Blog #3: The Big Short Scene

This scene opens with a pan following the three subjects, who quickly fall into line where the 180 degree rule is established and never broken. It quickly cuts to a two-shot of the two younger guys dancing, and then a quick over the shoulder shot to show Brad Pitt’s character's face, which is clearly annoyed, if not disturbed. The camera zooms in on his face to accentuate this point. It then cuts to an over the shoulder shot to show the faces of the two younger guys, which are jubilant and excited.

Each reverse shot back to Pitt's face is accompanied with a slight zoom, moving in a little bit closer almost every time he speaks. He is also shot at a lower angle, while the other two are shot from a higher angle, making him appear to be the "adult" and to be taken more seriously. The cuts in this scene employ continuity editing, and use eyeline matches to emphasize eye contact. Pitt’s character bounces his eyes from side to side, while both guys look straight ahead or at the floor. The last time Pitt speaks, it is a point of view shot that turns into an over the shoulder, as the younger guy's head falls into view. This makes it a very fluid shot, meant to be as realistic as possible. The scene ends with a medium two-shot, showing the two subjects, whose faces are now concerned, a dramatic contrast to how they appeared in the beginning two-shot.

The composition makes the scene feel very real and intense. People are constantly passing through the shots, but the characters don’t seem to notice because they are so consumed with what’s being discussed. The scene starts with celebratory music that is abruptly stopped as Pitt’s character makes them stop dancing, further adding to the tension. Overall, this scene intends to change the mood from celebratory to serious, which it achieves by using over the shoulder cuts, zooms, and different angles.