Hunger Games: Rule Change Scene

The scene chosen for this blog post is from the first Hunger Games movie, and it is the rule change scene. The entire shot breakdown is below. What I learned from the shot breakdown was how the editors synced the shots with most of the background narration, or music. For example, in 0:10 the shot is a medium long shot including both protagonist in the scene. The gamekeeper is narrating a rule changing determining the victor of the games, when the gamekeeper says “ two victors” this medium long shot is used, creating a parallel between word and visual. The gamekeeper’s narration continues, and mentions only one victor can be crowned, so the following shots become isolated close ups of each protagonist, with the other protagonist in the foreground blurred out. After finishing the speech, the background music begins creating the ominous emotion, and establishing the severity, and lethality of the new rule change.  

The overall camera style is minimal to keep minimalistic to the scene that is set outdoors, and the game structure of it being a reality show. The editors synced eye-line matches with pan shots to establish who is being looked at, and whose emotions are being emphasized. For the sections of the scene where dialogue is interchanged between the two protagonists, the editors chose to use shot/reverse shots with closeups. 

There is moment in the scene, where jump cuts are made to characters that are not in the location in the story/scene, but are included in the same time line of the event at another location. The inclusion of these characters and their reactions to the events occurring to the main protagonists are included to remind us of the world this story is taking place in, and the severity of the games. 

The editors chose to end the background music in synchronicity with the gamekeeper shouting “stop”.  A moment of silence follows, then another set of ominous music begins. 

Hunger Games: Rule Change Scene

Scene: Hunger Game, Rule change scene. 

Length: 2 minutes and 4 seconds. 

M.C.U: Medium Close Up

Shot Breakdown: 

1. M.C.U of Katniss - Narration of Gamekeeper begins -
   
1. Pan down to Katniss loading bow and arrow,.
   
2. Pan up to her face.
   
3. Cut To:
   
2. M.C.U of Peta
   
1. Cut To:
   
3. Medium Body Long Shot
   
1. Cut To:
   
4. M.C.U of Peta in screen right, Katniss in Foreground blurred screen left.
   
1. Background music begins.
   
2. Cut to: cue when narrator says “There can only one victor”
   
5. M.C.U of Katniss in screen right, Peta in foreground blurred screen left.
   
1. Cut To:
   
6. M.C.U of Peta screen right, Katniss blurred in screen left.
   
1. Cut To:
   
7. M.C.U of Katniss
   
1. Cut To:
   
8. Medium shot of Peta, Katniss screen left blurred.
   
1. EYELINE MATCH
   
2. Cut To:
   
9. Medium Shot of Katniss
   
1. Cut To:
   
10. Pan screen right to Medium shot of Peta.
    
1. Cut To:
   
11. Medium long shot of Katniss
    
1. Cut To:
   
12. Medium shot of Peta
    
1. Cut To:
   
13. Medium shot of Katniss
    
1. Cut To:
   
14. Medium shot of Peta
    
1. Cut To:
   
15. Medium shot of Katniss
    
1. Cut To:
   
16. Medium shot of Peta and Katniss
    
1. Cut To;
   
17. Close up of Katniss hand with berries.
    
1. Cut To:
   
18. Shot reverse shot of Peta rejecting berries.
    
1. Cut To:
   
19. Close up of Katniss hands, pan up to Katniss screen left.
    
1. Cut To:
   
20. Medium Long Shot of both Katniss and Peta together.
    
1. Jump Cut To:
   
21. Medium shot of Gamekeeper.
    
1. Jump Cut To:
   
22. Medium shot of Gale.
    
1. Jump Cut To:
   
23. Long shot of Jumbo Screen.
    
1. Jump Cut To:
   
24. Medium shot of citizen.
    
1. Jump Cut:
   
25. Medium shot of Haymitch.
    
1. Jump Cut:
   
26. Medium Close up of Peta and Katniss.
    
1. Cut To:
   
27. Medium Close up of Katniss.
    
1. Cut To:
   
28. Medium shot of Katniss and Peta
    
1. Cut To:
   
29. Close up of Katniss
    
1. Cut To:
   
30. Close up of Peta.
    
1. Cut To:
   
31. Long Shot of Cornucopia.
    
1. Background music halts.
   
2. Game keeper begins talking.
   
3. Cut To:
   
32. Close up of Katniss.
    
1. Cut To:
   
33. Close up of Peta
    
1. Cut To:
   
34. Close up of Katniss
    
1. Cut To:
   
35. Medium shot of both Katniss and Peta.
    
1. Cut To:
   
36. Close up of Katniss hugging Peta.
    
1. Cut To:

- End Scene -