Love Actually- Opening Scene analysis.
The popular romantic comedy, 'Love Actually' has a very potent opening scene. It encaptures many of the conventions of a rom com, and is one of the more memorable starts to a rom com in recent times.
The film itself is Directed by Richard Curtis, a man who has been at the forefront of many successful films such as 'War Horse' and 'Bridget Jones' diary' also. The film stars 3 renowned actors, with Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson and Colin Firth all featuring.
Cinematography
The use of cinematography is one of the key features in the opening sequence of 'Love Actually'. There are many different shots that are used to create different perspectives throughout the scene, which lasts just over a minute. It is as if all of the shots are like point of view shots, as if you were in an airport like heathrow, where the scene is set, and you saw all these amazing examples of love happening around you. Another interesting feature is that during the scene, although there are quite a few different shots, they all involve 2 or more people, creating the connection that the director would want the audience to feel. You also have the frequent use of close ups and extreme close ups of people's faces, that are used to show the emotions of love, and happiness that are clear all over their faces.
Mise en-scene
Mise en-scene is always a very important part of the opening to a film, as it is used to set the scene, and give the audience a sense of the type of film they are about to watch. Here, the main uses of mise en-scene are with the setting, which is the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport, and the different types of people that are featured. The setting is obviously the sort of place you would often see love first hand, as people arrive back from trips abroad and embrace their loved ones for maybe the first time in months. It is however, quite a neutral setting. The sort of place you might find yourself quite often, especially if you travel a lot, which creates the idea that love is everywhere, or as the narrator puts it 'all around'. The different types of people is also very important, as we see old people, kids, and all sort of different ethnicities during the sequence. This is done very deliberately, as it makes you feel as if there are no boundaries for love. Richard Curtis would want to show that love is evident at every age, and with every race.
Sound
The way sound is used really adds to the opening sequence of love actually. There are two main uses of it, both involve non-digetic sound. The first is the ambient sound in the background. This mood music is parallel to the romantic comedy genre of film, and helps to create the atmosphere that the director would want. The second use of sound is with the similarly non-diegetic narration. This has maybe even more of an effect than the ambient sound, as the words used are very deep and powerful, and help once more to add to the mood. One very memorbale line is 'When the planes hit the twin towers, as far as i know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge- they were all messages of love'. The use of an emotional, and also quite controversial event like this would have a strong effect on the audience. Both of these uses of sound are very important in the opening scene.
Editing
Despite being the least prevalent of all 4 features, editing is still used to create impact during the opening sequence. Its main use is with the slow motion editing that is used to extend the moment when people see each other for the first time in a long time. They want the shots to seem real, in the sense that when you see a loved on after a long time apart, time does almost seem to slow down, or even briefly stand still momentarily.
Friday 18 October 2013
Thursday 17 October 2013
Analysis of The Woman in Black- Opening scene
Analysis of opening scene- The woman in black.
The woman in black is a very popular and successful horror film from 2012, starring Daniel Radcliffe. The use of certain techniques in the horror genre is very obvious in the opening scene, especially with the use of mise en-scene and sound amongst others.
Cinematogrpahy
Close ups are perhaps the most frequently used shot during the opening scene to the film. Not only does the director get close ups of the expressions held by the three small girls in the room, but also of their dolls, and other objects. There are also many circumstances in which medium shots of all 3 girls take place, showing their joined importance. The zooming in on the window shows that it will have huge importance during the scene, as will become clear at the end.
Mise en-scene
The most clear use of mise en-scene in The Woman in Black is the way that dolls, and children are used. It is a common theme in horror films, and helps to create a feeling of innocence which is ironic compared to the genre. This idea is backed up by the way the girls are dressed, wearing almost angelic costumes, that seem anything but scary at first.
The surroundings may also be seen as a classic horror convention, as it is set in an old looking house, that may be 'haunted'.
Sound
There are quite a few examples where sound is used in the horror context, and it id often ironic. The main way it is used is with the background sound, which is obviously contrapuntal as it clearly does not fit with the horror genre. The music is calm, childlike and not threatening, so is ironic considering the genre. At the end of the sequence a woman is heard screaming, it is parallel sound that is added into the scene, so is non-diegetic, and is used to create tension and fear.
Editing
Although editing is used at a minimum during the sequence, there are a couple of examples where it has quite a lot of relevance. These are when the girl opens the window, as a match on action is used, and the shot reverse shot of the girls and then the shot over the shoulder of the 'woman in black' right at the end o the scene. Both have strong effects in creating fear in amongst the audience, and are parallel to the genre.
The woman in black is a very popular and successful horror film from 2012, starring Daniel Radcliffe. The use of certain techniques in the horror genre is very obvious in the opening scene, especially with the use of mise en-scene and sound amongst others.
Cinematogrpahy
Close ups are perhaps the most frequently used shot during the opening scene to the film. Not only does the director get close ups of the expressions held by the three small girls in the room, but also of their dolls, and other objects. There are also many circumstances in which medium shots of all 3 girls take place, showing their joined importance. The zooming in on the window shows that it will have huge importance during the scene, as will become clear at the end.
Mise en-scene
The most clear use of mise en-scene in The Woman in Black is the way that dolls, and children are used. It is a common theme in horror films, and helps to create a feeling of innocence which is ironic compared to the genre. This idea is backed up by the way the girls are dressed, wearing almost angelic costumes, that seem anything but scary at first.
The surroundings may also be seen as a classic horror convention, as it is set in an old looking house, that may be 'haunted'.
Sound
There are quite a few examples where sound is used in the horror context, and it id often ironic. The main way it is used is with the background sound, which is obviously contrapuntal as it clearly does not fit with the horror genre. The music is calm, childlike and not threatening, so is ironic considering the genre. At the end of the sequence a woman is heard screaming, it is parallel sound that is added into the scene, so is non-diegetic, and is used to create tension and fear.
Editing
Although editing is used at a minimum during the sequence, there are a couple of examples where it has quite a lot of relevance. These are when the girl opens the window, as a match on action is used, and the shot reverse shot of the girls and then the shot over the shoulder of the 'woman in black' right at the end o the scene. Both have strong effects in creating fear in amongst the audience, and are parallel to the genre.
Analysis of Casino Royale- opening scene
Casino Royale- Opening Scene Analysis
Casino Royale is a thriller, and part of one of the most iconic series' of films in the world, James Bond. This film is from 2006, and was the first time Daniel Craig had played the key role as '007'. The opening scene, typical of a Bond film, is very fast paced, and uses all 4 key areas, those being cinematography, mise en-scene, editing and sound to create the action and the thrill.
Cinematography
There are many times that camera angles and shots are used during the opening to casino royale. One of the most dramatic is the two shot/extreme long shot of the two characters on a crane, high in the air. The affect of this shot is that it gives a wide picture of the surroundings, and makes it clear that they are very high in the air. During this sequence, there is also a crane shot as they are climbing along the outside of the crane. Once again this helps to give a good idea of how high they are and a clear view of their surroundings. The movement of the crane towards the characters also adds to the shot, as it makes the shot seem more realistic, as of it was being taken from a helicopter. There are also a lot of close ups of the main character, James Bond, to show his facial expressions and emotions, which are often quite neutral, to fit in with the character he is playing.
Mise en-scene
One way in which mise en-scene is used during this sequence is with the Bond. The choice of clothing for him says a lot about the type of character he is. With a very informal, almost casual look, it shows that he is a very casual, laid back kind of person. However his actions show he is also very good at getting down to business when needs be. This is the way all Bond characters have always been. There is also a lot of focus on Bond through the positioning he has in shots, for example the constant need for him to be in the middle of shots after action, or holding heroic poses after such events.
Editing
Although there are not a lot of examples of editing being used during the sequence, there is a lot of slow motion editing used to create an 'epic' feel to most situations. In moments of intense action, it is used quite frequently to emphasize the brilliance of what has just happened.
Sound
Sound is probably the most important feature out of the four in what it gives to the opening scene. Throughout most of the scene, non-diegetic, parallel sound is used to create tension and add to the atmosphere. The tempo of this sound rises and falls depending on the level of intensity. The sound only goes away during the last part of the scene, as Bond holds a man hostage, there is very little sound. The most important piece of information that sound gives us about Bond is simply the fact that he does not talk for the entire sequence. The director obviously wants to give us the impression that with bond, actions speak louder than words.
Casino Royale is a thriller, and part of one of the most iconic series' of films in the world, James Bond. This film is from 2006, and was the first time Daniel Craig had played the key role as '007'. The opening scene, typical of a Bond film, is very fast paced, and uses all 4 key areas, those being cinematography, mise en-scene, editing and sound to create the action and the thrill.
Cinematography
There are many times that camera angles and shots are used during the opening to casino royale. One of the most dramatic is the two shot/extreme long shot of the two characters on a crane, high in the air. The affect of this shot is that it gives a wide picture of the surroundings, and makes it clear that they are very high in the air. During this sequence, there is also a crane shot as they are climbing along the outside of the crane. Once again this helps to give a good idea of how high they are and a clear view of their surroundings. The movement of the crane towards the characters also adds to the shot, as it makes the shot seem more realistic, as of it was being taken from a helicopter. There are also a lot of close ups of the main character, James Bond, to show his facial expressions and emotions, which are often quite neutral, to fit in with the character he is playing.
Mise en-scene
One way in which mise en-scene is used during this sequence is with the Bond. The choice of clothing for him says a lot about the type of character he is. With a very informal, almost casual look, it shows that he is a very casual, laid back kind of person. However his actions show he is also very good at getting down to business when needs be. This is the way all Bond characters have always been. There is also a lot of focus on Bond through the positioning he has in shots, for example the constant need for him to be in the middle of shots after action, or holding heroic poses after such events.
Editing
Although there are not a lot of examples of editing being used during the sequence, there is a lot of slow motion editing used to create an 'epic' feel to most situations. In moments of intense action, it is used quite frequently to emphasize the brilliance of what has just happened.
Sound
Sound is probably the most important feature out of the four in what it gives to the opening scene. Throughout most of the scene, non-diegetic, parallel sound is used to create tension and add to the atmosphere. The tempo of this sound rises and falls depending on the level of intensity. The sound only goes away during the last part of the scene, as Bond holds a man hostage, there is very little sound. The most important piece of information that sound gives us about Bond is simply the fact that he does not talk for the entire sequence. The director obviously wants to give us the impression that with bond, actions speak louder than words.
Sunday 13 October 2013
Analysis of Dark Knight- Opening scene.
Dark Knight- Analysis.
I watched the opening scene from the thriller, Dark Knight, the second part of the 'batman' trilogy, also containing 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight Rises'. The two main characters are batman, played by Christian Bale, and The Joker, played by Heath Ledger. In the opening scene, we learn a lot about The Joker, the main villain in the film, and his characteristics, and how the director wanted to portray him and the first bank robbery through cinematography, editing, sound and mise en-scene.
Cinematography
The use of camera angles in the opening scene is very key. Various types of shot were used to get different effects. One good example is the very first shot, which is a crane shot, slowly zooming in on the building. Then, there is a long shot of two men, wearing masks sliding down the zip line. The long shot gives you an idea of how high they are, and their surroundings. The way a medium shot of the joker from behind is used also has a very distinct effect. It makes him seem way more important than any other characters, who are nearly always paired in two shots, whereas he rarely is. An over the shoulder shot is used to show that the man with the gun, has the power, and he eventually uses that power to shoot another member of the crew. The final, and perhaps the single most powerful piece of cinematography is of the joker at the end of the scene, when he finally
removes his mask. We finally see his true identity, his scars.
Sound
Sound plays a very big role in creating the atmosphere during the first scene, none more so than with the parallel sound that stays present throughout pretty much the entire time. A sound bridge begins the scene, creating tension, which is then ended by the glass being smashed. The sound that begins the scene is constant throughout, however it increases in tempo at certain points, for example when the man is shooting at The Joker with his shotgun. This has an impact as it once again raises tension, as the action becomes more intense.
Mise en-Scene
The Joker's positioning in the scene is the main way mise en-scene is used, along with the way his identity is kept a mystery. He is nearly always on his own in the shot, in the middle, and he never speaks. This creates a real mystery around his character, however makes the audience see that he could be a key character. He is also the only one of his crew to reveal his face, suggesting that only his identity matters, and his first real line is witty and mysterious also. This says a lot about the sort of villain he is going to be. Less about brawn and power, more about intelligence.
Editing
Although not a key feature in the way The Joker is presented, editing does still give us some ideas about him, and the surroundings. The edits are designed to make the scenes simply go from one to the next, which gives a simple yet quick feel to the scene. This makes it seem that the job is well organized, and is easy, which says a lot about The Joker and his skills.
I watched the opening scene from the thriller, Dark Knight, the second part of the 'batman' trilogy, also containing 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight Rises'. The two main characters are batman, played by Christian Bale, and The Joker, played by Heath Ledger. In the opening scene, we learn a lot about The Joker, the main villain in the film, and his characteristics, and how the director wanted to portray him and the first bank robbery through cinematography, editing, sound and mise en-scene.
Cinematography
The use of camera angles in the opening scene is very key. Various types of shot were used to get different effects. One good example is the very first shot, which is a crane shot, slowly zooming in on the building. Then, there is a long shot of two men, wearing masks sliding down the zip line. The long shot gives you an idea of how high they are, and their surroundings. The way a medium shot of the joker from behind is used also has a very distinct effect. It makes him seem way more important than any other characters, who are nearly always paired in two shots, whereas he rarely is. An over the shoulder shot is used to show that the man with the gun, has the power, and he eventually uses that power to shoot another member of the crew. The final, and perhaps the single most powerful piece of cinematography is of the joker at the end of the scene, when he finally
removes his mask. We finally see his true identity, his scars.
Sound
Sound plays a very big role in creating the atmosphere during the first scene, none more so than with the parallel sound that stays present throughout pretty much the entire time. A sound bridge begins the scene, creating tension, which is then ended by the glass being smashed. The sound that begins the scene is constant throughout, however it increases in tempo at certain points, for example when the man is shooting at The Joker with his shotgun. This has an impact as it once again raises tension, as the action becomes more intense.
Mise en-Scene
The Joker's positioning in the scene is the main way mise en-scene is used, along with the way his identity is kept a mystery. He is nearly always on his own in the shot, in the middle, and he never speaks. This creates a real mystery around his character, however makes the audience see that he could be a key character. He is also the only one of his crew to reveal his face, suggesting that only his identity matters, and his first real line is witty and mysterious also. This says a lot about the sort of villain he is going to be. Less about brawn and power, more about intelligence.
Editing
Although not a key feature in the way The Joker is presented, editing does still give us some ideas about him, and the surroundings. The edits are designed to make the scenes simply go from one to the next, which gives a simple yet quick feel to the scene. This makes it seem that the job is well organized, and is easy, which says a lot about The Joker and his skills.
Tuesday 1 October 2013
Analysis of Red Dragon- Opening scene
Red Dragon- Opening Scene
For our second analysis,
we watched the first few scenes from the film ‘Red Dragon’, which is based on a
novel of the same name, written by Thomas Harris. The main character is
Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins.
Sound
The use of sound in Red
Dragon is key from the very beginning. The first sound we here is that of an
orchestra, and like most of the noticeable sound, is diegetic. Before we
actually see the orchestra however, there is a small sound bridge from the
credits, to the first scene. The orchestra itself adds to the ‘upper class’
feel to the first few scenes. In the room, ambient sound is used to add to the
tension and the atmosphere. They are actually more contrapuntal sounds than
they are parallel as they go against the almost ‘weird’ atmosphere, as Hannibal
is feeding his guests human flesh. The sounds do appear to be parallel is you
don’t know about Hannibal, however.
Cinematography
There are a few very clear
and important uses of cinematography, especially with Hannibal at the beginning
of the film. Firstly, there is a crane shot of him as he is sitting in the
theatre, as the camera drops and zooms in on his face, showing his emotion.
This, like a lot of the techniques used with Hannibal is there to emphasize his
importance as the main character. There is also a tracking shot of him when
they are all sitting down in the room, as he is walking around the table. This
is used to make him seem powerful and in control.
Mise-en Scene
There are a lot of
examples of mise-en scene being used in the clip, and like with the
cinematography, it is mostly based around Hannibal Lecter. He is usually always
in the centre of the shot, showing his importance, and the lighting often also
emphasizes this, like when it dims on him in the theatre. The theme of wealth
is very obvious as well, due to the way the characters are living. They are in
a large house, dressed very smartly and also begin at the theatre, somewhere
that is usually populated by higher class people. In the room at dinner there
was a golden, fiery glow, also suggesting class. However the fire could also suggest
evil, something which is actually sometimes associated with wealth.
Editing
The changes in the tempo
of the music and the way that Hannibal usually ends the scene in the middle of
the shot suggest his importance, and there is also a fade in from black, after
the credits at the start of the clip. Aside from that, editing is not the most prevalent
feature used.
Analysis of Seven- Opening scene
Seven Analysis.
We watched the opening scene from the film 'Seven', a thriller starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. During the clip, there were clear examples of sound, cinematography, mise en-scene and editing being used, as they are probably the four main aspects used in making a successful film.
Sound.
Sound is a key aspect of all films, and it can be used in various ways to different effects. In the first scene, pretty much all of the sound used is diegetic, as the idea is to make the scene seem as real as possible. Probably the most noticeable sound is that of traffic coming from the street, however there is not a lot of sound overall. The sounds coming from the street are there to show the surroundings in which the character played by Morgan Freeman is living, in a city. The police sirens are the most obvious sound, which could potentially represent chaos, however that goes against the general atmosphere, as it is relatively calm. Finally, the sound of rain, on the third scene, suggests that something bad is going to happen.
Cinematography
Cinematic techniques are used a lot during the opening few scenes of the film, especially certain camera angles. Over the shoulder and low angle shots are used to show certain characters have power. For example there is a low angle shot and also an over the shoulder shot of Morgan Freeman, showing him to be powerful and have the control. However he has to share the power with the other main character, played by Brad Pitt. The director uses various two shots of them, showing that they may be equal in terms of power.
Mise en-scene
The character played by Morgan Freeman is key in the use of Mise en-scene in the first few scenes of the film. The first example is when he is getting changed in his room. He has a suit, suggesting he is a serious businessman, who potentially doesn't have time for friends or family, as he is living alone.
Editing
The use of editing to create smooth transitions, therefore giving an element of fluidity and continuity is the main way it is used at the start of the film. Really, there is not a huge amount of editing, however some of the cuts are quite slow, so therefore they link in with the mise-en scene and could also suggest the main character is very organised and methodical.
We watched the opening scene from the film 'Seven', a thriller starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. During the clip, there were clear examples of sound, cinematography, mise en-scene and editing being used, as they are probably the four main aspects used in making a successful film.
Sound.
Sound is a key aspect of all films, and it can be used in various ways to different effects. In the first scene, pretty much all of the sound used is diegetic, as the idea is to make the scene seem as real as possible. Probably the most noticeable sound is that of traffic coming from the street, however there is not a lot of sound overall. The sounds coming from the street are there to show the surroundings in which the character played by Morgan Freeman is living, in a city. The police sirens are the most obvious sound, which could potentially represent chaos, however that goes against the general atmosphere, as it is relatively calm. Finally, the sound of rain, on the third scene, suggests that something bad is going to happen.
Cinematography
Cinematic techniques are used a lot during the opening few scenes of the film, especially certain camera angles. Over the shoulder and low angle shots are used to show certain characters have power. For example there is a low angle shot and also an over the shoulder shot of Morgan Freeman, showing him to be powerful and have the control. However he has to share the power with the other main character, played by Brad Pitt. The director uses various two shots of them, showing that they may be equal in terms of power.
Mise en-scene
The character played by Morgan Freeman is key in the use of Mise en-scene in the first few scenes of the film. The first example is when he is getting changed in his room. He has a suit, suggesting he is a serious businessman, who potentially doesn't have time for friends or family, as he is living alone.
Editing
The use of editing to create smooth transitions, therefore giving an element of fluidity and continuity is the main way it is used at the start of the film. Really, there is not a huge amount of editing, however some of the cuts are quite slow, so therefore they link in with the mise-en scene and could also suggest the main character is very organised and methodical.
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