Seuence Shots

The sequence shot, is a hard shot to find, and hard to do without making the film boring. In effect a sequence shot is basically a long shot. These days a shot is usually around 5-6 seconds long, probably due to peoples short attention spans, and the distractions around them. So a good sequence shot I think is one that goes 10-15 seconds without cutting to something else. We have tried to incorporate that in our film by having a slow camera movement towards the writer at her desk (see image) which lasts 14 seconds. Their is also a few shots where the character walks up a pathway and the shot lasts 12 seconds (see image). We also have sequence shot where The writer passes the stalker and the stalker chooses to follow her (see image). This shot lasts 18 seconds. So we have covered the sequence shot aspect of the brief very well.

Sequence shot in final film

Pathway sequence shot

Following sequence shot

Sequence shots are quite a common occurrence in film. One example I can think of comes from one of my favourite films of all time 'Saving Private Ryan'.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2557544217?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_2 - Miller talks to Hovrath

Saving Private Ryan Sequence shot

This one shot is of Captain Miller talking to his friend Sergeant Horvath about the mission to save Private Ryan. This is just after he receives word of the mission. In this shot the camera tracks sideways very slowly, whilst the two men talk and approach at first from a distance then reach the camera. It lasts 31 seconds, and does a great deal in showing the character of Miller, as well as moving the plot forward, and answering questions that war veteran viewers might think of. This whole shot, shows how you don't always need several cuts to make the conversation more interesting. The fact that they are talking about finding one soldier, and how its like 'finding a needle in a stack of needles' adds to the shot. Considering while the conversation is going their are a lot of random troops littering the screen, and for a brief period, it is hard to pick out the characters speaking. This shows the difficulty of the task that these characters will be facing.

A british example of the sequence shot is the opening shot of 'Hot Fuzz'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RAkY4R691E - Hot Fuzz Opening shot

Hot Fuzz Sequence Shot

The shot is of a police officer entering the building and approaching the camera whilst the camera slowly moves forward, but the vast majority of the, movement comes from the character. The shot is 28 seconds long. The fact the room is empty and the lighting imply's it is dawn and the fast paced walk of the character is establishing his seriousness about his job. You could also call this shot a POV shot as the camera is clearly behind a desk, and the officer shows his badge to the camera once he reaches it as if identifying himself. However, I like the idea of this more as a sequence shot as it pulls the viewer directly in to the piece. As an opening shot, it gives you a rough idea of the characters personality, and also has an air of mystery over who the person is and what he is about, which is answered in the proceeding montage that follows this shot.


Another great example of a sequences shot is at the end of british film 'Trainspotting'.

Trainspotting ending shot  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eUz8-dYtNc - Trainspotting ending (4:20-4:50)


Another great example of a sequences shot is at the end of british film 'Trainspotting'. The ending shot is of Mark Renton's monologue, in which he talks about how he's going to make a change. the shot seems almost stationary and is nearly this same framing of him walking towards the camera which slowly fades out to black ending the film. The uplifting music and the smile that comes across his face at 4:28 on the line 'moving on', gives an uplifting feel and creates the illusion of a happy ending even though this character has stabbed his friends in the back stealing the money. However, it underlines that the main character is making a change and has his own happy ending. As an ending shot, it leaves the audience leaving on a happy note, despite an hour and a half of death, sex, hard drug use, fights, and foul language, which I think makes this a highly underrated final shot, in arguably the best british film of all time.