Famous Shots: Elevating a Film

 

This weeks blog post will talk about famous shots in movies that make the film better or stick out in a film.  One example I can think of is from a movie I recently rewatched.  This shot is from Star Wars: Rogue One, which premiered in 2016 and was directed by Gareth Edwards.  The shot is at the end of the film, when Darth Vader is in a dark hallway of a Rebel ship, and his lightsaber is ignited.  This shot is very well executed and choreographed, as the lighting of Vader's lightsaber with the darkness of the hallway is used perfectly.  The shot also evokes a feeling of fear and terror because of what actions Vader will take shortly after this shot, giving off a "moments before disaster" feel.  I wouldn't really change the rendering of the shot, but I would make Vader a little less visible to further elevate what the shot is trying to do.

Another iconic shot that sticks with me is the team-up shot in The Avengers.  This 2012 film directed by Joss Whedon, I believe, was the first film to get a superhero team-up movie right.  This shot further elevates that, as it has all our heroes in one circle together, looking like a great team.  The shot resonates a sense of might, and increases the audience's confidence that the heroes are going to win the battle.  However, if I were to shoot it, I would make all the heroes as equally visible as possible, even if there are size differences.  Hawkeye in the shot is not as visible as all the other heroes, which could make the audience feel he is not as important as all the other Avengers, even though he plays a key role in the film.