Film Analysis for Students: Visual Framing & Emotional Distance in Into the Spider-Verse (pt. 4)

When we last left off, we saw Miles and his dad, Jefferson, framed in a quiet moment of tension—caught between stasis and transit, tradition and change.

While we could sense these inverted changes in the frame, both Miles and Jefferson are held in the tension between stasis and transit (staying and moving), since they are both grappling with their own stubborn opinions of Visions Academy, Spiderman, and their current dimension/world, while also beginning the journey of their character arcs over the course of this movie.

Before we move forward, let's take a look at some "film form vocabulary" or "cinematic devices" (I sometimes use this term because it parallels nicely with "literary devices").

In the previous post, we talked about "stasis" versus "transit". But to review: we're thinking about "stasis" as being in a state of equilibrium or suspension, and "transit" as a state of motion and movement. We've thought about what it means to "change" or "grow" and whether you can still change and grow if you aren't acting or physically in motion.

I've been referring to some film vocabulary terms with regards to "framing," but now let's define some of these terms clearly, since we've been using them a lot in context:

• The "frame" refers to the edges of the shot itself. Like a picture frame, the frame of a shot are the borders at the edges. The best filmmakers are purposeful about what we can and cannot see, and why.
  • There's a "rule of three" in "shot composition," where you can divide the frame/shot into a 3x3 grid, kind of like a tic-tac-toe grid. The human eye is naturally drawn to the intersection points of this grid. So if you want "organic" and natural focus, you put the subjects (characters, important objects) at these intersecting points.

• With the "rule of three," you get three columns of the frame. Left, center, and right.
  • In Act 1, Miles and Jefferson are so far apart from each other, they are on opposite sides of the frame, almost at the edges. They aren't even close enough to be on the vertical left/right dividing lines of the "rule of three" grid.

• Also with the "rule of three", you get three rows of the frame. Top, bottom, and center frame.
  • SOMETIMES these rows might coincide with depth of field, but I'm going to guess that depends on lens type, which impacts focal length... and ultimately... "Depth of Field". Loosely, if you're using the 3x3 grid, you can think of the bottom row possibly indicating the foreground, the middle row the mid-ground, and the top row the background. But depending on the "depth of field" (refers to how much a camera lens is allowing to be in focus, or crisp/clear) and "distance" (how far away a subject is from the camera), we may have a limited field of vision where we can't see anything in the foreground or background. As is the case with Miles and Jefferson in the police cruiser above. This can be called a "shallow depth of field".

• "Distance," or "implied proximity" refers to the distance between a subject and the camera. When you refer to the distance, it may change depending on what you're defining as the "subject". In these "two shots" of Miles and Jefferson, the distance between Miles and the camera is not always the same as that of Jefferson and the camera. So when Miles is the subject, it might be an "extreme long" shot of him whereas it's a "medium close up" of Jefferson.

• I like to start from the "medium" shot, since it's "the most typical" shot used. You frame a subject at a medium distance when you want the audience to feel as if they are in conversation, or the same world with the subject. A "medium" shot is from the waist up.
• From there, if you go "up" or get closer to the subject, a "closeup shot" is from the chin up, or it frames the entire face of a subject.
• If you go "down" or get farther from a subject, a "long shot" is from the feet up.
• Anything in between those two, is "medium".
• Anything beyond those two is "extreme".
• And then I've played a "heads, shoulders, knees, and toes" game but with the distance terms instead, to help quickly memorize the terms ;)

Truthfully, the instagram algorithm gods are in my favor today, as it served me up this post about "depth" thanks to @shotdeck and it's an amazing illustration of the different ways filmmakers create and use depth, and the effects of different techniques used to manipulate depth and depth of field:

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Intro: Reading the Frame

When we last left off, we were inside a police cruiser with Miles Morales and his father, Jefferson. Through framing, camera angle, and implied distance, we saw a subtle inversion beginning to take shape—Miles preparing to step into the world of Visions Academy while Jefferson remained firmly in their shared world of rules and structure.

In this next moment, we've zoomed out, and so does our perspective. In this section, let's break down how a seemingly quiet wide shot at the school gates deepens everything we’ve already been tracking: emotional separation, shifting power dynamics, and the visual tension between stasis and transit.

Whether you're a teacher, student, or just a curious film fan, I’ll walk you through the shot and give you tools to do your own analysis along the way.

Visual Literacy Toolbox

We just moved through a lot of relevant film terms, but before we dive in, let’s be succinct with those terms:

• Stasis: a state of stillness, being stuck, or remaining in place.
• Transit: movement, transition, or passing through a space or idea.
• Foreground / Midground / Background: where the subject is placed in the depth of the shot and what that placement implies.
• Shot Type: Is it a close-up (intimate)? A medium shot (conversational)? A long shot (emotional distance)?
• Implied Proximity: How “close” we feel to a character based on how they’re framed, even if we’re not physically close.

🎥 Same Frame, New Distance

In this new shot, Miles and Jefferson are still visually divided—but now by something much larger than a car door. A long strip of empty street divides them, creating emotional and physical distance we can feel. This moment confirms and expands the inversion we sensed earlier.

Here, both characters are framed in the midground, and the camera is pulled back into an extreme long shot. For the first time, we’re no longer with them. We’re watching them from afar—like observers. Like students. Like outsiders.

🧭 The Shift in Proximity

Earlier in the sequence, Miles was filmed from a medium long shot, partially obscured by the frame of the cruiser. Jefferson, meanwhile, was filmed in a medium shot, which is often used to establish emotional connection or conversational closeness. This subtle distance told us: we’re in Jefferson’s world.

Now? They’re both far away from us. They’re occupying the same visual plane—yet remain emotionally and symbolically apart. We see the foreground (students, a crossing guard), the midground (Miles and Jefferson), and the background (New York buildings, moving traffic). That sense of expanded space matters.

Note the difference when the picture frame cuts off the edge of the frame:

With Miles and Jefferson at the very edge of the frame (with the picture framed shot up top), the shot looks more intimate, we focus in a bit more on Miles groaning in embarrassment and his father waiting for his son to tell him he loves him in front of the entire school.

In the bottom shot, the actual shot from the movie, the framing including such an expanse of space further emphasizes the distance between Miles and his dad, which is what this entire sequence has been about. Visually, they are now in two completely different worlds, Miles blends in in uniform on the Vision Academy steps, and his dad blends into his vehicle in the lanes of traffic.

A World of Stasis and Transit

Let’s apply our two guiding ideas—stasis and transit—to this shot.

• 🚦The police car and cones could be considered symbols of authority, control, and blocked motion.
• 🎒Students stand still on one side—waiting, watching.
• 🚗 Cars hint at motion, but many are paused, creating tension between moving and being stuck.
• ➡️ The open street? It’s a path forward. but it's blocked off.

Miles may be staying at Visions for the week, and although he will quickly be on the move to his Uncle Aaron's in the evening, emotionally he’s still in his state of tension, not fully embracing his journey at Visions Academy.

Discussion

• What parts of this shot reflect stasis? What reflects transit?
• Who is moving forward emotionally—and who isn’t?
• How does distance shape how we feel about these characters?

What do you think of the visuals? Did you catch everything described here? What did I miss? What do you want to learn more about? Tell me in the comments! And come back for the next post as we look at Miles and Jefferson in Act 2 to track their relationship development.

Final Thoughts

This shot may be quiet, but it’s loaded with subtext (and Jefferson isn't quite with his loudspeaker!). These visual choices (distance, division, space) aren’t just aesthetic—they're part of the shot composition, and they reinforce the distant and divided dynamic between Miles and his father physically and emotionally at the start of this film.

Breaking down a shot like this will help develop your visual literacy, and further build analytical confidence. It will also reveal how much thought goes into animated storytelling.