CITIZEN KANE TASK – Cinematographic Storytelling Techniques

Cameo Lighting – a spotlight that accentuates a single person and maybe a few props in a scene.

The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)

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Chiaroscuro Lighting – a technique that balances high-contrast light and shade to give the appearance of depth, creating an enhanced or more dramatic effect.

Casino Royale (Martin Campbell, 2006)

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Backlighting – a backlight hits an actor or object from behind. It is placed higher than the object it is lighting. Backlights are used to separate an object or an actor from a background.

The Founder (John Lee Hancock, 2016)

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Extreme High-Angle Shots – where the camera looks down at the subject from from a higher perspective, making the subject seem smaller.

Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, 2012)

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Extreme Low-Angle Shots – where the camera looks up at the subject from from a lower perspective, making the subject seem larger.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009)

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Deep Focus – where all elements of an image are in sharp focus. This technique helps directors embed their shots with detail.

All the President’s Men (Alan J. Pakula, 1976)

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Foregrounding – where the primary subject is placed in the foreground and the secondary subjects are in the middle or background.

Cape Fear (Martin Scorsese, 1991)

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Elaborate Blocking – working with the actors to figure out their movements, body positions, and body language in a scene, as well as working out the camera position and camera movement.

Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn, 2014)

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Mirror Shots – every mirror shot connects to the specific movie’s themes.

Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (Rian Johnson, 2017)

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