Week 25.27 - Socials Roundup
Posts from 30 June - 06 July 2025
Week 25.27 posts include shots from Dark Habits (1983); Nothing Sacred (1937) times two; Doctor Who (2005-2023); and Andor (2022-2025).
Doctor Who
Episode 10.13 “The Doctor Falls” reveals a fairly large surprise to Bill (Pearl Mackie) and the audience through a very simple camera move
When Bill yells “I’M FINE!” the scene cuts from a medium shot to a closeup; it’s unusual to cut from one shot to another, similar-sized one on a similar angle/axis, but the cut means to be slightly jarring, because of what follows.
As Bill turns, a gloved hand comes into frame, one we recognise as a Mondasian Cyberman hand. The camera focuses on the hand, and there’s a neat little Texas Switch where Pearl Mackie steps away and someone dressed as a Cyberman steps into her place, so when the camera moves back, it’s depicting Bill’s realisation that she’s been transformed into a Cyberman, in fact for some time.
The cut back to a wide of Bill observing her hand in the same way ties it all together, showing how her brain is struggling to reconcile the perception of who she was and is.
Dark Habits
The use of red — a favourite of director Almodóvar — in this shot draws our eye exactly where he wants it to go.
In the background red writing pops on the window, a red glove is closest and brightest and draws attention forward, and between them both a small mark of lipstick on Yolanda’s (Cristina Sánchez Pascual) face.
Outside of that ‘middle third’ (the centre of the frame vertically and horizontally when you split into a grid of thirds) both lighting and set dressing are cool colours and/or unobtrusive, so nothing pulls our eye from the most important two elements: what Yolanda is looking at, and her face as she looks.
Nothing Sacred
Crossfade to Surprise!
The crossfade from the pondering face of Hazel (Carole Lombard) to her newspaper photo projects humour, beauty, high society, something newsworthy.
So when the camera jumps out to show it in context of a market, then immediately a fish gets wrapped in it and carried away, it’s a great juxtaposition punch line.
The contrast of the crossfade to the jump cuts adds to the overall effect.
The fact Nothing Sacred was the first colour screwball comedy really adds punch, with the red and blues of the fish ‘popping’ against the black and white newspaper.
Display Turned Visual Gag
Like the above, this mostly-visual joke is delivered with a camera move from closeup to medium, a seemingly refined tableau which upon second look is actually full of bologna . . . just like Hazel (Carole Lombard) herself.
Andor
Episode 2.06 "What a Festive Evening" contrasts Vel (Faye Marsay) and Cassian (Diego Luna) in several ways; and this scene transition does so visually.
As Vel stands and walks across the Ghorman square, the shot opens up, shows her in a large open square with plenty of round architecture and warm highlights, striding forward, not looking back.
As Vel becomes smaller and walks away, watching her keeps our eyes in the centre of frame. The transition is a hard cut to Cassian, who is contrasted with Vel in almost every way. He remains equidistant to the camera as it moves with him, he’s in a tight, square enclosed space, the lighting is entirely cool blue, and he can’t help looking over his shoulder.
