I would like to use the space provided to me to reflect on the master shot, and how it relates specifically to two films I have chosen.

This scene from Woody Allen’s Annie Hall is covered in just two shots, and technically speaking, neither of them are technically a master shot. However, I would argue that the way this scene is covered fulfils the same purpose as a traditional master. Allen doesn’t use cutaways, reaction shots, or close ups, and instead he relies on two long(er) shots, allowing him to fully control the pacing in the delivery of his joke. This also retains the benefit of keeping production costs down and saving on time which would be needed for numerous setups (Reilly 2009). The use of camera work in this scene isn’t at all ‘showy’, it’s simple at the surface level but does a very good job of showcasing the body and delivery of lines from the films lead actors. It doesn’t put much emphasis on the supporting characters, as their only role is to provide the setup for Allen’s punchline, so much so that the female host’s face is never even shown!

The second scene I would like to discuss is this encounter from Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (which happens to be my personal favourite film). This scene relies heavily on a shot/reverse shot structure, with plenty of reaction shots in between. Like the first clip, this scene doesn’t really have a master shot either, however, its coverage is wildly different to the first. There are almost twenty separate shots, so it is safe to say this scene would’ve taken quite a while to film. And most importantly, there is a huge variety in shots, with pretty much every possible angle being utilised. When cutting between characters, the editor has the power to alternate between wides, mid shots, and close ups, with plenty of opportunity to refine and add to the tension to the scene. The editor is given a lot of control over the final result, unlike in the example from Annie Hall. Because of this, a lot of the dramatic power of this scene is reliant on the editing, whereas in Annie Hall, the power of the scene is totally reliant on Allen’s delivery and the actor’s performances.

I want to quickly loop back to another example from Annie Hall, which is a great example of a master shot. This is likely most similar to what Reilly is referring to in the reading. I think there’s an interesting point to draw out in comparison between the directors of the two films, Allen very much prefers minimalism in his coverage, where Anderson likes to focus on nuance in reactions. It seems like both examples fit their respective films perfectly, Allen is trying to tell jokes which are reliant on timing, whereas Anderson is trying to achieve great characterisation.

In conclusion, only the final example is actually covered in a single master shot, however, it really isn’t much different to the first example. They both use two different framings to cover the scene, but the first uses a cut, while the latter uses a dolly. Perhaps a French new wave director would track between the two framings shown in the first clip, similar to how Anderson quickly pans between two angles at the start of the Moonrise Kingdom excerpt. Anderson’s coverage in Moonrise Kingdom is arguably the total opposite of Allen’s coverage, but isn’t any less or more effective. There are infinite ways to cover a scene, and a lot of it comes down to what your intention is, and where your priorities lie.

Citations:

Reilly, T. (2009). The big picture : Filmmaking lessons from a life on the set (1st ed.). New York: Thomas Dunne Books, pp. 146-149.