Film Opening Research #2: La La Land

how many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?

The titles aren't presented until four minutes into the film, when the Hollywood style "La La Land" appears and the camera pans in on the main character.

what images are prioritized in the opening sequence?

Cars, vibrant colors, bright and colorful clothing.

what connotations do the images carry?

The color scheme further reinforces the idea that this film takes place in the old Hollywood era

how is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?

The film is a romance, comedy, drama, musical, and chick flick (which essentially encapsulates all of the above), which is present through the upbeat music, bright colors, and dancing.

how does the film establish an enigma from the outset?

From the trope of old Hollywood film and musicals, La La Land effectively follows this by providing the classic fonts and editing, the upbeat music, and colorful scenes.

what strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?

Arguably, their target audience would be young or teenage girls, and strategies such as loud and upbeat music

how has technology been used effectively? 

The use of editing has been used effectively by creating a ethereal aura for viewers

Film Opening Research #1: Clueless

how many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?

Paramount's infamous title is displayed to formally open the film. From there, a less formal and more Clueless-style title appears naming Paramount as the production studio in charge of the upcoming film. The film title Clueless appears on the screen making this the second title appearing during the opening sequence.

what images are prioritized in the opening sequence?

A jeep, Cher's shopping bags, a cherry.

what connotations do the images carry?

Each of these gives off a great feeling of lavish-living. It is clear that Cher and her friends have no care in the world, as the scene continuously switches back and forth from the friends riding past palm trees in an open Jeep, sitting by the pool laughing, sitting in a restaurant eating as they feed one of their friends a cherry. Each of these symbols gives off an idea that Cher and her friends are living a carefree life.

how is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?

Clueless is a chick-film, and the lavish, carefree, excited nature of the opening scene supports this.

how does the film establish an enigma from the outset?

The film begins with a dozen of rich teenagers living their best life- what else is going to happen? Based off of the trope that Hollywood has created surrounding rich young adults and their ridiculously unrelatable lifestyles and problems, it draws viewers in and makes them wonder what could go wrong in this character's picture perfect life.

what strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?

Being that this film is a chick-flick, there is the typical pink, feminine decor and graphics.

how has technology been used effectively? 

Clueless was produced in 1995, right as new technology began to develop in the film industry. The director uses slowed-down, shaky filming to give a more authentic shot of the teenagers. Also present, albeit unrealistic, is Cher's computerized closet. Through this use of technology, Cher picks through photos of the items in her closet and chooses her outfit electronically. This use of technology was extremely unknown and unrealistic to people during this time, as technology had not yet grown to what we see now, two decades later.

My Favorite Genre- Video

Kiley and I's Horror Video

Genre Research #2 - PowerPoint

My Favorite Genre: Powerpoint

Film Viewing Practice Essay

There are visible and audible aspects of camera shots, angles, movement and composition, editing, sound, and mise-en-scène within the film Agent Carter. Each of these components plays a key role in the development of the plot throughout the film.

As a whole, the use of camera shots, angles, movement and composition is prevalent throughout the film. An establishing shot is in place to establish the setting during the shot which shows a wide view of New York City. The city, as we know it, is extremely lively and constantly on the go. Yet, this scene places it as slowed down for just a second, which allows viewers to mentally picture this setting as the “home base” for the movie. A choking shot is used quite literally in the scene where Peggy is being choked by a man in a gas mask. The camera constantly switches back and forth in movement, showing the man choking Peggy and Peggy’s response while fighting back to create suspense and tension for the viewer. The use of angles clearly establishes this movie as very pro-girl power, in a way. When Peggy is talking to the two men, an over the shoulder shot is used which makes the viewer feel as though they are a part of the conversation, themselves. Nonetheless, the use of this shot also shows Peggy’s status amongst these two men. Regardless of their burly demeanor and fancy trench coats, she is every amount just as powerful and strong, even with the uneven numbers.

To advance the plot, Pudovkin’s edits can be found throughout the film. At the very beginning of the film, the camera constantly switches back and forth between Peggy, sitting in her office, and Steve, who is at the moment in a position of danger while flying his aircraft. This use of parallelism establishes a clear comparison as well as contrast between the two protagonists and their situations. Both are clearly on edge and in positions of high stress, but there are clear differences behind their reasons of stress. In Steve’s case, he is in a life-threatening situation, whereas Peggy’s case is much less extreme.

In regards to sound, a sound bridge is used to “bridge” two scenes together. Within Agent Carter, a sound bridge can be found to tie the scene of the aircraft to the establishing shot of New York City. The use of this sound technique easily moves the viewer from a scene of high intensity to a much calmer, less intense scene. In a way, the use of the same music throughout these two scenes creates a clear contrast of energy between the two scenes.

Last but certainly not least, the use of mise-en-scène is extremely prevalent throughout the film. Throughout Agent Carter, instances of sexism and a clear lack of equality between Peggy and her male counterparts is evident. Peggy is dressed very feminine, with curled hair, makeup, and a lower cut shirt. This directly contrasts societal standards in regards to her powerful and dominant personality. In society, it is uncommon for women to dress effeminately, yet act in such a dominant way. Staging is also used as a technique to show Peggy’s stance amongst the male protagonists within the film. In one scene, Peggy is standing across from a group of men during a discussion, displacing her from the rest of the group and insinuating a sense of inequality between the two.

In total, the use of camera shots, angles, movement and composition, editing, sound, and mise-en-scène throughout Agent Carter plays a vital role in the progression of the film, as well as the audience’s reaction to specific situations.

Film Elements Graphic Organizer

CAMERA SHOTS, ANGLES, MOVEMENT, AND COMPOSITION

1. Establishing shot: sets the location for a scene

2. Low angle shot: provides the viewer with a perspective from below

3. High angle shot: provides the viewer with a higher perspective, from above

4. Dolly shot: following the subject, making the camera appear as though it is on a train track

5. Birds eye viewer: shot from high high above, allows the viewer with an over-arching perspective

EDITING

1. Contrast: cuts back and forth between two scenes to suggest a contrast between the two of them. A dichotomy would occur where the first scene shows one extreme, and the second shows an opposite extreme

2. Parallelism: connects two scenes by focusing on one aspect that is paralleled between the two, even if the scenes appear unconnected at the surface

3. Simultaneity: builds suspense by showing two action-filled scenes occurring at the exact same time

4. Leit motif: repeating a shot and a specific sound or song, to show the recurrence of that scene or concept

5. Symbolism: tying together two scenes through the use of a symbolic object or concept

MISE-EN-SCENE

1. Staging: The particular way that actors, furniture, or other objects are placed in a scene. This is completely thought out by the director and producer, to "stage" the scene in the most effective way possible to suggest a certain mood. 

2. Acting: The actor's performance in the movie or play; this is extremely important to the overall flow of the movie as this can truly make or break the quality of the performance

3. Costume: The actor's appearance in the scene, which can provide context of the character's archetype, the time period, the weather, the character's age, etc. Costume can include makeup and wardrobe. 

4. Setting: Provides a mood, place of mind, or establishing location for the scene. This can be as simple as a dark room with a flash of lightning through the window, which would set the mood as eery; this could also be as extreme as an entire football stadium, filled with the cheers of the crowd and the whistle of the ref. This would allow for an exhilarating mood throughout within the scene.

5. Three-point lighting: key, fill, and back light is arranged in such a way that the scene is illuminated

SOUND

1. Direct sound: recorded while filming, and is not edited in afterwards

2. Diegetic sound: both the audience and the characters can hear

3. Non-diegetic sound: the audience can hear the sound, but the characters on screen cannot

4. Sound bridge: bridges one scene to the next

5. Off screen sound: sound is off-screen, whilst the camera remains focused on the action occurring onscreen 

Analyzing the Use of Mise-En-Scene within Friends

In this episode of Friends, titled "The One with the Monkey," multiple areas of mise-en-scene are used. This includes setting, lighting, costume and staging. This episode takes place during winter in New York City, and the six "friends" are throwing together a New Years Eve party.

Setting: As a general setting, this episode takes place in New York City. Nonetheless, like most Friends episodes, the majority of the episode is spent in Monica and Rachel's apartment. Decked out for the holiday, this setting creates a very homey and Christmas-y vibe for the viewer.

Lighting: With additional Christmas lights strung across in the background and bright white snow falling outside, the main space of the apartment is extremely bright. This allows for a very happy and carefree feeling, as there is no shadows or darkness. There is no sense of eeriness or confusion for the viewer, and the overall feeling is very happy.

Costume: As an ode to New York's below freezing weather at Christmas time, the six friends are bundled up in hats, boots, and sweaters- even when inside. More specifically, each character fits the role of "family member at Christmas dinner" archetype. For example, Chandler's striped sweater which looks strangely similar to something that the dad from Home Alone would wear; Monica's red cardigan, which gives off strong mom vibes. By simply looking at the character's outfits, it's clear that it's Christmas time.

Staging: Always situated in either the kitchen or living room, the group is clearly sat in a very specific way. Rachel throws her feet over the love seat, the three boys are on the edge of the couch, Phoebe is standing in the corner, and Monica is at the center, going on a spiel. It's a common sight among episodes, and it almost allows the viewer to be in the action with the characters.

Five Master Shots (with Sound!)

Find our five master edits with sound here.

LEITMOTIF: For our example of leitmotif, Kiley and I included a sound bridge. A sound bridge occurs when sound is carried over a visual transition in a film. We used this to depict a leitmotif because we used multiple scenes showing people drinking water and a water fountain. Adding the sound of trickling water in the background shows the common theme of water occurring throughout, which shows a connection between the two concepts.

PARALLELISM: To depict parallelism, we used post synchronization dubbing and diegetic sound. Post synchronous sounds place emphasis on the characters and makes a much more realistic ambiance, and it's the same case for diegetic sound. We added the sound of leaves crunching as Kiley and I walked past the screen as this placed an emphasis on us walking. 

CONTRAST: We used post synchronization dubbing for our contrast scene as well, where we added the sound of crickets and then the sound of a loud hallway. Regardless of the fact that crickets would not often be found in an empty hallway, the sound of crickets often represents silence. We added the sounds of a bustling hallway to further emphasize the sounds heard during passing period. These scenes contrast one another in that the hallway is painfully silent while students are in classes, and lively and energetic during the passing period.

SIMULTANEITY: We used direct sound for our simultaneity scene, as this showed the reality of what was happening during a Lely lunch period. In a way, this allows the viewer to truly feel as though they are there.

SYMBOLISM: We added triumphant music for our symbolism edit as the "L" in a Lely Varsity letter fades out into the L in "Lely Trojans." This shows Lely's pride and triumphant energy.

Overall, this sound allows the mood of our video to change constantly. However, watching this as a viewer genuinely keeps me on the edge of my seat and the ongoing upbeat music and sound creates a positive aura for the overall video.

A Look Into Pudovkin's Five Master Edits As Depicted in Hollywood

Once learning about Pudovkin's Five Master Edits, I soon realized that if you look hard enough, leitmotif, contrast, symbolism, simultaneity, and parallelism can be found right before your eyes! Here are some examples as shown in Hollywood films:

Leitmotif: With it being a musical, Hercules is notorious for its classic songs. One song in particular is Hercules' number with Go The Distance. This song acts as the character's leitmotif as it perfectly encapsulates everything about the character and his place in the movie. Surprisingly enough, I realized that most Disney movies have this concept of a leitmotif that describes each movie and main character. For example, Aladdin's Whole New World, Lion King's Circle of Life, and Tarzan's Two Worlds. Shown below is a brief clip from Hercules' number.

I had trouble uploading this video, so I have linked the YouTube video here.

Contrast: This video from 2001's Space Odyssey contrasts a bone being thrown up in the air with a space ship falling down. This comparison works, because the two sizes are very similar to one another and therefore a contrasting effect is established when the camera cuts from the bone in the air to a shot of the space ship in the air.

Here is a link to this scene from Space Odyssey

Symbolism: The epilogue of Breaking Dawn: Part II depicts multiple scenes occurring from throughout the series fades from one to another.

Here is a link to the scene in Breaking Dawn Part II

Simultaneity: In this shot from The Godfather, tensions rise when the camera is shot back and forth between two scenes. The camera cuts between Michael Cerlone at a christening and a gory death. This establishes an odd juxtaposition within the film, illustrating purity and gore occurring at the exact same moment.

Here is a link to the scene in the Godfather

Parallelism: In The Silence of the Lambs, the audience can see the FBI raiding a house that they believe belongs to a character called "Buffalo Bill." Following this, the audience sees Buffalo Bill reacting to a bell in a dungeon. The bell in the dungeon directly correlates to the FBI agent ringing the bell in the paralleled scene.

Here is a link to The Silence of the Lambs, which depicts parallelism.

Five Master Edits (The Principles of Editing)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjnGvgvxHTc&feature=youtu.be

LEIT MOTIF: A leitmotif can be defined as a recurring musical theme connected to a particular character, object, place, idea. In Kiley and I's film, the camera angle switches periodically back and forth between the running water in a water fountain, and people drinking from a water bottle. In this case, the water would act as the subject, or object. The running water from the fountain acts as the recurring subject.

CONTRAST: In any case, contrast is an extreme difference between two ideas. In film, when the camera is cut between two vastly different scenes, this shows contrast. In our film, an empty, silent hallway is shown. Just moments later, after the bell is rung and students are moving from first to second period, a contrast is created as the hallway is now filled with students and noise.

SYMBOLISM: A symbolic connection is created when there is a bridge between the first and second scene in film. The camera zooms in on a Varsity letter "L" (for Lely), and when the camera zooms back out, it is focused on the "L" from the Lely Trojans ingrained in the bench outside in the courtyard. 

SIMULTANEITY: Simultaneity is useful in creating suspense for the audience. In film, a scene would cut back and forth between two events occurring at the same time to show either contrast or similarity between the two events occurring. In this case, there would be a difference in the noisy courtyard during lunch versus Mr. Alvarez's quieter, more controlled classroom setting occurring at the exact same moment.

PARALLELISM: Cutting together two unrelated scenes and drawing similarities or parallels between the two establishes a connection in film. In our case, Kiley and I focus the camera on our feet and the camera shows each of us walking across the courtyard.