An Element of Film

In the movie Blade Runner Ridely Scott uses different ways of filming to enhance the film. During a chase scene between Deckard and Szhora (a Nexus-6 android)in the movie the way this scene was filmed made the viewer feel more like they were a part of the scene. The camera was shaky and jumped back and forth between the two people. Instead of shooting a regular view of Deckard, it would be shot through the crowd, as if Szhora was seeing him. It gave the viewer a sense almost that the camera was also looking for the other person. There were also different views of the extremely crowded street with cars stuck in gridlock and people standing in tight groups making it difficult to maneuver one's way through the street also producing a feeling of panic. When Deckard finally gets close enough to the android to be in shooting range the cameras flip back and forth between them quickly to show the building tension. Then when he does shoot her she moves in slow motion and Deckard in normal time to make it seem more intense. It slows down even more as she begins to crash through the the glass and fake snow, eventually landing on the hard floor of the store showing that she was definitely dead.

Another scene that the filming technique intensifies is Deckard looking at the photo on his television and blowing it up to scrutinize the details in it. Every time he zooms in on the picture the camera also gets closer to his face. There is no music playing at all, the only sound is the clicking each time he enlarges the image. By flashing back and forth it gives a feeling of apprehension. The viewer doesn't really know what Deckard is searching for in this photo, but the way he's looking at it makes it seem extremely important. Camera angles and different shots can change a scene drastically. Filming is only one small part of creating a scene and eventually a movie. Music in my opinion is just as important, a movie wouldn't be the same without the scary music or joyous music to set the mood. There is also lighting, and the actors (can't forget about them) and the setting. A film needs all of these factors for it to be good.