Mis en Scene Blog Post #8

 Mise en Scene: Coraline

Shot 1

In this scene, Coraline, in her yellow raincoat, walks toward her dad, who is slouched in his computer. The setting is cluttered, a drab sense of browns and greys fills the screen because this portion of the real world isn't meant to be colorful. The lighting is dark, cool, almost an uninteresting and washed-out sense of life. The props are an old computer, a coffee mug to denote all work and no play, exhaustion, boredom. The costume is Coraline herself, the bright, exciting, dynamic character, in a drab setting because everything around her isn't nearly as exciting as she is. The blocking of actors is distanced as she's framed apart from her dad, as he ignores her just like he ignores this drab world - framed away from him so she can be appreciated more. The shot composition is the computer that divides them.

Shot 2

In this next shot, the tunnel of purples and blues that Coraline travels through is her entry into the Other World. At this point, the set design becomes a bit more abstract - walls like fabric seem to cup in towards a small, inviting door. This is an abstraction of reality - of what's good about exploration - and bad. The lighting is warmly glowing from the center, beckoning Coraline - and the viewer - to jump in and see what happens. The lightness against the darkness plays with an exploratory mood that ultimately prepares the viewer for what's ahead. The circular composition is vortex-like; it seems to pull in, which it does, but more as an illusion, as Coraline's intrigued exploration matches how intrigued the theme is to spin the viewer in for a ride right from the start.

Shot 3

Next, we first see the Other Mother in a kitchen that's welcoming. The set features yellow and homey ingredients for cookies strewn about, clean countertops, and yellow light - it's a bit too much in the direction of a maternal household. But too maternal. The lighting is warm, yet as time goes on, fake, allowing for comfort but not a comfortable aura to trust. The Other Mother's costume is that of an Other Mother in comparison to Coraline's real mother; she's dolled up, put together, while Coraline's average mother is simply haggard, which makes the other world feel all the more genuine, and the world that Coraline actually exists in feels all the more genuine. The Other Mother is center-framed due to actor blocking and the composition of the scene, meaning she's in charge of this universe, and as the scene continues, her being in charge becomes all the more compelling.

Shot 4

Afterwards, this is the shot that exposes the Other Mother for who she is. The lighting is a sickly green that highlights elements of the Other Mother's face as motherly one minute and monster-like the next. The setting is dark and dystopian, with the destruction of the webbing that supports the idealization of perfection that the Other Mother maintained to leave Coraline in awe and horror. The costume is ragged and comforting yet fragmented and part of her skin to suggest an almost naturally predatorial desire to keep Coraline forever, while props and blocking place Coraline beneath her as the low-angle composition creates a larger-than-life atmosphere for the Other Mother, as if she has quasi-deity-like power over this world, which she does, and the idealization of perfection is all-consuming.

Shot 5

Lastly, the climax of the Other Mother's trap, through which Coraline is entrapped. The setting becomes one giant web of black and white lines, and the metaphor for being caught in a web in the film is obscured. The lighting becomes so extreme that the separation becomes confusing. The props become webs and spiders and faux mechanical arms to signify that she will eventually not be doing anything. The blocking is Coraline essentially in the middle of a web, stuck in place, but also, visually, caught in a web within itself, stuck between what could be, what is, and all around her at all times. The final composition is metaphorical to end this act because she will have to learn how to separate herself from what's potentially great and back to reality, for good.

Movie Analysis Blog #7

Movie Analysis:

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

1.

    (0:59 - 1:02)

In this scene from Catching Fire, the camera angles and editing used powerfully convey the fear and brutality of the Capitol as Cinna, Katniss Everdeen’s stylist, is swung violently away by the Peacekeepers. The high camera angle shows Cinna from above, dwarfing him and making him appear meek and powerless. This is symbolic of how one is crushed by the authority of the Capitol; whether one is an official or serves the Capitol, even those who serve it are in danger. The guards are also all dressed alike in their rigid white uniforms, and their demeanor emphasizes their absolute authority over everyone present and their dehumanization. An over-the-shoulder shot from Katniss’s point of view intensifies the emotional impact. The audience sees what is before Katniss, but Katniss’s attitude of helplessness is emphasized, for the figure taken is that of Cinna, and in this over-the-shoulder shot, one sees not only her point of view, but also the suffering of Cinna, which brings to the audience the feeling of the shock and anger and horror of Katniss.

2.

(1:17 - 1:20)

In this shot, Katniss stands near the entrance of the 75th Hunger Games arena, a moment before the games begin. At the time of filming, the camera was positioned using a medium rear shot with the water in front of Katniss and the Cornucopia (the point where many players first clash) in the background as a visual reminder of the dangers and unknowns she faces. Using a medium rear shot helps to convey Katniss's sense of isolation and resolve, while also making it clear that even though she has gained fame for her participation in previous Hunger Games, she remains just one person, up against insurmountable odds. The fast-paced, tense editing used here will create an increased level of anticipation and fear as the audience waits to see what happens next. This combination of camera angle and pacing creates a feeling of apprehension in the viewer, and it makes the viewer share both her fear and her courage prior to the start of the chaos.

3.

(2:25 - 2:27)

In this sequence from Catching Fire, the camera movement used, which is trucking, and quick cuts edit the action to a point of urgency as we see the tributes run towards the Cornucopia. The quick cuts of Katniss’ intensity and focused face, edited with the chaos of the action scenes, heighten the tension and confusion of the moment. Low-angle shots create the space of power, but they also serve to show their vulnerability as they are caught in the throes of a desperation for survival. 

4.

(2:36 - 2:45)

This scene from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire uses a shot reverse shot technique between Katniss and Finnick as they first meet in the arena. The editing alternates between shots of Katniss with her bow drawn and Finnick’s calm but intense face, creating an atmosphere of suspense and mistrust. Each edit increases the suspense and forces the audience to deliberate on whether Katniss will fire the arrow or whether Finnick represents a potential threat. The tight framing allows us to almost encroach upon the two characters, forcing us to study them through minute movement before the camera-character's depth is rapidly reversed. The use of editing in this scene accentuates the dramatic and emotional uncertainty, forcing the audience to become nervous and curious regarding the attributes of characters within their environment.

5.

(3:43 - 3:45)

In this shot, it shows a close-up angle shot of Katniss just after Peeta emerges from his fight with the other tribute in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, where she can't believe it when she sees that he has made it out. As Katniss gets over her fear to realize that he is still alive, you can visually see all the emotions on her face melt into relief and then love, creating an incredibly strong and deep connection. With the camera shot being so close up, we are able to see every single expression and feeling on her face as her fear melts away, creating a strong visual representation of how much Katniss cares for him and the relationship they share. The editing of this scene is extremely slow and stays on Katniss's reactions for a long time, which creates an even stronger visual effect of her strong feelings and bond to Peeta. 

Sound Story Blog #6

 

The Creation of the Sound Story:

Difficulties Encountered

This is the sound story that my partner, Amaar Farooq, and I created. The first idea that came to mind when presented with this project was a basketball match, but we had doubts about how we would make the video long enough and what sounds we could Foley. However, a few days later, Amaar and I got on a call and started brainstorming great ideas. Finally, we were able to create sounds that fit perfectly into the video, and they felt realistic. Another problem we encountered was the editing and layering of sounds in the video. We had to scour the internet for hours trying to find artificial sounds that could fit into the video. Also, we had to rewrite our script multiple times since we couldn't find some sounds we originally wanted. We used WeVideo as our editing software to combine all the sounds together to create this masterpiece of a sound story!

The Creation of the Sound Story:

The Sounds and What I would do Differently

This is our Foley stage video showing our methods used to create sounds that simulate the process, starting from getting out of bed, and later going to play basketball. It shows how we used a brush and a coaster to simulate someone brushing their teeth. We also opened and locked the front door to make the main character sound more in a rush since he is late to a significant event, which is the basketball championship. Both of these clips are in the first half of the video, since he is still in the house by this point. We blended these sounds very well with other sounds from the internet, such as pouring cereal and milk, showering, and sprinting down the stairs. We felt like all these sounds captured the tension felt by the main character. Due to this we were pretty content with these Foley sounds. Furthermore, once the main character leaves his house and arrives at the gym where the game is being held, we used Foley to create the sounds of the basketball bouncing and the sneakers squeaking. We attempted to make the bouncing of the basketball sound powerful and slowed to make the video even more intense. Also, when creating the sound of the sneakers squeaking, I had to change shoes multiple times since none of the previous ones I used made the correct sound we wanted. When we blended these sounds into the video, the basketball bouncing sounded almost exactly like what we envisioned so that was great. The squeaking of the sneakers was good as well, but it was a little faint and could have been a little louder. Amaar and I had a fantastic time making the sounds for this video and we hope to work together on later projects!