Composition:
September 19, 2025
Instructions:
For this task we were asked to...
1.Choose the opening scene of a movie or show on YouTube. Paste its link and begin taking notes
2.Notes should include the Identification of camera shots, angles and movements used in the scene. Ensure the notes are detailed and an effective representation of your understanding.
3.In your notes, suggest how the distance, movement and angles used has contributed to the construction of MEANING. To add, identify technical decisions such as the framing, depth of field and rule of thirds. Connect all areas to the overall meaning it gives to the piece.
4.After you finish, turn your notes into a series of small paragraphs. While focusing on the contributed meaning and how all camerawork works together in the end.
My Response:
In the opening scene of Saturday Night Fever, an establishing shot is used to show where the movie will take place, in other words, New York and near the Brooklyn bridge. Moreover, as the scene continues a variation of mid and close-up shots are used to help the audience read the characters body language, in the case the pace he is walking and his immediate surroundings. Throughout his conversations, the camera shifts to an over the shoulder shot and even one time using a point of view shot from the view of his eyes. These two technical decisions invited the audience into the conversation and be able to accurately read each character's reactions and exactly what they are seeing at the point in time. Overall, the camera shots all effectively work together to move the audience through the 4-minute scene and grasp the start of the plot.
As for the camera angles, the cinematographer used a majority of low angle shot and a Dutch angle shot once. The low angle shot portrayed him as a sort of powerful/intimidating figure. Obviously, the angle also makes the subject appear larger or taller, but the emotion that comes out of this style of angle is incredible. This angle allows the audience to still see a lot of the background but also feel the same emotions the character is feeling and wanted to evoke. Furthermore, the scenes camera movement played a huge role in the productions meaning and authenticity. After the establishing shot, a tilt movement is used to introduce the first character and show his entire body, starting from bottom to top. Although it does shift, a handheld movement is used to follow him as he is walking, and its unsteady shaking creates an almost raw and first-person point of view throughout the scene. To add, the most heavily used movement is a dolly shot as throughout almost the entire scene, the camera follows him show the front side of his body as he roams the streets.
The camerawork contributed dramatically to the meaning of the scene. I believe if different camera angles, shots and movements were used, the same meaning and emotion would not be stimulated. Moving over, as the opening scene is following the main character through his day/his attempt to escape his reality, the camera, in which is handheld, makes the audience feel as though they are there and coming along the journey/walking right in front of him the entire time. To capture his carefree persona, the camera captures his conversations and internal emotions as he walks freely, sparking a conversation with almost anyone. In this, the viewer is able to make a judgement or assume his personality pretty early on. Lastly, the camera possesses an open frame shot, showing a lot of him while still showing a ton of the background. Additionally, a standard focus is used to establish the characters walk and everyone one around him slightly out of focus. This also helps balance the elements within the frame and guide the viewers eye through the image. The constant emphasis on the environment helps the audience understand the vulnerability the character might feel and his thought process as he continues to walk with no real destination in mind.