HW3b - Existing continuity sequence analysis (BLK)

Watch the scene through this link

The continuity sequence I have chosen is from the film '22 Jump street' and consists of the two protagonists trying to convince a criminal gang to sell them drugs. The scene consists of 45 shots, although a large majority of the last 35 shots are the same 6 shots of characters talking from different angles.

The sequence begins with a close up of a car door opening and the foot of Jonah Hill (JH)'s character stepping out of the car. This quickly cuts to a mid-shot of the same character's full body, at the same stage of getting out of the car as the foot suggested. Because of the wide aspect ratio this also functions as a master shot, as it shows us the location of the scene through the use of a camera arc around JH and the proximity between him and Channing Tatum (CT)'s character. The next shot is a medium close-up two shot showing us both of the characters together. CT moves into the shot from the same point in his walk cycle from the previous shot. The two characters then walk together into the warehouse in a long shot. This shot also contains a small pan downwards and left to follow the characters.

The scene then shifts to the large warehouse. The first shot in here is a master shot, showing the two protagonists and two of the antagonists, as well as the truck that much of the dialogue is based around. The protagonists have moved forward a large distance, as shown by the distant entrance in shot. This has been done to move the audience straight to the dialogue between the heroes and villains. The next shot is one of several that is regularly cut to during the following conversation in between shot-reverse shots. It is a medium-long two shot of JH and CT facing slightly right of the camera. In the initial use of this shot the walking action of the two is matched from the previous shot.

The long dialogue sequence mainly uses 6 shots - A close up of JH when he's speaking, a close up of CT when he speaks, a close up of one of the drug-dealers as he speaks, the two shot of JH and CT mentioned earlier, the master shot of the conversation and a mid-long low slight low angle group shot of the antagonists to show their reactions to the dialogue. During the sequence all eyelines meet and action is matched, maintaining continuity. 

HW3a - Continuity task evaluation (BLK)

The video above is a continuity task I helped to create, The task brief was to show an accident using 6 shots that are all cut in the camera (E.g only one shoot of each scene was allowed.) The story of the video consists of a character wearing headphones (Played by me) walking down a hallway and pausing behind a door due to his headphones unplugging. The girl walking down the corridor behind him is too busy looking at papers to notice that he's behind the door and she pushes it into him, causing him to fall and hit the wall before collapsing to the floor. The girl then helps him up.

We attempted to create continuity by using similar shot kinds - mainly Medium long shots and Long shots - and by attempting to start each shot with the characters in the same place and position as they were at the end of the previous shot. We also made sure to keep props, locations and lighting the same in order to make the video seem like a real event.

However, the continuity could have been vastly improved for many shots. Due to similar framing of each shot many of the cuts are jump cuts, which was not my intention. It detracts from the video because it makes the cuts extremely obvious, ruining immersion. Also, actors didn't always start a new shot in the same position as they ended the previous shot, meaning that when the video is played in full the characters jump position and repeat actions such as pushing opening the door in an unnatural way.

In hindsight I would definitely make a storyboard for this scene, as this would have improved the flow of shots and made sure that actors were in the same positions between shots. Additionally I would vary shots more, using different shot types and positioning the camera in more varied angles and locations. Also, I would add in a shot focusing on the headphones unplugging from the phone to make it more obvious that this had happened, considering it is a major factor in causing the accident. Other narrative changes I would make include the boy not falling to the floor after hitting the wall, as this is unrealistic.

HW2c - Sound in film openings (DYM)

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/brazil/

Brazil is a 1985 dystopian sci-fi black comedy written and directed by Terry Gilliam. 

Dialogue

Dialogue can be heard during the opening sequence from a television in a shop window, both before and after the explosion. It is diagetic and is used to set the bleak comedic tone of the film - "Bad sportsmanship" - as well as to give the audience some context. For example, it explicitly tells the audience that terrorist attacks are increasingly common in this world, hinting at general unrest amongst the public. Before the explosion the TV presenter is walking around a house filled with pipes and ducts, showing the audience what suburban life is like in the city and showing that the story is set in an industrialised grey future world.

Sound effects

There are several minor sound effects in the first half of the sequence, such as the beam of light that appears in the sky being accompanied by a low whistle and the TV screen crackling as it tunes in. This is an effective way to fade in the audio and gives the impression of a future world where little technological progress has been made. The main sound effect in the sequence is the explosion, which also contains sounds of glass breaking and objects hitting the floor. This is much louder than the audio before it, giving it prominence and potentially making the audience 'jump' due to it's unexpected nature. After the explosion we see a TV on it's side and the dialogue from the screen is complemented with static TV crackles and small electrical fizzes from unconnected wires leaking sparks. These sounds are all quiet in order to focus in on the dialogue and the fire itself seems to have no sound, so the crackles are likely only there to match what's on screen.

Music track

The sequence opens in the clouds with a non-diagetic, jaunty, old-fashioned song that features the word 'Brazil' prominently, obviously a reference to the film. This combines with the diagetic, laid-back TV show theme and calming background music shown in the show itself to both lull the viewer into a false sense of security before the explosion and to show the juxtaposition of the society shown by the happy-go-lucky vibe of the music being mixed with terrorist bombings. During the explosion we hear a frantic, scurrying piece of non-diagetic soundtrack that helps make the explosion even more of a disturbing contrast to the calm music before it. When the explosion calms and we see the neon sign marked 'Brazil' as a title card for the film, we hear a shrill musical sting that fits with the uncomfortable and unnatural way the title is shot. This again hints at the juxtaposition of the society, as a bright colourful neon sign is made to seem scary through the sting. After the sting a small amount of background music can be heard in order to transition the title card back into the film world smoothly.

HW 2a - Existing opening sequence analysis (DYM)

This opening sequence is from comedy Scott Pilgrim vs the world. The story takes place in a fantastical version of Toronto which has been modified so that life plays like a video game or comic book, with exaggerated visual effects such as the sound waves coming off the drums in the titles. The time-scale of the story is over several weeks.

The only parts of the title sequence that contribute to the story are the start and end, with the start establishing the band 'Sex Bob-omb' that the protagonist, Scott, is part of. It also introduces his girlfriend Knives, who watches as the band plays from a settee. The end of the sequence shows that Knives is awe-struck by the band. This is somewhat important to the early plot as Knives's character causes the other band members to attack Scott for his choice of girlfriend. The band itself also appears many times throughout the film.

The events in this sequence link because they show the beginning and end of Sex Bob-omb's performance. The sequence in-between of colourful slides with cast and crew titles is unrelated plot-wise but maintains the restless, bouncy tone shown before.

The sequence makes it clear that Scott Pilgrim is the main character due to the title of the film showing up. Other than that the sequence focuses on Knives reaction to the performance, labelling her as an important character and one who is evidently in awe of Scott and his friends. The drummer Kim is introduced as fierce and excitable with the way she shouts out the name of the band unnecessarily loudly. The other member of the band is given little exposition or personality other than him being the lead singer and guitarist of the band, at least for now.

There is no real hint at where the story will go in this opening because it is more about introducing the characters. However, we can assume that the band will be an integral part of the story due to how focused the opening is on them.

'Scott Pilgrim vs the world' is a comedy where most characters are young with fairly one-dimensional characteristics with the exception of Scott himself. Therefore the opening sequence doesn't have to give much backstory because there doesn't seem to be very much! The opening instead focuses on what it needs to - the characters and their relationships.

HW 1b - Reflections on my film still (BLK)

1. This film still signifies horror, due to the potentially scary image shown. The darkness and the way that the owner of the hand is obscured makes the scene seem disturbing because the audience does not know the motivation of the owner of the hand but will assume the worst. This is due to the character in the corner looking away from the hand, and into a wall as if to avoid confrontation with the hand.

2. I directed this shot to be frightening by turning out the lights in the corridor to make it look dark. I made sure that the hand was coming from the darkness to signify that it's dangerous and made it come into frame from above to show that it has power over the character below it. I shot the still in a medium-close up of the cornered character because I wanted her to be the main emotional focus of the still

3. I intend the audience to be worried for the character in the corner by understanding that she is in danger from the hand coming down from the darkness. I also want the audience to feel helpless to stop the hand because the character in danger is looking away from the audience, hopefully disconnecting the audience from the scene.

4. I think the main success of the shot is that it does the job of telling the audience about the relationship between the two characters very efficiently. It is obvious that the hand has the power in the situation and that the cornered person is helpless. I also think that the darkness helps make the atmosphere more claustrophobic and disturbing because it implies that there are no outdoor escapes through lack of light.

5. In hindsight I would make change the hand to make it more powerful seeming by bringing it slightly forward and making it come down at a more natural angle. I would also make the cornered character's expression more obvious as this would cause the audience to emphasize with her even more.

HW 1a - Existing film still analysis (DYM)

Zoolander, 2001

The above still is of course from cult-comedy 'Zoolander'. But what can we tell from this?

Narrative

You can tell instantly that this character, with his flamboyant, designer outfit and matching suitcase doesn't fit with the gritty, harsh location surrounding him, This implies that he's on a journey which has taken him far out of his comfort zone and away from his regular lifestyle. The location itself suggests a small country town, while the big yellow tractor in the background shows that the man must be entering a place with low technology, possibly with a large physical labour industry. The fact that, despite this location, the man still wears his expensive clothing suggests that he didn't expect to turn up in this situation or alternatively, that he is incredibly naive and doesn't understand what clothing is appropriate in a small labour town.

Genre

The huge amount of contrast and the ridiculous outfit itself make it clear that this film is a comedy. A large cliche of this style of 'absurd character study' comedy is putting a mentally struggling or heavily flawed character into a situation beyond their understanding, which is also shown by the still (Other films in this genre include 'Borat' by Sacha Baron Cohen and 'Sleeper' by Woody Allen). The still is also quite colourful, from the bright lighting to the man's outfit. This makes the still look funny rather than particularly mysterious or scary.

Audience

In this still the audience is very much encouraged to laugh at the character. This is caused by the lack of self-awareness shown by the character and the lack of eye contact he has with the audience, making the audience feel disconnected from him, making it easier to laugh at him. The strange location plus the character walking down a road also makes the viewer anticipate where he's going that's so different from his usual location, keeping them invested in the plot.