Planning Cinematography - Miss Miller

Cinematography is going to be important when being used in my opening sequence as it can make a whole scene much more effective, and also showing a deeper understanding of my knowledge towards using different camera angles. By using different tyes of cinematography, allows the audience to get more of an insight towards a certain scene which them makes it relatable, for example: using a low angle, normally used when the antagonist is on screen to give an impression to the audience that he is strong and powerful, and no matter who's in the audience, the antagonist is more confident and vigorous the character is.

Examples of cinematography that will be used in my opening sequence

Low and high angles

Low and high angles are used to add effect to a particular scene, making the characters nar(antagonist and protagonist) seem superior and more powerful to weak and in danger. The low angle makes the antagonist appear more powerful towards the audience as they seem taller and stronger, this makes the audience fearful and sympathise for the danger the antagonist is trying to put the protagonist in. This is suppose to represent intimidation towards the villain.The high angle is used to make the protagonist seem smaller and weaker, and as a bond has grew with the audience and characters, the audience are persuaded to carry on watching the film to see what happens next and to see if the protagonist is safe. (Add when using in sequence)

Panning

This type of cinematography is when the camera is standing still, usually completed using a tripod for maximum steadiness and security. It makes the audience engage with the scene more effectively, as it allows us to watch a certain crutual character walk, following them, this makes the audience think of it as more realistic and true as they feel as if they are also in the situation with the character as they can see body language, facial emotion, and background images. Panning will be used in my opening sequence when the main character (Brittany) is having one of her flashbacks, when she is walking home from seeing friends and is walking on her own in an alley way. The protagonists anxiety is getting stronger as she feels something is following her but is really just a friendly neighbour on his daily run, panning will be used when the runner is running last to show the fast pace this character was going at. I think this scene would be effective as it emphasises on the paranoia Brittany feels and how much this antagonist (Steve) has made her constantly nervous. 

Extreme close up

This specific type of cinematography is when the image fills the scene with aboslutely no background and only what is intended to be focused on. Showing only a particular image, this is normally someones face to express their type of emotion in more of a dramatic sense. In my opening sequence, extreme close up will be used in one of the flashbacks, when the victim (Britanny) is walking home in the forest and hears a crunch like sound and the camera will focus on the boot of the antagonist causing this noise. This will be effective as their will be an interpretation upon the audience that it was intentional of the villain to make this noise and he wants the protagonist to have constant paranoia and nervousness. This makes the audience sympathise for Brittany as she is the female victim who only wants to stay safe, this shows a typical effective convention of a thriller film.

Shallow focus

This shows focus of the character which the director wants all the focus to be on, to show facial expression and body language. This type of cinematography still shows background but is all blurred which takes away the urge from the audience to look at as it is not clear scenary. In my opening sequence, this technique will be used during the protagonists walk along the alley way, focusing on the reaction and her facial expression when she feels like she is about to be attacked, when it is just her paranoia taking over. This scene will empathise on the relevance of the main character, Brittanys emotion towards how frightened she is of this stalker. This will be used by focusing on her expression as you can see her anxiety building up as the runner is getting closer and closer, but does not dare to turn around. The runner in the background will be blurry alongside any scenary which he is near, to represent how much stress this stalker situation of hers has put her under.

Hand held
This technique is used to put under an illusion towards the audience of realism towards the scene. This type of cinematography is normally used when the character is in the emotion of panic, this then also makes the audience panic for the victimised character, making it a creative scene. This is going to be used during her first flash back, when she is running into the kitchen to quickly grab a knife as she notices someone staring at her through her living room window. In a hurring pace, she quickly grabs (a convention of an effective thriller) a knife so herself, she can feel more safe and make this stranger feel intimidated and not to do it again, as she comes back there is no one. This highlights the anxiety and stress she is feeling as we never find out if someone was actually staring in or she was imagining it.

This will be helpful towards my opening sequence, as it gives a more in depth view towards me and my group why it is going to be effective in my opening sequence and why it will benefitical. This post helped me into a more detailed understanding towards the structure of a particular method of cinematography. I think this type of editing within the media is extrememly effective as it gives the audience an over view towards whatis going on in that particular scene, for example: a low angle suggests to the audience that the antagonist is powerful and strong, creating more sympathy for the victim as the audience know they are going to be more endangered, allowing the audience to create a quicker, more intimate bond within each character in a different way.