Sergio Leone (MLCM)

Just a couple of obvious ones to start. Leone used extreme long and extreme close up shots to great effect. He did extreme close ups of people and objects.


Sometimes a long shot turns into a close up, like here. This is the opening shot from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.


It suddenly becomes this shot, an extreme close up, without the camera moving or any editing. This guy just moves into frame.


He used this as a device, whereby we accept that what is in front of the camera is the 'whole' picture. We think we are looking at one thing, but then suddenly something else is revealed: but because it was off camera it was hidden. This is the same for the actors. If we can't see it, neither can they! He discloses major events that are sitting right alongside the main characters, but they are totally surprised by them.

He also used deep focus to connect events in space. There's a very wide shot, covering a big distance, but everything is in focus and the composition links both people and objects.


The image above looks a bit wrong (it's too wide) but the first two look like 2.39:1 which is the ratio he filmed.

Ha ha.

NEXT TIME: I'll do Film Noir but I've got to get up really early in the morning so I'm not doing it now.