Textual Analysis Of A Horror Short Film

Instant camera
By: Ikramveer Brar
Role: Cinematographer
Word Count: 600

For my analysis I have chosen the film “Instant Camera” Released by the youtube channel NATTO
horror Film. I will be analysing its use of camera angles, lighting and the framing along with
conditions in which they are used.

Wide Angled Shot

The film starts with a wide angled shot that also acts as an establishing shot, showing a small living
room with a table in the background.The living room is illuminated with natural lighting, which helps
create an sense of realism, which unsettles the view more as the film presents itself as something that
could have happened in real life. In my own film, the wide shot could be used as an establishing shot
like the short, but it also can be used to show multiple interesting elements such as an area's
architecture or contrasting elements such as lighting.

A wide angled shot, establishing the location and lighting of the short[00:14]

Close-up
At [00:17] a close-up of the camera is shown, blurring the background and keeping the camera the
subject. In this moment, the close-up is used to give the viewer a better look at the camera. One of the
main tropes in j-horror is a fear of technology, and so the viewer is immediately made to be suspicious
of the camera, as they likely know of the trope and the likely danger the camera poses. However this
is not the only use of the close up in the film. At [01:02] a close up of a photograph taken by the
camera is shown, with it containing an ominous woman in a white dress. As the film goes on, the
close-up of the photograph is used as a tool to build tension, with the build up leading to the reveal of
the photograph leaving the viewer curious/afraid of what to come. This culminates in the end of the
short where the photograph is empty, confusing the audience and lowering their guard before using a
jumpscare. The last use of the close up in the film is as a barrier. It, along with many other shots
purposely restricts the view of the audience and makes them feel claustrophobic as they can’t see
anything else that is happening except what is in the close-up and therefore don’t know if they can let
their guard down and feel safe. I can use this shot in lots of cases in my own film, whether as a way to
highlight a certain object of importance or as a tool to make audiences feel trapped or scared.
A close up of the camera and of a photograph, [00:17], [01:04]

Deep Focus Shot

At [00:53] a deep focus shot showing both the woman's face and the dark corridor in the background
is shown. The reason this shot is used is to unnerve the audience as the deep focus shot, similar to the
close up, uses the background to its advantage. However unlike the close-up which used the lack of
the ability to see what was happening to make the viewer scared, the deep focus shot does the
opposite, clearly showing the background when it is not necessary. The audience, knowing this is a
horror movie and expecting something scary to happen, will always have their guard up, making it
easier to scare them with something like a jumpscare. Although in this scene nothing does happen in
the background and it is just a tool for suspense, in my own movie I could use this shot as a
foreshadow for the monster or as a mini jumpscare.

Deep focus shot that has clear emphasis on the kitchen shrouded in darkness[01:13]

POV Shot
At [01:24] a POV shot is used, showing the perspective of the woman as she moves forward. The shot
is very shaky, which is meant to represent the main character's feelings of fear at the moment. The
shot is effective in conveying how the main characters feels through camera movements, along with
making the viewer feel more vulnerable as the shot, instead of making the viewer seem somewhat
distanced from what's happening now involves the viewer directly and indirectly makes them feel like
they are inside the shoes of the character. In this film, the POV shot is only used on the main
character, showing their situation. However that is not the only way to use a POV shot, as using the
monsters POV is also something that can be done. Using the monster's POV allows for the viewer to
see the main character being hunted, which can be discomforting as they are forced to see what will
happen. A monster's POV can also be used to give you audience hints to what the monster is, whether
through movement or the sounds it makes. In my movie, it would be best to see which POV would
work best depending on the script, or whether they would both work.

POV of main character as she enters kitchen, creating a claustrophobic point of view []01:24

Citations
NATTO horror Film. (2022). 【短編ホラー】即席写真 - Instant camera -

Short Horror Film [YouTube Video]. In YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=6Xjxj1nf1jY&list=PLucmLUCbBycaWrShwPYSK3VbOhpK8X4u5&index=14

StudioBinder. (2020, September 13). 50+ Types of Camera Shots & Angles. StudioBinder.

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-camera-shots/

Japanese Cinematography – Horror. (2013, December 10). James Telford; James Telford.

https://jamestelford.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/japanese-cinematography-horror/