Breakfast at
Tiffany’s
It all depends on your point of view...

The screenplay opens with a long, lyrical opening
page, which is translated to screen as a wide-angle
establishing shot.
RULE OF THIRDS: Note that the road occupies the
bottom third of the screen, while the early morning
sky occupies the top two thirds - this emphasises the
early hour.

Holly emerges from the Yellow Cab and stands just
right of centre frame in the wide angle shot showing
the exterior of TIFFANY’s.
Holly’s head and the TIFFANY AND CO. sign (level with
the top of her head) are both in the central section
of the screen.

Media Language
• One of the key concepts in Media
Studies is Media Language - also
known as Forms and Conventions

Audience
• Another key Media Studies concept is audience.
• Withways in which the forms and conventions
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” you can discuss
the
(camera angles) are used to position the
audience in relation to the characters on
screen.
• Inaffected by your point of opinion - literally
other words, how is your
- view?

Low Angles
• It’s sometimes hard for studentsof
to
discuss the reasons for the use
certain conventions.
• What mightshot?say about the
you
following

Low Angles
• The low angle shot is relatively easy. A low angle can
exaggerate a character’s height/size
• It can underline the status of one character in relation
to another
• Or - as here - it can be used to highlight a location.
New York = Tall Buildings, which are best shown (at
street level) with low angles.

Low Angles
• The tendency of people to look up in New York City can
make the environment seem overwhelming
• The loneliness of Holly’s character in relation to her
surroundings is made immediately clear
• This shot also shows the store name and the clock, in
case we hadn’t yet guessed the time of day.

High Angles
• High angles can be more difficult.
• In theemphasises shot, the high
following
angle the cramped space
in Holly’s lobby.

High Angles
• In the next shot, although the
camera does not show Mr Yunioshi’s
P.O.V., it is still looking down on
Holly, as is the Japanese
photographer.
• Why else might the camera “look
down” on Holly? (Think of
metaphorical reasons!)

Low Angle
• There’s a tendency throughout the
film to shoot Holly and Paul
together from a slightly low angle.
• Again, it’s about being instatus on
a city,
but it’s also about their
the screen

Low Angle
• The following low angle shows the P.O.V. of
Paul’s older lover
• It also allows Holly to “look down” on her from
a position of supercilious authority.
• “Supercilious” means, literally, raised
eyebrow.

High Angle
• The following high angle shows Paul’s P.O.V.,
“looking down” on Holly.
• This is our first view of her as something
different from the “good time girl” seen early
on.
• Note the change in Holly’s costume in
comparison to the screenplay.

Low Angle
• The following low angle is another
typical two-shot of Holly and Paul,
showing their relationship with each
other - and with New York City.

Shot Composition
• The following shot shows Paul and
Holly escaping from the Five and Dime.
• Note how the “rule of thirds” grid
line more or less bisects the couple -
another of example of the way in which
important elements are often
positioned on grid lines

Paul’s P.O.V.
• This extreme close-up shows us the
important detail of the cheap ring
Paul has had engraved by Tiffany’s

The Angles
• The “three-way clinch” at the end is
shot from a variety of angles and
distances.
• First,or levelclose-up and slightly
we are
below with the couple and
their Cat.

The Angles
• Next, we see a long shot (in other words, we see
their whole bodies, from head to toe)
• The shot is composed carefully, using the trash/
rubbish as a frame.
• Holly, Paul, and Cat are together in the city -
the trash symbolises all the problems they have
set aside.

The Angles
• The camera moves up and away,
showing more and more of their
surroundings.
• They areumbrellas peopletheyshot
the only in
without - but have
each other!

The Angles
• Rain in films is usually a sign of strong
negative emotions.
• Tiffany’s climaxes around their break-up
and rapid reconciliation.
• The continuingcrafty-reminder thatthe happy
rain in spite of
ending - is a this
film changes the ending of the novella -
considerably!

The Angles
• The final high angle shot, almost directly
overhead, places the couple squarely in the
middle of a grimy, sodden city. But we are
“looking down” on them.
• They are inthesense immersed in all their New
a
problems - ugly underside of glamorous
York City.
• Noneawash withhave actually gone away - but we
of these
are sentiment, crying in the dark,
so we don’t care!

The Angles
• The film, by changing the novella’s ending,
allows us to have it both ways.
• We feel superior (“looking down” and seeing
them surrounded by the problems they still
have)...
• And we can enjoy the sentiment of the happy
romantic outcome.

Discussion
• HowTiffany’s”use of camera anglesthe “Breakfast
does the in
at affect our view of characters
and story?
• Put another way, what to Holly and Paul?
is the audience’s
position in relation
• What part does New York City play as a
“character” in the film?
• How do you feel about filmof bookschanging the
makers
endings and other details when they
adapt them for films?