Homework 4 BLK - Continuity Film Clip Analysis

I chose to analyse the continuity techniques of a clip from Hairspray.

Shot/ Reverse Shot

This technique is used particularly well well Tracy is standing with Wilbur and talking to Edna. We go from a MS of the two characters, to and OTS so we can see Edna. The depth of field is extremely effective and noticeable as Tracy and Wilbur are blurry and our vision is focused on Edna. The camera takes us to exactly where we would naturally look when following someone else's conversation and the CU shots help us to form the characters emotions.

Establishing/Master Shot

The very first shot is a LS tracking around the room so the audience gets a sense on the environment the characters are in and the spacial relationship between the two of them. We can establish they are in their home and we get a sense of their personality from the cluttered environment and warm colourings.

Match on Action

All the shots flow seamlessly together and there are no radical jumps from long shots to close ups. The slight camera movement keeps the realism and helps the audience feel like they're there. Everything has a logical order and framing and the clip's matches on action are perfect. One spot where it stood out was when Tracy turns round and says "I don't wanna be a laundress, I wanna be famous!". The camera switches from facing her front, to facing her back ready for her to turn around, and the timing has been executed flawlessly.

Homework 3 BLK - Continuity Clip

Positives

• Opening shot to establish the idea
• PAN in shot 2 was executed well
• Creative framing and TILT down in shot 5
• CU at end used to get an emotional reaction

Negatives

• JUMP CUT created between shots 1 and 2
• Lack of Match between shots 2 and 3, repetition of her running
• Actor should have run into frame in shot 4, hair already visible
• Too static at the beginning of shot 2, 30-degree rule broken
• Would be better if camera was facing actor after the corridor shots
• Long pauses at the beginning of shots, doesn't flow

Homework 2 BLK - Film-Making Conventions and Cultural Codes

I chose a scene from near the beginning of Disney Pixar's Up showing Carl's morning routine. It is a family movie so the themes have to be portrayed quite clearly.

Film-Making Conventions

• CU of alarm clock and side table – we can guess whose room this might be before seeing him
• LS room to establish the setting
• Extremely slow pace to reflect his age - 27 seconds on stairlift, long pause before getting out of bed
• PAN following him getting out of bed – we know we’ll be following him in the movie
• Organisation within the frame (lots of sharp angles, nothing out-of-place, in patterns) reflects his structured and repetitive daily routine
• HA, Carl's POV breakfast on table
• Frame within a frame – he’s trapped, nowhere to go in life, no purpose anymore
• CU – we can see his (lack of) emotion
• CUTS used – not in a fast paced way because action in the shots is slow
• In the shot when retrieving his hat he slowly creeps into the frame
• A ELS at the end shows the surroundings and puts his life into perspective to the rest of the world
• Orchestral music, used for comedic effect when door doesn't open 

Cultural Codes

• Dull, grey, pale colours - makes him seem old, meaningless and alone
• Glasses, walking stick, stair-lift, pills, cracking of back, hearing aid – signify old age and weakening
• blue&white striped pyjamas very stereotypical 'old man' pyjamas
• Early morning – 6 o'clock alarm
• Bran - bland and dull
• Cleaning & organisation ( bird ornament and table layout) – lack of things to do, killing time
• Amount of locks – unsafe, vunerable, keeps to himself
• All links to a stereotypical grumpy old man

Homework 1 BLK - Film Still and Evaluation

The genre that we selected was a thriller because we realised that we could create some very interesting shots with the limited settings we had. The film still we captured was of an actress buried deep amongst the leaves of a bush with the light hitting her in a haunting way, the image combines various effects which could give the audience hints as to what the genre is.

• Although the shot is a close-up, because we can only see certain features of the girl, we get the same intense feeling that an extreme close-up would provide us with. 
• We made sure the leaves surrounded the girl to form a frame within a frame and therefore a sense of being trapped, this highlights the great sense of enigma that the still creates for the audience. 
• A sense of enigma seems to be a frequent occurrence in thrillers due to the use of weird and unusual shots which aren't always clear. The actress is slightly out of focus, which could be seen as more haunting; it is blurring your vision as an on-looker and making you less aware of what is happening.
• Another convention of thrillers is a strong use of contrasting light and colours to make the shots more extreme. This shot fulfills this by using very bright leaves with darkness in the background. We ensured the beam of sunlight shone directly onto the side of the actress' facial features. 
• Along with the technical codes, the expression on the actress' face was important in representing the genre. She is looking up in an unnerving and unnatural way, reflecting themes of the genre.

I feel that our shot was successful because it really looks like a mysterious shot you might get in a thriller and the mise-en-scene was chosen effectively. It has a strong sense of enigma which helps portray the fact it is part of a flowing narrative and therefore a film still, which is also what we wanted to achieve.

In hindsight, I would have liked to try some other positionings of the actress so that different features were in the light. If we had more time, I think it might have been interesting to try a male actor doing the same shot as well, just to see how it differs.