Shot Evaluation - The Bridge Shot

This shot is one of my favourites from our opening scene. It is a long-shot that also acts as an establishing shot, as it is this bridge that signifies the beginning of the forest. This is the best look at our main character the audience has got so far in the scene, with previous shots having shown him from below the waist, behind his back or had his face covered by the branches of a tree. However, the distance our actor is from the camera and the angle of the shot means his face is still not fully visible, saving the full reveal for later in the scene whilst building suspense. The audience does get a better look at the characters costume though, with the full suit being shown as well as the briefcase remaining in shot. The manner in which the character holds the briefcase and walks whilst on the phone should give him a cold air of professionalism, and the suit helps to reinforce this idea. It also further pushes the idea that this character may be a spy or some sort of government agent, which is never confirmed until later in the scene when he is referred to by the antagonist as 'Agent Matthews.'

The location of this shot is what makes it one of my favourites. The leafless trees in the background behind our character are symbolic and can draw comparisons with our main character. The trees could be described as cold and dead which are descriptions that could also be applied to our protagonists impression on the audience. The bridge the character walks across is very old and dirty, reinforcing the concept that the character is now far away from the human contact you see at the beginning of the scene. The bridge shot is just more interesting to watch than the character just walking down a pathway. The bridge also offered us a large space to put another credit in, that I think looks good in this shot as it is integrated into the scene.