Analysis/Reflection 5 – QUESTION 3

Antonioni would have to consider the cut between the first shot (tracking shot) of the protagonist, when the female counter-part runs upto him as he begins opening the door. The shot then jumps from a tracking shot – still, to a 45-degree angle mid shot, allowing for the female actress to run into the shot with perfect continuity and editing. Antonioni would have to consider allowing the actress to run into the shot again from a few paces back from where it was cut before, so that continuity would not falter. The male protagonist would have to remain in the same position, while the cameraman would have to be directed to stay in a position of this mid-shot, to allow for the actress to stop in the third column of the frame, allowing for perfect positioning in the frame. The director would also be keeping in mind that ‘the camera follows the actor’ and not the other way around. For him to direct the camera to capture this shot while being perfectly still, is an example of good directing and choreography. At 2:01, the director would also have to be careful in the camera’s positioning, as the actress swings around a small T shaped post to move away from the protagonist. As she swings around, the camera immediately swings around behind her, but while capturing the protagonist, kind of giving a backwards POV shot of the actress, capturing the protagonist. This shot would have to take in precautions of safety, as well as the stability of the camera. For example, you would have to make sure the actress doesn’t trip of the tracks, if they were used in this shot. The director would have to take into account the speed of the swing of the camera. If its light, it may tip over without the use of sandbags or weights. For the actors, they would have to be careful to not look into the camera in such a small space, which has been noted throughout the entire clip, as it did not happen even once.