What Is the Freeze Frame and How to Use It in the Films?

What Is Freeze Frame?

A freeze frame also called still image is like pressing the pause button on the remote control, taking a picture or making a statue. The images can be made quickly without discussion. You can plan and rehears them based on your needs. They are very useful to convey ideas or tell stories directly.

A freeze-frame pauses in the perceptual movement of the image, effectively transforming it into still unthinkable shots. Freeze frames are self-reflective, so they attract the attention of the filmmaking process and filmmakers. In addition, they are very valuable in increasing focus, covering up missing shots, or creating ambiguity.

It can be used in films. In the days of shooting with film, the selected shot was optically reprinted to achieve the effect. With digital technologies, freezing your image has become as easy as tapping a few keys — so the real question becomes how and when should you use the freeze frame?

It can also be used in the drama session. Participants use their bodies to create still images. Individuals, small groups or even the whole group can make the freeze frame. They can be used to represent people or objects, and they can even represent abstract concepts such as emotion or atmosphere.

How to Use Freeze Frame?

You can use freeze frames at the beginning and throughout the movie. You just need to set the tone of your work. Here are some examples.

Soderbergh continued his playful use of the freeze frame opening show as a transition device and introduced new characters. Another great place to use fixed-frame movies early, especially if you are running sound on your soundtrack. Alexander Payne used the freeze-frame effect in his character introduction to achieve the comedy effect in his movie “Election”.

Martin Scorsese used freeze-frames to play an outstanding role in movies such as Goodfellas, The Departed and The Aviator.

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The Art of Freeze Frame

It seems that the most common and most memorable stoppage is at the end of the movie. Using freeze frames in this way avoids showing the creepy details of the character’s death, but instead keeps the viewer in love with romance and ambiguity.

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Instead of seeing Thelma and Louise’s nominal figures (via MGM) head straight to the Grand Canyon, their cars are hanging in the air. It seems to be overcoming gravity as these two characters hang above the canyon representing them in a male-dominated world.

In Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid (via 20th Century Fox), you can find another famous use of freeze frame s to replace bloody endings. When the two main characters are trapped and shot, they will face the fate.

As shown in the last picture of Gallipoli (1981), a freeze frame can provide an opportunity to stop and highlight violent atrocities. As the protagonist ran on the red ribbon at the finish line, blood on the protagonist’s chest echoed the footage from the movie.

One of the most famous freezeframe endings took place in Francois Truff’s French New Wave classic, The 400 Blows. Although the final freeze-frame picture does not imply that the main character Antoine Doinel will die violently, the image brings uncertainty, ambiguity and worry to Antoine’s life.

It is common to use the main character’s freeze frame as the background to convey the story message after the movie’s plot has taken place. Animal House (1978) uses the technique to end the comic, but the method can have a more serious tone, as finally proved to be fixed in Bloodsport (1988).

Final Words

To make a conclusion, this post has introduced the definition of freeze frame and the methods to use it. In addition, you can get the knowledge of the art of it. I hope that this post can be helpful to you.