With some movies you can identify everything you need to know about a character through a single frame. Take this single frame from the 1931 movie \u201cDracula\u201d (Figure 1). The character is cloaked in all black, and standing in darkness, we know he is a threatening character from these aspects alone. His face stands out in stark contrast to the rest of the frame, as it’s one of the only things we can see. On the left side of the screen we see a coffin so we know he is something deadly. His expression and makeup tell us he is not something entirely human.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/Screenshot-2022-09-22-134957.png” title_text=”Screenshot 2022-09-22 134957″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Figure 11. Medium shot<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/ZDrac-example-3.png” title_text=”ZDrac example” admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Figure 1, Low angle medium shot ” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Figure 1. Low angle medium full shot<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u00a0Or take a look at Guy Richie’s introduction of Sherlock Holmes, from his 2009 movie of the same name. We see Sherlock chasing a much faster carriage on foot, jumping in between the streets to keep up. The first time we hear Sherlock speak is when he observes in his mind and then predicts a fight he is about to have (Figure 11). This scene does an excellent job of showing that Sherlock is incredibly smart and able to think through the world much faster than anyone else. His introduction has one flaw, it does not do a good job of setting up the tone, and expectations for the rest of the movie. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The movie \u201cTag\u201d directed by Jeff Tomsic is about a group of five friends who started playing tag when they were kids in their backyard. This same game of tag continued on every May for the rest of their lives, in fact decades. Four of the friends take this as a friendly competition and get together, however the 5th one, Jerry, has never, and is determined to never be tagged. The five of them are brought back together because they think it is going to be their last year as Jerry is getting married. With a reporter following them around writing about their story, we see what lengths Jerry is willing to reach, to never be \u2018it.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The movie takes its time introducing Jerry in fact it takes until almost a third of the way into the movie. There has been a lot of build up to his introduction. The movie has a lot of responsibility to answer the question to the viewer, \u2018who is this person?\u2019 \u2018is he really that scary?\u2019 The scene opens with showing us the inside of the building as lights shine across the inside of the window (figure 2). A red sports car drifts into frame from the outside of the building,\u00a0 already setting the tone of an action movie like protagonist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/ANY2-2.png” title_text=”ANY2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Figure 2. Low angle tracking shot<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/ANY3-Extreme-close-up.png” title_text=”ANY3 Extreme close up” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Figure 3.1. Extreme close of up Hoagie.<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n We switch back into the inside of the building getting a rapid series of cuts between extreme close ups of most of the cast, all of them looking a little worried, if not terrified (Figure 3.1). This further extends the idea that Jerry is someone to be scared of. The scene cuts back to the outside, where we see a pair of nice shoes step out of the car and the camera tracks them towards the entrance. As he walks forward dramatic instrumental music begins to play, the only music in the scene. This transitions into a panning shot that leads to two more close ups with the last one being a close up of Bob who is \u2018it\u2019 (Figure 3.2).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||9px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/ANY3.3.png” title_text=”ANY3.3″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Figure 3.2 Extreme Close up of Bob.<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/ANY7-SLOW-MO.png” title_text=”ANY7 SLOW MO” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Figure 5. Extreme close up of Jerry with low depth of field.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Finally we get a static camera in the middle of the room, Jerry walks up into the camera to create a close up of his face. This shot has a very low depth of field, creating a blurring of the background (Figure 5). This single shot is doing multiple things at once. Firstly it is showing us, the audience what Jerry actually looks like. Jerry is played by Jeremy Renner who is this film’s big actor. The person most audience members are going to recognise from his role as Hawkeye in the Marvel franchise. Second, it establishes that Jerry is part of the group playing tag. The only two characters in this scene who do not get a close up is the reporter, and Jerry\u2019s wife. Neither of whom actively participate in the serious part of the game. Lastly, the other close ups included the backdrop, Jerry\u2019s does not because he is living separate from the rest of the group, and is isolated from them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Immediately after we see Jerry, the camera switches into slow motion, and we get the internal dialog of Jerry. This internal non-diegetic dialog and slow motion is highly reminiscent of Guy Ritchie\u2019s 2009 adaptation of \u201cSherlock Holmes.\u201d In both films we know that they are thinking much faster than the world around them. Which means that Jerry, and Sherlock are capable of thinking about their opponents future actions, and countering them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Jerry hears Bob approaching from his left, and asks the question “who’s it?” Bob is the one who is ‘it’ and throughout the rest of the film is by far the most arrogant of the group. Which once again is reinforced in the fact that he thinks he will be the one to tag Jerry in this scene. Who, as soon as he realizes who is \u2018it,\u2019 takes immediate action (Figure 6). We hear as he realizes what he must do in saying “no hand shall touch my body.” We know what he is about to do before any of the rest of the cast does.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/ANY8-thinking-mid-shot.png” title_text=”ANY8 thinking mid shot” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Switch into slow motion with internal monologue of Jerry, Bob on left side of shot.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/ANY8.1-.png” title_text=”ANY8.1″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Figure 7. Medium 3 shot of Jerry (left) Bob (right) and Hoagie (middle).\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Slow motion is used to show when Jerry thinks he is directly in danger. We are now watching this scene from Jerry\u2019s point of view. So when he thinks he is in danger, the world slows down. When Jerry believes he is no longer in danger, the world returns to its normal speed. Bob is approaching from behind and reaching out his hand to Tag Jerry, when Jerry reacts and the world slows, he wraps a table cloth around Bob and swings him into Hoagie. The camera throughout, and by extension the audience is forced to pay special attention to the character’s hands. Oftentimes the characters hands if they are \u2018it\u2019 are put in the center of the frame (figure 7). We get this very comedic shot where we see Hoagie grabbing his face as he has just been slapped, and by extension, tagged and is now it. Jerry makes a mental note that he is not \u2018it.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”85.3%” custom_margin=”|auto||211px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Randy finally leaps to tackle Jerry (Figure 7.5). Which Jerry easily dodges. This gives us insight into Randy, as Randy\u2019s jump was \u201cpoorly planned and poorly executed\u201d (Tomsic). Which is one of the defining characteristics of Randy\u2019s character. He is too impulsive and doesn’t think his actions through, which generates most of the conflict in his life.\u00a0 lot of the conflict in his life. Jerry is also using his prior knowledge of all of his friends and their flaws to use it against them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/Screenshot-2022-10-03-075316.png” title_text=”Screenshot 2022-10-03 075316″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|||-32px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Figure 7.5. Medium action Shot of Randy.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”4393,4394,4395,4396″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|-21px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”80.7%” custom_padding=”|62px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Kevin and Hoagie block the door. Jerry trips them and runs towards the window and jumps, here we get match on action editing to show three different angles of Jerry jumping out of the window (figure 8). Delivering on the idea proposed by the opening, that Jerry is not some normal human, but has more in common with a superhero. After breaking through the windows, he rolls down the roof and all of the rest of the characters run to the window to go look and see if he is ok. All of them are worried about him until he stands up and begins to laugh. When we switch back to the group of friends in the window, the reporter is separated from the group by a bar in the window (Figure 9). Showing that she is not a part of the game and instead is just a passive onlooker.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_margin=”|20px||||” custom_padding=”|0px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n We see this very wide shot. It shows both the literal and metaphorical gap between Jerry and the rest of his friends (Figure 10). He is quite literally an outsider in his own friend group, emotionally, and in this case physically standing on the outside of the building. Jerry has purposely distanced himself away from the rest of his friends, putting physical space between them, because of this game, he no longer can fully trust them. Through this conversation we see that even though Jerry just jumped out of a window, none of them take it too seriously. With him saying \u201cNever been better\u201d (Tomsic) and Anna begins to clap. They know it is not a life or death game, even if sometimes they act like it. Jerry in particular keeps pointing out to the journalist that he has never been tagged. After some friendly banter we are introduced to Jerry\u2019s future wife. This final part of the scene is very standard film making, with primarily shot reverse shot between the two groups. Finally this scene ends with Jerry and the rest of \u2018the boys\u2019 agreeing to a truce, and stepping inside. Showing that even after they just beat each other up, in the end they are still friends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This scene is setting up the plot, conflict, and primary antagonist for the rest of the movie. We see that this movie is going to be an action comedy, through the dialogue and the slapstick. The audience learns that Jerry is going to out smart and out maneuver the rest of the cast at every possible point. We know he is going to be the antagonist and we understand why he is capable of being one. But at the end of the day, no matter what happens, they are all still friends. \u201cTag\u201d is a perfect example of how to use a character introduction to set the tone not only for one character, but how to set up the plot and conflict for the rest of the movie as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/ANY12-wide-shot.png” title_text=”ANY12 wide shot” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Figure 10. Wide shot.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The movie “Tag” is a perfect example of how a movie can use the introduction of one of it’s central characters as a way to set tone, plot, and audience expectations for an entire move. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" How a movie introduces its central characters, defines how the audience will perceive not only that character, but the tone and plot of the entire rest of the movie. A movie only gets one chance to make a first impression. Now let's take a look at one scene that perfectly introduces the movie's antagonist, tone, and defines the expectations that the audience will have for the rest of the movie.\u00a0 That scene is the introduction of Jerry, from the 2018 movie \u201cTag.\u201d Which through a single scene sets up his traits and characteristics but then also the tone and plot of the rest of the movie.\u00a0<\/span>With some movies you can identify everything you need to know about a character through a single frame. Take this single frame from the 1931 movie \u201cDracula\u201d (Figure 1).<\/p> Figure 1. Low angle mid shot.\u00a0<\/b><\/p> \u00a0The character is cloaked in all black, and standing in darkness, we know he is a threatening character from these aspects alone. His face stands out in stark contrast to the rest of the frame, as it's one of the only things we can see. On the left side of the screen we see a coffin so we know he is some<\/span>thing deadly. His expression and makeup tell us he is not something entirely human. Or take a look at Guy Richie's introduction of Sherlock Holmes, from his 2009 movie of the same name. We see Sherlock chasing a much faster carriage on foot, jumping in between the streets to keep up. The first time we hear Sherlock speak is when he observes in his mind and then predicts a fight he is about to have (Figure 11). This scene does an excellent job of showing that Sherlock is incredibly smart and able to think through the world much faster than anyone else. His introduction has one flaw, it does not do a good job of setting up the tone, and expectations for the rest of the movie.\u00a0<\/p> The movie \u201cTag\u201d directed by Jeff Tomsic is about a group of five friends wh<\/span>o started playing tag when they were ki<\/span>ds in their backyard. This same game of tag continued on every May for the rest of their lives, in fact decades. Four of the friends take this as a friendly competition and get together, however the 5th one, Jerry, has never, and is determined to never be tagged. The five of them are brought back together because they think it is going to be their last year as Jerry is getting married. With a reporter following them around writing about their story, we see what lengths Jerry is willing to reach, to never be \u2018it.\u2019\u00a0<\/p> The movie takes its time introducing Jerry in fact it takes until almost a third of the way into the movie. There has been a lot of build up to his introduction. The movie has a lot of responsibility to answer the question to the viewer, \u2018who is this person?\u2019 \u2018is he really that scary?\u2019 The scene opens with showing us the inside of the building as lights shine across the inside of the window (figure 2). A red sports car drifts into frame from the outside of the building,\u00a0 already setting the tone of an action movie like protagonist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> We switch back into the inside of the building getting a rapid series of cuts between extreme close ups of most of the cast, all of them looking a little worried, if not terrified (Figure 3). This further extends the idea that Jerry is someone to be scared of. The scene cuts back to the outside, where we see a pair of nice shoes step out of the car and the camera tracks them towards the entrance (figure 4). As he walks forward dramatic instrumental music begins to play, the only music in the scene. This transitions into a panning shot that leads to two more close ups with the last one being a close up of Bob who is \u2018it.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Finally we get a static camera in the middle of the room, Jerry walks up into the camera to create a close up of his face. This shot has a very low depth of field, creating a blurring of the background (Figure 5). This single shot is doing multiple things at once. Firstly it is showing us, the audience what Jerry actually looks like. Jerry is played by Jeremy Renner who is this film's big actor. The person most audience members are going to recognise from\u00a0<\/span><\/p> his role as Hawkeye in the Marvel franchise. Second, it establishes that Jerry is part of the group playing tag. The only two characters in this scene who do not get a close up is the reporter, and Jerry\u2019s wife. Neither of whom actively participate in the serious part of the game. Lastly, the other close ups included the backdrop, Jerry\u2019s does not because he is living separate from the rest of the group, and is isolated from them.\u00a0<\/p> Immediately after we see Jerry, the camera switches into slow motion, and we get the internal dialog of Jerry. This internal non-diegetic dialog and slow motion is highly reminiscent of Guy Ritchie\u2019s 2009 adaptation of \u201cSherlock Holmes.\u201d In both films we know that they are thinking much faster than the world around them. Which means that Jerry, and Sherlock are capable of thinking about their opponents future actions, and countering them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Jerry hears Bob approaching from his left, and asks the question \"who's it?\" Bob is the one who is 'it' and throughout the rest of the film is by far the most arrogant of the group. Which once again is reinforced in the fact that he thinks he will be the one to tag Jerry in this scene. Who, as soon as he realizes who is \u2018it,\u2019 takes immediate action (Figure 6). We hear as he realizes what he must do in saying \"no hand shall touch my body.\" We know what he is about to do before any of the rest of the cast does.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Slow motion is used to show when Jerry thinks he is directly in danger. We are now watching this scene from Jerry\u2019s point of view. So when he thinks he is in danger, the world slows down. When Jerry believes he is no longer in danger, the world returns to its normal speed. Bob is approaching from behind and reaching out his hand to Tag Jerry, when Jerry reacts and the world slows, he wraps a table cloth around Bob and swings him into Hoagie. The camera throughout, and by extension the audience is forced to pay special attention to the character's hands. Oftentimes the characters hands if they are \u2018it\u2019 are put in the center of the frame (figure 7). We get this very comedic shot where we see Hoagie grabbing his face as he has just been slapped, and by extension, tagged and is now it. Jerry makes a mental note that he is not \u2018it.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Randy finally leaps to tackle Jerry. Which Jerry easily dodges. This gives us insight into Randy, as Randy\u2019s jump was \u201cpoorly planned and poorly executed\u201d (Tomsic). Which is one of the defining characteristics of Randy\u2019s character. He is too impulsive and doesn't think his actions through, which generates most of the conflict in his life.\u00a0 lot of the conflict in his life. Jerry is also using his prior knowledge of all of his friends and their flaws to use it against them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Kevin and Hoagie block the door. Jerry trips them and runs towards the window and jumps, here we get match on action editing to show three different angles of Jerry jumping out of the window (figure 8). Delivering on the idea proposed by the opening, that Jerry is not some normal human, but has more in common with a superhero. After breaking through the windows, he rolls down the roof and all of the rest of the characters run to the window to go look and see if he is ok. All of them are worried about him until he stands up and begins to laugh. We see this very wide shot. It shows both the literal and metaphorical gap between Jerry and the rest of his friends (Figure 10). He is quite literally an outsider in his own friend group, emotionally, and in this case physically standing on the outside of the building. Jerry has purposely distanced himself away from the rest of his friends, putting physical space between them, because of this game, he no longer can fully trust them. When we switch back to the group of friends in the window, the reporter is separated from the group by a bar in the window (Figure 9). Showing that she is not a part of the game and instead is just a passive onlooker.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Through this conversation we see that even though Jerry just jumped out of a window, none of them take it too seriously. With him saying \u201cNever been better\u201d (Tomsic) and Anna begins to clap. They know it is not a life or death game, e<\/span>ven if sometimes they act like it. Jerry impraticular keeps pointing out to the journalist that he has never been tagged. After some friendly banter we are introduced to Jerry\u2019s future wife. This final part of the scene is very standard film making, with primarily shot reverse shot between the two groups. Finally this scene ends with Jerry and the rest of \u2018the boys\u2019 agreeing to a truce, and stepping inside. Showing that even after they just beat each other up, in the end they are still friends.\u00a0<\/p> This scene is setting up the plot, conflict, and primary antagonist for the rest of the movie. We see that this movie is going to be an action comedy, through the dialogue and the slapstick. The audience learns that Jerry is going to out smart and out meanvior the rest of the cast at every possible point. We know he is going to be the antagonist and we understand why he is capable of being one. But at the end of the day, no matter what happens, they are all still friends. \u201cTag\u201d is a perfect example of how to use a character introduction to set the tone not only for one character, but how to set up the plot and conflict for the rest of the movie as a whole.<\/span><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-criticism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/140"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4360"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4403,"href":"https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4360\/revisions\/4403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/academics.winona.edu\/povwinona\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/ZDrac-example-1-300x195.png\")
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