Different Camera Angles and movements in Jurassic Park

     

    As of recently, I went back and watch the famed movie classic, Jurassic Park, in order to observe and note some of the different camera angles and movements that are used throughout the film now that I have learned what they are.

    Starting with the beginning, something I noticed right off the bat was the number of close-ups and mid-shots towards the workers on Isla Nublar as they watch in fear whatever is behind the trees. The camera is also shaking a bit back and forth to simulate there being a dinosaur right there.  The zoom-in towards the hunter adds dramatic effect combined with the grimace on his face to make it seem like he is ready for war. The low angle afterward of the cage makes it seems as the creature is extremely dangerous and threatening. Similarly, the overhead angle used right after shows the number of workers it takes to keep the dino in check, adding even more tension to the scene. Also, the first-person perspective of the dinosaur looking out of the cage and towards one of the wranglers further contributes to the tension since the audience can tell just how enraged it is. Finally, the extreme close-ups of the hunter and the dinosaur at the end of the opening scene emphasize the climax of the tension built up in the scene as the dinosaur was able to snatch one of the men as it got out of its cage.

    Next, I will move on to what is recognized as the "Welcome to Jurassic Park" scene. It opens up with a pan in towards Dr. Grant as he is looking out into the distance, appearing to be shocked by what he sees. It shifts towards a high angle over Grant which tilts up as he stands in the car, taking off his glasses to get a better view of what he sees. After he touches Ellie to show her what he is looking at, the shot changes into a wide shot that pans to the right as the audience gets to see what Grant was looking at, a dinosaur right next to the vehicle. The wide shot continues as Grant and Ellie exit the vehicle in order to get a better look at the dinosaur and once they get close, the camera shifts to a low angle to show the difference in size between the long-necked dino and the humans below. A couple of mid-shots are added to display the reactions of the other characters towards the dinosaur and the low-angle wide shot beneath the dinosaur persists. The close-ups of Grant, Ellie, and Hammond disclose the information of the park having a T-Rex, and then it changes to a zoom-in of Hammond to finally welcome them to the park. The camera then focuses on Grant, zooming in, and then the next shot is a wide shot of the dinosaurs that were in the foreground the whole time.

    Moving on to the most famous scene in the whole movie, I will now talk about the T-Rex scene. It starts with an extreme close-up of some water cups as the water in them begins to shake as distant booming can be heard in the background. The close-up of Tim as he looks at the water cups captures his confusion as he sees the shaking and wonders what it is. The arc shot around the car shifts the perspective from the man in the front towards Tim as he tries to see what is going on. Tim's first-person perspective shot reveals that the goat that was previously put out to feed the T-Rex is now gone, leaving Tim, his sister, and the driver shocked. Next comes the low angle of the T-Rex, which adds a level of fear to the audience as the devours the goat in front of the characters. The wide shot of the T-Rex escaping adds even more terror as it compares the size of the dinosaur to the cars. The shaking of the camera of the T-Rex tries to eat Tim and his sister applies some shift to the scene as it seems like the audience takes the place of the dinosaur. The close-ups of Grant and Malcolm show the horror in their faces as they watch as the T-Rex flips over the car and begins to tear apart the bottom. The constant back and forth from Grant and Tim's sister to the T-Rex creates a level of amenity as the audience does not know if the dino will actually spot them.