Sora no Method Episode 2
I didn’t really expect this show to offer much in a way of interesting
cinematography but this episode pleasantly surprised me with some meaningful
shot making.
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As the first episode suggested, Shione has a long held
resentment towards Nonoka. Shione is cold to her and even going as far as
ignoring her altogether. The shot above reinforces these emotions by creating
distance and space between the two. Framing the characters at each side of the frame
creates distance. The depth produced by the perspective lines of the desks
combined with the exaggerated negative space produced by the low-angle emulates
Shione’s feeling of emptiness towards Nonoka.
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This scene engages in imagery. Although it’s a bit too
obvious, I thought it was an effective callback to the character’s past. The
close-up of the sculpture reflects the period when Noel patiently and longingly
waited for Nonoka. It even resembles this shot from the last episode. The scene
then cuts to a full shot of the sculpture and a waiting Noel to complete the
parallel.
This was an 18 second scene with only those two shots. Since
the two shots are similar, it felt like an 18 sec. extended take. This was
designed to let the audience absorb the past and the nature of the character.
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In the clip above, the combination of lateral tracking and shallow
focus is used to change the main subject of interest of the scene. Even though Yuzuki
dominates the dialogue, the camera tracks away from her, centers Nonoka and
puts her in focus. This is to show Nonoka trying to get to know and understand Yuzuki.
The camera then tracks back and focuses on Yuzuki to visually emphasize her
conviction.
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The above are a sequence of shots from one scene. I’m not
sure if the last one breaks the 180 degree rule since Noel’s sight line
direction didn’t change but the switch of her screen orientation from right
side to left side broke continuity. It’s also unbalanced framing. The lack of
noseroom/looking room gave Noel’s sight line very little distance to travel,
therefore missing visual weight.
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