‘HIM’ | Anatomy of a Scene

“Hi, My name is Justin Tipping and I’m the director of “HIM.” “I’m going to need a little volunteer.” Mr. White. I got you. “My man!” This is the moment in the film where Isaiah White, played by Marlon Wayans, is going to teach Cameron Cade, played by Tyriq Withers a lesson in how to be a great quarterback. In this lesson, I did a lot of research about quarterback drills that hone in on specific skills. For example, in a pro game, you want to be able to get the ball out of your hands under two seconds. So that’s why we have two seconds on the clock and to work on that speed that’s required of decision making. That’s why he’s turned away from the actual receivers. He has his eyes closed. So that you’re forced into a panic-like situation, and you have to throw the ball as quickly as possible. So what I really wanted to communicate in this scene specifically, was that there’s going to be a big tonal shift from something’s off to something’s very wrong, and it’s the first time we’re going to introduce violence and a dynamic between the two characters that becomes much more like a narcissistic, abusive relationship than a mentor-mentee “Too slow.” But seed it and bury that under the guise of hazing and just being a rookie. And what I landed on was this idea of using this JUGS machine to be that conduit of punishment. I also didn’t want him to have time to process anything. That’s why I kind of try to get music and a rhythm going in the edit. And even the sound design is rhythmic. That vibration and metallic clanking, it escalates and grows and grows over this entire sequence. And then we have these really tight, extreme close-ups of Cameron Cade’s eyes. And that was just a creative choice I made to rely on the language of horror, where there’s a classic peekaboo.