I'm In Love With Aldous Snow

Week 2: Cine-Speak

Ok so this week's lecture and tute focused on the old camera shots. These being:

• VLS/WS: Very Long Shot/Wide Shot
• LS: Long Shot
• MLS: Medium Long Shot
• MS: Mid Shot
• MCU: Medium Close Up
• CU: Close Up
• BCU: Big Close Up
• ECU: Extreme Close up

For these shots to be shown in more clear way, I will get some examples from the film "Get Him To The Greek". Which I recommend you seeing as it is highly entertaining and Russell Brand is, as my best friend would say, some fine totty.

VLS/WS :

Well first shot and I've already failed. This obviously has nothing to do with Get Him To the Greek, but we can all pretend like it does. A VLS/WS normally has the whole character in a small proportion of the frame. Since this is the case we cannot tell if it is in fact hobbits or an alcoholic/drug addicted, washed up rockstar. We can dream and pretend it's an alcoholic/ drug addicted washed up little hobbit band; where Gandalf is escorting them to Mount Doom, to perform a sell out gig for many an orc. We shall name this picture, "Get Him To Mount Doom"

LS

A long shot has the main character/s in the frame and shows where the action is taking place.

MLS

These are the most common shot, since they have the right balance between the surroundings and character/s . These shots normally frame the figure from the knees up.

MS

This shot frames the character/s from the waist up. Gesture and expression are more visible. Aaron:"Remember that big favour I did for you?" Aldous:"Oh you mean the heroin."

MCU

The Medium Close up frames the body from the chest up.

"I need you to put this into your bottom-hole."

CU

This shows just the head, hands, feet or a small object and normally shows the emotion of the character. Frightful.

BCU

Again, I have ultimately failed at trying to get all shots from one movie. But the next two pictures are from kick-ass movies too. So the Big Close Up shot reveals more of a character, their actions and what they are thinking/feeling. We all know we don't need to see this picture to know that the Joker was one fucked-up fella.

ECU

This shot normally emphasises one feature of the face, normally eyes or lips, or magnifies/isolates an object. "Taters? What's Taters ay?" I think that is the least of Gollum's worries at the moment.