CRTA 180 Music and Film Assignment #2

Name: Punit Kalsi

Student #: 501178832

Scenario: During the height of the Cold War, USSR detect an unidentified aircraft flying over

current day Kazaksthan. Soviet pilots scramble to their jets in fear that the USA has entered their

airspace.

Directing the Scene

1. At 0:00 - 0:04, when the cue begins in minor with a fast moving tempo, a rack focus

shot is used to showcase a USSR flag on the wall and then on 4 Soviet pilots hastly

marching down a hallway in synchronized fashion to prepare for their mission.

2. At 0:05- 0:08, the camera uses an arc shot on a Soviet colonel furiously pacing around a

war room filled with anxious soldiers monitoring radar and radio equipment. The violin-

like instrument raises the pitch indicating a nerve-racking situation

3. At 0:09 - 0:13, along with the thick texture which illustrates the seriousness of the

situation at hand, the camera performs a close-up shot on each of the 4 pilots as they put

on their equipment, showing their stone-cold expressions, giving the viewer the idea that

these pilots have their game faces on

4. At 0:14 - 0:22, the camera, which is at a low angle utilizes a medium shot to frame the 4

pilots marching to their individual jets. The low angle shot paired with the
 instrumentation consisting of thick sounding instruments conveys a sense of authority

and power towards the audience, letting them know these pilots are to be feared.

5. At 0:23 - 0:27, the camera showcases a long shot of 4 interceptor jets taking to the skies.

This shot alongside the ascension and decension motion of the melodic contour evokes

a sense of thrill in the viewer

6. 0:28 - 0:31, the camera is back in the war room where a zoom camera movement

technique is used to zoom in on a radar, showing that the Soviet jets are nearing the

unknown target. This, alongside the increased tempo of the instrumentation is used to

portray the tension that’s being built as the jets get faster and closer to their target.

7. At 0:32 - 0:36, the camera utilizies a subjective focalization shot to give a POV of one

of the pilots. The pitch becomes higher signifying a sort of tension brewing in the pilot

as he nears his target.

8. At 0:37 - 0:42, As the tonality transitions from minor to major, the camera focuses on a

Soviet aircraft and utilizes a tracking shot, following the jet in one-take as it soars over

and around a mountain range. This is combined with parallel editing which showcases a

Soviet command centre in Moscow that is intensely analyzing the situation via radar.

9. 0:43 - 0:45, the camera returns to a Soviet pilot, paired with a crescendo in dynamics,

and provides another subjective focalization shot, showing a slight grin on the pilot’s

face as he is about to come face to face with his target. Right as there is an abrupt stop in

the music, the Soviet pilots get an immediate order to stop their chase and return back to

base.

10. At 0:46 - 0:51, the camera switches to a long shot which shows all 4 of the Soviet jets

diverting back to base, while a parallel editing shot gives us a low angle view of the
Soviet colonel slamming a telephone on the ground in rage. This fills the viewer with

mystery; why were they ordered to stand down and what could the pilots have been

chasing?