>> ALEX: Hey guys, I’m here, let’s get technical.
A couple days ago, I was in a filmmaking seminar, which was described to
me as a crash course in filmmaking.
All the basics you need to know about filmmaking in just 50 minutes!
And in the seminar, we, of course, talked about shots.
And, when we got to wide shots, the guy in charge of the seminar said
“Wide shots are used to show a lot of things.”
And then just kinda left it at that.
And this annoyed me.
Because the best wide shots aren’t used just so you can see my feet, or a lot of people,
or just, things; they’re done to show emotion.
And, to see a prime example of this, we can look towards Twilight Zone’s pilot episode
“Where is Everybody?”
But first, let’s lay down the technical definitions of the shots we’ll see.
A wide shot shows an entire person from head to toe, a medium shot is from the head to
the waist, and a close-up shot is zoomed in close to the head.
A Dutch Tilt is a shot at a weird angle, and should be used to convey a sense of confusion
or daze.
Also, in terms of shots that capture a lot of things, there are establishing shots and
aerial shots, but those don’t specifically have to do with people, and they don’t really
show up in what we’re going to talk about today, so they aren’t of our concern.
>> ROD SERLING: This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area we call... The Twilight Zone
>> ALEX: The Twilight Zone is a sci-fi anthology which aired from 1959 to 1964.
The show, created by phenomenal screenwriter Rod Serling, was and is a brilliant commentary
on society and human nature.
In the infamous pilot episode, “Where Is Everybody?”, Mike Ferris, the protagonist,
is walking around this fictional town, which seems to be completely empty.
It gets trippier and trippier until, spoiler alert, it turns out he isn’t actually in
a city with no people, but has been in a 5 by 5 foot box for 2 and a half weeks all by
himself, simulating a trip to the moon.
Keep in mind, this was released in 1959.
Wide shots can be used to portray a lot of different emotions, but I think the most obvious
and, frankly, most notable emotion a wide shot can portray is simply how alone we all
are in this world.
I mean, don’t these shots from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, just, make you feel small
and alone?
And the Twilight Zone episode we’ll examine today is one of the best times to use a device
this this.
The plot is literally “why aren’t there any people here?”
There are a couple different ways the Twilight Zone uses wide shots to convey loneliness
in this episode.
As I walk through the episode, let's examine them.
The episode opens with Mike going to a cafe, which he soon finds out is empty.
He monologues for a bit, and then turn to leave.
Notice that there are very few actual wide shots in this entire scene; you either see
medium, close-up, or point-of-view shots.
The moment he leaves the cafe, at the 3 and a half minute mark, is when we see our first
wide shot.
It’s also the first time Mark comes to be sort of suspicious of his environment.
I mean, it’s a little weird that no one’s in a supposedly open cafe, but Mark didn’t
automatically assume the entire town is gone, and you probably wouldn’t either.
As the camera gets into position to show the Mark and the tree, he realizes how alone he
really is.
This is reflected in the wide shot.
Heck, a quarter of the shot is literally, nothing.
We also see shots like this here, where he's exploring an empty store
>> MIKE FERRIS: Anybody here? Hey? Hey??
>> ALEX: here, where he's walking through an empty police station,
and here, where he’s talking to himself in an ice cream shop.
All these wide shots make the viewer feel just as alone as he does.
Mark continues to the town, where more wide shots are used as he continues to realize
how alone he actually is.
Suddenly, he sees a person in a truck.
>> MIKE FERRIS: Miss, over here! Look, I wonder if you can do me a favour.
It's the craziest thing, but I've looked and I haven't seen anybody around.
Maybe they're all asleep or something,
But literally, there hasn't been a soul.
>> ALEX: And at this point, I think it’s important to note something.
You’ll see throughout the entire episode that, not only do wide shots show loneliness,
but also, when Mark thinks he sees someone, the wide shots disappear.
He stops feeling lonely, so the camera wants to make the viewer stop feeling lonely.
We also see a shot like this later in the episode when he hears a phone ring,
or, once again, even later in this episode when he hears the chiming of the bells.
In both of these scenes, he starts off in a wide shot, but, once he gains some sort
of clue that he’s not alone, the camera gets significantly closer.
Back to Mark and the girl in the car.
The camera remains close until... he figures out there actually is no person in the truck,
and it’s just a mannequin.
And, at this point, some really interesting things with the camera happen.
Mark squats down next to the mannequin, and continues to act like the mannequin is another
person.
>> MIKE FERRIS: I'm terribly sorry, madam, I can assure you that in no time did I mean to be so upsetting.
A matter of fact, I've always sorta had a secret thing for the quiet type.
>> ALEX: Notice where the camera is here; it’s technicality a wide shot, I mean, his head and his feet
are in frame, but it’s not the most traditional wide shot; it’s pretty zoomed in.
I mean, which, to you, seems like more of a wide shot, this one, or the one I showed
you earlier from The Force Awakens?
They’re both technically wide shots, but one just seems and is wider.
This weird shot makes the viewer feel exactly what’s going on in Mark’s mind.
We also see a shot like this when he's playing tic tac toe.
He knows there's no one there, but he tries to put that to the back of his mind as he
plays a one player game of tic tac toe.
>> MIKE FERRIS: Air force! I'm in the air force! I'm in the air force! I'm in the air force!
Later in the episode, Mark find himself in a theater which is playing a movie.
He's running around, trying to find who's controlling it.
Mark then proceeds to run down the stairs, resulting possibly the coolest shot ever.
That’s so awesome, right??
French the Llama, I love it.
Anywho, this is an important point when it comes to examining camera angles.
Remember earlier, when I was defining different shots, and I mentioned the Dutch Tilt?
You know, the shot that’s supposed to represent disorientation?
Well, from this point on, from the point when he slams into a mirror, there are no more
wide shots and just Dutch Tilts.
Even the shot right after he slams into the mirror, boom, Dutch Tilt.
Once again, here’s a Dutch Tilt,
and again here
and here.
And these are all shots that would be wide shots if you just made them straight.
And because of that, the viewer feels not only alone, because of the wide shot, but
also disillusioned, because the Dutch Tilt.
And this lines up perfectly with what Mark is feeling.
Then, we flash to reality, we find out where he really is, and the episode is over.
While I think this is a cool example of properly using wide shots to convey emotion, it’s
important to point out that this isn’t the only example.
In the The Office season 7 episode “Goodbye, Michael,” a wide shot is used to show joy,
happiness, and love.
In the Parks and Recreation season 1 episode “Rock Show,” a wide shot is used to show
anticipation and hope.
In this Wes Anderson short, a wide shot is used to show the happiness of Christmas and
the holiday season.
Great, emotional wide shots are everywhere, and they are so impactful, but if you want
to create an engaging video that pushes the medium to its fullest potential, you shouldn't
go into it thinking that wide shots are just used to show stuff.
Use them to make the viewer feel.
Thanks for Watching, DFTBA, and explore on.
2017!
Oh my god, it’s 2017!!
And not only is that a thing, but also 10,000 subscribers!
French the llama!
Man, oh.
When I started this project a little over 3 years ago, I never thought I could share
ideas with so many wonderful people.
You guys are truly amazing, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.
I can never put into words exactly how much I am grateful, but the closest I can come
is thank you.
Thank you thank you thank you!!
Woo!
Actually, now we’re over 11,500, which is just incomprehensible.
This is, uh.
See you next time guys!