Cinematography
In the film "se7en" there is a scene where the camera displays many uses of angles and movements that are conventional to a thriller. At the start of the scene, there is a handheld camera angle of Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman searching a room. This portrays the urgency of the situation as they think the killer is here, which makes the film a bit more chaotic as the characters rush around. The audience relate to this as they also feel as if they are there rushing around, so the audience are able to build a relationship with the characters on screen, this kind of panic is conventional to a thriller.
The very next shot is a point of view of the swat officers going into the room with the air fresheners hanging on the ceiling. The point of view is used to see it from the perspective and again to further emphasize the relationship between the audience and the characters. This also creates suspense as we don't why the air fresheners are there or if the killer is even in the apartment. This type of movement is conventional to a thriller as it creates suspense even for the characters.
In the next shot, we see a low angle shot of the swat officer named California as he touches an air freshener and then looks into a room with his gun aimed. This shows the power that is behind the character and also his bravery. It's a low angle to show the audience that the character himself is not in any danger, therefore the audience can identify him as a strong character later on in the film. This type of angle on a protagonist is conventional to a thriller as it is building a relationship with the audience and the characters.
Another movement the camera does is when they find the victim the camera zooms in onto the word "sloth" written on the wall. This is used so that there is focus to the subject that is being zoomed in. The audience focus as this has dramatic impact on the story and it also the audience build a relationship with the subject of the zoom in. This is conventional to a thriller.
There is an close up as the detective looks at the pictures of the victim, there is some background but it is all blurred out. This is done convey the importance of the pictures, as this is leading evidence of what the killer has done. This then grabs the audiences' attention as they focus on the pictures, the characters are also paying close attention to the photo's which makes us feel as if we are there, therefore, it further builds up a relationship between the audience and the characters on screen. This is conventional to a thriller.
In the next shot, we see a low angle shot of the swat officer named California as he touches an air freshener and then looks into a room with his gun aimed. This shows the power that is behind the character and also his bravery. It's a low angle to show the audience that the character himself is not in any danger, therefore the audience can identify him as a strong character later on in the film. This type of angle on a protagonist is conventional to a thriller as it is building a relationship with the audience and the characters.
Another movement the camera does is when they find the victim the camera zooms in onto the word "sloth" written on the wall. This is used so that there is focus to the subject that is being zoomed in. The audience focus as this has dramatic impact on the story and it also the audience build a relationship with the subject of the zoom in. This is conventional to a thriller.
There is an close up as the detective looks at the pictures of the victim, there is some background but it is all blurred out. This is done convey the importance of the pictures, as this is leading evidence of what the killer has done. This then grabs the audiences' attention as they focus on the pictures, the characters are also paying close attention to the photo's which makes us feel as if we are there, therefore, it further builds up a relationship between the audience and the characters on screen. This is conventional to a thriller.
You have provided a good analysis (to an extent) of the various camera techniques identified, explaining what they create and the relationship that can be built to an extent.
ReplyDeleteYou need to:
1) Include an introduction defining what cinematography is and explaining the clip you have chosen and why
2) Make sure you elaborate on all points made, explaining what the technique helps to create and how a relationship is formed with the audience and the characters involved, as well as whether it is conventional of the genre and WHY
3) Include a conclusion to explain how this research will help you plan what you will include within your own sequence and whether the cinematography used helped to create a conventional thriller sequence