Cinematography extracts from different era's

The Devil's Rain
(1975)

The Devil's Rain is a 1975 film directed by Robert Fuest and staring Ernest Borgnine. The beginning of this extract we can see that the first shot used was a medium shot which was used to interpret the difference between the characters accompanying the mise-en-scene. The characters positioning used was to convey a meaning of importance and the actors clothing helped create a narrative for the audience by using just one shot which also worked with the lighting which created shadows setting an enigma already. As the extract continues the camera movement was used to show the setting of the scene and a close up shot was also used to introduce other characters, however from 0:12 to 0:13 seconds of this extract there is a quick camera movement from one character to the other and this could signify that one character is more important the other. At this point the camera works with the lighting to help set an enigma and create suspense, for example at 0:15 to 0:18 of this extract the camera angle used is a low and high angle this was to show the difference between the characters i.e. a high angle shot was used when the camera show the man with the red cape as he looked down at people which can connote his power and superiority over his people, then at 0:18 a low angle shot was used to show the inferiority of the other man as he looked at to the man, which connotes his terror.

The clothing that the characters wore helped show the characters attributes for example the red cape the man wore would connote evilness and danger which helped linked with the typography of the Devil which now started to help the audience understand the narrative. As the extract continues the audience are able to see that there is a mixed shot used in this part of the scene because there is an object that shows people moving around and shouting and zooms up to their faces but the shot still remains a medium shot which is an good way to convey a message to the audience. As the extract finishes it the camera stays a medium shot which also shows the surrounding of the characters but the lighting still remains low key.

The Casino
(1995)

This is an extract from the film The Casino made in 1995 and created by Martin Scorsese and staring Robert De Niro as a mob-connected casino operator. In this extract the scene shown is of two men walking through a building and the camera movement there is a tracking movement as the camera follows the two men as they walk. The scene began with a crane shot moving in as the men walked to the room, while they were walking the camera followed them as a tracking shot from behind, which the developed into a pan camera movement and this might have been used to show other aspects of the mise-en-scene like the setting and other characters so the audience were able to familiarise them self into the characters shoes by identifying the characters emotions. When the camera was tracking with the two men from behind a long shot was used to show how the actors appeared which then moved onto a wide shot to show the setting and people within it this was because the audience can understand how the scene would have developed.

The lighting used in this extract was high key lighting and this was used to show the setting and other characters. The environment was very loud because other people were talking and this showed that diegetic sound was used to make it seem more lively. Althought at the beginning of this extract the lighting was very low key, and the lamp post was shinning down at the the two men which could indicate thier importance and power. At 1:01 of the extract the camera is positioned behind the characters to show that the camera was a thrid person watching from the side, however as they moved around it showed they were surrounding the man, thus again showing their might and power. At the end of this extract there is a clip a nun, and the camera shot used there was a medium shot, and this was to introduce the woman, but her surroundings weren't shown.

Key Differences

The key difference from these two extract is that the first extract was set in a dark area, which connoted evil and danger.

The second extract was in a bright loud area, with lots of characters which showed energy and excitement.

In the first extract there weren't a lot of camera movement, but the camera shots moved from one person to another.

There is a lot of camera movement because ther camera focused on the two men which showed a tracking movement.

In the first extract there were a lot of high and low angles used, to show the difference between the characters, e.g. superiority and inferiority.

There were more close up shots in the first extract, and more long shots in the second extract and this would be because it accompanied it's genre, for example in the first extract there were a lot of use close up shots which showed seriousness, and in the second extract there were long shots which connoted energy and excitement.

Summary

In conclusion the use of camera angles and movements help make the film more adaptable for the audience and it helps create the genre for the audience to understand, for example close up shots can make the genre a horror and long shots can make the film a action/adventure genre. From looking at these two extract I can see that cinematography has developed and change the way people lsee films, it has changed and become better. The directors use camera shots and movements to connect with the audience and make them move involved by using point of view shots, which helps the audience understand and identify the characters emotions. Overall in my opinion camera movement and shots help create and develop a film, it's the backbone of the film and plays a significant role in film making.