Introduction to ArtificiaI Intelligence in Higher Education
Cinematography Research
1.
2. THIS IS THE NIGHT SKY THAT IS CUT BACK TO THROUGHOUT THE OPENING. THE TITLES
ARE PRESENTED HERE. CONTINUALLY, THE CAMERA PANS DOWN.
3. THE SECOND SHOT SHOWS THE PROTAGONIST, RIPLEY, SLEEPING IN A CRYOGENIC
TUBE, CENTER-MIDDLE. THIS IMMEDIATELY TELLS THE VIEWER THAT THIS IS AN
IMPORTANT/SIGNIFICANT CHARACTER. THE INCLUSION OF ANOTHER FACE, IN THE
LOWER-RIGHT, OUT OF FOCUS CONTRASTS THE IN-FOCUS RIPLEY.
4. THIS SHOT SETS THE SCENE FOR IT SHOWS THE PRESUMED SPACESHIP AND ITS NAME.
THE CAMERA PANS ACROSS THE SIDE OF THE SPACESHIP SHOWING WHERE IT IS (IN
SPACE) AND VALIDATES WHAT IS ALREADY ASSUMED (THAT IT IS A SPACESHIP).
BECAUSE ALIEN3 IS THE THIRD FILM IN THE SERIES, THE NAME IS SIGNIFICANT FOR IT
LINKS BACK TO THE PREVIOUS FILMS.
5. THE ALMOST HIDDEN DETAIL OF THE NAME SULACO FURTHER VERIFIES THE SETTING.
FORESHADOWING IS USED HERE AS THE CAMERA PANS TO SHOW THE OPENED ALIEN
EGG. THE PANNING ALSO BRINGS OUT THE DEPTH OF THE SHOT WITH PARALLAX.
6. A POINT OF VIEW SHOT IS USED HERE TO CREATE TENSION. VIEWERS CAN MAKE THE
LINK BETWEEN THE PEOPLE IN TUBES SHOWN EARLIER AND THE ALIEN APPENDAGES,
LEADING TO THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE POINT OF VIEW IS THAT OF THE PEOPLE IN
TUBES. THE PLACEMENT OF THE ALIEN AT THE BOTTOM IS ALSO IMPORTANT, FOR IT
COVERS MOST OF ITS BODY MAKING THE VIEWER WONDER WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS.
7. AGAIN, WE CAN GUESS THAT THE HUMAN VISIBLE IS THE CHARACTER THAT WAS
SHOWN AT THE BEGINNING, AND WITH THEIR SIGNIFIED IMPORTANCE, THIS
FOREBODING SHOT CREATES TENSION AND ANXIETY. THE USE OF FOCUS RAKING,
STARTING WITH THE ALIEN IN FOCUS, EMPHASIZES THE ALIEN’S TARGET, AS IF THE
ALIEN ITSELF IS FOCUSING ON THE HUMAN.
8. AFTER THE SHOT PRESENTED IN THE LAST SLIDE, A QUICKER MONTAGE OF COMPUTER
SCREENS FOLLOWS. ONE OF THESE SHOTS IS THIS ONE, SHOWING AN X-RAY OF THE
ALIEN PARASITE ATTACHED TO THE HUMAN’S FACE.
9. AS THE EDITING BECOMES FASTER, THIS SHOT IS PRESENTED VERY QUICKLY. IT
SHOWS THE CRYOGENIC TUBE FIRING DOWN FROM TOP-LEFT TO BOTTOM-RIGHT,
SUGGESTING THE HUMANS’ TRANSITION FROM A POSITION OF SAFETY TO A WEAKER
POSITION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME.
