According to the description provided in Writing About Movies, on pages 28–30, write the following:
Begin with a description of the sequence to orient the reader. Do not use timecode; instead describe where in the film your sequence appears and write a summary of the sequence.
Your shot analysis should contain (at least) these four elements for each shot:
You will need to describe the camera distance for each shot. The following terms describe the distance of the camera in a shot.
| Camera Distance | Description |
|---|---|
| extreme long shot | camera is far away to make subject appear small in the frame |
| long shot | the whole figure fills the frame |
| medium long shot | cuts off the figure at the shins or knees |
| medium shot | cuts off the figure at the waist |
| medium close-up | cuts off the figure at the chest |
| close-up | shows just the face of the figure |
| extreme close-up | shows only a part of the face or a small object |
Here is the example I did using the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961):
This sequence is set in Holly's apartment. We hear loud contemporary music and see a series of shots with party guests acting in festive but unusual ways. One of the recurring shots is of a woman holding a drink in front of a mirror. With each shot, we see move from laughing at her reflection in the mirror to her crying, with mascara running down her face.
| Shot Number | Description | Length (sec) | Type of Shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Party | 6 | Long Shot |
| 2 | Holly and Man dancing; Pan to Cat perched above | 11 | Close Up |
| 3 | Woman with drink in Mirror Laughing | 8 | Medium Close Up |
| 4 | Couple Skipping and Dancing | 2 | Medium Close Up |
| 5 | Woman Surrounded by Men, Pan to Japanese woman talking to men, pan to woman seeing shoes of a man standing on his head | 4 | Medium Close Up |
| 6 | Woman takes a drink, surprise to see a man where a woman was standing | 7 | Medium Close Up |
| 7 | Woman in dress; butt shaking to music | 2 | Medium Close Up |
| 8 | Woman with drink looking to the mirror crying | 7 | Medium Close Up |
| 9 | Man sitting on a suitcase on the floor looking at woman's feet, looks at watch on her ankle | 7 | Medium Close Up |
| 10 | Man walking through crowd; sound of phone ringing | 4 | Medium Close Up |
In this sequence, we see that Holly leads a wild life. The shots in the sequence survey the various party guests who are engaged in festive but unusual behavior, such as the woman who sits on the head of the man, only to confuse the woman standing in front of the man. Each shot ends with a punchline of something comical and novel, giving the sequence a light-hearted spirit. Holly, as we see her in this part of the film, is more of a playgirl than the serious woman she'll become later in the film.