SHOT SEQUENCE ANALYSIS

The following 6-shot sequence from 'Sin City' tells a story, with each shot revealing something new about the scene to the audience. The mixture of angles and distances make it dramatic and exciting, with long shots revealing details such as location and characters, and close ups revealing emotion. The whole scene is dark, mysterious and builds up tension cleverly. Here is an analysis of each shot, what it shows and what this means to the audience.

SHOT 1

MCU, EHA (almost birdseye over subjects face), subject lying on ground, low key lighting casting small shadows, black & white (crime + classy gangster style), subject central to shot with gun pointed up towards camera + slightly to left (his eyes look in this direction too suggesting another character is here out of shot), action shot - he is being aimed at as he has his "hands up" with one hand on his head but he is rebellious (gun pointing anyway), uncomfortable position on ground suggests struggle, his smirk suggests he is enjoying this struggle (possibly a villain), wooden planks/floorboards - could be on a dock or in an old fashioned wooden room, camera slightly tilted with planks diagonal (disorientation), subject wearing black suit (action/city genre).

SHOT 2

LS, EHA (zoom out from shot 1 so still almost birdseye), new character introduced aiming gun at subject on floor, new character has large coat on + face not seen so he remains mysterious, location - dock surrounded by water making the subject on the floor trapped (planks aim towards top right of shot where subject is pointing, trapping him here where perspective makes him seem smaller), gun is now pointed down suggesting he has been shot by new character (blood splashes), he is now more open and vunerable, new character is bigger and more imposing - in control (because of perspective of shot), despite new character being anonymous we are looking over his - we could be on his side as we are also looking down at the vulnerable character (possibly villainous).

SHOT 3

VLS, level angle, shot establishes scene more with side on view of action, central character has power & gun + is leaning over vulnerable character, this in center of shot is action framed by surroundings (dock platform, poles and buildings), 2 new characters - onlooker behind and girl tied up by pole - suggesting this girl is being saved or kidnapped (with new characters either heroes or villains), onlooker is imposing and tall - almost as backup to central man (standing in position to stop the vulnerable character getting away off dock), warehouse buildings show it is grimey side of city - crime genre, light highlights platform where action is, everything else dark (night - adding to chilling effect).

SHOT 4

LS, slightly LA (zoomed in from shot 3 focusing on 2 main characters), now character with power has his gun raised (more hostile atmposphere with high tension/anticipation of what might happen), character is angrier/firmer and means business (focused on aiming his gun), other character is now panicing (hands everywhere almost begging for mercy), his coat is blowing in breeze adding to atmosphere/tension (dramatic effect), mist + city lights in background are far away from action (dark, lonely side of town), low key lighting emphasises action on platform (almost in spotlight), slightly LA makes imposing character seem bigger + overpowering - he has buildings behind him as protection whilst other character is completely in the open (no escape, therefore vulnerable).

SHOT 5

MCU, level angle, girl we hav not previously seen, emphasises emotion on her face - makes scene more real, camera focus on her with blurred background, crying + completely frightened, looking down with no confidence, rest of sequence was dramatic but characters lacked emotion so this shot is important to establish the emotion, low key lighting casts slight shadow over half of her face to make it more dramatic, audience feels closer to this character and sympathises with her - her ordeal, this shot comes at the climax of the sequence as we do not know what has happened between the 2 men (whether the imposing character has shot the vulnerable character).

SHOT 6

LS, slightly LA, shot framed by platform along bottom + poles/buildings at sides to focus on main action in middle-left, body on floor motionless - probably shot, imposing character stands hunched over body, onlooker in background has not moved - unnerving, still cannot see main characters face - cast by shadow and too far away - also unnerving, villain maybe killed now but the 2 characters still show no warmth to girl, no change in lighting or atmosphere (still misty + dark) suggests the trouble may not be over yet, LA (peering over dock platform) makes it seem like we are spying on this scene as it should not have happened - crime + secrecy, involves audience with the scene of the crime.