The document provides examples of shots and editing techniques from famous films and TV shows that the author found inspiring for a media project trailer. Specific shots are described from Breaking Bad, Reservoir Dogs, and The Dark Knight that involve characters pointing guns, a murder scene with splattered blood, and a bank robbery. The author explains how they would incorporate similar shots and editing styles into their own trailer to help develop the characters and story.

1. Media Inspiration Task
Jordan Griffin

2. • When deciding what to include in the trailer, I looked to various films/ TV shows
and watched carefully for specific type of shots and editing techniques to
implement in our own trailer.
• Cinematographic techniques such as the choice of shot, and camera
movement, can greatly influence the structure and meaning of a film.
• The use of different shot sizes can influence the meaning which an audience
will interpret. The size of the subject in frame depends on two things: the
distance the camera is away from the subject and the focal length of the
camera lens.

3. TV: Breaking Bad
• Breaking Bad is an American crime drama television series.
• It is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time. By the
time the series finale aired, the series was among the most-watched cable
shows on American television. The show received numerous awards and
it entered the Guinness World Records as the highest rated show of all time.
• As Breaking Bad is such a critically acclaimed show, I thought that it was only
right that I looked for inspiration from one of the greatest television series of all
time.

4. Types of shot
• This low angle shot is captured from the bottom of the barrel. It brings
life to the barrel and allows the audience to see what’s going on
through the barrel’s perspective. In this scene, we see two characters
looking down with one character ready to pour a chemical in it. The
character’s facial expression is paired with the low angle which makes
these two characters look dominant, aggressive, and potentially
ominous.
• I wouldn’t like to use this specific type of shot in our trailer, but I would
like to have something similar by placing the camera in the boot of a
car. A character would open up the boot and look down. The camera
would show the character’s facial expressions, and will identify what his
emotions are in this current scene.

5. Types of shot
• This close up reveals a character pointing a gun. We cannot tell from this shot in particular
but in this scene this character is pointing a gun at another character, making it in some
ways a point of view shot from the other character’s perspective. This reveals what the
character with the gun to his face is looking at but what he’s focusing on, as the
background is blurred. Because it is blurred, the audience are given no choice as to what to
focus on in this shot in particular. The effect of this shot gives us an indication of the most
important element in the scene, the gun. A gun is universally recognised in crime shows/films
as crime is paired with violence, it is an important theme in crime themes and they’re such
lethal weapons, misuse of guns can result in murder. The focus on the barrel of the gun
implies that something is going to happen, the audience and the other character in the
scene is waiting to see if something will happen.
• I hope to use this shot for my group’s trailer, but when the gun is shot the muzzle flash at us
and white out most of the frame, this is effective because it looks like the audience are
experiencing it also.
• I would like this type of shot to be the last shot featured in the trailer. It would be the last shot
to show the journey our main character has gone through, from being a good man to now
a man who is pointing a gun and firing it directly at us.

6. Types of shot
• This particular shot really got my attention. This shows the main protagonist turned anti
hero murdering an old associate. I really admired the editing technique of the different
shades of red on the frame to show the blood splattering. The use of the over the
shoulder shot is effective as the audience can get a feel of actually being there in the
scene, we can also identify who is the character with authority and the power.
• This shot isn’t particularly hard to achieve for our trailer as it is a basic over the shoulder
shot. It is the editing technique that may be challenging, or at least getting the splattered
blood exactly compared to the original shot and making it as accurate as possible.
• I would like this shot to be used somewhere between the short montage of clips of the
main character, Carl King committing many crimes to reveal the extent of how evil he is.

7. Film: Reservoir Dogs
Patrick Stewart as
Macbeth
• Reservoir Dogs is an
American ensemble crime film
• The film has become a classic
of independent film and a cult hit. It was
named "Greatest Independent Film of all
Time" by Empire magazine.
• Reservoir Dogs was generally well received,
and the cast was praised by many critics
• The film was successful in the United Kingdom,
grossing nearly £6.5 million

8. Types of shot
• This is an iconic shot featuring Mr Pink
and Mr White pointing their guns at
each other. Mr Pink is on the floor and
therefore has less power than Mr
White, who has the physical
dominance and is in control, despite
Mr Pink has a gun in his hand for his
defence.
• I think this shot would look good in our
trailer and I would like to include it
towards the end of the trailer between
Tenov, who would be on the floor, and
Carl standing up. There will be a
showdown between the two and this
shot will be shown for a few seconds
which will leave viewers guessing what
happens.

9. Types of shot
• This is a close up of Mr White
aiming two guns. Close ups
are used to reveal emotion
and we can see even with
sunglasses on that he has a
serious look on his face.
• I would like to include this shot
in our trailer by having Tenov
holding up and aiming two
guns. The use of two guns as
opposed to one should
highlight the character’s traits,
he isn’t afraid to use violence
and one gun to him is not
enough, he wants to inflict as
much damage as possible on
his target and two guns are
obviously more effective than
one.

10. Film: The Dark Knight
• The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed,
produced, and co-written by Christopher Nolan,
based on the DC Comics character Batman.
• The Dark Knight is considered by film critics to be one
of the best films of the 2000s and one of the best
superhero films ever.
• The Dark Knight earned $534.9 million in North America
and $469.7 million in other territories for a worldwide
total of $1 billion. Worldwide, it is the eighteenth-
highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing film of
2008 and the fourth film in history to gross more than $1
billion.

11. Types of shot
• This is one of the first scenes we see in the film. Underneath the mask is the
joker, robbing a bank with other crooks he hired to help him carry out the
heist. The criminals turn on each other and kill their ‘partners’ as they want to
have a bigger share of money. The joker (pictured) is the mastermind behind
it all and is the only one who walks away alive.
• I want to use this type of shot in our trailer to highlight the crimes that Carl King
will commit, he won’t just go around killing people and selling drugs, he will be
carrying out high risk crimes. The mask is also an important prop to use as Carl
wants to hide his identity as a criminal, before he makes a name for himself.