L1Eng | Close viewing unit introduction

In today's English lesson we explored videos surrounding cinematography techniques such as camera shots, angles, and the use of music in film. I have some previous knowledge of these techniques to a certain extent but today I learned more.

A couple of the new camera techniques I discovered included 'the golden section' and 'leadlines'. 

One camera effect that stuck out to me was the 'dolly zoom' which I've seen on TikTok as the 'vertigo effect'. The dolly zoom is a unique shot, the camera is moving backwards from the object/person/focal point, all while the camera is zooming in. This provides for a very interesting shot. 

A dolly zoom looks like this:

Since last year's close viewing unit of The Hunger Games, I've actually subconsciously taken more notice to the cinematography techniques directors use. Music is definitely an aspect of film that I didn't take notice of before but now it makes me understand the film and think about it in more complex ways, whether it is a scene or a montage, etc. 

Moving onto the actual film I will be close viewing: Jojo Rabbit is a very good movie (this is the film that the class voted on watching) that I could definitely close-view, but there are of course some films I'd like to study myself if I had the chance.

I'd absolutely love to close-view Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange' and could probably write an entire essay based on the music alone. 

Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining' would also be very interesting, especially in terms of camera angles and shots, which, again, I could write an entire essay on. The Kubrick zoom is already iconic in itself and the fact that Jack Nicholson has his own in 'The Shining' is amazing.





'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' (which also coincidentally stars Jack Nicholson) is another film I'd love to close-view. Films based off literature are, in my opinion, significantly worse than the book itself, but 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' is an exception. It's a masterpiece. 




Finally, 'Lolita'. There are two adaptations of this film, based on the classic novel by Vladimir Nabokov (Lolita was difficult to read, admittedly, but is definitely in the top three books I've ever read) I've seen both films, but it's actually Adrian Lynn's 1997 adaptation that I prefer, not Stanley Kubrick's.  

Lolita is such a beautiful film, and I admit if this were to become my close-viewing subject, I would spend most of English crying at how tragic it is. But this is probably the film I want to study most. That said, if the English department doesn't allow me to study it, I wouldn't blame them. 





I'm aware I've gone on a tangent, but I'm most definitely passionate about films and can't wait to start close-viewing.