Shot by Shot Breakdown
Back to Notorious Editing Techniques Post
| Shot 1. | (xls)Dissolve mansion still shot with brightly lit windows. (3 seconds) |
Shot 2. | (mls) Dissolve upstairs hallway; vase with flowers on small table, window with drapery, grandfather clock, shadows on the wall, part of the banister showing. (5 seconds) |
Shot 3. | (ls) Dissolve straight-on angle Alicia hands up to right ear; walking through sitting room into bedroom towards camera; pulls hands up to put earring on left ear, tracks in to (mcu) at entry to dressing room her right hand against edge of door frame and eyes focused intensely ahead right. (9 seconds) |
Shot 4. | (mls) Straight-on angle Alicia’s POV; sitting room with bathroom door ajar; shadow following her husband’s movement. (2 seconds) |
Shot 5. | (mcu) Straight-on angle Alicia, removing hand from door frame, moving forward toward camera, stare intent straight ahead; ending with eyes moving and then focusing downward right. (3 seconds) |
Shot 6. | (mls) again Straight-on angle Alicia’s POV as in 3; shadow of her husband ominously moving on bathroom door; camera tracks in to close up of the keys. (9 seconds) |
Shot 7. | (mls) Straight-on angle Alicia, hands down to her sides at door to dressing room; walking to dressing table with her gaze forward but slightly down, then back up, then back down reaching for keys, then pulling her hands and away slightly, looking up and forward again. (6 seconds) |
Shot 8. | (mcu) Straight-on angle Alicia’s POV bathroom door ajar. Shadow at first only slightly visible and then moving back and forth on the door like a monster. (2 seconds) |
Shot 9. | (ms) Alicia Straight-on angle looking up towards the door; hands above dressing table reaching for keys; eyes move down followed by her head to focus on keys then hands picking up keys and ending with them just under her waistline. (3 seconds) |
Shot 10. | (mcu) Alicia Straight-on angle with her eyes and head titled downward; only her eyelids are visible her head moving upward and her eyes opening, looking forward and then down again, with only her eyelids showing. (2 seconds) |
Shot 11. | (cu) Alicia’s hands identifying cellar key, moving it away from other keys on key ring and then removing. (6 seconds) |
Shot 12. | Alicia Straight-on angle head tilted down slightly; fiercely determined gaze forward (towards bathroom door where we know Mr. Sebastian to be). (2 seconds) |
Shot 13. | Eyeline match perfectly centered on axis of action of Alicia’s POV; monster-like shadows moving across somewhat open bathroom door. (2 seconds) |
Shot 14. | Alicia Straight-on Angle gaze forward, hands on top of dressing table releasing key chain; moving away to the right looking down at keys one last time and then turning walking out of dressing room to the bedroom, cellar key in hand with her back to the camera. (4 seconds) |
Shot 15. | (ls) Straight-on angle Sebastian coming out bathroom door past dressing table eyes toward Alicia’s back, hands holding bathrobe belt ties closed, top of his head slightly tilted downward right; shadow hovering on wall to his right. (2 seconds) |
Shot 16. | (ls) Sebastian’s POV – Eyeline Match straight-on angle Alicia’s back through bedroom door, continuing to walk away from him. (2 seconds) |
Shot 17. | (mls) Straight-on angle Sebastian walking towards camera and bedroom door frame, looking towards Alicia and reaching up his arms to her once in the doorway. The camera moves off center line of the axis of action to Sebastian from the right, tracking in (mls) to focus on him from his shoulders to above his knees with his outstretched hands, zooming into (cu) his hands reaching Alicia’s hands and body from shoulders to above knees from offscreen left. Profile of hands down close to her body, Sebastian pulling her hands up to center screen and then in toward his body. The camera is now perpendicular to the axis of action for a reestablishing shot. (4 seconds) |
Shot 18. | (mcu) Straight-on Angle Alicia at right end point of 180 line. Sebastian’s shoulder and back of head screen left. (5 seconds) |
Shot 19. | (ms) Straight-on angle Profile of Sebastian and Alicia facing each other. His hands hanging down holding her hands tight fisted to his waistline. (4 seconds) |
Shot 20. | (cu) His hands holding hers tight fisted, with only slight of their arms and midriffs showing the camera tracks in to (xcu) her right fist. Her left fist and his right hand in front are out of focus. His left hand pulling her right fist up and open. (4 seconds) |
Shot 21. | (ms) Straight-on angle Sebastian leaning down kissing Alicia’s open hand; her shoulders rise in tension; she looks downward slightly toward her left hand (holding the stolen key) and tries to pull her left hand in and away from him. He releases her right hand from his lips and brings his head towards her left hand. (2 seconds) |
Shot 22. | (cu) Tracking shot Sebastian’s hand holding Alicia’s left fist, zooming in on his turning it fingers face up and his attempt to open and bring to his lips. (1 second) |
Shot 23. | (ms) Straight-on angle Alicia pulling her left fist up and over Sebastian’s right shoulder, her right hand over his left shoulder, then moving her body into his for an embrace. (2 seconds) |
Shot 24. | (cu) Straight-on angle Alicia head resting on Sebastian’s left shoulder facing camera, her eyes focused down on her fist against Sebastian’s back. Shot tracks down and focuses on her left hand as she opens it to release the key into her right fingers, then focusing on the key in her right fingers extended against his back and its release downward. (3 seconds) |
Shot 25. | (mcu) Match on action of key dropping to the carpeted ground by furniture leg, Alicia’s foot coming in from off screen right pushing it further underneath to prevent its exposure. (5 seconds) |
