Scene Assignment // Gone Girl

Shot List

Shooting Script

Storyboard

Floorplans

Visual References

Lighting Techniques

Lighting Techniques

Tron: Legacy

Tron: Legacy implements a lot of low key lighting throughout the film. This effect is successful in this particular film seeing as it is set in a video game world where everything seems to be going wrong and is very dark. There is an evil that is taking over the world that requires a sort of cool, dark, shadowy setting which is exactly what this lighting allows. The main character of this film, Sam Flynn, is clearly an outsider to this world and by using the low key lighting effect the audience gets a better feel for just how isolated and different he feels from everything surrounding him. Using this low lighting gave a sense of entrapment as the character is trying to find an escape from this deep, dark mess he has found himself in.

Skyfall

Skyfall is another film that successfully uses low light to tell a story. In this action film, there is a quite larger array of color used, typically changing from scene to scene, unlike Tron: Legacy which focuses on the cooler, more blue tones. Despite jumping from white to yellow to blue, however, Skyfall still relies heavily on the low lighting to create suspense and danger in each scene. Seriously though, it wouldn't be a James Bond movie without a heavy amount of mystery and tension.

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz uses a lot of high key lighting throughout the film to display the bright, wonderful world that is Oz. Every character in the film is lit very brightly to display their unique beauty that is individual to themselves. Dorothy is often lit brightly -- especially for close ups -- to display her innocent nature as well as her optimism that there is good in everyone.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby has a pretty good mix of high and low key lighting. However, I would say there is probably a good bit more high key lighting in this film as everything about it is romantic in more of a sweet, almost cheesy way rather than in a passionate, seductive way (where low lighting might be more effective). The scenes that seem to never fail to be very bright are the ones in which Gatsby throws an elaborate party or those in which Daisy is included and not upset about something. This film is set in an age when everyone is attractive and fun and in love. And what better way to highlight these defining characteristics than with high key lighting?

Shot x Shot Analysis

Inception

"You're Waiting for a Train"

The scene begins with a close up shot of Mal who is clearly distraught over the story Cobb is about to tell that she has never heard before.

Next, we move to a close up of Cobb for a reaction shot. Here we can see he is expressing a similar emotion as it is a story he does not like to tell.

Back to a close up of Mal for a reaction.

Close up of Ariadne.

Back to a close up of Cobb to show his uneasiness about the subject.

Back to a close up of Mal.

Close up of Ariadne.

Final emotional close up of Cobb before flashback begins.

Medium wide shot of Mal and Cobb with a shallow depth of field to focus on them as they walk alone in a world created for only them.

Close up of Mal from a low angle as she sees something important.

Over the shoulder to reveal the house.

Medium close up from behind Mal as she reaches into her daughter's doll house.

Close up of Mal's hand twisting the dial and unlocking a safe strategically hidden in the doll house.

Close up of Mal's face from a low angle as she reaches into the safe for the top.

Extreme close up of the top (the bigger the small item is on screen, the more important it is to the film).

Close up of Mal's hand as she closes the safe once again.

Back to present time, close up of Cobb.

Over the shoulder close up of Mal for a reaction shot.

Flashback to another moment in time. Medium close up from a low angle of Cobb as he walks.

Over the shoulder of the same house from the earlier flashback. The shots in this part of the scene directly align with the shots of Mal from the first flashback.

Medium close up of Cobb opening the doll house.

Close up of Cobb's hand as he opens the safe.

Close up of Cobb's face from a low angle for a reaction shot.

Extreme close up of the top.

Back to a close up Cobb's face as he reaches into the safe.

Back to the extreme close up of the top as it continually spins.

Back to a close up of Cobb as he begins to close the safe with the top still spinning.

Close up of Cobb's hand as he closes the safe.

Wide shot of Cobb and Mal walking along railroad tracks to establish the next series of events.

Back to present time for a close up of Mal for a reaction.

Close up of Mal. This shot is sideways as she lays upon the railroad tracks.

Close up of Cobb holding onto Mal's hand.

Over the shoulder close up of Cobb, sideways as he lays on the railroad tracks.

Close up of bolts of railroad track with a shallow depth of field to express the distance of the train.

Close up of Mal as she lays on the tracks.

Ove the shoulder close up of Cobb.

Extreme close up of Mal.

Over the shoulder close up of Cobb.

Extreme close up of bolts of train tracks, still with a shallow depth of field.

Extreme close up of Cobb and Mal's hands. As the scene intensifies the shots get closer and closer and cutting becomes much quicker.

Even closer close up of Cobb as he looks behind Mal at the approaching train.

Close up of Mal, not quite as close as before to show the train just behind her until it moves into fram before cutting to black.

This scene effectively portrays the story Cobb is telling in the background as the scene plays out. He explains that he and his wife were trapped in this dream state for many years, and Mal had let this dream state become her reality. The top was Mal's "totem," an item that she could use at any moment to test whether or not she was in a dream or real life. By locking her totem away, Mal had chosen to forget that she was only dreaming. Once Cobb realized his wife had reached the point of no return, he deemed it was no longer safe for them to live this way. In order for them to wake up, they needed to die in this dream state (thus the part where they lay on train tracks and yell back and forth to each other until they are run over).

Motivated Camera Movement

Motivated Camera Movement

Pans and crane shots are often used in movie making as establishing shots or as a transition between scenes. In this example from Peter Pan (2003), the camera pans to the left from behind a bush to display an extreme wide shot of Peter and Wendy. This shot is referred to as a "discovery shot," and could have been made with a dolly or crane. I'm more inclined to guess that is was made with a crane seeing as the camera looks as if its right above the water of the pond. The composition of this shot creates a good transition between scenes as well as set up the next scene of the story to display Peter and Wendy as they are very close.

This scene is full of camera movement, including pans and tilts, to follow a car chase between Marty and the Libyans in Back to the Future. These movements are obviously very motivated as they keep up with the action that is happening. In order for the car chase to seem real, there needs to be movement so that the audience gets a feel for the fast pace of the scene and the intensity of every turn they take.

Everyone loves a great basement circle scene from That '70s Show. This camera movement is quite the opposite of your typical spin around the table scene as it works from the inside and quickly pans from one character to the next between dialogue. I feel like this technique works very well for a TV sitcom, especially That '70s Show seeing as this is one of its signature scenes. The rapid pan from left to right or vice versa really separates the thoughts of the different characters as they are speaking.

Documentary Storytelling

Blogs I Enjoyed Reading

Blogs I Enjoyed Reading

Each of the blogs shared to the right side of the course blog are extremely useful and informative! However, I really enjoyed reading Philip Bloom's blog as well as No Film School.

Philip Bloom seems to use a wide variety of cameras and equipment and shares his honest thoughts and opinions on each to inform the camera community what works well for him. Something I noticed upon reading his blog post on the Canon 5D was that in each blog I have read thus far (as well as reading No Film School's DSLR Cinematography Guide) this is a very highly talked-about camera. Hopefully, when I can afford to upgrade to a better camera (a girl can dream!) this will be the one. I also love how he includes screenshots of items he is using in each post from B&H -- this way the reader can get a sense of how much these items cost and what a few of their highlights are.

This video from his post about using the Sony FS5 in the snow is beautiful. And I love how he details every step it takes to get to this, including everything he used and everything he had to do with his equipment to make this happen.

No Film School's blog is also a great, resourceful site with a lot of information on all aspects of film. They've got a great post about Canon's new C700, which is another new camera for all of these blogs we are reading to rave about. I like how they've reviewed the specs and price as well as compared it to other similar or competing cameras.

Apart from blog posts about cameras in particular though, I especially liked this video they've included in their blog about what it takes to be a "good" cinematographer. Its inspiring and helps those of us looking to get into this field know the qualities we need to have in order to progress.