HM: Technical Analysis of Shining

 The first 3:00 minutes of the shining the opening scene

 

Duration of shot	Camera Distance Angle and Movement	Mise-en-scene	sound
18 seconds ,13-31 seconds	Low angle tracking shot from helicopter, extreme long shot ,(ELS)	Lake with island in middle surrounded by mountains (rockies)	Non diagetic deep low organ music with deep prolonged beats.
20 seconds, 31-51 seconds	ELS,  birds eye view shot and tracking shot.	Mountains and road surrounded by a forest.	Same as above
17 seconds 51- 1:08	Side angle, ELS of tracking a car. Birds eye view.	Mountain and lakeside tracking a car.	Same as above
1:08-1:38,            30 seconds	Camera comes in behind the car tracking it. The shot is still an ELS	Opening credits come in in electric blue and clear font.	Same as above
1:38 to 2:10, 32 seconds	Birds eye view ELS shot. Tracking car from side.	Tracking the road through mountains by the lake gaining altitude	Strings come in aswell as organ music. Non diagetic only.
2:10 to 2:35, 25 seconds	same as above	same as above	Organ in music only.
2:35 to 2:44, 9 seconds	same as above	same as above	Same as above
2:44 to 3:00, 16 seconds	Els panning shot of Hotel high in mountains from high angle, helicopter.	Big isolated hotel high up in mountains with snow on.	Same as above

•  I have learnt that large establishing shots with the right music can have a major sinister feel on the audience. The Protagonist is featured in none of the shots. Yet a particular car is featured in all apart from 2 shots. Later we know this to be his car that he was in driving. Stanley Kubrick's shots in this scene feature hardly any of the classic horror conventional shots. Such as close ups of a weapon or shots that only capture glimpses of the action. Stanley's set includes beautiful scenery and a large hotel. Not typical locations of a horror film. They only convention of horror is the ominous organ music. 
•  The shots range from 9 seconds to 32 seconds and don't show any pattern as to when the cutting rate is increasing. For example the longest shot is 32 seconds in the middle of the sequence.
• All shots are moving shots either tracking or panning and filmed from a helicopter, so many birds eye view. This then generates pace of the opening sequence like a drive. Moving fast but feeling as if it is taking a long time. These shots really allow the audience to envelope a lot of detail making up for the slow cutting rate.
• The shots are all ELS shots therefore making it hard to put a particular subject in a third. The road is occasionally placed in a third. Since the shots are continually moving placing them in a third becomes ineffective in some instances.
• Shots are faded into each other to create a sense of continuity throughout the opening sequence. The birds eye view and many tracking shots of the car give the audience a style of how the director is emphasising the car in the sequence and if the audience is watching it.