Cowboys and Aliens

                                       I chose to watch the movie Cowboys and Aliens (2011)

I chose to watch the 2011 film “Cowboys and Aliens” because this movie has a lot of action in it and I really like Sci-fi movies. There was not a lot of CGI in this movie, but it does have a lot of good shots and angles.

In the beginning, the movie opened with a panning shot of a desert which gives the audience a feel for the location so that they get a heads up that the movie is going to be predominantly out in the open. This pan shot is mentioned in the article “Different camera angles create different emotions” and it states that “Pan shots slowly survey the scenery from one side to another…”

A couple of minutes after, there is a point of view shot of the main character Jake Lonergan played by Daniel Craig as he is shooting at an alien. This shot gave a creepy feeling but also nervousness because he tends to miss the alien many times causing it to escape. Different camera angles create different emotions says, “Point of view shots can make you feel creepy.” This is true as watching the scene had me on the edge of my seat but also creeped out.

  I chose this low angle of Daniel carrying another main character named Ella Swenson played by Olivia Wilde. This angle makes Daniel appear bigger and more dominant. Because he is seen carrying Olivia it makes his character seem heroic as he is walking in sweltering heat. This angle lets the characters know that Olivia is an important character.

 

This is a High angle shot of the cowboys on their way to the spaceship and during this angle it gives a sense of separation as if the audience are just watching the cowboys from above on their journey instead of being directly into the movie. The angles make it seem as if the cowboys are in their own little world.  

I chose a following shot because Daniel and Olivia are seen running towards a cave and this scene gives a rushed feeling. It makes the scene seem very important as the characters are rushing. The following shot is a god shot to use when the characters are moving but the focus is still on them completely. 

As the movie is about to finish there was a tight shot of Olivia still in the shuttle, surrounded by aliens going into space. She is holding onto a bomb in the middle of the shuttle and she waits for it to go off. Her expression just seconds before she closes her eyes is emptiness. This shot made me feel sadness and something personal to Ella as she realizes she is about to die in the shuttle. According to the article close shot or a shot that focuses on the characters face is supposed to make you feel whatever the character is feeling and in this situation Ella seemed sad which is what I felt as well.