Film & Theater studies
writing a detailed critical analysis of ”Devil in a Blue Dress”
details attached under materials.
SHOT LISTS FOR FILM ANALYSIS
Following is a sample of a film analysis shot list from a scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
Keep in mind that this is a shot list used in analyzing compositional and stylistic elements as well
as editing transitions. It is not a production shot list and thus contains different information and
functions in different ways.
This scene from The Birds, identified as “The Gas Station Attack,” is broken down and numbered
shot by shot. Only the most basic compositional, stylistic, and content information is included in
this example. Depending on the thesis of your paper, you may include supplemental or varying
information in your shot descriptions.
SCENE: THE GAS STATION ATTACK
1. MS, straight-on angle. Begins in front of bar with Mitch, Melanie, Bird Lady, and Captain.
Track right with Mitch and Captain to MS with Mitch, Melanie, and Captain standing by the
restaurant window talking. Melanie on extreme right, bartender in background. 41 seconds.
CUT
2. MCU. Melanie by Captain’s shoulder. She looks to right (out off-screen window) and up, as
if following with eyes. Off-screen bird sounds. Pan right with her as she turns to the window
and looks out. 13 seconds. CUT
3. ELS, Melanie’s point-of-view. Gas station across street, phone booth in left foreground. Birds
dive-bomb attendant at station, right to left. Melanie heard in off-screen exclamation, “Look!”
3 seconds. CUT
4. MCU. Melanie, profile. Captain moves right into shot, blocking bartender; Mitch moves right
into extreme foreground. All in profile looking out window. 2 seconds. CUT
5. LS. Gas station. Birds continue to attack and attendant falls, dropping gas hose. 3 seconds.
CUT
6. MLS. Wide-angle interior of restaurant. Mitch runs towards door in deep background. Other
characters move across shot line towards window. 5 seconds. CUT
7. MS. Mitch and others exit door as people run by outside. Bird sounds increase off-screen.
Mother and children run inside screaming. 9 seconds. CUT
8. MS. Outside window of restaurant. Melanie, waitress, and cook rush to window and look
towards gas station. 4 seconds. CUT
9. ELS, Melanie’s POV. Mitch and others rush to aid of attendant on ground. Bird sounds
continue. 3 seconds. CUT
10. MCU. Low angle of gas flowing onto ground. Clearly audible sounds of liquid flowing.
4 seconds. CUT
11. MS, as in “8.” Melanie, center-frame, as more people crowd around window watching gas
station. 2 seconds. CUT
12. MLS. Gas station. Mitch and others assist attendant in frame center-left while gas continues
to flow towards foreground. 4 seconds. CUT
13. MS, as in “11.” Melanie looks up and around responding to continuing bird sounds, searching
for origin. 2 seconds. CUT
14. MCU. Very short pan right to stationary as gas flows on ground left to right. 4 seconds. CUT
15. MCU. Melanie searching, looking toward gas station. 3 seconds. CUT
16. MLS, as in “12.” Characters remain frame center-left, gasoline continues to flow to
foreground with increasing speed. 2 seconds. CUT
17. MCU, as in “15.” Melanie continues to watch. 2 seconds. CUT
18. MCU. High angle towards ground and car tire as gas flows around and underneath car.
3 seconds. CUT
19. MS, as in “13.” As other characters watch gas station, Melanie notices gas flowing on ground
and follows with her turning head. 3 seconds. CUT
20. MLS, Melanie’s POV. Man gets out of car and begins to light cigar, oblivious to gas flowing
around him. 4 seconds. CUT
21. MS, as in “19.” Melanie points out to others man lighting cigar. Audible but muffled dialog.
4 seconds. CUT
22. MLS, as in “20.” Melanie’s POV. Man lighting cigar. 2 seconds. CUT
23. MCU. Melanie opens window as she and other characters yell towards man with cigar.
Confusing and overlapping dialog. 4 seconds. CUT
24. MLS, as in “22.” Man continues to attempt to light cigar. Confusing dialog bridges from
“23.” 2 seconds. CUT
25. MCU, as in “23.” Melanie center frame, desperate. 3 seconds. CUT
26. MLS, as in “24.” Man burns hand and drops match. Pleading dialog bridges from “25.”
2 seconds. CUT
27. CU. Melanie fills frame, shaking head, desperate. 2 seconds. CUT
28. MLS, Melanie’s POV. Car bursts into flames. 3 seconds. CUT
29. CU. Melanie reacts to explosion. Other characters reacting enter periphery of frame on left
and right. 2 seconds. CUT
30. MLS, Melanie’s POV. Flaming car and fire spreads to adjacent cars. Screams increase.
4 seconds. CUT
31. MCU. Straight-on angle. Melanie, immobile, looking off left, mouth open. 2 seconds. CUT
32. MS, Melanie’s POV. Pan left with flames moving from lower right to upper left of trail of
gas. Fire sounds. 1 second. CUT
33. MCU, as in “31.” Melanie, immobile, staring down center. 1 second. CUT
34. MS, Melanie’s POV. Pan left with flames moving from lower right to upper left. Fire sounds.
1 second. CUT
35. MCU, as in “33.” Melanie, immobile, looking off right, staring aghast. 1 second. CUT
36. LS, Melanie’s POV. Gas station. Flames rush in from right. Mitch and others run out frame
left. Fire sounds. 1 second. CUT
37. MCU, as in “35.” Melanie, immobile, stares off extreme right. 1 second. CUT
38. LS, as in “36.” Melanie’s POV. Cars at station explode. Noise and loud explosion sound.
2 seconds. CUT
39. MCU, as in “37.” Melanie covers her face with her hands. Other characters reacting enter
periphery of frame. Explosion sound bridges from “38.” 2 seconds. CUT
40. ELS, “Birds-eye” view. Extreme high angle on town, flame trailing in center. Distant sound
of chaos in town, wind. First one, then many gulls fly into shot as bird sounds increase. Long
take. 28 seconds. CUT
Tips:
–Keep dialog quotation and narrative description to a minimum except where very important to
your analysis, i.e. communicating vital information or sound.
–At a minimum, you should include information on shot distance, frame composition and
relationships, shot-length (communicated by timed references, “15 seconds,” etc., and subjective
determinations like “long take”), and editing transitions.
–Although there are different kinds of transitions such as the fade, these are rarely used internal
to a scene and more often for transitions between sequences or narrative acts. If the edit is a direct
cut, end the shot description with “CUT,” indicating the transition to the next numbered shot.
–As mentioned above, depending on the thesis and focus of your analysis, other supplemental
and varying information may be included in your shot list such as lighting specifics, camera
movement, elements of production design, or genre characteristics.
