Author: cs20g15

Another influence for my short was the Montage scene from Season 1 episode 2 of Joe Penhall’s ‘MINDHUNTER”. The sequence here is intuitively timed to the appropriately chosen music and flows seamlessly. Shots are collected and neatly framed to establish a passing of time (an array of different cars in front of different hotels are framed identically, as are plates of diner food and coffees being served) in a manner that is enjoyable and even amusing at times. The sequence is well thought out and fills the gap better than a simple cut, by using the shots to develop the relationships of the two protagonists.

Whilst my short does not use timing in the same way due to a lack of music, the use of progressive shots identically framed is seen in my work, particularly towards the end-  a quick shot of a mouth is followed by the same mouth repeated with a ‘joint’ and then again with the ‘joint’ lit.

Throughout the course of Breaking Bad, director Vince Gilligan uses unusual POV shots to establish a continuous narrative surrounding the protagonists, their character-defining decisions and their repercussions. The protagonists (Walt and Jesse) are shot from unusual places and objects: the inside of barrels, a fridge, a tumble dryer, a frying pan, and a gas mask to name a few. These shots are often, if not always, connected to a character-building moment related to Walt and Jesse’s production of meth and objectively capture their progression throughout the series as they find themselves in increasingly riskier positions, referenced by the inherent claustrophobia in all the POV shots.

This style influenced my own editing, drawing attention to how different shots can offer a new level of context. I decided to use a POV shot of my own, showing the preparation of drugs from under a pane of glass, creating a similar feeling of claustrophobia, representative of the dependency felt by my protagonist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Bwd0Y48m4&t=46s

Aronofsky’s stylised use of fast-cut dream-like sequences (known as ‘hip hop montages’) has been recreated by numerous directors but originated in his 2000 film ‘Requiem for a Dream’. In these sequences, short shots of drug use are intercut with footage showing the biological effect of drugs (ie. the increase in red blood cells, expansion of the pupil, with loud, stylised sound effects accompanying. The overall effect is disorienting, almost intoxicating in itself as the viewer is placed in the midst of the continuous routine of drug abuse and dependency.  This editing technique inspired my own use of fast-cuts throughout my short to show the emotional narrative involved in drug use.