Monday, September 28, 2009
DYM Homework Feedback
Well done, Winnie. This is a confident first piece, demonstrating very good technical and themetic analyses.
Monday, September 21, 2009
BLK Homework Feedback
An excellent evaluation Winnie, in all respects. Well written using a high standard of terminology, including technical terms. Very thorough and reflective.
Don't forget to post your still to complete the task.
A great start!
Don't forget to post your still to complete the task.
A great start!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
A comparison of two opening sequences: LEGALLY BLONDE AND SE7EN
NARRATIVE EXPECTATIONS
LEGALLY BLONDE
> The film starts observing the back of a blonde woman brushing her hair in slow motion. All other aspects of her which are shown (cosmetics etc) are also in slow motion, forcing us to also slow down and take it in.
> The camera also follows (in slow motion) a girl riding her bicycle, in which she carries a letter addressed to "Elle". As the letter is passed around, the camera shot slows down, suggesting to us that "Elle" was the blonde woman at the start of the film and that she is the main character.
> The music is lively and bubbly with lyrics and the pace is fast and punchy, suggesting a fun, easy going romantic comedy
> The titles are pink, sparkly and in a girly font, suggesting the film and main character are also very girly
> All aspects of American sorority and life are shown to us (campus, lively/ bubbly young women) and we also assume that the film will feature heavily on these bubbly and lively young women.
> Lots of designer's names are shown e.g. Prada, Tiffany's, connoting that this will be a girly film.
> We expect a typical high school/ college type film (e.g. Mean Girls).
> End of the opening sequence sees Elle metion her boyfriend. He will play a pivotal role in the film.
SE7EN
> Film starts off observing one man going about his daily routine. There is no music and the shots are all rather plain and dark, suggesting a more serious type of film
> Camera still follows man, telling us that he will play the pivotal role in the film
> Sometimes, Freeman (the main character) is in focus, whilst things in the background are out of focus. This tells us that Freeman is a sturdy, reliable character who is very much in control of his surroudings.
> Freeman and Pitt at are odds with each other- this suggests to the audience that they will be at odds with each other throughout the entirety of the film
> The titles begin after the clip of Freeman conducting his everyday life. The titles and music are slightly twisted and menacing, observing an unseen person cutting out clips and arranging things. This suggests that the film is also slightly twisted because of the unseen person.
> The titles coming after the clip of Freeman conducting his everyday life suggest to us that his life was normal and boring before the unseen person went into his life.
Comparison:
> Legally Blonde starting off with upbeat, bright and sparkly things suggests to us that the rest of the film will also be upbeat and fun, ultimately leading to a happy ending. Se7en starts off dark and with the titles starting after Freeman conducts his everyday business suggests that this will be a complex film (obviously a thriller) that may not neccessarily have a happy ending.
SHOT TYPES
LEGALLY BLONDE
> ECU of girl brushing her hair: we want to focus on her, this suggests this girl is the main character
> Moving shot following girl on bicycle- she holds some importance if we are following her
> ELS of campus and house: sense of place and so that we are aware of our surroundings
> MS of girls around campus: so that we can see their expressions
> Moving HA following letter going up the stairs to Elle. Suggests that she is the most important one in the film
SE7EN
> LS/ MS of Freeman: so that we can easily observe his everyday life. It is not over the shoulder etc so that we get the sense of place as an observer
> ECU of Freeman putting on the tie: we get a connection with him
> HA/ pan of dead body: as if we are viewing the scene from Freeman's point of view
> LA/ moving shot following Freeman and Pitt: they dominate as we have to look up to them. They are important/ powerful people
> LS of Freeman in an empty bedroom: suggests he is lonely
> Steady zoom into Freeman: slow/ relaxed as he prepares for sleep
> ECU (slightly out of focus) of pages being turned: we are not meant to see the whole story
> Things out of focus: mysterious/ strange (thriller)
Comparison
> The shot types in Legally Blonde are there to show us where we belong and what type of film it will turn out to be. The shot types in Se7en are similar to the ones in Legally Blonde, both in type and technique e.g. HA following letter going up the stairs to suggest Elle is the main character and a LA to show us that Freeman and Pitt play important, domineering roles in the film.
CHARACTER TYPES
LEGALLY BLONDE
> Colour scheme of pink/ sparkles suggests that this is a girly film with a girly main character
> Shots of brand and designers suggest that Elle is possibly superficial and shallow
> Her room displays her "perfect" lifestyle, with designer brands and things such as president of her sorority and "Homecoming Queen" sash
SE7EN
> Morgan Freeman is single (always portrayed in empty rooms). He is a detective (?) who seems to be strong willed and smart. He is a no-nonsense type of guy, living and dressing in a rather plain fashion.
> Brad Pitt is at odds with Freeman, but also seems smart.
Comparison:
> Both Reese Witherspoon and Morgan Freeman seem to play rather one- dimensional characters (Witherspoon portrayed as a shallow girly girl and Freeman as a single man who leads a rather boring life). However, we assume that Witherspoon's character will later be uncovered as rather deep and meaningful as a twist to the light hearted rom-com whilst we assume Freeman will turn out to be a more complex character, with him nearly always cast in shadow, suggesting he has things to hide.
LEGALLY BLONDE
> The film starts observing the back of a blonde woman brushing her hair in slow motion. All other aspects of her which are shown (cosmetics etc) are also in slow motion, forcing us to also slow down and take it in.
> The camera also follows (in slow motion) a girl riding her bicycle, in which she carries a letter addressed to "Elle". As the letter is passed around, the camera shot slows down, suggesting to us that "Elle" was the blonde woman at the start of the film and that she is the main character.
> The music is lively and bubbly with lyrics and the pace is fast and punchy, suggesting a fun, easy going romantic comedy
> The titles are pink, sparkly and in a girly font, suggesting the film and main character are also very girly
> All aspects of American sorority and life are shown to us (campus, lively/ bubbly young women) and we also assume that the film will feature heavily on these bubbly and lively young women.
> Lots of designer's names are shown e.g. Prada, Tiffany's, connoting that this will be a girly film.
> We expect a typical high school/ college type film (e.g. Mean Girls).
> End of the opening sequence sees Elle metion her boyfriend. He will play a pivotal role in the film.
SE7EN
> Film starts off observing one man going about his daily routine. There is no music and the shots are all rather plain and dark, suggesting a more serious type of film
> Camera still follows man, telling us that he will play the pivotal role in the film
> Sometimes, Freeman (the main character) is in focus, whilst things in the background are out of focus. This tells us that Freeman is a sturdy, reliable character who is very much in control of his surroudings.
> Freeman and Pitt at are odds with each other- this suggests to the audience that they will be at odds with each other throughout the entirety of the film
> The titles begin after the clip of Freeman conducting his everyday life. The titles and music are slightly twisted and menacing, observing an unseen person cutting out clips and arranging things. This suggests that the film is also slightly twisted because of the unseen person.
> The titles coming after the clip of Freeman conducting his everyday life suggest to us that his life was normal and boring before the unseen person went into his life.
Comparison:
> Legally Blonde starting off with upbeat, bright and sparkly things suggests to us that the rest of the film will also be upbeat and fun, ultimately leading to a happy ending. Se7en starts off dark and with the titles starting after Freeman conducts his everyday business suggests that this will be a complex film (obviously a thriller) that may not neccessarily have a happy ending.
SHOT TYPES
LEGALLY BLONDE
> ECU of girl brushing her hair: we want to focus on her, this suggests this girl is the main character
> Moving shot following girl on bicycle- she holds some importance if we are following her
> ELS of campus and house: sense of place and so that we are aware of our surroundings
> MS of girls around campus: so that we can see their expressions
> Moving HA following letter going up the stairs to Elle. Suggests that she is the most important one in the film
SE7EN
> LS/ MS of Freeman: so that we can easily observe his everyday life. It is not over the shoulder etc so that we get the sense of place as an observer
> ECU of Freeman putting on the tie: we get a connection with him
> HA/ pan of dead body: as if we are viewing the scene from Freeman's point of view
> LA/ moving shot following Freeman and Pitt: they dominate as we have to look up to them. They are important/ powerful people
> LS of Freeman in an empty bedroom: suggests he is lonely
> Steady zoom into Freeman: slow/ relaxed as he prepares for sleep
> ECU (slightly out of focus) of pages being turned: we are not meant to see the whole story
> Things out of focus: mysterious/ strange (thriller)
Comparison
> The shot types in Legally Blonde are there to show us where we belong and what type of film it will turn out to be. The shot types in Se7en are similar to the ones in Legally Blonde, both in type and technique e.g. HA following letter going up the stairs to suggest Elle is the main character and a LA to show us that Freeman and Pitt play important, domineering roles in the film.
CHARACTER TYPES
LEGALLY BLONDE
> Colour scheme of pink/ sparkles suggests that this is a girly film with a girly main character
> Shots of brand and designers suggest that Elle is possibly superficial and shallow
> Her room displays her "perfect" lifestyle, with designer brands and things such as president of her sorority and "Homecoming Queen" sash
SE7EN
> Morgan Freeman is single (always portrayed in empty rooms). He is a detective (?) who seems to be strong willed and smart. He is a no-nonsense type of guy, living and dressing in a rather plain fashion.
> Brad Pitt is at odds with Freeman, but also seems smart.
Comparison:
> Both Reese Witherspoon and Morgan Freeman seem to play rather one- dimensional characters (Witherspoon portrayed as a shallow girly girl and Freeman as a single man who leads a rather boring life). However, we assume that Witherspoon's character will later be uncovered as rather deep and meaningful as a twist to the light hearted rom-com whilst we assume Freeman will turn out to be a more complex character, with him nearly always cast in shadow, suggesting he has things to hide.
BLK Horror Still Homework Group 3
1) Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be seen as representing "horror"
> Dark room with door in the background half open, letting in a shaft of light
> Female body lying on the floor, as if sleeping, or most probably injured or dead. She is obviously the victim. This is typical of a horror movie to have a woman/ girl as a victim
> Legs (not obviously male or female) standing over lifeless body in a dominating stance. Their hidden gender adds mystery.
> Light casting a sharp shadow of the legs across the floor. Heavy light and dark contrasts show us that this is a still from a horror movie about the fight between good and evil
> Body on floor is cast in light, as if innocent. Legs are in shadow, connoting evil/ horror
> Mid shot on the floor. Shot is cut off at the top of the legs, connoting a hidden agenda/ personality as we cannot see the person's face, adding mystery to the shot
> Girl is lying in front of the door, suggesting the other person had killed/ injured her there as she tried to escape
> Person's legs frame the shot and the girl. This connotes that they are dominating the scene and are clearly in control
2) What did you actually do to achieve the shot?
> The camera-man had lie on the floor to take the shot, so as to capture the legs, the body and the floor
> My group had to find a dark space to achieve the sharp contrasts between light and dark
> We used a padlight as the light source behind the door, to help create shadows
3) What is successful about your shot?
> The body on the floor is slightly out of focus, whilst the legs are very in focus. This connotes that the body on the floor is very much dead whilst the person standing over them is very much alive. In this sense the lighting is good
> There is a large shadow cast by the legs. This gives the shot an eerie, suspenseful feeling
> The darkened room with half open door and the beam of light create a spooky atmosphere
> The obvious contrasts between light and shadow help add to the mystery and spookiness usually associated with the horror genre
4) What would you do differently in hindsight?
> I would move the table behind the leg out of the shot, as this makes it look cluttered and messy
> I would zoom in, cutting out the wall on the left and excluding the socket on the wall on the right
> I would find make the light source behind the door less obvious and concentrated, possibly making it softer and more subtle to add to the eerie atmosphere
> I would get rid of the rubbish lying on the floor next to the body's hand
> Dark room with door in the background half open, letting in a shaft of light
> Female body lying on the floor, as if sleeping, or most probably injured or dead. She is obviously the victim. This is typical of a horror movie to have a woman/ girl as a victim
> Legs (not obviously male or female) standing over lifeless body in a dominating stance. Their hidden gender adds mystery.
> Light casting a sharp shadow of the legs across the floor. Heavy light and dark contrasts show us that this is a still from a horror movie about the fight between good and evil
> Body on floor is cast in light, as if innocent. Legs are in shadow, connoting evil/ horror
> Mid shot on the floor. Shot is cut off at the top of the legs, connoting a hidden agenda/ personality as we cannot see the person's face, adding mystery to the shot
> Girl is lying in front of the door, suggesting the other person had killed/ injured her there as she tried to escape
> Person's legs frame the shot and the girl. This connotes that they are dominating the scene and are clearly in control
2) What did you actually do to achieve the shot?
> The camera-man had lie on the floor to take the shot, so as to capture the legs, the body and the floor
> My group had to find a dark space to achieve the sharp contrasts between light and dark
> We used a padlight as the light source behind the door, to help create shadows
3) What is successful about your shot?
> The body on the floor is slightly out of focus, whilst the legs are very in focus. This connotes that the body on the floor is very much dead whilst the person standing over them is very much alive. In this sense the lighting is good
> There is a large shadow cast by the legs. This gives the shot an eerie, suspenseful feeling
> The darkened room with half open door and the beam of light create a spooky atmosphere
> The obvious contrasts between light and shadow help add to the mystery and spookiness usually associated with the horror genre
4) What would you do differently in hindsight?
> I would move the table behind the leg out of the shot, as this makes it look cluttered and messy
> I would zoom in, cutting out the wall on the left and excluding the socket on the wall on the right
> I would find make the light source behind the door less obvious and concentrated, possibly making it softer and more subtle to add to the eerie atmosphere
> I would get rid of the rubbish lying on the floor next to the body's hand
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