Basic Camera Shots: Mise-en-Scene

In class, we discussed the use of Lighting...

Ambient Lighting = Natural Lighting.

Non-Ambient Lighting = Artificial Lighting.

...and Sound...

Diegetic Sound = Within Mise-en-Scene.

Non-Diegetic Sound = Added on in the edit.

...when filming.

The Seventh Seal: The Knights first meeting with Death:

The clip below, is from 'The Seventh Seal; the Knights first meeting with death'. In the scene, Non-ambient lighting is used in order to create a more distinct difference between the lightness and darkness of the subjects. 'Death' is dressed completely in black, allowing the audience to only see his face. Creating the idea of the character to be mysterious and not to be trusted, even menacing. Ingmar Bergman, the director, may have chosen to create this image in an attempt to unnerve the audience.

At 0:43 in the clip, Shot Reverse Shot is used. As you can see the top three images below are screenshots from the video. Throughout the whole video the Knight remains on the right, abiding by the 180 degree rule, preventing the audience becoming disorientated and confused.

I have replicated this camera shot, as you can see are the next three images below the screenshots, I managed to not break the 180 degree rule, you can watch the video I made on my Blog Post: 'Basic Camera Shots' to see how the shot is used.

Harry Limes Entrance: The Third Man:

Another clip we watched and analysed in class was 'Harry Limes Entrance: The Third Man':

The video clip we watched showed brilliant examples of how a tilt shot can be used. As you can see in the two pictures below, at the beginning and at 0:54, a tilt shot is used. The use of this creates connotations with a nightmare, building the idea of mystery and suspense. The tilt shot confuses and disorientates the audience also. It takes a second for a viewer to adjust to the frame change and actually understand what they're seeing.

As you can see below, I re-created a tilt shot. Editing the image into black and white to create a bigger contrast between dark and light. I also used Non-Ambient lighting, with a light behind the subject which can be seen through the glass, to create a more silhouetted image of the subject, in order to distort the individual.
I found the Tilt Shot hard to do at first, I took multiple photos but the camera was either too tilted or not tilted enough. Both gave an image which wasn't what I was aiming for, but the image beneath was the one I think re-created the best camera angle for the shot.

Kill Bill 1: Vernita Green Fight Scene:

The use of this high camera looking straight down gives the viewer a different perspective of the action. In the image below, you can see the separate rooms, giving the audience a scale of the building. It also allows them to be able to predict an action before the character who it will occur to knows what will happen themselves.

Quentin Tarantino may have chosen this shot for this particular scene as what is occurring in the film at the time was a fight scene. Seeing it from Bird's Eye View emphasises the visual tension, in what will happen next to the threatened character.

The image above is my interpretation of a Bird's Eye View Shot, in comparison to the image above it, it is very different. My image still has the camera facing down from above the subject in order to capture a wider and view of the location and surroundings as well as what the action will be.

Sergio Leone's "Once Upon A Time in America" (1984):

During this film, as you can see below, a really good example of a Worm's Eye View shot is shown. This gives the audience a perspective of the character and, in this case, creates the impression of them being vulnerable and threatened by the other character towering over them. 

I attempted to replicate the Worm's Eye View Shot, lying on the ground and pointing the camera straight up at the subject in order to create a sense of scale; that the perspective of the character the camera takes sides with is staring up at the other character. This suggests the character above having status and power in comparison to the subjects perspective the camera is on. It puts the audience in the vulnerable perspective of the character, showing them their helpless and powerless perspective.

This post links in with another one of my blog posts: 'Basic Camera Shots' where a slideshow of images showing different camera shots, and a YouTube video which I made, where I record the camera angles and was able to explore them with a subject.

It was really interesting to take these images, to research and explore into each of the shots to find out more about the way they're created, what they're used for and what effect this has on the audience.