MOVEMENT, SHOTS, AND ANGLES

Rhetorical Analysis of Media

What is the story being told here?

Mise-En-Scene

Pronounced “mees-ahn-sahn” - ick

Translation: “put in the scene”

Everything that goes into a shot

NOT editing/post-production

Let’s see another great example…

Pay close attention:

Mise-en-scene How does this

scene play out? Why? What elements

help support the story?

Movement

Early cameras were fixed, but today they move.

Zoom

The movement of an image only through the lens The camera doesn’t move, but the lens

does. Allows the audience to move toward and

away from images. Zoom IN & Zoom OUT

Pan versus Tilt

Each features movement along ONE axis

PAN: The camera pivots left or right, left to right, or right to left on a horizontal axis

Pan versus Tilt

Each features movement along ONE axis

TILT: The camera pivots up or down on a vertical axis

Boom or Crane Shot

The camera moves through the air The camera is lifted vertically with a

boom or crane

Shot

A single length of film produced by continuous running of the camera

Can be as short as one frame (example from The Graduate?) or as long as an entire film!

Time Code

Tracking Shot Also known as a “dolly” shot : each

named for the mechanical devices used in filmmaking

Tracking Shot Camera follows action through space The entire camera moves

horizontally with, toward, or away from the subject

Subject = focal point (character, object, landscape, etc.)

Some Famous Tracking Shots A Touch of Evil: Orson Welles, 1958

Boogie Nights: Paul Thomas Anderson, 1997

Two Great Tracking Shots!

2006 - Alfonso Cuaron (Y tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter and

the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Shot Size

Shots are defined by the size of the subject within the film frame.

A LOT can happen in one shot.

The size of a subject can vary within a single shot.

Long Shot

Shows the entire figure

Close Up Part of the subject takes up much of

the entire screen

Medium Shot The midpoint between long and close

up It shows the body from about the

waist up

Extreme Close Up

Part of the subject takes up all of the entire screen

Medium Close Up

Mid-point between Medium shot and Close up

Extreme Long Shot

Subject is fully seen in the distance of the shot

Camera Angles Camera is usually at eye level, but

can vary for particular effect Often Objective POV (though can be

Subj. or Indirect-Subj.) Offers “normal” view of the world

High Angle High angle - taken from above subject

The Shining (1980) What effect does this image have on

the audience?

Low Angle Low angle - taken from below subject

Equilibrium (2002) What effect does this image have on

the audience?

Add the word “EXTREME”… EXTREME HIGH ANGLE:

Pink Floyd’s The Wall (1982)

Add the word “EXTREME”…

EXTREME LOWANGLE:

The Shining (1980)

The Camera is your FRIEND!

Think about how you can manipulate it to striking

effect in your own movie!