Shooting a chase sequence

Making “Shotgun”, what I learnt shooting a chase sequence 

As part of our Craft Skills module we were tasked with making a short chase sequence. With the example given of the chase scene in “Point Break” we had to shoot a chase sequence that would incorporate a story of two characters with one chasing the other, involving a variety of shots to build tension.  The basic premise of our film showed two characters racing from a flat to a multi-story carpark with the conflict being derived from the competition of trying to be there first. 

The establishing shot of the film showed the two characters together in a flat, the scene was set with a wide shot of the environment and the close proximity of the characters to one another not only showed their close relationship but also heightened their sense of competition. Ultra close-ups of the characters eyes were used before the chase started to elevate the severity of the scene and portray the intense motivation of both characters.  

As the scene continued and the chase started mids and wide shots were used to give a better understanding of the characters environment, the distance they were travelling and the obstacles along their way. Through these mid shots we were able to witness the area that they were running through, ultimately giving context to the events that happened, such as the protagonist having to jump over a railing to get into the lead. Alongside this, the position of the characters was made clearer in wider shots as they were able to give a perspective of the distance between the characters and who was in  the lead.