Introduction Tasks
Baseline Assessment
Genres
Mise en scene
The Dominant in this scene is Les (Tom Cruise). It is created because he is the largest object in the frame, he is the only character in focus, and unlike Rick (Matthew McConaughey) Les is highlighted by another light. The lighting key in the shot is high and features few conspicuous shadows. This lighting suits the genre as it is often used in musicals and comedies. This shot is a medium shot; the characters are being shown from the chest up however a locale can be identified. This is an eye level shot and does not suggest a power relationship between the two characters. The dominant colour in this shot is grey, an emotionless, moody colour that can be associated with formal, conservative, and sophisticated which is typical in this shot as it is filmed in Les’ office. The main subsidiary contrast in this shot is Rick, who although is out of focus, clearly shows an interest in the call Les is making. The other subsidiary contrast is the phone Les is holding which is drawn to attention because it is the only other object in focus and Rick is paying a particular attention to it. There are not many objects behind the two characters however the viewers’ attention is drawn away from them because they are not in focus making the shot less dense. The frame is considered tight as the characters, especially Les, have little room to move within the frame.
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Tropic Thunder, 2008.
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Ghost town analysis
The dominant is this shot is Enid as she is one of the largest objects in focus and is well lit unlike Seymour. Enid also wears a bright blue top which draws more attention to her. The lighting in this shot is moderate however the scene is not brightly lit and the are little shadows. As this show comes from a comedy/drama genre, moderate lighting is relevant as it is not as bright as a light comedy or a dramatic as a tragedy or melodrama. As the characters are shown from the thigh up, this is a medium shot. The camera angle is ere-level which is not very dramatic bringing a dullness to the characters relationship. The colours of Seymour’s kitchen as well as his clothes symbolises a drab character. This contrasted with Enid’s bright blue top to suggests she could add some colour to his life. Seymour is the subsidiary contrast in this shot because unlike Enid, his clothes match the dull colours of the kitchen and he is not very well lit. However he is the only other object in focus and takes up a majority of the shot. This image is not very dense because the it focuses on three main objects with take up the majority of the shot; Enid, Seymour, and the box. Also, the framing is moderately loose as there is space surrounding the characters within the shot. The two characters are centred in the frame which signifies they are important object in this character based drama. The characters are shown in profile, which suggests they are engaged in communication, not whats around them. The distance between the characters in this shot is intimate, signifying they are good friends and are comfortable with each others presence.
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location Recces
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Dressing the scene
Intro to audio
Audio task |
The music tells me something bad is happening because it is dark and sinister. A sound effect in the clip sounds like a helicopter however I feel it was used as a non-diegetic sound to add suspense to the scene. There are also sounds of waves and screaming which paints the picture of dangerous waters. The music and sounds are very dramatic and coherent with each other which continues the suspense and pace of the clip which would seem quite thrilling to an audience. The sounds give off a sad and scared emotion and would seem to fit the genre of a horror movie.
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foley sounds |
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Sound task
I used scary/horror music to change the audience's perception of Violet, who in the film 'The Incredibles' is depicted as gloomy, uncertain and socially withdrawn girl, who prefers to hide behind her long raven hair. However in this piece it appears sh is a dark, evil character who condones violence and disrespects her family.
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Editing Skills
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This is an example of a beginners Premiere Pro project that features shortened footage, video effects, video transitions, and a change in speed/duration. |
Filming Skills
Film MontageTo create this montage inspired by Alfred Hitchcock, we used many short clips to create a fight scene that our audience would believe. Alfred Hitchcock said "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.", this can be applied to a montage because the audience is not viewing the fight but images in rapid succession creating the idea that one of the characters is being attacked. I think we used this technique successfully as each clip runs smoothly into the other giving an impressionistic fight.
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Modern day montageThe scenes from 'Ice Age' and '' are both good examples of modern day montages. In contrast with Hitchcocks' style of montage, which uses lots of clips to depict an action these depict time passing.
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Editing Elements
jUMP cutsIn this short film, I have used editing techniques such as jump cuts and cutaways. The jump cuts speed up the time it takes the actor to walk to the bottom of the hill yet it still tells the audience he walked all the way down there. The cutaway shot introduces a new character within the same time frame and shows the two interacting although they are not together.
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SEAMLESS editingFor this task, we had to create a piece that included the techniques: shot-reverse-shot, the 180 degree rule, and a continuity error. One character is shown looking at the other character, and then the other character is shown looking back at the first. The 180 degree rule means that the camera should not cross a line on one side of the characters. This is because the audience needs to believe that they're looking through the eyes of the character and helps create a sense of space for the viewer. If the rule is broken, the audience can become confused and their sense of the scene is lost. The continuity errors in this piece are at 0:09, where the character in the grey hoodie suddenly has his hood up and at 0:10 when this character is played by a completely different actor. It is important to avoid continuity errors and keep a consistent look to the shot-reverse-shot.
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Multiple points of view and parallel editing
The film '500 days of Summer' uses split screen to tell the audience how the male character thinks the day will go with the girl he likes he as well as showing what is really happening. The left side of the screen displays how the man expects the evening to go: hugs, chats, and smiles.But on the right side, we watch his evening unfold into a few torturous hours of shattered expectations. It shows how he feels about the girl, but also her impression of him in real life. This differs from the split screen used in ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ because in this film each clip takes place simultaneously during the same time frame whereas in ‘500 Days of Summer’ only one clip takes place in reality. The Thomas Crown Affair uses split screen to demonstrate characters interacting although they are not together without using cutting and all the characters stay in the picture.
The opening of 'American Sniper' uses parallel editing to express all the commotion going on while the sniper sits quietly during the same time frame. The film moves back and forth between a scene where a suicide bomber drives a car towards many troops and a scene where a sniper is aiming at a child carrying a bomb. Switching between these two scenes keeps the audience wondering what will happen to the troops and what will happen to the child creating a lot of tension.
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Parallel editing is also used in the film 'The Godfather' to contrast the character who is being baptised with the part he plays within the mafia. His violent tendencies are conflicted by his christian beliefs and this is shown by changing between the baptism and killings the character has taken part in. This shows the audience another side of this character the other characters in the scene do not know (dramatic irony).
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Green ScreenIn this task I learnt how to use a green screen and how to put it to use in post production. The screen has to be well lit with little harsh shadows, so that all of it disappears
when a keyer tool is used. |
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Narrative theory
A narrative is an account of a string of events occurring in space and time and is the order in which films are shown. They appear in all forms of media, most common in fictional movies and do not unfold randomly but are connected by the logic of cause and effect. They are made up from a selection of codes – technical, symbolic, verbal and structure.
- Technical codes: lighting sound props shot framing composition design layout and editing.
- Verbal codes: language, written and spoken,
- Symbolic codes: signs contained in the narrative that we decode as being significant to the story.
narrative structure |
A narrative is usually structured with a beginning exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and a resolution. The exposition is where the audience meets characters and establishes the setting, tone and norm of the film’s world. During the rising action a central conflict is introduced and tension between the protagonist and antagonist develops. The climax is the turning point which decides the protagonist’s future for better or worse. This is followed by the falling action, after the major action has happened, where a resolution to the conflict is sorted out. The narrative is then concluded with the resolution where the conflict is resolved.
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elements of narrative structureFilmmakers use non diegetic elements to communicate with the audience directly and engage the viewers on an emotional level – Pramaggiore and Wallis ‘Narrative form’
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