Camera Analysis of Meaning Revision

Technical aspects to consider in your analysis

Composition - where objects and people are positioned in the frame.

Think about the space in between people - what could this mean about their relationship?

Who is closer to the camera/bigger in the shot (takes up more room) - what could this say about power?

Looking & Lead Room - when filming a conversation (shot rev/shot) there needs to be space in front of the subject looking off screen

Difference & opposites - are the subjects shot separately? Is this positioned in the frame to show they are facing/conflict with each other?

Perspective & focus - who is in the foreground, who is in the background, who is in focus?

Rule of 3rds - who is framed bigger in the shot, where is our eye drawn to in the shot - is this a character or a face?

Angle


Low angle - to show power, dominance, superiority

High Angle - to show subordinate, weaker, subjugated

Shot type (some)

CU - intense, confrontational - in your face, shows reactions/emotions, personal, shows importance, detail, often picks out the key characters in a crowd, claustrophobic

LS - can show a character as isolated, lonely, abandoned

Movement


Pan
Track
Zoom
Arc

Can be shot smoothly or erratically - what could this say about youth or old, male & female?

Focus

Usually crisp & clear so we can see everything clearly. Can have a pull-focus where the object is brought into focus from blurry (eg regaining consciousness) or switching importance from one thing to another - again POwer? Soft focus is a feminine way of softening the shot making everything look dreamlike

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe2PqbUk0bU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z68dMBAAn-k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd2YUPGovQw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BFD8sEEfLw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1japIhKU9I