Research into Cinematography

Research into Cinematography 
Cinematography is the use of photography and camerawork whilst film making. The theme I  will be exploring is, thriller and the film which I will analysing is "Insidious 3". I have chosen to analyse Insidious 3 because the clip that I have chosen has many different varieties of cinematography which I could write about. The clip starts from "1:14:22" to "1:22:30". https://xmovies8.org/watch?v=Insidious_Chapter_3_2015#video=dVzaJL4ud3qT5kw1TKyLyIutM3rdgZ-yGCfL0boNMl8

Close up - 1:21:09

Cinematography is used in the film, Insidious 3. This can be seen through a close up shot, the audience can see this when Elise is trying to get in the other dimension whilst she is closing her eyes trying to contact the demons. This shot was used to show how much concentration Elise has, as the camera is positioned so that the audience are only focused on Elise. This tells the audience how important this ritual is to her and the family she is trying to save. This is conventional to a thriller film as there is a sense of fear and death. This helps the audience build a relationship with Elise as they sympathise towards her because they are unsure if she will come back into this dimension safely.

Shallow focus - 1:14:32

Cinematography can also be seen through the shallow focus, which was used when the audience see Elise sitting on her chair attempting to reach the other dimension. The shot was used so that Elise is the only thing the audience will be focusing on, this was done to show the importance of correctly performing the ritual as it could result in losing her life and the life of the child she is trying to save. This is conventional to a thriller film because there is a threat of death apon a family. The audience can relate to this situation as they have a family which they would do anything to save, thus putting themselves into Elise's shoes and building a strong relationship with her. Ultimately engaging the audience.   

Extreme close up - 1:16:27

Extreme close up can be seen when Elise touches the door knob and gets her hand covered in blood. This shot was used to foreshadow danger and death as their is blood which symbolises pain. Also the blood isn't the normal colour of red, it is black. This connotes that the blood could be from something inhumane, the colour black could also symbolise something sinister and impure. This is conventional to a thriller because the audience can foreshadow some sort of death or pain which will be inflicted among Elise which builds up the suspense for the audience to be engaged and on the edge of their seats. The audience will also sympathise for Elise as they know she is getting into something dangerous.

Steadicam - 1:24:18

Cinematography can be seen through steadicam, the audience can see this when the camera is completely still and eye level with the characters whilst moving from right to left of Elise trying to contact Quinn from the other dimension. This shot is used to show how focused everyone is whilst staring at Quinn, because the situation that they are in puts them into a state of mind where they are unsure if Quinn will reply back or not, which could either mean Quinn can't hear Elise or she is dead. This engages the audience because there is a build up of suspense, as the audience patiently waits to see whether Quinn is still alive. This is conventional to a thriller because the audience is left pondering whether the antagonist is in grave danger.

Two shot - 1:22:30

Cinematography can be seen through the shot, two shot. This is evident when the audience see the demonic, crippled old man stroking Quinn's head. This shot was used to show the vulnerability of Quinn and to show how helpless and defenceless she is. The shot also shows how badly the old demonic man wanted Quinn as he strokes her in relief that he finally has her. This is conventional to a thriller film because the protagonist has been captured by the antagonist which leaves the audience engaged as they want to see the protagonist win and defeat the antagonist. The audience can also sympathise for Quinn because she is captured and doesn't know if she will ever escape, or if she is trapped there forever.





To conclude, I believe that the shots that I analysed were used to engage, excite and grab the audience. This was done by using a variety of different types of cinematography to which up suspense and tension to keep the audience hooked and fully concentrated. The cinematography which was used is conventional to the thriller genre because it kept the audience on the edge of their seats eagerly waiting to see what will happen next which was very effective as it also builds tension. Analysing the clips has helped inspire me for my own thriller opening scene. This is because I am now more confident in portraying the meanings of shots that i can integrate them into my opening scene and make it as conventional as possible, whist also building tension and suspense to grab and hook the audience. It has also helped me as I am now more educated in the different variety of shots, thus meaning I can include more advanced camera shots such as the "steadicam". Hopefully by integrating all these into my opening scene it can make it as conventional and as real as a professional thriller film as possible.