Research

Before beginning to film, it is important to go through a thorough learning process. Since the genre we have chosen is drama, I have done some research as to how to create the right tone, mood, and visuals for our movie opening.

Most of my research has led to camera movements. Given that we have a very limited budget, we will rely on camera movement techniques and editing to add flavor to our opening. When filming, there are no set rules on the techniques one can use. However, there are certain angles and movements that carry specific attributes. For example, a close up of a person's face reveals that person's feelings to the viewer and may even allow the viewer to empathize with the character. Through the use of different techniques, we can create the tone we want without the need to spend a lot of money.

Conveying what a character is feeling is an important part of making a drama film. These two examples do this well through camera movement techniques:

In the opening scene of 8 Mile, the protagonist, Eminem (Marshall Mathers), is shown in an unclean bathroom looking at himself in a mirror. The camera zooms in to his face many times, showing his nervous expression. While the close ups are happening, the camera also has pan movements showing Eminem's reflection in the small, cracked mirror. The panning is quick which enhances the anxiety felt throughout the scene. Lastly, as Eminem looks in the mirror, the camera also pans all the way to the bathroom door and back, showing hands banging on the door telling Eminem to hurry up, putting both his nerves and our desire to see what will happen next to the edge. Neither special effects nor crazy editing had to be used to create this opening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeI8graJ9_M

In the diner scene of Goodfellas, a combination of zoom ins and zoom outs mark Henry Hill's (Ray Liotta) realization that his best friend is going to betray him. During the shot, Henry is shown talking to his friend at a booth. The two friends are shown in the same frame, yet the zooming distorts the spacial relationship between them and the background, visually expressing Henry's disorientation and fear.

"Camera Movement." Film Reference. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.