Preliminary Exercise - 'Sonny Jim'

My Opening Sequence - 'Remembrance'

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Shot Sequence Analysis

SHOT 1

MCU, high-angled, almost birds-eye shot. The low key lighting casts small shadows over the character, yet his appearance is clearly visible. The character shown is pointing a gun slightly towards the left of the camera, which suggests that there is another character involved in this scene (out of shot). From this shot we can tell that the man is lying on the floor, and the planks in the background imply that this scene takes outdoors. The man is grasping the left side of his head, possibly in pain (his expression seems to show this), yet is still yielding a gun in his other hand; showing that he is defiant to give up even though he is trapped. We are not able to make out whether he is a villain or not from this shot. He is dressed in black, which corresponds to the crime/thriller genre of the movie.


SHOT 2

LS, high angle - camera has zoomed out from the first shot to introduce a second character. His back is facing the camera so his identity is kept a secret from the audience. The man is standing over the character on the floor, with a gun pointed at him (appearing ominous and villainous to the audience - adds to the sense of tension and suspense). The blood splatter is emphasised by the lighting, which shows us that the man standing is ruthless, as he has shot the other character, who is clearly struggling. The man with the gun is wearing a long coat which ties in with the dark, setting and theme of the scene.


SHOT 3

VLS, side angle view gives us a different point of view of the action and shows us two new characters (a little girl tied to a post and a tall man wearing a black coat standing in the background). This angle gives the audience a better understanding of the setting, we can see the distant lights of the city in the background (which suggests this is taking place in a remote part of town, adding to the secrecy and tension). The lighting highlights the dock to show the audience where the main action is taking place.


SHOT 4

LS, zoomed in from the last shot to focus in on the action. The figure holding the gun has raised it, to show that he is intent on shooting to kill this time. This builds suspense and anticipation, as we wait to see what happens next. At this point, we still do not know who the villain is and who the saviour of the little girl is but we assume that the man standing has come to rescue her. The man on the floor looks to almost be begging for mercy as the lighting is almost like a spotlight on the scene.



SHOT 5

MCU, low key lighting casts shadows on the girl's face. The camera cuts to the girl to show her emotion. We can tell that something has just happened but we are unaware of what it is exactly. The fear and sorrow felt by the girl is clearly shown to the audience, thus helping us empathise with her. This is the first frame which shows real expression of emotion, which contrasts the grim atmosphere behind the other scenes.


SHOT 6

The last shot is a LS, slightly low angled, as if we are looking in on the action from the pier (maybe we aren't supposed to be seeing this, so it appears that we are looking in as a secret). The body on the floor is now motionless, which suggests he has been killed. The man standing over him appears to have been shot also, so we assume that it is the man furthest in the background who has shot him. We have not seen either character's features so their appearance still remains a mystery. This adds to the enigmatic atmosphere as we are left wondering what will happen next.



All in all, this sequence is very effective in creating a tense atmosphere. The way the characters are portrayed makes it very hard for the audience to distinguish between the hero and the villain. We cannot make clear sense of what is going on in the scene, which adds to the enigmatic and suspenseful mood. The lighting plays an integral part of the sequence, making sure the key actions are highlighted; so the audience know where to look and are kept on edge. The clever use of angles and camera shots keep the audience glued to the action, creating a gripping feeling of anticipation throughout.

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