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Cinematic Shorthand

post #1 of 20
6/1/11 at 9:25am
Thread Starter 

Running time's a bitch. Film-makers only have so long to communicate ideas and story. Certain tricks and flourishes are often used to be economical. Some can be seen across all forms of visual storytelling (cliche, stereotype, formula) and others are pretty specific to stage/screen.

 

Two films that come to mind that I've revisited lately:

 

THE 13TH WARRIOR: On his journey with the Norsemen, Ibn spends time listening to his fellow companions. Their camraderie is evident, These men are comfortable with each other. They joke, tell stories. And all the while, Ibn sits and listens. While he observes, he picks up their language slowly over the campfire montage. But this scene doesn't just allow the audience (and audience surrogate, Ibn) to hear the Norse in a language they can understand... it also helps cement the camraderie between the Vikings. And helps to bring Antonio B's character into the fold. He communicates back at them with returned insults in their native tongue, gaining acceptance.

 

RIO BRAVO: Ricky Nelson and Dean Martin relax and share a tune or two. Walter Brennan adds some comedy. John Wayne watches in his approving paternal way. Ricky's rookie is brought into the fold, while Deano's Dude kicks back in his easy-going manner. Some might call this scene unnecessary and out of place in a Western (never heard of Gene Autry or Roy Rogers?) about a drunk's redemption and few against many. But in the span of a few minutes, (like the 13th WARRIOR) RIO BRAVO glues these guys together. It's a bit of an oasis for them amidst all the stress and impending danger. It's also a character moment, allowing them all to add their individual ingredients to this "guys hang out together" flick. Togetherness and harmony, levity and role-defining.

 

 

Do you like musical numbers that drive home character emotion (ONCE) or sum up the certain plot points (CHICAGO)? Montages that get us through a series of events (TEAM AMERICA)? Title sequences that set upthe film's world/history (WATCHMEN) or just the main character's living quarters (SAHARA), thus defining them to the audience even before the step into frame? Some methods are more tired than others. Some allow plenty of creativity. And many are multi-functional (flesh out characters, emphasize themes, etc). What are you favorite examples of cinematic shorthand?


Edited by DARKMITE8 - 6/1/11 at 10:01am
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post #2 of 20
6/1/11 at 9:44am

The TRAINING MONTAGE!

 

So tired... yet I never get tired of a good one with a good song or score to back it up.  Nothing Team America says will deter me from loving it!

 

 

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post #3 of 20
6/1/11 at 9:54am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post

The TRAINING MONTAGE!

 

So tired... yet I never get tired of a good one with a good song or score to back it up.  Nothing Team America says will deter me from loving it!

 

 

Then I dedicate these to you, McNooj!

 

 


 

 

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post #4 of 20
6/1/11 at 11:19am

One I've become more and more a fan of as I keep watching their flicks: The Wachowski Brothers' Patented 3rd Act Bad Shit Happening While We Wax Poetic About That Very Thing montage.

 

It shouldn't work. It always does.

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post #5 of 20
6/1/11 at 1:00pm

One of my favorite examples of cinematic shorthand is from the unfairly maligned Coen's The Ladykillers.  We set up the entire small town's society by simply showing cobwebs on the prison key in the police station. 

 

In fact, the Coens' in general are masters at this.  Remember the single pencil that rolls around in Norville Barnes' desk?

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post #6 of 20
6/1/11 at 1:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin Clark View Post

One I've become more and more a fan of as I keep watching their flicks: The Wachowski Brothers' Patented 3rd Act Bad Shit Happening While We Wax Poetic About That Very Thing montage.

 

It shouldn't work. It always does.


Don't forget their climactic "This shit is going down because EVERYTHING matters!" montage!  You know the one I'm talking about...

 

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post #7 of 20
6/2/11 at 8:58am

It's certainly lazy, but one of my favorite cinematic shorthand examples used to convey "incalculable evil" is the suddenly terrified dog.

 

"Rosco won't go near the cellar door anymore."

 

 

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post #8 of 20
6/3/11 at 7:04am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor View Post

It's certainly lazy, but one of my favorite cinematic shorthand examples used to convey "incalculable evil" is the suddenly terrified dog.

 

"Rosco won't go near the cellar door anymore."

 

 

Spooked horses are also good for this. Cats just don't give a shit most of the time (Hell, some of them ARE evil). Unless it's something invisible. Then they just hiss. Or hide in the closet/cabinet, readying to jumpscare your ass,

 

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post #9 of 20
6/3/11 at 9:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DARKMITE8 View Post



Spooked horses are also good for this. Cats just don't give a shit most of the time (Hell, some of them ARE evil). Unless it's something invisible. Then they just hiss. Or hide in the closet/cabinet, readying to jumpscare your ass,

 


 

Spooked animals, in general, are a well-worn trope.  The original Omen is kind of the king of that one. 
 

 

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post #10 of 20
6/3/11 at 10:50am

"REOWR!"

 

"IS SOMEONE THROWING THEM?!?!"

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post #11 of 20
6/7/11 at 9:56am

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by DARKMITE8 View Post

Cats just don't give a shit most of the time (Hell, some of them ARE evil).

 


"Some"? Try all, my friend.
 

 

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post #12 of 20
11/1/11 at 10:06am

Rain...for dramatic effect.

 

This is such a cliche at this point, as characters either brave the rain to confront another character (Zoey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer) or the confrontation actually happens in the rain (The Notebook). It's one thing when there's a fight (The Matrix Revolutions), as that can actually change the logistics of said battle, but in dramas or romantic comedies it's cinematic shorthand for "I'm very upset and this is a SERIOUS conversation!" 

 

Related to that, and this is used more often than not these days for comedic effect, is the lightning bolt followed by thunder to signify BUMP BUMP BUMP a revelation has been made or ominous happenings are afoot.

 

Tangentially related is the needle scratching a record sound effect when a shocking statement or event stops a scene short. This is doubly disturbing when there's not actual music playing within movie scene (The Mummy 3 springs to mind). 

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post #13 of 20
11/1/11 at 10:33am

This is actually kind of an ANTI-cinematic shorthand used to help lead a character to explaining the plot or motivations for another character.  WHO SAYS THIS!?

 

"Ya just don't get it, do ya!?"

 

It's hard for me to watch through this montage and not feel a sense of existential dread.

 

 

And another one:

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post #14 of 20
11/1/11 at 11:23am

The Badass Resume/Exposition Dump monologue.   From "On Deadly Ground"

 

 

Quote:

My guy in D.C. tells me that we are not dealing with a student here, we're dealing with the Professor. Any time the military has an operation that can't fail, they call this guy in to train the troops, OK? He's the kind of guy that would drink a gallon of gasoline so he could piss in your campfire! You could drop this guy off at the Arctic Circle wearing a pair of bikini underwear, without his toothbrush, and tomorrow afternoon he's going to show up at your pool side with a million dollar smile and fist full of pesos. This guy's a professional, you got me? If he reaches this rig, we're all gonna be nothing but a big goddamned hole right in the middle of Alaska. So let's go find him and kill him and get rid of the son of a bitch!

 

 

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post #15 of 20
11/1/11 at 11:24am

Gotta love Jeff Daniels with the Combo Breaker: "No, you're the one who doesn't get it!"

 

For some reason it's the "Do you?" at the end that's amazing. It's an unneeded part of the question, but everybody asks it. I'll bet most people don't even see this phrase on the page when it's in a script - it just blends right in like a chameleon.

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post #16 of 20
11/1/11 at 11:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor View Post

For some reason it's the "Do you?" at the end that's amazing. It's an unneeded part of the question, but everybody asks it.

 

Almost as amazing... the 'canned' condescending head-shake and smile that comes before it.

 

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post #17 of 20
11/6/11 at 5:15pm

A character shown smoking = Evil/untrustworthy/amoral.

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post #18 of 20
11/6/11 at 5:28pm

or... AWESOME.

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post #19 of 20
11/6/11 at 6:08pm

Cinematic shorthand for showing that the high-strung black guy in your movie is high-strung? Have him be the first guy in the cast to use any odd combination of the words fuck, shit, or bitch. Skim through your horror, sci-fi, and action movie collection, and tell me that doesn't pop up again, and again, and again.

 

 

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post #20 of 20
11/6/11 at 7:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post

or... AWESOME.


Internet High-Five, sir.

 

Internet High-Five.
 

 

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