Visual Catalog by Hayden Wakefield

Close-up Shot - X (2022)

haydenwakefield — 2024-10-29 11:57:37 UTC

This delicate close-up, shot by Ti West, shows Maxine - a somewhat chaotic character - in a calm, relaxed setting. Unknown to the viewer, a crocodile is swimming up to her suspended body, but this shot is undisturbed and quiet. It shows the most prominent characteristics of Maxine's character, Mia Goth's button nose, her splattered freckles, and her stark blue eyeshadow in a way not seen before in the film. This close-up shot adds a sense of intimacy between the viewer and Maxine, a sort of one-on-one feeling that allows the audience to become much more attached to her character.

Sound Stage - Under the Skin (2013)

haydenwakefield — 2024-10-29 11:57:43 UTC

This extreme use of a soundstage in Under the Skin perfectly frames Scarlett Johansson's character and her nude human study. The medical, stark white, alien feeling of the bright soundstage is the perfect opening to this film. This entire scene seems so unnatural because within the soundstage, there is no ability to tell where the ceiling or floor meets the wall. This environment is so unfamiliar and inhuman and contrasts so well with the two human-looking figures directly in the center.

Use of Color - Men (2022)

haydenwakefield — 2024-10-29 11:57:46 UTC

In the film Men, this difficult scene bathes two characters in a soft orange-yellow glow. The characters are discussing divorce, and Harper's husband (not shown in this still), James, is threatening suicide. This scene is raw and emotional and the saturated yellow makes it feel very exposed. This use of color draws out more dramatic emotions in the viewer.

Canted Angle - I Believe in Unicorns (2014)

haydenwakefield — 2024-10-29 12:05:30 UTC

After escaping her abusive boyfriend, Davina returns home after a long road trip with him and either throws herself into a pool or imagines doing so. Throughout the entire film, Davina has an extreme sense of innocence to her, and is taken advantage of by her rough boyfriend, Sterling. This innocence makes her retelling of this story somewhat unreliable, but it's quick to tell that Sterling is not a good person. She decides to leave him after he takes advantage of her one final time. When she returns home, the film ends with this collection of shots of Davina in a pool. This womb-like, rebirth concept is filmed entirely using tilted or canted angles. These kinds of shots show how off-putting the film is intended to be, and how wrong Davina feels after understanding she was being used. The movie's last shot is her breaking the surface and breathing again, after being essentially reborn into a less-innocent young woman.

Long Shot - Creep (2014)

haydenwakefield — 2024-10-29 12:13:11 UTC

Being the only characters in the film, Josef and Aaron have a complicated relationship. Creep uses a first-person perspective (through Aaron's camera) to develop a serious connection between him and the audience. This connection comes to an end in one of the last scenes of the film, where Josef cracks into Aaron's skull with an axe (it's super gnarly). The long shot in this scene is used to create a sense of helplessness for Aaron, while the viewer feels as they cannot warn him about what is coming. The distance also creates and empty field of view, showing only the two characters, and showing Aaron's vulnerability and trusting nature to meet Josef one more time after all he had put him through in the film. This is not a comfortable resolution for the film, which adds to it's unsettling nature.

Use of Props - Moonlight (2016)

haydenwakefield — 2024-10-29 12:20:19 UTC

We learn later in Moonlight that Kevin, Chiron's early on "love" interest, has children with his childhood girlfriend. Even though they are no longer together, Kevin is still the father of his kids, and that is shown very subtly in this scene. Between the two men, are Kevin's children's drawings. This use of props shows a metaphorical barrier between the two men - who they have become. They are both now different people, who have very different lives. This insertion of a prop that represents such a significant part of Kevin's life shows the viewer how much Chiron and Kevin have missed out on in each other's lives.

High Angle - But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)

haydenwakefield — 2024-10-29 12:28:46 UTC

This high angle used in But I'm a Cheerleader is used to show a power dynamic between counselors and their subordinates. This comedy about a gay conversion camp is full of unique characters and unique techniques. From sound stages to angles, this movie uses many untraditional filming and editing styles. This shot is also paralleled by a following shot looking up from the campers' perspectives. This dramatic angle makes the "campers" seem small, similar to how their characters actually are feeling. There is a similar effect happening with Mike and Mary where they both look big and feel big.

Scenic Realism - Mid 90's (2018)

haydenwakefield — 2024-10-29 12:36:48 UTC

In Jonah Hill's Mid 90's, we follow a thirteen-year-old Stevie living a troubled life in Los Angeles. In this scene, Stevie feels so pressured to 'loosen up' at a skate event/party that he attempts to finish off a 40 ounce in the bathroom. This bathroom is disgusting and makes so much sense for the scene. It is so realistically representative of the disgusting environment that Stevie has found himself in, as well as who he has become. Everything in the shot is aged, damaged, or vandalized. We see another 40 on the tank of the toilet and a red solo cup sitting on the sink. All props make so much sense within the scene and it give the viewer that immersive feeling.