Long Take in "The Protector"

It was tough for me to decide what scene to bring into our conversation. I've already brought up "Woman in the Dunes," and while I considered using Ozu's "Floating Weeds" or "Tokyo Story," I've decided to go with "The Protector" (Pinkaew, 2005), a martial arts film starring a talented muay thai martial artist, Tony Jaa. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zESe7U467vs This scene features two interesting camera elements: a very mobile camera, and a very long take. This scene is mostly impressive from a production standpoint. The scene features many, many stunt personnel, and has the main character climbing the interior of a tall building. Most impressive is the camera operator's stamina and ability to keep the camera stable, as for this scene, even a stabalizing mount would not have been able to keep the image stable without great endurance by the camera operator.

Using the Camera for Interpretation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jomr9SAjcyw I used the the opening scene from the Tarantino film Pulp Fiction to demonstrate some of the points in "Using the Camera for Interpretation." This clip begins with a wide shot of the table showing the two characters having a conversation. Then at :35, a sudden low-angle close-up shot of the waitress startles the viewer, creating a shock factor which reflects less on the nature of the waitress but on the narrative of the film as a whole. Around 1:00, an over-the-shoulder shot contributes to the conversation between the two diners, and it is followed by a shot-reverse shot which emphasizes the dialogue further. This continues back and forth for most of the remainder of the clip, but is interrupted quickly at 3:57 when we see a close-up of the man laying a gun down on the table, demonstrating the importance of this object. We see a close-up of the characters kissing, then the same wide-shot as at the beginning when they get up to hold up the diner. The low-angle of the two shooters at the very end shows that in this scene they have power over the other diners, or at least they think they do. As a whole, the form of this sequence contributes greatly to the film's general narrative. The close-ups of the gun and kiss symbolize two motifs (violence and romance) which last through the film, while the shot-shot reverse shots and over-the-shoulder shots facilitate the idea of conversation, another important element of Pulp Fiction.

Using the camera for interpretation; Charulata

The movie Charulata is a very boring movie, in my opinion. However, the camera’s usage is quite interesting and becomes very resourceful in conveying the theme of the movie. In this movie, atleast at the beginning, there is not much dialogue. Still, with how the director used the camera and music, we notice the loneliness the director was trying to convey.

In the beginning there is a part where Charulata looks out her window and looks through her opera-like binoculars. The camera then takes the role of the binoculars by being put into short focal lense in a high angle. The contrast in how high up she was and how far away the outsiders were gave off the effect of separation and loneliness.

The 2/3 frontal look helped give this look as well. The camera emphasized Charulata, and since we could only see a portion of her face while the rest were the curtain shades, I sensed a trapped feeling. Focusing primarily on the shades, which appeared like thin bars also separated Charulata from humanity.

Lastly, although this might not give light to how lonely Charulata is through out the movie, the way the director lenses the eye during the swinging scene is very creepy-like and does distract me from the movie; the director here makes it seem as if the main character can see me, which confused me. I think what the director was trying to convey was despair and contemplation. If this is the case- breaking the imaginary curtain the author speaks about was not the way to go. Instead, he might have wanted to use a long focal length with a frontal 2/3 look, again, in order to capture Amal in the background while still making Charulata the center of attention. This would have also given us the idea that Amal was what Charulata was thinking about and what had her torn.

Using movie "In the Mood for Love" for interpretation

The movie clip that I found is from a famous Hong Kong film, “In the Mood for Love”. This is a movie directed by Wong Kar-wai, aiming to investigate extramarital affairs and pursuit for incomplete beauty. In the story happened in Hong Kong in 1962, a woman Su who was neglected by her husband and a man who is betrayed by his wife coming from two broken family gradually become feeling for each other, attracted by each other and falling in love eventually. However, they are afraid of the truth that they are also trapped in their most hatred extramarital affair. So under the constraint of moral and self-esteem, they resolutely cut off their love and went back to their lonely broken families.

 In the Corridor scene, we are following Su with the tracking shots, so close as if we are walking behind her. Su’s delicate outfit on the contrary reflects the loneliness and repression of the inside of this figure. By using the slow motion, tracking shots and the dark tone to capture their passing by, “the camera places the audience in the scene,…, the camera leads the audience around by the eyes”. We as audience can foresee the tragic outcome of their love. They were so close and they passed by, but they cannot touch each other. In addition, due to the grayish tone and the ambiguity it creates not only by this clip but also throughout the whole movie, audiences are placed in a situation of a fourth wall that we want to penetrate in their relationships, however we are kept in a certain distance at the same time. The camera places us in a voyeuristic situation that it helps us peak into their heart and immoral development. And the contrast between the dark and the bright help us understand that she has some dark sides inside however what she pretends herself to be is the bright and elegant self.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypY9OaKCfRU

Using the Camera For Interpretation - Much Ado About Nothing

One of my favorite examples of shot compositions comes from Much Ado About Nothing (2012, dir. Joss Whedon). Throughout the film, there is a strong motif of being watched and that nothing is truly private in the characters’ world – it takes place in the home of a rich family, in the days surrounding a wedding. To that end, there is a silent character in the film: a photographer, who is seen occasionally. It’s not implied that  she holds the actual camera in the rest of the film, but the idea that they are all being watched explains the almost home-video-like unsteadiness of the camera.

In this particular scene, Hero and Margaret are holding a conversation about how Benedick is supposedly in love with Beatrice, purposely constructed so Beatrice will be able to overhear. At the beginning of the clip, the camera stays still as Beatrice walks around to the stairs, leaving her fall to be a surprise. When she makes her way back up the stairs and stands, wobbling, the camera is slightly canted, reflecting her instability and surprise. Her second fall is slightly less surprising, as the camera cuts to a view under the table as she falls. Then the camera switches between staying on level with Beatrice crawling and staying on level with the two talking at the table. The camera keeps a slight high angle with Beatrice under the counter for several shots, making her hitting her head a surprise as well (since the way the shot is framed, we cannot see the bottom of the counter. The high angle emphasizes Beatrice’s powerlessness in this particular scene.

The next most significant sequence is after Hero and Margaret leave, when Beatrice is still under the counter – the camera has a low angle, Beatrice is in the rightmost third of the shot, and the counter extends for almost 2/3 of the frame, leaving the table and cabinets in the leftmost third to be in the background. After she stands up and the camera moves to profile her, she is in the leftmost third of the frame, leaving plenty of lead space that, when she ahead of her, seems to imply the presence of another person. She then moves to the doorway, centering her in the frame with the door and the kitchen naturally dividing the screen into thirds again. Finally, she is centered again through the window on the door, repeating a commonly used motif through the film.

The relevant clip is here:  http://youtu.be/sBG0gKey-v0

Camera Shots in The Legend of 1900

A good example to express camera shots may be “playing love “scene in “The Legend of 1900”. The first shot is a close-up shot on the keyboard. Then it pans out to a medium shot of the man. After that, the camera focus on the window and pan into it became a medium shot of the woman outside of the door. I think there was a great combination of camera shots to show the environment and the characters. It worked as an introduction and indicates that some story would happen between the two characters. Several medium close-up shots were displayed after that. They expressed the facial expression of them. Also, the reverse shot gave the audience a sense that they were looking at each other and talking between eyes.
My favorite shots maybe that he watched at the woman passing the window. With the woman disappeared in the window, the song ended. For a lot of movies I watched, they usually simply and roughly put a medium shot and using over shoulder to express their communication. In this scene, there were no over the shoulder shots between them at all. I truly appreciate that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOfGsKUfAq4

Another scene in “The Legend of 1900” was also an excellent demonstration of using camera shots. In the “Piano scene Duel”, the inventor of Jazz walked into the ballroom with only backlight showing his outline. After that, were several wide shots of the ballroom to show people’s reaction to that? Lately, with a medium shot showing the challenger’s reaction. Their conversation was helpful for understanding the characteristics of them. Also, I like the setting of putting a cigarette on the piano. Since people would be made to think about whether he could finish the piece before the cigarette ended. The plots and shots drew audience’s attention totally. The director used different angles or different shots, even different objects to show the fantasy of their piano skills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tislJu9Dls  

Two Kinds of Pain & Interpretation of the Camera

In Using the Camera for Interpretation, many interesting and insightful points are brought up to describe how the camera is used, but also why it is used in certain ways and what that means for the film. Although seemingly complex, once properly broken down, the different camera angles and shot placements become more clear and are easily understood when applied to different films and T.V. shows.

The piece talks a great deal about “Breaking the Fourth Wall” and its effect on the viewers experience of the scene. The chapter talks about its use in theatre and how it very prevalent in the artwork within theatre because it is almost impossible to ignore. After moving forward, it goes on to talk about its use in film and how unusual it is. However, when “Breaking the Fourth Wall” occurs, it is usually down so for a reason, and it has a very big effect, remove the “invisible eye” element that the camera provides us in normal T.V. and film.

This can be easily seen in the American T.V show House of Cards. Kevin Spacey’s character is a ruthless political animal and his character all too frequently address the camera head on and talk to the audience as if they were standing next to him. This can be seen in the opening shot of the first episode, where Kevin Spacey is on the street and then addresses the audience. This is done to set a precedent for the show, and make the viewer feel as if they are experience the events alongside Spacey, removing the “fly on the wall” approach that normal television shows provide.

In the opening scene, Spacey’s character addressing the character is done using a close up shot expressing there seriousness of the situation and allowing the viewer to immersed in Spacey’s situation. It is a level angle shot, but it is clear Spacey character has control because of the setting and the situation at hand. The low-key lighting also gives the scene an ominous feel that perfectly compliments the storyline at this point. Ultimately, the use of lighting, breaking the fourth wall and the type of shot all compliment each other to make this a very unique and memorable scene.

Chapter 1, “Two Kinds of Pain”: http://vimeo.com/65543283

Using the Camera in Easy A

Applying Using the Camera for Interpretation to this scene from Easy A (Easy A Scene - Start at 5 seconds and go to about 1:13), the first thing that stands out is the use of the of the long focal length that creates the shallow depth of field.  This element is clearly seen while Emma Stone's character walks down the hall.  She is the center of the focus and everything in front of, around, and behind her is out of focus.  In the midst of her proud walk down the hall, the camera cuts to a close-up of her red "A" on her top and then tilts upward to show a close-up of her smirking face.  The camera cuts back to an almost medium-wide shot of Stone's continuing to walk down the hallway, briefly cutting back to a close-up of her making a kiss face straight at the camera (meant for the onlookers in the hallway though.)
A few seconds later in the scene, the camera angle changes to show Stone's profile, in close-up, and trucks along side of her as she continues down the hallway.  The shallow depth of field is still maintained at this point, as well.  The camera cuts to continue trucking along with Stone, but now showing a medium shot of the onlookers without Stone in the shot.  Finally, the camera cuts back to a close-up of Stone's face, still smirking at the reactions she is getting for her interesting outfit choice.
Skipping over the short conversation Emma Stone's character has with two other characters (because there are not really any interesting uses of the camera), the audience then sees Stone's character walking away from the other two and the camera re-establishes the long focal length with the shallow depth of field.  This maintains the audience's full focus on Stone as she walks through the crowded hallway.  The close-ups mentioned earlier function as a way to get the audience closer to her facial expressions and feelings about the attention she is getting.
Right at the end of the scene, Emma Stone's character, while in focus, starts to walk off-screen.  At this point, the camera racks focus to change to focusing on the two characters she had her previous conversation with.  This allows the viewer to stay in the scene a little longer than Stone's character does, to get more information about how she was received by the crowd and how her former friend's relationship with her kind-of boyfriend was disturbed by Stone's character's presence.

Altering & Cheating the Rules of Filmmaking.

When film became a prominent story-telling medium, filmmakers realized two important things. One, they had to maintain seamless continuity from shot to shot, and two, that every shot counted. To this end, filmmakers would carefully craft together stories and various shots to tell said story. This didn't happen over night either. Through years of trial and error, filmmakers were able to concisely tell stories, and subsequently also creating meaning. Essentially, directors realized that displaying something does not necessarily mean that they are telling you what you want or need to know. For example, as mentioned in the article, Alfred Hitchcock hides the reactions and movements of his characters building tension. While on camera we see something entirely different. If we saw a character disappear behind a wall and only heard noise, this could be effective, but consistently, it becomes boring. So, Alfred Hitchcock uses clever camera movements and angles to produce distinct emotions. 

In one scene of Rear Window, Hitchcock displays a woman inviting a man into her apartment, but through camera work shows how this woman is actually imagining the man and is delusional and lonely. However carefully through various camera angles, Hitchcock makes us feel for the woman as opposed to be weirded out. As at the end of the movie she finds love.

Hitchcock is known for cleverly using camera angles and movements to imply, but that is only one way to work within the context of filmmaking. Another approach is cheating the rules. Although there are not necessarily a strict code of rules, Filmmakers tend to follow these guidelines for aesthetic reasons. In the French New Wave film Breathless, there are several cuts that are very troubling to the eye, but at the same time is also very dynamic in storytelling. Breathless takes advantage of the jump-cut, which violates the 90 degree rule. The rule implies that one should move 90 degrees in one direction or another to make the shot seem seamless. However, Breathless often maintains the same position but inserts the cuts as the characters 'jump' from one place to another, which disrupts the continuity within the film. From all of this, we can learn that ways to film are very malleable and it isn't always as simple as having a full shot of two characters.

The following clip is from Happy Together, a film by Wong Kar Wai which explores human perspective through camerawork. Yet another variant function of decisive style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09i5JpuZf5U

Marika's Sound Project

Mean Girls Analysis (as promised)

-The scene begins with very sped up tracking shots from one table to another.

-At 00:43 during the dialogue there are several three quarter front position shots.

- There is also a shift between a medium and wide shot to show that the male character is seeking the approval of the classmates around him. This makes the scene less intimate and shows him making fun of her.

-When the camera focuses on the plastics, there are three of them, an example of the compositional triangle.

-Starting at 1:04, the camera switches back and forth between Cady and Regina. When it is on Cady, the camera is lower and looking up at her, whereas when the camera is on Regina, it is looking at her from above. This give the audience the sense that Regina is sitting down and Cady is standing.

-At 1:30 when Cady sits down, there are a series of three quarter front position shots again during the dialogue between Regina and Katy. 

- During the bathroom scene, it seems as if the close ups of Janis are long focal length shots.

-The last shot in the scene is another compositional triangle.

Video Clip