The Obvious and the Code

In “The Obvious and the Code”, the thing that shocked me most overall was the ability for one to break down shots so thoroughly. When we think of things that constitute film, often time actual shots themselves are lost. We become so focused on more glaring elements, such as mise-en-scene, camera angels, or music. This breakdown of the shot itself, and how it influences the film and our understanding, was especially interesting to me. The actual layout of the shot itself is just as important as what is in it, as we see as the piece progresses. The way the shot is filmed (tracking), mixed with the way that the shot is framed to show the two characters, greatly influences our perception of what is happening. Often times, however, we do not think about this part and instead focus on the actual action taking place. Even when attempting to wrap up the discussion, we are given the point that the fact that this scene can even be put into 12 shots makes it significant to us as viewers. There is some significant action that must be happening for the scene to be pulled apart and filmed in this way. For me personally, this article has encouraged me to take into consideration these technical elements more when writing or thinking about film.