confirm our brain's assertions as they appear to be looking at each other.
Another element is the background, the rooms are commodious for their purpose and have a similar feel. You have the doorway frames in both shots and lighting sources just beyond them. All this combines to make Frank and Claire's conversation feel more intimate to the viewer.
Just a quick note for today on a scene I found interesting. Back to movies tomorrow.