The Shot Progression

   The camera shots of a film determines the language of the movie and helps the viewer learn more about the setting, the characters, and the emotions of the scene. Most, if not all, films use the film language illustrated in camera shots extensively. Recently I have noticed this use of language in the movie Chasing Amy, which was written and directed by Kevin Smith. In the selected scene, Ben Affleck's character Holden McNeil is in deep thought about whether or not he should let his girlfriend's past affect their relationship. 

   The first shot of McNeil in this scene is a long shot of him sitting on a swing set. This swing set was seen earlier in the movie, as it was where McNeil and his girlfriend, Alyssa Jones played by Joey Lauren Adams, first bonded and formed an attraction towards one another. Using this long shot, Smith lets the viewer know of the familiar setting; this also directs the viewer to notice the correlation and contrast of Holden's relationship with Jones. It also illustrates the emotions of McNeil, who is revisiting a place that resurfaces happy memories. It is important to notice the empty swings swaying beside him, which indicates the loneliness of Affleck's character.

   The next camera shot is the close up, which gives the viewer more of an idea of what McNeil is doing. In this shot it can be seen that he is solemnly gazing down at something, although the viewer does not know what it is. Here his emotions are clearly conveyed, as they were indistinct in the long shot. He is slightly slumped over, taking breaths as he is in a deep trance of thought; this shot shows the body language of depression.

   The next shot is the extreme close up. This shot reveals what McNeil was gazing at, which turns out to be a yearbook turned to the page of his girlfriend's school photo. The step allows the reader to realize what exactly McNeil was pondering about, which gives more meaning to the entire scene. Since the close up did not let on to what McNeil was staring at, Smith uses an extreme close up to point out the details that were extremely important to the scene, as well as to the story. As the scene progressed, it's content morphed from very general to very specific, with more vital information given in each shot.

The shot progression from long shot to extreme close up is from time maker 2:12 to time marker 2:20:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w14JjfDdFKw&feature=related