Zankyou no Terror Episode 3

-
The scene below is a good example of visual storytelling. The use of one point perspective directs the viewers’ gaze to Lisa, which is important for the emotional connection this scene is trying to achieve. With the audience’s attention drawn to the center, they themselves can feel surrounded by the shadows in the hallway; a visual experience that effectively coveys a morose atmosphere. The only light source from the outside not only put more focus on Lisa but also gives off a “light at the end of the tunnel” effect. Lisa walking away from that light expresses her feeling of hopelessness. Also, notice the girls socializing outside. This is a stark contrast to Lisa being alone in the darkness of the hallway and further reinforces the strong sense of isolation present in this scene.

There are a couple of cuts to Lisa’s shoes, and each time the camera zooms closer. This visually communicates that she’s still a target of bullying, which is then confirmed as she discovers her locker to be empty.

Near the end of the scene we see Lisa’s reflection in the overhead convex mirror. This effectively works as a high angle shot, which are often used to characterize a person as weak and powerless. The mirror distorting her into a diminutive figure even puts more emphasis on her feeling of smallness and seclusion.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Koe no Katachi (A Silent Voice)

-
Both in the beginning and towards the end of Koe no Katachi there’s a fundamental scene where Ishida walks in the school hallway in anxiety while avoiding eye contact with his fellow students. The key difference between the two scenes is that the first one was done in a subjective point-of-view while the last one in an objective point-of-view. The difference in POV was to visually accentuate the contrast in narrative between the beginning and the end. Subjective POVs are usually shot in first person perspective and this is exactly how a large portion of the first “hallway scene” was shot. In this POV the audience sees the world from the character’s eyes, a far more visually and emotionally engaging experience. The viewer is in Ishida’s shoes as he walks through hallway, nervously looking down at the ground and avoiding the faces of other students. The camera shakes and moves unevenly. This motion of the camera not only emulates Ishida’s movement but also highlights his discomfor...
READ MORE

Ping Pong The Animation Episode 11

-
Image
Yuasa and his animators really went all out with the camera movement for this finale. The video below is only the warm up. It starts with a medium shot of Smile and Peco in their stance to establish the anticipation. Then cuts to a close-up and extreme close-up that ratchet up the tension as the match begins. Around the 00:13 mark there's a steady-cam like movement where the camera rotates behind Smile then zooms into the ping pong ball. At 00:31 mark we see a really quick push-in shot on Smile which cuts to a reverse tracking shot as Peco slams the ball. This was a frantic combination of camera movements and quick cuts that creates the initial excitement. This frenzied start was a quick glimpse of Smile being brought out of his shell by Peco. A long-awaited moment. This feeling of fulfillment is encapsulated by the last shot, a close-up of Smile smiling as the camera pulls away to show him absorbing the moment, the cheers of the crowd and the fun that is Ping Pong. ...
READ MORE

Angel's Egg

-
Image
Angel’s Egg is a movie rich in surreal symbolism. As a whole the film is abstract and difficult to decipher but many scenes or shots on their own are eloquently lucid. It’s the vivid composition and meticulous camera work that constructed such visually engrossing and cohesive scenes. __________________________________________________________________________ The huge antenna structure functions as a strong leading line that visually guides the viewers’ eyes to the sky. With the viewers focused on the sky, the scene cuts to a shot of it with the camera tilting up to slowly reveal the main subject of interest, which is the descending orb. The third image compositionally puts everything together. The antenna continues to function as a leading line as it points to the orb. It also provides linear perspective, which creates depth. The man’s presence along with the orb establishes the important connection between the two. The last image also uses compositional triangle to not ...
READ MORE