BLK: Homework Continuity Analysis

The clip I have chosen is from the ending of 1942 film Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine and Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund.

Continuity Techniques:
Establishing Shot:
-The first shot doesn't really establish the exact location of the shot (but the audience can work it out from the line 'Put it on the plane') but it does indicate that the scene takes place at night, and it has been recently raining, which foreshadows the sadness to come and creates a romantic and dramatic backdrop.

180 Degree Rule:
-The camera obeys the 180 degree rule, allowing the scene to flow quickly and fluently, so the audience are not distracted from the sentiments being expressed by the charecters.

Shot reverse shot:
-They uses the technique of shot reverse shot during Rick and Ilsa conversation so you can see each of the character's from the other's view, aswell as displaying their emotions to the audiencce who are therefore able to sympathize. This is especially effective during the CU of Ilsa crying, as the audience sees how much she loves him and her pain.
-The shot reverse shot technique is also used when Rick speaks to the chief of police, but the length of the LA MS shot is so short it doesn't divert attention from the maibn event of the scene.

Other Points:
-The way the camera zooms in on Ilsa's face when her husband is leaving then cuts to the master shot of the 3 of them signifies that she is impatient to be with Rick, and enhances the guiltiness of their affair, promoting a sense of trepidation and urgency.
-In the distance of the 2 shot of them we can see figures moving around the plane, making it feel like a quick private moment, whilst promoting a sense of urgency because they will have to leave soon.
-The cut from the slightly HA OTS CU of Isla to the LA of Rick emphasizes his words about him thinking it over and making the right decision as he seems firmer and stronger, whereas the LA of her makes her seem weaker, like she's been crushed or is pleading with him.
-The OTS's reveal how close they are standing to each other, indicating their intimacy.
-The zoom in from MLS with the police officer to the MCU 2 shot of them makes it feel like a private moment that we are privileged to witness, and also reliterates how they must keep their love a secret. It also suggests that they are in their own little world at that moment, and nothing else is important.
-The scene constantly cuts back or zooms in to a MCU of the two of them, putting the audience's focus on them and reiliterating the idea that they are all that matters.

BLK: Homework 3 Continuity Sequence

This is my group's (very) short film based on the themes of accidents:

Positives:

I think we have a good establishing shot, as it instantly gave a sense of setting and character, and when you see the shot of the door you can tell someone is going to come out of it which conforms to our expectations, and the fact the actress walks out of frame raises enigma and makes the audience wonder where she's going.

The pan we did in Shot 2 was successful, and the camera movement added excitement and a sense of pace.

The 3rd shot was successful as we used a tilted LA CU which jolts or disorientates the viewer and helps create a sense of danger and of falling.

Our shots went from Wide to Mid to close so there were no sudden movement, which made it easy on the eye and coherent for the audience.

The final shot helps to convey the actor's emotions because it is a CU, and the penultimate shot reveals the second actor well, as he surprises the audience which mirrors the actress's experience.

The colour scheme and lighting in all our shots was consistent, so it did look like it happened at the same time, and gave a melancholy feel to the sequence, reflecting the accident but not the romance which takes place.

 

Negatives:

We often didn't get a match on action, for instance in shot 2 the actress walks the same distance again, and we see her stop slightly at the end of the shot.

Unfortunately in our 4th shot it wasn't clear that she was falling so this may have confused the viewer. Also in that shot we didn't cut quick enough, as after the actress falls someone else comes out of the door and the camera moves towards the sky, which means the shot loses its focus and is a little confusing.

In our final shots we broke the 30 degree rule as we didn't cut the penultimate shot quick enough to prevent this happening.

BLK: Homework 2

The clip I have chosen is from the romantic comedy Clueless

 

 

Genre Conventions and Technical Codes

A typical young blonde pretty heroine is used

The film is set in an american High School

Heroine is popular/likeable

The heroine has a jealous rival

Girl is being checked out and flirted with- romance

MLS is the establishing shot- reveals the setting and types of characters in the film

Background chatter noise- public place

The panning shot introduces the audience to the whole setting and the students and gives a sense of space

The slow moving shot down the aisle connotes how bored the students are and how little they care about the intellectual debate, providing humour which is essential for the genre

The zoom into Cher's face matches the build up to the climax of her arguement

The CU of Cher's face shows her emotions and empathises her attractiveness as one of her main features

The MCU of the teacher shows not only his confused expression but also his posture, making his emotions clear to the audience

Cutting between the CUs of Cher and her opponent  helps the audience understand their relationship and see their emotions

Guite slow paced editing is used to that the debate is coherent and understandable, as well as reflecting the boring nature of the lesson

Outside natural lighting is used, lighting up Cher's hair and drawing attention to her

Inside high key lighting is used to give the setting a bright cheery look

 

Culture Codes

The main girl is blonde- Stupid blonde stereotype
Yellow outfit- happiness, White shirt- innocence, purity
Dull colours in schoolroom- boredom
Abundance of teenage extras- high school setting
The heroine's voice-Rich, priveleged
Fluffy white bag- Feminine
Teacher's brown suit-boring
Desks and blackboard- Classroom setting
American flag on the wall- American school
Hair, outfit and gum are all yellow- vain, puts a lot of effort into her outfits
'Like right now'- teenagers, stupidity
Boy with long hair and skateboard- deliquent
Girl with plaster on her nose- nose job, vanity, self obsession
Girl wearing black hat and fur- the heroine's nemesis

BLK: Homework Film Stills + Evaluation

My Group experimented with film stills from a wide range of different genres (as you can see above) from horrow to romance, and we used costumes, props, lighting, models and framing to fit each of our different chosen genres.

The Shot
This shot is a high angle MCU of a man being pushed against a brick wall by someone who has grabbed him by his shirt.

In this shot we were trying to recreate a scene which could take place in an action film, and we used the actors clothing (which was dark) to fit with conventions, especailly as the main actor is wearing a hoodie, which characters often wear in action films. The characters postures also fit the genre, as this sort of scene frequently takes place in action films, and the man's hands are shown to be clenched, connoting anger and strength, whilst the main actor is cornered and looks powerless. The location also conforms to conventions, as action films usually take place in various urban locations, and the brick wall could connote that the scene is taking place in an alleyway, or another similarly secluded and dangerous setting. The shot also potrays themes of voilence and fear through the actor's postitions, whish are common themes in action films. Also the main actor is a man, and looks like he could be an informant or a villian, both of which are archetypal characters of the genre,

What We Did

It was quite a sunny day, so we took the shot in an area of shade, which also hepled to form a slight shadow on the actors face. By holding the camera above the actors head we managed to created a HA shot.

What Was Successful

I think that the colours in this shot work well together and connote action and danger, and the actor looks scared but unfazed, which could present him as either a villainous character (also suggested by his dark clothes), but the high angle of the shot connotes that he is a victim. I think that the close up was successful as it shows the actors emotions clearly, helping the audience to connect and identify with the character. Also, I think that the shot raises questions about the character and the narrative, such as 'Who is he?'.

What I Would Do Differently

If I could repeat the shoot, I would perhaps replace the actors clothing with something that strongly signals what role the actor is playing in the film, and use low key lighting to make the shot darker and moodier to fit into genre conventions more, as we shot outside and it was quite sunny. I would also try to remove some of the empty space in the shot, particurlarly the area above the subject's head by using tighter framing.