BLK feedback

great analysis Hannah!

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Final Scene

Breakfast at Tiffany's Analysis

I have chosen this clip from Breakfast at Tiffany’s because it is one of my favourite films and I think it’s a really great scene, with many different types of shots.
It begins with Holly Golightly played by Audrey Hepburn, getting out of a yellow taxi, so immediately we are reminded that the scene takes place in New York City. She begins running down the street in the rain, the camera movement is a backwards track and it’s a MLS, giving us a glimpse of the surroundings whilst keeping the focus on her. We can tell that it is the late 1950’s/early 60’s because of the style of clothing worn and the old fashioned cars parked along the street. At 0:14 it cuts to a high angle ELS this works as an establishing shot as it shows us more of her surroundings including many of the buildings.
At 0:20 there is an Over the Shoulder Shot, the man has his back to us, this enables us to see the scene from his perspective, but without it being a POV shot, and it keeps the attention on her as we can see her face. At 0:23 we see a CU of the man (Fred) for the first time, and then a CU of Holly, these close ups draw us into the scene and make the audience feel more involved in it. Then at 0:35 as Holly walks away there is a slight tilt upwards keeping the focus still on her, and also giving a view of her surrounding (a dingy ally filled with boxes and trash). From 0:45 the camera pans right, following Holly as she shakes the boxes looking for her cat. Then from 1:01 the camera zooms into a CU on Holly, as we can see he pained expression more clearly helping us to empathise with her. The camera following her gives the audience more of a sense they are there, they can relate to her more and although it isn’t a POV shot we are made to feel the same way she does by the camera movement and I think this is very effective in the scene.
At 1:34 the camera tracks diagonally downwards as Holly crouches down to pick up cat, once again I think this is effective as it brings the audience down into the action with them, engaging them more. Additionally when Holly and Fred kiss from 2.16 the camera zooms in making it more intense, and drawing the audience into the moment.
The tracks, pans, zooms and tilts that are used in this scene slow the pace of it down. This keeps the audience focussed, as it implies that it is an important scene, it is not fast paced and choppy like something in the middle or at the climax, the slower pace shows that it is significant to the film.

BLK feedback

Excellent analysis and reflections on your horror shot - super work Hannah!

I love your choice of film clip - inspired! (I might steal it for some class analysis work!). Looking forward to reading your analysis notes. A good idea to choose 2 very different clips as well.

And your blog is rocking too, so impressive.

Casino Royale Trailer

This video is the trailer for ‘Casino Royale’ the latest of the James Bond films. I chose this trailer as it is very fasted paced and exciting, and gives a wide range of shot distances and angles. There are a number of black out shots through out it making it more dramatic and adding to the suspense and tension that builds up.
It begins with a MS to introduce the main character James Bond, played by Daniel Craig. This is also a Low Angle to make him appear powerful and more dominant in the shot. Behind him we can see a modern aeroplane which tells that it is set in the present day, but also has connotations that suggests an adventure, and the black and white effect connotes a flashback, or the past. At 0:20 there is a MS of James. It’s an interviewer shot at a slightly tilted angle giving it an uneasy feel, implying that the man he’s talking to is an enemy. Soon after this the trailer turns to full colour, suggesting that we are now in the present. At 0:32 there is a High Angle LS of an African army camp, establishing the scene, there is a very quick, forward track right, to give the impression we are going into the camp. This is followed by a MCU of what we can assume is the ‘bad guy’ as he is wearing an all black suit and an intimidating look. The MCU allows us close enough to see that his eyes are very red, making him look more evil, yet we can also see by the background that he is in the army camp – arousing questions from the audience about why his is there, and keeping them intrigued.
At 0:43 there is a CU over the shoulder shot at the card game. The director has used this shot so that we can see the reaction of ‘baddie’ Le Chiffre. The use of a close up means that the audience can now see that one of his eyes is brown, while the other is blue, with cuts around it giving him a scarier, more threatening look. At 0:49 the is a LS crab movement in the camera around the casino to once again establish the scene, and as Bond comes into shot it cuts to a MLS of him and pans left to follow his movement. This allows the audience to feel they are there in the casino with him. At 0:51 there is MS over the shoulder shot looking over Le Chiffre’s shoulder at Bond, that then moves into a super fast crane around to the other side of the table so we are looking over Bond’s shoulder at Le Chiffre. This shot is fast pace and exciting with an almost dangerous feel to it, whilst making the audience feel they have seen both sides of the action so therefore know something the characters may not.
At 1:22 there is a CU of Le Chiffre looking out of the window, the curtains either side of him frame his face, drawing us into his menacing expression.
At 1:42 Low angle shot of James swimming through the water towards Vesper is an underwater backwards track. The camera then cuts to a POV shot from Bond’s point of view as it is now a forward track as if going towards Vesper, putting the audience right in the action again. At 2:10 there is an ECU of Le Chiffre’s eyes, this brings the action in very close so we can feel his piercing glare and his red scared eye is quite disturbing.

Video Clips

I have made notes on a series of video clips about what to consider when film making. These clips were from the website 'launching films.tv', if you would like to view these clips, the website is linked to my blog.

Release of a film
* Who is the audience?
* How much money are we going to spend – set appropriate budget for how much we think its going to take in UK box office
* To promote it; speak to media partners, radio, Are talent going to travel? Should we have a premier? Shall we spend the money on outdoor posters, Tv, newspapers, online.

Positioning & Audiences
* Define audience – does the film speak to a certain age group?
* What’s its Specific genre?
* Who directed the film? In Specialised films the audience know a lot about certain director s and actors, you must target your film to that audience.

Target Audience
* For smaller films identifying and focusing in on target audience is even more important
* Huge amount of research. Comparisons with past films – Who has gone? (age? gender?) How frequently they went. Where they go to view films.
* You can never be certain of target audience but try to pinpoint it as best as possible.
* Film decision making process is very different for different ages. 45+ need advertising reinforced in TV and newspapers, it takes them more time to make the decision to go. Whereas teenagers will make spur of the moment decisions.

Competition
* Huge amount of films, you need to stand above competition to get noticed
* Why do they want to see yours? Why is your poster more exciting?
* Lots of factors such as Holidays and weather affect audience viewing patterns. If there’s school holidays or bad weather people go to the cinema more. When its sunny people are outside more so it’s good to use more outdoor poster advertising.

P&A Budget
* All costs of film prints, all technical elements, shipping etc.
* Advertising costs; designing posters, press ads, Tv ads, trailers
* Deciding where we want to advertise and how best to use money
* What is target market? Where are they going to see the advertising? Tv ads, if these are too expensive then radio ads – reach wide audience.

Word of Mouth
* Critical! It depends when you want word of mouth for your movie. If they get the movie early and they are sure it will receive strong positive word of mouth then preview screenings can be arranged up and down the country.
* Work with media partners, newpapers, radio, Tv programmes, cinema chain to run the advanced screenings.
* Positive word of mouth from a friend is far more likely to inspire a trip to the cinema than, for example, reading about a film.
* How long a film runs for depends on whether it received positive or negative word of mouth.

Marketing Plan
* Two main methods Advertising and Press more expensive
* Adverts are more expensive - in magazines newspapers, Tv, radio, internet
* Press (free forms of advertising) support from director and cast. Features in magazines and newspapers. Interviews with directors etc.
* Out door adverts, billboards, buses, bus shelters etc.
* Word of mouth – screening programmes
* Internet; email, viral campaigns – eg. funny film clip, provokes interest

Film Trailers
* Trailers most important key for selling film – audiences first exposure to
what your buying into.
* Must have right image - down to the way the graphics, sound, concept of
concept of film is portrayed.

Link Between
* Convince cinema to take film – you need to sell it
* Independent films are more difficult to sell

Digital Marketing
* Viral marketing is creating something (video, quiz, game) that because of its nature you send it on if it’s sent to you.
* Most effective marketing is word of mouth.

Test Screening
* Research is important but comes into play in different times.
* You can research Poster ideas, ideas of visuals, trailers, if it’s meeting people’s expectations, communicating in correct way.
* Test screening of movies in advance with target audience – questionnaires at the end. Focus groups asked in depth on their views. Movie endings or parts may be changed because of these results.

Persuading Cinemas
* Convince cinemas to take film – you need to sell it.
* Independent films are more difficult to sell. You need to find somewhere to put it.

Opening Weekend
* Very important. Exhibitors work on 3 day figure, all films opening day is Friday. 3 day figure is across Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
* If your film has made the least amount of money then it is taken off. Holdovers are based on how much money you make on opening weekend so it determines whether the film continues playing.

Piracy
* UK piracy had escalated in the last 5 years – in 2006 it counted for 20% of DVD sales.
* You think your getting a bargain, but you’re getting ripped of for inferior quality and money is going to criminal elements.

Horror Shot Analysis

1.) Describe your shot and identify in what ways it could be seen as representing ‘horror’
Our shot is of a young white male. He is in a dark room and is therefore in a lot of shadow, except for one hand held spotlight which illuminates the left side of him, but creating shadows under his eyes and chin which distort him. I believe that this shot could definitely be seen as representing horror. This is because due to the big contrast in light it is very dramatic. The actor has a menacing look upon his face, and the light has distorted him making him seem threatening and disturbing, therefore we can assume he is the villain, creeping around in the shadows, a typical horror plot line. We can faintly see an arch above him signifying that he is in some kind of basement or dark underground lair, and the fact that he is in these surrounding connote a recluse, a murderer or even a monster, as stereotypically the basement is where the “monster” lives in a house, so this greatly enhances the horror feel of the shot.

2.) What did you actually do to achieve this affect?
To achieve this affect we went down into the school basement where it was pitch black therefore the only form of light was the hand held one. We didn’t put any filter on the light making the contrast of the light greater, therefore the affect more intense. The actor is standing under the arch of the basement to create a frame within a frame. Additionally we asked the actor to stand in a threatening pose with an intimidating expression on his face, to make him appear more frightening making the horror theme more obvious. We did not put the flash on as it would have made the shot far too bright and harsh and it would have ruined the dark mysterious style of the shot. We took a MLS so that you can see that he is in a completely dark room, completely alone.

3.) What do you think is successful about your shot?
I think our shot is very successful because the Mise-en-scene reflects many of the key themes of horror. I think the location is perfect for a horror scene. The underground basement feel and the never ending darkness around him make it seem like there’s no escape, no way out. Additionally the actor is directly addressing the audience, which draws you in a makes you feel like he’s watching you, like you are his next victim. To add to this I think the underlighting is very effective as it leaves one side of him in shadows creating mystery, and it distorts the other side of him brilliantly making him appear very frightening and disturbing.

4.) What would you do differently in hindsight?
In hindsight I would change a few things if I was to do this shoot again. The shot that turned out to be the best was the one that we didn’t plan – it was just spur of the moment as we realised our surrounding would create a very strong shot. Therefore I would’ve liked to have really planned it and taken more than one in that area to see if they all turned out as good. Additionally I would have not had the actor holding his own light I would have someone sitting on the floor (in the shadows so they can’t be seen) shining the light up on the actor. Or I would have the actor holding a torch or lantern to make it part of the scene not just a spotlight. As well as this I would’ve liked to put the actor in scarier clothes because in this shot you can clearly see that he wearing an everyday t shirt and shirt, however if he was wearing all black or a long coat or cloak I think he would’ve looked even scarier and therefore the shot would’ve been even more disturbing.

THR Feedback

Well Done Hannah - a great start - lots of detail and discussion of effects. Loving the pink as well!

Shot Sequence from Sin City

Shot 1

Low-key lighting, black and white, MCU. High angle shot and wooden panels for background show he is lying on the floor, this makes the man appear very weak and vulnerable and also suggests he has been injured.
He is pointing a gun upwards, as if about to aim, suggesting someone is above him. The gun means he is either attacking someone or defending himself. His hand is holding his ear, possibly because he is trying to block out the sound of the gunshot, or because of an injury.

Shot 2

High angle, low-key lighting, black & white, LS. We now see a man standing over the lying man. The standing man also has a gun and is pointing it directly at the lying man, the high angle shows the standing man has more power and makes the lying man seem even more defenceless. We now see that the man is lying on a pier, this makes him more vulnerable as if the standing man was to kill him, he could dispose of the body easily and quickly by throwing it in the sea. The lying man has changed position slightly - no longer holding his ear, this could be because he is no longer planning to shoot as the other man has threatened him.

Shot 3

ELS, black & white, and low-key lighting. Now there are 2 men standing, making the lying man even more vulnerable as he is outnumbered and on the floor. One man is leaning over him menacingly, as if he is shouting at him, and the lying man has his knees bent upwards, as a form of defence. The man further left looks like the boss, he is wearing long black coat, which makes him seem more threatening. Also, he’s standing back, as if getting the other guy to do his dirty work. The “Boss’s” left hand is raised – it is unclear, but he could be talking into a mobile phone, or walkie-talkie further implying that he is the boss. The sky is dark and cloudy showing it is night, making the scene scarier and more eerie. You can see dim lights in the background from buildings and boats but they seem very far away, so the lying man is very isolated. We can now also see a girl on the edge of the pier, suggesting she has been kidnapped and that maybe the lying man came as an attempt to rescue her.

Shot 4

LS, black & white, low-key lighting, same angle as the previous shot but zoomed in, a tighter frame, this increases the tension of the sequence. Now only one standing man, directly pointing a gun at the lying man’s head, as if about to shoot. The standing man’s long coat is flared out, so it must be windy. This adds to the eerie dark weather which directly reflects an eerie scene. Additionally the flowing coat makes the man seem all the more powerful, dominant and frightening
We can see the girl in the shadows still her head is bowed, as if she could be crying, or looking away as she doesn’t want to see the man be killed.

Shot 5

CU, black & white, and there is low-key lighting. The girl is very young only about 7 years old, and she is crying. This is most likely because the lying man (who she may know) is about to be shot or has been shot, and also because she is scared and lonely and probably the victim of a kidnapping. She is looking longingly slightly downwards and her line of sight indicates she could be looking at the lying man, implying they have a connection.

Shot 6

ELS, black & white, and there is low-key lighting. The lying man no longer has his knees up, implying he could have just been shot. One standing man is sitting on one of the poles, making it a less intense situation as he is no longer being threatened and threatening the man. Both men have their hands in their pockets. This relaxed pose suggests it hasn’t fazed them at all, implying they witnesses murder regularly and have done it all before. The smoky background enhances the sinister atmosphere making the photo more atmospheric and eerie.


At first we read the images by making assumptions as to what the story is and how it will turn out. The director has greatly varied the shot types, distances and angles. He has done this to give more information to the audience but not all at once, nothing is made completely obvious, things become clearer slowly – this way the audience stays interested and the suspense and tension are built up to make the experience more thrilling and exciting.