Camera Shots

Today we looked at how different camera shots were used to create many different types of effects. We had a range of sources that used camera shots well and one that used them poorly.

This is a scene where the director had a good awareness of what camera shots to use. He starts with an establishing shot at the start of the scene, which shows no people other than the main character, showing that he has no help. Then the main character is introduced with a low angle shot showing he is powerful. He is still silhouetted giving the character a sense of mystery and shows he has a dark personality. At 1:10 a wide angle shot is used to show he is outnumbered, and remind the viewer that there is nobody to help. When the fight breaks out at 2:50 it is unusual because it is all taken in one shot with little movement other than a slow track towards the main character. This is to make it look smooth and show the fight is won with ruthless efficiency. The slow track is effective because it makes the fight look like a cinematic displaying his dramatised fighting style.

This scene uses many crab style tracking shots to show movement of the scout leader as he moves through the camp. It gives the scene a relaxed feel until he notices that a boy is missing. The camera shot from inside the tent at 2:30 is an eye level shot which shows the surprise of the entire scout group. The entire scene is in crabbing shots with scene progression to the right. It shows efficiency and gives the scene tempo.

This scene shows that the main character is very tense as from 1:09 there are many low angle shots where the camera is almost on the same level as the water with children flailing and water splashing on the camera showing they are drawing attention. It gives the viewer the sense that they are in the water also. At 1:32 there is a camera shot from under the water. Although a worm's eye shot usually portrays power, because they are flailing in the water it makes the children seem vulnerable. At 2:00 is one of the best uses of a zoom shot. It is zooming out and tracking in at the same time which disorients the viewer and shows that the man is shocked and panicked. It is not a natural movement so it is unsettling. The fluctuation in the shot, along with the classic soundtrack creates a very tense atmosphere for the movie.

This is a bad example of using camera shots. There is a zoom at the beggining which is very unnatural and makes the viewer instantly lose immersion as it is not believable. The camera tends to be a wide angle shot so there is no intensity to the fight. From 0:42 to 0:58 there are only static camera shots which slow down the scene because the viewer can see everything that is happening very clearly which makes it easier to understand, but loses the representation of the wildness of the fight scene.

In contrast, this scene from Jason Bourne shows good use of camera shots to add dramatic effect and brings the fight scene to life. At 0:12 the camera pans left violently when the gun fire starts to show the characters trying to dodge the gunfire. When they grapple to the floor, the camera angle changes every few seconds so the audience cannot gain a strong hold on what is happening and keeps them excited. At 0:35 the 180 degree rule is used to show Bourne watching his assailant approach him and shows the menace of the attacker as he approaches. There is a lot of camera movement throughout which tends to track the main characters and it moves more when the characters make sudden movements - this gives them more impact. At 1:59 when the fight is over there is a clear difference in the camera shots with less fluctuation and movement from the camera. This calms the scene down and shows that Bourne is thinking about his next move. It allows the reader to deconstruct what happened after the fight scene.

This scene's purpose is to build tension and show the characters emotions through dialogue, but also emphasised and clarified with camera shots. The scene opens with a long panning shot that is used to establish the location. The camera focuses on the son's toys and the son to show what he is focusing on, and then pans to Lois Lane with her new husband. A close up is then used on superman to show his emotion. This shot is very effective because even though superman's face remains passive, the audience knows he is sad because of the sequencing of the shots. When the conversation moves towards Lois' relationship with superman, a slowing tracking shot is implemented to show the rising tension between them. Even though Lois says she doesn't love superman, the intensity of the shot indicates that she is lying. By implying this through camera shot and not showing it through dialogue, the director retains the tension throughout the movie.