Five Shots: THE STICKY
just what it says on the bottle
Five of our favourite shots from the first two episodes (the better to avoid spoilers, my dear!) of The Sticky.
Character Introduction
When we meet Mike Byrne (Chris Diamantopoulos), we aren’t sure what we feel or think about him, and all his shots are fairly ‘neutral’ — shot roughly at eye level, equally framed with the other characters, etc.
By the end of the scene, he’s thoroughly revealed his character, and the shots look down on him, show him equal with the other characters’ feet, then show him with the ceiling and other characters looming over him.
Lens Flare Entrance
Speaking of character entrances:
Detective Nadeau strides in from a bright glare which obscures her face, but then the combination of her blocking and the camera movement mean her face comes into focus just as she announces herself and her intentions, then the shot ends with her centred as the only character in frame.
From obscurity to the sole focus of the scene in ten seconds.
Show Your SCALE
The centre of the story is the real-life theft of millions of dollars of maple syrup, a volume which can be hard to conceptualise, so when you see it you want to SEE it!
Contrasting the matte red floor with the blue-lit barrels makes the barrels pop, and framing the barrels in parallel lines looks like a vanishing point, which makes us feel they could go on forever and ever.
Rearview Mirror
Sure, this is a standard ‘shot reverse shot’ whether there are multiple people in the car, or the driver is talking to themself.
What is less typical is Mike is talking to a threatening mobster, and every time he looks in the rearview mirror with its little screw holding it together he sees himself with a hole in his forehead, reminding him if he messes up, he may be getting a bullet to the cranium!
In the end he can’t bear it and has to look away . . .
Tree Stunt
How to give a short and sweet stunt that extra OOMPH of impact:
shoot a wide with extras in frame, to intimate Stakes
switch to a wide from behind the tree, to intimate Size
go back to the original angle (with the extras now safely removed), to show Impact
keep the camera moving at all times, for Momentum
sprinkle in lens flare and pops of colour (in this case the red truck, the extra’s vest, an piece of orange construction safety netting), for Flair
