Thread by @kyalbr

Alright.

Last thread.

This one is on the basics of “shot-reverse-shot”, “single shots” and “over-the-shoulder shots”.

If you’re filming a shot of a person and a shot of who they’re engaged with.

That’s called “shot”/“reverse shot”.

When you’re covering dialogue through shot-reverse-shot, you can do it in “single shots”.

Which is what it sounds like.

A single actor in frame at a time.

To me, that can cause some distance between the characters, in part, because we can’t see how close they are.

But, that makes sense here.

Hitchcock uses “single shots” in shot-reverse-shot as Marion and Sam talk about the impossibility of their love affair.

There’s a distance between them.

Almost like a border.

Then, watch how Hitchcock smashes that border with a “two-shot”.

But, single shots aren’t the only way to cover dialogue through shot-reverse-shot.

You can cover dialogue through shot-reverse-shot. But, instead of single shots, you use over-the-shoulder shots.

That just refers to camera placement.

To me, it accentuates their “closeness”.

So, here.

Hitchcock wants to emphasize how invasive this guy is because he wants us to not feel bad that Marion steals his money.

So, he positions them close, and shoots over-the-shoulder.

Think how different “single shots” might feel here.

Think low and high angles too.

Brief aside.

An over-the-shoulder shot invites us to think we’re right there, spying on what’s happening.

That’s why it feels “close”.

But, single shots invite us to wonder what the reverse shot looks like.

That wonder gets felt as a border between the images.

But.

Just because “over-the-shoulder shots” make actors feel close.

That doesn’t mean “single shots” can’t as well.

Here, the actors are as close as the last and it’s covered (not in over-the-shoulder-shots but) in singles.

Yet, we still feel that border.

Now watch.

Norman talked about his taxidermy hobby and is now telling Marion a creepy belief.

Hitchcock covers it in “singles”.

That border.

But, as soon Marion questions Norman’s “mother” (spoiler: Norman)

watch Hitchcock move Norman across that border like a chess piece.

Hitchcock covers the dialogue between Norman and Marion through shot-reverse-shot and in single shots.

Then, switches to a “low angle” side profile of Norman to suggest (1) he’s somehow suddenly become more powerful, and (2) without moving, he’s somehow crossed that border.

In these three threads, we’ve said.

CAMERA LOW, POINTED HIGH: actor looks powerful.
CAMERA HIGH, POINTED LOW: actor look powerless.

DUTCH ANGLE: makes us feel disoriented.

DOLLIES: can increase intensity.
ZOOM: can give more information.

SINGLES: can create distance.

And now here it is.

All of those techniques coming together in maybe the most iconic scene in cinema history.

If you stuck around for all three threads and found them interesting, I hope this scene feels new for you.

And that you’ve found a new way to consider film.