#13: The Money Shot/Reels

This example from the beginning of David Fincher's Panic Room is my kind of "money shot." It's a long, complex take that adds up to a very detailed and effective sequence.

By having the camera creep around the house, peering out through the windows at the men attempting to break in, the director gives the scene a creepy and sinister feel. There's also an element of voyeurism that comes with this sort of camera work, leaving the audience to feel as if they're getting a secret peek into something private or the inner workings of a character or their space. 

Another thing I really love about this sequence is the nearly transparent use of CGI throughout. Many of the walls and beams were added in post, digitally, to tie all the different takes together and to embellish the set on screen in a way that couldn't be done practically due to the realities of having to move a camera through the space. This is the way I feel CGI can best be utilized in film; as a way to augment the reality on camera and to create a more fluid and nuanced visual world, rather than as a means unto itself to create characters and worlds.