Ashley Matthews- blog #10

Ashley Matthews

4/24/12

Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

Dir Banksy

            Although Banksy directs this film, Thierry's filming is what appears most in the movie.  As Thierry films the street artist who paints shadows, he circles the camera around his head.  After explaining how he has found a group of people who are so passionate about what they do and believe so much in their work, he circles the camera around this man who wears a cheetah mask over his face to show that how different he looks is how different his feelings about his work are in relation to the average person's feelings about their work.  When Thierry films "Buffmeister" climbing up the wall, he uses the rule of thirds to off-set the action.

            The scene with the newspaper articles about Banksy shifts quickly from one still image to another as to imitate how the eyes would read over a news article.  Thierry films from out the car window when he has been told Banksy is waiting to see him in order to show just how fast he was going. If he had filmed straight on, you would not get the full effect of how fast he was going.

            As far as placement goes when conducting sit-down interviews, Thierry is placed using the rule of thirds, whereas Banksy is filmed in the center of the screen. Thierry's interview is pleasing to the eye, but Banksy, because he is a mysterious person to all, is different, so he is placed in the middle of the screen.

            When the tables turn and Thierry wants to be like Banksy, running his own show and making himself a name as a street artist, he becomes crazier and crazier.  On the day of his art show when he reaches the climax of his insanity, and when he is telling his workers that “he runs the show now,” the camera zooms in on his face to show his expression.

           The entirety of the documentary tells us that Thierry should have stuck to camera filming rather than becoming a street artist.