Evaluation of Prelim Task

Our final prelim video: The Transaction

1. I worked with Odelia, Jess and Robbie. We decided that Odelia and jess would alternate primarily on the camera and sound while Robbie and I were to act, with us both doing our close-ups of each other for the experience of using a camera.

2. We spent time planning our sequence by writing a storyboard which included camera positioning and frame types. We also wrote down a script and shooting list. This was planned so that we knew the amount of filming we would do with each camera position to avoid time wasting in the editing suite. We wanted to make sure that our continuity worked well, so our storyboard was assessed to make sure that the frames would run smoothly from one to the next.

Storyboard:

Script and Shooting Schedule 

Theories:

Barthes – Narrative Codes; Enigma – you aren’t sure what is happening at first, but the acting suggests a dodgy deal is going to be made, action,

Levi-Strauss – Binary opposites; buyer vs. seller, boy vs. girl,

Continuity – narrative flow – we made sure that the events flowed in an order that made sense. Our shots were edited so that they flowed successfully from one to another.

Match-on-action

180* rule

Shot-reverse-shot

3. We used a camera with a microphone attached to record high quality sound. There were headphones attached to the camera and microphone so the person wearing them could identify the sound that was actually being picked up by the microphone. There were 3 settings on the microphone: shotgun, ambience and wide which helped vary the sound picked up. We used a clapperboard to illustrate the shots about to be performed which was useful when editing. We also had a clipboard with our script, shooting list and storyboard on.

4. When planning, factors we had to take into account were:

·         The space we had available to shoot in

·         The time we would have to film and edit

·         The actors available

When shooting, factors we had to take into account were:

·         the background noise

·         the different room that we had to use instead of our planned room

·         a computer was in the frame so we had to move it

When editing, factors we had to take into account were:

·         the continuity techniques

5. Our sequence was more successful than we thought it would be. The continuity in some of our shots was perfect, but the other frame changes still worked well. People found the video funny, so our plot was successfully relayed to the audience.  

In hindsight, we would have made sure that there was no background noise before we chose our place. The noise was slight in our video, but still took attention away from the action. We also broke the 180* rule a few times, so if we had the chance to redo, that would have been corrected. Another problem that we found out post-filming was that there was a colour difference in the close ups to the rest of the video. We were able to change the colour slightly but the colouring was still off slightly. Another continuity error was my legs, and how they were positioned. The first time you see them, my right leg is over my left, and then the second time my left is over my right. Fortunately, this time the error was very minor, but given the chance that would have been rectified.

6. From this task I have learnt that the location of shooting needs to be planned in advance to suit the scene that you wish to create. I have also learnt how to use the editing software, an experience I had not had previously. Some of the equipment used was also new to me so it was useful to find out how to use them so I can implement that into the rest of the course. I also got a chance to understand the care that an actor has to take when mimicking their actions to make sure that no mistakes are made. This will all be significant in completing the rest of my foundation coursework because I now understand how the software works and wont have to waste time having it all explained to me when I am faced with a more stressful and time consuming task. I now also know to be aware of the positioning of actors and props when filming to avoid continuity errors.

Barthes Narrative Codes

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

1. Identify the key actions within the opening - what kinds of actions are included and how is the narrative moved forward?

·         middle aged/old man arrives at a house in the middle of nowhere

·         he is a medical examiner

·         a priest exits and a police officer lets the examiner into a bedroom, closing the door behind them

·         Examiner tells everyone that a girl – ‘Emily Rose’ – may not have died of natural causes.

·         The priest thinks he sees something outside.

·         The priest is then arrested.

2.  Identify the enigma codes within the opening - what kinds of questions are posed and how is the audience meant to read these codes?

1.       The house is in the middle of nowhere

2.       The man is a medical examiner

3.       A priest and police officer are present

4.       A girl has died – maybe of unnatural causes

5.       The priest thinks he sees something outside

1.       Connotes – loneliness, isolation, danger, lack of resources,

2.       Connotes – an accident has happened e.g. a death, something serious

3.       Connotes – illegal actions; murder? Support was needed, reference to the church – how are they involved?

4.       Connotes – murder, supernatural activity,

5.       Connotes – supernatural forces, murderer still there? Something is being hidden

3.  Identify key characters and think about what they represent in the opening

·         Medical examiner – represents something wrong with situation – illegal behaviour – murderer

·         Woman – anonymous character – lack of information – representative of public?

·         Priest – represents church – with officer – corruption within church?

·         Officer – representative of law as a whole, law will be involved in plot

4. Interpret the cultural codes in the opening.  What kind of knowledge is being drawn on? ; Social/historical/political/art and culture etc.  Highlight the 3 most important references in the opening that help with audience understanding.

People widely understand that isolation increases risks, so the setting is based on this conception to portray the theme. The snow adds to the ambiguity, and snow is associated with the cold and potential accidents.

The characters all act very quiet, unsure and upset, which shows that something has gone terribly wrong. This portrayal of emotion is therefore the knowledge that the audience will draw upon to decide upon the mood and genre of the film.

The use of the priest will show a link to Christianity – this will be understood as to being a portrayal of normality – Christianity being common for many people in suburban America’s lives.

6. Identify key themes and analyse how they are presented visually/technically.

Key themes:

The supernatural – the moment the priest thinks he sees something outside but then it disappears, the medical examiner’s indication towards an unnatural death

Horror – the setting: bleak, isolated, winter; the death of a character; the lack of communication and noise; the soundtrack of screaming and foreboding music with the credits

Hidden truths – unsure of what the priest sees outside the window, not allowed to see into the bedroom

Continuity Research

The movie I have chosen is Scream.  The genre is quickly defined as a black comedy – the title presentation tells us that it’s horror with the name itself as well as the sound clips played as it appears on screen: screaming, a phone ringing, the sound of a knife scraping etc. Also the first scene is a classic teen horror setting, but there is humour when the protagonist starts having a normal conversation with the killer and acting how she conventionally wouldn’t. When the conversation between the girl and guy turns weird, we then realise that the genre definitely incorporates horror, which is cemented when the boyfriend of the protagonist is seen strapped to a chair and beaten, outside.

The scene is built up through different camera shots that reinforce the setting and show how desolate the protagonist is and how powerful the antagonist is; for example the pan over the outside of the house.

There are lots of uses of close ups and mid shots. These help portray the genre, but the collaboration of the camera distances and following of the character around her house also show continuity as we see the viewpoint of the protagonist and sometimes antagonist. The protagonist’s viewpoint uses lots of close ups as I mentioned earlier, and this contrasts with the antagonists viewpoint and the shots associated with them. They involve pans and long distance shots, so together these contrasting shots show the varying level of both the antagonist and protagonist’s understanding of the situation. This adds to the continuity as we are able to suspend our belief as it is expected that the antagonist has a wider knowledge of a murder situation.

Continuity is shown with the cross cutting of the girl and her popcorn on the stove. As she gets nearer to her impending doom the popcorn also reaches a climatic state, expanding in its packet and threatening to burst.  The close ups of the popcorn add to the tension and the use of Barthes’ symbolic code simplifies the story by showing the tension rising and the inevitability of the protagonist’s death.

DYM HW feedback

Good work, Eva. You are using your technical examples well to support your points, which shows good understanding of film language. Don't forget to consider lighting and the sound track aswell as camera shots/movment. Well done.

Strauss' Theory of Binary Opposition

Harold and Maude

What is the genre of the film? How are the genre-signifiers introduced?

The genre is a comedy, black in some areas, and the signifiers are introduced after a rather long introduction where we see the bottom half of a young man preparing for something. When the music starts, we see glimpses of his face, which shows that the tune is linked to him and his actions. Therefore when the preparation eventually leads to the man putting a noose around his neck and hanging himself in front of a woman on the telephone, the mood is still kept light by the cheerful music, which clashes with the dark theme being portrayed. The first proper dialogue between characters also hints at a dark comedy, as the woman has no particular reaction to the situation other than to say as she is leaving: “Dinner at 8 Harold, and do try to be a little more vivacious”. This line cements the comic themes within the film. The binary opposition shown most obviously would be the comedy with the death and the reaction to the situation’s presumed reaction. The music also contrasts with the furnishings in that it is very light and happy while the furnishings are very bleak and devoid of much colour.

Who are the main characters and how are they opposed?

The main two characters that we are introduced to are the boy that initially tries to hang himself and the woman that was on the telephone. By the end of the opening sequence, we are aware that they are mother and son. The two characters are very different; firstly by the initial physical attributes, but also their reactions and actions in social situations. The boy seems fascinated with death, and the woman enjoys the company of others and of life. She makes jokes and is very chatty while he remains reclusive and silent. They obviously have a tense relationship, as is show at 6.45 mins the first lines of each character also show their differences; the woman’s jokey: “Dinner at 8 Harold, and do try to be a little more vivacious”, while the boys much more morbid: “I go to funerals.”

What are the main themes of the film and how are they introduced?

The main themes of the film are comedy, as is shown by the dialogue and reactions to suicide and death, and death itself; a contrast to the comedy, but portrayed with comic value. the multiple suicide setups that the boy creates become absurd, and we learn to not take them seriously through the repetitious nature of them.

How is the narrative organised to show conflict?

The narrative is organised to show conflict largely by the use of binary opposition. The boy and woman are complete opposites which shows a fractured, tense relationship; the boy is fascinated by death which will socially conflict with most other people; the boy’s suicide re-enactments are obviously a cry for help or change, so to achieve help or change, a greater conflict will have to occur to change the equilibrium that is socially and mentally abnormal.

Todorov's Theory of Equilibrium

Austin powers: Gold member

Who are the agents: the protagonist (the main hero who propels the narrative forward) and antagonist (opposing agent)?

Protagonist: Austin powers

Antagonist: anonymous assassin and Doctor Evil

 Describe the Equilibrium. How is it represented? What kind of camera shots can you identify? (e.g establishing shots to create a sense of space or use of CUs/cutaways to emphasise particular objects/characters faces). Pick out 2 or 3 examples. Describe the mise-en-scene: what meanings to the props/costumes/lighting/framing carry?

The equilibrium is shown through a movie within the movie documenting the protagonist’s life. The scene after the ‘movie’ then shows us an insight into more of the protagonist’s life, he is surrounded by girls and everyone is happy. There is then a dance/ song scene which shows the common mindset of the protagonist, and the colours show the spoofy-ness of the film. We then cut to a different place, where the colour scheme is dark and drab and we then establish the equilibrium for the antagonist. There are many camera shots, mid shots and long shots are common, and the camera uses a number of different techniques to follow the protagonist around, such as the two tracks and crab, and a close up of a puddle is used that the protagonist jumps into.

Is the Disruption or Disequilibrium introduced or hinted at? (e.g the serial killer in "Seven" is introduced in the title sequence).
4. Are there any visual/verbal/aural clues that hint at what the hero's journey might be? (e.g having to solve the murders within a time-limit of seven days in "Seven")

The disruption is hinted at by the dialogue in the scene with the antagonist as well as the music that he is introduced into. The antagonist’s new ‘evil idea’ is the disequilibrium into the protagonist’s life, but not the antagonist himself as he has always been a constant in the protagonist’s life. The hints of the hero’s journey are the antagonist’s aural description of his ‘evil plan’.

From your knowledge of the film, how will the equilibrium be restored and what will be the new equilibrium?

The equilibrium will be the reconciliation of the protagonist and antagonist as they discover that they are brothers separated at birth. The new equilibrium will be the protagonist and antagonist being friends, while the antagonist's son, who was good throughout the story, turning evil and vowing revenge. 

Continuity Basic Theory

 General Film Making Techniques:

1.       Camera – for variety and continuity

i)        close up range

ii)       mid range

iii)     long range

iv)     over the shoulder shot

2.       Camera Movement – to create the effect of physical movement

3.       Editing – to allow selection and rejection of material

i)        able to achieve required length

ii)       allow removal of mistakes

iii)     alter events and/or their portrayal

iv)     establish style

Continuity Editing –Suture: when the audience is ‘sewn’ into the narrative

Continuity Techniques:

1.       180* rule

2.       30* rule – moving the camera between set up to avoid jumps

3.       Use of shot order – distances edited together for a smooth narrative

4.       Cuts and dissolves for rhythm and pace and/or time and space

5.       Eye line matching

6.       Matched cut

7.       Match on action

8.       Shot-reverse shot

9.       Cross cutting – often quick, e.g. chase scenes

10.   Parallel  ^ (same as)

11.   Significant difference in time and space

12.   Edit in a parallel manner – action happens simultaneously

Transitions: used to knit clips together e.g. cuts, fades, dissolves and wipes

Non-linear editing:  user able to edit in any order and re-edit any number of times