ABSTRACT
The impact of spatial manipulation in a shot can be emphasized or minimized not only by the focal length being used, but also by the degree to which it differs from focal lengths used in shots that precede and/or follow it. Using an extreme wide-angle lens to overtly expand perspective at a key moment of a scene will not be as noticeable or meaningful if even slight wide-angles are also used in other shots within the same scene. Tom Hopper’s The King’s Speech features such a strategic use of a focal length shift in a pivotal scene between Prince Albert, the temperamental Duke of York with a stammer he cannot overcome, and his unorthodox speech therapist Lionel Logu The technique is effective because of its dramatic context and precise timing, right as the prince identifies the person he believes to be the main culprit behind his predicament.
