As of now, I don’t know exactly what my personal visual style is. I guess I’m still in the stages of figuring that out and forming my own style. I never really thought so specifically about the types of shots or colors or frames that are appealing to me before now, but there are definitely things that move me visually that I’d like to share.
One type of shot that I really enjoy is a racking focus shot in which the camera changes focus from a subject in the foreground to one in the background or vice versa. I really like this type of shot because it is very simple but it can change so much about the scene with that one tiny movement. The audience’s attention completely shifts to the new object of focus. If used well, this can be a powerful tool in telling stories.
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| The focus is all on the man reading the newspaper, but as the focus changes, |
now the attention immediately shifts to the building in the background.
Another kind of shot that moves me visually is a long or extended take. While this doesn’t have so much to do with framing and the actual content of the shot, when the action of a scene is captured in a continuous long take without cutting, the complexity of the action is really expressive to me. I get a better feel of the world that is being created in the shots. This can be seen in this scene of Kill Bill Vol.1:
One particular camera angle that I like is when the camera looks as though it is placed on the ground as action takes place. In my opinion, it gives the audience the feel that they are not seen by the subject on screen. They are watching something from afar, not right in the talent's face. It just gives a different mood to the scene.
I would love to get a better feel for my own style as I learn more from this class!
