We were given a task to find one still from an opening sequence to a film and answer some questions on it. I decided to use the opening sequence from 'Goodfellas,' as I felt the lighting, setting and amount of characters in the scene contained a lot to write about. Below is the still I chose and the question I answered.
What can you see in the 'frozen image'?
Three men, dressed in suits, facing the boot of a car. The red brake lights are projecting onto them, and it looks like whatever's happening in the scene is at night.
How are the elements of the image positioned in the frame?
Only the rear of the car is in shot, on the right-hand side, with the three men standing behind it, looking down at the boot, showing that they have more power than it, or whatever's inside. The three men are standing next to each other, with the character farthest from the camera standing a little closer to the car than the other characters. He is also distanced from the other two men in the shot.
How does colour and lighting effect what you see?
The lighting is predominantly red, coming from the brake lights on the back of the car. As this scene seems to be set at night, the audience's focus is pulled to the three men. The fact that the red light is shining on them, could symbolize that they're evil, cunning, possibly loving. The colour red also symbolizes blood and the fact that they're brake lights shows that they have stopped, to handle whatever's going on in the scene.
What is the distance between camera and subject?
The subjects (actors, car) are fairly close to the camera. The shot is not close-up at all nor are they extremely far away. This could be used to show some distance and divide between the audience and the situation going on in the scene.
Why is the shot composed like this?
The audience is able to see what the characters are looking at, and you can see the character closest to the camera is holding some sort of weapon, implying that they could be dangerous. The fact that they are all standing together shows some sort of bond and togetherness, as if they are group working together. If the shot was composed differently, for example, with the characters standing in completely different positions around the car, this wouldn't seem as predatory as they would not be forming a group, and the apparent bond would seem more empty.
Where do you think the camera is?
The camera is to the right of the subjects, achieving an almost profile view.
Why is the camera positioned like this?
Like I said, I think the camera is in this position so everything can be seen by the audience, and we can see that whatever they're looking at, is weaker than them as it's lower.
What can you tell about time/place/setting?
I can tell it's night time, and it's unknown where the characters are, as it's very concealed, with trees.
How does the setting contribute to the atmosphere/meaning of the shot?
The fact that it's night-time and in an unknown, concealed area, with red being the predominant colour, gives the audience the feeling that something is not right, and that something's going to happen that could be illegal, something that needs to be hidden.
How are the characters positioned?
They are standing in a line, the character furthest from the camera is standing closer to the car, and slightly away from the other two men. This could show his eagerness, his attitude is different from the other two, and there may be a divide between him and the others.
How is your attention drawn to the characters?
It's very dark, and the only lighting is bright red, shining on them, and them alone.
What can you tell about the characters from how they are dressed?
They are dressed in suits, a little shirts being a little scruffy/un-tucked, which shows that they have authority, but the reason they have authority may be corrupt.
What impression is given of the characters by their body language?
They seem fairly tense, slightly relaxed and all focusing on the boot of the car. Even though they seem to be unsure of what's inside the boot, they are not too fazed, and can keep calm, and possibly aggressive (signaled by the weapon in hand) when under pressure. This could also show that they deal well with intense situations, and are often the ones in power.
Who is the focus in the scene and how can you tell?
The focus, to me, are the three men, as the brake lights are shining onto. I could also see how the boot of the car could be the focal point as all three characters are looking at it.
Is the frame pivotal to the narrative?
I think this shot sets up the relationship between the characters and gives the audience an insight into how they behave, and certain traits each character has.
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