Monday 5 November 2012

Camera Work in Film Noir

Conventions of Film Noir (pt 2)
Film Noir is used throughout the thriller genre. It's a much older style of film and it's a wide

Camera work.

Camera work is essential in all film. Especially in Film Noir, camera angles, distances and shot type.
For example, in this shot, we're experiencing an extreme angle. The angle has been used to show the scene from the end of the gun, so we experience what the character experiences. This helps us place ourselves in the same position and feel the same emotion as a viewer.


Of course, as with all films, the same variety of shots exist. 


ECU - Extreme Close Up. Closer than a regular close up, takes up most of the screen. normally just one detail, like the gun in the shot above.
CU - Close Up. Camera is close to us, normally portraying a face and an expression.
MCU - Medium Close Up. Character is shown from chest up.
MS - Medium Shot/Mid Shot. Generally from waist up, displaying background aswell.
MLS - Medium Long Shot. Used in Film Noir, people are shot from the knees up. Shows any kind of action as a full.
LS - Long Shot. Whole camera is at a distance from what it's filming. This means characters are shot from head to toe, and/or background is fully captured

ELS - Extreme Long Shot. Camera is far away, showing as a wide and broad image of the scene. Maybe used to emphasis background, setting, emotion or just a lot of action.



A very stereotypical long shot of Manhattan showing two characters as a silhouette, and a well lit background gives the sense of setting and space.

1 comment:

  1. You identify some key features of camera angles in film noir. Adding a video clip which you commented upon shot-by-shot would improve this.

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