HW 3b - Existing Continuity Sequence Analysis (BLK)

The above sequence is from the film I, Robot - 2004

The clip starts with a tracking shot into a slight arc around the robot, positioning the audience to the side in the scene, as a bystander. This is followed by shot reverse shot as the main character speaks to the robot. This allows the audience to see the robot's lack of response before going back to the main character's face and his obvious agitation at the situation.

Throughout the beginning of the clip, there is a lot of quick cuts from over the robots' shoulders to over the main character's, but the camera is always kept on the same side of Spooner, and therefore doesn't break the 180 degree rule which is a very important part of continuity filming. Furthermore, eye line match is used in the sequence to ensure that it looks realistic and makes logical sense to the audience.

When the chase starts in the scene, a high angle master shot is used to showcase the entire warehouse and ensure that the audience is spatially aware of the layout of the set and where the characters are running. This is followed by tracking and arcing shots to put the audience into the action and help them to get a feel of the chaos in the scene as Spooner tries to chase a robot in a warehouse full of identical robots.

In the clip, the match on action has been done very well, especially when Spooner is thrown by Sonny and slides into the wall. The next shot is a low angle of Sonny from Spooner's perspective and after is a reverse from Sonny's perspective which has Spooner sitting up, exactly where the audience logically expects him to be from the previous shot. Match on action is vital in ensuring that the characters do not 'jump' from shot to shot and that the scene logically makes sense to the audience.

The 30 degree rule is important for avoiding jump cuts and can be observed in the above clip from I, Robot. The only times that there aren't angle changes of more than 30 degrees, the framing changes considerably. For example, when Spooner shoots the robot a MCU two shot is used which cuts to a LS of him from the same angle.