Barthes 5 Codes - Research

I have chosen to analyse the opening of "Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl."

Enigma code:
Why is the first man to speak to the little girl so afraid of pirates? What is the significance of the boy's necklace? Why does Elizabeth hide the necklace? Who is the man on the sinking ship? Why doesn't he want the pier owner to know his name? Is he a pirate?

Action code:
The film opens with a ship sailing towards the camera. This makes us wonder where it's going, who is on it, is it good or bad? etc... When the crew pull aboard Will Turner, (a pirate) we are not sure whether or not he will turn out to be a good character. Elizabeth takes Will's necklace and identifies it as a pirate necklace, she then hides it from her father, This creates suspense as we wonder the significance of the necklace, and whether or not it will play a part later on.

Semiotic code:
As the film opens with a ship sailing in the ocean and a girl singing a pirate song, it suggests that the film is about pirates or sea battles. The fact that Elizabeth is is wearing nice clothes and has maids to help her get dressed shows that she is probably a wealthy character. We also see that her father is very protective of her.

Cultural code:
The way that people talk and dress in the opening give us a feel of the time period that the film is set in, and makes it clear that there are class differences in the film. E.g when Elizabeth's father looks disapprovingly at Will (a blacksmith.) The focus around ships, sailing and pirates make it clear that the film will centralize around these points, and suggests that conflict will play a main part.

Symbolic code:
Similarly to the semiotic code, the film largely revolves around pirates, however we are unsure as to whether or not we side with the pirates. It could be an Oceans 11 type film, where we side with the bad guys. There is a lot of anti-pirates signs, such as the pirate skeletons hanging from the cliff top. However Elizabeth seems to take a liking to the pirate Will Turner, suggesting that some pirates may be good.

DYM HW FEEDBACK

Good work, James, and well presented.  You use techical evidence effectively to support your points.  Well done.

Applying Principles of Continuity

Many continuity techniques are used in this sequence from "Rush  Hour 3." They help to create a seamless narrative, and give comical value. The sequence is a fight scene of Carter and Lee against a very tall man, as fight scenes can be chaotic and confusing, continuity is important, so that the audience can tell what is going on. Continuity techniques are used effectively to show this in  this sequence.

First of all, eye line match is used well, as it starts off with an OTS shot of Carter looking down on the much shorter child. It then cuts to an OTS high angled shot of the child looking up at Carter. This helps give the audience a sense of height difference between the two characters. This is also used when Carter looks up to the very tall man, exaggerating his height. It is used a third time, when Carter looks up to the master, to show that he has the power, and is important. It also helps to understand where the characters are in relation to each other.

A reaction shot is used after Carter is carried into the room by the tall man. The camera cuts to a CU of Lee, who looks up (emphasizing the height of the man) and looks scared, (making the man seem intimidating.)

Match on Action is used, when the child kicks Carter in the leg. The camera then cuts to a CU of the contact. Match on action is used throughout the fight scene, which helps the audience understand what is happening / who is winning. Match on action is also used effectively when the tall man stomps his foot on the floor. The camera cuts to a CU of his foot hitting the floor, emphasizing it, and making him seem intimidating.

Shot/reverse/shot is used when Carter is speaking to the master. The camera switches back and forth between OTS shots of the two characters with very choppy cuts for transitions. This creates pace in this part of the sequence and adds comical value.

Another continuity technique used was the fact that the diegetic sound ran on from one scene to the next, allowing us to clearly understand that the scenes follow on from one another. For example when Carter says "It's about time y'all show some respect around here," and starts heavily breathing. We can still here his heavy breathing in the next shot showing that the two scenes are linked.

Applying Levi-Strauss's Theory

1.)
The genre of the film is action superhero, with a bit of teen romance. We can tell its a superhero genre from the opening credits. The transitions between them have spider webbed effects on them, and a man putting on some kind of costume in the background. This along with the title "Spiderman" make it fairly obvious that the film is a about a superhero with some kind of spider powers. After the credits we are shown a school bus scene followed by a school trip. These are conventional signifier of the teen genre. The main character "Peter Parker," has a crush on another main character "Mary Jane," suggesting a romance.

2.)
Peter Parker (Spiderman) is the main character of the film, and is introduced as a nerdy, student at school, who is a bit of a loser. He is wearing glasses with neat combed back hair and the typical geeky clothes. In contrast to this, the other main character 'Mary Jane' is shown as a cool, pretty and popular girl, with a jock boyfriend. She is shown as sitting and laughing with her friends, where as Peter is by himself and is made fun of by the other students. It has been set up as a typical "beauty and the geek" situation, which are two clear binary opposites.

3.)
Romance is a likely theme for the film as it opens with Peter narrating, and he says: "This, like any other story worth telling, is all about a girl." This is a clear romance signifier, and suggests that Peter and Jane will get together at some point during the film, (otherwise how can there be a story?) Even though Peter and Jane are shown to be so opposite, there is some kind of connection between them, as Jane seems to like him as well. This is shown when she tell the bus driver to stop the bus, after Peter had been chasing it for ages, with the whole bus laughing at him.

4.)
The narrative is organized to show conflict as the two main characters are so contrasted to each other, that there must be some kind of disagreement in the future. Or they could get together (opposites attract) and there is some kind of break-up like in a typical romance. At the end of the of the opening sequence, Peter is bitten by a spider, with creepy and daunting music played in the background. This, combined with the title "Spiderman" and the opening credit's special effects, it's fairly obvious that this is the start of a superhero adventure, which always has a good vs evil fight in it.

Applying Todorov's Theory

1.)  

Protagonist - Tarzan

Antagonist - The Leopard 

2.)

The equilibrium in the opening scene is shown by two separate happy families living their lives. One family is made up of three humans, (the parents and their son Tarzan,) who have crash landed on an island, and had to rebuild their home. The other family is three gorillas (the parents and their son.) The human family (although crash landed on an island,) happily work together to rebuild their home. We get a sense of equilibrium with the upbeat and motivational music, and the family seem to be enjoying themselves with their happy expressions. The gorilla family live in the jungle amongst other gorillas. The baby gorilla plays with his parents and all seems well. We see how similar the families are as the humans would do something, and then we would see the gorillas doing the same thing. For example, when the father is looking proudly at Tarzan, and the camera cuts to the gorilla father looking proudly at his son. This suggests that the families are linked in some way, and that they will meet at some point in the future. 

3.)

The disruption to equilibrium is obvious when the word "danger" is sung as part of the background music, and it fades from a sunny scene showing the humans finished house, to a close up of a leopard at night time. The leopard then eats the baby gorilla and kills Tarzan's parents. :(

4.)

There aren't really any clues as to the journey of Tarzan at this point, as later on in the film, we find that the leopard isn't actually the main antagonist, and we are introduced to Clayton, (an evil man with a rifle.) However, it is likely that the story will be about the relationships between Tarzan and the gorillas, as family is a main theme in the opening sequence.

5.)

Equilibrium is partially restored when Tarzan gets revenge on the leopard by killing it. However the main disruption to equilibrium happens around the middle of the film, when Clayton comes up with a plan to steal some gorillas and sell them. Equilibrium is restored when Tarzan saves the day by putting a stop to Clayton's plans (by killing him,) and saving the gorillas. The gorilla father (Kerchak) dies in the process. :(

Principles of Continuity

     Continuity is essential in films, as it prevents the audience from becoming confused, and allows them to understand the story. As the camera cuts between shots, a director would use various techniques to make it clear to the audience what is going on. These techniques/rules make a create a continuous narrative, that all directors strive to achieve. Once the director knows these rules, he/she can break them for effect. 

The rules are:

1.  180 degree rule:

Never cross the 'line of vision' of two characters, unless you have a master shot that shows the audience where the characters are in relation to each other. This prevent the audience from becoming confused.

2.  30 degree rule:

The camera angle shouldn't change less than 30 degrees (with the same framing,) otherwise, the audience would notice a jump in the footage, making the film seem strange.

3.  Shot order:

Use a logical shot order when putting together a film. e.g. long-shot to mid-shot to mid-close-up. This is a lot more easy on the eye then jumping from long shot to close up, and a lot less confusing.

4.  Eyeline match:

The direction of characters line of sight should stay the same. For example, if one character is taller then another, then the shorter character should be looking up.

5.  Match on action:

You should edit movement 'on the action', so that one scene follows on to the next. For example, if in one scene someone is running, and the scene ends on the characters right leg, then in the next scene, the character should be on still be on his right leg. This makes it clear that the character is moving forward between shots, rather than going back in time.

6.  Shot / reverse / shot:

This is where you film a conversation between two characters several times at different angles, and once with a master shot, of both characters together. Then when it comes to editing, you can put together scenes from all of the different angled conversations. This means that the conversation will flow from shot to shot, and the audience won't be confused as to where the two people are in relation to each other.

Making meaning through editing

Transitions

 - Cuts - Used to seamlessly move from shot to shot, often used to create pace/rhythm

 - Dissolves - Used to create a slow / relaxed link between shots, often used in montage sequences.

 - Fades - Often used to show a significant period of time has elapsed between shots.

Sound

 - Diegetic sound - Sound that we think is happening in the scene, but has actually been added in by a 'Foley artist.' For example the sound of thunder.

 - Non-diegetic sound - Sound that we know isn't part of the scene. For example a voice-over.

 - Sound bridge - Used to link two scenes.

Lighting

 - High key - Bright and low contrast.

 - Low key - More pronounce shadows.

 - Lighting from below - Used to make the subject appear threatening.

 - Back lighting - Used to create a 'halo effect' around the subject.

Colour

Cold or blue-ish lighting can create a sense of isolation or alienation, whereas warm or yellowish lighting, can create cosiness, or comfort.

Camera movement

 - Track - Camera moves towards or away from subject.

 - Pan - Pivoting camera to the side, often used to set the scene.

 - Whip pan - A sudden, fast pan.

 - Tilt - Pivoting the camera up or down.

 - Arc - Moving camera in an arc around the subject.

 - Crane shot - Camera moves up or down.

 - Hand-held shot - Camera held in hand, often used to create a sense of immediacy.

Framing

 - Very long shot - Figures appear small in the landscape, often used as an 'establishing shot.'

 - Long shot - Figure seen from head to toe.

 - Mid shot - Figure seen from waist to head.

 - Medium close-up - From chest to head.

 - Close-up - Head and shoulders.

 - Big close up - Head only. - often used to show emotion.

 - Extreme close up - From mouth to eyebrows. - often used to make subject seem threatening.

How will this be useful to my own film making?

I have all of the rules of continuity to bare in mind when making my own film. I also understand how to create meaning through the way I edit and film my film, which will be very useful to the whole process.  In our accidents task, we made many of the mistakes that have been highlighted above, however we weren't aloud to edit our sequence. We did try to incorporate some of the continuity techniques we already new, but it looked fairly unconvincing as we slipped up in other places. With the skills I have now learnt I will be able to avoid these mistake during our prelim task.

Stroyboarding Further research

I like this video because it highlights the importance of storyboarding, showing how crucial it is to the film making process. It also gives a basic over view of how storyboarding should be done, and explains that it doesn't have to be a masterpiece, it just has to show what is happening in the shot. Also, it is hosted by Sam from 'Lord of the Rings,' which is a great film. :)

Storyboarding Research

Why is Storyboarding an essential part of the film making process?

• It's much easier to communicate your ideas through pictures rather than text or speech.
• It is an important piece of communication between the film crew and provides a base that everyone can work from.
• When filming, the crew must all see the storyboard, so that they know what they are doing, and what needs to be prepared.
• After filming, storyboards act as a reminder of what was filmed and in what order.
• The original storyboard can be compared to the film, to judge the changes.
• The special effects team will be able to see whether or not the directors ideas are possible.
• It allows the director to spot problems before shooting, saving time and money.
• It helps the actors to visualize what they should be doing.

'P' is for 'Psycho'

A.)     What is happening in the opening sequence of the film?

The film opens with a low angled shot of a toilet door, with low key lighting. The camera zooms in and it mixes to a low angled shot of a man's legs. The man's body is revealed as the camera tilts up from his legs to show a low angled shot of the man leaning over some kind of surface. It then cuts to a high angled shot of some objects on the surface including: a watch, a photo and a wallet. The camera slowly pans across these objects to allow the audience to take in what they are, suggesting they are important to the rest of the film. It then cuts to a CU of a sink with blood flowing clockwise into the plughole. It then cuts again to a CU of the man wrapping his hand in a bandage before cutting to a CU of the same hand clenching in the mirror. The camera then tilts up to a CU of the man's head. The man quickly turns his head from right to left as we hear the door opening. We are shown a MS of a boy entering the room, (from right to left.) It then cuts back to a MS of the man tucking a gun into his belt, before cutting to an ECU of the man's eyes. The shot is shadowy, and the man says "BAD MOVE KID..." before it fades to black. There is a pause, then we hear two gunshots, making us assume that the man at the sink will be the villain of the film.

B.)     How is the narrative flow established?

The narrative is established immediately, with very choppy, to-the-point editing. There is lots of quick cuts between the scenes, and close ups that give hints to the rest of the film. For example the close up of the blood flowing into the sink, hints at some kind of thriller or horror, and creates a suspensory atmosphere. The use of low angled shots and dim lighting make the man seem threatening or scary, and gives an ominous feel to the opening sequence. We get a clear sense of narrative and continuity as the shots all seem to link to one another, and the sequence of events are easily understandable.

C.)     If you were directing this sequence, what aspects of the storyboard would you like to change?

If I were directing the sequence, then I would try to create a lot more suspense in order to keep the audience gripped to the film. To do this, rather than having the boy walk into the room straight away, I would have him knock on the door loudly, and the man turn around quickly looking scared. This would create a lot more mystery and ambiguity to the sequence, as the audience would be asking themselves, who knocked at the door? are they good or bad?  what is going to happen next? The man would then get his gun out and hide somewhere in the shadows of the toilet. This would be followed be high angled shots of the boy walking into the toilet, maybe whistling "Don't worry, be happy" by Bob Marley. This identifies him as victim and creates sympathy for him as an audience. The sequence would end with a quick cut to black, rather then a fade, as I think a fade would slow the pace. It would finish with two gun shots, as in the original, as i like the mystery behind it.

Analysis of Film Opening. "The Shining"

The Shining Opening sequence (Up until 4.43min)

The Shining (Stanley Kubrick 1980) is a psychological horror based on the novel by Stephen King. The film takes place in a hotel during winter time, in the 1970s. It is about a writer with his wife and son, who accepts the job as caretaker for a hotel over the winter. Soon after moving in, the father descends into madness and is influenced by some kind of supernatural presence in the hotel.

The film opens with a wide angled view of a lake with a mountainous background. The camera tracks across the lake and focuses on the mountains. It then cuts to a birds-eye view of a forest, with a car driving through the middle of it. This immediately makes the audience ask themselves; Who is in the car? Where are they going? What is going to happen to the driver? The camera follows the car across various secluded landscapes. The tiny car compared to the vast landscapes makes it seem isolated or vulnerable, which we later find out to be very significant to the film. As we follow the car, a chilling soundtrack is played in the background. This builds up tension, and helps to identify the film as a psychological horror, as the high pitch of it makes it seem spooky and weird. The titles are rolling up the screen as this is happening, and are written in a very plain, light blue text, which is a fairly non threatening colour.

The destination of the car is revealed, as an ELS of a hotel with a snowy, mountainous background is shown. It then cuts to a still title saying 'The Interview' written in white, on a black background. It then cuts to the main character 'Jack Torrance' played by Jack Nicholson. We now know that he was the one driving the car, suggesting that he is the one that is isolated / vulnerable. Jack walks through a grand hotel with smartly dressed workers. He goes up to the reception, and is directed to the interviewer. Jack seems like a normal guy at first, he is wearing a fairly plain suit and addresses the receptionist politely. There isn't much of a hint as to him being a good or bad yet. Jack walks into the interviewers room and shakes hands with him. The interviewer is wearing a red tie which connotes blood and gore, and suggests both are to come.

It then cuts to a VLS of the outside of a building and a car park. This instantly seems less secluded and isolated as the eerie music at the beginning, is replaced with the sound of children playing and a dog barking. This suggests its neighbourhood, likely to be the main character's home. It then cuts to inside the building, which shows a woman and a little boy sitting at a table eating sandwiches. The woman is wearing deep red, which again connotes blood, and suggests that some kind of tragedy will befall her. We assume these characters to be Jacks wife and son when the boy asks about staying in the hotel for winter. We find that the son is lonely when he says 'There's hardly anybody to play with around here.' This again is a hint towards the isolation and seclusion of the family, and suggests that something will happen to them and they will be helpless. The mother (Wendy Torrance) seems to be timid and vulnerable, as she speaks in a very soft and high pitch voice. The son (Danny Torrance) has an imaginary friend named Tony. This makes Danny seem slightly strange, and suggests that there's something special about him. This becomes more sinister when Wendy starts asking Tony if he is excited about going to the hotel. Danny answers for him in a strangely hoarse voice, as if he has been possessed. As he is does this, he innocently wiggles his finger and munches on his sandwich suggesting that he has a darker side that he can't control. At 4.42 min, after Wendy has asked 'How come you don't want to go the hotel?' Danny replies 'I just don't,' at this point his sandwich has broken in half, which is strange as it was perfectly in tact a couple of seconds ago. This suggests that there is going to be some kind of breakdown, or accident that occurs at the hotel.

At the start of my film, I think the audience needs to be introduced to at least one of the main characters, and get a feel of the time period and setting of the film. Relationships between characters and hints towards how they develop should also be shown.

Reflections on Shots

1. Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be described as representing you chosen genre.

The shot we took was a mid close up of a white teenage male, clutching some bars and looking into the top right corner of the frame with a scared look on his face. Behind him are some stairs leading up to a closed door. Our chosen genre was thriller / horror, and we tried to represent this by creating ambiguity and vulnerability in the shot. The three bars in the foreground of the shot, make the character seem trapped, and they cast a foreboding shadow across half of his face. The whites of the characters eyes also make him seem afraid and weak. What he is afraid of is unknown, as he is looking out of the shot, this also creates mystery. The stairs suggestively leading up to a closed door in the background of the shot also creates obscurity, as you don't know what is behind it. It also woks to make the main character seem less powerful, as it is looming over him in an intimidating way.

2. What did you actually do to achieve the effect?

To create the mystery in the shot, we had the main character crouch down, so we were able to see the stairs leading up to the door behind him. We also made him look into the top right corner of the shot, so that the whites of his eyes were visible, again making him seem more vulnerable. We cast a light onto the middle bar so that a shadow formed over half of his face, this gives a foreboding feel to the shot. Lastly, we turned on night vision on the camera giving the shot a SinCity type feel to it.

3. Identify what is successful about your shot.

I think the lighting of the shot was very successful as it emphasizes the whites of the characters eyes, and creates a shadow across his face. I also think the positioning of the main character was good, as it revealed the stairs and doors behind him, giving the shot ambiguity.

4. What would you do differently in hindsight?

If we were to re-shoot, I think we should make the shot darker giving slightly more atmosphere and making it more obvious that it is a thriller / horror. I also think that his face should be lit up more compared to a shadowy background, making him seem like the hero / good guy, and that he is trapped in something dark / evil.