Beautiful Bones -Sakurako's Investigation- Episode 7

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During the conversation about Sakurako’s autopsy of her pet cat, there was a sequence of close-up shots that only partially framed the face or didn’t show it at all. This practice is quite common in anime, especially during dramatic moments. I think these are done for an effect. Watching a dramatic exchange without seeing the character’s face is visually odd and uneasy, which is an effect that can add tension to the scene. Another effect of these types of shots is they put more emphasis on the voice acting and body language, which at times might be a more effective emotional stimulant than facial expressions.

The aforementioned reasons for these odd and uneasy shots hold true for this sequence in this episode but they also match the mood of the conversation. The visually uncomfortable framing accentuated the naturally unsettling idea of dissecting a pet, an idea that really bothered Shoutarou. There was also a tension between two differing personalities that this odd framing helped bring forth. Shoutarou is more emotionally sensitive while Sakurako can easily detach herself emotionally and think with pure logic.

Another effect of not seeing their faces is when they’re finally shown it can be done for emphasis. Towards the end of this sequence the centered medium close-ups of both characters really punctuated their vastly contrasting feelings on the subject. Sakurako has this cold and unflappable expression, while Shoutarou has a pained and sad look.

There were also a couple of wide shots that were nice visual story images. The first one is a frame within a frame of Sakurako that visually separates the two and reinforces their difference. The second one distorted the size difference. Making Shoutarou appear bigger accentuated his anger and irritation.

Comments

  1. truerealityJanuary 11, 2016 at 2:09 AM

    Hi I've been a long time follower of your blog. I couldn't help but notice you haven't posted anything in a long time. Please continue to do your work, because it's helpful in learning cinematography! Especially your work on animes like the monogatari-series, your analysis gives very much insight!

    ReplyDelete
  2. truerealityJanuary 11, 2016 at 2:10 AM

    Hi I've been a long time follower of your blog. I couldn't help but notice you haven't posted anything in a long time. Please continue to do your work, because it's helpful in learning cinematography! Especially your work on animes like the monogatari-series, your analysis gives very much insight!

    ReplyDelete

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