Continuity Edits Blog — Jeremy Sauter

jsauter24

Hello, class! Today I will be analyzing this scene from Duel, which we watched last week in class:

 

Steven Spielberg managed to create an extremely intense chase throughout the movie, but this scene in particular used continuity edits extremely well to raise the tension even further.

As the scene begins, continuous, longer shots are used to create a hightened tense of uncertainty, while using the 180 degree rule several times to face the driver from the side, so that he’s facing left from our perspective, to get his thoughts and expressions. As the scene approaches a refueling station, the camera uses a reverse shot as our main character talks with the gas attendant. It then turns into a panning shot to turn around and see the gas truck parked and supposedly anticipating something.

As more and more of the gas stop is revealed, as our protagonist walks around the venue, you can faintly hear the attendant fiddling with his car as he makes his way to the telephone booth, which is done in one longer take to help get a sense of the distance between his car and the booth.

As our main character talks on the phone, we get match cuts between him and the gas truck, letting us “keep our eye” on both sides of the situation and further increase the tension. And as the truck begins to turn around and approach, wide shots are match cut with the booth as he frantically tries to get the police to help. The shot right before the gas truck gets ready to ram the booth, continuity is held thanks to the constantly growing louder engine of the truck, and it comes into frame from the left, which was established where the truck was at compared to the booth in previous shots.

Finally, high and low angled, yet wide shots help capture the scale and danger of the truck as it destroys the stop, the noises of the crashes and the truck engine pushing you to the edge of your seat. It truly becomes one of the more tense and pulse-rising scenes in the movie.

-Jeremy Sauter

Duel: An Intense Scene – Continuity Edits and Scene Build

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Tiffany Duran

In this scene, Steven Spielberg uses many continuity edits to build the scene and create tension.
The beginning of the scene uses the 180-degree rule by staying on the left side of the subjects with the subject’s facing camera left as they are driving. The scene uses longer cuts to create a feeling of uncertainty about the truck drivers next moves.
One shot reverse shot is used for the dialogue between David and the gas attendant before he moves on to the phone booth to call the police. An insert shot shows David’s surroundings while he’s in the booth which gives a sense of vulnerability.
Cross cutting is used to start building tension by showing the action of David calling the police while the truck driver makes his way towards David. Shorter and more rapid cut scenes are then used which starts to build tension.
During a shot of David on the phone, audio from the last scene of the truck is continued to be used to imply that the truck is approaching David which adds suspense.
Match on action shots are used to show the action taking place when the truck runs over the telephone pole and the animal tanks. Insert shots are used to show the dangerous animals now surrounding David which adds to the chaos of the scene, as well as the sad reaction from the gas attendee. More match on action shots are used to show David trying to deter the driver by throwing a tank at him, and then David making his way to his car.

Week 3 Blog Post:

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Caleb

Hi everyone,

I chose to look at this clip from Duel.

This was one of the first scenes where the audience truly gauged just how insane the truck driver was. The tension begins with a continuous shot of both the truck and car for about 20 seconds. It’s a long shot for all those seconds until the camera cuts to a close up of David, which gives the viewer the sense he’s going to do something, and indeed he does by pulling off to the gas station.

We see an example of a reverse shot between David and the attendant where the camera goes from  a close up of David looking right, to a close up of the attendant looking left, then returning to David. This shows the audience a grand sense of space, being the whole gas station and particularly the conversation between the two characters, while the truck looms ominously in the foreground. A technique not mentioned is the depth of field transitions between David and the truck when David turns to look at it. The camera matches this action in a single shot to show the audience a focus on things going on within the frame.

As David enters the phone booth, the camera cuts multiple times to the truck and back to David as each shot shows the truck moving closer to David. A match-on-action appears when the truck transitions into David’s series of shots as it collides into the phone booth. A cut happens to show David’s realization the truck is heading right for him.

Sound plays a major part in this film, especially for the truck. The horn, the diesel engine and rattling metal add to the suspense brought upon each scene. It’s cleverly used to build suspense, slowing increasing the volume of the engine as the truck approaches the phone booth, and alleviates suspense too when the truck stops moving. Undoubtedly a unique use of cinematography and sound to create a tension-filled experience for the audience.

Thanks for reading!

-Caleb

Continuity in Duel (1971)

Joel

Duel (1971) Railroad Crossing

In the railroad crossing scene from Duel (1972), several editing techniques work together to create tension and keep the action easy to follow. The 180-degree rule keeps the viewer oriented by maintaining the positions of David Mann’s car and the truck on either side of the scene. To avoid jarring transitions, the camera moves at least 30 degrees between shots, such as when it cuts from a wide shot of the crossing to a close-up of Mann’s face or hands. These shifts keep the action smooth and focused on his anxiety. We also see the scene from Mann’s point of view, which helps us feel his fear as the truck and train approach.

As the camera cuts back and forth between Mann and the truck, it emphasizes the tension between them. The train blocks the vehicles at points, leaving the frame empty for a moment, which adds suspense. The editing also crosscuts between Mann and the oncoming train, building urgency. Tight close-ups of his face and hands show his desperation, focusing the viewer on his reactions. The sound of the train gets louder as it nears, adding to the tension, while the silence after it passes highlights the close call. By controlling what we see and hear, the editing keeps us engaged and builds the danger as the scene unfolds.

 

Continuity in Duel

Olivia

Duel, by Steven Spielberg

Clip: Road trouble

There is quite a lot of continuity within this particular clip from Duel. Many of which contain shots that are critical to telling the story and getting the point across. It starts out with a view from the back of the car (along the 180 degree line) where we can see him following the large truck and then proceeds to move around creating a sense of motion and helps with the fluidity of the scene. We then can see many various cut in shots of the exterior as well as the interior of the vehicle. This allows to highlight something important, such as a close-up that draws attention to a specific detail. Overall, these are just a few examples of the many clips in the film Duel that include and use continuity. Continuity helps create a realistic and immersive story that essentially keeps the viewer engaged!

Road Trouble

lwagner24

The reason I chose to talk about this scene over the others is only because of the very first shot. Spielberg starts this scene with a fantastic single shot that is, in my opinion, the most important shot of the scene. In one single shot, Speilberg sets up the space of the scene and lets us know who the bad guy is. It begins on one side of the 180-degree line, behind our protagonist. The camera moves down the line to show us the truck is in front of the red car, and then it settles on the opposite side of the 180-degree line at a low angle to the truck, making it look large and menacing. Spielberg also uses sound to his advantage. In one shot we went from a small quiet red car to a big dirty loud truck, a perfectly executed juxtaposition.

Then we cut back to the small car, its quiet… tension is starting to rise. We get a POV shot as the David passes the truck. (a clever POV shot because we see through his eyes and at them at the same time). As David passes he shoots a few glanes at the truck, giving Speilberg and excuse to put some motivated POV shot of the truck in their and show the passing in its entirety.

Then we get a reverse shot of David and a key moment of tension where the truck barely peaks into the frame as if it’s going to pass again (something the audience is probably already anticipating). Then we cut to a reverse of the previous shot – an over-the-shoulder of David and the truck is a little louder but we can’t see it. Then Speilberg puts in a couple of close-ups to break up the tension a little (calm before the storm) and resests to another angle. He shifts to a side shot of David where the window is conveniently framing a big empty space… and of course, the truck passes through it. What’s interesting is that the audience surely is expecting it but it’s still very effective. As the truck passes we get another over the shoulder of David to see it better. Then it’s back to the passenger POV from earlier (with his eyes reflected in the rearview). This shot is used as a motif to show David stuck behind the truck again. The fact that almost the entire rest of the scene is reusing these angles is a testament to their effectiveness.

Blog Post #1 (WK2) – Importance of framing and shot types

Miryssa

Blog: Post these screen grabs in sequential order to the blog. Then for each image provide a description for the kind of shot (long shot, medium shot, close up, shaky, pan, etc) it is. Use Class Notes- Framing for reference. Discuss how the scene is held together as a narrative whole through the camera framing and editing.

Framing and shot types are important in storytelling because it helps the audience set the scene, portrays feelings, and establishes characters throughout the story. In the next few photos, we will be going over a variety of shots in a scene from the Sweetest thing, a 2002 romantic comedy, and explain why its important.

In the scene above, we have a medium close-up shot, capturing her hands up to her chest as she animatedly describes her date to her friends. The director uses this shot to emphasize her exaggerated expressions, highlighting her excitement and joy.

 

The next scene shows all three friends sitting around a table at the restaurant, enjoying lunch together. The setting provides the perfect backdrop for their gossip session. This helps the audience establish the setting/environment of the story.

 

If you haven’t seen this movie before, this scene unexpectedly breaks out into song and dance, as hinted by the chicken wings above. The director uses a medium long shot, with two of the friends in the foreground, shown from the knees up, while the third friend is in the background, being held as she playfully walks across a table. If this doesn’t scream fun then I don’t know what will.

 

The director uses a close-up shot here to emphasize the character’s reaction as she says ‘eww,’ while someone nearby is in the middle of a handstand. The entire restaurant pauses when she speaks, amplifying the impact of her statement.

 

Lastly, this is an interesting shot as it captures the full body but intentionally excludes the heads. The director focuses on highlighting a specific dance move that primarily involves the legs, which is why the camera avoids showing any faces.