Individual Research - Joseph Fisher
Titles Analysis 1: Lamb to the Slaughter
In this opening sequence, the shots, score and fonts all combine to aid the audience in identifying the tone and genre (black comedy) of the film, as well as introducing key characters and items, such as lamb at the end of the sequence, that give the audience an indication as to the plot of the film they are about to see.
The initial shots, along with the score played along with it (‘I can’t stop loving you’ by Frank Sinatra) creates a sense of the time period the drama is set in: the late 50s to early 60s. it gives a sort of retro feel to the whole sequence, indicating to the audience the setting of the drama and therefore allows them to assume some of the plot devices or representation they may see in the film because of it. The music choice also highlights the characterisation of the main female character (who, significantly is the character shown most in this sequence) as a doting wife who for all intents and purposes ‘can’t stop loving’ her husband. The irony here however is that while the character is female, the song is sung by a man, and the man in this story would definitely not be portraying the feelings stated in the lyrics of the score. This introduces the audience to the sort of level of black humour elements that will pepper the film that follows this sequence, hence highlighting the film’s genre and tone.
Similarly, the imagery used in this sequence, especially later on, serves to highlight the genre of the film, bringing to the fore the kind of dark comedy the audience can expect from this film. The sequence takes the pretty standard and mundane task of cooking and highlights its most violent aspects, the use of knives to cut innocent vegetables, for example, therefore portraying the comedic tone set by the film itself of twisting normality to portray violent acts for comic effect. This highlights the kind of ridiculous comedy concerning these acts and items that the following film will use throughout its running time, again teasing the audience with little snippets of plot, highlighting this ridiculous reversal of normality as the main focus of the film the audience are about to watch. The imagery opens with a retro and warm feeling that is typical of a family-friendly period piece, but slowly gets more focused on the darker nature of the story, finishing with a shot solely focused on the all-important leg of lamb, along with the use of the bloody and gory font. This last shot both indicates that the lamb is probably an important item, and tells the audience (especially through the font use), that this is a dangerous item and that perhaps the seemingly normal act of cooking that takes place in the sequence had a much darker motive behind it, allowing them to question the safety in their assumptions, and hinting at the black comedic elements that follow the sequence.
The initial shots, along with the score played along with it (‘I can’t stop loving you’ by Frank Sinatra) creates a sense of the time period the drama is set in: the late 50s to early 60s. it gives a sort of retro feel to the whole sequence, indicating to the audience the setting of the drama and therefore allows them to assume some of the plot devices or representation they may see in the film because of it. The music choice also highlights the characterisation of the main female character (who, significantly is the character shown most in this sequence) as a doting wife who for all intents and purposes ‘can’t stop loving’ her husband. The irony here however is that while the character is female, the song is sung by a man, and the man in this story would definitely not be portraying the feelings stated in the lyrics of the score. This introduces the audience to the sort of level of black humour elements that will pepper the film that follows this sequence, hence highlighting the film’s genre and tone.
Similarly, the imagery used in this sequence, especially later on, serves to highlight the genre of the film, bringing to the fore the kind of dark comedy the audience can expect from this film. The sequence takes the pretty standard and mundane task of cooking and highlights its most violent aspects, the use of knives to cut innocent vegetables, for example, therefore portraying the comedic tone set by the film itself of twisting normality to portray violent acts for comic effect. This highlights the kind of ridiculous comedy concerning these acts and items that the following film will use throughout its running time, again teasing the audience with little snippets of plot, highlighting this ridiculous reversal of normality as the main focus of the film the audience are about to watch. The imagery opens with a retro and warm feeling that is typical of a family-friendly period piece, but slowly gets more focused on the darker nature of the story, finishing with a shot solely focused on the all-important leg of lamb, along with the use of the bloody and gory font. This last shot both indicates that the lamb is probably an important item, and tells the audience (especially through the font use), that this is a dangerous item and that perhaps the seemingly normal act of cooking that takes place in the sequence had a much darker motive behind it, allowing them to question the safety in their assumptions, and hinting at the black comedic elements that follow the sequence.
Titles Analysis 2: Watchmen
Watchmen opening from Sara Goes on Vimeo.
These opening titles for the movie 'Watchmen' use a montage of both factual and fictional historical events in order to reveal to the viewer the back-stories for the characters involved in the films, as well as the back-story for the warped version of America the film is set in and the American history that is integral to the film's plot. The shots score and even the font used highlight the thematic and tonal elements that are fundamental to what happens later in the film, setting up the backgrounds of several characters and introducing the viewer to a new type of America where superheroes are part of everyday life and even a part of significant historical events that clearly sets this universe apart from our own.
There is a clear shift in tone as the titles go on, with there being a significant amount of goodwill and smiling faces in the first minute of the titles. These shots seem to emphasise the older ideas of super-heroism, with cheesy costumes and a campy demeanour in their actions, a good example being the shot at 30 seconds of The Comedian taking hold of a very stereotypical and old fashioned looking thief, even holding a ‘swag’ bag to really hark back to the golden age of comic book superheroes, who would perform similar do-gooder acts akin to this. These images play on the viewers’ nostalgia of these older ideas, and therefore highlight the same kind of ‘golden age’ feelings that the people within the film’s universe would have had towards these heroes as increasingly similar to that of what we would have had when heroes like Superman came about in and around the same time period of the early 40s. this idea is also highlighted in the seemingly very ‘comic book’ font used for the titling, which clearly harks back to comic book covers of old, again feeding on the nostalgia of viewers but also conforming to stereotypes of the more campy comic book genre where the scenes behind them, especially later on, clearly do not.
However, as the song throughout the opening states, ‘the times they are a-changing’, and the shots after this initial minute of film have a much darker edge to them, acquainting the viewer with the far darker tone of the movie itself. What follows is several scenes of death, madness and violence that highlight the kind of plot elements the characters we follow in the film are going to have to deal with. These later shots also deal with the historical elements of the films plot, such as the incredibly powerful close up shot at 4 minutes of the flower being fired from the gun at the protestors, showing the audience the civil unrest that was brewing in America at this time due to the Vietnam and cold wars. Another example of this is the re-imagining of the assassination of President Kennedy, who it turns out was shot by The Comedian. This part of the opening titles makes the viewer far more aware of the roles superheroes are playing in this alternate reality, and introduces them to one of several reasons why the last shot of ‘Who watches the Watchmen’ written in graffiti is so relevant to the film as a whole, and gives a sense of exactly why the Americans are angry and do not trust the Watchmen. As well as dealing with the historical elements of the film, the credits also introduce character themes, such as a young Rorschach watching his mother make money through prostitution, hinting to why he may be so damaged as a character later in the film. We also get a glimpse of the almighty powers of Dr Manhattan, with his character watching on as Neil Armstrong walks on the moon for the very first time. This shot in particular gives the viewer a good sense of how this character is almost godlike, before the film has even truly started.
Another interesting part of this sequence is the recurring motif of cameras. There is a camera taking photos in almost every scene, especially at the start of the sequence, and this really highlights the fame that seems to come with being a public figure such as a superhero, and suggests that what seemingly follows this increase in fame and media attention is madness and death. The vast contrast between the idea of the superheroine ‘Silhouette’ being photographed as part of the Minutemen, and then later being photographed brutally murdered and branded a ‘lesbian whore’ is offset somewhat by the fact that both were photographed. This parallel seems to highlight that as a superhero, these people live their lives in the media, are judged by people through it, and die with it still looming over them, painting a picture to the viewer of perhaps exactly why these characters are so affected by what happens around them and who judges them for who they are.
Finally, the soundtrack used in this sequence (‘The times they are a-changing’ by Bob Dylan) is incredibly relevant to the pictures seen in the opening credits, the lyrics tying seamlessly with the themes of change and civil unrest shown in the cold war era. The song itself was written around this time in 1963, highlighting the sense of change and protest that was so relevant back then and also very relevant in this title sequence. The song seems to emphasise the vast amount of change taking place in the sequence, from the campy, smiling hero figures of the forties, to the death and destruction left behind. The song is powerful and the lyrics emotive and it therefore compliments the powerful images of death and protest shown in the sequence alongside it.
There is a clear shift in tone as the titles go on, with there being a significant amount of goodwill and smiling faces in the first minute of the titles. These shots seem to emphasise the older ideas of super-heroism, with cheesy costumes and a campy demeanour in their actions, a good example being the shot at 30 seconds of The Comedian taking hold of a very stereotypical and old fashioned looking thief, even holding a ‘swag’ bag to really hark back to the golden age of comic book superheroes, who would perform similar do-gooder acts akin to this. These images play on the viewers’ nostalgia of these older ideas, and therefore highlight the same kind of ‘golden age’ feelings that the people within the film’s universe would have had towards these heroes as increasingly similar to that of what we would have had when heroes like Superman came about in and around the same time period of the early 40s. this idea is also highlighted in the seemingly very ‘comic book’ font used for the titling, which clearly harks back to comic book covers of old, again feeding on the nostalgia of viewers but also conforming to stereotypes of the more campy comic book genre where the scenes behind them, especially later on, clearly do not.
However, as the song throughout the opening states, ‘the times they are a-changing’, and the shots after this initial minute of film have a much darker edge to them, acquainting the viewer with the far darker tone of the movie itself. What follows is several scenes of death, madness and violence that highlight the kind of plot elements the characters we follow in the film are going to have to deal with. These later shots also deal with the historical elements of the films plot, such as the incredibly powerful close up shot at 4 minutes of the flower being fired from the gun at the protestors, showing the audience the civil unrest that was brewing in America at this time due to the Vietnam and cold wars. Another example of this is the re-imagining of the assassination of President Kennedy, who it turns out was shot by The Comedian. This part of the opening titles makes the viewer far more aware of the roles superheroes are playing in this alternate reality, and introduces them to one of several reasons why the last shot of ‘Who watches the Watchmen’ written in graffiti is so relevant to the film as a whole, and gives a sense of exactly why the Americans are angry and do not trust the Watchmen. As well as dealing with the historical elements of the film, the credits also introduce character themes, such as a young Rorschach watching his mother make money through prostitution, hinting to why he may be so damaged as a character later in the film. We also get a glimpse of the almighty powers of Dr Manhattan, with his character watching on as Neil Armstrong walks on the moon for the very first time. This shot in particular gives the viewer a good sense of how this character is almost godlike, before the film has even truly started.
Another interesting part of this sequence is the recurring motif of cameras. There is a camera taking photos in almost every scene, especially at the start of the sequence, and this really highlights the fame that seems to come with being a public figure such as a superhero, and suggests that what seemingly follows this increase in fame and media attention is madness and death. The vast contrast between the idea of the superheroine ‘Silhouette’ being photographed as part of the Minutemen, and then later being photographed brutally murdered and branded a ‘lesbian whore’ is offset somewhat by the fact that both were photographed. This parallel seems to highlight that as a superhero, these people live their lives in the media, are judged by people through it, and die with it still looming over them, painting a picture to the viewer of perhaps exactly why these characters are so affected by what happens around them and who judges them for who they are.
Finally, the soundtrack used in this sequence (‘The times they are a-changing’ by Bob Dylan) is incredibly relevant to the pictures seen in the opening credits, the lyrics tying seamlessly with the themes of change and civil unrest shown in the cold war era. The song itself was written around this time in 1963, highlighting the sense of change and protest that was so relevant back then and also very relevant in this title sequence. The song seems to emphasise the vast amount of change taking place in the sequence, from the campy, smiling hero figures of the forties, to the death and destruction left behind. The song is powerful and the lyrics emotive and it therefore compliments the powerful images of death and protest shown in the sequence alongside it.
Genre Research 1: British Film
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Below is the original document, along with the clips analysed
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Genre Research 2: Romantic Comedy
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Below is the original document, along with the clips analysed
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Genre Research 3: Thriller
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Below is the original document, along with the clips analysed
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Genre Research 4: Horror
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Below is the original document, along with the clips analysed
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Camera Shots
Here is a list of six camera shots from film and TV shows that I feel are very effective, and some that might work well in our own production:
1. 'Back to the camera' shot - various
The video above contains a montage of 'back to the camera' shots, which are all essentially the same in every film that uses them. Usually used in sci-fi or fantasy films, they place the camera behind a character, usually from far away, in order to draw attention to incredible feats or beautiful surroundings. They leave the character in the shot pretty much anonymous, and so the weight of the scene is carried by what happens around them. Most of the time this is a massive explosion or epic view of a planet or crowd, but I see no reason why the same effect could not be used in plainer surroundings. what impresses me most about these shots is the emotional weight each one carries. Despite the music in the montage not being from any of the films shown, it helps to show just how emotional a shot like this can be, giving huge amounts of gravitas, yet also conveying a harrowing sense of loneliness and insignificance in respect to the surrounding area. This idea of loneliness is something we could perhaps convey well in our own film by using a similar shot to this.
The video above contains a montage of 'back to the camera' shots, which are all essentially the same in every film that uses them. Usually used in sci-fi or fantasy films, they place the camera behind a character, usually from far away, in order to draw attention to incredible feats or beautiful surroundings. They leave the character in the shot pretty much anonymous, and so the weight of the scene is carried by what happens around them. Most of the time this is a massive explosion or epic view of a planet or crowd, but I see no reason why the same effect could not be used in plainer surroundings. what impresses me most about these shots is the emotional weight each one carries. Despite the music in the montage not being from any of the films shown, it helps to show just how emotional a shot like this can be, giving huge amounts of gravitas, yet also conveying a harrowing sense of loneliness and insignificance in respect to the surrounding area. This idea of loneliness is something we could perhaps convey well in our own film by using a similar shot to this.
2. 'Lingering medium close up' - Taxi Driver
The fact this shot is so simple is what makes it so effective. The close up is standard enough, but it is the fact that it never cuts away from the character that makes this shot so hauntingly uncomfortable. It is like we are seeing half of a conversation, where normally the director would use shot-reverse-shot to show the other person. However what we get it a shot that never moves, and that fixates the viewer on the character's eyes, which have so much madness in them, its very uncomfortable to watch. The idea of never deviating from the character invites us to consider the character's schizophrenia, as we clearly see that he is conversing with someone, only the shot shows us that he's talking to no-one. The madness in his eyes as well as the hauntingly appropriate line 'are you talking to me?' just hammers home the psyche of this character, and is made a lot creepier for it.
The fact this shot is so simple is what makes it so effective. The close up is standard enough, but it is the fact that it never cuts away from the character that makes this shot so hauntingly uncomfortable. It is like we are seeing half of a conversation, where normally the director would use shot-reverse-shot to show the other person. However what we get it a shot that never moves, and that fixates the viewer on the character's eyes, which have so much madness in them, its very uncomfortable to watch. The idea of never deviating from the character invites us to consider the character's schizophrenia, as we clearly see that he is conversing with someone, only the shot shows us that he's talking to no-one. The madness in his eyes as well as the hauntingly appropriate line 'are you talking to me?' just hammers home the psyche of this character, and is made a lot creepier for it.
3. The 'Epic Travelling Shot' - Avengers Assemble
This scene is mostly made up of one long 'travelling' shot, which means no cuts. All of the characters come together in one really long shot that makes the camera fly all over the place, bridged by items such as Hawkeye's arrow, and is a really good way of giving all the characters a bit of screen time, but also show the teamwork and comradery between them by having it as all one shot. Now, while something of this scale is obviously out of the question for our film, the idea of having one long shot that is bridged by specific items to introduce the main players in our film could potentially look quite good, and would be very effective if we were dealing with an ensemble cast.
This scene is mostly made up of one long 'travelling' shot, which means no cuts. All of the characters come together in one really long shot that makes the camera fly all over the place, bridged by items such as Hawkeye's arrow, and is a really good way of giving all the characters a bit of screen time, but also show the teamwork and comradery between them by having it as all one shot. Now, while something of this scale is obviously out of the question for our film, the idea of having one long shot that is bridged by specific items to introduce the main players in our film could potentially look quite good, and would be very effective if we were dealing with an ensemble cast.
4. The 'Parity' shot - X-men: First Class
This scene is incredibly powerful for so many reasons. Firstly, the idea of the parity between what happens to Shaw and what happens to Xavier is extremely effective. The combination of the separate shots into one movement shows how in killing Shaw, Magneto also kills any chance of redemption he may have found in Xavier, which is shown in how the scenes are seamlessly blended into one powerful motion. Secondly, he kills him with a coin, which blew my mind in so many ways the first time I saw it, and the speed at which the coin enters and leaves the head is so powerful, the audience can feel Magneto's anger through the coin. A parity shot such as this could be useful to us in terms of either a dream sequence, where we could cut between different areas creating parity between separate locations, or in a scene similar to this, where we would create parity between characters for an effective comparison of actions being performed on them or by them, or in an interesting blend of personalities between characters.
This scene is incredibly powerful for so many reasons. Firstly, the idea of the parity between what happens to Shaw and what happens to Xavier is extremely effective. The combination of the separate shots into one movement shows how in killing Shaw, Magneto also kills any chance of redemption he may have found in Xavier, which is shown in how the scenes are seamlessly blended into one powerful motion. Secondly, he kills him with a coin, which blew my mind in so many ways the first time I saw it, and the speed at which the coin enters and leaves the head is so powerful, the audience can feel Magneto's anger through the coin. A parity shot such as this could be useful to us in terms of either a dream sequence, where we could cut between different areas creating parity between separate locations, or in a scene similar to this, where we would create parity between characters for an effective comparison of actions being performed on them or by them, or in an interesting blend of personalities between characters.
5. 'Epic Zoom' - Iron Man 2
This shot is an effective comedy moment, as it slowly reveals the ridiculousness of Stark's situation, but is also effective in how it tracks behind Nick Fury for a behind the camera shot to surprise the viewer, and Stark, with his appearance. This shot, in only a few seconds of footage, clearly defines the two characters and the kind of relationship they have through the low angle and the dialogue. Now while we could likely not get an Iron Man suit, or a massive doughnut, the idea of tracking back from one character to introduce another through a clever and witty line is something I feel could be quite effective for an introductory shot for a character and thus creating a believable relationship between characters.
This shot is an effective comedy moment, as it slowly reveals the ridiculousness of Stark's situation, but is also effective in how it tracks behind Nick Fury for a behind the camera shot to surprise the viewer, and Stark, with his appearance. This shot, in only a few seconds of footage, clearly defines the two characters and the kind of relationship they have through the low angle and the dialogue. Now while we could likely not get an Iron Man suit, or a massive doughnut, the idea of tracking back from one character to introduce another through a clever and witty line is something I feel could be quite effective for an introductory shot for a character and thus creating a believable relationship between characters.
6. 'Swish pan' - Hot Fuzz
This opening sequence to 'Hot Fuzz' uses the swish pan technique several times, and brings a high level of excitement to the sequence of shots, even those containing such mundane tasks such as exam sitting and shots of certificates. They make the life of a policeman seem very exciting and full of action and are effective in making the montage very fluid. I think we could use swish pans to great effect in our movie to create fluid motion between cuts of a montage, and to heighten the excitement felt by the audience watching the montage, which may feel a bit disconnected and/or boring with just normal cuts. I have no idea how to actually create a swish cut, but if we could work it out I think it could be very effective.
This opening sequence to 'Hot Fuzz' uses the swish pan technique several times, and brings a high level of excitement to the sequence of shots, even those containing such mundane tasks such as exam sitting and shots of certificates. They make the life of a policeman seem very exciting and full of action and are effective in making the montage very fluid. I think we could use swish pans to great effect in our movie to create fluid motion between cuts of a montage, and to heighten the excitement felt by the audience watching the montage, which may feel a bit disconnected and/or boring with just normal cuts. I have no idea how to actually create a swish cut, but if we could work it out I think it could be very effective.