The document discusses various cinematography techniques used in the filmmaker's short film and Terrence Malick films. It describes how extreme close-ups, close-ups, medium shots, and long shots were used to focus attention and provide context. It also discusses the use of natural lighting, shadows, and camera angles. The filmmaker aimed to reflect Malick's style through the use of wide-angle lenses, locations representing freedom and nature, and montage editing sequences. Only diegetic sound from a song was used to reflect the influences of silent films.

1. Micro-Technical
Analysis

2. CINEMATOGRAPH
Y

3. Extreme Close Up

4. Extreme close ups are used to show
things in extreme detail. These types of
shots I used a lot in the fast paced
montage sequences in my short film.
This was because in these montages I
wanted to create a sense of life in
these sequences (since the central
theme of the film is ‘what is the
meaning of life’). The shots in these
sequences range in shot types and
content, however, I wanted to include
these extreme close ups to add variety
and because they are visually
intriguing, especially with the soft focus
of certain areas and shallow depth that
such a close up shot creates for the
background of the shots. This shallow
depth of field makes the focus of the

5. Link to Focal Films
Here are two examples of
extreme close ups in Malick’s
films. The first is from The Tree
of Life, where you see the
mother holding her babies foot.
By having such an extreme
close up, the audience is able to
see every detail and with the
hands surrounding the foot they
can see how small it is,
emphasising it’s vulnerability.

6. Close Up

7. Like extreme close ups, close up shots show
things in more detail. When of a face, a close
up allows the audience to see the expressions
of their faces without any surroundings
distracting you from the focus of the shot. I
implemented these shots throughout my short
film, ranging from close ups of the protagonists
face to show his the expressions, allowing the
audience to gage his emotions much better. For
example, the shot of the protagonist framed to
the right shows him with a straight face, looking
into the distance. This creates a sense of
longing, and reinforces the theme of nostalgia
and how the protagonist is constantly looking
back on the past. I also used them to show
things in more detail and more clearly. For
example, the shot of the protagonist holding the
photos is a close up shot because the audience
is better able to see the subjects of the photos.
I wanted it to be clear that the photos are
representing the past, and how the protagonist
is looking back on his own past and reflecting

8. Link to Focal Films
The use of close ups in Malick’s
film are often used when he
creates lens flares and of
characters faces. For example, in
Badlands (1973) there is a close
up of Holly as she applies some
lipstick. Instead of seeing her face
on, you see her through the
reflection in the mirror. This
emphasises how she is focusing
on her appearance and conveys
her youth and innocence to the
audience, as even when living in
the ‘badlands’ and on the run, she

9. Medium Close Up

10. A medium close up allows for the
person in the shot to be clear,
however it also allows for the
background to be shown also. This
gives the audience some context as
to where the character is, and also
makes the shot less dominant and the
subject of the shot becomes less
explicit. By this I mean if you have a
close up of someone laughing, it
creates a mood of happiness,
however this as a medium close up
makes the mood less obvious. I used
this shot type multiple times
throughout my short film as it allows
the audience to see the protagonist
and his expressions, without being to
close up constantly as this could

11. Link to Focal Films
Medium close ups allow the
audience to see both the detail of
the characters face and
expressions, whilst at the same time
begin able to see the surroundings
that they are in. It is also a good
shot type to use when using ‘rule of
thirds’ to frame the shot. This is
used in the bottom image where you
see two characters from To the
Wonder (2013) close together. By
framing them both to the left, the
audience can see the natural
surroundings that they are in giving
them context but also making the

12. Medium Shot

13. Medium shots, like medium close ups
allow you to see more of the characters
surroundings. However, the characters
face and expressions are less apparent
and clear. The background therefore is
even more obvious. I used these shots,
often before cutting or tracking the camera
forward to a close up of the protagonist.
This is so there is some context as to the
location for the audience, and then they
can see his face and expression more
clearly in a medium close up or close up
after. For example, the shot of the
protagonist drinking a cup of tea has part
of a card board box in the foreground and
you can see some of his house in the
background. This shows his location and
also visually communicates to the
audience that he is packing and therefore
moving house which gives some context

14. Link to Focal Films
By having a medium shot you can
see more of the location that the
characters are in. You are able to
have a less invasive look into the the
locations and set of the films. In the
first image you can see the main
focus of the image, the mother, but
also you see her children playing in
the background, creating a sense of
family and happiness. The image
below is of one of the main
characters. By being framed in a
medium shot you can see the run
down of location that he is in,
convening the status of the

15. Medium Long Shot

16. Medium long shots is another shot type that I
used in my short film. Often they were from
tracking shots that moved forward, towards the
protagonist. The first image one of the final
shots of my short film that starts as a long shot
but gradually tracks forward to become a close
up of the protagonists face. This allowed for a
range of shot types, including a medium long
shot, in just a short amount of time. This
tracking forward from a long shot is the same
for the next two images. I felt that this reflected
the cinematography of Terrence Malick (and in
turn, Emmanuelle Lubezski). The locations of
the scenes can also be shown greatly in this
shot type, for example the final image shows
the expanse of the location he is in. This
reflects one of the themes in my film which is
nature representing freedom. This is because
the large expanse of nature makes the
protagonist appear small within it showing that
being within nature the protagonist seems to
be escaping to something bigger than him,

17. Link to Focal Films
Medium long shots are used
within Terrence Malick film to
show the various locations that he
films at. In the first image you see
two characters from To the
Wonder (2013), and the large
expanse that they are surrounded
by. The image below, from the
same film, you see a lower angel
medium long shot of one of the
central characters in silhouette.
However, by having a medium
long shot it allows you to see the
rows of lights that light the shot so

18. Long Shot

19. I used long shots to show the
locations of the shots, providing
context and often a more
dynamic image. You see less
detail of the characters face, so I
used these shots before or after
cutting to medium close ups and
close up shots. This way you get
to see a beautiful location and
wide angle shot, but then you
can see the expression of the
characters face too. This also
helps to show my use of wide
angle lenses that are very
evident and are an auteur feature
throughout Terrence Malick’s

20. Extreme Long Shot

21. Similarly to long shots, you can
see the locations of the shots.
However, along with the use of a
wide angle lens, the surroundings
are the most dominant in the shot,
making the protagonist/ character
appear small. These types of
shots are common shot used
throughout Terrence Malick’s
body of work. Therefore by
incorporating this into my own
short film, I can show the
influence of his work on my own.
Once again, these shots are used
before cutting or tracking to more
close up shots that allow you to

22. High Angle and Low Angle
ShotsFrom my own film:
Link to focal films:

23. Natural Light
From my own film:

24. Natural Light
Link to focal films:

25. Use of Shadows
My own film: Link to Malick (The Tree of Life)
This shadow in my short film is my
own shadow. The use of shadows
crates a sense of mystery to films
and is a strong visual image. This
related to Malick because in the film
Badlands (1973) he makes a cameo
appearance.

26. EDITINGMy short film includes the use of continuity editing, montage editing and parallel
editing (cross cutting). The montage editing is most apparent during the fast
paced montage sequences of multiple shots that represent life, showing both
nature and people, and how they work and live together. I wanted to include this
in order to represent ‘life’ itself and show what it is so that the central theme of the
film (the meaning of life) is explicitly apparent in the film for the audience. I
wanted this because the film is experimental, with no real narrative. Therefore I
needed the visuals to to represent and convey what the film is about. Also, I used
linear editing, especially in the first ‘scene’ where you see the protagonist looking
through old photographs and eventually packing them away. This was to create a
sense of continuity for this scene, so that from the beginning the audience can
understand the sense of nostalgia that it throughout the film. Later on you see him
in Howden and at a marsh. Without dialogue it is hard to understand, however
this first scene provides context so that the audience can understand what the
film is going to be about. I also used parallel editing (cross-cutting) between
medium close up shots of the younger people looking directly into the camera,
and the shots of the protagonist. This was to show that despite the age difference,
they are the same and struggle with the same existential crises of what the
meaning of life is. It allows the audience to understand that the protagonist, who
is shown to be alone in the film, is not alone in his worries. By showing both them

27. Relating back to creative
investigation
Throughout Malick’s body of work, various editing techniques are
used, that I have also used within my own work. Conventionally, films
are cut using the same techniques, both short and feature films.
However, I decided to focus a lot on montage editing for the fast
paced montage sequences. This was due to how short my film is. It
allows pace to be built within the film and makes sure to encompass
all that I wanted to show, in terms of themes. This use of montage
editing is notably used int The Tree of Life (2011) during a separate
sequence that shows the creation and progression of life, from in
space, to the dinosaurs etc. This is an example of montage editing,
however, it is not as fast paced as my own because the length of the
film allows this. Editing in all films varies depending on the type of
scen and the mood and atmosphere of those scenes. I cut to the
music of my film as I was greatly influenced by Un Chien Andalou

28. MISE-EN-SCENE

29. Costume
The costumes in The Tree of
Life (2011) create verisimilitude
as they reflect the ‘everyday’ of
the era for the flashback/
memory scenes. Simiarly in the
present day scenes, the
protagonist wears clothing that
Within my own film I had
the protagonist wear his
own, ‘everyday’ clothes as I
wanted to create
verisimilitude and show that
the protagonist is an
‘everyday’ man that goes
through the same issues
and problems as anyone

30. Location
Above are examples of locations within my short
film. I wanted to use locations that create
verisimilitude and show the ‘everyday’. I also used
outdoor locations that presented the theme
‘nature representing freedom’. I wanted to show
expanses of land and nature to demonstrate the
character escapes to nature to think about his
past, showing the theme of nostalgia. He escapes
to nature to feel small and insignificant, therefore
Locations is Terrence Malick
films simiarly show the theme
of ‘nature representing
freedom’ and show off the
cinematography and use of
wide angle lenses. It shows
the expanse of nature and I
therefore wanted to use a
wide angle lens to shoot my
own film to show the vastness
of nature and reflect Malick’s

31. SOUNDThe only sound within my short film is the doing ‘Be Ok’ by the band Too
Far Moon. I wanted to reflect the influences I had from silent films like Un
Chien Andalou and The Artist (these also influenced my script). There is
no dialogue in the script and the film is cut to the music. The song itself
repeat stye line “I’m gonna be ok”, which I felt represented my film well.
This is because it convey how the character, though going through this
existential crisis as to what the meaning of life, and his life was and is, he
will “be ok” as he is not alone in this feeling. This is shown through the
multiple medium close ups of the younger people that are interspersed
throughout the film that emphases that people of all ages go through the
same crises and that the protagonist is not alone. In Terrence Malick’s
films he does not use songs with lyrics, rather scores. I wanted to go away
from this feature of his because I felt that taking influence from silent films
aided the experimental form and also make it intriguing because it is not
something that you often see in films today. I did however choose a
modern song that isn’t solely instrumental as I wanted it to be appealing to
a modern day audience. Due to the niche audience that short
experimental films have, having a song that is intriguing and current helps