| | What went well? | What Went Wrong | What do I need to do next time to ensure things go better? |
| Group Communication/ Role Allocation | Everything went well, all members knew what they where doing and what their roles where. | People were doing more than others. | Give everyone an equal role |
| Timing/Task Completion | We got most of the filming finished. We could of film more but overall we got a good handful. | Did not film as much as we wanted because of the time frame. | -Have some more time. -Be quicker on certain shots. |
| Understanding the Task | We understood the task well and pulled off shots we had planned. | We had to many ideas and couldn’t pull them all together. | |
| Controlling Task Conditions (location etc.) | I think we had the best location in the school for the mirrors and dark lighting. | Because of the mirror the camera man was sometimes in shot so we had to redo certain shots. | |
| Skills Required(Technical) | The communication between us was clear. | Confidence | |
Monthly Archives: November 2024
Filters
trainspotting micro elements
Cinematography was use well in the scene, one of the camera angles used was a birds-eye- view. This camera angle allowed the audience to get a direct view of the characters facial expressions which made the scene feel more horrific. It was also a long shot which made the whole character of Renton visible in the center of the screen, this made him unavoidable which added to the fact that Renton had to get through the challenging part of withdrawals to become sober and move on in life.
Editing is used in this scene in the form of a J cut. the audio from the next scene where Renton breaks into a car is heard in the scene before it. The j cut adds an extra layer of interest t the audience and also shows how badly drugs can effect you since the scene transitions from doing heroin to committing crimes.
Non-diegetic sound was used in this scene with the song ‘perfect day’ in the background. The song added irony too the scene since Renton was overdosing and sent to the hospital, the use of the non-diegetic sound added humor to a disturbing scene which could make the audience feel less tense about what’s happening and also feel more horrified .
Coloring i this scene shows the romance and lust that Renton has for Diane since the red can symbolize romance. The intense red on the walls and Diane’s jacket makes it her stand out in the dress which shows how she’s the focus of attention.
Representation
TASK 1: All aspects of film form including narrative contribute to the representations of cultures and societies (gender, ethnicity, and age) including the ideological nature of those representations.
^ This means that film creates meaning and generates response through cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing, sound and performance.
Performance:
-age, ethnicity, costume, facial expressions, body language/gestures.
Ideology: a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.
TASK 2:
Stereotype – a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
Countertype – an opposite image/idea which actively aims to subvert negative notions previously enforced by media/society.
e.g. White president of America (Scandal; Tony Goldwyn) and a black president of America (Morgan Freeman).
Sarah Connor Representation:
She is the female protagonist of the Terminator franchise, directed by James Cameron.
She is a good example of a film heroine turning from a small-town, girl-next-door, waitress stereotype in the first film; to being a badass heroine, undergoing an intense transformation (physically) to steer away from the stereotypes, embracing the countertype of the character, making her more in charge of her life in the second Terminator film.
Representation in Trainspotting
- WHO IS DOING THE REPRESENTATION? (DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT) Danny Boyle
- WHO IS BEING REPRESENTED? (Identify social groups) Heroin addicts in Edinburgh, the parents of addicts, partners of addicts, authority figures, children and regular people.
- WHAT SOCIAL GROUPS ARE OMITTED FROM THE REPRESENTATIONS? People of colour, leading female characters, LGBTQ+ characters.
- WHAT MESSAGES ABOUT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS ARE BEING CONVEYED? It’s shown that heroin addicts/addiction isn’t glamorous, that drug abuse does have its highs of euphoria as well as dark and grimy lows.
- WHICH CHARACTERS OR SOCIAL GROUPS HAVE POWER WITHIN THE REPRESENTATIONS? White men, specifically Begbie – he’s aggressive, violent and controlling to whoever is nearby.
- DO THE CHARACTERS ADHERE TO OR CHALLENGE STEREOTYPES? They challenge the stereotype that Edinburgh is the nicer region of Scotland, unlike Glasgow which has been deemed “rougher”. Showing the underbelly of the city and its people.
- ARE THE CHARACTERS TYPICAL OF FILMS IN THAT GENRE? No, they’re all unique characters for the black-comedy/drama genre. For example, Creep (2014, Patrick Brice) is considered a black-comedy, and its characters are very different to the ones in Trainspotting.
- WHAT DO REPRESENTATIONS TELL AUDIENCES ABOUT SOCIETY AT THE TIME THE FILM WAS MADE AND/OR SET? The representations shown in Trainspotting tell the audiences around the world that Edinburgh in the late 90s wasn’t always light and friendly – revealing the darker sides of the city and population, how drug abuse flies under the radar for the most part, as well as the destruction that heroin addiction can cause for the user and the people around them.
- HOW ARE ELEMENTS OF FILM FORM BEING USED TO CONSTRUCT THE REPRESENTATIONS? A good example of mise en scene being used in this film is when Renton dives into the toilet, searching for his drugs, however it is depicted in a surreal way; transitioning from the disgusting reality of the toilet, into a bottomless body of blue, clear water, this is probably used to visualise the sense of euphoria that heroin can give you. This constructs the representation of desperate, young addicts in Edinburgh. In this same scene, the music used changes when Renton dives into the toilet, going from fanfare to a tranquil ambience, synchronising with the split between reality and euphoria.
Trainspotting First Response
Critical Score: 5.5/10
This film does a good job at capturing audiences attention through its subtly introduced depiction of being under the influence of drugs, and the rather fantastical aspects of this depiction really engaged me through otherwise boring scenes (Spuds job interview, Renton visiting the mother superior whilst on probation, etc). My only gripe with the film is that I felt as if Renton was poorly written, and as he is the main character, this disconnected me from sympathising with his situation, which is the driving force of the film.
Favourite Scene: Spud’s Interview
I’ve chosen Spud’s interview as my favourite scene in Trainspotting as I love it’s use of Mise-En-Scene, shot distances, and Ewen Bremner’s performance to illustrate the effects of drugs on the characters in the movie. In this scene, Spud is at a job interview for a leisure centre, and has just taken drugs to calm his nerves. This scene is set in an office, that is extremely long, so that Spud and the interviewers are on separate sides of the room. This subtle set design mimics the effect that the drugs Spud took will have had on his perception, as the unnatural room size matched with the erratic zooming in and out of the different camera shots used in Spud’s speech create a sense of discomfort and slipping control commonly associated with the side effects of drugs. Ewan Bremner’s performance in this scene is stellar, creating a truly memorable and comedic display of character for Spud, and solidifying his personality in this early stage in the movie.
Trainspotting Micro Elements
Sound-
Boyle uses sound in this scene where Renton goes through withdrawal to create a frantic feeling by adding techo music to the action. It makes the scene more unnerving as the out of place, fast paced music plays over Renton’s eerie visions.
Editing-
Spud’s job interview scene utilises a lot of shot-reverse-shots to create a dark humour through the contrast of the high and hyper Spud and the stone faced interviewers.
Mise En Scene-
This shot utilises mise-en-scene to show the atmosphere of the bar and the personalities of the characters. We can see from the wallpaper and the shiny oak tables this is quite a well off establishment, and the large collection of glasses tells the audience that the characters have been there for a while and enjoy drinking. Bigby is positioned directly in the middle of the frame and is holding one of the glasses, telling the audience he is the focus character in this scene.
Cinematography-
This shot utilises a long shot for this scene of Tommy and his girlfriend at the video store. They went to the store to try and find a sex tape Tommy believes he must have accidentally given away (Actually Renton had stolen it) and this shot is them after not finding it. The long shot is utilised to show the distance between Tommy and Lizzy that has been created through Renton’s action, and that they are going to break up.
Trainspotting 1st response
critical score 6/10
Danny Boyle (1996)
i gave the movie a 6 out of ten because i believe the movie did a impressive job at depicting the use of drugs and the issues that heroin causes. I also thought that the cinematography added to the intense scenes, For example when Renton was overdosing, the close up of the needle made the scene feel much more grave and disturbing. It also showed how just one needle can ruin someone’s life. The cinematography in the swimming scene made the scene feel unreal , especially when he started to swim towards the camera with his hand reached out. However I didn’t like how vulgar the film was and some scenes were difficult to watch.
My most memorable scene is when Renton was having withdrawals and hallucination in his room. This was because the birds-eye-view added a different perspective from the hallucinations and it also let us see the fear in the main characters eyes when the different people and the baby were approaching him
Sound in film
Even though both sound designers and mixers play very important roles within the world of film, there are some differences between the two, such as:
sound designer – sound designers have the role of recording or finding the audios and sounds used in a specific sequence or scene (e.g. dialogue, background noise, sound effects). sound designers often create their own sounds which often get used as “fillers” in scenes where there might not even be any dialogue.
Diegetic & non-diegetic sounds
Non-diegetic: This scene in joker begins with no sound at all other than the subtle dialogue between Arthur and his social worker however, as the dialogue gets more “heated” and tense, tense music starts playing over the top. As the scene goes on, the music gets louder and louder creating tension and anticipation making the audience curious and intrigued.
Diegetic: This scene in Joker had the diegetic sound of applause happening in real time with the actions in the movie making it authentic and makes it seem as if we (the audience) are there living it with him.
synchronous – sound which is matched with the actions and movements being viewed.
asynchronous – sounds which are not matched with what the audience is seeing, usually used to create tension as the4 viewer can hear the sound but not see the source.
sound mixers – sound mixers are in charge of figuring out the timing of when those sounds get used in the sequence or scene. They have the skill of mixing sound elements together in order to make the final sound track sound like a whole.
sound effects – artificially created of enhanced sounds which are used in artistic ways to emphasise an action, mood or feeling.
Foley artist – creating a clean sound replicating what is on screen which then gets added in post-production.
leitmotif – “short, recurring musical phrase” associated with a particular character, setting, emotion and development of a character. “leitmotifs are guides” they condition the audience emotionally for the interventions, arrival or actions of a particular character.
sound J & L cuts – sound bridges which creates a smooth visual transition between scenes.
voice over/ narration – often informs the audience with all the information they need about a certain character or event, this can sometimes also be presented as “unreliable narration” meaning the viewer does not get all the information straight away.
musical score – pieces of music specifically created for a film/specific scene.
underscore – music playing “under” the dialogue between characters, usually quite quiet.
needle drop – popular pre-exciting pieces of music (out of the world of the film) which helps set the tone of the scene, this can go with what is happening in the scene or juxtapose it which usually creates a “jarring” of off-putting mood.
sound perspective – the apparent distance of a sound source, this can be supported by its volume, timber and pitch.
Trainspotting First Response
8/10
I thought that the film Trainspotting was about people who have to live everyday life with an addiction. The film follows the life Mark Renton, when he sees not only himself also his friends be wrapped around the idea of drugs and thinking that the only way to be happy was by consuming them. The film is seen as black comedy which is the contrast of humour and tragic scenes.
The scene that stuck with me most was most likely the bar brawl. This was when a man bumped into Franco and spilt his drink and with Franco being a light fuse he blew and beat some guys up. You see Sick boy and Spud going to defend him but Renton just sits there trying not to get involved. That was so important to the movie as you can see Renton doesn’t want to be part of this type of life ever again.
Trainspotting 1st response
8/10
I give this film a sold 8/10 because although it was strange and hard to watch sometimes, it was entertaining and really well made throughout.
My favourite sequence in the film would have to be when Mark goes back to the drug den to get another hit of heroin despite being allowed to stay out of jail if he stays clean. The way he sinks into the red carpet is a creative way to physically represent a heroin trip, and as we get a POV shot of Mark looking up at the ceiling as ‘Mother Superior’ looks down at him, it resembles a casket. This symbolism is really important as so much loss has already happened, for example when Sick Boy’s baby dies; this escalates to Mark being taken to hospital to be shot up again with adrenaline, then taken back home where the heroin trip spirals further.
Another sequence which I think is worth mentioning is when Renton and Spud steal a television from an elderly home. I find it really funny and absurd at how easily they did it as the elderly people just stared at them, unable to stop them. Also, it was nice to see such a comic moment in between all of the gritty and hard-hitting scenes.
Micro Elements
Sound: Danny Boyle effectively uses sound at 10:05 to show the extreme highs and lows of heroin use as Renton ‘dives’ into the toilet. From the upbeat fanfare music as he’s still set in the real world, where it’s all grimy and bleak, to the serene music playing as he dives deeper into a blue body of water, even though it’s all his imagination due to the heroin – this successfully depicts the good and the bad side of heroin abuse, how you can feel euphoric to a sudden drop to depression and physical side effects such as constipation.
Editing: At 1:10:49 there’s a freezeframe on Sick Boy and Francis as they jump out of the cupboard onto the unsuspecting couple who are viewing the apartment. This way of editing highlights the explosive personalities of these two characters, plus it’s absurd how they do this with no second thought.
Cinematography: At 14:08, we can see the diegetic perspective being used to direct the audiences attention towards Spud and Renton as they share a milkshake. This works by using a CU shot, emphasising the focus of the scene.
Mise en Scene: At 00:39, in the opening scene, we’re introduced to Renton as he’s running down the stairs and then down the street. This was filmed from Leith Street to Calton Road, Edinburgh. This will make the spectators, especially those who live in the area feel connected to the characters and the storyline as it is filmed in a location where they live their lives.
Trainspotting first response
Rating- 9/10
I think that Trainspotting was a great movie. I really enjoyed the aesthetics of it, the lighting was a standout aspect to me. I think the movie felt very real, and the scenes including the drug usage are very tense. I enjoyed the grungy feel of the lighting in most of the scenes.
Stand out scene:
I feel that this scene was very powerful in its representation of Renton’s overdose. The way that most of the camera is covered by the carpet when looking from Renton’s point of view really disorientates the viewer, which adds to the effect of this scene. The camera cutting from how Renton is perceiving the situation to how others around him are is a very unique way of showing his move to the hospital. The use of the carpet falling down into the floor is a great use of foreshadowing to the death of Tommy and the later shot that parallels this, the lowering of his coffin. By doing this, immediately the viewer knows that Renton has overdosed, and this scene becomes a lot more tense. The tense feeling of the scene is starkly contrasted with the music playing in the background.
Cinematography- I feel that this scene is very effective at showing Renton’s thought process in this scene. the way that the camera lingers on this close up shot of the needle, showing how Renton waits for the blood to leak into the syringe. The way I have interpreted this is him having slight hesitation, knowing that doing this could send him to prison, as he said that he would stop using and go to rehab on court order. The camera being this close to the needle also helps in un-nerving the audience, as seeing it be injected so close up may unsettle a large amount of viewers.
Mise En Scene- I feel the space in this frame is able to show how the three in this frame feel insignificant to their situation. by having the characters against the vast hills behind them, it creates a contrast to the rising tensions between tommy and the others.
Editing – The editing for the whole bedroom scene helps to create a tense atmosphere, the sharp cuts from each shot of Renton’s hallucinations to the next help to get the viewer on edge. It disorientates the viewer by cutting from things that are inside Renton’s mind (Spud sat on his cupboard, the baby) and things that are real (himself and the tv).
Sound- during Renton’s overdose scene, sound is used in an effective way by the use of an already existing song. Perfect Day by Lou Reed is played in the background of this scene underneath other sounds, such as ambulances, cars and the doctors shouting at him. this is a very effective way to show the audience how disconnected Renton is in this moment, as the music stops when he is given the adrenalin shot in his arm.
