do a shot-by-shot analysis of a five-minute sequence
from Billy Wilder’s Double
do a shot-by-shot analysis of a five-minute sequence
from Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity (1944). The sequence shows Walter Neff arriving
back at his apartment and inviting Phyllis Dietrichson over the phone to visit him there,
only for Barton Keyes to turn up first.
There are between 20 to 30 shots in the short sequence (I am not going to say how
many!). Here’s what you need to do:
a. Provide each shot, even if it is a repeated one, with a number and use Timothy
Corrigan’s list of shot categories and camera movements (pp. 29-30) to indicate what type of shot it is.
b. Once you have established this, take 1-2 sentences to describe the content of the shot,
including any distinguishing features and its significance in the unfolding of the
narrative. Indicate, if applicable, if the shot recalls, anticipates, sets up, or foreshadows
other images or events that take place in the film
c. Finally, take another 1-4 sentences to provide additional commentary on the shot,
noting the presence of any symbolism, the establishment or repetition of any visual or
auditory motifs, the connections or disjunctions between the shots which precede or
follow it, or to comment on how the form of the shot shapes the narrative or symbolic
content it contains. How is the voiceover and dialogue connected to the visuals of the
scene?
You should use what is below as a template for your analysis, copying and pasting the
shot analysis categories below until you have examined the entire sequence.
The clip is available on Vimeo with password straightdowntheline –
Shot Number: 1
Type of Shot: name the shot
Description of Shot: describe what appears in the shot
Comments on Shot: analyze the shot, in terms of both content and form
Shot Number: 2
Type of Shot: name the shot
Description of Shot: describe what appears in the shot
Comments on Shot: analyze the shot, in terms of both content and form
Shot Number: 3
Type of Shot: name the shot
Description of Shot: describe what appears in the shot
Comments on Shot: analyze the shot, in terms of both content and form