Camera Obscura: Endless Transition Possibilities with Augusto Fraga

Born in the Azores archipelago, Augusto studied communications in Portugal. After nurturing a passion for composing and crafting still images, it was only a matter of time before he fell in love with the narrative possibilities of filmmaking. To broaden his cinematic studies, he moved to Barcelona and then New York City. 

Widely recognised and acclaimed for his unique approach to each script, Augusto’s love of storytelling, actors and sports stars is evident in all his work. Having won more than 20 advertising awards for his sports and action spots, Augusto has been featured in shots, and was named Best Director in the El Ojo Film Festival in 2016. 

Beyond advertising, Augusto had his original script, Turn of the Tide, which he wrote during covid-19 lockdown, awarded funding from the Netflix/ICA Institute of Cinema and Audio visual, only one out of ten to receive funding from the program out of thousands of scripts. The Portugal Netflix Original series premiered this May and holds the distinction of being the first available beyond the country’s borders. It has been in the Netflix Top 10 in 33 countries and was renewed for Season two.  

Transitions and dynamic camera moves are part of his usual skills and being also a camera operator, he is constantly looking for unseen angles and special camera languages. Working with brands like Apple, adidas, PlayStation, Porsche, Mercedes and Nike has allowed him to feature many international sport stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller, Rafael Nadal and Kylian Mbappe, among others.  

In addition to his skill behind the camera, Augusto is known for approaching his subjects with genuine curiosity and empathy. Augusto’s intuitive directorial approach not only makes him a pleasure to work with (ask anyone!), it reminds us that a performance doesn’t require hours of screen time to make an impact. Sometimes, all it takes is 30 seconds! 

LBB> What is your niche craft obsession?

Augusto> My name is Augusto Fraga and transitions between scenes have been my obsession. Especially the ones that look found, not produced. However, I don’t love all transitions, only the invisible and imperative ones. The ones that most of us don’t really see but we feel something happen. Like a magic trick, transitions are not about how, they are about when. 

LBB> Where/ when/ how did you first come across this thing? 

Augusto> Creating a flow between shots has always been interesting for me. I started creating a flow using camera movement that is consistent between shots. Camera is moving left in one shot and moving left in the next one. And in the next one. And the next one. Very basic planning that just makes the flow nicer, even if the shots have very different scales, light or texture. When I discovered that, my (director’s) life changed. I found a tool that allows me to connect any shot, anywhere. And that was amazing. 

LBB> Was it an obsession straight away or something that has evolved over the years?

Augusto> After playing a lot with pure camera transitions, I started adding match cuts to that. Transitions with match cuts on action cuts. Camera moving to a perfect match of shape, size, contrast … anything coming from the previous scene that connects to the next, matched by the action, subject or theme. And match cuts can be literal or metaphoric, carrying interesting subtext for the viewer to discover. That was the second biggest discovery of my career as a director - visual metaphors. I could show what a character is feeling by showing a metaphor of that feeling. 

LBB> What are the most interesting debates or conversations you are having around this obsession?

Augusto> The most important conversation I have with my editor Marcos Castiel is, “Is this transition necessary?” Meaning, is it organically part of the story, or am I just showing off? The best transitions, I have learned with time, are the invisible ones, where the camera is not motivated by the trick, but motivated by the emotions of the character.  

LBB> How widespread do you think this obsession is with your peers?

Augusto> It’s funny, because I only realise my work has some impact when, by accident, I see something done exactly the same way I did it before. Inspiration is a form of homage. 

LBB> Can you share any examples of work where that obsession really came to the fore and elevated the final production? Can you tell us about it and share links if possible?

Augusto> I believe the project I did for Asics, shot in Tokyo with Little Minx, was the most interesting combination of transition techniques. Thanks also to Marcos Castiel and the amazing team from The Mill. Check it out here. 

LBB> For anyone just getting into your field, what advice would you share to help them get their head around this particular thing?

Augusto> Everyday I see new ways of connecting shots, many are mechanical, but some are truly pieces of art. It’s an amazing world, with endless possibilities to be discovered.

Check out more of Augusto's work here.