Film, Space, and Image

Reading Summary

The excerpt starts by describing what a shot in a film is and then explains the different types of shots that can be seen in movies such as close-ups, longshots, two-shot, medium shots. The reading also states many movies where these different shots can be seen to make it easier for the viewer to understand what each shot looks like in a movie. It also mentions some tools such as zoom and freeze that are used in movies and explains why filmmakers might prefer that over other shots or tools in a particular situation. The other main part of this excerpt talks about sequence which is a group of shots that make up a segment of the film. There are many different types of sequences such as linear sequence, associative sequence, and montage sequence. To change from shot to shot, filmmakers might use cuts or transitions depending on what they find would be best given the situation.

Outside Example

Reading this made me remember about the movie by Quentin Tarantino “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. In this movie we meet Rick, a washed-out actor and Cliff, his stunt double who are trying to recapture fame and success in a new movie era. We see their lives on the job and at home and how they have very different lives due their salaries. As the movie progresses, we find that Cliff meets a hippie girl and she later takes him to meet her “family” which was a group of hippies formed by Charles Manson. At the end of the movie we see this same group of hippies going to a neighborhood in Beverly Hills where Rick and Cliff were hanging out. The hippies break into the house trying to kill anyone in the house, but it backfires and they get brutally killed. This was a twist by Tarantino on the actual event that unfolded, where a group of “kids” were sent by Charles Manson to kill famous actors and disguise it as a racial attack to create a war between races.

Reading Connection

The excerpt reminded me of this movie because in the movie we see behind the scenes of movies in Hollywood because we follow around two people that work in the field. We see how Rick and Cliff prepare for movies and scenes. We also see their interactions with other cast members while filming and off screen. The movie shows the audience a different point of view and the problems actors face when making scenes. In one scene we see Rick forget lines and has to start the shot over. We also see how he tries to find the best way to say a line to make the movie look realistic and make the audience believe they are in the movie.