Continuity Task 2 (BLK)

A scene from the film 'Titanic'
 

• At the very beginning of the clip, the camera arcs around the actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) as to position him as the centre of attention, and is at a high angle, possibly to show that he is powerless in the middle of the ocean, as well as showing some of the surroundings and allows the audience to see that he is on a boat at sea.
• This then cuts to a mid-close up which tracks forward to close up of his face, allowing the audience to have an insight into his emotions and witness that he looks melancholy, giving some context as to why he is standing at the front of the boat (perhaps to clear his head about something). In the background, another actor (Kate Winslet) speaks and at the end of this shot, Leonardo can be seen to start turning his head, which shows that he is reacting to her voice as one would and therefore creates good continuity because his actions makes sense.
• This shot beings with a match on action as Leonardo continues to turn his head from the same position it was in at the end of the previous shot, which is vital in continuity editing, so that the audience feels like the film is reality and it doesn't 'go back in time'.
• Then there is a shot/reverse/shot between the two actors (meaning the shots go back and forth between each actor), with their eyelines matching to give the audience a sense of the space and their equal relationship (if one was looking down onto the other then they would possess the power in the relationship). This shot finishes with with a pan of Kate walking towards where Leonardo is standing. The pan is useful in following the natural movement of the actor and establishing a setting, in this case, they are at the front of a boat
• The shot cuts to Kate now standing where Leonardo is and then more shot/reverse/shots are seen, before a long shot is used. This helps to establish the setting further and show the beautiful sunset which sets the romantic mood and makes the scene feel believable, that they really are out at sea, which is very important in continuity - the audience should feel like what they are watching is real.
• Later, an over-the-shoulder shot is used to frame the image of what they are seeing, which is an amazing view of the sunset over the sea, allowing the audience to feel involved in the story and a part of what is going on. This is commonly used in continuity editing as it shows the characters point of view which always interests the audience.
• A crane shot is used as well to show the vastness of where they are and show the epic nature of the large set. It makes the actors seem like the only people on the boat, which serves to make the moment even more special and amazing. This shot also makes the film a bit more intriguing as it is majorly different to most other shots.