Anime Cinematography Blog

There was a part of the episode where Asuka opened up about her mother and described her as crazy, possessive and hysterical. These are words with strong negative connotations and yet Asuka uttered them in a nonchalant and cold manner. She even rationalized that she didn’t hate her, as if putting on a façade. Fittingly her dialogue was shot as a direct overhead shot. This type of shot tends to be flat and minimizes perspective lines. This visual, depending on context, can feel cold, sterile and unengaging. The coldness and sterility of this visual captured her tone and demeanor. The unengaging flatness accentuated the sense of disconnect presented by her façade. Overhead shot Kumiko saw through this façade and didn’t mince words. She immediately insinuated that Asuka actually hates her mother despite her calm and carefree demeanor. The façade was broken as reflected by the drastic transition from the unengaging overhead shot to the more emotionally engaging close-up and extre...

The beginning of the discussion scene between Kumiko and Asuka purposely broke the 180 degree rule in order to build tension. The 180 degree rule is designed to maintain the camera on one side of the line of action so that the subjects stay on their side of the frame consistently. This is done for visual continuity, which makes it easier for the audience to follow the scene. The rule is broken when the camera jumps the line and the subjects suddenly switch sides on the next frame. There are times the rule is broken for either practical or narrative purposes. The scene between Kumiko and Asuka broke it for the latter reason. The characters switching sides multiple times created a subtly disorienting and jarring visual that enhanced the tension of the scene. This disorienting visual also reflected Kumiko’s feeling of unease and nervousness throughout the entire exchange. 180 degree rule broken: Asuka on the left side in the first then switches to the right in the next shot. Th...

In the audition scene there were a few subtle changes in the camera movement in order to differentiate the performance between Kousaka and Kaori.   The clip below is a side by side comparison of their performance. The camera work in Kousaka’s performance was more dynamic which gave her a superior presence as a performer. This of course supports the notion that she’s the better musician. The first example is when the camera pulled back from an extreme close-up of their eyes. In Kousaka’s performance the camera pulled back farther and faster. As you’ll notice in the shots above, for Kaori the camera pulled back to a medium close-up while for Kousaka it pulled back farther to a medium shot. Another difference is the shot size of the concert hall during their performance. The first image above is a wide shot of the concert hall when Kaori was playing and the second image is an extreme wide shot of it during Kousaka’s performance. The extreme wide shot gave Kousa...

During the festival Kumiko and Kousaka decided to go hiking which lead to a beautifully executed scene of the two characters sharing a moment that cemented their friendship. The most apparent visual aspect of this scene was the strong usage of lighting on Kousaka in comparison to Kumiko. The lighting on Kousaka made her look ethereal and created a sense of reverence that epitomized her desire to be special. Another visual aspect in this scene that was not as conspicuous as the lighting was the meaningful use of the city lights backdrop. It was used to both differentiate the characters and connect them towards the end of the scene. The city lights backdrop were used for Kousaka’s solo shots, while Kumiko’s were set against a dull background. This contrast in vibrancy formed a perception of differing personalities between the two. The colorful city lights reinforced Kousaka’s ambitiousness. The bland background complemented Kumiko’s understated and reserved nature. ...

To Kumiko high school is a new beginning, a way to make new friends and perhaps to experience the concert band club in a more gratifying way. In the scene where Kumiko gets reacquainted with an old bandmate, her pursuit for a new beginning was demonstrated in a way that earnestly expressed her feelings. When Kumiko was invited to meet with other former bandmates, she stopped and looked back at her new band club and new friends. As Kumiko looks on you might notice a slight shaky cam effect and shimmering movement in her eyes. The shaky cam and shimmering effect were obviously done for dramatic effect but more importantly the similar movements visually connected the close-ups of Kumiko and the shots of her new bandmates. This visual connection conveyed her attachment and commitment to her new bandmates and to this new experience. The sequence above is when Kumiko finally told her old bandmate that she attended Kitauji to have a new start. This sequence made use ...