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Composition
> The Long Shot
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Con Air (1997): This is the closest
thing to a long shot you'll see in
the whole movie.
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Shows
that diverge from this model are annoying. One example
of this is the Nicholas Cage movie "Con Air."
It has NO long shots--it's all close-ups! While it was
an entertaining action flick, I left the theater unsatisfied.
After thinking about it a bit, I realized that the reason
I was uneasy was the fact that the movie had very few
long shots. You couldn't get your bearings as a viewer.
"How big is that airport... plane... or prison?"
I kept wondering. The director used the technique on
purpose I'm sure--to keep the audience off kilter. But
I found it distressing.
Compare
that film to Gene Kelly's "Singing in the Rain,"
which does not have a single close-up! That's because
it was made for theaters--before the days of home video
and cable. Because the theater image is so sharp--there
was less of a need for detail-enhancing close-ups. Today's
movies are made with home video and cable in mind--so
directors include lots of TV-friendly close-ups.
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