Sound, M-e-s, Cinematography and Editing

Types of sound/when sound is used;

• Ambient
• Dialogue -chunk of speech
• Foley - re-creation of a sound
• Sound Bridge - continues from one scene to the next
• Sound Scape 
• Sound Mixer - changing level of sound with speech and music
• Synchronous - natural within a scene
• Asynchronous - Odd and surreal
• Diagetic - natural sound
• Non- Diagetic - post production created
• Sound motif/perspective
• Incidental music
• Direct address - breaks 4th wall
• Voice over - voice of god

What to look out for, for Mise-en-scene;

• Props
• Background
• Lighting - Low/High key, natural, artificial, 3 point, backlight, chiaroscuro 
• Costume
• Connotations of colour
• Setting
• Facial Expressions
• Performance/Body Language
• Positioning/composition

Types of cinematography;

Movement;

• Dolly in/out
• Tilt
• Dutch tilt
• Tracking
• Pan
• Zoom in/out
• Pedestal up/down

Cameras;

• Steadi-cam
• Handheld
• Crane

Shots/angles;

• Establishing shot
• Weather shot
• Long shot
• Mid shot
• Medium Close up
• Close up
• Big close up
• Worms eye view
• Birds eye view
• Point of View
• Over the Shoulder

Focus;

• Depth of field focus
• Selective focus
• Pull/rack focus

Types of editing; 

• Cut in/out
• Cut away
• Straight cut
• Long/shot cut
• Cross fade
• Fade in/out
• Dissolve
• Wipe
• Slow motion
• Action match
• Graphic Match 
• Expansion of time
• Passage of time - Ellipsis
• Shot reverse shot
• Special effects
• Parallel edit
• Crossover 
• Jump cut -usually an error

Editing Analysis on 'Death in Paradise'

Our first task while watched 'Death in Paradise', was to count how many cuts were used in the first 30 seconds of the episode. We then had to find out who was being represented and why? and how we knew they were being represented. 

Number of cuts; 43
I think that 43 cuts were used as dramatic effect. It created excitement within the scene and made the audience feel part of the game, this is because we too felt rushed and panicked while watching as the shots only lasted a maximum of 2 seconds. By using this amount of cuts to show the event, we could say that 'expansion of time' was used. This clip only lasted 30 seconds yet the exercise course they were doing would of lasted a lot longer. Expansion of time was used to make the clips pace faster and keep the audience engaged.

Who is represented?
Age and gender are mostly being represented in the clip. The age being 40's + and gender being mixed although the women are doing most of the hard work. In the clip, the women are extremely competitive whereas the men are being very supportive. This contrasts with what usually is stereo typically known as women are usually the supportive ones and men are known to be very competitive. This makes the audience think about what will happen to the characters, why are the men so laid back and the women so competitive? does this link in with what happens further on in the episode?

Colours
There were two teams with different colours; blue and red.
The red team were the more competitive team and seemed more annoyed if they didn't win whereas the blue team seemed to be enjoying themselves and having fun. This links in with connotations of colour as red links with 'danger' and 'anger' whereas blue is the complete opposite and his connotations of 'relaxation' and 'calmness'.

Further Analysis on 'Pretty Little Liars'

This time when watching 'Pretty Little Liars', we had too look at how certain characters were represented as well as looking at the cinematography etc.

The main groups represented were;

• Age
• Class
• Disability

Age and Class was represented when the four girls were in 'The Grill'. Hanna poured some alcohol from a flask into her drink. An older couple gave her a look of judgement and disappointment; it is common now for teenagers too drink but it is still a shock to older couples when they do it so openly. 

You could tell by Hanna sneaking a alcohol into her beverage that she is a rule breaker, as it is illegal in America to drink alcohol under the age of 21. 

Editing

There was a passage of time. It went from the funeral scene too the scene where the girls were in the restaurant. To show that the scene was a few hours later, ellipses was used (the screen went black until the next scene was played). 

Sound

The music that was played foreshadowing that something bad was going to happen, this engaged the audience and made them concentrate more on what the characters were talking about. 

Cinematography

Shot reverse shot was used throughout the whole scene to show the over the shoulder conversation between the four girls. The 180 degree rule was not broken as a steadi-cam was used to pan around the girls' table. 

Mise-en-scene

Class was also represented by the costumes that the characters wore; they were wearing quite posh and stylish clothing. Giving the audience the idea that they are high class and probably have rich families.   

Analysis on '24'

We looked at 10 minutes of Season 1, Episode 1 of '24'. Again analysing it in complete detail.

Cinematography
Low angles were used on Jack when he was with his boss. This conveys the idea that his boss is more superior than him, whereas when Jack is with other people, he is more superior as he has the most camera time during a scene. A handheld camera was used in the scene between Jack and his daughter, this involved the audience into the scene and made it feel like we too, were in the conversation making us feel awkward and uncomfortable. POV shots were used to make the reader feel more part of the situations. Furthermore, over the shoulder shots were used so that the audience could see both reactions of the characters during a conversation.

Sound
Ambient sound was used a lot throughout the episode, although a conversation between characters was the main focus, we could still hear the background noise. Therefore, making the scene seem a lot more realistic. Non-diegetic sound was also used, which contrasted with the ambient sound to make it seem more realistic.

Editing
Parallel editing was used a lot within the 10 minutes of the episode that we watched. It was following different characters doing different things but at the same time. There was also a split screen when parallel editing was used, this gave the audience a better insight to what was happening and to hear both sides of a conversation when the characters were on the phone.

Mise-en-scene
The programme is set in LA, we know this because of establishing shots showing the area in which it is being filmed. Furthermore, we know that one of the characters works professionally as he works in a posh building where everyone is sophisticated and always in a rush.

Analysis on 'Sherlock'

We analysed the first 15 minutes of 'Sherlock' Season 1, Episode 1. Again looking at; cinematography, sound, editing and mise-en-scene.

Cinematography
The rule of third is used in the first scene; the character is on one side of the screen, conveying the idea that although he is the first character we meet, he is not the most important character. If he was in the middle of the screen, this would suggest he was the main focus and therefore had power, with him being off to one side, it suggests someone else is more dominant than him. Establishing shots were used to show where the programme was set, this gives an insight to the audience of whereabouts the characters live and what kind of neighborhood they are involved in.

Sound
The soundtrack used, foreshadowed that something bad was going to happen each time a victim was on screen. The music build tension and added suspense to each scene, making the audience engage more to the programme. Ambient sound was used in some scenes to make the scene more realistic. If the ambient sound wasn't there we would know that it was filmed in a studio and it would make it seem quite dull.

Editing
At the beginning of the episode, there was a montage of the characters memory. The flashback contained images from war, this gave us a bit of background information on the character without the character actually speaking. Parallel editing was used a lot in the episode, as when the victims were taking the pill, there family members were on a panel, discussing the suicide issue. This is a good way to show a story in a more fast paced way and keeps the audience engaged and fully focused. Fade in and fade out was used in the scenes were the victims were taking the pill. It would fade in and out of three shots; their face, the pill and then the body after they had taken the drug. By using fade in/out, it made the situation more mysterious as half of the story was being showed; this makes the audience want to keep watching!

Mise-en-scene
The lighting used in the first scene was low key. This added some mystery and in comparison to the montage we had just watched, the scene seemed a lot more dull in comparison to the Army scene. Conveying the idea that the characters life is boring now he is no longer in the forces. The characters room was extremely tidy and everything had its own place, this indicates that the character misses his past way of living and is still in a routine.

Analysis on 'Eastenders'

In lesson, we watched the 'Flashback' episode of 'Eastenders'. We had to comment on all four elements; Cinematography, Sound, Editing and Mise-en-scene.

Cinematography
There were over the shoulder shots throughout the episode when two actors were talking to each other. This is so that we got reaction shots of both actors when the other one was talking.
There were mid shots of the actors along with close ups of Lucy to get her full reaction to situations. There was a POV shot when Ian, Lucy's dad, was looking at his daughters empty bed; this made the audience feel the same pain as Ian and made us think why Lucy isn't home. There were a few cut in shots, one of Lucy sending a text and another of Ian's keys. Both these shots gave the viewers a bit of insight of what was happening in both of the actors lives.
Throughout the episode, the camera tracked groups of actors, when Ian left one of his companies, it tracked him and then when he passed Ronnie and her 'friend', the camera started to track them. This happened several times in the episode with different actors. At points, a handheld camera was being used. This made the audience feel uneasy as we knew we were going to find out who Lucy's killer was and by using a handheld camera, it made the scenes look physically worrying.

Editing
Shot reverse shot was used during an over the should shot conversation between Lucy and one of her friends. This was to, again show the audience how both actors were feeling during this conversation. Parallel editing was used throughout the full episode, although we were mostly following Lucy's journey, we also got to see what the other actors, that were possible suspects, were getting up to. Furthermore, there was a montage scene at the beginning of the episode; it contained flashbacks of the night leading up too Lucy's death. This was used to remind the audience of highlights of what happened that night before starting the episode.

Sound
Foley was used when Abbie went to slap Lucy, instead of hearing the slap against Lucy's skin, it cut to a scene were her dad dropped some pans; this sound represented what the slap would sound like. A graphic match was also used at this point as it cut from Lucy's face too a colander; both are round and Lucy's head shape resembled the colander.

Mise-en-scene
Most of the Scene was shot in Albert Square, which is familiar to the viewers. This made the audience feel uneasy because most will know where most actors live and most of the actors on the show, yet one of these people murdered Lucy.

Editing; Continuity & Non-Continiuty

Continuity 
Takes the drama from one shot to the next or makes the dramas narrative, progress in a realistic way
- Flashbacks/forwards can still fall under this.

Long Takes
Short Takes
Straight Cuts
Action Match - follows character
Shot reverse shot
180 degree rule (camera stays on one side of the scene, can only be broken if camera goes round the conversation)


Non-Continuity
Breaks the realism and has no obvious connection. It can present the characters star of mind and force audience to consider a connection between events or characters. Furthermore, it challenges convents and breaks continuity rule.

Montage
Jump Cut (normally an error)
Non- Diegetic insert
Narrative logical progression challenged

Editing

When looking at editing, we look at;

• The order of shots (juxtaposition/binary oppositions; who's superior/inferior) 
• continuity 
• transitions
• shot duration
• pace and rhythm
• special effects

Editing can help hide or reveal information from the characters or the audience. Who is in the privileged position of knowing the information (audience or characters). Editing can also help show representations of; gender, age, region etc.

Overall, editing creates meaning. the editors role is to decide on order and speed. The key types are; 

• SFX (special effects)
• Cutting (invisible editing that helps diegesis and makes the scene seem realistic)
• Passing of time
• Transition  

Cutting

shot reverse shot

eyeline match

graphic match (a shot of an eye transitions too a door knob)
action match
crosscutting - two stories going from a flashback too the present and back
Parallel editing - two stories running side by side
Insert
short/long shot
Cutaway - "we weren't with Alison that summer" then flashback to that summer

Passage of time
Slow motion
Ellipsis - gap between next scene
Montage
Expansion of time - Bomb has 1 minute to go off but the scene lasts 10 minutes

Transitions
Dissolve - indicates connection between character/location
Crossfade -
Fade in/Out - Signifies passing of time
Wipe  - Indicates genre, comic book style

Special Effect
CGI - Computer Generated Images
Superimposition (green screens)
Post Production

Importance of Sound; Psycho

We watched the clip below from the movie 'Psycho'. We first watched it with sound and then without to show the importance of sound and what kind of mood/emotion sound can put forward to the audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4

Without Sound
Without sound, the scene was tense and I was completely unsure of what was happening. You couldn't really comprehend what the character was feeling as it was complete silence and her facial expressions and paralinguistic features weren't very obvious.

With Sound
With sound, we picked out that Diegetic and Non-Diegetic sound was used. The sound of the water from the shower was diegetic, along with the characters sighs. This made the scene seem more realistic. On the other hand, Non-Diegetic sound was used for the shower curtain opening, the characters being cut and the water escaping down the drain. Foley was used for these sounds as the shower curtain opening was a sharp, loud sound. They used Non-Diegetics to make the scene more dramatised. Furthermore, it adds to the suspense and makes the audience tense.

Sound is very importance to consider within a scene, we knew the killer was gone as the music got cut as soon as he left.When watching without the sound, we couldn't tell whether he had actually gone or not.

Intertextuality; Goodfellas VS LilyHammer VS The Sopranos

1. Definition of Intertextuality; is the shaping of a text's meaning by another text. Intertextual figures include: allusion, quotation, calque, plagiarism, translation, pastiche and parody.
   Example of Intertextuality (video starts at 40 seconds) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGs-yzWrjdI

In this video, the men stab and shoot another man in the back of a car. There is then a voice over saying 'I wanted to be a gangster as far back as I could remember'. In the scene from Lilyhammer, the character quotes from 'Goodfellas' by saying 'I wanted to be a skier as far back as I could remember'. There is no death scene which is ironic as the character from 'LilyHammer' has it much easier than the gangsters yet he still quotes it.

Another example of Intertextuality is, in 'The Sopranos' there is a music montage of the city. In 'LilyHammer', the guy mentions it 'being like a scene from 'The Sopranos'. The same soundtrack from that show is then played as a sound bridge as it is played on the radio in a car which links into the story. The montage is still the same; showing the city.

Sound Analysis; Romeo&Juliet Montage

One of our tasks was to watch a montage of Romeo&Juliet scenes and write down how the soundtrack for the video made us feel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sekwrw9U_fg

The song 'Jeff Buckley - We all fall in love sometimes', made me feel quite emotional about the scenes. It is slow paced which builds tension throughout the montage. The lyrics have meanings to the story line, this is called 'synchronous'. The song makes us think about the forbidden love between Romeo & Juliet and makes us sympathise towards the couple. 

Our next task was to find our own song that would create a different kind of mood for the montage. The song we chose was 'Sugar by Maroon 5'. This is because it made us feel a lot more happier, due to the more upbeat and fast paced tempo about their forbidden love and made us think of the positives between Romeo & Juliet although there weren't many. The song was still synchronous as the lyrics still linked in with the story line. 

Three Part Narrative Structure

Three Part Narrative Structure

Todrov 

• Equiliberium (Start)
• Disequiliberium (A problem that has occurred)
• Newequiliberium (A resolution to the problem)

An example of Todrov's theory would be 'Home Alone'.

Equiliberium = The relationship between him and his family; they treat him horribly and he doesn't like how he is treat. 

Disequiliberium = His family leave him behind when leaving to go on holiday

Newequiliberium = When his family return, they are nicer too him as they feel guilty for leaving him behind and realise how important he is too the family. 

Sound Analysis on 'Better Call Saul'

The next TV Drama we looked at was 'Better Call Saul'; Series 1, Episode 1. Again we picked a shot, what the soundtrack conveyed and how it made us feel as an audience.

Although the play is set in the past 40 so years, the music is extremely old fashioned and sounds like something from the 1920's. This convey the idea that the character is living in the past. The use of sound helps to build tension throughout the scene, as when the main character thinks someones is staring at him, and starts looking as though he is walking towards him; the mixer gets louder which creates tension and makes us feel uncomfortable.
Throughout the scene we feel awkward and uncomfortable, likewise to the main character. Giving the idea that we are supposed alike to him. The character also seems paranoid and is socially awkward, we get this idea as when he is in public, music is constantly playing to fill the awkwardness of him not speaking. Yet when he is at home, there is complete silence which makes things even more uncomfortable for us as an audience.

The shot that I found most interesting was, the one where it had a close up, low angle of the main character making himself a drink. This is because it implies that the character may drink to rid of his sorrows. The fact he does it so robot-ically, suggests he does this every night and he is in auto-pilot.

Sound Analysis on 'The Paradise'

We analysed a TV Drama, and tried to figure out the effect of the soundtrack. While picking out shot that stood out for us. 

The first song that is played in the first scene is extremely upbeat, and it almost introduces the first character that we see (Denise). The soundtrack is somewhat symbolic and represents the character present.

We can tell straight away that the TV Drama is a Costume, Period Drama by what they are wearing and with Social Class being emphasised throughout the scene.

The shot that stood out for me was a close up of a bag. This could be symbolic to the time period and the fact that times are tough and you could be carrying just a bag around without a home. It also could symbolise the fact that Denise has no where to go either, alike to the woman who got thrown out.

Sound Analysis

Our first task to analyse sound was; listening to five different soundtracks and trying to guess the genre with given reasons of why we chose that genre. We weren't told the soundtrack we were listening too until the very end of the task.

1. I guessed when listening to this soundtrack that it would be from an action, comedy drama. This is because the music was fast paced, dramatic and the lyrics had meaning and linked in with the show. The soundtrack was from 'Orange is the new black'. So the genre I guessed was correct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9_isl1jjHc


2. The second soundtrack we listened too, I guessed that it was a mystery/crime drama, this is because the song mentions guns multiple times. Furthermore, It is upbeat yet slow paced therefore giving it a mysterious feel and makes you feel quite tense listening; which is how you feel when watching a Crime drama. The soundtrack was in fact from 'The Sopranos'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDkCiUhHCc

3. The next soundtrack, I guessed it had the genre of a crime/sitcom. This is because it was dramatic and upbeat. Yet the music was Jazz and bagpipes were used so it must be based in Scotland and I thought this may have contrasted and made it more of a sitcom. The soundtrack was from LilyHammer, so I was correct with it being a Crime drama but it wasn't a sitcom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1tl3vY3qXw

4. The fourth soundtrack we listened too, I guessed that its sub-genre was death or betrayal. This was because it was extremely dramatic, and it had a deliberate slow pace to make the tension build. I was right in saying it had death linked in with it as it was from '28 Days Later', which is a Horror.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6OtF7daIPM

5. The last soundtrack we listened too I guessed it was a costume drama, this was because it was quite upbeat and paced. I was wrong in saying this as it's genre was actually Crime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE69GhmzI9s

Key Factors of Sound (Diagetic and Non-Diagetic)

The Key Factors of Sound

• Dialogue
• Sound effects
• Music

Sound has the power to create a mood or an emotion for the audience. It can also be used to manipulate the audience into feeling a certain way about a character.

Diagetic

        Diagetic is something that naturally occurs within a scene, it is believable and something that would actually happen. 

1. Ambient Sound (Sound of a crowd)
2. Dialogue (Speech)
3. Sound effects (Naturally happen in the scene; footsteps, key turning)
4. Mode of address (How a character actually speaks, could show social status) 
5. Synchronous (Naturally occurring; dialogue, lip sync)

Non-Diagetic 

        Non-Diagetic is something that doesn't naturally occur and instead takes place in post production/ is prerecorded elsewhere. 

Voice

• Voice Over
• Voice of God (Character hears and sees everything going on in the scene)
• Epistolary Voice (E.g. Lucy leaves a letter for Dawn. Although Dawn is reading the letter, we hear Lucy reading it out)
• Subjective Voice (When we hear what someone is thinking)

Sound&Music

1. Sound Motif (The music played links to the character or the narrative)
2. Sound Effects (Out of the ordinary. E.g. Foley artists will re-create the sound of a door shutting to make it sound less natural.
3. Soundtrack (Music played during a scene)
4. Sound Mixing (Adjusting the level of sound. E.g. Making dialogue drown out and music get louder)
5. Strings (Sudden bursts of music that signifies something)
6. Incidental Music (Music that shows something happening)

Asynchronous doesn't naturally occur, it stands out and may be irrelevant to what is happening within the scene. 

Exam Preparation; Textual Analysis on 'Mr Selfridge'

We looked at Episode 1, Series 1 of 'Mr Selfridge'. Analysing the camera angles, shots etc. 

Camera Angle
The angle of the camera was always eye level. This gives us the idea that as as audience, we are supposed to be the main character.

Camera Shot
Wide shots were used to show the set of the scene. There was also an over the shoulder shot when the main character was talking to the other characters, this gives the audience an idea of how others react around him without using a reaction shot. Furthermore, a POV shot was used to put the audience in the main characters shoes, giving us a sense of empowerment.

Movement
Zoom in was used when showing the main character. Mainly tracking was used, and this was shown through a steadicam- to emphasise how busy and rushed the main character is.

Focus
Selective focus was used throughout the scene, this gives the idea that certain things aren't important but because the main character is most of the time in complete focus; it shows he is important.

Comments on how Class is portrayed
All the other Characters approach Mr Selfridge, this conveys the idea that he is of more superior and although he gives orders the other approach him more. Mr Selfridge is an approachable man and this is put forward by the camera angle being at eye level. Although we know he of a higher power, we notice that the other characters can approach him and he is not intimidating; but he is respected.

Exam Preparation; Textual Analysis on 'Pretty Little Liars'

Our next TV Drama we looked at was 'Pretty Little Liars'. Series 1, Episode 1. 

Camera Angle
Throughout the full scene, the camera angle was kept eye level. This made it feel like we were part of the group of girls and made us feel just as scared as them.

Camera Shot
There was a weather shot, this sets the scene and gives the audience an idea of what the weather is like. There is a group shot to show the group of girls and this introduces the characters. Furthermore, there is a POV shot, again to make it feel like we are part of the group of girls. There is also a reaction shot to show how scared the girls are.

Movement
Dolly out is used to move away from the girls. This distances the audience away from the girls and reattaches them to the new character entering, seeing the funny side of the scare.

Focus
Depth of field focus is used at the very beginning of the scene, this contrast to what is happening in the scene as we don't know what going on yet everything is in focus. Selective focus is then used when the new character enters, giving the idea that she isn't as simple as the other girls.

Lighting
Natural lighting is mostly used because of where the scene is set. Again, it adds to the mystery and makes things seem more scary.

Mise-en-Scene
You can tell by the clothing that the girls are wearing; that they are only young and probably still in school. This may relate the a large audience range watching and makes them feel even more apart of the group of girls.

Another thing I picked up on was the weather. It is thundering and lightening and that can be dangerous, therefore the weather creates a sense of foreboding as we know something bad is going to happen. 

Exam Preparation; Textual Analysis on 'LilyHammer'.

We looked at LilyHammer's Episode 1 from Series 1 and analysed the camera angles etc. Just like what we did with the other TV Dramas.


Camera Angle
Eye level is used throughout the conversation between the two men too show they are both as important. A bird's eye view is used to show the man in the coffin; this could imply he has been defeated as everything else is much higher than him.

Camera Shot
There are a lot of medium close ups, this makes the characters seem a lot more intimidating and seem a lot bigger. There are also wide shots to show and set the scene. Over the shoulder shots are used when the two main characters are talking, this is so we are only focusing at the one speaking.


Movement
Pan is used to move across the family members/other attendees of the funeral behind the two main characters. The fact the camera does not stop on any other character shows that they aren't of any importance.


Focus
Selective focus is used throughout the full scene. It focuses on one character to show who is more important at a certain time. Also it helps the audience focus on that one character and makes them seem more superior.


Colour
The colour Red is used throughout the opening scene, this has connotations of violence and even death, and because the scene is at a funeral, it is relevant to what is happening. Furthermore, Gold is used on some characters to show that they are superior and of a higher class.


Lighting
Ambient and artificial lighting is used in the scene. This is relevant to the situation and creates the right mood for a funeral. Also, it is still quite dull and there is little natural lighting which gives a gloomy feel to the scene.


Mise-en-scène
The man in the coffin was wearing a beaded bracelet, this could represent his background and religion. This is used as an iconography and to give the audience a bit of information about the characters without verbally saying it. Moreover, roses are spread around him. Roses often signify love but in this case it could signify anger with the situation going on between his partner and brother.


Proxemics
The two main characters stand quite closely together which could be seen as them being intimate but in this case, it gives of a sense of tension between the two characters.


If we were asked to comment on the gender within this scene, it would be said that the women are represented as being irrelevant. This is put forward because they are always in the background of the shot and the focus is always on the men. Furthermore, the camera stays with the men and only pans past the women. This gives the impression that they aren't important enough to be seen properly by others. 

Exam Preparations; Mise-en-scène

Saussure
Signifier + Signified = Sign

Barthes 
Denotation + Connotation = Sign


Denotation = literally what is there
Connotation = the hidden meaning behind what is there and how it makes the audience feel/what it makes them think.

There are five elements to consider when looking at Mise-en-scène.

1. Setting and Props
2. Costume, hair and make-up
3. Facial expressions and body language
4. Lighting and colour
5. Positioning of characters/objects within a frame

Exam Preparations; Textual Analysis (picking our own TV Drama scene)

The TV drama I chose to analyse was the last minute of 'Pretty Little Liars' Series 1, Episode 1. I thought this would be a good piece to analyse the camera angles etc and see why they are used. I watched it several times like we did with the other clips. 

Link to clip (start clip at 3 minutes);




Here is my powerpoint where I comment on each camera angle change and why I think certain angles, shots and movements are used.

Textual analysis PLL from rhimedia1300

Exam Preparation; Textual Analysis on 'Utopia'.

We looked at the first minute of Utopia's Series 1, Episode 1. Again, we watched it a few times and picked out and commented on the things used.

Camera shot/angle
Establishing shots at the very beginning set the scene and tell the audience where the program is set. Mid shots, over the shoulder shots and two shots are used throughout to show the different characters. Furthermore, a cut in is used to show an important prop. Also, insert shot is used to show a sticky note with what one of the character wants from the other.

Movement
Dolly in and pan is used. Pan is used to show the different characters and dolly in is used to show a certain prop.

Angle
The angle is at a constant eye level, which is different as we can tell which characters are more important yet angles aren't used to portray their importance and superiority.

Focus
Pull/rack is used to show the two characters closer to the camera and then the man behind them who has just hit another man over the head. Selective focus is also used to show certain characters. I think that by not using depth field focus, it adds some mystery to the scene as we can't see everything in focus.

Costume
One of the men is wearing a navy blue suit, this implies to the reader that he is the most important person in the room at that times. His companion is wearing leather which gives the idea he is a strong and tough man and could be the mans bouncer.

Connotations
Yellow is used throughout the scene. Yellow has connotations of danger and madness; yet it also has connotations of happiness but because of what is happening in the scene, it juxtaposes this. Furthermore, primary colors are used throughout which gives the idea that because they are looking for a comic, comics are important within the story line.

Exam Preparation; Textual Analysis on 'The Returned'.

Our last piece of TV Drama we looked at was 'The Returned'. We looked at the first minute of Series 1, Episode 1. Again, picking out camera angles etc used.

Camera shot/angle
Establishing shots are used to set the scene. We can tell straight away where the scene is set. Mid shots are then used of the mis-en-scene to show a closer and more detailed look. A close up of what seems to be a main character is used.

Movement
Pan and pedestal is used throughout the scene to give an overview of the location. We can tell that within this scene, a steadi-cam is used along with a crane to show the mountains etc.

Focus
Throughout the whole thing, the focus is depth of field. Which contrasts with what happens as we think we are in control as we are aware of everything in the scene yet something unexpected happens.

Music
The music gives us a sense of foreboding, as although all seems calm within the scene; the music gives the impression something bad is about to happen.

Colours
Not much colour is use within the scene, mostly grey and black is used which seems to foreshadow the upcoming deaths.

Exam Preparation; Textual Analysis on 'Breaking Bad'.

After our first piece of work, we moved on to analysing TV Dramas.
We looked at the first minute of Breaking Bad's Series 1, Episode 1. We watched it three times and had to pick out the angles of the camera and comment on the movement etc. Here are my notes that I wrote down.

Camera Shot/angle

Starts off with establishing and wide shots with one weather shot. This shows us the area of where the scene is set and what it is like there. Throughout the one minute clip, there are reaction shots of the man driving and and two person mid shot is shown along with a mid shot of the back of the van, again this sets the scene and shows what kind of situation the character is in. Furthermore, a POV (point of view) shot is used to give us a sense of what the character is feeling.

Movement

You can tell that a handheld camera is being used throughout this scene, this is because of how jolty and unfocused the scene is. This gives us an idea of how panicky and disorientated the main character is feeling.

Angle
A worms eye view is used at the end, where the van is coming over the hill and towards the camera. By doing this, it gives the audience a sense of panic, alike to the character, and makes us feel uneasy about what might happen next.

Exam Preparation; Textual Analysis (Section A)

First piece of work on Textual Analysis. Choose an image from a TV Drama and think about the camera angle/shot, lighting, mis-en-scene, characters performance etc.


Image from The Big Bang Theory; a scene between Penny and Leonard.

Costume
Penny; Seems to be wearing work clothes, this means she's either on her way back from work or going to work. It is more likely she is going to work as she looks quite impatient and annoyed that Leonard has stopped her.
Leonard; Leonard is wearing normal clothing (what he usually wears) so he doesn't have anywhere to be as he isn't dressed for work or any other event.

Lighting
The lighting used is artificial. By using artificial lighting it gives off the effect that there is over head lighting.

Location/mis-en-scene
They are in the apartment hallway outside their apartments. You can tell the building is quite run down as the lift is out of order and the decoration seems very old.

Performance
Penny is slouched and this implies again that she is feeling impatient and annoyed. You can tell she doesn't want to be there and must be in a rush to be somewhere else.
Leonard seems quite worried and apologetic. Furthermore, he seem somewhat confused.

Camera angle/shot
The image is a wide, mid shot; this shows some of the mis-en-scene behind them but also highlights the distance between both characters. They are quite far apart, and conveys the idea that something has happened between them as they aren't even standing close enough to give off the idea that they are friends. Moreover, this shot shows off their body language and gives the audience and idea of what they are feeling.