...colorful reflections of light fall on his face. David’s head shakes. His face is reddish with a tense expression. This shot has a warm tone. By contrast, the following shot has a cooler tone. It is a view of the bedroom with the dock station in it. This wide shot shows the mise-en-scene. The room design is classic European style. Then there are two more shots of different angles of the same scene. The next shot repeats the extreme close-up of David, which appears earlier. The David’s breath gets heavier. Then, it is cut to the shot that is shown at the very beginning of the Room sequence, but this time David himself stands beside the bathroom in red spacesuit. The red color is in a sharp contrast with the room color. Following that, the film is cut to medium shot of David, and then cut to close-up of David’s wrinkled face. Next is a wide shot that shows David crosses the room along a diagonal line. In the following shot, David walks in the bathroom, which does not show the continuity of the spacing. In other words, the editing does not follow the continuity of the character’s movement. Then, the camera pans from left to right in the bathroom. The camera angle is high, as if David looks down, to show the bathtub, floor, etc. After a close-up of David, there is an aperture-framing shot, in which, David looks at himself through a mirror in the bathroom. Then, David turns away from the mirror. Coming up is a tracking shot of the bedroom from the bathroom followed by a medium tracking...
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...How far do the narratives of love actually and notting hill communicate similar values and messages 40 marks 50 mins exam Love actually is a film directed by Richard Curtis and is a Working Title film, released in 2003 and is presented as a romantic comedy. The film is set in London and follows a period of five weeks and outlines the story of eight, intertwined people and aims predominantly to explore the complexities and importance of the most important emotion of all: love. Some of the characters touched upon in this film are David (Hugh Grant), the classically attractive newly elected Prime Minister, who controversially finds himself falling for his newly appointed young maid Natalie (Marine McCutcheon). Mark (Andrew Lincoln), a dedicated photographer who falls in love with his best friends newly wedded wife Juliet (Keira Knightly), who takes no interest in him and Harry (Alan Rickman), a married man tempted by his attractive new secretary. Similarly NottingHill is also a Working Title film presented as a romantic comedy, released four years earlier in 1999 however. This film is also set in London, with much of the same cast being used, however this film is centred around the story of two characters love in particular, not focusing on every other story line within. The pair of lovers focused on in this film are William (Hugh Grant) and Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), who find it increasingly difficult to form and maintain a relationship due to such a difference in their lifestyles;...
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...In Sherlock Jr., Keaton’s use of mise-en-scene is portrayed through a variety of actions. Keaton’s use of mise-en-scene helped to develop the film’s dramatic and comedic scenes. The way Keaton navigates between these scenes made the film coherent and pleasing to watch. The projectionist’s effective use of mise-en-scene was demonstrated when his boss told him to clean up the theater while reading a book called “How to Be a Detective.” The trash and broom were placed in a specific way, which was in between the projectionist and his boss. When the boss first walked in he identified that trash was on the ground while he was studying to be a detective. This scene effectively supports the opening proverb of the film—“Don’t try to do two things at once and expect to do justice to both.” Keaton also used the mise-en-scene to create a more comedic atmosphere. After peeling the banana the Sheik gave to him, he places it on the ground so that the Sheik steps on it. However, the Sheik stops right in front of it and makes his way back to the girl. The projectionist, unfortunately, slips on his own banana peel trying to get the Sheik to slip on it. Keaton demonstrated a comedic way of using mise-en-scene through direct interaction. The arrangements of objects were interactive in the scene where the Sheik and the butler set up booby traps to kill Sherlock Jr. Sherlock Jr. dusted the trick chair off, which was actually a booby trap. He also avoided drinking a poisoned glass because he handed...
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...The film rabbit proof fence is considered a landmark film and sits under this title by ensuring the film has used certain scenes to contribute towards the development of Australian identity and society. By analysing the film rabbit proof fence, it encourages me to believe that this particular scene has used a variety of film techniques such as using different camera shots and foregrounding ideologies throughout, that will contribute towards and further reinforce the attitudes, values and beliefs of Australian identity and society. Throughout the film rabbit proof fence the lead protagonist is considered to be molly, a young aboriginal girl who is taken away from her family along with her two sisters and put into a campus for aboriginal children at Moree river, but further throughout the film she manages to escape with her sisters and find her way back to her family who are hundreds of kilometres away, but somehow the one of the workers of the campus manages to find them in the end with the help of an expert aboriginal tracker and several more men out searching for molly and her two sisters. Throughout this film molly is proved a hero and is characterized as a brave girl who is determined to take extreme...
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...In this essay, I will be looking at how sound, cinematography and mise en scene construct meaning and provoke response in the 5minute opening sequence of the film “Prisoners”. Prisoners is directed by Denis Villeneuve, and came out in 2013. The first minute of the film, is set in a woodland forest surrounded by snow and tree trunks. It shows a wide shot of the forest with a dear in the far background. Non-diagetic sound appears when the dear starts to come closer towards the camera. The non-diagetic sound is of a man repeating a prayer. This builds suspension and makes the audience question why he is narrating a prayer. The camera then walks back, and soon focuses on a rifle gun, which is pointing towards the dear, as the non-diagetic sound of the prayer is still being said. This suggests to the audience that the dear is either going to get shot for pleasure, or for food. As soon as the non-diagetic sound of the prayer ends with an “Amen”, the camera comes behind the 2 men, which shows an over shoulder shot, and the gun then gets fired. Diagetic sound of the gunshot is loud and clear. The over shoulder shot, allows us to know who is firing at the dear, and shows us from behind there point of view. Diagetic sound of the dear dying, suggests its been killed in a miserable way. As soon as the rifle has been fired, non-diagetic music appears with a slow beat thud noise. This shows that it’s the ending of the scene. As the slow beat music is playing, the man with a rough looking...
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...Billy Elliot Analysis template |Description of scene: Opening scene: Mood, direction of plot and characterisation is established. | |Scene numbers: One, two, three | |Link to Into the World focus: Billy’s natural world is established | |Action |Film techniques used |Meaning conveyed | |Billy puts record onto record player. He |Extreme close up. There is no sound. |There is a sense of anticipation. The | |begins playing the song. |Costume: Billy is dressed simply, |audience is waiting for something to happen| |( to 1 min; 14 secs) |predominately in a bright yellow singlet. |and wondering what it will be. | | |The singlet symbolises both childhood | | | |(children wear singlets) and his working | | | |class background (‘working class’ men | | | |stereotypically wear singlets). It is also | ...
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...The opening titles of the film are in black and orange, and they are stereotypically spooky colors. Along with these, there is a pumpkin which has suggestions of being spooky and evil as well as being a key symbol of Halloween which is linked too the film this pumpkin then slowly zooms in to fill the shot. Tense, creepy music plays in the background during the titles, this is a typical convention of Horror films. During the rest of the opening, no other sounds are used, besides footsteps and screams. This builds up uncertainty, and the silence of the scene makes the audience feel the suspension. The establishing shot is a long shot of a house in the dark. Low lighting is used to create lots of shadows. It plays with the viewers mind, and they look around, supposing something to be hiding there and it is built up for something bad to happen. A point of view shot is then used as the camera goes around the side of the house. We have not yet seen this person, but we are seeing from their perspective and they are creeping around in the shadows, it creates an anxious feeling and we feel as though we are intruding. The shot then shows two people through the window of the house, and they are unaware that they are being watched. This is used to create suspense. The point of view shot then changes so that we are seeing the shot through the eyes of the killers mask. And because of this, we can’t really see what is happening, which makes the audience nervous and gives an uncanny feeling...
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...Nisa Chamblin Nar Avant Garde 2/23/2011 Movie Term Reflection Through chapters four, five, and six in our class book Film Art: An Introduction we learn the fundamentals of film; mise-en-scene, editing, and cinematography. Both mise-en-scene, editing, and cinematography deal with what is happening inside of the film frame, this includes the setting, costume, lighting, framing, photographic aspects, characters, editing, and cuts of the shot. Together these specific fundamental elements partake in the films that we watch providing dimension, mood, and style. The Big Combo is the epitome of film noir. Film noir’s visual style conceives a mood in a film with instability, double identities, and somewhat shifting values by using it’s techniques of darkness in shadows and night time scenes. In The Big Combo the main characters seem to have double identities “shadowed” upon them throughout the movie through silhouettes, shadows, and reflections, and not only do they have these double identities through mise-en-scene but also in the narrative. In the opening hospital sequence in The Big Combo, just as detective Diamond comes up the stairs and through the door we have a horizontal angle very slightly looking up (a low angle) into the hallway. As detective Diamond steps into the door past the officer the camera angle stays the same, both Mr. Diamond and the standing officer are in medium long shot. With the medium long shot we are able to make out the two nurses and reception desk...
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...How does the director of Great Expectations use filmic techniques to create an atmosphere of tension in the scene where Pip’s benefactor is revealed? This essay will be analysing the scene where Pip’s benefactor is revealed in David Lean's version of 'Great Expectations' focusing on how tension is brought to the screen. Great Expectations is a novel written by Charles Dickens in 1861 but set in 1812. The film version I will be analysing was produced in 1945. Firstly an interesting aspect of this scene is that only diegetic music is used. I think the director chose to do this because not using any non diegetic music makes the scene seem a lot more realistic as the sound used are real such as the wind outside and the chiming clock. This makes the tension more genuine as there is no unrealistic mood music creating it. It strengthens identity with Pip as he can hear everything the audience can and also creates a contrast to other scenes. The wind throughout this scene almost serves as mood music as it gets louder and quieter to create tension, it is also used later on in the scene when Magwich lets his guard down and then an increase of the wind makes him tense once more. Only using diegetic music also draws attention to smaller sounds for example, when Pip drops the glass later on in the scene. The sharp sound is incredibly obvious compared to all other sounds used in the scene. Secondly the technique of pathetic fallacy is employed through the use of the pouring rain...
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...Brick opening The film Brick was released in 2005 and was directed by Rian Johnson. The opening of film Brick uses a variety of film techniques which makes the scene very captivating. In this essay I will be focusing on two major aspects of the film that I feel is the most effective which are the range of camera angles and a broad range of sound effects used in the scenes. These features are very important as they convey deep meanings in the film therefore provoking certain responses from the audience. The Non-diagetic sound of the eerie music played at the beginning of the already sets a dark mood to the film as a result of the high pitched ‘bells’ that are played repetitively in a minor key. This sets an uneasy tone in the film as it is quite an unusual way to open a scene although the scene has not started yet as shown in figure 1. Figure 1 The bells sound like they are being furiously being played and therefore makes the atmosphere of the movie more uneasy as the audience are unable to relax to this kind of music. Additionally, the guitar plays repetitive chords which is played in the minor key along with the bells. The way the music has been put together makes the audience to feel on edge and will anticipate an unusual event that may take place in the future. The use of a range of shots helps to continue that sense of uneasiness of the audience. This is firstly done by an extreme close up of the face of the character. Parallel sound occurs in the first shot...
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...Textual analysis- ‘Mean Creek’ In the 2004 American independent drama film ‘Mean Creek’, director Jacob Aaron Estes uses a variety of mediums to build tension and suspense throughout the film. As a drama film with elements of a thriller, ‘Mean Creek’ uses lots of point of view camera angles and uses the use of silence at times of suspense. The film builds tension right from the start when George is first portrayed as a ‘bully’ when he beats up Sam in the opening scene. From the beginning the audience know that something disastrous is going to happen, whether it is to Sam or George. One way that Estes creates a sense of tension is through the use of camera angles. The film uses many close up shots of characters to show emotion, which also helps the audience feel sympathy towards them. When George becomes part of the main action in the film (about half way through) his handheld camera is used to show some point of view camera angles. The POV angles help the audience to feel closer to the action; also we get to see what it is like as George falls into the river, again making the audience feel sympathy and a sense of fear. There was a very high angle shot of the group of teenagers standing around George’s body, showing how alone and vulnerable they were. It was similar to when Sam was lying on the ground with other children standing over him, and even though this time, he was the one standing over someone else’s body, it still seemed as if he was completely powerless in the situation...
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...Film Glossary Bird's eye view. A shot in which the camera photographs a scene from directly overhead. Close-up, Close shot. A detailed view of a person or object, usually without much context provided. Continuity. The kind of logic implied in the association of ideas between edited shots. "Cutting to continuity" emphasizes smooth transitions between shots, in which space and time are unobtrusively condensed. "Classical cutting" emphasizes dramatic or emotional logic between shots rather than one based strictly on considerations of time and space. In "thematic montage" the continuity is based entirely on ideas, irrespective of literal time and space. In some instances, "continuity" refers to the space-time continuum of reality before it is photographed. Crane shot. A shot taken from a special device called a crane, which resembles a huge mechanical arm. The crane carries the camera and cameraman, and can move in virtually any direction. Cross cutting. The alternating of shots from two sequences, often in different locales, to suggest the sequences are taking place simultaneously. Deep focus. A technique of photography which permits all distance planes to remain clearly in focus, from close-up range to infinity. Dissolve, lap dissolve. These terms refer to the slow fading out of one shot and the gradual fading in of its successor, with a superimposition of images, usually at the midpoint. Dolly shot, tracking shot, trucking shot. A shot taken from a moving vehicle. Originally...
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...Film Essay Essay Question: In visual texts, characters are developed through aspects such as set, props, positioning and movement of actors, costume/makeup, framing, lighting, camera techniques and sound. Analyze how a character is developed in a visual text you have studied. In the film The Prestige directed by Christopher Nolan, the combined use of film techniques such as costume and mis-en-scene, camera movement, extensive use of close up, and editing show the character development of Robert Angier. The main theme is magic and illusion but there is a sub theme which involves obsession, deceit and jealousy arising from the professional magician rivalry between Angier and Borden. The destructive power of obsession and secrecy fuels the battle as both magicians contribute their fair share to a deadly duel of one-upmanship, with disastrous results. This leads either Borden or his twin being hanged and a duplicated copy of Angier shot at the end of the film. The bullet catch scene, Angier’s “The new transported man” trick and the meeting of Lord Caldlow and Jess at Borden’s cell are three key moments in the film that show the way the character of Angier develops. The director uses costume and mis-en-scene to create the complex character of Angier. At the bullet catch scene, Borden is performing the bullet catch when Angier comes in disguise. The director uses close up focusing on the gun which Angier is holding in his hands. The gun dominates. The camera tilts up to show...
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...Film Techniques Non Diegetic sound: Actual sound from within the film such as voice from characters/music from instruments within the film space. Diegetic Sound: sounds/music that is input to the film via editing. (mood music/narrators commentary/ voiceovers) Medium Shot: a shot generally extending from the hip of the character upwards Long Shot: a shot from a further distance usually to establish the setting High Angle: A shot that is created from a view above Low Angle: A shot from below Birds eye view/shot: A shot that is from above pointing straight down Tracking Shot: Shot that follows the character/object’s movement Mise En Scene: The set/props/atmosphere of the film Freeze Frame: When the shot frames and pauses for a few seconds on character/object Close up: A intimate/close up view of object/character Extreme Close up: Same as close up, but tends to focus on fragments of features (ie eyes/nose mouth/inanimate object) Dolly Zoom: Tracking shot that zooms forward to focus on character/object in question. Cross-cutting: cuts from one scene to another/often used when characters are speaking to each other / often used in flashbacks too Panning shot: the camera pans across in a widespread motion (--( Point of View shot: Follows main characters point of view/viewpoint Literary Techniques: Symbolism: Recurring object or image that reflects another idea ie: She smiled as the dove flew past and knew the war was over. Symbol: Dove as a sign of peace Motif:...
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...style over the other, but rarely can be applied to an entire movie. Both realism and formalism use reality as a foundation, but differ in how the reality is emphasized or shaped. The style of realism typically captures events as they happen, similar to how a person would view the events in real life. The portrayal should be depicted with a minimum of distortion. Realism attempts to preserve the idea that the world of film is unaltered, as if viewing the world through a window. A documentary film is an example of extreme realism. The style of formalism shows scenes as they can be imagined. They’re deliberately stylized and / or distorted using methods such as slow motion or adding colors into scenes. For example, in Shcindler’s List, a scene is shot in black and white except for a little girls red jacket. The viewer is forced to watch this little girl because we assume that she is important since she is the only color in a washed out scene. Formalism depicts scenes in a way that a person can not see with the eye in real life. Avant garde films are an example of extreme formalism. In the movie The Matrix, color, shots, and angles are used to illustrate the idea of formalism. Throughout the movie, color is used to add depth and help establish the mood in the scene. In all of the scenes inside the matrix a lens filter is used to cast the scene in a green tint reminiscent of the green numbers of the matrix code. In all of the scenes in the real world there is an...
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