RM - Cloverfield Deconstruction

Title: Cloverfield

Theatrical release poster

Director: Matt Reeves
Release Date: 2008
Budget: $25,000,000

Takings: $79,351,605 (USA)

                £9,120,932 (UK)

Paramount

Bad Robot

At the start of the idents there is a loud banging, something approaching, attack or a heartbeat. Stops and hear crackling noise screen has lines across it for a short time. This is easily done in final cut express with the use of the effect “Bad TV”. Then the connections lost sing which beep. Pictured to the left.

Text appears after the timer reaches 4 minutes. U.S. Department of defence – signifies something has happened – flashback to what has happened? Pictured to the left. More text appears – Digital SD Card – signifies filmed on a handheld camera, furthermore anchored that it was filmed by a handheld camera with the next piece of text. Pictured to the right.

Opening shot, date and time
are anchored in the
bottom left.

At 1:24 into the film first shot (timer reaches 4:29mins). Time and date of the film are anchored in the bottom left hand corner. Anchorage that the camera is handheld – also furthermore by the fact that say the person moves to shakes from left to right (and vice-versa). Person behind the camera anchors the location as well as the shot. Shaky camera work adds verisimilitude to the film.

Several jump cuts to include photographs – family and friends? Another jump cut to a woman in bed – actions of both people signifies they are in a relationship also the woman is wearing no clothes further signifies a relationship. Woman says “I can see this ending up on the internet” signifies something is going to happen? Male is also topless further anchorage of a relationship between the two.  Both male and female gazes play roles in this scene.

Jump cut to outside, different date and time anchored in the bottom corner. Currently on a busy street however another jump cut takes the new pair the audience are focusing inside a shop.



 

Camera is panned around – different person is using the camera – jump cut back to an earlier date (27^th April), pictured to the left, and another to take them back to the present (May 22^nd), pictured to the right, camera then pans to change the focus on the woman, bottom right. Another jump cut used to move the time on. Common convention in this film amongst others, used effectively here, before where in a shop buying items for a party now in a stairwell – going to the location of the party? Pictured below.

All shots are effectively the same as it’s all been filmed by a handheld prospective although the angles do change, although zoom is sometimes used.  To add to that there is no title screen except from the opening text which appears on screen. Thus isn't a common convention amongst films

Opening scene 4:50.

IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1060277/
Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloverfield