Research into Cinematography - Miss Miller

Cinematography is the technique of movie photography, including both the shooting and development of a film. Cinematography also consists of many different camera shots and angles. I will analyse the cinematography featured in a clip from ‘Shutter Island’.

Close up:

The first use of cinematography we see is a close up camera shot on Leonardo Di Caprio when he’s holding the gun. Here the camera goes close up on both his face and the gun, the effect of this is that the audience can see the raw emotion on his face and it therefore builds the tension as the audience can see how he is feeling. The close up here is also important as it draws the audiences attention to the gun as well as Leonardo's face, this creates suspense as the audience are aware that there maybe some sort of shoot off, this makes it relevant to the thriller genre as it builds suspense. This shot builds a relationship with the audience as they feel as if they are involved in the scene as it feels as if the gun is pointing at them, thus creating a sense of fear amongst the audience and portrays how the characters in the film may also be feeling making the characters more relateable to the audience. Close ups are often used in thriller films as they portray the emotion towards the audience.

Point of view:

Another shot used in this clip is point of view, this shot is used when Leonardo Di Caprio is holding the gun to the antagonist. The effect of this shot is that it allows the audience to see the situation from Di Caprio’s perspective and they can therefore relate with the situation he is in. This shot is often used in thriller clips to make it seem more realistic and makes it conventional, it is also a relevant shot used in the thriller genre as it creates tension. This shot also creates further tension as it puts the audience in his situation and allows them to ask the question 'what would they do in his situation?' This shot is also used as it draws the audiences attention to the gun once again, and they are anticipating him pulling the trigger. The point of view shot is often used in the thriller genre when a significant part of the film is about to happen; it helps attract the audiences attention to a turning point in the film.

Aerial Shot:

Here an aerial shot is used, this piece of cinematography is used to make someone look vulnerable and small, we see this shot when the confrontation is taking place. Here it is doing the same as the antagonist is under attack and is therefore in a vulnerable position, this is emphasised through the aerial shot as he is being made to look smaller than his enemy. This is conventional of a thriller film as either the antagonist or protagonist is always in a vulnerable position. An aerial shot builds relationships with the audience as it allows them to easily identify who is in a weak position. This shot is relevant for the thriller genre as it shows one character in an inferior position, thus making the other look superior and domineering, this creates the effect of dominance and therefore portrays characters as being scary, thus creating some sort of tension.

Shallow focus:

A shallow focus is used in this clip when the antagonist is showing Leonardo Di Caprio pictures of his children; the pictures are focused on and the rest of it is out of focus. This technique creates emphasis to show the main subject in the scene and the rest of the shot is out of focus. This shallow focus creates some sort of an enigma as most of the shot is in blur, and it allows the audience to question what may be going on in the background. The effect of  shallow focus is that the audience’s attention is drawn the main piece of iconography in the shot, which in this case is the pictures, this creates tension as the iconography that they are focused on is some what disturbing to the main character.

Over the shoulder shot:

An over the shoulder shot is used in this clip when Leondardo DiCaprio is talking to the antagonist, this shot is shows the shoulder of one character and the full face of the other character. This shot is used to help establish the position of each person and it also allows the audience to see each character from one anothers point of view, the effect of this is that it engages the audience in the conversation and allows them to relate with the characters easier. Its common to cut between these shots during a conversation, this emphasises the fact that a conversation is taking place, therefore allowing the audience to pay more attention to what is being said. This use of cinematography is relatable to any film genre, as conversation is a key aspect in all films.

Handheld Camera:

The handheld camera shot is used when the fight breaks out, this cinematography is used here to create a sense of chaos parrallel to the fighting that is taking place in the film. A sense of chaos is created as the handheld cinematoography produces a jerky and uncertain atmosphere amongst the audience, making it unclear to the audience what is actually going on. This piece of cinematography is prominent in the thriller genre as it creates a much more realistic feel to the film, making it seem to the audience like its actually happening, it also allows the audience to feel although they are involved in the situation as they are experiencing the same type of chaos which the characters are. Furthermore this allows the audience to relate with the characters as they can put themselves in the same situation as the characters.