The Oral Presentation Slideshow - The Birds (1963) 

Alfred HitchcockBy David Laurent

Link to the Birds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIDi1esvBxM

Opening shot: 0:36

Closing shot: 5:36

Why I have chosen this scene ? I have chosen this 5 minute extract because I saw some very important film language actions and interesting things to say about it.But the most thing that prompted me chose this particular scene was the “way of thinking”, the message that Alfred Hitchcock wanted to pass inside this movie.Interesting camera angle and editing, are the major part of this 5 minute extract Slideshow Presentation.

(Justification)

Editing:The editing in this movie is consequent and perfectly adequate for it. After a close up to this scene we can see that there is no incorporated errors in the editing and the nesting of the movie. All elements that indicate an apply and previewed editing here is proved by the conjunction of the two scene above.

Also, editing here has been applied in a quite a good way, but majorly to create the Kuleshov effect with the birds. With this interesting editing “theory” of Alfred Hitchcock, it works perfectly.

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Costume / props /makeup / hair:After observing this scene, I can tell you what she is dressed in a rather sober style (in black to be more exact) and that in the way she is dressed it can be deduced that she will want to reside in this beauty "impossible to access".

She has also a handbag in her left hand (this is indirectly explaining to the audience that she is right handed).

For the hairdressing, it is a typical French hairstyle of the 60's and more. Hence we can, here to, deduce that with this specific hairdressing and lipstick, she want to look stylish to prove that she comes from the high “rich” society. By the way, I remind that in the 60's the style of a person wasn’t very important (this mention social liberty).

Cinematography:Camera angles: during the first scene there is two camera angles that are fit to follow Melanie in a rather fluid way, for the audience. After the camera angle change from the side to behind her, she looks in the up direction (to the birds we suppose). What we see after that is the birds turning around a statue in the city (with the Kuleshov effect, we suppose that we see what she see).

There is after a another interesting camera movement and a direct link to the 180° rule (next two slides).

Camera angles:Right here, the camera is standing in a fix point, but is following (only on the Z axis) Melanie up the stairs.

1:03

1:09

Camera angles:There is the use of the 180° rule here when Melanie was discussing with Mrs. Bundy. With these camera angle, there is a respect of the 180° rule because we see in the right order the two people talking, with this close-up on their faces, while keeping the two camera invisible from each other.

180°’s rule have been used many time in this movie, but here in the beginning, it is the first time it is use for the interaction of these two people.

Thanks!Sources:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIDi1esvBxMhttps://learn.pamojaeducation.com/courses/97/module/804/lesson/11920/lesson

Created by David Laurent