Reflection on Shots

     1.       We chose the action genre for this still, a genre commonly associated with chase scenes, violence and guns. The expressions on the characters’ faces connote the seriousness of the situation. Their arms are positioned in movement, depicting running motion. This creates the sense that fast paced movement is common in the film. The actors are portrayed in different positions allowing the audience to understand that there is a chase. Chases such as this are iconographic to action films such as in the film, North by Northwest (1959).

     2.       I took this shot as a straight angled mid-shot with high key lighting to achieve the effect of the action genre. The camera has a sharp focus on the protagonist in action running from the antagonist. The background features a field which is situated near a suburban neighbourhood. This suggests that the characters are out of their natural environment and hence the setting becomes evocative of an action plotline. The effect of an action film still was further created using the framing and angle that resembles a tracking shot.

     3.       The framing centres the protagonist to focus so the audience can feel engaged by his presence. The angle that the shot is taken from places the audience in a window viewpoint. The antagonist’s expression creates a sense of character conflict between the subjects of the shot. The background of the shot has little clutter which makes this shot believable and more real. The dark colours of costuming direct the audience’s attention to the characters’ faces. The expressions on their faces allude to the seriousness of the action genre.

     4.       In hindsight, I would include props such as a gun to depict the antagonist as a possible threat to the protagonist. An increased use of weaponry props would further relate the film still to the action genre. I would also change the costuming such as removing the branding on the protagonist’s shirt. I would shift the camera so the protagonist is looking directly at the camera to further involve the audience in a participant viewpoint of the chase. I would also like to feature a wired fence or manmade construction in the background to avoid the connotation of a peaceful environment.