The Studies of Shot Types

David Flincher

David flincher cares about information, seen through the two shots, where people are having conversations. Most film makers would avoid exposition but he does nothing but giving information away to the audience, what the character already know and how it fits with the crisis.

"They know you can do anything, so the question is what don't you do. Not what you do"

David flincher avoids using hand held, he loves the use of tripods. In his movies the scenes he uses hand held shots can be counted; Dragon Tattoo uses hand held twice, Zodiac once, Social Network only one scene and Se7en which hand held camera is used most with five scenes, however he designed the shot types, using tripod with John Doe who has the most power in the scene he is shot whilst the detectives were shot with a handheld shot which isn't stable to show that the detectives are struggling. Flincher uses his shot types to create ominous, his camera work does not have a personality it is just what is happening and what is doomed to happen as the camera moves perfectly and swiftly from one place to another. He does not cut to a close up often, he says

"Every time you go to a close up the audience knows that this is important you have to be cautious and careful about when you choose to do it."

 Flincher would only go to a close up to one or two movements. His close ups are very powerful as he withholds the shot else where and then it becomes a close up.

He uses shot angles and composition to show relationships; for example the three way  conversation when Sommerset discusses about wanting to drop the case with the chief with Miller in the room. The angle of both Sommerset and the chief changes to Mill's point of view when Mill is trying to work his way in the conversation. Flincher saves the close up of the cheif to the scene where he totally dismissed detective Mill.

Flincher uses shot types and angles to show the progression of the detective's relationship. Without dialogue and sound you can see how close they became. Starting with the scene where detective Sommerset is  explaining his case shooting a long shot to show the character's distance and as he continued with his theory detective Mill's respect grown as suggested in the two shot where they looked each other in the eye with detective Sommerset standing up whilst detective Mills sitting down, showing different statuses. Ending with the shot where the characters are facing away from each other but are relatively close together.

In Flincher's later movies he made use of emptiness more often. In "Social Network" where he cut to a frame with an empty chair. Or an over the shoulder shot to an empty shower room to show absence

I've learnt that the shots and composition in a movie can say more than what a dialogue could. Each shots has a meaning, which will give the audience more of an idea to its story line. Flincher's films can be understood even if the voice is muted through his shot compositions, angles and shot types. Moreover, in my coursework the opening scene we or "Vivian" are going to make is about separation and absence of the protagonist's love interest Tia, can be symbolised by Flincher' use of empty space. Additionally, to use shot compositions to express the couple's relationship progression.