Introduction to Film and Media Studies: THE SHOT

• 1. INTRODUCTION TO FILM AND MEDIA STUDIESTHE CAMERA AND THE SHOT

2. THE CAMERA:WIDE ANGLE LENSThe WIDE ANGLE LENS photographs a wide angle of view. A photographer who finds himselfin a cramped location might use this lens in order to photograph as much of the subject aspossible. However, the wide angle lens has the added effect of greatly emphasizing ourperception of depth and often distorting linear perception (Monaco 89). A wide angle lens has avery deep depth of field (distance between nearest and farthest objects that appear in the scene).Anna Karina in Jean-Luc Godards Pierrot le fou (1965): Wide-Angle Distortion 3. THE CAMERA:WIDE ANGLE SHOTThe following two shots are from Raising Arizona, directed by Joel and Ethan Cohen in 1987. 4. THE CAMERA:WIDE ANGLE SHOT 5. THE CAMERA:FISH-EYE LENSThe FISH-EYE LENS is an extremely wide angle lens, which photographs an angle ofview approaching 180 degrees, with corresponding distortion of both linear and depthperception (Monaco 89). FISH-EYE shots vary in terms of purpose/effect, but they areoften used to create an atmosphere of chaos or establish a sense of fear.Still from Foo Fighters video for Monkey Wrench- directed by Dave Grohl, 1997 6. THE CAMERA:TELEPHOTO LENS(AKA LONG LENS)The TELEPHOTO LENS acts like a telescope to magnify distant objects. This lens has a useful effect ofsuppressing depth perception. It has a relatively narrow angle of view and a rather shallow depth offield (Monaco 90). Telephoto lenses add a distancing effect to diminish differences in size of characterscloser and farther. The technique is characteristic of contemporary Japanese films like Kiseki (I Wish)by Kore-eda Hirokazu (2011), pictured below. 7. THE CAMERA:TELEPHOTO LENSTelephoto lenses are also ideal for tight shots and narrowing depth of field. This selectivefocus in The Graduate (1967, Mike Nichols) keeps the viewers attention on Ben(Cinematography). 8. THE SHOT: TELEPHOTOAn image shot with an extremely long lens/telephoto lens is called a TELEPHOTO SHOT.The effect of using a long lens/telephoto lens is to compress the apparent depth of animage, so that elements that are relatively close or far away from the camera seem to lie atapproximately the same distance. In this first shot (with a standard lens) from Payback(Brian Helgeland, 1999), we can clearly see there is a considerable distance between thefallen body and the red car (Cinematagrophy). 9. THE SHOT: TELEPHOTOYet, when a telephoto lens is used for a close-up of Mel Gibson, his face looks like it isclose to the car. Here a telephoto lens creates a shallow space, which combines withextreme canted/tilted framing to suggest the physical and psychological disarray of a manwho has been betrayed, shot, and left for dead (Cinematography). 10. THE CAMERA:ZOOM LENSThe ZOOM LENS has a variable focal length ranging from wide angle to telephoto, whichallows a photographer to change focal lengths quickly between shots, and change focallengths during a shot (Monaco 90). 11. THE SHOT:ZOOM SHOTIn a shot with use of the ZOOM LENS, the viewer seems to move toward or away from the subjectbeing filmed, while the quality of the image changes from that of a shorter to a longer lens, or viceversa. Zooms are commonly used at the beginning of a scene, or even a film, to introduce an object orcharacter by focusing on it (Cinematography). In the ZOOM, since the camera does not move, therelationships among objects in different planes remain the same; there is no sense of entering into thescene; our perspective remains constant, even if the image is enlarged (Monaco 229). Depending on thesubject matter, zooms are often used to create mood and develop characterization, as in this clip fromKubricks The Shining. 12. CAMERA MOVEMENTCamera movement is an effective artistic tool in filmmaking. Movementthrough space on film can be extraordinarily graceful. And, by itsmovement alone, a camera reveals much more than simply the spacethrough which it moves. It can express emotions.The basic ways cinematographers move their cameras are (1) Steadicam(2) Dolly (3) Crane (4) HandheldThere are also a couple of basic movement techniques (1) tilt (2) pan 13. CAMERA MOVEMENT:STEADICAMSteadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer mount that mechanically isolates it from the operators movement. Itallows for a smooth shot, even when moving quickly over an uneven surface. The Steadicam was introduced in1975. 14. CAMERA MOVEMENTThe jogging sequence in Rocky is a very famous Steadicam shot. 15. CAMERA MOVEMENT:BASIC TECHNIQUESTILT: Moving the camera lens up or down while keeping itshorizontal axis constant. Nod your head up and down this istilting. 16. CAMERA MOVEMENT:BASIC TECHNIQUESPan: Moving the camera lens to one side or another. Look to yourleft and then your right thats panning. 17. CAMERA MOVEMENT:MOVING SHOTSThe simplest way of moving a camera is to place it on a moving object, such as a car or train or a ship.That is called a MOVING SHOT. The camera can also be placed on its own mobile device, which iscalled a DOLLY. When the camera moves parallel to the ground, its called a TRACKING SHOT. Intracking shots, the camera follows the action, the characters. In a TRACKING DOLLY SHOT, thecamera follows the action/characters on a physical dolly (Sikov 26). In the TRACKING or DOLLYSHOT, the camera as a whole changes position, traveling in any direction along the ground forward,backward, diagonally, in circles, or from side-to-side (Bordwell 196). 18. CAMERA MOVEMENT:TRACKING SHOT EXAMPLEThis is a long take TRACKING SHOT from the dystopian movie Children of Men, directed by AlfonsoCuarn in 2006. The camera operator pans the camera to follow the actors and the action in the scene. 19. CAMERA MOVEMENT:TRACKING SHOT EXAMPLEThis is a famous long take TRACKING SHOT from Martin Scorseses 1990 mob filmGoodfellas. 20. CAMERA MOVEMENT:THE DOUBLE DOLLY SHOTSpike Lee, legendary and controversial director, created the DOUBLE DOLLY SHOT. For LeesDOUBLE DOLLY SHOT, sometimes called the FLOATING DOLLY SHOT, he sets up a dolly for thecamera, then puts the actor on a different dolly, and moves the camera and the actor at the same time.Essentially, the actor is standing on a small board that is mounted to a track, and the board is thenpushed forward, as the camera is pushed away. This shot provides, for a moment, a dream-like feel. Thecentral character is seemingly floating in mid-air, typically staring directly into the camera. TheDOUBLE DOLLY SHOT is Spike Lees iconic signature shot (Breaking Down the Spike Lee DoubleDolly Shot). 21. AUTEUR STYLE:SPIKE LEES DOUBLE DOLLY SHOTA montage of DOUBLE DOLLY shots from various Spike Lee Joints. 22. CAMERA MOVEMENT:CRANE SHOTTRACKING SHOTS are also made by the use of cranes. When the camera moves up and down throughspace, its called a CRANE SHOT. For a CRANE SHOT, the camera is mounted on a kind of cherry-picker,which enables it to rise up very high in the air to ascend from ground level into the sky ordescend from the sky to ground level. 23. CAMERA MOVEMENTHere is a famous example of a tracking shot from Orson Wellessfilm Touch of Evil. 24. CAMERA MOVEMENT:CRANE SHOT EXAMPLEThis is a CRANE/TRACKING SHOT from David Finchers 2002 film Panic Room. 25. CAMERA MOVEMENT:TRACK-AND-ZOOM SHOT/DOLLY-ZOOM SHOTThe TRACK-AND-ZOOM SHOT, also known as the DOLLY-ZOOM SHOT is a shot inwhich the foreground elements stay the same size while the background elements grow orshrink. The camera operator simultaneously uses a dolly or track and a zoom lens. Themost famous TRACK-AND-ZOOM SHOT/DOLLY-ZOOM SHOT is the tower shot fromVertigo (1958). This is the first implementation of the technique. It is said that directorAlfred Hitchcock came up with the idea for the shot after fainting at a party, and wanted torecreate the feeling/look of that experience. In this shot from Vertigo, Hitchcock usedcarefully controlled zoom combined with a track/dolly and models. Hitchcock laid themodel stairwell on its side. The camera with zoom lens was mounted on a track lookingdown the stairwell. The shot began with the camera at the far end of the track and thezoom lens set at the moderate telephoto focal length. As the camera tracked in toward thestairwell, the zoom was adjusted backwards, eventually winding up at a wide-anglesetting. The track and zoom were carefully coordinated so that the frame of the imageappeared not to change. As the track moved in on the center of the object, the zoom movedout to correct for the narrowing field. The effect relayed on the screen was that the shotbegan with normal depth perception, which then became quickly exaggerated, mimickingthe psychological effect of vertigo. The shot cost $19,000.00 for about two seconds of filmtime. (Monaco 91) 26. CAMERA MOVEMENT:TRACK AND ZOOM/DOLLY-ZOOMIN VERTIGO 27. CAMERA MOVEMENT:TRACK-AND-ZOOMSHOT/DOLLY-ZOOM SHOTStephen Spielberg used a similar combined TRACK-AND-ZOOM shot in Jaws (1975) toadd to the sense of apprehension (Monaco 90). This sudden distortion of perspectiveisolates and zeroes in on Brody. His worst fears become real. He should have closed thebeach. 28. CAMERA MOVEMENT:DOLLY- ZOOM SHOTWhat is so effective about the DOLLY-ZOOM SHOT (which is often called theVERTIGO EFFECT) is PERSPECTIVE DISTORTION. The perspective changesbased on the relative position of the camera to the subject. In a basic zoom-inshot, the shot just magnifies the image, while in the dolly-in shot the surroundingobjects are affected by the changing perspective distortion caused by the cameramovement. The camera operator increases the focal length to zoom in whilesimultaneously dollying the camera out or vice versa. The zoom keeps the framecrop the same so the foreground object stays roughly the same size. This isolatesthe effect of the perspective distortion. The camera operator needs to try tomatch the speed of the zoom with the speed of the dolly for the effect to work.Its a technically difficult shot, but it has become commonplace in modern film. 29. CAMERA MOVEMENT:DOLLY-ZOOM - PSYCHO 30. CAMERA MOVEMENT:DOLLY ZOOM - POLTERGEIST 31. THE CAMERA:DEPTH OF FIELD AND FOCUSAll movie viewers are well aware that a scene can show some things in focus and let others get fuzzy.That effect is due to the lenss focal length. Every lens has a specific DEPTH OF FIELD: a range ofdistances within which objects can be photographed in sharp focus, given a certain exposure setting.Outside the zone of sharp focus, either closer to the lens or farther away, objects will fall off and remainfuzzy. Depth of Field controls perspective relations by determining which planes will be in focus.Typically, a director chooses SHALLOW FOCUS (sometimes called SELECTIVE FOCUS)choosing a focus on only one plane and letting the other planes blur (Bordwell 174), as in the examplebelow from Batman Begins, directed by Christopher Nolan. The technique is used to focus viewersattention on one aspect of the scene. 32. THE CAMERA:SHALLOW FOCUSSHALLOW FOCUS suggests psychological introspection, since a character appears asoblivious to the world around her/him. It is therefore commonly employed in genres suchas the melodrama, where the actions and thoughts of an individual prevail over everythingelse (Cinematography), as in this shot from the HBO series Game of Thrones. 33. THE CAMERA:DEEPFOCUSIn Hollywood in the 1940s filmmakers began using lenses of shorter focal length to yield a greater DEPTH OF FIELD.This practice came to be called DEEP FOCUS (Bordwell 174). This style of photography strives for sharp focus over thewhole range of action. DEEP FOCUS is generally closely associated with theories of realism in film. DEEP FOCUSinvolves staging an event on film such that significant elements occupy widely separated planes in the image. It requiresthat elements at very different depths of the image both be in focus. In these two shots from Touch of Evil (Orson Welles,1958) and Besieged (L'Assedio, Bernardo Bertolucci,1998) all of the different planes of the image are given equalimportance through DEEP FOCUS, not only to the characters (like the man peeking at the window in the first image),but also to the spaces (Shanduray's basement room in the second) (Cinematography). 34. THE CAMERA:RACKING FOCUSRACKING FOCUS/RACK FOCUS/PULLING FOCUS refers to the practice of changing the focus of alens such that an element in one plane of the image goes out of focus and an element at another plane inthe image comes into focus. This technique is an overt way of steering audience attention through thescene, as well as of linking two spaces or objects. The director changes focus during a shot to direct theviewer to shift attention from one subject to another (Cinematography). For instance in this scenefrom Richard Linklaters 1993 film Dr. Finlay. 35. FRAMINGIn one sense, cinema is an art of selection. The edges of the image create a "frame" that includes orexcludes aspects of what occurs in front of the camera. The expressive qualities of framing include theangle of the camera to the object, the aspect ratio of the projected image, the relationship betweencamera and object, and the association of camera with character. In Cruel Story of Youth (SeishunZankoku Monogatari, Oshima Nagisa, 1960) the radical decentering of the character in relation to theframe marks her failed struggle to find a place in her world. (Framing) 36. FRAMING:FIXED CAMERA FRAMEFixed Camera Frame: When the camera and the focus of the camerado not move. 37. FRAMINGSymmetrical Framing: Shots that are centered to have perfectsymmetry. 38. FRAMING:CAMERA ANGLESMany films are shot with a camera that appears to be at approximately the same height as its subject.However, it is possible to film from a position that is significantly lower or higher than the dominantelement of the shot. In that case, the image is described as low angle or high angle respectively. Angleof framing can be used to indicate the relation between a character and the camera's point of view. Orcan simply be used to create striking visual compositions. (Framing)This HIGH ANGLE SHOT from the 2006 film Matilda, directed by Danny DeVito , presents the girl asweak and scared. High angle shots are sometimes called Birds-Eye View Shots. 39. FRAMING:CAMERA ANGLECamera angle is often used to suggest either vulnerability or power. In The Color of Paradise (Rang-eKhoda,1999) the father, who rules absolute over his family, is often portrayed from a low angle(sometimes called Worms-Eye View), therefore aggrandizing his figure. On the other hand, his blindson Mohammad and his elderly grandmother are often shot from a high angle, emphasizing theirdependence and smallness. 40. FRAMING:INTERPRETATIONThese interpretations are not exclusive, however. The relation betweencamera and subject depends on context and is not definitive. The fatherin this film is so busy smiling at his fianc that he falls off his horse,suggesting that his view of himself as powerful and dominant isinaccurate. Additionally, Mohammed and Granny, seen from above, mayalso indicate that God is watching over them, and keeping them underprotection. It is the responsibility of the viewer to find meaning.NOTE: There is also what we call an EYE-LEVEL SHOT. It is exactlyas it sounds, a shot taken from the directors eye-level. 41. FRAMING:ESTABLISHING SHOTSAn ESTABLISHING SHOT introduces a new location a church, acity street, a rooftop, a hospital room from a vantage point thatallows the audience to see all the relevant characters in the filmicspace. 42. FRAMING:MASTER SHOTSA Master Shot is an entire dramatized scene, from start to finish,from an angle that keeps all the characters in view. Usually themaster shot is shot first and then additional shots are shot and addedlater. 43. DEPTHThe distance between subject and camera is very significant inreading a shot. Because people instinctively process visuals, andunconsciously identify with the lens, it is important to understandhow directors establish meaning through depth. The type of shotdictates the amount of background information included, theamount of specific subject-related information is included, the sizeor portion of the human figure in the shot, the implied significanceof the subject, the psychological subject information and thephysical subject information. 44. DEPTHClose-Up Shot a shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-upsare one of the standard shots used regularly. Close-ups displaydetail, but do not include the broader scene. Moving in to a close-upor away from a close-up is a common type of zooming. Extremeclose-up shots are ones that zoom in to even greater detail. 45. DEPTHHere is a famous scene from Alfred Hitchcocks film Psycho thatemphasizes the close-up shot. 46. DEPTHNOTE: The close-up is pure subject. The subject dominates theframe and takes on monumental significance. Close-ups are typicallyused to punctuate important dramatic moments. The Extreme closeup reveals the subject in greater detail and strengthens itsimportance. The subject is presented with great implied significance.The audience knows it is important. Expectation is employed here tocreate suspense and/ or symbolic value. 47. DEPTH:Medium Shot: A camera angle shot from a medium distance. Thedistinction between depth of shots is fuzzy. Typically, however, apartial view of the subject that is not very close (ex: from the waistor knees up of a person) is considered a medium shot. Here are somesamples. 48. DEPTH: MEDIUM SHOTA shot from the knees up is often referred to as a MEDIUM LONGSHOT or an AMERICAN SHOT. A shot from the waist up istypically referred to as a MEDIUM SHOT. It leaves just enoughroom in the frame for two or three characters. Now the subject isgetting big enough in the frame to reduce background to the point ofinsignificance increasingly subtle psychological information on thedominant subject is presented. These shots are often used to conveyinteraction between characters and as an editing bridge between along shot and a close-up. 49. DEPTH: FULL SHOTThe FULL SHOT frames the human subject from head to toe. Thebackground is reduced a bit; the subject conveys more physical andpsychological detail, and is large enough to dominate the frame andthus take on significance. A scene will typically cut to a full shot atmoments when physical action is featured such as fights,embraces, and physical comedy. 50. DEPTH: THE LONG SHOTThe Long Shot (sometimes referred to as a wide shot): A shot thattypically shows the entire object or person being filmed. 51. DEPTH: LONG SHOTA LONG SHOT is a who, what, and where shot. It is often theestablishing shot at the beginning or end of a scene. It balancesspecific subject information with general/background information.It is handy for establishing who is in a scene, where everybody is inrelation to everybody else, where the action is taking place, and whatis going on in the situation. The subjects are large enough in theframe to read in physiological and minor psychological detail. 52. DEPTH:EXTREME LONG SHOTEXTREME LONG or EXTREME WIDE SHOT: A long shot that istaken from far away one that shows more than just the mainsubjects there is a wide expanse of subject matter in the shot.These shots often emphasize setting. 53. DEPTH:EXTREME LONG SHOTThe EXTREME LONG SHOT is dominated by backgroundinformation; specific subject information typically takes up verylittle screen space in this shot; often, there is a subject in it, but thatsubject is too far away or small to recognize without context.Usually, characters are too small to be important. Often, charactersare dwarfed by their environment. General locales as opposed tospecific information are emphasized. There is often large scaleaction in which masses of figures function as a sort of collectivesubject. 54. DEPTH:EXTREME LONG SHOT 55. DEPTHPoint of View Shot (also known as POV Shot or SubjectiveCamera): These shots show what a character is looking at(represented through the camera). 56. SOURCE MATERIAL:TEXTBOOKSCorrigan, Timothy and Patricia White. The Film Experience: An Introduction. ThirdEdition. Boston: Bedfort/St. Martins. 2012. Print. 57. SOURCE MATERIAL:TEXTBOOKSBordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction.Tenth Edition. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2013. 58. SOURCE MATERIAL:TEXTBOOKSMonaco, James. How to Read a Film: Movies, Media, and Beyond.Fourth Edition. Oxford. Oxford University Press. 2009. 59. SOURCE MATERIAL:TEXTBOOKSSikov, Ed. Film Studies: An Introduction. New York: Columbia University Press.2010. 60. SOURCE MATERIAL:WEBSITESCinematography. Yale Classes Film Analysis. Yale University Film StudiesProgram. 29 August 2002. Web. 14 July 2014.http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/cinematography.htmFraming. Yale Classes Film Analysis. Yale University Film Studies Program. 29 August 2002.Web. 14 July 2014.http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/cinematography.htm