Preliminary Exercises
8/6/21
A Mindmap analysis of the Shrek 2 Bed Room Scene has now been posted as a Preliminary exercise. I choose the bedroom scene as it was one of the most emotionally investing scenes in the movie, which would be great for analyzing.
The Clip can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye4EXsYzU4s
Technical Codes
10/6/21
Video Process
For the video, I decided to make a Documentary/Mockumentary style segment. It was based mostly on nature documentaries such as Planet Earth and The Blue Planet. All the decisions and choices made for the clip are written below.
Technical Codes
Camera: The camera work was based on documentaries, in documentaries, It is meant to be shot in ways to focus on what an animal is seeing or doing. Some clips were meant to replicate hidden cameras which are sometimes used to record footage of wild animals. I tried to replicate this in multiple shots across the clip, the introduction of the "animal", the "shoddy craftsmanship segment" are examples. Before the "animal actually appears there are also usually establishment shots of the environment as well.
Editing: The editing isn't really anything special, to replicate old documentaries I initially only showed close-ups of the "animal", obscuring it before it is fully revealed. The pace was meant to start off a little slow as the "animal" is introduced, and was meant to be faster in the second half as it starts to do something its species is known for. This is used a lot with nature documentaries, specifically ones that are focused on non-predatory animals.
Lighting: I tried to keep it consistent, but they're really wasn't much I could do to make it special. The consistent lighting is meant to replicate the feel of a segment in a nature documentary, which is meant to be a singular activity by an animal done in a short period, they have few chances to film after all. Here I had multiple days to shoot but I tried to keep it consistent.
Sound: The music used was from documentaries, but the overall tone of the music is meant to be more ridiculous due to the overall tone of the video. It was meant to have the documentary feel while also being a little goofy. The narration was similar, I was going for a more old/British-sounding voice, but again it's still meant to be dumb. I did not remove the audio in the recorded clips because it just sounded unnatural without them, sounded more like an essay than a documentary.
Special Effects: There weren't really any special effects, the closest thing to that were props, of which there were many but this section feels sorta empty.
Symbolic Codes
Acting: I was aiming for behaviour similar to primates and other intelligent animals such as crows to sell the documentary feel, it was meant to bit more animalistic and exaggerated compared to normal humans. Of course, a lot of this was also for comedic effect, I hope this is funny somehow. The emotions weren't focused on in the face that much except strong emotions as most emotions can't be told very well from animals facially.
Setting: I had nowhere else to go, so my home. That being said I specifically choose the living room, simply because it has the most space and also because the lighting was a lot better. I was likely going to do this anyway as it is the habitat where the "animal" lives in which sells the documentary feel better than patches of grass.
Mise En Scene: A lot of the props present in the background have mostly consistent positions, but the focus is either on the "animal" or the object it is focused on or distracted by. Sometimes these objects take up the majority of the frame to show their importance. This is what was utilized the most and it is also used in some documentaries.
Colour: The lighting and colour were meant to be more bright, this was to give off a more nature-like feeling as most documentaries are dominated by daytime segments and very few nighttime ones.
Visual Composition: Some shots had the "animal" move into the frame or focus on the top half of its body. The first was to make it move more and feel more alive, the second was to have the viewer focus on the subject of the documentary. The overall area was meant to feel crowded, with props pilled everywhere.
TinTin's Media Usage
Movie poster Semiotics analysis
15/9/21
Godzilla(1954)
ゴジラ/Gojira/Godzilla title and the credits:
The font used for the movie title is a custom one, made for the movie specifically. It was designed to signify 2 things, immeasurable size, and power. The font was designed to be much thicker and bolder than most Japanese text, like those used for the rest of the poster for the cast and credits which are comparably much thinner. This signifies Godzilla’s size, as a kaiju, he was large, larger than any other movie monster at the time. A bright red was chosen as the colour for the title. The colour red can signify many things that apply to Godzilla, among them danger, violence, fire, war, and most importantly, power. Godzilla’s sheer power over those that he terrorizes is what represents him in this movie. The entire movie is based on the effects of the atomic bombs on Japan, which the monster replicates. He is power incarnate, an unstoppable force. Finally, the position and colour of the text were also interesting, much of the cast and credits are placed at the bottom of the poster and the colours were less noticeable like white, yellow and light orange. This could signify that Godzilla is above them in both size and power.
Colour and hue
The poster is bathed in a harsh red light, emanating from Godzilla’s atomic breath. This red light surrounds primarily one thing, Godzilla himself which again represents his power. The rest of the poster is dark and gloomy, representing the hopelessness of the situation the characters are in.
Godzilla’s Scales:
Godzilla’s scales have a lot of symbolism to them too, first of is their coloration is pitch black. From head to toe, it is the only colour present, safe for the white of his eyes. The colour black here symbolizes power again, but also the very thing left in his wake, Death. The destruction he causes results in the mass dying and suffering of the masses, anywhere he goes, death will follow. The texture and patterning of his skin are also important, the bumpy texture is based on those suffering from the effects of radiation which hints at his origin being a consequence of hydrogen bomb testing.
The Eye:
Every part of Godzilla is that of a monster, except for one: His eyes which stand out from his dark coloration. They were designed to be somewhat human-like, not only is this a little unsettling but the similarity to the eyes of his victim is because, in a way, Godzilla is also a victim in this movie. An animal mutated into a titanic monster by the very ones he would by choice or by a force beyond his control, slaughter by the thousands.
Composition and actions of the characters:
Godzilla is shown to tower over the cast and the city they live in, they are very literally under his feet with the remnants of what was once towers and homes reduced to rubble. He is positioned above all man-made things, except for the planes he is shown tearing apart with ease. This supports what the fonts and colour scheme is trying to suggest. Everything beneath him will be left with nothing but pitch black death after falling to his power, and any kind of man-made resistance will too fall to his size and power. The cast can do nothing but look fearfully into impending doom, all but one. The character at the bottom right corner is Dr. Serizawa who in the end was the key to defeating and killing Godzilla, but his position directly under the king’s foot also reveals his fate in the end, death alongside the monster he helped destroy.
30/9/21
Lion King final battle: Analysis
1994 Original
The final battle in the original used a lot of reaction shots as well as close-ups of the character's faces, this is so that we can clearly see and focus on the emotions of each character, especially Simba and Scar who are the primary focus of the scene but also those of the hyenas who were betrayed by Scar in the scene. This was very effective as it took advantage of one of the strengths of animation, the stylized designs of the characters which allowed for clear and expressive faces which emote ranges of emotions. For the action scenes, medium shots, medium-long shots and similar shots were used so that the audience could better see the fight between the two lions, this makes the actions of the characters more clear. Long shots allow us to better see and feel the space and environment of the duel. Some POV shots were used, like when Scar is looking down the cliff or for Simba when he was fighting Scar, coupled with the current environment it creates a cramped feeling. Scar was also shot at a slightly higher angle and with long shots, this makes him look small and weaker as by this time in the story he was meant to be old and weak, especially in his final moments where he was surrounded by hyenas as that is his lowest point. The animated version took full advantage of the fact that it was animated and as a result made a well-executed finale.
The 2019 Remake
On the other hand, the remake version attempts close-ups and reaction shots too, for the same reasons, to show the emotions on the character’s faces. Unfortunately, it was not nearly as effective for two reasons, first, the lighting was too dark so the emotions on their faces were not clear, and second, the little we could see did not emote much emotion anyways. There were also fewer mid shots and long shots, likely an attempt to make the audience feel closer to the action but as a result, the fight was a lot harder to follow and personally I couldn’t tell who was who after the fight started. It had a decent sense of space as long shots were used to pan out across the entire cliffside. However, the final scene where Scar was eaten by the hyenas was decent enough, incorporating the long shot at a higher angle to make Scar look small and weak like in the original. The bad character design, coupled with the attempts to replicate just the original shots and story made it rather clear, it tried replicating something it didn't quite understand fully and as a result was just a weaker version of it.
Final evaluation
Overall, I think the 1994 original had the superior scene, the shots and angles used were appropriate, the action was a lot easier to follow as well as the characters had much clearer facial expressions which makes their emotions much more clear. The live-action movie did a somewhat passable job, it had a decent sense of space with the long shots and ELS used for the cliffside and the final scene was decently well done and expressed Scar’s current emotions and situations well enough most of these things were also done well, if not better in the original. To end it, the animated movie took full advantage of its strengths and succeeded, the remake, while technically being animated as well did not take advantage of the strengths of animation. It tried to only copy the shots and narrative and as a result of not understanding its own medium, suffered as a result.
6/10/21
4 min Mise-en-scene analysis: Friend's on the Other Side
As the scene starts, Prince Naveen and his servant Lawrance come across Dr. Facilier on the side of the road in New Orleans, at first, however, the shot is positioned on the ground under him so the most we see of him is his shadow which looms over the two other characters. The camera then tilts up to see the Voodoo doctor, he is shot from a low angle making him look tall and somewhat menacing and his movements at this point in the scene are more calm and proper. His design adds to this as well, he is given a lot of sharp, thin shapes which makes him look more menacing and cunning which coupled with the skull on his hat, which symbolizes death and his darker purplish colour scheme tells us that he is most likely a villain. The design of the other characters tell us a lot about them too, Naveen’s has more casual clothing, making him look like a carefree guy, on the other hand, Lawrance has a suit but one with muted colours which makes him look less friendly than you would usually expect from a butler character. The lighting so far is still warm and bright but this changes as the scene transitions into the Shadowman’s lair.
This setting is darker in tone and a long shot reveals more details such as dead trees, this contrasts the warm welcoming feel of outside the ally as a much more unsettling place, perfect for Dr. Facilier who’s actions began to shift, from being more proper to having more erratic movements and actions, almost as if he’s dancing as he is now in his element, a place where he has control over everything and can get away with anything, such as manipulating the other characters. Here the lighting and colour change significantly, everything is covered in a reddish or purplish hue which signifies mystery and danger which are colours also associated with Facilier. We also get a lot more mid and long shots from both high and low angles which allows us to see details of Facilier’s room such as his various voodoo items. As the song begins we also see a lot more close-up shots of the characters. This allows us to see their expressions and reactions better, the most important one being Lawrence’s malicious smile as the Facilier offers to give him his desire for wealth and status, as well as revealing his grudge against the Prince and the want to not only be as rich as him but for their positions to reverse. The close-ups were also used to tell the story of each character in cards, switching to reaction shots which tells us a lot about how each character perceives their lives, Naveen being apathetic about everything with his constant smile while Lawrence clearly was unhappy with his as he was pushed around for all of his life, this is seen is his constant frown. The music here is jazzy and fun at first then slows down for most of the scene where the music becomes loader a few times, specifically when Dr. Facilier talks about the wants of each character.
This then builds up to a much more bombastic end, the music swells up in a loader, a more dramatic and menacing rendition of the melody and tone, signifying that Naveen and Lawrance fell right into his trap. As they shake hands the scene shifts to a more abstract background, the colours become much more saturated, a sickening green is adding making the scene psychedelic and uncomfortable. This green colour then overtakes and entirely covers Naveen as he transforms, hinting that he has become a frog which was also hinted at by the lyrics of the song a few times. Close-ups and extreme close-ups were also added to make the scene feel more cramped so the audience would feel the same way as Naveen does as he is currently tied up. A final long shot of Facilier dancing as he takes total control, his plan has come to fruition, this is supported by the lack of the other two characters in the scene as he is now to one in charge, the one who holds the power ending this song on a high note for our villain.
8/11/21
Todorov’s Narrative structure applied: Shrek 2
Equilibrium
Shrek and Fiona are married, they and Donkey are then invited to Far Far Away to receive a blessing from Fiona’s father. Shrek goes along with this to make Fiona happy.
Far Far Away is established as a new location.
Shrek’s goal is established, and that is to make Fiona happy.
Disruption
Shrek meets Fiona’s father, John Cleese who does not like Shrek due to him being an Ogre and flights with him at dinner. Shrek begins to feel that he is not good enough for Fiona. Fairy Godmother and her son are also established as manipulators who use John Cleese for their personal gain.
John Cleese is established as opposing Shrek’s vies, while Fairy Godmother and her son are established as the main villains of the film.
They drive the point home that Shrek is not good enough for her which leads Shrek to try changing himself.
Recognition of disruption
Shrek tries to change himself and finds a potion to turn himself handsome and Fiona back to her human form. Fairy Godmother attempts to stop this by convincing Shrek that even when handsome he’s still an ogre on the inside and that he should give up.
Shrek tries to change himself to be good enough for Fiona.
Fairy Godmother tries to thwart Shrek’s attempts t stop her.
Attempt to repair disruption
Shrek realizes Fairy Godmother’s plan and storms the castle to stop her, proving that he would do anything for his wife.
The stakes are the highest at this point if he fails to stop her, Fiona and Far Far away would fall under her control.
Restoration of equilibrium
Fairy Godmother is defeated, Fiona accepts Shrek as he is, the two turn back into Ogres and John Cleese gives Shrek his blessing. Then they all party.
All the conflicts set up in the movie are resolved.
Propp’s Character Roles
The Hero seeks something
Shrek
The main character of the movie, tries to become better for the person he loves most.
The Villain opposes the Hero
Fairy Godmother and her son.
Trying to take over the kingdom, as well as manipulating John Cleese and Shrek.
The Donor gives something useful to the Hero.
Puss in Boots
Helps Shrek after he spares his life, he’s the one to find and give the potion to Shrek.
The Dispatcher sends the Hero on a quest.
John Cleese
The one to start the idea that Shrek isn’t good enough for Fiona, which sends him on his quest to be good enough for Fiona.
The False Hero seems to be good.
John Cleese
Tricked Shrek into almost getting killed by Puss.
The Helper supports the Hero.
Donkey and Puss in Boots
Both help Shrek on his quest.
The Princess/Reward is a reward for the Hero, often needing protection from the Villain.
Fiona
Fiona is the target of the villains as well as the person Shrek wants to be good enough for.
The Father/Mentor gives advice.
Donkey
Often gives Shrek life advice or convinces him to keep going.
22/11/21
Trying out Storyboards
A cowboy waits for his enemy to draw his pistol in a duel
Shot and angles:
The first shot would be behind the hand of one of the cowboys but still has the other one in the frame. The second should be an extreme close-up, the third should be a long shot.
Camera Movement:
In the first shot, the camera should move to the right of the screen. It should remain still in the other two shots.
Character Notes:
Two people, both wearing southwestern clothing accurate to the time and place. Maybe make them different body types so they look more distinct from each other. Both would be doing the iconic gun drawing pose while staring at each other.
Dialogue:
No dialogue, as it would make little sense for a scene where two people are in a calm and collective state and to increase the intense atmosphere of the scene.
Sound/Music:
Wild western music at a slower pace intensifies the focus of the two cowboys on their opponent. The sound of the tumbleweed should be heard as it rolls by. The sound of wind should persist through the scene.
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