Camerawork and editing: Minority Report analysis

Shot 1:

Medium Shot (MS)

The medium shot shows the guards(?) from the main character's point of view. The medium shot allows the audience to clearly see a group of people, all wearing the same uniform with helmets and weapons and this signifies that they are probably characters with authority(e.g. the police) ; there is an escalator in the background which tells us that the scene is located in a public place. The fact that no bystanders seems shocked by their appearance could signify a lot about the type of society they are living in(Police attacks are a regular occurrence). They're standing together in an organised huddle and they are all staring in the same direction(towards the camera) with an angry/determined expression which indicates to the reader that they're against the main character, they are trying to capture him. By using so many characters, it could suggest that the main character is incredibly skilled and dangerous. This could excite the audience as the main character's ability could help instigate several fights and dangerous stunts.

Establishing Shot/Wide shot(ES/WS)

This shot introduces the urban setting which is set in an alleyway. It has dark themes and is shrouded in shadows and dark colours. This tells us the story has quite dark/dangerous themes. However, there are light sources in the background which could potentially indicate that there is still hope. This shot focuses on the setting more than any characters. The abandoned, broken down car suggests the area they are in is fairly poor and the crime rate is potentially high(this is common in poverty-stricken areas, run down). This is a large contrast to the high-tech, clean setting that was shown earlier. This could potentially mean that the government neglects certain parts of society.

Close Up(CU)
This zoom on the main characters face allows us to learn a lot about him. His expression does not look nervous or afraid;he looks more annoyed, as though someone is causing an inconvenience. 

Waterloo Road

Three Camera Shots:
Opening shot-medium shot:
The clip begins in a school car park and we see students marching out, visibly angry. This introduces us to the scene and we can tell it's set in a high school so a fight between teenagers is probably going to take place. More students are coming out from around corners/through the doors etc... which tells the audience it's most likely going to be a large fight with an audience to rile on the fighters.This excites the audience as they're anticipating action and getting ready for a brawl.

Establishing shot:
At 0:55 we see a wide shot of a school field with two large groups of students on either side. The group on the hill seems more excited and amused by the argument whereas the other group on the ground seems to be more angry and frustrated. The students on the hill are on a higher level which could suggest they have the upper hand/advantage in the fight and are more likely to win. Also, it seems the students on the hill are from a different school so they're less likely to be punished by the teachers which could be adding to their confidence.

Over the shoulder shot:
At 1:53 we can see the fight from "over the shoulder" of the teacher, he's on the phone but quickly hangs up. From his point of view, we see pairs of students rushing towards each other, ready for a fight. There's a large influx of students who seem to gather from all areas of the school. It's harder to distinguish between those fighting and the crowd. This has the potential to frustrate the audience as it's extremely difficult to decipher what is happening. This has been done so the audience can relate to the teachers frustrations as they're trying to help students out but they are unable to do so as they can't see what is happening.

Two Camera shots:
Low angle shot:
At 0:11, we are introduced to three girls. A low angle has been utilised to indicate that these girls are supposed to look intimidating and powerful. The shot is supposed to be from the viewpoint of the other students and this could clearly symbolise the power that the girls have. It could also indicate that they are "looking down" on the other students, in a mocking or pitiful way.

Eye level shot/POV shot
This shot is put into use throughout the course of the fight (starting at 1:35). Although the camera angle sometimes changes, it's mainly at eye level. This is effective because it makes it seem as though we are seeing it from the view of a student and it makes the fight more vivid as we are following the students eyes. Therefore, the shots are definitely faster and more abrupt which is a change from the usually smooth movement of the camera. It's a clever technique as the shots match the pace of the fight rather than going slow.

Analyse the camera movement:
Beginning:
The camera is quite relaxed and it matches the mood: not too fast but it's quite shaky in places which could signify the pupils anger. It's clear a dolly hasn't been used as the camera bumps a bit. Panning has been used though only once or twice to show the students more clearly. The panning at 0:05 makes the audience feel as though it's part of the students, watching the girls while walking towards them.

Middle:
The camera keeps switching between both groups and it speeds up a bit to match the students retorts and insults. The audience is left on the edge of their seat as the pace of the clip has sped up and the fight is becoming more likely. The sense of realism is lost as the camera positions have changed and the camera focuses on the entire cast instead of trying to portray the scene from the view point of one character.

The Fight:
During the fight, the camera moves very quickly so it can keep up with the fight. This is effective as it accurately shows how much action is going on. The shots are quick and short, constantly changing. Once the fight has been broken up, the camera returns to normal, moving slowly and more smoothly.

Blog feedback and Learner Response

WWW-An excellent start to the course, Taranpreet! You have clearly begun to understand, and to accurately use, media terminology such as denotation and connotation. This is clear when you use words such as ‘evoke sympathy’, ‘Star Power’ and ‘consumer’ appropriately. Keep this up and add more from your media glossary to push your analysis. A very interesting use of colour in your Fruit Bowl task and a good attempt at detail in your LIAR film poster analysis. You have understood representation perfectly. Well done!

EBI-Please embed the Sherlock clip in your introductory blog post and you seem to be missing your analysis of your own advert? Try and use the extended level of analysis that will push you up to the level 7/8 that you desire!

LR: Please complete a Denotation / Connotation / Analysis of your own chosen advert and embed the Sherlock clip in the right place. Then, reflect on your first month of Media. What do you feel is your strongest piece of work so far? What is your weakest? What specific skills or knowledge do you need to develop over the rest of the course? How can you improve the depth and detail of your media analysis?

Camera Shots Practice

Wide Shot/Establishing shot (WS/ES)

 It is used to introduce a location or to set the scene. Therefore, we used it for our first shot so the audience gets a better understanding of what is happening. In this scene, two girls are arguing and one girl looks visibly frustrated/upset. 

  For this image, we used a medium close up.

 It's showing the side of her face, making it harder to see her expression but the tilted head and downcast eyes suggest she is feeling upset and alone. We chose the medium close up because we wanted to focus on her body language but centre it on the upper part of her body. It's also showing that the second girl has left and she's sat by herself.

Over the shoulder shot(OTS)

For this shot we picked an over the shoulder shot so the audience would realise someone else had joined her but we hid the face to create a sense of mystery. The girl's face has a curious expression and she looks puzzled-she,like the audience, doesn't know who has approached her.  It's shot from a higher angle to emphasise how vulnerable the girl is as she is upset and how the new character obviously has more dominance. 

Medium shot (MS)

This shot shows the stranger and the girl exchanging something. The medium shot allows us to focus on their actions. It also shows the deserted setting behind them and could mean a potential threat as there is no one there to help the girl if something bad happens. The shot focuses more on their actions rather than the substance which encourages the reader to wonder what's going on and why, despite her uncertain expression, the girl is taking the object from the stranger.