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Course: Storytelling > Unit 2
Lesson 5: Film grammar- 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 3: Extreme & angles
Part A: Choose a scene from one of your favorite films which contains an extreme shot or angle.
- What kind of extreme shots or angles are used?
- How do these shots help the story?
- What emotional effect do they have?
- When looking at framing of these shots, can you identify where aspects of Visual Language (line, shape, space, movement, tone and color) are used to create emphasis and lead the viewer’s eye?
Part B: Return to the minor beats from your own story you identified in the previous exercises.
- Identify at least one minor beat where you think an extreme shot or angle might work well.
- Why did you choose this shot from a story perspective?
- How do you think the shot will help emphasis the emotional impact of that moment?
Want to join the conversation?
A change of shot in Matilda is when she is in her house spying on her from the stairs its a wide and far angle shot.(19 votes)- In The Incredible Hulk, in the scene where you first see Bruce Banner transform into the Hulk, There is an extreme low shot on the Hulk after one of the soldiers throws a incendiary grenade at him. Later there is also an extreme close up on Hulks face in the darkness before he escapes.
These shots help show the dramatic changes both physically and mentally of Bruce Banner as he transforms into the hulk. Also since low shots are usually used to show dominance or strength over another character and/or audience, the shot could also show the Hulks new strength and dominance over the soldiers as the monster.
Extreme close ups are used either to maintain focus on a specific detail or to create an uncomfortable feel to the audience to display a certain emotion. In the close up with Hulk in the dark, its the second one, with Hulk´s close up displays the Hulks anger as well as making the audience feel the tensity of Hulks anger towards another solider (Blonsky) after shooting him. The face shrouded in the darkness is a bonus as it gives the audience the chills of seeing a big scary angry monster. Th charcter shroudd in darkness to create a scary effect has alos been used in plenty of other movies, like the Jungle Book reboot, Friday the 13th, and even Apocalypse Now.(14 votes) 
when hiccup in how to train your dragon frees toothless from the net he shot him with. toothless leaps on him and pins him down leading to several seconds of a close up of the dragons face, the moment is really intense(9 votes)- Omg, I love how to train your dragon! And i was thinking about that actually when I watching it last night, that and all the different shots there were.(3 votes)
Godzilla 2019:
There is a very wide shot when Godzilla arrives at Antarctica to face Ghidorah. Its a shot that shows how big Godzilla is compared to Ghidorah. Gives a sense of scale and intimidation between the two but also fear since you don't know how well Godzilla will do against him
a Shot like that helps show that the humans are ants compared to the titans. Which helps support what one of the humans say in the film "Man does not control the laws of nature, and neither do you" implying that the humans are nothing compared to the Titans.
They make you fear weather or not Godzilla can handle this new opponent or not. Considering how he didn't handle the Mutos so well back in 2014. Eventually there is also close up shots on Godzilla that shows his anger towards Ghidorah.
You can see all of the visual language. In the scale scene between Godzilla and Ghidorah, Ghidorah has a tall curved body with the heads, the wings follow the same suite. Godzillas body is basically like an S form as he stands in his attack pose. Godzillas whole body is made up of a bunch of rectangles and squares and triangles. Giving hims a sturdy body, reliable strength and a sharp and intimidating look. The facial expressions seen on Godzilla throughout the movie as well make you feel what Godzillas feeling or see what hes thinking/feeling(8 votes)- 5. Film Grammar
Exercise 3: Extreme & angles.
Part A: Choose a scene from one of your favorite film which contains an extreme shot or angle.
What kind of extreme shots or angles are used?
One type of extreme angle in Toy Story is called the Dutch Angle. In this part of the story, Buzz Lightyear fell from a tall height and broke his arm. He laid on the floor with no idea on what to do.
How do these shots help the story?
This shot in the story helps create an unusual and unsteady feeling in the story.
What emotional effect do they have?
While Buzz Lightyear is on the floor, the shot is zooming out of Buzz. This shot has a confusing and hopeless emotional effect towards Buzz Lightyear’s state of mind.
When looking at framing of these shots, can you identify where aspects of Visual Language (line, shape, space, movement, tone and color) are used to create emphasis and lead the viewer’s eye?
The camera is being moved higher and away from Buzz Lightyear to create emphasis on his condition. It makes the viewer’s eye view Buzz Lightyear as weak and hopeless.
Part B: Return to the minor beats from your own story you identified in the previous exercises.
Identify at least one minor beat where you think an extreme shot or angle might work well.
The minor beat can be shown is when Billy sees something shine at and abandoned island. It works well because it gives the viewer an idea of how much excitement is in Billy.
Why did you choose this shot from a story perspective?
I chose this shot because it can be used in this beat to show how big the world is and how filled with new discoveries.
How do you think the shot will help emphasis the emotional impact of that moment?
This shot will help emphasize the emotion of happiness, because these are emotions coming from a child who goes on adventures.(6 votes)
The closeup of 'Rosebud' on the sled in 'Citizen Kane." And of the snow scene in the glass globe that Charles Kane drops as he expires. (Or at least that's how I remember theme!)(2 votes)
- In Spirited away after the opening sequence where Chihiro's parents turn into pigs the sequence ends with extreme close up of Chihiro's father squealing in his pig form. Not only does the use of close up here make the scene extremely impactful ( Most people who I've talked to who have seen the movie as children remember this scene with fear) it also emphasises what has become of her parents and their grotesque nature.(5 votes)
In How to Train Your Dragon they had a close up shot of Toothless looking at Hiccup with a knife hesitating and then Hiccup was looking at Toothless who was stuck in a hole giving us an up shot of toothless in that hole.
In Avengers Infinity War we have an Close up shot of Thanos crying because he know he has to sacrifice the only thing he loved and cared about, Gamora, his daughter.(5 votes)- in spiderman into the spider verse when peter b parker or any other spider people came into the universe there was a wide shot of the world glitching and a extreme close angle in boss baby when the baby comes for the first time and Tims dad says "b r o t h e r" in slo-mo(4 votes)
Venom
in this movie a store owner gets robbed and venom stops the robber and shows a close up of his face to show how scared he in.(4 votes)
in the first part of nemo the extreme shot was when the huge shark thing came after marlines family(4 votes)
