Continuing with my new series of resource links – from video essays, to cinematographer interviews, how-to tips and the like – today I want to share with you a video montage that was compiled by a Canadian film enthusiast who goes by the pseudonym Roman Holiday.

In this piece, we’re taken exclusively into Alfred Hitchcock’s use of the close-up in his classic film, Psycho. I love it! Close-up action gives us more details, and can take us into the mind of a character, perhaps more than any other shot! In real life we only let people that we really trust get THAT close to our face (mothers, children and lovers, usually), and we will also only get that close to an object if we’re intent on finding out more information about it.

A well orchestrated close up shot can easily become quite a powerful visual effect in itself. Of course – Hitchcock was the consummate master of visual story-telling: so I hope you enjoy this montage of his work as much as I did.