HOW CAMERA SHOTS ARE USED IN OPENING

SEQUENCES TO CREATE MEANING –

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

SURAJ RAM

CLOSE UP – THE CLOSE UP ON THE CHARACTERS FACE EMPATHISES GREAT DEPTH OF THE CHARACTERS EMOTIONS AND FACIAL EXPRESSIONS OF DISTRESS AND TERROR, FROM HER FACE WE CAN SEE THAT SHE IS FRIGHTENED OF THE MAN THAT IS IN FRONT OF HER, YOU KNOW THIS AS HIS FACE IS SEEN IN THE REFLECTION OF THE GLASS. THIS CAMERA ANGLE HIGHLIGHTS BOTH CHARACTERS EMOTIONS AS IT ZOOMS INTO HER FACE, WHILST SHOWING HIM, EXPRESSING AN ANGRY EMOTION YET STILL SMIRKING, PATRONISING THE WOMAN. THE BACKGROUND HAS BEEN BLURRED OUT AS ITS INSIGNIFICANT. SHE IS ALSO IN A VULNERABLE POSITION AND ALTHOUGH THE CAMERA IS ON HER, THE ANTAGONIST IS STILL DOMINATING THE SCENE. WE CAN ALSO SUGGEST THAT SHE IS ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN THE FILM.

EXTREME CLOSE UP – THIS CHARACTERS EXPRESSION SHOWS DEEP EMOTION OF FEAR AND ANXIETY AS THE CHARACTER HAS JUST WITNESSED SOMETHING WHICH IS DISTRESSING WHICH WOULD BE LOOKED UPON AS SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY TO HER, SHOWING HOW ABNORMAL IT IS. SHE LOOKS AS IF SHE’S STUNNED YET IS CONTEMPLATING WHAT TO DO NEXT WHILST THINKING ABOUT WHAT SHE HAS JUST EXPERIENCED. THIS SETS THE VIBE OF THE FILM AS WE KNOW TO EXPECT SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN AND CREATES AN ENIGMA TO THE AUDIENCE AS THEY’LL WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED.

MEDIUM SHOT – IN THIS MEDIUM SHOT WE CAN SEE THE COSTUMES THE CHARACTERS ARE WEARING, WE CAN CLEARLY SEE THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ON MAN, HOWEVER THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ON THE WOMAN ARE HARDER TO IDENTIFY, THIS IS BECAUSE MORE OF THE CAMERA IS ON THE MAN, AS HE IS MORE DOMINANT IN THIS SCENE, HE IS ALSO STANDING UP WHEREAS SHE IS SITTING, MAKING HER LOWER THAN HIM, WHICH HE BELITTLES HER AND MAKES HIMSELF MORE SUPERIOR THAN HER. IN THE SHOT YOU CAN SEE HE IS RESTRAINED FROM COMING OUT AS HE HAS BEEN LOCKED UP, YOU CAN SEE THE ANTAGONIST IS THE MAN, AS HE IS STANDING AND IS PATRONISING HER. THE MAN IS SMILING IN THIS SCENE WHEREAS THE WOMAN LOOKS DISTRESSED AND WORRIED, WHICH CAN BE SUGGEST THAT HE'S HAPPY BECAUSE HE'S FEELING SUPERIOR AS HE IS MAKING HER FEEL INFERIOR.

EXTREME LONG SHOT – THIS SHOWS US A LOCATION OF WHERE THE FILM MAY BE SET OR A PLACE WHICH COULD BE KEY TO THE STORYLINE. WE CAN SEE IT IS SET IN A ISOLATED ABANDONED WOODS AS THE MAIN CHARACTER IS DISPLAYED IN THE WOODS, THE CHARACTER IS STRUGGLING TO GET UP A HILL, THIS COULD SUGGEST THAT SHE IS TRYING TO RUN AWAY FROM SOMEONE/SOMETHING. THE ATMOSPHERE IS GLOOMY AND MISTY WHICH COULD INDICATE THAT THERE IS STILL A PRESENCE IN THE WOODS AND ENHANCES THE IDEA OF ISOLATION AND ABANDONMENT.

LONG SHOT- THIS LONG SHOT SPECIFICALLY EMPATHISES ON THE BRUTALITY OF THE FILM. AS DISPLAYED, A MAN HAS BEEN MURDERED IN A VERY BRUTAL MANNER, FROM THE CLOTHES THE MAN IS WEARING, IT COULD BE SUGGESTED THAT HE IS A POLICE OFFICER, AND THE SETTING IS OF A PRISON, THEREFORE IT COULD BE INFERRED THAT THE KILLING MAY HAVE BEEN DONE BY A CONVICT. THE MAN HAS BEEN HUNG UP IN FRONT OF THE PRISON BARS, THIS SHOWS HOW SADISTIC THE KILLER IS, AS HE WANTS EVERYONE TO SEE WHAT HE HAS DONE; THIS COULD BE A THEME USED THROUGHOUT THE FILM. BLOOD IS SHOWN ALL OVER THE MAN, HIS BODY LOOKS DISTORTED. THE EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF BLOOD AND BRUTALITY REPRESENTS THE GENRE OF THE FILM WHICH IS HORROR.

HIGH ANGLE SHOT – THIS HIGH ANGLE SHOT SHOWS THE ANTAGONIST WITH BLOOD SMOTHERED ON HIS FACE, HIS HEAD IS UP, WHILST HIS EYES ARE CLOSED; THIS COULD BE BECAUSE HE’S TAKING INTO ACCOUNT WHAT HE HAS DONE. BEHIND THE MAN, YOU CAN SEE A DEAD BODY, THE MURDER WAS MOST LIKELY DONE BY THE MAN AS HE IS COVERED IN THE VICTIMS BLOOD. THE VICTIM COULD BE BELIEVED TO BE A POLICE OFFICER AS THE WEAPONRY THAT IS LEFT ON THE FLOOR WOULD MOST LIKELY BELONG TO ONE. IN THE SETTING, YOU CAN SEE THE PRISON BARS AGAIN- THIS FOLLOWS THE IDEA THAT THE ANTAGONIST IS A VICTIM WHICH KILLS POLICE OFFICERS. THE ASPECT OF GORE IS IN THIS SHOT.

LOW ANGLE SHOT- IN THIS SHOT WE ARTE SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN EYE LEVEL. IN THIS SHOT IT ALLOWS YOU TO SEE BOTH THE ANTAGONIST AND THE PROTAGONIST. THE WOMAN LOOKS VERY DISTRESSED AND SCARED WHEREAS THE MAN, LOOKS AS IF HE IS BEING SNARKY. YOU CAN SEE THAT HE IS HIGHER THAN THE WOMAN, SHOWING THAT HE IS DOMINATING THE SCENE AND SHE IS INFERIOR TO HIM. THE WOMAN IS ALMOST STEPPING AWAY FROM HIM; WHILST HE HAS HIS ARMS OUT, MAKING HIMSELF LOOK BIGGER AND THREATENING, THE WOMAN IS SHOWN LOOKING TIMID, SHOWING THAT SHE IS FRIGHTENED OF THE MAN, THE GLOOMY LIGHTING CREATES THE IDEA THAT SOMETHING BAD HAS HAPPENED OR IS GOING TO HAPPEN, WHICH THEY ARE BOTH ARE AWARE OF WHEREAS ARE SHARING DIFFERENT REACTIONS. THE LOW ANGLE ALSO CREATES FEAR.

TRACK SHOTTRACK- WE SEE A TRACK SHOT WHEN THE CAMERA FOLLOWS THE VICTIM THROUGH ALONG THE LONG PATHWAY TO SEE THE CRIMINAL, THE TRACKING SHOT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE SHE IS BEING WATCHED, YOU CAN SEE HER BE VULNERABLE AS SHE IS WALKING AT A VERY SLOW PACE .THE TRACKING SHOT AS A WHOLE IS VERY SLOW PACED WHICH CREATES ANXIETY AND APPREHENSION, IT ALSO MAKES THE SHOT FEEL VERY MORBID AS WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, YOU CAN ALMOST FEEL THE BUILD UP OF A CLIMAX.

PAN SHOTPAN SHOT – A PAN SHOT IS USED WHEN WE SEE THE CAMERA MOVE LEFT TO RIGHT, FROM THE MANS FACE TO THE WOMAN'S. BOTH FACES HAVE DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS, THE MAN IS DISPLAYED WITH A SNIDE EXPRESSION, WHEREAS THE WOMAN IS SHOWN, LOOKING SCARED AND VULNERABLE. THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS SHOW THAT THE MAN HAS SAID SOMETHING THAT IS REMOTELY DISTRESSING TO THE WOMAN, WHICH HE IS HAPPY ABOUT, HE CONTINUES ATTEMPTING TO PATRONISE HER, AND THE PAN SHOT HELPS CAPTURE HER EMOTION, DIRECTLY AFTER HE HAS SAID SOMETHING WHICH IS PAINFUL TO HER.

• TILT – IN THIS SCENE WE SEE A TILT AFTER THE CRIMINAL HAS ATTACKED THE OFFICER. THE TILT HOW SADISTIC THE KILLER AND THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG. THE TILT IS ALSO USED TO CUT BACK TO THE VICTIMS TO SEE HOW THEY HAVE BEEN LEFT. THE TILT IS USED TO SHOW THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG AND IT IS THE BEGINNING OF A MASSACRE.

• ZOOM- IN THIS SCENE WE CAN SEE THE CAMERA ZOOMING INTO THE WOMAN’S FACE. THE CAMERA TURNS TO THE LEFT AND ZOOMS INTO THE KILLERS SNIDE FACIAL EXPRESSION THE CAMERA THEN THE CAMERA QUICKLY TURNS TO THE VICTIMS FACE WHICH CREATES A JUMP/SCARE SCENE AS THE VICTIM HESITATES WHICH MAKES THE AUDIENCE HESITATE, THE BACKGROUND IS MONOTONOUS AND GLOOMY, SHE IS ALSO IN A VULNERABLE STATE AS SHE IS UNAWARE OF WHAT'S OCCURRING AT THAT PRESENT MOMENT.

• CUT - THIS CUTS FROM A LONG SHOT AS WE CAN SEE THE LOCATION AROUND THE CHARACTERS TO A MEDIUM SHOT SHOWING THE WOMAN’S FACIAL EXPRESSION, SHE IS STUNNED AND TERRIFIED AS SHE HAS JUST WITNESSED SOMETHING SHE HAS NEVER BEFORE IN THIS CASE IT IS WHAT THE ANTAGONIST IS SAYING.

• PACE – THE PACE STARTS OFF SLOW, WHILST THE VICTIM STARTS RUNNING IN THE WOODS, HOWEVER THEN SHE STARTS RUNNING FASTER AS SHE IS WORRIED AN SCARED WHICH THEN THE PACE DRAMATICALLY SLOWS DOWN AS SHE SEE’S SOMEONE THEREFORE SLOWS DOWN, THIS IS ALSO WHEN SHE GOES UP THE ROPE, AS THE PACE DIFFERS WE EXPERIENCE A LOT OF EMOTIONS THERE IS ALSO TENSION AND SUSPENSE, THIS ALSO MAKES US QUESTION WHAT IS GOING ON, THIS ALSO CREATES AN ENGIMA.

• PERFORMANCE - FROM THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CHARACTERS WE CAN SEE THAT THE WOMAN IS VULNERABLE AND DISPLAYED LITTLE IN THE OPENING SCENE HOWEVER SHE IS SHOWN AS SHE DOES NOT GIVE UP WHICH IS A FOLLOWING THEME AROUND THE FILM.

• WE ARE ALSO INTRODUCED TO A CRIMINAL WHO THE WOMAN TRIES TO GET ON BOARD TO HELP HER THIS SHOWS HIM IN A GOOD LIGHT HOWEVER WE LEARN THAT HE IS VERY MANIPULATIVE; HE ALSO ESCAPES NEAR THE END OF THE FILM, THIS SHOWS THAT THE EVIL IN HIM OVERPOWERS HIS GOOD AND THIS SHOWS HIS HUNGER TO ESCAPE AND BE FREE.

• NON DIEGETIC- IN THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS NON-DIEGETIC SOUNDS ARE ADDED TO CREATE VERY DRAMATIC, TENSED SCENES; HOWEVER THEY ARE NOT WIDELY USED. THERE IS A CONSTANT SOUNDTRACK RUNNING THROUGHOUT- AT THE END WHEN THE WOMAN OFFICER APPROACHES A CRIMINAL HOWEVER THE BUILD UP IS MADE BY ADDING NON DIETETIC SOUND WHICH RANGES FROM LOW TO HIGH, THIS MAKES IT FEEL AS IF SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND ALERTS THE AUDIENCE THE DANGER THAT SHE WILL BE FACING.

• DIEGETIC SOUND- IN THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS THE SOUNDS THAT ARE

USED ARE THINGS SUCH AS SCREAMING THROUGHOUT FROM THE VICTIMS FOR EXAMPLE WHEN THE VICTIM IS TRAPPED UNDERNEATH AND THE KILLER IS APPROACHING IN THE FILM – IT ALSO IS USED WITH THE DOG WHO IS BARKING. THE MAIN DIETETIC SOUND IS SCREAMS AND DEEP SOUNDS OF DISTRESS – IT IS ALSO USED FOR ALMOST EVIL AND SNIDE LAUGHING OF THE KILLERS.

MIS EN SCENETHIS SECTION WILL CONSIST OF. COSTUME'S, SETTINGS PROPS

• THE CHARACTERS ARE DRESSED IN THE APPROPRIATE DRESS SENSE FOR THEIR DUTY; BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IT IS SET WITH CRIMINALS AND OFFICERS, FOR EXAMPLE- IT SHOWS THE MAIN WOMAN WEARING SMART WEAR. FROM THIS PICTURE IT IS EASY TO DISTINGUISH THE CRIMINAL AND THE OFFICER. THEY ARE ALSO WEARING ATTIRE OF THEIR TIME SHOWING THAT THEY ARE IN THEIR ERA WHICH WAS 1991.

• THE LONG SHOT ESTABLISHES THE LOCATION AND THE LOCATION LOOKS REALISTIC AS IT IS COMMON CONVENTION TO HAVE AN ABANDONED AREA IN THE OPENING SCENE. IT IS ALSO LOCATED IN A PRISON WITH ONE CRIMINAL PLACED SEPARATELY, IT IS MISTY AND FOGGY THERE IS LOW KEY LIGHTING PURELY BECAUSE THE TIME OF DAY; AS DARK IS ASSOCIATED WITH EVIL THE ATMOSPHERE LOOKS VERY DULL AND SCARY.

• A ROPE IS USED AS A PROP; THIS IS BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE THE CONNOTATION THAT ALTHOUGH IT WOULD HELP THE VICTIM GET UP IT WOULD BE HARD TO HOLD AND WOULD CAUSE FRICTION WHICH WOULD MAKE THE VICTIM HURT THEM SELF. A ROPE IS ALSO UNSTABLE AND UNCERTAIN THAT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL AS A ROPE CAN BE EASILY RIPPED WITH FORCE.

• CONCLUSION

• THE ANALYSING OF MICRO ELEMENTS WILL ASSIST ME WHEN I PRODUCE MY OWN FILM OPENING AS IT GAVE ME AN INSIGHT ON ALL THE DIVERSE ANGLES AND CAMERA SHOTS ARE USED IN MOVIES AND HOW EFFECTIVE THEY ARE ON TERMS OF CREATING DIFFERENT EMOTIONS YET STILL CREATING THE OBVIOUS WHICH ARE; APPREHENSION, SUSPENSE, AMBIGUITY AND TREPIDATION. I ALSO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT MIS EN SCENE, PERFORMANCE AND SOUND TRACK IS IN ORDER TO CREATE ATMOSPHERE AND REALISM THAT IS CRUCIAL TO ACHIEVE YOU ARE AIMING FOR – IN THIS CASE BEING A HORROR FILM OPENING. BY ANALYSING ALL OF THE MICRO-ELEMENTS I NOW HAVE MORE KNOWLEDGE ON THE ENTIRE CONVENTIONS IN A HORROR MOVIE. THIS HAS ALSO GIVEN ME MANY IDEAS WHICH I CAN INCORPORATE INTO MY FILM OPENING.