Camera Shots and Angles

I absolutely LOVE this close up shot in The Fault in Our Stars. 

It shows just how emotional and important this moment is for these characters. Throughout this whole movie, the director uses very interesting camera angles and shots. Before this class, I never really paid attention to the visual styles, but now its one of the main aspects I pay attention to. 

French New Wave

Our first stop around the world will be France! 

To represent the French New Wave, we watched a film directed by Francois Truffaut, The 400 Blows. The film was shot with impressive young actors, a cheap budget, in beautiful real locations. The film was simple yet visually dynamic, which contributed to the depth of the story. What I particularly loved about the film was that the visual styles helped me understand the characters in a different way. Antoine didn't particularly have a ton of dialogue, even though he was the main character. Instead, a lot was told by him through his expressions, movements, and his reactions to the situations around him. 

Truffaut did this through various close ups of Antoine. This helped show his expressions and reactions in a more dramatic way. I also appreciated the high angles that were used when his teacher or parents were talking to him. This makes him look more youthful and vulnerable in these situations. The panning in the beginning of the film was very beautiful as well.  

Hi Everyone!

My name is Brianne Deja, and I am currently a senior graduating in May 2017. I major in English with supports in elective studies and creative writing. I look forward to broadening my knowledge in film studies and I'm happy to take all of you along with me in my journey!