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Scene Analysis

This scene opens with three quick cuts and camera movements, starting with a close up on the players as they are passing the ball and as the ball is passed it cuts to the scoreboard to show the time winding down and the score being close. After a quick second of showing the scoreboard it then cuts to a wide overhead shot of the court so that you can get an idea for where everyone is. The camera stays there for a few passes then goes back to court level as the ball continues to move and then shows Jackie Moon cutting towards the basket before being fouled. My favorite cut in this scene is after he is fouled when the whistle is blown it cuts to the ref, "Father Pat" blowing his whistle and pointing at the player who committed the foul. The next few shots are a series of wide shots showing the players getting into it with some cuts to the fans reacting to whats happening on the court. After it shows "Father Pat" giving the call and the announcers talking about the state of the game followed by a cut back to the clock. Once everyone is lined up they use a wide shot of "Father Pat" handing Jackie the ball as he gets ready for his free throws, as he begins to talk the shot gets closer, then the interaction with his team mate is different because the camera angle switches towards the perspective of who is talking instead of being on whoever is talking, I thought this was very different and something that I missed originally. Once everyone is done talking they cut to a side shot of him on the free throw line and back out to include the basket as he gets ready to shoot. They do an amazing job of building suspense during this scene because they use all of the small cuts on camera angle to keep the audience interested while still making them wait for Jackie Moon to shoot his free-throws. They use a zoom on both the basket and Jackie as well as some interestingly angled shots like the one beneath him as he practices his form. As the ball bounces off of the backboard and the rim the shot slows down and while in this slower motion the camera is moving almost like a player would looking up at the ball. The first time watching this you are so focused on the ball you don't really notice the camera moving but it adds nicely to the scene as a whole and makes you feel like you are in the game. The rest of the shots are pretty standard with wide shots of the players on the court and some close ups on the fans as well as a quick cut back to the scoreboard before finishing the scene with them celebrating on the court.

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