Knives Out Scene 2

Scene 2 - Marta gets a call from walt thrombey

 
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  • Camera: Static

  • notice how the scene does not open with an establishing shot, but rather, an “action” shot

  • no artificial key light used, as seen in the next frame (lighting on face is identical)

  • possible negative fill in frame right.

    • intense key to fill ratio on face.

 
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  • camera: static

  • title sequence appears after a few seconds (not shown in frame).

  • Negative fill in frame right? Shadows are intense.

  • room is well designed. No gaping negative space in the room.

    • makes the room feel tight and reveals marta’s living situation to viewers.

  • When examined carefully, the light on marta’s face may be coming from an extremely dim source from frame left.

 
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  • Camera: Static

    • camera is placed at an awkward angle to the house. Could this signify the imperfections of the NEIGHBORHOOD?

      • lines and perspective is distorted

  • Establishing shot that shows action.

    • marta opening window in frame left

    • this is a great way of adding information while progressing the narrative.

  • tons of action from the 6 extras in frame right.

    • details like this make the setting convincing

  • sky is almost overexposed

    • highlight tones have been shifted towards teal in this grade.

      • this INADVERTENTly helps OVERexposed parts of the frame look natural? However, I may be reading too far into this.

 
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  • camera: static

  • like harlan’s house, all the interior lights are on, even though it is bright outside.

    • the film does not hesitate in mixing color temperatures on skin.

      • stove light on

      • opts to wb for between daylight and tungsten, allowing interiors to look less warm and daylight to look like steel blue.

 
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  • Camera: Static

  • likely shot in coverage format, along with the previous frame.

  • window next to marta’s sister (?) motivates light on marta’s mother’s face

  • once again, set design makes house look extremely cramped and tight.

 
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  • another moment from two frames ago.

 
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  • Camera: Pans left to reveal marta’s sister (?) hug marta’s back

  • another moment from two frames ago.

  • lamps are a RECURRING theme in this movie so far.

 
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  • Camera: pans left to right as marta picks up the phone from table.

  • focus pull to keep focus on phone

  • laptop is lit, separating phone from background

  • small details, like the cracked screen, shows good continuity MANAGEMENT

    • phone was cracked when harlan flipped the chessboard, knocking marta’s phone over.

 
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  • camera: pans left while tilting up

    • scale in (in post)

  • focus pull to keep focus on marta

  • similarly to the shot in scene 1, when fran opens the door and enters harlan’s room, marta steps from the shadow into intentional lighting.

    • Large soft source, matching window light

      • more neutral lighting ratio across face.

    • setting up light for the resulting frame allows for more dynamic actor movement across the frame. when the resulting frame is a closeup (like fran’s shot in scene 1), we get action and reaction within one shot.

      • very simple camera movement that gets coverage