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When homework time turns into nap time.

The opening scene for shameless feels very chaotic, while at the same time purposefully showcasing certain information to lead the viewer to an understanding of its characters. The camera shots are typically close ups, with multiple things happening at once, which leads to a very claustrophobic feeling in some moments. We see characters running past the camera many times, which leads us to believe they are in a rush and enhances the stressful feeling. The camera also moves around during shots, which adds another layer of movement to the chaos. Continuity is used to help keep the story together and keep the viewer from becoming confused. If these clips were not filmed the way they were, the story would be incredibly difficult to follow. 

While things are going on in the background, the camera focuses on specific things like items or characters. With doing this, it is able to quickly convey relationship dynamics between the characters, their current situation, as well as information about each person’s life.

For example, many of the shots highlight the family’s financial situation. Even without dialogue, you can see issues such as the broken washing machine, the kids passing cash around, things like that. We also get information like who is likely the parent figure in the house from the way the camera follows the character around the house as she completes tasks. 

Overall this scene does a good job at using continuity to maintain a solid storyline and convey information even during chaotic moments. 

We are taking dehydrated tomato peels and turning them into tomato powder for cooking.

Blog Post:
This is an exercise to illustrate how continuity editing and framing are used to make a space and build a narrative. Select one of these scenes from Duel.

What kind of continuity edits are used to build the scene?  Try to use continuity terms:

• 180 degree rule
• 30 degree rule
• Cut in / Match on Action (from wide to close-up or reverse)
• Motivated POV shot
• Shot Reverse Shot 
• Empty frame
• Graphic Match
• Parallel action/ Crosscut

Describe how the arrangement of shots make a believable space. How does the framing focus attention to narrative detail? Discuss the role of sound in supporting the spatial relationships made in the cuts. If possible, comment on how the continuity editing in the scene (the spatial and temporal relationships from shot to shot) builds the tension of the story. What narrative information is revealed and concealed in the scene through the cuts?

Here’s the video for the framing assignment.

Here’s the in-class video.

For the scene from Dual I decided to cover the framing/continuity is this scene below, the ending of the movie:

Duel (1971) ending (with roar) – YouTube

The main shots that I want to cover and break down is the first few scenes, cutting between the two cars accelerating towards each other until they crash.

Majority of the shots are comprised of close-ups or medium close-ups, focusing on the main character’s face along with his car with clashing shots of the Truck. While the shots on our protagonists are mostly level with him, the shots of the Truck are taken from a much lower angle. To show just how bigger of a threat and imposing the Truck is. It’s something to be afraid of and show how unfair of a confrontation this is.

There is also more wide shots cut between the close-ups as we get closer to the crash, showing the entire vehicles as they close in. To show their speed and direction, along that 180-degree line. With the shots closing in on the cars when they get closer, more medium close-ups and close-ups. Until they finally do crash and it cuts to a wide shot again. To really show the destruction and fireball caused by their clashing.

As the two flaming cars fly off the cliff it takes much wider shots and long shots to really show the slow chaos of it falling off the cliff. With similar shots to before to really show the destruction and brutality of the scene. Medium close-ups to show the cars breaking and bending and even full close-up shots to show specific details of things breaking.

This scene communicates the chaos of this family of 6-7 people. Visually, you can see the cramped space they are living in and their poverty. The visual anchors from what I can tell are the mini-wheat cash box, the milk jug, the baby, and the mom. The way the cash box is moved around and how it’s passed around shows just how tight money is. As for how a family can make plans in under 2 minutes, it is pretty standard to me since my family can make plans in under a minute sometimes. The continuity is on full display, with the location of all the objects being where someone placed them.

I find this scene super entertaining in the way it’s shot and edited. The use of short frames and zoomed in frames focusing on each issue is very well done. For example, they show the milk being empty and needing to replenish it by adding water but there’s a full bottle of vodka in the fridge showing that there is certainly an issue with priorities as far as keeping the fridge stocked with anything aside from alcohol.

They also zoom on the power box being passed around as young kids put money in the pot to pay the electricity bill leading the viewer to believe that this family struggles financially. Adding to this is the comment about the phone minutes and the way Fiona jimmy-rigged the washer so it would work.

As far as what this scene explains visually, it is a compilation of short clips to create a sense of urgency and intensity. There’s such a subtle panic that is almost palpable, this scene encapsulates the chaos that comes with the Gallagher family as a whole.

I’d say the visual anchors are the milk scene, the urgency each character is expressing, the shared phone with limited minutes and the power bill issue. Each of these scenes add to the poverty theme and give us an idea of the family structure and the usual functionality of the family as a unit.

Hello everyone I’ll be analyzing the first fight scence in rush hour with Jackie chan.

We start with a character focus shot introducing Jackie’s innocence and ignorance. The first continuity shot is when the bartender grabs Jackie and changes to a medium shot, then to a close-up of Jackie’s surprise to emphasize it. The continuity continues as Jackie uses a bar tool to hit the bartender. It came medium shots but continues as Jackie is thrown over a pool table, another close-up to emphasize Jackie’s intention at the moment the next shot continues the continuity as Jackie defends himself with a pool ball; the scene changes shot at a fast phase to express the intensity of the scene the next shot I love as its more of Jackie’s style of directing where it a character-focused shot. However, the duration is longer to express the scene’s comedy, and we then shift focus to the bad guys as one of them is slammed into the light fixture. Although I have to note that this director uses much continuity by changing shots for every hit, this is not Jackie’s directing style. He uses a long-duration shot that emphasizes the impact of the fight scene rather than focusing on its intensity.