Half-Term Homework

Rear Window Opening

























Rear Window starts with an extreme long shot of a housing estate, panning from left to right giving the viewer a sense of the spacing of the setting of the film. It is an establishing shot, showing the main characters, props (e.g. the camera) and the area that the beginning of the film will take place

The Shawshank Redemption Ending















The Shawshank Redemption ends with a pull-out shot of the beach at Zihuatanejo, showing the reunion of Andy and Red. There is a contrast of the colours of the sand and the Pacific Ocean, with the boat being centered at the frame. This goes from a medium long shot to an extreme long shot of the two men, ending the film on an emotional reunion.

The Sting - A Game of Jacks



















In this scene there is a game of poker being played against two men. The cameras were set on a tripod facing each player. The cards are framed so that the viewer is able to see them, although they are being held very close to the mens chest. At the end of the scene when the cards are revealed, it becomes apparent that the person in the stills has cheated, and the camera zooms in on the cards with a pull-in shot

Lady in the Water - Healing Scene













This scene is a close up shot of the mans face. There is a close up of the mans face at the beginning, after a close up of the woman's scarred legs. After some speech from the man, all the other characters in the scene place their arms on him. Then there is some more speech, and another close up of the woman's leg shows that the scars have healed.

Superman Returns - Lifting a Ship





















In this scene, the camera is on a tripod in the sinking ship. The shot is a close up of all the characters faces, and the ship is still sinking until the main character, Superman, rescues it. There is a long shot of Superman and an extreme long shot of the ship, whilst there is a pull-out shot from the camera zooming out.

The Dark Knight

Mise-En-Scene

Mise-En-Scene

Mise-en-scene refers to everything that appears in front of the camera and how it's arranged. This includes composition, props, the set, costume and lighting.

Balanced Composition

A balanced composition is if the key focus point is centred in the frame, and the negative space is positioned symmetrically. This is the most common type of conmposition and is most pleasing to the eye.

                                                                                                                                                                    

This still from Full Metal Jacket is an example of a balanced composition

Unbalanced Composition

An unbalanced composition is when the focus points are not centred within the frame and there is too much negative space, or an irregular proportion of negative space. This can connote that a characters inner world is out of shape or disorientated

This still from Trading Places is an example of an unbalanced composition

Setting

Setting and location is one of the most important aspects of Mise-en-scene. The space that characters inhabit is key to the meaning of the scene. Films can be shot either in a studio or on location. Shooting on location increases believability, but can be more expensive and tricky as it gives less options when shooting. Shooting in a studio allows film makers to control and exactly recreate spaces how they want to

This is a still from The Lord of the Rings. Most of this film was shot on location in New Zealand

This still is from Star Wars which was shot in a studio. Many of the scenes were shot on a green screen

Lighting

Lighting is used to set the mood. There are lots of ways in which a scene can be lit. As it is a micro element, lighting is used in such a way that it won't be noticed.

Lighting can:

• Highlight Elements within a scene
• Obscure elements within a scene
• Establish character
• Establish Mood
• Establish Verisimilitude

These are both examples of how lighting is used in Films

Props

Props are the objects that a character uses in a scene that are significant in some way. They function in the same way as setting in terms of meaning.

Props can specify period, genre, provide information about a character, provide information about a specific place and act as a reflection of a characters inner self

The spinning top in Inception is an example of a prop used in a film. It explains wether a character is awake or dreaming.

Costumes

Costumes specify period, genre, character information, information about a certain place, and can act as a reflection of a character's inner self

This costume specifies the genre, clearly showing that it is a sci-fi film

Semiotics

Semiotics is the study of signs and texts, and understanding why different signs mean what they mean. Semiotics is used to understand signs, and then signs combine to form texts.

Examples of Signs

Iconic Signs

All of these street signs are examples of Iconic Signs. In these, the signifier resembles the signified. There is no alternate meanings to these signs.

Indexical Signs

Indexical signs have a close link with what they signify, but the link doesn't involve resemblance.
These tyre marks are indexical signs. In no way do they show a car, but they suggest the presence of a car, so without directly showing what they mean they still manage to show it