In a fitness center filled with all types of body shapes including endomorphs, a timid, milquetoast character nervously steps onto a weightlifting platform. The camera is at a low angle, framing the character with hulking, muscle-bound figures in the background. The lighting is harsh and spotlight-like, illuminating the character while casting the background into varying degrees of shadow, highlighting the contrast between him and his environment.
There’s a kid with sternocostal pains, anxiously glancing over at the heavy weights. The shot narrows to a tight focus on the character’s worried face, then pans to the intimidating weights, and back to his face again, creating a sense of tension and anticipation.
The tonal balance is stark: bright, almost artificial light bathing the character, making him look even paler against the dark, sweaty backs of the bigger figures behind him. The camera then pulls back to a wide shot, emphasizing the character’s small size in the vast space around him. The submerged colors of the scene add to the impending gloom, the character’s neon orange workout shirt almost glowing in the dim light. The scene is set for his fight against his fears.