Week 4: Camera Shots in Real Film

I chose to watch Friends, season 3, episode 5, "The One with Frank Jr"

I chose to watch an episode of Friends because of the variety of content the show provides. I figured that since there are so many people who come in and out of the show, and so many interesting situations that occur, there had to be a multitude of shots used in the show. Also, I really enjoy watching it, and even if Friends isn't the most recent television show out there, it has a major role in the industry even today. I considered a show like Friends, which has been prominent for years, to be an excellent example of the usage of camera shots.

A few shots I noticed:

In the very first scene in the episode, Joey is standing at a work table. He is off to the left, and you can see his surroundings. This shot, called a medium-long shot, plays a role in establishing where the character is in the scene, and what exactly the setting is. This creates a feeling of familiarity with the scene, and helps viewers with their comprehension of subsequent events.

A few scenes later, there was an establishing shot outside of the characters' coffee shot. This shot helps viewers understand the setting. In this case, they are in the city, during the day, during winter. Because the friends spend so much time at this shop, called Central Perk, this shot helps viewers become familiar with such a recurrent setting. It also helps to set the mood for the coming scene; the mood during the day in winter would be different than during the night at summer. This establishing shot assists in the viewer's comprehension of the coming events and how the setting affects the characters and the plot.

The next shot I noticed was a close shot of Chandler. This helps viewers get a closer look at him as a person. Especially since this scene was intended to be comedic, the details in his facial expressions help the viewers in enjoying the jokes he's making. This close shot helps viewers appreciate the humor in a situation. Besides seeing Chandler's face, this shot also helps the viewer focus on him alone. It lets viewers not be distracted by his surroundings, and by isolating this character in the shot, people watching can more easily appreciate the jokes being made.

Another shot I found interesting was a long shot. This shot was helpful in determining the setting and surroundings for the characters. However, I think the most valuable thing that came out of this shot was that it made the characters seem more human and similar to everyday people watching. By seeing the messy kitchen, the papers on the fridge, and a regular, everyday home, viewers are able to find the characters more relatable. Had this long shot shown state-of-the-art appliances, a spotless kitchen, and priceless furniture, viewers would feel more distanced from the characters because most of them could not relate to their style of living.