This exercise intends to deciphers the meaning behind some scenes from different films and series by having a look at the mise-en-scene of some shots from these scenes.
Confrotation - Breaking Bad
I’ve chosen this shot as an example of
confrontation. The frame feels tension
and rivalry as we can see how two gangs face each other in an open space. It’s easy
to get this impression as the arrangement of items and actors splits the
picture into two groups of elements. It’s possible to draw an imaginary line
along the middle in such a way that it’s clear the conflict. Likewise, the
distribution of objects produces the sense of stress – it all perfectly placed like
they were waiting to the start of the battle. Besides, the cars reinforce this
idea as they have been parked aligned. Finally,
by my reckoning, the open space also contributes to the atmosphere because
there’s nothing there and this implies there won’t be any witness of the fight.
Terror - I know what you did last summer
A terror film is always a good source of settings thought to create frightening atmospheres. I could have gone for many when watching "". Eventually, I took this one because it achieves the feeling if suspense without needing a particular use of the lighting, music or something else. Just the presence in the background of a door half open is enough to create discomfort and doubt among the audience. Was that door open before or not? And having asked ourselves this question the threaten is made. Furthermore, the fact that there's no more information placed within the shot, helped to focus the viewer's attention on the door.
Stress - Seinfeld
It goes without saying that this is an arrangement of elements that pretends to show to what extent the protagonist is busy. The items give us the meaning of being in a very oppressive space. Moreover, the mid shot emphasises precisely that. After many hours of working, we have got a cluttered area full of things. For obvious reasons, neither a close up nor a wide shot would fit well with the purpose of conveying strain. In adittion to this, it has to be taken into account that the background is also busy, having several objects to squeeze the footage a little bit more.
For this assignment I've produced a short sequence of no more than 5 shots that tells a simple story using images alon.
Planning
This intends to be a funny story about a reader that falls asleep as soon as he starts to read.
Shot 1. We see the protagonist looking for a book. I need a mid shot because the room or something else is irrelevant. Just the reader and the shelves with the books are important. Besides, it has to show the title of the books in order to have an idea of what he or she is looking for. That's why the mid shot is needed. The point of view is a third person type. It could be combined with a subjective viewpoint but the limitation in the number of shots takes me to use the other one. The camera angle is neither hogh or low so it doesn't indicate any feeling or emotion.
Shot 2. Following up the first shot I have a close up of the reader turning the pages. A high angle is needed in the form of an over the shoulder picture. As it happens in Shot 1, this doesn't mean anything. It's just to give continuity and coherence to the scene. In this manner, it is easier to understand what is going on. Basically, the idea is to have a subjective point of view. The main element is the book and also the action of turning pages but it is possible to see the shelves representing the background.
Shot 3. This is a wide shot. More information is required. I want to show the place where he or she is going to read the book. So, we see the typical stuff of a living room. A table, a sofa, etc. Obviously, a level eye shot is used. Furthermore, it helps to create a quiet atmosphere because the reader is going to relax - which is something that can't be forgotten. There is movement within the shot as it starts with an empty room and then the character appears. To reinforce this flat scenario the elements are shown in a well organised and distributed way that generates harmony.
Shot 4. For the fourth frame I could have two choices. One is a close up of the book's cover just to know the title of the volume that is being read. It is clearly a low angle as it is needed the reader as background. The other choice is a mid shot using also a low angle but the important thing here is the action itself. So, it is seen as a focus-unfocused scene, firstly showing an extremely close up of the shoes and then, focusing on the book, there is a mid shot that show the whole thing. It is the first time we don't have a normal point of view.
Shot 5. The final shot is a close up of the reader sleeping because of the boredom of the book. The book and the reader are equally imporant. It is a high angle and no more information is provided. There is no other intention behind. Just to finish the sequence showing that the book was not good enough.
Record and edit your sequence
Evaluation
By and large this is not a very impressive work and it can be seen clearly that it was done in a rush. There is only one setting, no filming outside, no variation in the lights...it is really very poor and shows a significant lack of effort. The truth is that the script was not very complex but irrespective of this, I think that the story could have been expanded a little bit more.
Having a closer look on every single frame, the analisys goes as follows:
Frame 1. It is not acceptable in terms of framing and lighting. There is too much room on the left side and the overexposure over there seems more than a big mistake rather than a aesthtic choice. And that was the intention but by my reckoning, it merely didn't work as I thought. There is another problem here. The time. It is too long. It should haven been cut just when the guy looked at the back cover of the book. There is no need to see him turning pages. Moreover, this information is in the very next frame.
Frame 2. The idea was to have an over the shoulder shot and in that sense, it could be considered a succesful use of this technique. However, the panning read the it was goind to be a subjective point of view. And this is definitely an objective one. So, I lost track here because it was not possible to have both things. And I'm pretty sure that the thing that I didn't do, it was the one which fitted in. Regardless this, the shot looks well, both the duration and the information presented.
Frame 3. Not taking into account the overexposure issues already commented before, this shot achieves more or less what it pretended. It shows a lot of things such as the coffe table, the sofa, the guy laying...even the shelves are there. And anyone could get the feeling of quiet and peace, the ideal environment to have a good reading.
Frame 4. This is another close up and even the low angle seems to be nice, it is quite silly to put this after the previous shot. That was another mistake. In this case is because of the planning. Now I realized that the sketeches were quite superficial and the story is repetitive. This frame should have been strongly linked to the boredom caused by the book. This is not reflected at all in my work. In some way, the scene here was the character getting bored and more bored. But even knowing what that was the point that shoud have been put across, I don't have a clue of how to get it. Maybe it would have been a good idea to play with the time. This means, having had a very long shot without any action. Just the reader reading. As the time draws on, the audience gets the impression of tedious.
Frame 5. This a very interesting frame that have a go at the focused-unfocused technique. It doesn't go totally somoothly but it is a good attempt. And it is the the most succesful - together with the third one- in terms of getting its goal. Nonetheless, there is more trouble with the lighting. Given that the overexposure effect has gone, the coherence of the sequence is affected. This could make the viewers confused as it looks like the protagonist has been reading for a very long time.
In conclusion, many things must be improved. Framing, lighting, action...they are not small things in filming. But they could be better the next time if the planning is planned properly instead of having a hasty outline.
Instructions: look back at a piece of work you have produced and make a list of achievements and reflections on some questions.
I went over the camera angles work. I wanted to understand how the high and low angles work and interpret the feelings that are produced because of them.
I specially focused on the emotions rather than showing some examples merely. That was because it was not difficult to find shots done by using these ideas but it was (and still is) difficult to see the intentions of the film maker.
To identify what I achieved is enough to read the comments that go with each of the frames that I picked. There you can have a brief explanation of my views about the use of framing in order to convey specific impressions. In this manner I went for four high angles and one low one. With the high angles I put some frames across to illustrate some sensations such as hopeless, vulnerability or danger. I did the same for thw low angles. Furthermore, if you watch a film with me, you will realize that I'm all the time trying to dicover a meaning behind every shot that is not ordinary.
I don't think that I achieved my goal completely as I'm still struggling to understand what's going on when the standar point of view is skipped to give one of these angled shots way. I guess that a lot of times is only a matter of imagination as there's not always an idea of alter the relationship between the viewer and the film. This is where I struggle. Why is this is happening just for aesthetics reasons? Perhaps the shot in that way is more beautiful that the one the logic would be asking for.
On reflecting, I think that is better to focus on the weaker aeras and have a go at them. I think also that you will know well what these areas are after making some films. After watching them, it is very clear which parts you must improve. But it's better to move on and not being stuck with your previous fails. They must be there to compare with the new work. They have to be the measuring table to know if the things that were wrong are now right.
The following frames are examples of camera angles that have been used to create atmosphere.
Firstly, some high angles from the film The Birds of Alfred Hitchcok. The first one is the typical one, a very wide shot that makes us feel uncomfortable as we know well that the protagonist is heading to the danger. Furthermore it creates tension and expectation. You want to see the car getting the place as soon as possible in order to find out what expects at the destination.
Another high angle. The classic one. The girl takes refuge in the telephone box while the birds are attacking. She can't give away and the shot creates a very strong sense of claustophobia and anxiety. Her status changes completely as she is hopeless and vulnerable. Besides, the scene is very exciting and dynamic and conveys perfectly how the birds are flying without any order.
Finally, we can also find a low angle that helps to show the characters more powerful after having survived to another violent act of the birds. Given that they have taken over control again, the anlge builds up a very quiet atmosphere and you can fell some relief after a long period of time where tension and uncertainty were the main features.
The following shot comes from a Spanish film called Tierra. As it happened with the wide shot mentioned before from The Birds, this is in my opinion a standard frame that shows how desperate is the man that needs help urgently. The hig angle represents well this feeling and gives the character a very weak role in all the scene. It could help more if they would have been represented a little bit tinier than that but it can be said that it works well.
To conclude, one more shot from a high point of view. It is from the film Teen Wolf and alters dramatically the relationship that we have with the character, with his status changing from a very powerful shopkeeper that doesn't want to sell drinks to a young guy to a non significant man who is being threatened by an unknown force - in this case, a werewolf - and his willingness is totally manipulated by this.
The following pictures have been chosen as good examples of emotive frames or frames that contain a particular meaning according to the attitude of their protagonists. It has to be taken into account that I made the decision of working only with photos of sports because I was well aware that it was going to be quite easy to find the things that I was looking for. By and large, sports offer a wide range of feelings.
Desperation
This is a very old picture of a football game where a goal is scored. Thanks to the size, it's quite obvious that the goalkeeper, in spite of his effort, can't do anything to avoid that this happens. We can see the ball and the goal. And because of the position of the ball, we can get a strong feeling of desperation. There's nothing that can be done. It's goal. The keeper is too late.
Desolation and happiness
It's the European Cup Final. It's injury time. It's Bayern one nil up against Manchester United. And the, all of a sudden, United bounced in a minute. There was no more time. And the german players were, not only exhausted but also, desolate. And that's precisely what the picture shows. A surrendered footballer lying on the pitch and, in the backgroud, blurred but clear, the winner team celebrating. A big contrast of emotions well reflected in a single image.
Admiration
What do you do if you had the opportunity to meet your idol? Just admire him. That was this group of kids did when they met Bobby Moore, the football star of the sixties. They gathered around him completely fascinated. And they were impressed by his presence to the point that the only thing that they could do it was to take pictures. And not all of them. Only a few. There is a car behind so we can understand that this took place in a car park. But, certainly, this is not important. Did you notice the registration of the car? I'm afraid you didn't.
Velocity
This is well known picture of Carl Lewis. It was the famous race of the Olympics in 1984. I think that there's no need to go in further details when explaining why the image makes you feel velocity. The size of the frame and the photgraphic technique used, might be considered perfect. We have the essential information to understand what is going on. The runner is well defined and the only protagonist, placed in the middle of the shot. For its part, the background is blurred in motion and contributes to sense that the runner is faster than anyone else.
Seduction and mischief
This is a scene of flirtation perfectly caught by the camera. It could be regarded as a decisive moment as the girl is just looking at the guy with a very particular pose. At the same time, he is at her foot being a little bit mischievous. The size is ok because that's exactly what we need to see to understand the attraction between each other. Just behind them we have some pegs with jackets and clothes so we may understand that they are in a boutique. But the question is: is this relevant?
Defiance
This is a very good of example of how what you choose to show can alter the meaning of everything. Let's imagine for a moment that the only thing that we saw was the player who is turned. In that case, it would be a very normal shot. An ordinary footballer being caputerd by the lens of a photographer. Just that. However, with this wide shot we have the team perfectly lined up on the bench, everyone with his number on the back and, just in between of this, a defiant boy. It's like if the guy wanted to tell us, see, I am not like them.
This exercise consists in filming a short sequence based in the following scenario: you're a looking around your empty room and, after a while, when nothing interests you, you notice a bottle. And then, you hold the bottle, unscrew the lid and pour a drink. But, in between, something happens that interrupts you.
Well, I sketch at the beginning two frames that have the intention to emphasize the emptiness of the room. Thus, the only thing that we can see is a table with two chairs. That gives the idea that nothing interests us. Perhaps I misunderstood the focus here. When thinking again about it, it's clear to me that this has nothing to do with either getting bored or distracted. I mean, it's empitness and with regards to this, it's fine. But there's no information provided to show how I'm at home and because there's nothing to do there, I finally pour me a drink.
Anyway, the notes that go together with my drawings are the one below:
1. A table and two chairs. Wide shot to reflect the emptiness of the room.
2. A sort of a close up of the table.
3. Wide shot of a bottle in one of the corners of the room. Typical mess in an alcoholic home. It's non sense at all that this bottle is the only trace of the careless of this person. But...that was my view.
4. The alcoholic takes the bottle. Mid shot.
5 y 6. Two close ups. Holding the bottle and unscrewing it.
7. Following the framing, something interrupts the scene. In principle, it would be a door bell- I should have put a note such a ding-dong or something like to clarify this on this sketch..
8. Final shot. Another mid one. It can be interpreted that I went to the door to see who was there and after seeing no one, I went back and started to drink.
The camera doesn´t move as the sequence goes along.
And the result was this...
On reflection. Looking back at the sequence after leaving one day, it's quite clear that the information that the alcoholic man is bored is not the only thing that has been lost. As a consequence of this mistake and helped by the framing, how the bottle grabs the attention is not well represented. The frame size chosen at this point of the story was certainly not good enough. It was necessary to make contrast between the bottle as part of the scenery and the bottle jumping off the backgroud. It was not difficult to make it as a close up could work well.
Besides all of this, it's also significant that the last shot doesn't respect the eyeline. The point of view is supposed to be dictated by the eyes of the protagonist but the glass of wine goes above their head in the end.
As a positive note, I think that the high angle shots that we have when the drink is poured, create a little bit of tension and suspense. It's like you're expecting something to happen. Indeed, something happens. A door bell rings. That's something.
The idea here is to work with subjective viewpoints. In this case, it was to imagine the following situations:
Talking to someone in a shop.
We're facing a car seller who is trying to convince us about the benefits of a car that is just behind him. Ought to the importance of his gesture, we're framing only this. The space around him includes the car and its price. However, both elements have been left out at the edges. They are not demanding our attention at this moment. It's only the thing that the car seller is telling us. But, at the same time, the viewer could be aware that they are there. If the shot were wider - as in the right drawing that follows, we would have all the information.
Knocking on a door
Well, we're knocking on a door and waiting. Then the door is opened and we can see someone who is looking at us and giving us kind of a face. In the meantime, we will have seen the door closed and the corridor. It's difficult to imagine what can be out of the frame. At least for the first two frames. Anyway, if the scene doen't belong to a spy film, it can be said that there's nothing more relevant than the door and the guy who is in.
Having an illicit affair
Given that I'm having an illicit affair, the first shot represents a hot girl under a subdued light. It's possible to see her bust as she is dressed up specifically for this ocassion. Her outfit shows how romantic is the date. There's no need to put anything else on that. Then, we all of a sudden there is a sound that forces me to galnce round, the framing is broaden. In this manner, we can see my misses catching me. The viewer can imagine a living room. This means, the typical stuff such as lamps, sofas, a tv set and the like. Nevertheless, the intention is to reflect the act of catching so everything has been dismissed except the girl entering the room.
This exercise consists in choosing a picture and identifying a series of smaller frames within it to create a new story. So, the picture chosen has been the following one:
And here it goes the new tale:
Once upon a time there was a magic milk that it was supposed to confer super powers on those who drink it - frame 1.
The idea of having a drink of this milk was a dream for many but nobody knew where the mysterious beverage was - frame 2.
Finally, there was someone that found it. He was very happy because of that but after swallowing it, he realized that instead of being provided with super powers, a hand had grown up on his head - frame 3.
From then on, people were scared of drinking milk - frame 4.
After my first attempt of telling a story in 5 frames, I was supposed to have a look at other student's sequences and try to answer the questions below:
What is the story?
What information is conveyed in each frame?
What information is necessary to understand the story?
What essential inforamtion has been left out and / or what is included unnecessary?
Well, firstly I'd like to start putting some points across about the "warmerthanhere" blog. Apparently, the story chosen has been Pinnochio. That's a real challenge because the story is quite complex. My colleague has made it simple by focusing on the boredom and loneliness that the capinter suffers. That's a good try and I really appreciate it. I think that above all, there must be a proper story and here there really is. When considering this angle, the information conveyed is enough to understand the story. I don't miss anything else. You can see that the man is bored, how he works on Pinocchio, the fary playing tricks on Pinnochio and the last scene where everyone seems to be happy.
On the other hand, it could be said that the second frame is a waste of resources. It's my understanding that you can combine it with the third one so as to illustrate the proccess of crafting the toy. Thus there would be a chance to extend the story in a last frame. Likewise, it could be possible to do the same with frames three and four. Perhaps in this manner it could have told the tale as is commonly known.
The other work that I would like to analyse is the Emily's blog. The author has done Cindirella and, in my opinion, has done brilliantly. The frames are well selected and explain well the fairy tale in its entirety. Even though it's difficult to understand the struggles that Cindirella goes through being a kind of slave for her step mother and sisters, you can't deny that the main scenes are covered. The ball's invitation, the fairy godmother using its magic with Cinderella, the birthday party, the missing shoe and the final engagement. Well, it's true that the pumpkin coach has been dropped. That's a negative aspect given that this is a very significant element. As far as I concern, it's as important as the missing shoe. However, aside from that, this exercise can be considered as a good work.
Finally, I had to repeat the procees with another stoy, in this case a story of my own. So, here it goes, the tale of the triangle that lives in a world of sqaures. Enjoy it.
The first thing that I had to do for this course was to tell a story in 5 frames. Better to say, to tell a fairytale in 5 frames. And I chose the three little pigs. A bit of a challenge for me given that I don't know the narrative. Basically, you can see there the three litlle pigs at their houses, the wolf looking for them and attacking their dwellings and finally, the frustating and unable wolf at the main entrance of the only house which is been well built.
In my opinion, this is not a good attempt to freeze the story. Firstly, the beginning is not clear. It's my understanding that the three little pigs were quite worried of the presence of a wolf in the forest. So, they thought that the best chance to survive was to build some kind of place to stay away from the wolf. I couldn't sketch that. Likewise, I wasted one frame when I used two drawings to illustrate how the wolf attaks the pigs. Finally, all the pictures are the same type of shot and presents the same angle. I mean, it's always a wide shot which goes from right to left. At least the exercise has consistency. It's quite easy to recognize a similar pattern for every frame.
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