The movies In Bruges and The Station Agent share a technique utilized by many other films known as a medium close-up. The textbook, Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film, defines a medium close-up as a shot that, “shows a character from approximately the middle of the chest to the top of the head.” This type of shot can often give the audience more information about a character than a traditional close-up shot. The observer is able to see the actor’s posture along with his or her facial expressions. The shot gives the viewer more context within the scene, and it can deepen his or her relationship with the character. Although a cinematographer can use a medium close-up shot for any number of reasons, I believe the two scenes from The Station Agent and In Bruges use this shot to develop their characters. In Bruges employs a medium close-up while the two main characters are being introduced. As they float down a canal in Bruges, the camera executes a shot and a reverse shot between Ken and Ray. This scene is one of the very first interactions the audience sees, and it occurs within the first five minutes of the movie. The exposition period is critical because it …show more content…
This type of shot can be used for a multitude of reasons including introducing characters or dismissing them from the movie. By giving the audience a look into the sentiments of a character, he or she can connect to the character on a deeper level. The scenes lend themselves to showing the audience character development. Without the introductory scene in In Bruges, it may have taken the audience longer to understand the main characters’ personalities and motivations. Without the scene in The Station Agent, the viewer would not get the chance to appreciate how much Fin has grown as a character and as a human being. The shots add to the overall impact of both
This scene is attempting to insinuate to the audience his failure of being a detective. This presents discontinuity due to the fact that the the film is changing space rapidly with no indication of time. This has graphic discontinuity edit because the scene is trying to create dissimilar environments but present the same visual principle. Rhythmic relation in this also contributes to the discontinuity by montage. As each scene is changing within the scene, the musical background has sudden interruption to follow with the intensity. Therefore, as there is no logic connecting the shots, this is to underline and present bewilderment to the audience due to the rapid change in
One way the filmmakers did this is with the on location shots of rubble in many scenes. The characters in these shots are carefully placed to make the rubble stand out behind them. Lighting is carefully placed to illuminate the rubble and make it stand out. However, the carefully planned cinematography also plays into the overall meaning of the film and not just how it looks. The lighting, for example, influences our feelings for certain characters. Susan Wallner is always filmed in light. This is a drastic difference from how we see Hans Mertens. Hans is usually filmed with low light and is very dim. This helps show that Susan is optimistic, while Hans is pessimistic. Another way lighting is used in this film is to create shadows. Shadows are very prevalent in the last sequence of the film. Hans has confronted Bruckner and as the camera cuts back and forth to each of them we see Hans shadow keeps growing bigger and bigger behind Bruckner. We can interpret that as the shadowing is growing bigger so his Bruckner’s fear, because the dialogue coming from Bruckner is getting faster and we can also hear the fear. There are many times in the film where close ups are used to make the storyline more dramatic. One scene that comes to mind that makes use of quick cuts and close ups is in the end of the film: Susan ran in, stopping Hans from killing Bruckner. At this point we
Niccol uses long-over-the-shoulder camera shots of Vincent looking up into the sky at rockets leaving for Titan when he is working at Gattaca to showcase his ambition as he is metaphorically ‘reaching for the stars’. This humanizes Vincent making his character more relatable to the audience and allows them to feel empathetic towards him as having ambition is a human ideal. Subsequently, Niccol utilizes close-up facial shots and unfixed camera movements while Vincent is swimming against Anton for the time. The close-up shots of Vincent’s face highlight his struggle as the audience can see the pain and tiredness on his face, causing them to empathize with him. Continuing with this the camera is unfixed, therefore it is positioned to be follow the chaos of the waves and ocean. This positions the audience to experience the same chaos and struggle, Vincent must power through, making them feel as if they will also drown if they do not swim, furthermore making the audience empathize with his character. The non-diegetic sounds of orchestral music using crescendo and layering the texture, builds the tension further and emphasizes Vincent’s struggle and his determination to overcome the obstacles he must face. This causes the audience to experience tension and empathize with his plight.
There are multiple shots that are frequently framed by different openings such as doorframes, windows, alleyways and hallways. These openings almost create short films within a film, by framing the different apartments as the audience peeks in on the lives of the tenants. Not only does Hitchcock’s cinematography sets the audience up as characters within the film, but also establishes Jefferies as an audience member in his own life, a passive individual as he is confined to his chair, looking on at his neighbors. Even when he believes he has witnessed a murder, he is unable to do anything about it, leaving the audience restless and quite desperate to see some action. Hitchcock’s choice to only show the audience the inside of Jefferies’ apartment, the windows that show the lives of the neighbors across the street, the courtyard of the building opposite Jefferies’ apartment and the small alleyway creates a sense of confinement and a feeling of entrapment that Jefferies’ feels as he spends the entire film in a wheelchair. Since Jefferies is trapped in this small space, the audience, who have become involved in the act of voyeurism along with Jefferies, also feel the claustrophobia. Due to the fact that Jefferies is limited to his wheelchair, the audience doesn’t really get all-encompassing shots that show the whole setting. The field
The first element is Camera distance; it is used in every scene and in every shot. It refers to how far away the camera is to the characters in the scene. Camera distance was developed in order to provide more to the mise-en-scene of a certain scene. “Mise-en-scene encompasses of variety of categories related to the staging of an action”(Belton 47). Camera distance is one of these important factors in making the scene and giving a sense of what you are supposed to be experiencing during the film. Without using camera distance to its fullest the scene or shot may not come across to the viewer as what the director or writer intended. An example of camera distance being used to its potential is in the opening sequence at ricks café. The first shot that we see at ricks is of ricks sign on the ca...
...sed as the medium close-ups in this show, but are used when someone is entering a scene or used to see a scene from a different view. These types of shots are best suited for this type of television show as it is a drama, there are lots of conversations between two people where wide angled shots would not be needed. The camera angle most of the time in this shot are at eye level, I think they use this to help us feel like we are involved with the scenes, to get us to be more apart of it.
One scene in the film using a mid-shot was when the detectives were walking through Gattaca. The mid shot has been used to show that policemen are a little more unique and different then people that work in Gattaca. The theme that it presents is that the detectives don’t fit into the world of Gattaca.
All that the viewer needs to know in these early stages of the film is
Ray takes advantage of the use of cinematic staging to enhance the emotions of both the characters and viewer. During Jim’s argument with his parents about going to the police, the use of back shots and full frontal shots mirror his inner conflict. While Jim and Judy speak privately in the mansion, their faces crowd the frame in a close up shot reflecting the vulnerability and intimacy of the
The opening scene sets the narrative structure of colorized film noir, in which two men by the water welcome Dick back home, then gossip and reminisce over his trial, ultimately leading into the flashback of the film. The flashback element, one of five features of a film noir depicted by Kaplan in her book “Women in Film Noir,” transports the audience into somewhat of a love story, as we meet Ellen and Dick on the train. This scene especially uses different cinematic techniques to show how Ellen has strong...
Clarice was shot from high as well as low angles looking up on certain men. This is an easy, although effective way of portraying her as small and weak. The film is filled with creepy music and sound effects. Lecter is also always close and in the center of the frame, to make it feel like he is invading your personal space, another effective technique when filming successful thrillers.
Just like a building, a film needs a strong foundation in order to be successful, a foundation which is made up of the starting moments of the film. In Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock successfully uses the opening credit sequence to establish a foundation on which to build an interesting plot, including techniques to elicit involvement by the spectator, and the suggestion of a "Psycho" theme.
In Browne’s essay, he describes what he calls the “position of the spectator”, and suggests that cinematic techniques can constitute a connection between a given character(s) and the spectator. Browne values less of what David Bordwell believes to be important in narration, the syuzhet (Bordwell 1986). Browne believes the connection between the spectator and the character(s) solidifies less through narrative techniques, the syuzhet, than through cinematic means, for instance, cinematography. The composition of a shot can allow the audience to see over the shoulder of a given character, thus positioning the spectator in the character’s approximate point of view. Likewise, action or dialogue from another character can be shown from the approximate field of vision of the character that is linked with the spectator. (Browne 1986).
and the audience experience. Often during the scene the camera pans horizontally to focus on the courtyard where the main character resides. While little details are given, such as that it is summer from the man and woman sleeping on the balcony and the number of people who have their windows open, there is also a very important detail that can almost be missed if not looking carefully. The panning shows an alleyway that gives us a small peak out onto a street busy with passers-by and cars. The distance of the shot makes the street appear far away and the pan shot is filmed from a high angle since L.B.’s window is providing the view out onto the courtyard and Hitchcock seems to want to make the viewers feel as if they are looking out the window. The street is also framed in a way where it’s evident that it is an important detail but it’s not the main focus of the shot since it fills such a small part of the screen. In some films there are scenarios where someone is desperately trying to reach a destination, and as the character looks out into the far distance, they see a small glimpse of where they hope to reach. Usually the audience sympathizes with the character when the film shows how far from their destination they are. This is similar to the feeling the panning of the courtyard evokes. The pan shots provide the audience with a glimpse of the street and
The use of regular and extreme close ups was important, because it made the viewer focus on the reaction shot of the subject and their emotions. There was also the camera technique of point-of-view and breaking the forth wall. The scene Ralph enters Hero’s World for the first time is a great example of the combination of the two. The film uses the point-of-view technique to provide the accuracy of the first person shooting game. It also breaks the forth wall, as the gamer playing Hero’s War looks directly into the camera. There was also a great use of both medium and long shots as well. The use of medium shots was included to provide every subject and give them importance. In the scene were Ralph is introduced telling his story at the Bad-Anon, the use of a medium shot was important because it included very subject in the scene. Long shots were also an important use of camera technique. Even though it was created through computer-animation, the long shot use was great because it could focus on the subject in front of the shot, then slowly pan out and focus on the long shot of the subjects in the pack. One great example of this was when Ralph was at the top of a tree and learning he was in the Sugar Rush setting. The film uses the technique of an extreme close up of Ralph’s face and reaction shot of losing his medal, then pans out to show the long shot to introduce the setting of Sugar Rush by focusing