Blog #3
Editing Analysis: Flight (2012) Crash Scene (Link)
(sorry it’s a little long, but I really wanted to analyze this)
Editing Analysis: Flight (2012) Crash Scene (Link)
(sorry it’s a little long, but I really wanted to analyze this)
The crash scene in the movie Flight is an extremely well crafted piece that focuses on the dynamics of what's going on in the cockpit and supplements it with sort of reaction shots and drama from the passenger cabins. The pivotal character is obviously Captain Whip (played by Denzel Washington). I found that the scene was extremely fluid and displayed the fluctuating tension throughout very well. The editing and sound mixing contributes immensely in creating tension and making the proceedings seem extremely convincing (minus the barrel roll at the end).The editing makes the scene feel far shorter than it actually is and there aren’t any moments where the viewer loses interest.
The scene kicks off extremely quiet with a soothing humming of the aircraft engines and slight wind noise. Captain Whip is sleeping and the Co-pilot and Cabin crew head ,Margaret, are speaking. This medium shot repeats it’s self a lot when later in the scene both the pilots are conversing and when Margaret is running in and out of the cockpit. The action in the scene is instigated when there is a loud clunk and jolt. The camera zooms into the pilot's control yokes as they shift violently upwards initiating a dive. The audio suddenly gets louder. The engines sound more straining than soothing and the wind noise is much more concerning now. The Captain is now awake, he maintains a calm demeanour throughout the scene all the way to the end, which contrasts with everyone else who is panicking and shouting. There is a calm back and forth almost constantly going on between the Captain and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) for the rest of the scene. As soon as the plane began to dive there were no more stable camera shots. Every shot from now one is shaky and every shot had gotten a little closer in. As Whip begins issuing orders to the terrified co pilot the tension momentarily defuses and the shaking becomes a little less violent, the audio also becomes a little softer and the aircraft warning sounds subside momentarily. This relief is quickly taken away as the aircraft's engines begin to fail and they lose altitude. The wind noise gets very loud and passengers are heard screaming. Whips voice gets a little more frantic. The camera gets shakier and shakier. Right before the climax of the scene Captain Whip manages to get the plane into a slow glide with both engines now dead. There is an ominous silence, this slight noises as the aircraft's fuselage drifts through the sky accompanied by the autopilot counting down the increments of feet they are off the ground. Then there is a crash and fade to white.
The scene kicks off extremely quiet with a soothing humming of the aircraft engines and slight wind noise. Captain Whip is sleeping and the Co-pilot and Cabin crew head ,Margaret, are speaking. This medium shot repeats it’s self a lot when later in the scene both the pilots are conversing and when Margaret is running in and out of the cockpit. The action in the scene is instigated when there is a loud clunk and jolt. The camera zooms into the pilot's control yokes as they shift violently upwards initiating a dive. The audio suddenly gets louder. The engines sound more straining than soothing and the wind noise is much more concerning now. The Captain is now awake, he maintains a calm demeanour throughout the scene all the way to the end, which contrasts with everyone else who is panicking and shouting. There is a calm back and forth almost constantly going on between the Captain and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) for the rest of the scene. As soon as the plane began to dive there were no more stable camera shots. Every shot from now one is shaky and every shot had gotten a little closer in. As Whip begins issuing orders to the terrified co pilot the tension momentarily defuses and the shaking becomes a little less violent, the audio also becomes a little softer and the aircraft warning sounds subside momentarily. This relief is quickly taken away as the aircraft's engines begin to fail and they lose altitude. The wind noise gets very loud and passengers are heard screaming. Whips voice gets a little more frantic. The camera gets shakier and shakier. Right before the climax of the scene Captain Whip manages to get the plane into a slow glide with both engines now dead. There is an ominous silence, this slight noises as the aircraft's fuselage drifts through the sky accompanied by the autopilot counting down the increments of feet they are off the ground. Then there is a crash and fade to white.
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