N.32 | "300" (the eyeline match: motivating the cut and building tension) plus more

JOURNAL ENTRY

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: the film storytelling library

Mar 23, 2025: This past week I did some tests with my camera. I wanted to understand more about the codecs available on my A7 IV.

I went out in the bush and filmed random stuff in S-Log3. I discovered that XAVC S HD (1080p in H.264 codec) is more than enough for my needs. The higher standard is better of course, which is XAVC S 4K (again H.264 codec) but the files are much bigger and I really don’t care to shoot in 4K for now.

FILM STORYTELLING

300 (the eyeline match: motivating the cut and building tension)

Editing is storytelling. The process of editing is all about what to show, when to cut, and what to cut to. Every cut must be thoughtful and purposeful because that’s how we move from shot to shot to tell the story.

Let’s take a look at this scene from 300 (2006): watch 2 min 36 sec clip here.

What’s been happening in this scene so far? The Persian king Xerxes has sent a messenger to demand Sparta’s submission. King Leonidas listens to the messenger, then stops to ponder the decision.

What’s interesting about this scene?

Here, we have a very good example of how to use the eyeline match. When King Leonidas looks at something, we cut to what he’s looking at — in POV (point of view). It’s the character’s eyes that motivate the cut.

As King Leonidas debates whether to submit to Xerxes’s control, notice how his eyes guide the edit.

1. We first cut to his land

2. We then cut to the citizens of Sparta

3. We finally cut to his wife

It’s very clear what the character is thinking about. No dialogue is needed. In this process, we’re invited to think like King Leonidas. Will he sacrifice his land and his people’s freedom or not?

The eyeline match is a great way to connect the dots between what the characters sees, thinks and/or feels. This device can also create and release tension depending on what the audience sees and when they see it.

Source: From the film storytelling library.

FILM STORYTELLING

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (a high-angle shot (HA) example)

The high-angle shot (HA) is usually used to diminish a character, making them appear weak and vulnerable — like in this example from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

High- and low-angle shots are usually paired together in the same scene to highlight the imbalance of power between two subjects.

But, this rule can be broken. Sometimes, a high-angle shot can mean something completely different. In the example below from The Shawshank Redemption, we feel the character’s positive emotional change during the climax of the movie.

Source: From the film storytelling library.