Shot Film Analysis – “Still Life”
Taking a close look to the main actor, we can proceed to say that in the first scenes in which he is driving the car he effectively conveys the impression of him being physically and psychologically worn-out/exhausted. This effect is correctly carried on throughout the film, and even increases as the actor becomes stressed and tormented by his situation. This makes the actor seem believable, giving the audience the possibility of following the storyline and approaching it in the more realistic way it can.
The storyline catches quick attention from the audience as it builds up with tension and proposes a paranormal situation. “This short film had a very interesting concept and was quite creative.”[1]
This angle in the shot shows first on the actor from below, but then focuses on the hands as they appear. It is made for the appearing bloody hands to be the focused object of the frame, making them stand out from the rest of the picture. This emphasizes the violence of the situation, and the fact that the actor is surprised by seeing blood in his hands. This is achieved as we see his face (out of focus) behind the hands, giving the audience the chance to see his horrified reaction. As his expression is out of focus, we could say that this adds to the fact that he is confused, as he had lost control/focus of the situation.
On this mid-shot:
We can see the scared expression of the main actor, positioning him in the situation he is in. Also, the shot allows us to see the other two people/mannequins/supernatural entities? which are still, (as the film shows, people petrify as the actor looks at them). But, what the audience can’t see is crucially important in this shot. This is the man behind the actor, which is trying to kill him. As the audience knows that the man will only move in case the main actor isn’t looking at him, the fact that the shot omits this man when the actor can’t see him (giving the point of view of the main actor) adds suspense to the scene, because the audience, knowing only as much as the actor does, is placed in his point of view, full of danger and suspense. This camera shots from his point of view are constant throughout all of the film, to emphasize this effect (audience, knowing only as much as the actor knows, experience a much more tense situation than if they were more kind of an omniscient audience).
Non-diagetic sound is intelligently manipulated throughout the film. The fact that there is no constant music/rhythm emphasizes on the effect of “stillness” as the lack of sound creates tension because it can represent lack of movement, dynamism. Occasional violin short notes break the silence only to make this lack of sound more apparent constantly.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario