Catherine Schofield -
"If I was completing this task for my coursework, there are a few things that I may consider changing, however there are also a large amount of techniques and styles used that look particularly effective.
The things I would change starts with the idea of a tighter shot of Ben on guitar, as I feel there is too much wasted white space around him. Also, in particular when the notes played on the guitar are highlighted within the song, I would consider doing a close up of bens hands on the guitar. Another change I would consider would be that Hannah wouldn’t look into the camera, and that Ben and Hannah should be face to face closer, rather than whispering in his ear. Therefore, the shot of Hannah speaking would be a very tight close up from over Ben’s shoulder. As well, I would consider playing with the line “now you’ll have to dance for the two of us” by maybe doing a shot of Ben and Hannah messing around dancing, possibly on a dance mat, helping to emphasize how close and comfortable they are with one another. A final change I would consider is a different shot for the line “trying to think what Lex would want me to do” I would maybe repeat the earlier shot of Ben and Hannah messing around playing funny faces, with Ben looking sad across at Hannah in a ghost form, to imply that he still sees her around in places they have been together before.
There are many effective shots and props used within this clip. Hannah’s dressing gown with contrasting colours of pink and black are very effective as the black obviously hints at the bleakness of the situation, whereas the pink highlights Hannah’s characters bright outlook on life, and trying to cheer her friends up even though she isn’t well. As well, the shot of the plate being pushed across the table from the low angle makes this shot particularly effective as it is almost like Hannah is offering the audience the chance to see the horrible hospital food. The combination of “home video” style shots is impressive as it highlights just how close Ben and Hannah’s characters were. The ending is very nicely done also, as it shows highlights Hannah’s happiness and shows just how much of a nice person she is to be around.
In conclusion, there are many features that are used creatively in this clip; however if I was to complete this task, I would consider doing some shots in a different style or format."