Pirates of the Caribbean Analysis

0.5 - 1

• Establishing/wide shot: right at the beginning the camera is zoomed out so you can get a whole perspective on the ship and the characters in it. It also allows the audience to see where the ship is (the sea), the surrounding area and the condition of it/the weather etc. The shot is good because it gives us, even if its just subconsciously, a good look at what’s happened at the start of the scene. It also makes the characters look very small and compares them to the size of the ship, which makes them appear vulnerable. This is good because it adds suspense - will they be able to hold off another large ship?
• Close-up/reaction shot/low angle/reverse shot: there is a series of all of these directly after the establishing shot, and one almost immediately after. These are good because again its perspective and close ups on the characters. There are lot’s of these as the scene continues.
• 1-2 
  Point of view shot, close ups, zooms, wide shot, perspective shot, reaction shot, birds eye view shot - 
  All of these are brilliant in making the audience feel like they’re actually there with the characters. The point of view shot when Jack looks out of the boat into the sea is good because it also shows perpsective as to how far down he is in the ship. The birds eye view shot is helpful because it also shows some perspective as to how far away the ships are to each other and how dire the situation is becoming for the pirates.
  2-3
  Reaction shots, major close up, close up, sweeping shot, point of view, long shot, perspective shot - these are used in such ways that the scene appears more dramatic than they really are - for example the constant change in camera angles and who it’s focusing on is really good as well as the fact that it’s bobbing up and down like the boat would - the reaction shots are good because it shows the characters expressions really clearly and the major close up on the eye is effective too - it then goes straight to a point of view shot to outside. 
  3-4
  close up, major long shot, sweeps, birds eye view shot, reaction shot, major close up, long shot, perspective shot, long shot - although these are the only shots that I can see they use the editing really well and make it smoothly run together which I think makes the scene run better - the reaction shots again after the ship is first fired at is good because it shows the characters facial expressions so the audience can get a hold on the situation - the sweeping birds eye view shot is also good because it goes right around the ship and shows the damage that its gone through. The major long shots/long shots/perspective shots when the 2 ship are firing at each other are great too.
  
  

All throughout the scene there is mostly a backing track, which adds to the excitement - I noticed that the more tense the scene got the faster the track got. There are also lots of sound effects such as the guns being fired, which makes it digetic/non - digetic sound. The characters also wear outfits that really match with the time that the film is set in, so for example old clothes, but they also wear 'pirate' aspects to their outfits too, such as the hats. They also have the stereo typical pirate tattoos/earrings etc.