Cinematography is one of the most important aspects of film.

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The use of camera work is a key element in film because it can add a lot of meaning to a
scene and changes and shapes the viewers perspective of the film. Each different shot helps
to carry the story along, angles and movements are essential to the visual storytelling within
a film. Camera movement allows the cinematographers to shift the audience’s view of a
scene without having to cut. Certain different types of camera movements can also create a
psychological and emotional effect on the viewers, and these effects often help to make a
film more immersive and engaging for the audience.

The cinematographer for the film The Batman (2022), Greig Fraser, has a very specific style
that shows across every genre of films he’s helped make, he often uses anamorphic lenses,
and he uses shadows a lot. The use of silhouettes and blurred backgrounds in The Batman
are very common throughout the film, there are certain shots and scenes in which most of
the action happens in the background, this really helps with the horror aspect of the film
and gives the audience a sense of mystery.

Throughout the making of The Batman the director and the cinematographer both heavily
focused on creating shots that made it feel as though the audience is in the characters
shoes. The way the camera is used in certain shots makes it feel as though the audience is
inside of the film, for example, the shot where the detectives are walking through the
house, the other detectives on either side of the screen are looking directly at the camera to
give the audience that feel that they are in the film. There were also scenes where the
cinematographer would put a silicone filter on the lens so that when there were scenes
where it was raining or the character was getting wet, the lens also got wet, which all helps
to make the film feel more immersive and capture the audience’s attention.

In complete contrast to The Batman, the film Baby Driver uses much brighter lighting
techniques and cleaner angles. When watching Baby Driver, it makes you feel like every
single shot is created with purpose, each one having a meaning. It also uses very well-
choreographed shots with the sounds and music which really help give the film its own
unique style.

In the laundromat scene in Baby Driver, the scene opens with the camera panning across
the washing machines, each one being full and the clothes inside are all the same three
colours, red, blue, and yellow. These three colours are primary colours, which links to the
idea that Baby, the main character, is getting a new chance at life. Because he is a getaway
driver and feels guilty for being a criminal, until he meets a girl who he likes, so this
represents what he feels is a fresh start. Each of the colours used in the scene also have
their own meanings that relate to things Baby might be feeling. Yellow represents hope and
happiness, red represents love and desire, and blue represents trust and loyalty.

There is a cut to a very short three second scene where the two characters are tapping their
feet to the beat of the music. In the scene a slow tracking shot is used to get closer to their
feet, while giving the audience time to figure out what they’re tapping their feet to. The
shot also presents the idea that the characters are very in sync as their feet tap at the same
time.

Another slow tracking shot is used when the camera cuts to the two main characters sitting
in the middle of the laundromat, the camera pans slightly, showing that the two of them are
completely surrounded by the washing machines, all filled with clothing that is all red,
yellow and blue, this ties into the symbolism of the colours completely surrounding them in
the scene. The whole scene feels very personal, and this idea is emphasised by the hand
held tracking shot in the scene, it makes the scene feel really natural to the audience and
gives a sort of comfortable feel to reflect how the two characters are getting to know one
another and falling in love.

In the scene, Baby is shown to be wearing a black and white jacket with a grey hoodie. The
use of black and white helps to display his internal struggle with good and evil, and the grey
hoodie helps to reflect how he feels darkened from years of criminal activity. While Deborah
is wearing a blue denim jacket with a white collar, blue is a symbol of trust and loyalty whilst
the white collar represents her good intentions.

The earphones in this scene help to represent the connection between the two characters,
the shot is almost angled to make the two main characters look like a heart shape with a
collection of red clothing in the washing machine in the background between them to go
with the idea. This completes the idea that Baby and Deborah are beginning to fall in love
with each other.

There don’t seem to be any specific lighting techniques used in this scene as they are in a
laundromat with plain white lighting. However, the harsh white lighting could be a reflection
of the harsh reality that Baby is living in. The scene with the harsh white lighting may
foreshadow the harshness of reality he will face later on in the film. It represents how he
might be living in that moment, but the reality of his life is still with him, even when he
doesn’t notice.

The cinematography in The Breakfast Club opening scene helps to introduced each
character, because the film has an ensemble cast it means that the characters need to be
introduced quickly and effectively. They use clichés a lot to make the characters quickly
understandable, and so it is very important that in the opening scenes the characters
personalities are talked about quickly.

In the opening shot, you see the school, which is clearly designed to look and feel almost
like a prison, this helps to immediately give the audience the idea that the school is not a
good, happy place but rather somewhere the students are going to feel trapped like they
are prisoners. The lighting in the shot is also quite dim and dark giving the building an
ominous feeling like it’s looming over you.

In the very first scene introducing Claire you immediately get the idea that she’s rich due to
the car as well as her and her father’s clothing. The shot when she is very first introduced,
you see her father on the side of the screen where the window is visible showing trees and
grass, this could be to associate the dad with freedom. Whilst Claire is almost trapped on
the left side of the screen, and when the screen cuts to her with the window in shot, you
can only see the school, emphasising how she is associated with the school and like a
prisoner there.

In the scene introducing the character Brian, he is immediately associated with the school
too, as he has his mother and his sister in the car with him and on his side at the window
he’s squashed, being pushed towards the school too. This happens with a lot of the
characters in the opening scene, as you can see they are always on the side with the school
in the back while the parents are on the side with the trees. In the next shot you can also tell
from the car in this scene that Brian comes from a poorer family, you can also tell he’s going
to be the nerdy character as the car’s number plate says ‘EMC 2’ which is related to maths
or science.

Introducing the jock character, Andrew, the scene immediately goes to a similar way the
first scene introducing Claire did, with the dad on the side with the trees and Andrew sitting
on the side with the school. You are able to tell immediately that he is a jock because of his
jacket which is one of those American sports jackets.