RESEARCH: High Stakes Poker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_vYW4wwOOk

This is season 5, episode 7 of the high stakes poker championships.

We could use this for reference for the on screen graphics used to tell viewers what each person has. Styling of each player could also be researched from here; who plays poker in these situations? We also see from this that there is a dealer at high stakes poker games, thus we will need someone to deal.

The way the game is filmed could also be researched from this clip.

NOTE: If we are to use the graphics techniques; how? why? when?

RESEARCH: 'Rounders'

'Rounders' (1998), directed by John Dahl.

A young man (Damon) is a reformed gambler who must return to playing big stakes poker to help a friend pay off loan sharks

We looked at this film as it is widely regarded as the best poker film ever. It also gave us reference to the way poker is shot in films.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gxEsHlW5qU

Notes:

Starts with Damon getting ready and going out, leaving his sleeping wife in bed and taking wads of cash with him. Dresses in dark clad with dirty red cap.

‘rounders’ no caps. White writing on black background.

Uses narration technique- starts with bold statement that sums up what Damon is about; reading people in a game

Relaxed, cool, jazz/blues music (piano, brush drums)

Rich orange glow to pictures

Silloette of Damon walking away from the camera through smoke

Uses CCTV footage of him going to door

Everything is dirty – underground

Narration tells story and background

Dialougue features real terms used in the situation

Damon is normally filmed from below – high and mighty

Lots of people in the underground games and lots of tables in the room

Narration has air of calmness, coolness

Music starts with tense violin note and slow piano notes. As soon as stacks of money is introduced, finger played cello with jazz beat comes in. Violin note is present throughout.

Damon is normally in the shadows of either buildings or his cap - mysterious.

Shot from below

CCTV footage

Walking through the smoke

Titles

Opening Shot

RESEARCH: '21'

'21' (2008), directed by Robert Luketic.

'21' is the fact- based story about six MIT students who trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.

A more in-depth analysis of this opening as we plan to base our clip around it's extreme close up shot techniques and quick paced 'throw you into the action' nature.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnlDNBoZ1_Y

Notes:

Media Studies

Research Blog

21

• straight cut (fade) from production logo
• digitalised close up of the detail on a card ace (Jack)
• tracking up the line.
• Twist as zoom out to reveal the card – follows the lines of the design
• Slight hint of music in background, otherwise silent.
• Music is heavy base
• Have another card come down on top of jack – ace – 21
• Narration of lead character – uses technical terms/ tells story of winner, winner chicken dinner- makes it personal – puts himself in the game
• Close up of chips (all digitalised) – zoom up side of stack and over top to see high value of chips ($1,000)
• Clicky drumming with guitar – very vegas and cool.
• Camera runs round table basically over cards.
• Starts highlighting the card values as counting cards is mentioned – shows he is thinking about them and that.
• ‘shiny’ ting when 21 is seen (A&J)
• starts zooming out to see the cards are a reflection in an eye – again showing this is what he is looking for.
• Extreme close of the card rack as card keep coming out quickly (digitised) – diagetic sound of card coming out of the rack
• Extreme close up panning from birds eye view of cards on table. Top of card, closer to the camera appears with shadow – whooshing sound.
• Extreme tight close up of his eyes with the card reflecting in his glasses.
• Narration still going.
• As straight cut back to BEV of card, non-diagetic sound of him in game shouting ‘winner, winner, chicken dinner’
• Narration ‘winner, winner, chicken dinner’
• Card turns over to shows A coming down on a J.
• Straight cut to digitised extreme close up tracking down A of spades
• Straight cut to quick track around the edge of the table, seeing cards in between high stacks of chips.
• Timeless cut to quick track running around a stack of chips, running upwards like a corkscrew to show $5,000 stack
• As narration introduces character ‘first of all, what I was doing wasn’t illegal…’ cut to main character preparing himself in a disguise for that night – smoothing gel over hair, putting wig on, putting moustache on and glasses.
• Extreme tight close ups
• When puts on wig, pulls focus (blurred – clear as he lifts his head – in time)
• Cut to more cards coming down with the values lighting up
• Cut back to ETCU of his eyes and the cards reflecting in his glasses – sound of him talking during the game – happy and hyped.
• Fast cuts – seconds
• When mentions his amount up – digitised low shot of the stacks, tracking around
• Unsteady shot of him in play – clapping and smiling – wining
• Cut to low shot (dig) of card coming down (10/10)
• Sound of dealer saying ‘splitting tens’
• He repeats in games – cut to close up of him calling out ‘splitting ten’
• ECU of the tens splitting
• Zoom out, sweeping upwards to birds eye view shot – narration starts again
• To blackness – cut to zoom in on crossed arms of his partner – signals
• Cut to him in play
• Extreme close up of girl putting finger to eye as he mentions that signal
• Cut to him in play as he looks to see ‘a hand running through perfect flowing hair’ – another signal the narration mentions
• Extreme close up of hand running through hair, slo mo – camera follows the hand
• Music runs throughout this scene
• Cut back to him as his expression changes with realisation, slo mo – rising undertone to music to create suspense
• Cut to shadowed feet walking on shiny floor – lights reflect off floor – sound of feet walking – slo-mo
• Cut to midshot of shadowed man walking (his head) slo mo
• Cut to main character realising more – slo mo
• Cut to slo mo running feet of security (blacked out men)
• Cut to mid shot of security pushing straggler out of way
• Cut to main character (tight close up of profile with pulled depth of field pulled so lights behind him blurred)
• Cut to slo-mo him grabbing his and chucking them into a black bag (close up
• Cut to running blacked out man again running
• Cut to his feet
• Runs to black out camera and music fades out.

---

We intend to use the narration technique and the close up shots to make our poker game more interesting and involved.