Relationship Between Shots
The scene that I have chosen is from the 2013 video game The Last of Us. I understand that this is not from a film but the cut-scenes are done in the style of film and incorporate many of its techniques in order to have the viewer understand character intention and narrative action. The scene starts with one of the characters, Joel, entering into the frame in while captured in a medium shot. There isn’t any lead room so even without the other character, Ellie’s voice being heard out of the screen, the audience would understand that Joel has finally found her. After hearing her voice, the camera pans over to include Ellie into the frame so the audience understands where exactly the voice is coming from which is framed in a long shot.
It then cuts to a series of medium shots of each character while she refuses to leave with him. When they begin to discuss the heart of the matter, the scene cuts to a long shot of Joel walking over to Ellie showing the increase in narrative drama in both space and dialogue. After Ellie is upset with Joel’s reasoning, she gets up and walks into the position of a 180 degree shot with him in the foreground. The camera angle follows their eye direction as they have this argument. After Joel yells he walks out the frame showing his desire to end this conversation but Ellie walks into it as she is determined to get to the heart of this issue.
The scene continues with 180-degree shots until Ellie shares something sensitive about her past. This is where the camera goes back to a medium shot of only her in the frame to put more emphasis on what she is saying. She then explains her feelings of isolation to a point where she so upset that she pushes Joel. The frame is set in such a way that Ellie is in the frame and at the edge while Joel’s upper torso is in the frame and each body takes up a third of the screen. This space in the middle is the lead room for Ellie to travel and push Joel until he is out of frame.
The scene cuts to a close up of Joel's expression after that statement and then a close up of Ellie’s because this is when they both become emotional and the director wanted to put more emphasis on their expressions. They finish the argument in close-ups of their faces before the scene cuts to a medium shot taking the audience out of the scene and preparing them for the oncoming fight.
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