Opening Scene Continuity Analysis

"Crazy, Stupid, Love" Continuity Analysis

• The opening scene begins with an over the shoulder shot to show the scene from one of the characters' point of view. This makes the audience feel involved in the scene.
• The scene then cuts to a reaction shot to show the husband's reaction to his wife's proposal of a divorce.
• Shot-reverse-shot then follows, showing the conversation between the two people from each point of view, placing the audience in the action. Each of these shots is a close up to show emotion.
• Cross cutting is used to demonstrate how two scenes are happening simultaneously; the couple at the restaurant and two girls running around a house.
• At the house, the camera follows the older girl picking up a photo. The girl looks down at the photo in her hands however the audience cannot see what she is looking at. It then cuts to the photo to reveal what the photo in her hands is showing. The shot is a POV shot to put the audience exactly what the girl is seeing/doing. 
• More cross cutting is used to show the couple from the dinner scene driving in a car, showing how time has passed since the scene at the restaurant.
• An extreme close-up is used to show the husband's blank expression.
• In the car scene, shot-reverse-shot is used to show the husband from the wife's perspective and the wife from the husband's perspective. This reveals to the audience how the husband seems emotionless and blank whereas the wife seems agitated.
• Cross cutting is used once again to cut to the scene at the house reiterate how the two scenes are occurring simultaneously.
• Match on action is used as the girl opens the door to the boy's room to show the same action from two points of view; outside the bedroom and inside the bedroom.
• The clip then cuts back to the scene of the couple in the car and a mid shot is used to show where the two characters are seated in perspective to each other.
• Whilst the car is moving, the husband unbuckles his seatbelt, opens the car door and rolls out of the car. In the same shot, the camera arcs to show a reaction shot of the wife's reaction to her husbands rash decision.
• Throughout the clip, neither the 180 degree rule nor the 30 degree rule are broken. This ensures that there is a constant sense of direction and no jumps throughout the sequence.