The film elephant is based on a true story about a massacre at a high school by two students.The film shows us what alot of different students are doing on the day of the shooting making us feel as though its just another normal day at school.
The film uses alot of tracking shots for example at the very start when there is a tracking shot on the car to make us keep watching it.It shows the car going down quite a peaceful neighbourhood where everything seems normal but then the car bumps into something.This hints at something bigger and bad to happpen.Then there is a guy taking pictures as he is walking into the distance he seems mysterious which makes us wonder what he is going to do with the pictures.This distrats us from what is really going to happen in the film.There is also another tracking shot when a guy wearing a red jumped is walking.The red jumper makes him stand out so when he is walking we focus on him.There is slow motion when he is walking when a girl mouths "he is so cute". This is so that we can tell what she is saying because we can not hear her say it as the guy with the red jumper can not hear her say it and we are following him around so we see what is around him and hear what he can as if we were actually walking behind him.
Throughout the film when we are introduced to a new character the names of the people are shown in white writing on a black background so it stands out and is easy to read.
One scene people go blurryin the background which makes you focus on the guy with the camera who goes into the dark room to get his pictures developed.when hes turning the boject with water inside it sounds like a clock or a bomb which gives clues that something bad is going to happen.
Then the film started to reply scenes but following a different person in the scene for example when it was following the guy with the red jumper it replayed the scene where the girl said "he is so cute" but instead of following him again it followed her and her friends.This is to show more about the other characters.
The film changes from the school and shows what happened leading up to the day.This happens when it shows the killer being treated badly by the people at his school.This is shown to try and make u understand why he did it.Another scene which leads up to the day is when the killer is in his bedroom.The pictures on the wall are dark with monster like creatures showing he has been turned into this evil person.
The camera zooms into his friend on the bed playing on the laptop which shows the consentration on his face then it shows what he is playing which is a shooting game.
Then it shows clouds in the blue sky making things look normal until you hear thunder and everything turns dark.
Film goes back to guy asking to take a picture of blonde guy but this time there blurred out as girl is running it wants you to focus on her.
There is a gun noise warning whats going to happen next.
Goes to the killers house but this time its the day of the shooting.It shows him having a shower and eating breakfast.Looks like an ordinary day.When guys are talking about what they are going to do it shows them doing it.There is a slow build up.
