August Rush Techniques

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In the film August Rush, music was a vital building block in its overall construction. The goal of this writing is to examine the connection between the musical score, and the film itself. Along with the analyzing of the music, a few other aspects of the film will be examined. To begin, August Rush utilizes music to both match visual elements, and to support its overall mood. Firstly, the films use of music to create an overall mood in a scene will be described through specific examples. One example of this seen in August Rush is the abrupt introduction of soft piano music in a minor key when Leila is being rushed through the hallways of the hospital. The sad sounding piano music instills a sort of sympathetic sorrow in the viewer causing …show more content…
However, there were some specific examples of camera work in the film that were extremely stunning. The establishing shot at the start of the film took place in an open field with tall weeds, and green grass. It seemed as though the viewer was coming down from the sky to meet Evan down in the field. There are panning shots that contain weeds flowing back in forth in the wind as Evan sways his arms back and forth as if he is controlling them. These shots are absolutely breathtaking. The other bit of camera work that is quite amazing is showcased in the ending scene of the film where Evans performance takes place in central park. Leila and Louis approach the stage in parallel at different ends of the crowd. They both stop at the front of the stage where a beautiful rack focus is utilized in the shot. Leila is shown in the foreground in focus, and then the focus is shifted to the background revealing Louis just behind her. Even though the characters are right next to each other, they do not see one another at first. This focus trick creates a sort of beautiful tension in the scene because the viewer wants so desperately for the characters to meet once again, but they have no idea they are so close to each other. This was a beautiful use of camera work in the film that added a tensioning element to the final