Analysis of a Movie Clip

Now You See Me- The Piranha Tank

The clip above introduces one of the protagonists the the audience, giving them a first impression. The impression that we get is that she is daring and is willing entertain people, even if her life is at risk. This suggests that she is passionate at what she does, and likes to trick people, as later on the scene she makes everyone believe that her trick went wrong and that she died. However, she yelled from the crowd after that the act was a sick joke, showing humor herself, as well as amusing and relieving the audience. We can also get a sense of the character from her looks and outfit; her hair is a bright orange/red and her outfit is quite revealing, which indicates that she is confident in what she does and may not care what others think. Stereo-typically, the male character is quite dominating and always faces danger, however this clips contradicts that, showing that there can be a strong female lead. Moreover, later on in the clip we learn that she may not be very strong as she screams for help when she can't get out. This can be used to make the audience feel like she is crying 'wolf' and is tricking them further, but in reality it was the actress crying for help as she was drowning and not acting, however people thought she was just acting it all out, which is the impression that we get in the film.

As the theme is magic, the audience within and the film and outside are tricked by there character's acts, which creates the genre for the film. In my opinion, the genre is magic with a twist of reality and action, as later on in the film there are scenes such as a car chase, and the characters also explain their tricks, proving that no magic is required, only skill and the correct mind-set.

During the scene, there are many tracking and panning shots, which are only shown for a second before the next scene features a different subject to the previous scene. The zoom is used particularly whilst the character is in the tank, varying the shots from a close up to a medium shot. The close up is used to express the character's emotions, which in this case, fear and determination can be seen. An example of the tracking shot is during some action, when a minor character picks up some metal and hits the glass cage in an attempt to break it and set the protagonist free.

There is also a lot of focus on the clock, as when it is featured the camera tilts the same or opposite way in which the hand of the clock is moving. These shots create suspense and tension for the audience, reminding them that the character does not have long left before the possible death, which by then seems likely as she screams for help. 

The camera framing and movement help at the beginning to convey excitement, as the protagonist is about to start her show. It does this by having many wide shots, showing the whole arena and the audience that are jumping up and down and are cheering. However, these techniques have also been used to portray fear and suspense, with the clock example. Other examples include close ups of the characters and their fear being shown, as well as the low angle shot (which is also a POV shot) of the piranha falling down towards the camera.