8. Pictures to go alongside Spiderwick Chronicles Analysis

Goes alongside the green sound analysis.

Goes alongside the pink sound analysis.

Goes alongside the green mise en scene analysis.

This goes alongside the pink mise en scene analysis.

This goes alongside the green editing analysis.

This goes alongside the pink editing analysis.

This goes alongside the green camerawork analysis.

This goes alongside the pink camerawork analysis.

8. Spiderwick Chronicles Analysis

7. Bridget Jones's Diary Analysis

6. Wallander Analysis (Firewall, 7th December 2008, BBC1)

2. Title Sequence vs Trailer

This is the title sequence to the movie of Grease. A title sequence is a title sequence because it is shown at the beginning of the film to introduce it. The title sequence often gives us information about the film we are about to watch such as the main characters, the actors who play them, and sometimes even the director. The title sequence often plays along to music which goes along with the genre of the film. We see this in the title sequence from Grease (shown above) as the music used is very relevant to the genre: Romantic Comedy from the 1980's. A title sequence is very different to a trailer.

 

This is the trailer to the movie The Possession. A trailer is a trailer because it is shown on the television as an advertisement. A trailer is advertising the film before it has been released in the cinema and gives a brief overview of the plot of the film. We are often left on a cliffhanger at the end of trailer because this way, audiences are dragged into paying to go and watch the film when it is released. The trailer gives away more information about the film than an opening sequence because after opening sequences, the film will start anyway. This is how trailers and title sequences are different.

1. Foundation Portfolio: Brief

5. Brick Analysis (Johnson, 2005, US)

Diegetic and non-diegetic sound are both important in this clip. The non-diegetic sound (background music) kicks in immediately; it has a high volume, low pace and a mixture of pitches. It is slow and solemn at first and then speeds up towards the end. The style of the music sounds like it belongs in a Western film which could suggest something about an event further on in the film. The diegetic sound within this clip also conveys meaning, when the non-diegetic background music stops, the school bell instantly sounds. This awakens reality as everything up until that point seems almost surreal; again, it is also a contrast to the music we had just been listening too. The ringing is a ‘Sound bridge’ because the sound of the bell is carried over from one scene to another.

 

As I said before, the Opening Sequence is set in both a school corridor and a sewage tunnel. The school corridor is safe, friendly, and colourful. In comparison to the sewage tunnel, which is mundane, isolated and dirty. There are mainly differences in these two places, some of which are the school corridor uses high key lighting to reflect positive mental states. The sewage tunnel however, uses low key lighting to convey feelings of negative mental states. There is also contrast between the characters in these two settings, the school corridor is full of innocent, vulnerable children who seem happy and upbeat, whereas the sewage tunnel is empty, apart from two characters- a boy, who is staring a girl who is either unconscious or dead on the floor. This boy has his hand over his mouth when he is crouching down in the tunnel, this suggests he is in shock about the state this girl (who we assume is his friend/sister/girlfriend?!) is in.

The cinematography in this clip shows various things. Firstly, there are various extreme long shots of the dead or unconscious woman’s body parts. This is ‘hidden information’ because it is only telling us certain things about the woman’s situation. Furthermore, we see a Crab (camera movement) which draws attention to the boy’s shoes.This also an extreme close up which emphasises the mystery of the woman’s condition. We learn that the camerawork also contrasts within the opening sequence. We see few mind shots but a lot of extreme close ups and long shots.

Finally, the editing within the clip from Brick makes us question various things as an audience. The editing is consistently fast paced throughout the Opening Sequence. This is non-stereotypical for an Opening Sequence as there is not much going on. Also, Cross Cutting occurs between the boy’s face looking on into the distance, and the certain parts of the girl’s body (her hair and hands). This makes us further question what is happening and why.

4. The Sixth Sense Analysis (Shyamalan, 1999, US)

The editing within the clip from The Sixth Sense makes us question many things as an audience. The editing is very slow for the majority of the clip otherwise it would confuse us as to whether the woman is being watched or not. However, when the woman hears the noise and gains sense of this herself, the editing speeds up and becomes faster paced. Also, at the beginning, we see the slow fading in and out of the titles. This is very time consuming and gives us time to wonder about the characters that we are about to see within the clip.



The diegetic and non-diegetic sound are both important within this clip. Firstly, the diegetic sound is important because when we hear the door opening (immediately after the light turns on), it startles us. This has been done purposely because as the door is what we call ‘hidden information’ (we cannot see it) and it adds to the mystery within the clip. Also, the hyperbolic sound of the battery in the light turning on is intriguing because it illustrates how quiet and isolated the cellar actually is.

Non-diegetic sound is also crucial in this clip. We know this right at the beginning when the background music starts, this music is high pitched, has a high volume and has a slow place. We can hear every single instrument in the piece of music and it reminds me of an old haunted house. This makes the audience feel uneasy and allows us to think about many unanswered questions.

The setting of this clip is a Wine Cellar. It is abandoned, dirty, low key lighting is used and we assume from the emptiness that it is very cold. The low key lighting connotates the mental state of the woman perhaps, as although she is dressed up in a nice outfit, her facial expressions do not particularly convey any form of happiness to the audience. Also, the light bulb right at the beginning of the clip holds great importance because the fact that it takes a long time for the light to come on tells us that the cellar is not regularly visited, the way the light bulb is completely bare suggests that it is not in a friendly or comfortable environment e.g. a Living Room. The woman’s outfit also adds to her vulnerability because she is a stereotypically presented woman within this film. Her high heels would hinder her escape and her dress is a thin and unpractical material that would allow her to become cold easily.

Finally, the cinematography in this clip conveys various meanings. Firstly, the consistent long shots and close ups gives the audience a more personal insight into the woman’s character seeing as she is very ambiguous in this clip. Also, the fact that the camera has been placed behind the shelf that she is looking at, suggests to the audience that she is being watched (which further emphasises her vulnerability). Furthermore,the close up of one object, which is in this case the old light bulb, gives it meaning and importance which could be crucial within the storyline within the clip.