Boy character

The main action in this scene is emma's character putting their arm around Becky.
This is emphasised in the first half of the footage with the use of anticipation. The anticipation is created through emma's glances and

Note emma's body position, she begins further on her seat as her courage builds and she follows through with the action her position shifts physically closer to Becky.

 On the build up to the action, Emma makes 5 clear glances to her surroundings, this indicates her awareness of her surroundings and possibly her insecurity in the action she is about to perform which the lack of eye contact and initial hesitancy also suggests.

The completion of the action is signified by Emma's smile as her arm rests round Becky, we can also read this as relief, as the tension from Emma's body is released in this position (note the free hand drop as a sign of relaxation).

Katie's Action Analysis

My action analysis is of the typical scenario of a girl and boy at the cinema, where the boy puts the classic 'moves' on the girl and he is not so gracefully shot down. I chose this scenario as I found the subtle differences in facial expression and choice of eye directions would make an interesting analysis of action.

Here is the video footage. Whilst viewing it we notice the hesitancy in emma's character, with her glances around and small shifts in position. Becky's character is clearly unaware demonstrated by her focus of attention straight ahead.

Frame Timing:

Becky to walk up ladder = 369

(from base of ladder)

Becky to reach box = 24

Becky to pass box =320

Katie to recieve box = 56

Katie to re-adjust grip = 47

Katie to turn around =63

on heels

Katie to walk off = 60

By comparing the frame timings we can see that becky tends to move a lot slower than Katie does, as it takes her a few hundred frames to climb the ladder, and also to pass the box. Her general movement is fairly smooth, and exaggerated (as she stretches greatly when reaching for the box and climbing the ladder) but it is very slow.

Katie tends to move with stiffer but quicker movement, it only takes her 60 frames to walk off, although watching the motion slowly we can see that there is very little movement occurring in the joints; she shuffles rather than walks.

On this contact sheet I have drawn in annotations to support my notes above

Looking at timing:

• It takes 38 frames for Emma to walk into frame with 18 frames for the body weight to follow through.
• Pauses and slight actions are sometimes more important than larger actions as the awkward pause between the two characters takes 111 frames and Katie's sarcastic wave takes 48 frames.
• Down movements are quicker than up as Emma puts the box down in 27 frames but stands up in 59 frames.
• Katie turns - 35 frames
• Katie's lifts box - 44 frames
• Katie up ladder - 297 frames
• Box on shelf - 75 frames
• Pause - 77 frames
• Down ladder - 94 frames
• Jump (including follow through action) 38 frames

I found this little sequence interesting even though it is only a very small amount of movement:

 

As Katie's arms move her back curves and arches slightly.

Also this captured movement was not meant to be part of the scene but the motion of Emma sat on the floor and twisting round is a good one to note:

 

Her arm arcs down first as her head starts to look around which twists the spine and the top half of the body. The hair then follows through in a secondary movement before the legs swing around correcting the spine. The weight balance shifts from being sat onto her hand. I found this interesting as it is a good example of a simple movement not having everything happening at one time as a continuous movement but something more complex when analysed.

In terms of the jump one foot is released, then both hands push off before the remaining foot pushes full weight of body up and off. The body and feet twist slightly in the air but once she is on the ground the feet are obviously still but the body continues to twist.
On landing the knees brace and the body is at a slight diagonal; after impact the body rights itself and the knees straighten whilst the arms have a follow through movement. The left arm jerks upwards more because it has had a greater distance to move on the body twist. The top part of the arms move first before the bottom and the elbow catches up.

Katie's first attempt to take a step onto the ladder is unsuccessful. As her leg lifts upwards the body rotates backwards with the movement due to the awkward height of the box, her foot has to be placed on the floor again to right the body and box before the foot can be lifted safely.

Her body angle is awkward as she climbs up the ladder, her spine is twisted to allow room for the box and to allow her legs to walk normally up the ladder. As each step is taken  the box is shifted in a circular motion with the rotation of the shoulder to help shift it up the ladder.
When at the top of the ladder it is all about balance and weight shift, initially she can only place the box on the shelf with one hand but as the box gets pushed further back she can lean forwards to a more comfortable position where her body weight is balanced over both feet and she can use both hands.