Monday 29 September 2014

BBK: Technical Analysis 2 (Cinematic narrative)



number/distance/camera and movement/mise-en-scene/duration/still
1.
MS
Static Camera, full focus
Male protagonist Sam sits in the foreground of a car garage writing a letter on a desk among various mechanic tools, through the doorway several other character can be seen in white shirts and jeans, this costume and the selection of a vintage 50’s car establishes the era. (Narration throughout)
6s

2.
MS
Static Camera, full focus
Female protagonist ‘Suzy’, sits a desk in the foreground to the left opposing Sam’s blocking, The setting is within a house in an open space room leading out to a stairway. In the foreground three young boys play musical instruments. (Narration throughout)
6s

3.
LS
Static Camera, full focus
Exterior location, Male protagonist empties bins beneath a stairway as several of the white shirted boys look down on him from above.
Around the corner on the length of the building an older man leans out of the window with the words ‘Billingsley Foster Family For Boys’ painted above him establishing the setting. (Narration throughout)
8s

4.
MS
Static Camera, Birdseye view
Camera looks down on seven watercolour painting organised in a circle with one in the centre being of a girl. The surface it made up of multi-coloured weaved material. (Narration throughout)
6s

5.
LS
Static Camera, full focus
Exterior Night, Sam kneels in the left hand corner of the shot clutching a dog by his side, slightly off centre a dog house stands in flames, beside it is the words ‘Prepare to meet God’ painted on the wall. A woman enters shot from the right in a white dressing gown and sprays a fire extinguisher over the flames. (Narration throughout)
8s

6.
MS
Static Camera
Camera position looking into the kitchen from the outside of a window that has been smashed in the centre panel. Through the whole in the glass is the head of the mother figure, her face covered by her hair. The female protagonist stands to the right of her picking pieces of glass out of her hair and places them in the sink out of shot. (Narration throughout)
4s

7.
MS
Static Camera
Sam sits centrally within the shot, the room is dark and he is surrounded by other boys as their body language suggests they are all watching the same thing, Sam says something to the boy infront of him provoking him to stand up, at which point Sam's facial expression suggests he is shouting as he his the boy in the stomach and runs back through the chairs out of shot. (Narration throughout)
8s

8.
LS
Static Camera
Classroom setting, camera positioned behind Suzy as she turns around to talk to the girl behind her, this girl provokes Suzy who then stands and jumps at the girl. Suzy’s costume is red contrasting against everyone else’s dresses that are blue. (Narration throughout)
8s

9.
LS
Ped-up
Dormitory setting, view through the bottom of a bunk bed as some of the white shirted boys sit around a bed, camera peds up to Sam on the top bunk of the bed in the foreground who is doing sit ups, a wedding photo of his parents can be seen on a locker to the right. (Narration throughout)
5s

10.
LS
Static Camera
Camera placed behind two adults who face away on either side of the shot, across a dinner table sitting across from them, facing the camera are three boys eating the Suzys standing behind them in her school uniform pointing at each of the adults and shouting, both the adults and the children show little reaction to this through their facial expression and body language. (Narration throughout)
8s

11.
MS
Static Camera
Sam lies with his upper body in shot to the right reading a letter, two lamps to the left light the shot sitting on top of a suitcase. The area he lies in his tight and enclosed with a blue backdrop. (Narration throughout)
2s

12.
MS
Static Camera
Suzy lies with her upper body in shot to the left opposing the previous shot, she too reads a letter lying on a pillow , the scene is also tight and enclosed however with a pink backdrop. (Narration throughout)
2s

13.
CU
Static Camera, Birdseye view
A pale pink letter with ‘Sam Shakusky’ letter head reads ‘Dear Suzy, When?’ with a brown weaved surface behind. (Narration throughout)
1s

14.
ECU
Static Camera, Birdseye view
Close up of the word ‘When’ matches the narration of the same word.
1s

15.
CU
Static Camera Birdseye view
A pale pink letter with a ‘Suzy Bishop’ header reads ‘Dear Sam, Where?, A red and white backdrop underneath.
1s

16.
ECU
Static camera
Birdseye view
Close up of the word ‘Where’ matching its narration.
1s

17.
MS-LS
Tracking
Camera track back from an open window with night exterior, a box sits on the windowsill as the camera moves further back into the room  revealing shelves of records and books before stopping.
9s


  • I chose to complete a second technical analysis on this montage sequence from Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom' 2012. This is because although my previous video analysis was a narrative as our own piece 'Binocular' will be I didn't feel it would follow the same editing and camera conventions of our piece which will most likely take the form of a narrative montage rather than a continuity edit.
  • This 'Letter sequence' in particular demonstrates the use of montage narrative that we would be using as Anderson shows a period of time which two young people alone in different ways develop their relationship and escape plan through letters to one another.
  • This allows for multiple location footage which we plan to use ourselves as well as a diverse range of camera shots and movement. As Andersons directional style best suits our own planned tone I felt an analysis of his work would be more appropriate than a music video however aspects of rhythm and beat within is editing style reflect conventions of a music video in areas.
  • As the edit is between two people a montage variation of parallel lines of action is formed. Anderson balances these lines evenly switching back and forth every shot.
  • Both the shot composition and narrative often portray the two main characters Sam and Suzy in similar situations, for example when Sam is blocked in MS to the left of the screen in full focus presenting action both in the foreground and background the same is done in the next shot for Suzy however Suzy will appear on the opposite side creating diversity. However Anderson's signature use of symmetry also shows the two centrally blocked in chronological shots. 
  •   





  • Due to the unique detail in the mise-en-scene of Wes Andersons shots, there two dimensional framing allowing for simultaneous action in both back and foreground means that shot duration can regularly reach up to eight seconds long allowing the audience to take in the mise-en-scene before the next cut. The cuts in this sequence are also illustrative of the narration, some of the narration is represented visually also as the events they describe within the letters are portrayed.
  • The shot duration follows the rhythm and length of the letter being read out, gradually the narration starts to become cut short leading the a gradual increase in the rhythm of the cutting rate as the conversations lead to the conclusion of their plan, as can be seen when the shot duration changes from 8s each line to 1s each way. As the cutting rate increases so does the shot distance as ECUs of the letters are presented drawing the audience further into the action. Shot distance overall is diverse throughout the sequence ranging from ELS to ECU.
  • Anderson's distinct signature camera movements are also presented throughout, in particular the use of tracking shots to create a flow within the montage that other wise could have
    Dimitri Basil's 'Riptide'(Vance Joy)
    appeared static and CU birdseye views to create POV such as shot 13. This technique can be seen to have influenced other music video directors of note such as Dimitri Basil. When used well these techniques create an almost dollhouse affect on the telling of a story as the camera moves within the shot to present other characters as if they are all present within the same set.
  • I have been able to learn a lot from the technical analysis, by gaining understanding into the editing and camera techniques of a montage narrative and the style of Wes Anderson's sequences. This will be influential on storyboarding, planning and outcome of 'Binocular'.

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