How does Essex Boys create ideas of entrapment and moral ambiguity?

 

Figure 1

In figure 1 Billy is at the wheel of the car symbolising that he is in control, however, the lights which are reflecting on to the car create a sort of bar like image and connote ideas of being trapped. The character in the back of the car, Jason,  is shallow in the background so that we don't notice him straight away, this is done to show us that Billy may be in control for the short term but in the long term Jason has a lot of power over him and will inevitably take control over Billy. The bars on the car could also be foreshadowing Billy ending up in jail at the end of the film. By using a bleak colour pallet our eyes are drawn to the colour in the shot which is the bars on the windscreen and this puts emphasis on them, implying that they do symbolise events that will happen later on in the film and that they are not just there for effect.

Figure 2

Figure 2 showcases a low camera shot with a off centre vanishing point which our eyes are immediately drawn to. By using an off centre vanishing point a sense of uncertainty is created. Figure 2 features a horizontal so we know that everything is still on order, however the dim green lighting furthers the feelings of uncertainty. The use of the dimly lit tunnel with no light at the end of it connotes the idea that Billy is not going to get anything worthwhile out of working with Jason and that if he continues helping him there will be no "light at the end of the tunnel" for him and that he will be throwing away not only his future but his freedom and that he will be disregarding his morals. Tunnels usually symbolise the ending of one thing and the beginning of something new however we cant see the end of this tunnel, similarly Billy cannot see how his future will pan out if he continues to help Jason.

Figure 3

Surrounding by nothingness and an empty sea, figure 3 connotes strong ideas of moral ambiguity and a sense of desperation. By using such an isolated location for figure 3, we get the idea that the character shown in the shot has no future and no chance of recovering from his attack. The bleakness of the location connotes ideas of moral ambiguity as we know Billy only started to help Jason as a driver and now he his helping dispose of his enemies. Billy is getting himself wrapped up in something a lot worse than he imagined and he doesn't know what to do. His morals are telling him to stop and cut all ties with Jason but his fear of Jason wont let him do this. This continues on from the ideas connoted in figure 1 that Jason has a lot of power over Billy even though he isn't aware of it.

Figure 4

Finally, the use of an industrial location really lends itself to setting the tone of the movie. Industrial locations are a staple of the British Gangster genre and Essex Boys is no exception. By using a desolate gritty location we immediately know that nothing good is going to be happening there, this connotes the idea of Billy facing moral ambiguity and not knowing what to do.

How does the opening of Se7en establish character through mise en scene, dialogue and camerawork?

Figure 1

In the opening scene to Se7en, Morgan Freeman’s character is shown to be trapped in his everyday life. Camera work is used cleverly to do this. As Freeman is walking away from the kitchen his head is cut out of the shot. Usually we would expect the camera to zoom out and pan with his head, as cutting out headroom is often an amateur mistake in film making. However, this decision to cut out how head from figure 1 was a very deliberate one. By doing this we get the impression that Freemans character has no escape route out of his routine life. Furthermore, the placement of a chessboard is used to show us that Freeman's character is intelligent, however this also connotes ideas of clinging onto what he once had. We know that Freeman's character lives alone and perhaps keeping the chessboard he used to play with his loved one allows him to still keep some of feelings of her alive. By having a very plain living space, which through a mid-shot seems to be very constricting, it gives the impression that Freeman is trapped even in his own home and wherever he is he can't get away from his hectic life. Throughout the opening of Se7en there is always a wild track playing in the background and at this point in the film it is other tenants shouting and having an argument, this connotes the idea that Freeman is never at peace and never will be. The lighting in this shot is very gloomy and gives a whitewashed look to the room, this makes it look like it's not a very appealing place to live.

Figure 2

Figure 2 shows 5 items laid out in front of Freeman can be used to tell us a lot about his character. The paper rose symbolises that he is still holding onto memories of his wife and that he thinks about her every day, this is why he puts it in his blazer pocket as she will always be close to his heart. The police badge connotes the ideas that Freeman's character takes his work very seriously and that it is now the most important thing in his life, by placing it next to his wife’s rose it shows us that he puts a lot of effort into his work and that, that too is a massive part of his life, if not the biggest part of his life. The flip knife is a Chekhov's gun (Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there. - Anton Chekhov) because of this we know that the knife is going to be used later on in the film at some point. The context that it is going to be used in, we do not know, but we do know that it will be used in one way or another. Including a high quality pen is done to further show us that Freeman's character is intelligent and takes his work very seriously, along with the glasses case we get the impression that Freeman's character is a very calculated man and pays attention to even the smallest of details.

Figure 3

By keeping Freeman's character in focus whilst he is looking around the crime scene and keeping the other detective out of focus, the director further advances the idea that Freeman's character really does care about his work, unlike the other detectives in his preceint Freeman's character is looking into the case in more depth and context than the other detectives because he actually cares about the outcome, whilst we get the impression that the other detectives that Freeman work with really don't care about the cases and only collecting their paychecks.  Just before this shot the other detective says "Yeah well this is a done deal. All but the paperwork", I've included Freeman's response as it connotes further the idea that Freeman cares about the cases he works on and put in a lot more effort than the other detectives.

Figure 4

Brad Pitt's character is introduced from the get go to be a contrast to Freeman's character. In figure 4 there is a very small cue that tells us that Pitt's character is a bit of maverick, here he is quickly checking out a woman who is passing by, this connotes ideas of Pitt's character being a lot more laid back and perhaps less professional than Freeman's character. Throughout the next shot the camera is always below Freeman and Pitt's characters tilted up towards them, not showing much detail of the background apart from the metal bars which go across the windows of all the shops. Heavy rain is constantly in the background whilst the street is considerably packed with many passer-by’s bumping into our two characters. All of these factors go together to form ideas of being trapped. Freeman's character is shown to be continuously trapped throughout every moment of his life, whilst Pitt's character doesn’t realise what he has signed up for with his upbeat slightly optimistic personality.

Figure 5

Finally, in figure 5 we are introduced to Freeman's metronome. Although we see it earlier on in the intro we don’t see it in use until now. Freeman uses the metronome to help him get to sleep at night. Connoting ideas that Freeman finds it difficult to switch off from his everyday life as a detective and that perhaps the metronome is his way of escaping from his reality for the next seven days until he can retire. The wild-track off other tenants shouting and the outside life is ever present and it almost gives the impression that Freeman's character only method of coping with his life as a detective since his wife has died is the metronome. The metronome is also a Chekhov’s gun as it is shown at the start of the introduction to the film and is then used later on.

How does the sewer scene from The Third Man use framing and composition techniques, mise en scene and cinematography to create meanings, metaphors and effects? EDITED

Figure 1

Figure 1 depicts Harry running from the police down a tunnel in the sewers.The use of lighting in this shot creates a vanishing point at "the end of the tunnel". Throughout the film Harry Limes has been running from his crimes and we know at the end of this scene he is shot dead. At the start of the film there is the metaphorical heaven and hell conversation with the German man, this scene could be taking ideas from that as Harry is running away from the light as a visual metaphor for him going to hell because of how horrific his actions were. Another take on this shot could be that the more Harry runs from his crimes the more he is getting consumed by his moral crisis. There isn't a horizontal in this shot and the camera is tilted downwards, this is a visual metaphor for Harry's lack of power and control over the situation, and his vulnerability. Throughout the film he is always a step ahead but now he is trapped and is vulnerable. The film was released in 1949, just after WW2, when the whole world was vulnerable. The vanishing point in this shot is off centre which further supports the idea of Harry having a lack of control. Tilted angles are used to connote ideas of not only power but also vulnerability, by having a downwards tilted angle Harry Limes is shown to be vulnerable and that the police are in control of the situation, a stark contrast to the rest of the film where he always seems to be ahead of the police by a step or two. By using a upwards tilted shot we immediately get the idea of the character being powerful. Quadrants are used in figures one, two and four to draw our eyes to certain areas of the screen, the areas that feature characters. With further analysis this could be seen as metaphor to how Harry Limes is searching for an escape out of the sewers. 

Figure 2

In this shot Harry lime is running from the police deeper into the depths of the sewers. By creatively using lighting to create a vanishing point off the screen, our eyes are drawn towards it but cant quite see it, just like Harry Limes must be feeling, that he is trapped and cant find a way out as hard as he tries. By having Harry as a minuscule character in this shot he is presented to be very alone and vulnerable in such a large space, foreshadowing the inevitable as we know he is surrounded and outnumbered. There is a good use of metaphors in this shot with the idea of "The light at the end of the tunnel". The idea that Harry is holding out hope for one last lucky break and thinks he will get out of the situation okay, or it could be referencing the idea of Harry letting go and "Going towards the light" as if he is accepting the inevitable that he is going to die.

Figure 3

By using lines of light and shadows to create a vanishing point, our eyes are drawn to the far exit in this shot. Harry could see this as a way out, coupled with the visual metaphor of the light coming through the tunnel Harry may see this as an escape route. However in the corner of the shot there is a second exit, this creates a sense of claustrophobia and uneasiness, the theme of a moral crisis is present throughout the film and even more so here through the use of a visual metaphor in the form of the two exits. Harry has 2 exits which should connote ideas of escape and freedom, however by using a top down tilted shot we instead get ideas of vulnerability, that whatever exit Harry tries to use will in inevitably lead to his downfall. This shot also uses a lot of sharp angles and lines to show of German expressionism. Figure 3 is set up using quadrants to encourage the viewer to search the shot for characters. Lighting is used to get our eyes to focus on specific parts of the shot, mainly the two exits from the sewer, the use of a downwards tilted shot shows us that when Harry Limes goes through this area he is very vulnerable and that the police are catching up to him.

Figure 4

In one of the final shots after Harry Limes chase, the shot takes a more peaceful turn. There is no more powerfully running water like in the previous shots which creates a sense of peacefulness. The shot is also the first to feature a prominent horizontal which furthers this idea of there finally being peace. The strong contrast of the character on the white background is made even more obvious by the use of shadows and lights to create a vanishing point which is right on him, getting us to focus all our of attention on him. When looking closer though, we can notice that the character still has an enlarged shadow to his left, connoting the idea that after all of this, after finally stopping Harry Limes crimes, he is still in a moral crisis, that there is still wrong doing in him. After all he stopped Harry Limes but in the end he had to kill one of his friends, and was that the right decision to do?

Prelim task + Write up UPDATED

Our aim for the preliminary task was ; as a group we had to film a character carrying out various actions such as opening a door, crossing a room, sitting and then having a short conversation with another character. The short clip had to be a suitable length and ours ended up being 1 minute 17 seconds. The clip had to have continuity, it couldn't just be a load of shots randomly thrown together.

We had to put a lot of focus on planning, we designed a floor plan, script, and a story board for our filming. Unfortunately the member of our group who had all this planning was absent whilst we were filming so we had to improvise. We remembered from our planning how we were going to set up our line for the 180 degree rule so that we wouldn't break it, we didn't plan for things such as head room and nose room and this can be seen in some of our shots with mine and Bens heads getting slightly cut out in some of them. The purpose of each stage of planning was so that there was continuity throughout the short, lack of planning did lower the quality of our short which is disappointing, next time I will defiantly put more focus on planning. The planning had different stages to it such as designing a floor board which would show where we would be walking and where the camera would be positioned for different shots. We also designed a story board, although vast, which gave a basic summary of what would be happening in each shot. I think additional planning, such as outfits and lighting would be applicable to a longer film but I don't feel as if that is such a big deal in a shorter piece like the one we produced.

In our film we used a range of techniques and camera angles to create different effects in the shots.
The main technique/ rule we followed was the 180 rule which we put a lot of thought into when deciding the shots we would be filming. We used over the shoulder shots to put emphasis on the fact the characters were having a conversation, we used tilted/angled shots to connote ideas of power and vulnerability. We used a range of camera shots which I think keeps the viewer interested as there isn't focus on one shot for to long. We featured some more advanced shots as well such a shot reverse shot. We tried to feature the rule of thirds and i think we pulled it off quite well considering it was our preliminary task.

Some of the key things from this project which I learnt were; to check head room, in a few of our shots mine and Bens heads were slightly cut off which lowered the quality of the final piece. In future projects I'd also like to be able to edit the sound of the final piece to increase the quality of it, for this piece we only had the microphone built into the camera and because of this the audio of the piece didnt have continuity. 

How do directors film a conversation? UPDATED

Rules for filming conversation. -180 degree rule : When shooting a conversation you must imagine there is a line of 180 degree. When shooting a clip you must keep the camera on the same side of the line, -Short Reverse Shot : To do this, you get a shot of the character looking at a person or an object, a shot of the thing their looking at, then the shot goes back to the character. -Continuity editing : This is when you edit your clip so that all the shots in a scene flow smoothly and continuously. -Rule of thirds : The screen is divided in to 9 equal sections. Where the lines overlap in the thirds, these are focus points. These can be used to demonstrate a characters power or weakness, for example, to show a character power in a conversation you could have them on the focal point whilst the weaker character they are speaking to would be off centres from the focal point. Head,lead and nose room : These types of shots are referring to the way that a persons face is filmed.
Head room is the amount of room above a characters head, whilst nose and lead room refer to the amount of space that can be seen around a characters face. At 00:51 in the Breaking Bad clip, both Gus and Walter are in a focal point. They are also both balanced in their positions in the shot which shows them as equals. At around the 1 minute mark Walter is talking with the camera facing him from over Gus's shoulder, when Gus answers Walter the camera is tilting upwards, showing that at this point Gus is a more powerful character than Walter as the camera shot is often used to demonstrate a characters power.
The shot is then reversed with Gus being at an eye level shot and Walter is being shown in a tilt shot, showing us that in this point of the conversation Walter has more power and is leading and controlling the conversation. What can we learn from this clip about how to shoot conversation? The clip from Breaking Bad shows us how abiding to the rules of filming conversation helps film producers make high quality conversation clips.
 By following the 180 degree rule the characters in the clip are constantly under the same lighting, this helps create a sense of continuity in the clip. If some of the shots were done from the other side of the 180 line the lighting may look different and it would make the shots look amateurish. This links well with Continuity editing and makes it much easier to do so when the lighting is the same in all of the shots. This piece is a really good example of how the rule of thirds can be used to demonstrate power and vulnerability. Throughout the clip Gus and Walter are regularly shown to be equals by balancing their positions on the grid of the rule of thirds, to show when either is taking control of the conversation their is a slight shift from the opposite character to show them as less powerful at this point.

Peaky Blinders Analysis

Summer Task UPDATED

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Introduction

Hi, I'm Cody Davison and this is my blog for AS Media at CNS.