Analysis of Shot

We were asked to select one shot of particular interest in our production, and produce a paragraph of reflective writing to practice our evaluating skills for both the coursework evaluation and the final exam in the summer.



The shot that I have chose to use for this is shown above. It is taken from one of the flashback scenes of Emily and Joe.

This shot shows Emily and Joe in fight, and this screen grab is taken from one of the three shots of this particular section. I find this particular one both interesting and relevant to our video because it shows Joe trying to embrace Emily, but she is pushing him away. Firstly, this relates back to the lyrics of our song; it is not a direct link, but the song itself is based around someone missing a relationship - but for all t he wrong reasons. This flashback shot is a visual representation of the kind of disfunctional relationship that the song lyrics are reffering to.
The shot itself is a birds-eye view, and shows the couple from above and looks down on them. This shot-type is aswell relevant to the lyrics, as it potrays a sense of vulnerability of the couple as the camera is looking down on them making them look small and over-powered. This is symbolic of a fragile relationship, and can also be seen as a sign of weakness (where both people in the relationship are weak as opposed to one more dominant character).
The framing of the shot shows the couple in the middle of it, which shows that they are central to the story. You can also see stair banisters from above, giving a sense that they are trapped in their own destructive relationship, but the huge open space which is their house makes it hard for them to leave eachother (as they are leaving so much behind). In the shot Joe has his arms open to embrace Emily, but you see that she is pushing him away. This tells the audience that they are having an argument, but it is Emily who is being distant from him as he tries to make peace. This shows Emily as a defensive character, but instead of just coming across as being generally hostile the audience are aware of her reasons (because of the flashbacks at the very start of the song which show that Joe - her boyfriend - is a serial cheat).
In this shot, lighting isn't of great importance. The use of black and white is to represent that this is a past event, and it was a dull and dismal part of the couples (especailly Emily's) lives. The use of black and white can represent many things, but most commonly it is used for an older looking effect. I feel that this shot works in black and white, and the effect adds to the picture that the audience have about the two peoples relationship (and the darkness that lies within it).