My Film Opening Project - Genre & Group Members

genre- action/adventure

group members- sarah nemeth, saoirse bowe, kelsey cashin, carson chambers

Film Opening Research #2 - Murder Mystery

Murder Mystery 

There are two titles in the opening of the movie, the title of the movie and the company that is presenting it. Images of robbery, detective cases, images of a couple mentioning going on a vacation. These images foreshadow a trip that the couple is going to go on and there will be a murder mystery case that the husband will try to solve because he wants to be a detective. The genre is reinforced through technical codes like the murder, a detective, weapons, and evidence. Some symbolic codes that reinforce this genre include the setting which is New York. This city is associated with high crime rates and lots of detective cases. As well as this, the fact that it is the couple’s 15-year anniversary foreshadows the trip that they are going to go on which leads them to being involved in a murder case in the first place. The enigma would be the rich man they meet on the plane. He sporadically invites them on his family’s yacht which is where the murder occurs. The audience is constantly confused as to whether he is genuinely nice or pretending because he’s really the killer. The target audience is established in the opening scene when the women discuss sex and marriage and the men go out drinking. This clearly identifies the movie as an adult film that contains content older viewers would enjoy/understand. Technology is used effectively in the editing techniques because the camera constantly follows the couple so that the audience isn’t aware of any extra information that the couple isn’t.  

Film Opening Research #1 - Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express 

There is only one title in the opening sequences to the film. The movie starts with the title, “Murder on the Orient Express” and then cuts straight to a scene in Jerusalem. Images prioritized in the opening sequence include a large portion of the scenery in Jerusalem as well as the Wailing Wall. The opening scene also includes a young boy running with a box of eggs to a man in a bog house, possible a castle. He gives the cooked eggs to a man and he closely observes them. These images have underlying meanings such as the fact that the man wants perfect eggs for breakfast imply that he is a perfectionist, and the detective in the case that comes about later in the movie. He will stop at nothing to get to the perfect reasonable answer. The genre is reinforced through technical codes such as the filming of the movie. The lighting is almost always dark and gloomy which is the perfect setting for a murder case. The music is often fast when the detective is close to figuring something out but at other times slow and loud to build suspense. A few symbolic clues include the justice behind the case. In a normal jury there are 12 justices that decide the fate of the accused. In “Murder on the Orient Express”, there are 12 murderers, which represent the 12 jury members. Although the passengers break the law, Poirot treats them like a valid jury that in the context of the story made a legal determination. The film establishes the enigma by introducing the detective and the case at hand. After Ratchett was murdered, everyone on the train became a suspect and therefore an enigma to the detective who needed to find out everyone’s story in order to solve the mystery. The film appeals to a teen/adult audience and the strategies used includes the plot, a child isn’t going to understand a murder mystery. Also, a lot of the jokes and comments mentioned are for older kids or and adult audience. Technology has been used effectively to create a mysterious and scary setting aboard the train. For instance, the camera angles are usually back and forth between people talking or level with the main character in the scene so that if something jumps out at or surprises them, it has the same effect on the audience. As well as this the editor uses various cuts to transition between scenes and make the film more confusing and mysterious to the audience. It doesn’t always flow smoothly because solving a case hardly ever flows smoothly.  

Genre Research #2- Powerpoint

My Favorite Genre-Video

https://youtu.be/bNz59Q5d6jA

Crime and Gangster Powerpoint

Film Elements Graphic Organizer

Film Viewing Practice Essay "Agent Carter"

All through the motion picture Agent Carter from Marvel, there are perceptible parts of altering, music, camera shots/points, and mise-en-scène. Every one of these film segments add to the significance of the plot in general, and eventually help the movie producer improve the storyline. 

To begin, the film utilizes the altering strategy of parallelism which features the distinctions and likenesses between two scenes. For this situation, the audience sees alternating shots among Peggy and Steve as Peggy sits in an office and Steve is flying an air ship that is in the line of threat. The similitudes between these shots is the frenzy that is clear in the subjects' countenances, just as the sensational ensemble music that finishes each shot. With respect to contrasts, Peggy is in an obviously less compromising condition while Steve seems to have his life hanging in the balance in the flying machine. This method improves the film since it shows how interconnected the characters are sincerely in spite of being physically isolated. Additionally, leitmotif, which is a shot with a common subject, can be found in the Wonder presentation succession. This grouping is appeared toward the beginning of all Wonder motion pictures, and the succession sets watchers up with a desire for the motion picture through general Wonder subjects. 

As well as this, certain camera shots and edges were utilized in the film to pass on the importance of the story better. For instance, a setting up shot, which is a shot used to lay everything out, is utilized when a wide perspective on the city is first appeared. This view causes watchers to perceive that the setting is NYC, which is a clamoring city loaded with life and activity, where extreme activity will in the end happen for the characters. Additionally, an over the shoulder shot is utilized as the two men for Peggy's situation address her and as Peggy talks back to them. This utilization of over the shoulder in two unique ways puts the two gatherings on a progressively equivalent playing field, as Peggy isn't any more fragile than the men. 

Sound is another procedure that is utilized in this film, where the film begins utilizing non simultaneous sound. Non simultaneous sound will be sound in a film that happens at an unexpected point in comparison to in the particular scene it is utilized in. Non synchronous sound happens in the start of this film through sound of Steve and Peggy wildly radioing to one another during the flip scene of the clip. This sound is significant in light of the fact that it sets the film up for a need to keep moving and alarm by making the absolute first scene comprehensive of such a frenzy. Additionally, non-diegetic sound is utilized in the start of the film through passionate violin music. This sound was included after the film, and it includes a feeling of feeling and torment that the characters are feeling upon Steve's circumstance since violin music is consolidated with pity. At long last, a sound scaffold is utilized to associate the scene from the warrior air ship to the setting up shot of the city. This conveying of sound relates the scenes which shows how the issues from the first shot are carrying on through time. 

FInally, parts of mise-en-scène can likewise be seen in this motion picture. For instance, calm lighting with murkiness and shadowing is utilized in the workplace. This utilization of lighting builds up an understanding that the laborers there handle "dull" business, and that for Peggy, this isn't really a cheerful, inviting spot. At a certain point, nonetheless, Peggy is talking about her future with her chief, where the lighting shows up of a higher key, which symbolizes expectation and hope for her future. Likewise, concerning arranging, there is an utilization of hindering wherein the entirety of Peggy's male collaborators are set close to one another as she remains solitary which shows how for this timeframe, men were viewed as progressively predominant. Overall, the movie producer of Agent Carter utilized parts of altering, sound, camera shots/points, and mise-en-scène to help pass on the feelings and importance the story.

Mise-en-scene

     I decided to study the mise-en-scene of the TV show Riverdale because the lighting and costume and mood of the show is constantly changing. In season 3 episode 1 the mood is at first calm but then tense. Archie Andrews just got his freedom back after running for so long. The setting is daytime, the end of summer and at first the mood is fairly happy as there is non-diegetic sound, a voice over, of one of the main characters explaining the fun times they had over the summer. Then the mood suddenly shifts to a courtroom, where one of the main characters, Archie, is on trial for murder. The mood is now scary and tense and the costume changes from summertime bathing suits to serious business suits. The whole courtroom is sweating because it is so hot in the town, making the scene even more tense.

After a few minutes, the scene changes to the inside of a milkshake shop. The mood is still tense but a little happier as the four friends drink milkshakes. The audience hears diegetic sound of dialogue between the four of them as they conspire to find a way to get the judge to believe Archie did not commit the murder he is on trail for. The costumes are more relaxed, no more black and dark colored suits. Now the four wear casual clothes in bright blue colors to represent a feeling of relief of not being in the courtroom anymore. The lighting is also much brighter in the milkshake shop. This also alludes to s sense of happiness and relief, even now the audience nods deep down the discussion the four friends are having is stressful.

This is just one example of many mis-en-scene changes that goes on throughout the show. These sciences were from the first ten minutes of one episode. Considering there are about 40 episodes all together you can only imagine how many other mis-en-scene changes there are throughout the entire show.

5 Master Shots with Sound

Here is the link to my video! https://youtu.be/w4ac_aoEkU0


1. Music: The first two sounds I used was music. I used two different types of music for contrast to show my two different moods in those clips. In the first clip I was calm, doing my school work and in the second clip I was playing in a fast past soccer game that required a lot of adrenaline, the music added to that effect.

2. Sound effects: In my symbolism clip I used the sound effect of birds chirping to show the sounds one might hear while watching the sunrise. This also helped to emphasize that this was sunrise and not sunset as shown in my next clip.

3. Direct Sound: Also in my symbolism clip I used the direct sound of the waves crashing against the shore because that is what I heard while at the beach. This added emotion to the clip because it makes the audience feel as if they’re really there.

4. Sound Bridge: In my simultaneity I used patriotic music to connect the dots between the purpose of showing the JROTC uniform and the American Flag. The music spread across both clips to display symbolism and added emotion to the clip because the music resonates with many citizens if the United States symbolizing union and dedication.

5. Music: I used music in my leit motif clips to show my head spinning in circles as I’m walking to class. This was no diegetic sound because I couldn’t actually hear it while walking to class. The upbeat techno music was to show me getting anxious while walking to class. The circles song was a bit of play on words because I used the song circles to show me “running in circles”.

5 Master Shots in Film

5 Master Shots in Film

Symbolism:
In the movie The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, the white witch symbolizes the evilness of Satan because she froze over all of Narnia. Normally the color white is symbolized as pure but in this movie, the white witch is evil.

Parallelism:
 In Planet of the Apes, this scene shows Caesar as an infant monkey and then cuts to three years later when he is older. This is an example of parallelism because it shows the same monkey at two different stages of life.

Leit Motif:
In the movie Jurassic Park I chose the scene where they first get to the island. The iconic music plays when they are arriving at the island. Later on in the movie, every time people get to the island they same music plays, so this is a good example of leit motif.

Simultaneity:
In the movie Thor, the frost giants are breaking into the Asgard as Thor is being crowned. This is simultaneity because two things are happening at once and they are both completely different from each other, yet will affect each other in the future.

Contrast:
In the movie The Final Girls, the guy is just standing there quite content and then almost instantly he is dead because a guy with a mask comes and snaps his neck. This is contrast because if shows two completely different tones and moods within a few seconds of each other.

5 Master Shots Video

5 Master Shots 

1. My contrast shot was a short clip of me studying and then s clip of me scoring a goal in my soccer game. This is an example of contrast because it shows me being both a scholar and an athlete, two sides of the same person. Contrast shots usually show two sides of the same idea. 

2. My parallelism shot was a clip of the sunrise and a clip of the sunset. Parallelism is when two things are very similar to one another. The sun is in both the sunrise and sunset except one event occurs in the morning and one in the evening. 

3. For symbolism, I used the American flag and a JROTC uniform. Symbolism is using one thing to define another. In my video I used the American flag to symbolism the uniform and ironically enough, the uniform symbolizes all of the soldiers putting their lives on the line to fight for our country. 

4. For simultaneity I used clips going back and forth between two people walking. When this happens in movies, usually it means that these two people will meet later in the movie. Simultaneity means that two things are happening at the same tome but in different places.

5. Let motif is used in film to show what is going on in the characters head during a certain event. I used a clip of me running around in a circle in nations square and another clip of me walking to class. This shows that as I’m walking to class my head is usually going in circles because of all the people and also because I’m usually making sure I’m not late.

Video:
https://youtu.be/_znFXbCZJMM

Riverdale’s Camera Angles

Saoirse Bowe

I chose to use an episode from the TV series Riverdale to discover the different camera angles used throughout the show. Throughout the show a lot of different things happen at once so the scenes often change multiple times throughout one episode. As the scenes change, different angles are used to portray different moods in the show. 

This is a choker shot because it is somewhat close-up, only showing the subjects face. This shot is useful in solely focusing on the mood of the subject, and not including any background or environment to deter from that purpose. In this scene, Jughead Jones was scolding one his gang members for selling illegal drugs. Here, we can see that Jughead’s reaction is upset and disappointed. The cameraman used a choker shot to clearly show Jughead’s mood in this scene.

This next shot is an establishing shot, which in fact the episode opened with. This sets the scene for what’s about to happen. An establishing shot is used to show the environment and surrounding objects of a scene often before showing any people at all. In this scene, there is a cabin-like house that looks to be in the middle of a forest surrounded by tall trees, great for hiding. Shortly after this image was shown, the scene cut to Archie Andrews inside the cabin with a dog. He was in hiding from his ex-girlfriends father who was trying to get him either arrested or killed. The establishing shot showed where he was hiding and the fact that it was very secluded. 

This shot is a cameo shot because the subject is shown with a neutral backdrop. In this case, the background was black, which forced the audience to focus on the main character of the scene, Veronica Lodge. Cameo shots are good when the conversation or actions of the subject are more significant than the environmental surroundings. In this scene, Veronica was having an important business conversation with her father about his attacks on some of her crucial employees. Since this conversation was essential to the plot of the episode, the director chose to have a cameo shot. 

 The next shot included two pictures because it was a reverse-angle shot. These shots are used when two people are having a conversation so the camera is pointed at whoever is talking throughout the scene. This shot is useful for focusing specifically on the person who is talking, their body language as well as dialogue. In this scene, Veronica and Jughead were discussing the safety of Veronica’s speakeasy business, and Jughead was trying to convince her to hire his gang for protection from her father. Since this conversation is crucial to the plot, the director chose to do a reverse-angle shot. 

The last shot I chose to include was a low angle shot. This shot makes the object in the scene seem more powerful and superior. In this scene, Josie McCoy is the subject and she is singing at the speakeasy. The angle makes her seem very superior which is ironic because later in the episode she is attacked by a gang. The director does this to create climax and anticipation in the story and to keep the audience on their toes. 

A Dozen Angle Shots

This is a close shot because it only shows the subject from the waist up.

This is a close up shot because it only shows the subjects hand picking something up.

This is an extreme long shot because it shows a view of the Lely High School courtyard from an aerial view.

This is a follow shot because the camera is following the two subjects around the corner of a building.

This is a head on shot because the subjects are coming directly towards the camera. 

This is a high angle shot because it it taken from above the subject. in a high angle shot the subject looks smaller than their actual size because of the angle.

This is a low angle shot because the camera is looking up at the subject. The low angle shot makes the subject look bigger and more superior. 

This is a medium shot because it only shows the subject from the knees up.

This is a point of view shot because the video is taken from the point of view of the person taking the video. In the video you can see the hands of the person recording the video. 

This is a reaction shot because it shows the reaction of the subjects face to an event that may have just happened.

This video is a reverse angle shot because it only shows the subject who is talking one at a time. The camera goes between each person based upon who is speaking.

This is an extreme close up shot because it shows the detail of the subjects eye. This shot is great for to see details in small objects.

Why AICE Media?

I am taking AICE Media studies to have a more advanced knowledge about different forms of media and how to use them. Technology is essential, especially in our generation and I think it’s important that we learn as many aspects of it as possible.