Moving Images, Understanding Media

Chapter 1 Motion Picture Language 23

depth of composition to introduce one of the mysterious interludes of the

story. Th ese robed worshippers emerge from the background and eff ortlessly

dissipate the confl ict between Everett and Pete, refl ected by the spiritual they

are singing.

Compositional techniques are shared with other visual arts that use frames,

but in motion pictures, the images are moving in time from the perspective of

the lens on a camera. Where you place the camera, what you show or hide,

and how you move the camera and what is in the frame are all cornerstones

of style and tone. For example, a point of view shot can be used to establish

a closer identifi cation of the viewer to a particular character or to reveal

information from a distinct perspective. Th e height of the camera also aff ects

the impact of a shot. A high-angle shot, in which the camera is placed above

the subject with the lens facing down, has been commonly used to make a

character appear vulnerable or to allow the audience to look over a scene

from a contemplative vantage point. A low-angle shot, in which the camera

is signifi cantly lower than the subject, off ers a perspective that accentuates

the stature of the people or objects in the frame, sometimes distorting them

or giving them force and power. Of course, relationships between characters

or a particular viewpoint of a character within a scene can be accentuated by

cutting between high- and low-angle shots.

Moving the Frame

If the camera holds its frame steadily, such as when it is locked in place on

a tripod, this is called a static shot. Sometimes this is the most appropriate

way to frame a shot. However, movement is also at the heart of the medium

of motion pictures. Th e roll of fi lm is advancing as the projector turns. Th e

Figure 1-29 Frame from O Brother Where Art Thou, directed by Joel

Coen, with George Clooney as Everett (facing the camera) and John

Turturro as Pete. (Courtesy Buena Vista Pictures/Photofest).

Figure 1-31 Low-angle

shot.

Figure 1-30 High-angle

shot.

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