Textual Analysis

 Task 1:
CINEMATOGRAPHY (write examples/what are the connotations?)
Shots 
  • Close up: Used to emphasise how important a character/object is.
  • Mid shot: Used to pick up on a character/objects movement (e.g body language) and emotion.
  • Establishing shot: enables the viewer to establish the setting of a scene.
  • Extreme close-up: Enables the viewer to see important/significant details of an object/character.
  • Long shot: Allows the viewer to see the integrity of an object/character

Angles
  • High angle: Makes a character seem vulnerable and the puts the viewer in a position of power 
  • Low angle: Makes the viewer feel intimidated by the character. Emphasises the greatness of an object/character.
  • Tilted angle: Creates tension and gives a scene more movement.
  • Birds eye angle: Enables the viewer to get a view of the whole scene. Also used to make a character appear vulnerable.
  • Mid angle: Keeps the viewer levelled with the character. Commonly used in scenes with a lot of dialogue (e.g if characters are talking).

Camera Movement
  • Pan: used when a character moves their head. Follows the movement (side-to-side).
  • Zoom: Used to create tension and focus on a specific feature within a scene.
  • Dolly: Used when a character is moving backwards or forward. Follows the movement.
  • Pedestal: When the camera moves up or down. Can add suspense to a scene.
SOUND (define these terms)
  • Diegetic sound: Sound where the source is visible.

  • Non-diegetic: Sound that is added into a scene — the source is not visible

  • Parallel sound: Sounds that match a scene. For example, a horror scene that has fearful screaming. 


  • Contrapuntal sound: When the sounds contrast on the scene,for example, a sad scene with happy music 


  • Sound bridge: Sounds used played the transition between scenes. 
MISE-EN-SCENE
  • Setting: The location/area that a scene is set.

  • Costumes: What the characters are wearing.

  • Make-up: Used on characters in multiple ways. One way could be creating the appearance of injuries (e.g cuts or bruises). 

  • Props: Objects that are used in a scene by actors. Props can be anything that moves or is portable and is distinct from the character.

  • Lighting & colour: Used to set the mood of a scene. For example, a sad scene may have dark lighting and a blue/purple colour scheme.

  • Facial expressions: When the actor uses their face to convey their emotional state.

  • Body language: When the actor uses gestures to portray their emotional state. 

EDITING (define these terms)

  • Continuity editing: When the scene consists of multiple cuts in order to create a consistent and continuous clear narrative.

  • Shot/reverse/shot: When two characters are facing each other and the opposing character is seen looking back at the other character.

  • Cut: A sudden transition from one scene to another.

  • Jump cuts: A series of cuts that are commonly used to give the appearance of moving forward in time. 

  • Cross-cutting: When the camera cuts away from one action to another.

  • Transitions: When shots and scenes are combined.

  • Cross fade: A gradual transition that includes a scene fading into another. 

  • 180 degree rule: This includes only shooting a scene from one side of the room. This is due to the confusion the viewer may experience if the camera cuts to the other side of the room and the characters are in opposite positions.


Task 2:
In the clip, the angles of the camera vary between mid and high angle, and the movement of the camera is dolly. This is because it is an action scene, meaning it is fast paced and has a lot of movement.
The shots are typically mid and long shots, enabling the viewer to have a full sight of what is occurring in the surroundings of the setting, as there are multiple characters in the scene.

The sound is both non-diegetic and diegetic. For example, the non-diegetic sounds are the music in the background, which helps set the mood of the scene, and adds drama. The diegetic sounds are from the characters movements, voices and from various props used within the scene.

The colour scheme of the scene is on a grey/blue scale, This again creates the mood for the scene and sets a serious and eery tone. The lighting of the scene is dark to medium light, indicating that the scene is not happy, but also not sad. The darker tones and lighting add to the intensity of the action that is occurring in the scene. 

Comments

  1. Not a bad first attempt Tahlia, but you could definitely push this further.

    This is quite a broad overview of the clip and you haven't picked apart specific camera shots/editing choices etc and explained the connotations.
    For future textual analysis work, really focus on the different micro elements and discuss the connotations.

    Miss C

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