Composition
The assignment had us choose the opening of a movie or TV show and find it on YouTube or Vimeo. Then, we had to paste the link first in the text box. We had to write detailed notes on paper regarding camera shots, angles, and movements and explain how the camerawork contributes to meaning, focusing on distance, movement, and angles, and consider audience emotions and reactions to characters. Then, we had to identify technical aspects like shot composition, framing (open or closed), depth of field, and use of the rule of thirds, and discuss how these contribute to meaning. The final instructions were to turn our notes into paragraphs, analyzing two minutes of the scene and explaining how the camerawork enhances meaning for the audience.
Thunderbolts Opening Fight Scene | Marvel Studios
Close-up shot (0:05-0:13), (Dolly shot (0:13-0:38), High angle shot (0:039-0:42), Tilt (0:43-0:50), Dolly shot or handheld (0:50-0:58), Tracking shot (0:59-1:01), Mid-shot (1:02-1:07), Dollyshot (1:17-1:20), Ariel/Pan (1:21-1:47), Close-up (1:52-2:00), Wide-shot (2:00-2:04), Close-up shot (2:05-2:13) Mental health plays a big role in this movie, so lots of feelings are expressed even in the first seconds of the movie. The feelings expressed in the movie really contribute to the way the camera chooses to focus on the subject and their actions. The close up shot in the beginning shows her facial expressions. She's thinking about her life, she feels numb and empty, like a void. Her facial expressions show that she doesn't really want to be in the situation she's in (0:06-0:21). The first few seconds of the scene, there was a standard focus only because there wasn't really much in the background. It shifted to a deep focus so you can see the subject but also the place that she is in, with an open frame. This scene uses the rule of thirds when she stands on the edge of the building to also show the background and how high she is. The gloomy background adds to the mood the character is in. The distance after her fight (1:13-1:17) shows the ease in the 1st assignment she completed. The ariel shot shows how much she has to deal with and how easily she can take down a certain number of people. The darkness in the room also adds to the gloominess. (1:21-1:47) The close-up shows her facial expressions in the conversation. The deep focus after the close-up shows the setting that she is in and what the other person in the room's situation is (2:00-2:04). The other subject's close-up shows his facial expressions towards the situation. The focus pull to the face scanner shows what the next part of her assignment includes (2:09-2:11-2:14).