Unlevel Ground
Finn, armed with a light saber, is fighting a stormtrooper who calls him a traitor. During the fight, Abrams cuts to a wide shot and we see the ground becomes unlevel in the frame. This imagery reveals that Finn is in a situation that he may not come out alive from.
Narrow Path
Kylo Ren comes after Rey for the first time, and we see her walking backwards through a narrow passage of rocks. The imagery reveals that she is in a tight position, being backed into a place she is not ready to act from, and her enemy Kylo Ren is far too powerful for her.
The Force
Poe fires a shot at Kylo Ren in the opening of the film, but Kylo stops it mid-air before it kills him. This imagery of Ren's stopping the shot reveals the power not only of the First Order leader, but also represents the power of the First Order itself being much stronger than the Republic.
Twisting
Kylo Ren is manipulating Poe's mind with torture trying to get the map of Luke Skywalker's location. Abrams uses a camera shot that twists as it pushes closer to Ren's mask. The imagery and camera move reveal the internal nature of what is happening in this which, which is Kylo Ren torturing or twisting Poe from the inside out.
