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Pixar in a Box
Course: Pixar in a Box > Unit 2
Lesson 5: Film grammar | 5- Introduction to film grammar
- Major vs. minor beats
- Activity 1: Major and minor beats
- Basic shot types
- Activity 2: Basic shot types
- Extreme shots
- Activity 3: Extreme & angles
- Dynamics shots
- Activity 4: Dynamic shots
- Storyboarding
- Activity 5: Storyboarding
- Advice on film grammar
- Glossary: Film grammar
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Activity 4: Dynamic shots
Part A: Find a scene from one of your 3 favorite movies that creates drama by using dynamic shots.
- What kind of dynamic shots are used in this scene?
- How do these shots improve the storytelling?
- Do these shots affect the emotional impact of the scene?
Part B: Identify a moment in your own story where you might want to use dynamic shots.
- What kind of camera movement would be most effective? Why?
- What effect will this have on your story?
- What effect will this have on the emotional impact of the scene?
Want to join the conversation?
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The title crawl fades off into space. The camera pans down to reveal the not-yet-completed Death Star over the planet Endor. Just like in A New Hope, we see a Star Destroyer (The Avenger) loom over our heads. It deploys an Imperial Shuttle and two accompanying TIE fighters, which race toward the Death Star. We now cut to a tracking shot of the Imperial Shuttle and the TIE fighters. Cut to a close shot of the two shuttle pilots looking out the viewport at the Death Star and preparing to land. Medium shot of the same bit. Another tracking shot of the shuttle. The shuttle lands as an alarm blares. Bird's eye view of the shuttle(26 votes)
I was going to say the same thing except I was going to say episode IV the camera pans down into a StarDestroyer chasing the tantiv 4(5 votes)
in Stranger Things it zooms in on eleven when she breaks one of the kids arms who was beating up Dustin and Micheal . that was the coolest scene!(16 votes)
Movie: Tangled
Scene: Eugene and Maximus chasing scene
What kind of dynamic shots are used in this scene?
the camera is moving with the characters to show eugene riding Maximus - this emphasizes the movment in this scene
it then stops when maximus stops and tries to grab the bag - to emphasize the resistence of Maximus
it starts moving again with the characters to show them fighting over the bag
then it stops, wide seen, to show the bag flying and getting stuck on the tree branch - this shows us the distance between the characters and their aim and prepares the audience for the upcoming race to reach the bag
followed by a short still shot while eugene pushes maximus to jump off him
the camera begins to move with the characters again to emphasize the movement of the subjects, then eugene reaches the bag in a still medium shot - emphasizes that he grabbed the bag and "won", prepares audience for eugene's reaction
Afterwards there's a wide still shot and the branch breaks with eugene and maximus - emphasizing the fall by showing the free space.
How do these shots improve the storytelling?
Do these shots affect the emotional impact of the scene?(12 votes)
star wars creates drama(10 votes)
1. Percy JAckson and the lightning thief
2.stranger things eleven breaks a bullies arm.
3.Avengers endgame (Spolier alert) when iron man snapped(8 votes)- Activity 4
Exercise 4: Dynamic shots
Zoom shot from Ratatouille.
Part A: Find a scene from one of your 3 favorite movies that creates drama by using dynamic shots.
What kind of dynamic shots are used in this scene?
In Monsters Inc. a dynamic shot is when the scarers are walking down the scare floor and the camera does an overview of the scare floor.
In Up the camera moves back to show the house sitting on the top of the cliff next to the waterfall.
In Toy Story when Woody is screaming at Buz the camera points up to see what Buzz is looking at.
How do these shots improve the storytelling?
It helps show the super dramatic parts and the different points of view.
Do these shots affect the emotional impact of the scene?
They all show the dramatic and emotional shots and details of the movies.
Tracking shot from Wall-E.
Part B: Identify a moment in your own story where you might want to use dynamic shots.
What kind of camera movement would be most effective? Why?
Since the whole movie is sad the most of the shots should be when the camera looks up at the people who are talking.
What effect will this have on the your story?
It will show how sad the characters are and how emotional the story is
What effect will this have on the emotional impact of the scene?
It will make people really sad and think of how they treat people.(6 votes) 
Activity 4
Exercise 4: Dynamic shots
Zoom shot from Ratatouille.
Part A: Find a scene from one of your 3 favorite movies that creates drama by using dynamic shots.
What kind of dynamic shots are used in this scene?
1)The dynamic shots in the movie Resident Evil: Damnation is when all the problems and dramas has ended and it shows a view of the chaos being controlled. It shows the whole city and movies the camera slowly across the city.
How do these shots improve the storytelling?
2) It makes the audience know that is a very important scene to the story.
Do these shots affect the emotional impact of the scene?
These shows the ending of the movie and that all the characters achieved their goals. All the trouble is resolved and the audience feel the accomplishments.
Part B: Identify a moment in your own story where you might want to use dynamic shots.
What kind of camera movement would be most effective? Why?
1)Tracking shot because it would track Nalu and her father surfing the wave
What effect will this have on the your story?
2)It will show the relationship between Nalu and her father , showing the audience how the ocean brings them together as one.
What effect will this have on the emotional impact of the scene?
3) it will impact the emotional part of this scene by showing the audience how deep her love for her father and the ocean. Then when her father dies, not only will she be hurt so will you because you feel what she does since the beginning.(5 votes)- tracking shots where used in How to train your dragon, to follow flying dragons, and often made it feel like we were on a wild ride(4 votes)
- star wars the phantom menace where the title crawl fades into the background and it does the same thing in the sequals and the prequals(4 votes)
Part A
In the Two Towers when Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are chasing after the orcs in rohan they panned the camera to give it more action. Also, in all of the star wars movies, after the opening monologue the camera pans down and shows some type of space craft.
Part B
When Anmathir is sneaking through the palace it would be good to use the dolly shot as she creeps behind some pillars. It might give the audience the feeling that she is in danger of getting caught.(3 votes)