Cinematography blog tasks

Find the opening sequence to a film or TV drama of your choice on YouTube and:

Girl, Interrupted (1999)

1) Write an analysis of the cinematography in the opening sequence. Highlight your use of media language and try to cover camera shots, angles and movement using the terminology we have learned in lessons. 

• The scene starts with an establishing shot of the outside through a barred window showing the audience that the people inside the building are most likely not allowed to leave, there is then a slow boom shot down into a close up of Susanna before continuing down into a close up of Lisa and then cutting back to another close up of Susanna. The scene then cuts to a mid shot of Polly holding a cat and crying ,the scene then cuts to a mid shot of the window we saw in the beginning following the movement of the cat. It then cuts to another close up of Susanna who seems to be watching the cat before turning her attention to something else which we then see in the next shot which is a close up of a brush sweeping shards of glass the camera follows the movement of Georgina picking up a syringe with a tilt upwards showing the audience who was cleaning before again cutting back to a close up of Susanna. The scene then cuts to a long shot of a corridor with a door at the end, we then see guards walk up to the door and start opening it before again cutting back to a close up shot of Susanna, there is then a match on action cut where she is pushed down onto a gurney, we then rapidly go through multiple close up and medium close up shots of Susanna and the doctors/nurses. There is then a medium long shot of a man that Susanna seems to recognise standing at the door before going back to multiple closeup shots of the medical treatment and then cutting back to a medium close up of the man and then back to close ups of Susanna.  The scene then transitions into a closeup shot of her talking to another man where they then have a long shot of Susanna's mum outside before returning to Susanna and the man where they then use shot reverse shot for the rest of the scene. 

2) How does the camerawork give the audience clues about the setting, narrative and character?

In the beginning the slow movements of the camera reflect how the characters might feel like their lives are currently in stasis and it also shows us the potential relationships between the characters as only Susanna and Lisa are seen together while the other two are by themselves showing that Susanna is probably closest to Lisa when it comes to the other woman in the asylum. The use of a longshot when looking towards the gate the guards are seen unlocking could represent the characters longing to leave the asylum and return to the outside world. During the scenes taking place in the hospital the rapid transition from scene to scene makes the viewer feel as disoriented as Susanna feels.

Secondly, find and analyse one film or TV still image. Add the image to your blogpost. 

Scream queens (2015)

3) Analyse the camera shot/angle in the image and what it communicates to the audience. Remember to highlight the media terminology you use. 

This is a low angle over the shoulder long shot of the red devil looming over channel #2 who takes up a much smaller portion of the shot then the red devil showing who has the power in this situation. Furthermore the camera is at eyelevel to channel #2 making her feel closer to the audience so that they can feel more sympathetic for what she's going through. The low angle also shows the audience that the red devil is the threat in this situation.