Evaluation - "The Meeting"

Evaluation

For our sequence we did a police officer and arresting a student for our chosen storyline. We used this because we could use the editing to portray a different meaning for each cut. However we found that the editing intertwines with the cinematography, as for the first shot we didn’t use a cut but a continual shot to give the police officer (me) authority and power in the eyes of the spectator. We used a continual shot because the next part of the “film” is just of me walking and so we used this technique to build on tension and suspense.
The next still of my feet walking we used the edit match on action as in the “film” the camera will go beyond my feet and track along the carpet. It then switches from the carpet I’m on to the carpet Amy’s on. We thought that is was a good technique because it shows a significant link between the two characters, showing that they will meet at some point during the “film”, hence why the title is “The meeting”.
The third edit is when Amy is in the classroom waiting to be arrested. We used a sort of cheat cut as we don’t waste time in actually showing you what time the clock says at first. We used this shot first of Amy looking nervous because it show how scared she is and how much anxiety was built up in her and at this point the spectator still has not idea what’s going on only that there will be a meeting of the two characters.
After this we used a straight cut from Amy to the clock to show that it’s four minutes to one and it forces the audience to conclude that Amy is expecting to be arrested at precisely one o’clock. This cut was used because we knew that it would heighten the sense of suspension and anxiety for the audience.
I think that this fifth cut was the best one as we portrayed that the camera zooms in towards the clock even further then used a graphic match then zoom out to reveal my handcuffs. We used this because the audience will now know that I’m a police officer and Amy is about to be arrested. We used this graphic match because we thought that now we’ve finally given away the plot, the audience will now included in the “film”. This cut yet again links the two characters together, showing that their meeting is evitable and is about to come very soon.
From my handcuffs to my feet used a straight cut because we thought that this will bring the audience back into the confusion they felt to begin with. It creates a feeling of uncertainty because it is prolonging the meeting of the two main characters.
In this cut we used a the transition fade from my feet to the clock showing that its now a few minutes past one, making the audience think that now that I’m late the meeting between the two characters is never going to come and that the film has no purpose what so ever.
Amy looks relieved in the next shot showing making the audience think she is also off the hook. We had this idea from Alfred Hitchcock films because he used the technique that builds up tension only to have nothing happen then suddenly a huge amount of tension is built all at once.
We then used another clear cut straight from Amy to the door handle opening very slowly to build the tension that vanished in the last shot, renewing the sense of anxiety and suspense in the eyes of the spectator.
In this shot, there was a lot of cinematography intertwined with the editing; I thought that this was also one of the best shots because of its cinematic quality. We used a jump cut from the door handle to the point where the door has already been opened so that we didn’t use a time consuming shot of the door actually being pushed open as it wasn’t relevant to the film. In this shot there was a point of view shot as well as both types of depth of field. The shallow depth of field is the door with my hand on it, to place me in the frame, which is from my point of view which gives me the importance in that shot. Amy is in the deep depth of field as she is out of focus and this gives her less authority than me. This shot also shows that the two characters have finally met and the deep and shallow depth of field shows that.
We used another clear cut from the door to Amy’s eyes looking scared, which shows the urgency of the situation and places the spectator in the film again so that they empathise on Amy’s feeling of fright, panic and anxiety.
After this we used a shot reverse shot, between Amy’s eye and mine reflecting on each one of the characters emotions and body language. Amy’s body language is tense showing she’s scared and mine is relaxed but also slightly intimidating because I know I have more power over Amy.
This shot is the continued cut of the shot reverse shot because in the last shot Amy is looking up at me and there is another point of view shot from me. In some way we also used another straight cut because it jumps from my eyes to Amy’s eyes then to my point of view what I’m seeing through my eyes. The “film” then ends on a parallel between the two characters, concluding “The Meeting” between them.

Elephant

Title: Elephant
Director: Gus Van Sant

Setting: USA, 2003

• Tilt shot up to the sky- possible time lapse as it shows day turning into night



• Airel shot following car



• Panning shot following John when he looks down at the damage of the car and then follows him back into the car



• Facial shot of John father, and camera stays on John's Dad whilst they converse



• Shallow depth of field see people in background blurred and people who Elias is talking to stays in focus



• 360 degree panning shot when Elias is taking pictures of the couple



• Small time laspe editing e.g when "Alex" is in the bathroom then we're in the canteen and he pops up again



• Tracking shot following John- always stays at the back of his head



• Close up on John's face when he is on the phone



• Shallow depth of field, John stays in focus on the phone and the teacher stays blurry



• When boys are playing football on the field there is a deep depth of field, boys stay in focus and the people on the far side of the field are carrying on with traininig etc.



• Tracking shot of guy in lifeguard jumper camera satys behind his head



• Spectator is involved in the film following everyone's story from their "memory"



• Sinsister dark lighting suggest sinsiter events will happen



• Slow motion of John playing with the dog- suggests photographic moment significance of some kind to film



• Over the shoulder shot of guy in red jumper then tracking shot in front of him which doesn't usually happen with other characters



• Tracking shot along desk suggests a link between all characters at some point during the film, though at that point so no acknowledgement of each other



• Voices sound distorted when John is alone in the room and when the girl comes over and starts talking- close up shot of John's upset face



• 360 degree panning shot and close up of teachers and students faces in disscussion group



• Shallow depth of field focused on faces not on the background of classroom which is blurred



• Lighting is dark on the couple - something bad coming their way??



• Tracking shot of John again at the back of his head



• 2 boys walking in army get up - mysterious characters?



• Red notebook- significance to film- later find out he is planning the attack



• Colour red used in all shots- jumper, t-shirt, notebook, lights at school, body warmer, trousers- all signify danger



• Tracking shot on all the characters and always stays behind their heads



• Lots of facial shots of all the character at one point or another



• Switches from one story to other- hard to keep up with them - always picked up from whre we left each story. All stories intertwine at some point



• Spectator is always in with each person's lives and personal business- almost as if we are observing them as well



• Zooming in shot of person on laptop- definate significance to the film



• Tilt shot to sky again used for time lapse- bright into dark



• Shallow depth of field- we're focusing on the TV and there are people in a delivery van outside which is blurred



• Deep depth of field- only close ups of the people shooting everyone everything else is blurred



• Use of 3 shades of blue- once when everything was normal (light blue) when dark things were happening (dark blue) and when it ended (normal bluish colour)



• Deep depth of field when shooter is walking towards camera- camera stays where it is perons face is only in focus when he's right in front of the camera



• Photograph- significance to film captures particlaur moments of time