Initial Research
Limitless
(2011)
Notes
Camerawork:
- · Lots of mid-shots, especially of the lead characters.
- · There is a brilliant rising shot of the building, to reach the main character.
- · Up until the 'infinite zoom' part, the camera shots are reasonably slow.
Editing:
- · Editing has a slow frequency. The pace isn't that high.
- · Straight cuts are used for the majority of the piece.
- · There is a fade in.
- · Very clever 'infinite zoom' editing effect, from jumping off a building to racing through the streets of what looks like New York.
Mise-en-Scene:
- · Everything featured in the film looks very 'modernised'.
- · The main character is dressed well: he is in a suit, and is well-lit.
- · There are many dead bodies lying around on the floor of what appears to be a hotel.
Sound:
- · Opens with a VO, and diegetic sound of someone trying to kick down a door.
- · The VO is somebody speaking as if the event has already happened, and they are looking back on it.
- · Volume rises.
Summary: Limitless
opens without a single piece of diegetic dialogue. I believe the VO adds a
sense of pastime to the scene, like what is on-screen has already happened. The
opening scene uses extremely clever editing techniques, and a combination of
simple but effective camerawork techniques.
Safe House
(2012)
Notes
Camerawork:
- · Close-ups of male and female talking, also a close-up of the key in the door.
- · Extreme long shot of city, establishing shot.
- · Intentionally shaky camerawork during filming of character boxing.
Editing:
- · Fade in.
- · Reasonably 'average' pace: doesn't show any action, just establishes the pieces of the film.
- · Straight cuts throughout.
Mise-en-Scene:
- · Almost everybody featured is dressed casually.
- · Lighting is very natural throughout. Looks good.
- · Lots of scenery, due to establishing shots.
Sound:
- · Diegetic sound of motorbike.
- · Diegetic sound of punchbag being hit.
- · Diegetic sound of shower.
- · Relatively calm music, gets louder throughout.
Summary: The
opening of this film gives the viewer an insight to the main character's life,
and his emotions that he depicts. That said, towards the end of the scene, you
see the main character on the phone to someone in a suit, worried about the
fact that he is ringing from his mobile phone. Who is the guy?
Shutter
Island (2012)
Notes
Camerawork:
- · Camera movement is often stationary, but sometimes moves along with the matches in shot.
- · Focus on the lit match, and the pile of matches on the floor.
- · The vast majority of shots are big close-ups, with the occasional medium shot.
Editing:
- · CGI fire towards the end of the clip.
- · Constant 'strobe' editing effect throughout title sequence - makes it unclear about what is happening: adds a sense of mystery, and creates suspense.
- · Fade out.
Mise-en-Scene:
- · Drops of ink are consistently added to the water, possibly suggesting blood?
- · Lots of liquid used, mostly water.
- · There is a strong focus on flames and matches.
- · We see a face at a certain point.
Sound:
- · Bang of bass-heavy drum again and again.
- · Horns used throughout.
- · Intentional off-key piano hits.
- · Music sounds 'minor', sadistic.
- · Non-diegetic sound effect of switch being flicked; something being turned on and off. Increases and decreases in pace throughout the scene to reflect pace.
Summary: I believe the opening to this film works well as it
has a strong aspect of mystery and suspense. It is not too revealing, yet creates
thoughts for the viewer as to what may happen later. The use of strobe adds to
the effect of mystery, and also draws attention to the piece: it's hard to see
what is going on, so the viewer is inclined to pay more attention.
Source Code (2011)
Notes
Camerawork:
- · A few shots of the train which the two characters are on. These are purely establishing shots.
- · Largely consists of mid-shots, generally of the main character.
- · There are a lot of OTS shots, and there is use of the 180-Degree Rule.
Editing:
- · The opening sequence consists mainly of straight cuts.
- · There is a high cut frequency in the opening scene, a reflection of the emotions displayed by the protagonist.
- · We are thrown straight into the action.
Mise-en-Scene:
- · The protagonist is clothed to look smart, and is well-lit in order to draw attention.
- · The protagonist's expressions are often muddled and confused, which translates well to the viewer.
- · There are lots of random pedestrians on the train, all casually clothed.
Sound:
- · Diegetic sound of ticketman punching tickets.
- · Diegetic sound of train passing.
- · There is rising music in the background.
Summary: The opening sequence allows the viewer to step into
the dazed and confused mind of the protagonist via a combination of methods,
including high cutting frequencies and first-person like camerawork. The music
also contributes to the general mystery of what is going on.
Limitless (2011):
Safe House (2012):
Shutter Island (2012):
Source Code (2011):
Niall, you have completed 4, but there isn't enough detail here for a secure pass grade. You need to add to these as a matter of urgency, and expect to apply much more effort for this type of work at AS. You may find it useful to look at a level 4 blog from last year which is linked from my blog (scroll down to the bottom of my blog roll). Currently, this post would not achieve higher than level 1, and we would expect much better work from you.
ReplyDeleteYou also need to add illustrations - this is an essential part of your use of the blog format, which is assessed. Use screengrabs, and where possible, you need to embed video.
ReplyDelete