Articles for tag: Acting, Directing, Inspiration, Narrative

April 29, 2025

Jeremy Towsey-French

Direct by Design: The Coin Toss

Today’s class kicked off with an analysis of the coin toss scene in No Country for Old Men (2007 –directed by Ethan and Joel Coen). This specific scene stands out as a masterclass in tension building and character establishment through masterful filmmaking. The Coen brothers utilize a minimalist approach, letting the dialogue and the actors’ performances carry the weight of the scene. Javier Bardem’s portrayal of the chillingly unpredictable Anton Chigurh is immediately captivating, his calm demeanor juxtaposed with the inherent threat of his actions. The seemingly innocuous conversation initiated by the gas station attendant quickly devolves into a life-or-death gamble, highlighting

April 22, 2025

Jeremy Towsey-French

The Perfect Combo: Performance + Cinematography

For today’s Big Screen Video Inspiration, we focused on how plot points can drive home larger thematic elements in storytelling. Combined with the power of symbolism, a simple scene can open up entirely new narrative directions. Such is the case in our example from the 2001 film, A. I. Artificial Intelligence  (2001 – Directed by Stephen Spielberg / Cinematography by Janusz Kamiński), based on a concept originally designed by the late Stanley Kubrick . Our class focussed on one scene from early in the film, where Monica (Frances O’Connor), triggers the imprinting protocol on David —an uncomfortably realistic mecha child—thus committing the

April 14, 2025

Jeremy Towsey-French

The Single Shot: Old Boy

Today we started class by introducing the concept of the single shot, and the complexity of pulling off compelling visual narratives without any camera breaks. The iconic single-shot fight scene in Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy has been celebrated and discussed since first viewed on the big screen in 2003. This scene from Oldboy is a brutal and visceral display of the raw determination and pent-up rage of the main character, Oh Dae-su, after years of imprisonment. Armed with only a hammer, he navigates a narrow corridor filled with multiple adversaries, each encounter a flurry of desperate swings, dodges, and grunts. The extended, unbroken camera shot intensifies the

March 21, 2025

Jeremy Towsey-French

Silent Terror in Performance

Today’s class kicked off by viewing the opening cabin scene of Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 film, Inglourious Basterds –a masterclass in tension, largely due to Tarantino’s deliberate pacing and Christoph Waltz’s mesmerizing performance as SS Colonel Hans Landa. Tarantino employs long takes and a slow, methodical approach, enabling the dialogue and the subtle shifts in power to take center stage. The camera focuses intently on the characters’ faces, capturing every flicker of emotion and creating a palpable sense of unease. This cinematic control, combined with the confined setting of the cabin, amplifies the claustrophobia and the feeling that any moment could erupt