Critical Assessment of 'The Watching'
'The Watching' is just a short sequence in which my group and I were practicing camera techniques. It features a quiet, fairly introverted school girl, trekking to her next class, unaware that she is being watched. She continues down an empty corridor when she is suddenly ambushed. The sequence ends with her futilely trying to escape her attacker but ultimately she is pulled away into whatever fate awaits her.
The shots included are as listed:
- Long-shot
- Tracking shot
- Point of view
- Crane shot
- Tilt shot
- High angle
- Close up
Not all of the shot types have been included into the sequence, the ones that have been left out were:
- Medium shot
- Extreme close up
- Over the shoulder
- Low angle
- Pan
- Rolling shot
Some of these shots have not been incorporated into the sequence due simply to the fact that they would not work with the horror/thriller theme. Example: the villain of the story does not show up until the end and even then he only appears briefly; a low angled shot would be pointless. Even if it was used for the main character, the camera shot wouldn't work as the shot give the impression of power and poses a threat. The main character is a victim and is needed to be viewed as meek and powerless, hence the high angled shot.
To continue with the purpose behind each shot, there are purposes behind the scenes. As i have just explained, the high angled shot is to give the impression that the main character is meek and powerless, the audience instinctively knows that something terrible is going to happen to her (the crane shot similarly instills this). The long, crane, tracking incorporated shots at the beginning illustrate that the main character is being watched. It highlights the sudden sinister aura permeating from the scene as the audience doesn't know who is watching her and also shows the irony that the main character is unaware of being stalked. Again, the lone tracking shot is one of the main shots in the short sequence as it almost portrays that she is being hunted, the whole purpose of the film. It adds the creepy edge as we don't know who is hunting her or why. The point of view shot illustrates her obliviousness to her situation. it adds irony and a frantic frustration to the audience as they slightly know what's happening. Finally, the close up of the main character's hand at the end illustrates her need to escape, but the fact that only her hand is shown provides the reader that the rest of her will not follow her escape and she is soon swiftly yanked back to her demise.
For some of the shots, the camera was purposely shaken e.g. with the point of view shot, the camera was held at the point where someone would see and so the jostling was a part of the natural process of somebody moving. However there were some parts where the camera was jostled due to the stiffness of the tripod. I would suggest in future that some of the shots be hand held when it came to movement to ensure a more fluid motion.
To continue with the purpose behind each shot, there are purposes behind the scenes. As i have just explained, the high angled shot is to give the impression that the main character is meek and powerless, the audience instinctively knows that something terrible is going to happen to her (the crane shot similarly instills this). The long, crane, tracking incorporated shots at the beginning illustrate that the main character is being watched. It highlights the sudden sinister aura permeating from the scene as the audience doesn't know who is watching her and also shows the irony that the main character is unaware of being stalked. Again, the lone tracking shot is one of the main shots in the short sequence as it almost portrays that she is being hunted, the whole purpose of the film. It adds the creepy edge as we don't know who is hunting her or why. The point of view shot illustrates her obliviousness to her situation. it adds irony and a frantic frustration to the audience as they slightly know what's happening. Finally, the close up of the main character's hand at the end illustrates her need to escape, but the fact that only her hand is shown provides the reader that the rest of her will not follow her escape and she is soon swiftly yanked back to her demise.
For some of the shots, the camera was purposely shaken e.g. with the point of view shot, the camera was held at the point where someone would see and so the jostling was a part of the natural process of somebody moving. However there were some parts where the camera was jostled due to the stiffness of the tripod. I would suggest in future that some of the shots be hand held when it came to movement to ensure a more fluid motion.
