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Staging Vs Dramatic Tension

Dramatic tension, a fundamental cinematic attribute found in film, draws in audience interest through calamity, mystery, action, or anything attention-grabbing. However, without proper shot staging, the scene will not portray the dramatic tension in the intended way. Therefore, the filmmaker must take staging into account when producing a scene which involves dramatic tension. Shot composition became a big deal in cinema from the beginning, as it could make or break the mood of a scene. For example, a film can cause a feeling of odiousness by using low camera angles and medium close-up shots. Combine that with scary music, and you have yourself a dramatic segment in a film. In the film, The Maltese Falcon, dramatic tension is produced through staging shots in specific ways to convey anticipation, surprise, and mystery.
Anticipation is a distinctive type of dramatic tension that can add significant suspense to a film, however, anticipation must be accompanied by the correct shot stagin...

Posted by: Joel Chibota

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