Continuity

The first scene in this sequence takes place in the hallway that connects the rooms of the siblings (I’m assuming their siblings). Shooting this scene in such a tight narrow space can be difficult bust also afford unique opportunities. Much like a road, a hallow is very linear, people travel up and down it. For the most part, we can get a sense of the space by following the main character with the camera as she goes back and forth to the different rooms. Here the director is using the movement of the subject to guide the camera and give the audience a sense of the space.

Then we have a nice transition to the breakfast scene. We cut from the action of the previous scene to an empty frame of the fridge door before a hand comes into the frame. Here the director tells us that we are already in the kitchen before cutting to the wide shot. Then we get a series of intercutting between wide shots and chaotic closeups. However, this works because the director has already done his job and made us familiar with the space and the placement of each character in that space. The audience is already well acquainted with the space, so the director can afford to jump back and forth across the 180-degree line without confusing the audience.

I think this sequence is a good example of how showing the audience a space early in a scene can afford you more freedom later on.

-Luca Wagner

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