Camera Angle Analysis

Easy Rider

Most of the scenes through this extract from the film relate to the simple calming music that goes along with it. Firstly, it is set in a natural deserted mountainous area where you could say that it is quite difficult to record and take smooth camera shots; however they have achieved this very well.

At the beginning, more close shots of the road, the wheels and biker’s boots were shown. This seemed to be an introduction to their long adventurous journey ahead of them. As audience it made us feel as if what is the next scene and what it contains. It doesn’t reveal too much information at the beginning.

The most used camera shot was long shot, from this as an audience you could understand and acknowledge the setting of the scene in which the bikers were driving in. It made us more aware of the mood in general which was quite happy, fun and relaxed.

There were a couple of medium shots to show some of the biker’s emotions and pose on the motorbike. They again seemed relaxed and chilled out and just enjoying the atmosphere.

Overall, there is continuous camera movement whilst they are driving along the road, you could suggest that as an audience we are following the journey with them. This is an example of tracking shot because the camera is following the action in the scene. This is normally created with the use of tracks, but in this case it seems to be another car driving alongside the motorbikes. 

Dear John – 0sec-45sec

In this scene the focus is mainly the introduction of the arrival of the army into an urban town in Turkey. In the beginning the focus is to introduce to the audience the area of the setting, people and the jeeps entering the town. The first camera angle was a medium close up, where the jeep’s were in focus because the man in front of the camera was blurred. This enhanced is as the audience to take notice of the army jeeps entering the town.

Then there were a series of medium close ups of the people in the jeeps and their expressions and emotions whilst entering the town which seemed run down due to the fire. The main protagonist seemed quite serious and emotionless where you could connote that he was nervous. This is what a medium close up enables us to gather from the scene. There was also a point of view shot through the jeeps window and what the driver saw as they were entering the town.

Within the medium close ups, there were a couple of long shots to make us aware about the surroundings.

When the army approaches the man from the town, the camera movement seems quite shaky which could connote the tension in the scene. Overall there are calm yet tense moments in this clip and this is portrayed through the various camera angles and movements.

Differences

The main difference between these two eras of clips is that the Easy Rider is more natural with the way the camera moves with the bikers and actors rather than lots of cuts through scenes which are shown through Dear John.