How an omniscient camera can be used to create suspense.
“It’s barely two minutes long, but it has 94 cuts across 73 different camera setups, and it’s still able to maintain almost perfect visual clarity and continuity.” Daniel Netzel‘s analysis of shot composition and sequencing in Panic Room (2002) reveals why director David Fincher‘s popcorn thriller was his hardest film to make:
Further Viewing
The title sequence in Panic Room utilises motion tracking in visually striking ways:
Related Posts:
Review: The Social Network (2010) For all the talk, the real star may be the music.
Film School: Gone Girl (2014) From script to staging: how a bestseller can be adapted.
Film School: A Clockwork Jackie Brown (1997) This fan re-edit reveals the clockwork precision of Tarantino's film-making.
Film School: The Godfather (1972) It's a miracle this film even exists, much less in the way it does.
Film School: The Creator (2023) Less impressive as a science-fiction story than as a technical achievement.
Review: The Batman (2022) A hot mess.
Review: West Side Story (2021) From "Remake? Why?" to essential, timely, breathtaking update.
Film School: The French Dispatch (2021) A round-up of breakdowns of Wes Anderson's rich, intricate film.