Genre: Horror
Group members: Unknown - will likely be done alone
Friday, December 20, 2019
Film Opening Research No. 2 - It Happened One Christmas
How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
Six (6) titles are displayed within the relatively short opening.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The film opens with a image of a shifting cosmic starscape, accompanied by prayerful wishes by a host of unnamed individuals. This is immediately followed by an establishing shot of the town the movie takes place in, with snow whirling and falling from the sky.
What connotations do the images carry?
The images in the opening connote that Christmas time is here, and generate feelings of warmth, security, and hope to emphasize this. This is especially true regarding the scene at the beginning with the image of the stars and the sounds of people making Christmas wishes.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The imagery of snow is highly prominent and serves as a symbolic code of the Christmas setting in general. Stars are also a symbolic code for the season as they are often put atop Christmas trees during it.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The film does not really establish an enigma, as that is not representative of the genre; however, the identities of the people making the wishes can be considered a mystery.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
The film's all-around wholesome connotations imply that the film as suitable for all ages and audiences.
How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques.
The slowly panning shots of the camera create a feeling of slow pace and relaxation, and the non-diegetic sounds such as Christmas bells and joyful music add to this connotation of happiness.
Six (6) titles are displayed within the relatively short opening.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The film opens with a image of a shifting cosmic starscape, accompanied by prayerful wishes by a host of unnamed individuals. This is immediately followed by an establishing shot of the town the movie takes place in, with snow whirling and falling from the sky.
What connotations do the images carry?
The images in the opening connote that Christmas time is here, and generate feelings of warmth, security, and hope to emphasize this. This is especially true regarding the scene at the beginning with the image of the stars and the sounds of people making Christmas wishes.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The imagery of snow is highly prominent and serves as a symbolic code of the Christmas setting in general. Stars are also a symbolic code for the season as they are often put atop Christmas trees during it.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The film does not really establish an enigma, as that is not representative of the genre; however, the identities of the people making the wishes can be considered a mystery.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
The film's all-around wholesome connotations imply that the film as suitable for all ages and audiences.
How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques.
The slowly panning shots of the camera create a feeling of slow pace and relaxation, and the non-diegetic sounds such as Christmas bells and joyful music add to this connotation of happiness.
Film Opening Research No. 1 - A Nightmare on Elm Street
How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
Twenty (20) titles are displayed throughout the opening.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
There are many close-ups of Freddy Kreuger, the notorious dream murderer of the film, putting on his signature clawed gloves. Many shots also depict a young woman dressed in white (possibly to signify innocence) who is running through some kind of underground passageway, presumably in a dream world given the nature of Freddy's killing. There are also intermittent lamb sounds (possibly a hint that she is in the dream world, hence the phrase 'counting sheep')
What connotations do the images carry?
The images work in tandem to create strong connotations of fear and vulnerability; it seems that no matter how far the woman tries to run, Freddy is always catching up to her. The music and camera work add to these feelings of anxiety and trappedness.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The genre is strongly reinforced through a masterful combination of erratic camera movements and the frequent usage of the color red, mainly in the studio name, the transitions, and Freddy's red-striped attire. This red color may symbolize blood, murder, or wrath.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
At first, we as viewers don't know for sure that Freddy is the one putting on the claw gloves in the beginning. We also don't know where the woman is or what she is doing there, why there are intermittent lamb sounds and live lambs, and/or by whom she is being chased.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
A generally uncomfortable and frightening tone is set by the music and imagery, one that would likely deter younger children from watching the film.
How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques.
The camera angles are shaky and erratic to create a feeling of confusion, and the transitions are frequent and abrupt to create tension and a sense that the events are happening at a fast pace.
Twenty (20) titles are displayed throughout the opening.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
There are many close-ups of Freddy Kreuger, the notorious dream murderer of the film, putting on his signature clawed gloves. Many shots also depict a young woman dressed in white (possibly to signify innocence) who is running through some kind of underground passageway, presumably in a dream world given the nature of Freddy's killing. There are also intermittent lamb sounds (possibly a hint that she is in the dream world, hence the phrase 'counting sheep')
What connotations do the images carry?
The images work in tandem to create strong connotations of fear and vulnerability; it seems that no matter how far the woman tries to run, Freddy is always catching up to her. The music and camera work add to these feelings of anxiety and trappedness.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The genre is strongly reinforced through a masterful combination of erratic camera movements and the frequent usage of the color red, mainly in the studio name, the transitions, and Freddy's red-striped attire. This red color may symbolize blood, murder, or wrath.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
At first, we as viewers don't know for sure that Freddy is the one putting on the claw gloves in the beginning. We also don't know where the woman is or what she is doing there, why there are intermittent lamb sounds and live lambs, and/or by whom she is being chased.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
A generally uncomfortable and frightening tone is set by the music and imagery, one that would likely deter younger children from watching the film.
How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques.
The camera angles are shaky and erratic to create a feeling of confusion, and the transitions are frequent and abrupt to create tension and a sense that the events are happening at a fast pace.
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Week 3 - Agent Carter
Agent Carter (Marvel One-Shots, 2013, dir. Louis D’Esposito)
Clip duration: 5:09
Start point: 00:00
End Point: 05:09
The following is an analysis of a clip from Agent Carter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It chronicles Strategic Scientific Reserve agent Peggy Carter as she fights off atomic-level threats that have emerged after or as a consequence of World War II.
The shot opens with a close shot of Captain America in the cockpit of an aircraft of some sort, flying downward at a high velocity. There is an intense sound of the engine that adds more tension to the scene as the Captain continues to plummet. It is revealed that the landing will not be safe and that he is forced to crash-land. It cuts to a similar close shot of Carter in some kind of control room, listening to the Captain's final words of "Peggy...this is my choice," before he crashes into what can be assumed to be the ocean and presumably dies.
Time flashes forward to a year after that scene, and there is an establishing shot of New York City bathed in sunset light, with the caption "One Year Later." The camera transitions to another establishing shot, this time of an office bustling with suit-clad men. One of them receives a call and subsequently discloses the whereabouts of an enemy known as Zodiac who is apparently armed and extremely dangerous. The mise-en-scene is done exceptionally, with the office desks and their contents appearing cluttered to add to the mood of the office setting. The lighting is largely natural (i.e. through sunlight), and the camera work remains close through the scene. In the next scene, Carter is shown addressing her boss about why she hasn't been sent on her first mission even after three months. The boss, and a few other men, merely tell her to relax and then depart for drinks at Nelson's. Immediately after, she receives a call containing enemy coordinates and rushes to the scene in spite of her boss' orders.
The next scene is in an urban setting at night, where Carter meets two men that attempt to ward her from their building, presumably affiliated with the enemy. Carter proceeds to dispatch the men in unarmed combat, sending one of them through the window. The lighting here is very low-key and the mise-en-scene is done to create a feeling of 'the bad part of town.'
Clip duration: 5:09
Start point: 00:00
End Point: 05:09
The following is an analysis of a clip from Agent Carter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It chronicles Strategic Scientific Reserve agent Peggy Carter as she fights off atomic-level threats that have emerged after or as a consequence of World War II.
The shot opens with a close shot of Captain America in the cockpit of an aircraft of some sort, flying downward at a high velocity. There is an intense sound of the engine that adds more tension to the scene as the Captain continues to plummet. It is revealed that the landing will not be safe and that he is forced to crash-land. It cuts to a similar close shot of Carter in some kind of control room, listening to the Captain's final words of "Peggy...this is my choice," before he crashes into what can be assumed to be the ocean and presumably dies.
Time flashes forward to a year after that scene, and there is an establishing shot of New York City bathed in sunset light, with the caption "One Year Later." The camera transitions to another establishing shot, this time of an office bustling with suit-clad men. One of them receives a call and subsequently discloses the whereabouts of an enemy known as Zodiac who is apparently armed and extremely dangerous. The mise-en-scene is done exceptionally, with the office desks and their contents appearing cluttered to add to the mood of the office setting. The lighting is largely natural (i.e. through sunlight), and the camera work remains close through the scene. In the next scene, Carter is shown addressing her boss about why she hasn't been sent on her first mission even after three months. The boss, and a few other men, merely tell her to relax and then depart for drinks at Nelson's. Immediately after, she receives a call containing enemy coordinates and rushes to the scene in spite of her boss' orders.
The next scene is in an urban setting at night, where Carter meets two men that attempt to ward her from their building, presumably affiliated with the enemy. Carter proceeds to dispatch the men in unarmed combat, sending one of them through the window. The lighting here is very low-key and the mise-en-scene is done to create a feeling of 'the bad part of town.'
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Q2 Week 1 - Mise-en-scene
I have decided to analyse the mise-en-scene of Japanese film Kakegurui, directed by Hayato Kawai. It follows high school student Yumeko Jabami after she transfers to the prestigious Hyakkao Private Academy, where student success depends not on their grades or athletic prowess, but their skill at gambling. The school is ruled by a corrupt student council that controls all of the gambling, and a strict social hierarchy is in place.
The movie opens up with a brief narration by introverted student Ryota Suzui describing the school, accompanied by shots moving slowly down one of its corridors. The shallow space setting helps create a sense that the school and its students are cloistered and isolated from the normal outside world. It then cuts to Ryota playing a high-stakes game of poker with second-year Mary Saotome in a dimly-lit classroom. After he plays an inferior hand to his opponent and loses, he is shown shocked and afraid as an onlooker outfits him with a dog tag that reads 'Bottom Feeder Rank 0100' - something that, in this school, makes him the equivalent of a house pet. The low-key lighting of the room helps to add to the feeling of despair and debt that the scene creates. Everyone involved was wearing the same school uniform, making the setting more clear.
In a later scene, Yumeko is playing a memory game with student council member Itsuki Sumeragi, where two decks of playing cards are used and she must match a card with its equivalent. In a disturbing twist, Sumeragi reveals prior to a match that she has a collection of actual painted fingernails from people she has defeated, and that she wishes to collect Yumeko's fingernails. The lighting in this scene sporadically changes like a lightning flash to indicate the insane nature of Sumeragi's 'hobby' and the irregular placement of the cards on the table help raise questions as to why they are like that. When I watched it, I initially though she was using the directions of the cards to cheat.
Friday, November 1, 2019
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Week 9+10 - Five Edits w/ Sound
This is an edit of my 5 Master Edits, this time with music and sound effects.
I wanted to make a somewhat upbeat feel while preserving the original idea, and so when I found the stock music I would end up using, I saw it as a perfect fit. It felt like something you'd hear in a old edutainment game from the 90s. The sound effects were to add a slightly quirky feeling to the video as a whole, as well as to tie in with what the viewer physically was seeing in the video (i.e. the pixellated whoosh to match the fire transition). I kept most, if not all, of the non-diegetic sound in there - if you listen closely, especially in the part with the pouring water, you should be able to hear it. The sound effect in between the two fan shots was to bridge them together, with the effect implying acceleration. The sounds in between the numbers on the Leitmotif part was to create a feeling that they were changing abruptly.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Week 5 + 6 - Five Master Edits
I sincerely apologize for my lack of recent activity - I was having a lot of trouble getting Premiere Pro to install properly. Here are my Five Master Edits!
I decided to use mathematics, numbers, and physics as themes in this video. My Contrast shots show one fan as moving slowly, and the other moving quickly. This was in reference to the concept of velocity in physics, the speed and direction of an object's motion. By doing two shots of the same type of object, I feel that I was able to create a more cohesive feel as well as convey feelings of stillness and tranquility.
My Symbolism shots are next. I used the pencil as a symbol of mathematics, specifically how it relates to the pencil itself - it is used to solve math problems, and math is nothing if it can't be solved. The GIF in the background was mainly to hint at the symbolism to make it easier to understand, as well as provide an interesting background.
With my Simultaneity shots, I made another reference to motion in the form of water pouring from a faucet. In them, the water coming out was happening exactly as it was going down the drain. With the soft sounds of the water, I was able to contribute to the feeling of peace and quiet.
Next are my Leitmotifs, the theme being numbers. I used apartment number signs from my apartment complex walls to film them. I attempted to make the shots as equal in length as possible in order to create a feeling of a steady flow of the numbers counting up.
Finally, the Parallelism shots were to make i and π similar. I wanted to highlight that the two numbers were both 'imaginary' in that they are numbers that people can't really wrap their heads around. i is the square root of -1, and π goes on forever.
Friday, September 6, 2019
Week 4 - JoJo's Bizarre Camera Angles
Review of some Camera Angles
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable (2017)
by director Takashi Miike
For this week's assignment, I decided to analyze some camera angles from the Japanese film JoJo's Bizarre Adventure by Takashi Miike. It is a live-action adaptation of the famous long-running anime and manga series of the same name by Hirohiko Araki. In this series, various protagonists gain spirit-like superpowers called Stands and usually must defeat a major villain. This film focuses on the fourth part of said series set in the fictional Japanese town of Morioh, in which a high school freshman named Josuke Higashikata develops a Stand called 'Crazy Diamond' that can fix anything to a previous state. When a series of bizarre disappearances occur around town, Josuke teams up with investigator Jotaro and fellow students Koichi and Okuyasu to solve the mystery and defeat the culprit - a murderer who collects left hands.
The movie opens with Josuke's daily routine, followed by this establishing shot of Morioh. This is not only a stable and clear shot, but it also does well in evoking feelings of immersion in the viewer(s). One can clearly see in this shot that the setting is elaborate yet small in scope - a sure sign of good worldbuilding on the creator's part.
This close-up/low-angle shot takes place after Josuke fixes Koichi's bicycle when they meet in an alleyway following a scuffle with a group of delinquents. This scene is poignant because it highlights the esoteric nature of Josuke's power and leaves the viewer(s) feeling just as confused and intrigued as Koichi is. Because of the way the preceding shots are filmed (i.e. the camera moves away from the broken bike, and when we see it again it is as good as new), it creates a sense of mystery that persists throughout the film as more bizarre things occur across town.
Another shot I chose to analyze is this eye level shot of Okuyasu and his Stand 'The Hand,' which has the power to erase space by swiping with its right hand. Okuyasu's expression in this scene illuminates the aggressive nature of this power and leaves feelings of tension within the viewer. Since this shot is followed by a brief combat scene, this feeling is validated and kept up throughout the scene. The second shot, in which The Hand swipes down in a low-angle head on shot, creates a sense that the camera itself will be erased by The Hand's power, leaving a feeling of immersion.
In this shot, Jotaro uses his Stand 'Star Platinum' to temporarily stop the flow of time and protect Josuke from the villainous 'Aqua Necklace' which takes the form of a mass of water with eyes. The grey filter on nearly everything in the room indicates that they are frozen in time, and this all-encompassing stasis creates a feeling of suspense in the viewer(s). Josuke's expression is also frozen, creating a sense of enduring terror.
Another shot I chose to analyze is this eye level shot of Okuyasu and his Stand 'The Hand,' which has the power to erase space by swiping with its right hand. Okuyasu's expression in this scene illuminates the aggressive nature of this power and leaves feelings of tension within the viewer. Since this shot is followed by a brief combat scene, this feeling is validated and kept up throughout the scene. The second shot, in which The Hand swipes down in a low-angle head on shot, creates a sense that the camera itself will be erased by The Hand's power, leaving a feeling of immersion.
In this shot, Jotaro uses his Stand 'Star Platinum' to temporarily stop the flow of time and protect Josuke from the villainous 'Aqua Necklace' which takes the form of a mass of water with eyes. The grey filter on nearly everything in the room indicates that they are frozen in time, and this all-encompassing stasis creates a feeling of suspense in the viewer(s). Josuke's expression is also frozen, creating a sense of enduring terror.
The film closes with a slowly moving shot of a human left hand in a brown paper bag, indicating that the murderer is still afoot and that this isn't yet the end. This creates a sense of disbelief in the viewer(s), as he is defeated by Jotaro in the film's climax and is eventually run over by an ambulance on accident. It raises questions on how exactly he survived and whether or not he will show up if a sequel to this film is made.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Week 3 - Comments on Student Blogs
I chose to comment on the blogs of Alyssa Martinez (https://alyssamrtz.blogspot.com/) and Madison Craumer (https://madison-aicemedia.blogspot.com/?m=1%20Madison%20Craumer). Here was what I had to say about Alyssa's film shots:
And this is what I said about Madison's:
I enjoyed both of their shot sets because they often evoked not just one thought or emotion, but many. As I have said in a previous post, ambiguity is a powerful tool to captivate your audience and I believe that these two students did it very well. I look forward to seeing more from them.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Week 2 - Camera Shots
This is a close up shot of my brother clenching his fist as if angry or frustrated. He requested that his face was not shown so I decided to get creative. I liked it because it raises questions as to what exactly is frustrating him/his character. Reminds me of classic kung-fu movies/80s anime.
Here is a point of view shot I took of me grabbing and then dropping a bottle of chocolate milk. I didn't exactly mean to make it seem like I was in a rush, but looking back on it I feel like it adds a surrealistic feel to the shot - why am I in such a hurry to do this mundane thing?
This low angle shot wasn't quite as inspired as my other shots; it was mainly taken because I felt like it would be somewhat unique to do a shot of that nature on an inanimate object rather than a person or creature.
Here we have an extreme close up shot of my eye that my brother was nice enough to help me film. I like it for the same reason I liked my close up and point of view shots - ambiguity is one of my favorite things to explore in film and writing in general.
This is an establishing shot of my apartment complex. I think an apartment complex could be a great setting for a thriller or psychological horror film - e.g. there's an evil spirit in an apartment room and a ghost hunter has to find it before it takes over the building.
I tried doing a head-on shot of my brother kicking the camera, but he accidentally knocked it out of my hand. The original intent was that I would move the camera as if the kick had sent me flying. We both thought the result was funny and decided to keep it anyway.
Would this count as a follow shot...? I tried to do one without showing my brother's face, so my options were relatively limited. Regardless, I feel that I did a good and steady shot given the aforementioned constraints. I showed my brother after filming and he was saying 'wow, that's pretty good.'
This was my attempt at a dolly shot without using an actual dolly. It was shakier than I expected given the relative smoothness of my pan and follow shots, but it was decent for what it was. Not my best shot but I liked it.
This freeze frame shot was taken with the intent of capturing the roses' color and beauty. I wanted to explore the notion of 'innate beauty' - something that is beautiful by nature and that is worth spending several seconds looking at and admiring.
This tilt shot was on another part of my complex. Tilt shots in general are among my favorites - many movies I watched when I was young made use of tilt shots, and they gave me a warm feeling inside for reasons unknown. It could work as a transition too (e.g. camera tilts up, and when it comes down the location is totally different)
Finally, the reaction shot. This was also one of my favorites because it evokes sufficient feelings of anxiety to keep the audience intrigued, but not so much as to creep them out or drive them off. This shot is a shameless shout-out to every horror film and anime I have ever watched.
Finally, the reaction shot. This was also one of my favorites because it evokes sufficient feelings of anxiety to keep the audience intrigued, but not so much as to creep them out or drive them off. This shot is a shameless shout-out to every horror film and anime I have ever watched.
Monday, August 19, 2019
Week 1 - Hello!
Hello, everyone! As my first assignment, I will write the reason I am taking AICE Media Studies. I plan on pursuing a career in graphic design, but having experience in other media-related fields (e.g. photography, videography, production and editing) will greatly increase my chances of success in that field. I hope to ultimately gain at least basic skills in the production and editing of video content. I look forward to participating and learning in the months to come!
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