Analysis of a Film Still

1) Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be described as representing your chosen genre.


This shot is a CU, straight shot, however of low positioning, showing a Caucasian male strumming a bass guitar. There is intense artificial spotlight lighting from the upper left, casting a shadow going downwards and right. This lighting gives emphasis on specific features in the still, including the silver knobs, the silver metallic strings and the bracelet with the guitarists name engraved on individual pieces of metal.


The mise-en-scene shows the guitar having a pale wood grain effect on the body and a much darker wooden effect up the neck containing several silver circles. The guitar in the image is tilted with the hand placed just above the strings to appear as though the character is playing it, and the sparkle of intense light coming off the fret bar helps to achieve that.


This spotlight lighting is intended to comply with the conventions of the genre of drama, since the lighting is concentrated on a very specific area, giving the prop and character significance in the image. Due to this lighting from behind the camera, the area behind the guitar is pitch black, which only helps to focus the viewers' eyes on the action in the still, adding excitement, yet nervousness to the still. These binary opposites are conventions of the drama genre.


The male in this image shows only his right hand, poised in the position of playing the guitar. By not showing the character's face, I'm evoking tension and a certain anxiousness, conventional features of drama.


The tilt of the guitar and position of the hand is the traditional method in holding and playing the guitar, so this had to be kept clear. The fact that we are very close to the guitar allows us to concentrate on the music that would be playing, adding emotion to still.


2) What did you actually do to achieve the effect?


Firstly, to achieve the lighting effect, I held a handlight above and quite close to the guitar with no interventions of barn doors or lenses to ensure optimum brightness was obtained.


To achieve the emotion and activity in the still, I used a CU of the main prop and focused on the conventional part of the instrument, i.e. a CU of the guitar body not the neck or tuning pegs.


3) Identify what is successful about your shot.


I feel that the lighting and distance are successful in the shot because they help to portray the semiotics of the drama genre.


4) What would you do differently in hindsight?


If I were to retake the still, I would:

• ensure the character's hand appeared more strained and sweaty to evoke further emotions of intense determination and nervousness. This would further achieve representing the genre.

• lower the angle to add emphasis to the intensity of the situation, portraying that the character is performing at his prime in front of thousands.

• Use even more concentrated lighting, since there appears to be light spilling onto the guitar strap at the end of the body, and the shadow behind the hand, I feel is too soft.

However, a finalised version of this image would look something like this: