The Miller and The Sweep storyboard
All posts by Alex Gajdosova
Filters
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.
For reference, these are the people represented in Trainspotting (in order): Drug addicts, young people, old people/authority figures, men, and women.
This scene depicts drugs addicts in a drug den, shooting up heroin in a social setting. This conveys to the spectators that drug addicts can find a sense of community within addiction, using it as a reason to hang out, it’s an activity for some.
Young people are depicted in this film, specifically this opening scene, as reckless and unpredictable. For the spectator, this provides an alternate perspective on the youth as in most films they’re portrayed in a generic way, such as mediocre acts of defiance, then having a linear life of finding a job and marriage. In Trainspotting, it sways away from that stereotype, presenting us as the audience the darker and grittier side of young people – drug abuse and law breaking.
Older people and authority figures do play a strong role throughout Trainspotting, for example, Renton’s parents. In this scene we see his parents take care of him after overdosing on heroin, despite the disappointment of Renton going against the one condition which the court gave him – to stay clean – in order to not go to jail. This makes the spectator understand that a lot of the authority figures in this film still aim to help the young people despite all of their mistakes.
Men are heavily represented throughout Trainspotting, all leading characters are male. This scene in particular shows them being careless, anti-social (mostly on Begbie’s part) and socialising together.
In Trainspotting, women aren’t explored in depth as characters, they’re only ever shown if they have some kind of relation to the main group of men, either that being girlfriends or parents. This shows to the audience that women are accessories to the story, not the centre.
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 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.
Sound
The sound editors find the sound sources whereas the sound mixers compile them all together to create a cohesive soundtrack/piece.
The Shepard Tone – Named after Roger Shepard, is a sound consisting of a superposition (a technique where two or more separate images or sequences are layered over each other to create a single frame) of sine waves separated by octaves. When played with the bass pitch of the tone moving upwards and downwards, it’s referred to as the Shepard Scale.
Diegetic Sound – Sounds which the characters on the screen can hear/are aware of.
Non-Diegetic Sound – Sounds which the characters on screen can’t hear but the audience can.
Examples of diegetic/non-diegetic sounds in ‘Joker’:
(diegetic) In this opening scene, we can hear a distant radio chatter playing as Arthur is posing in the mirror at his workplace. This audio is also heard by the characters in this scene, it acts as a narrative device, setting the world which ‘Joker’ is set in.
(non-diegetic) This is a good example of a non-diegetic scene as there’s music playing over the scene as he’s dancing down the stairs.
Sound Effects
Sound effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds that are used in artistic works to emphasize or express at action, emotion or feeling. Sound effects were initially used in radio dramas, but can be observed more often today in podcasts, theatre, films and television shows.
Foley Artist
A Foley Artist adds in (foley)sound effects to the movie in post-production. It is recorded in a sound proof studio, then the audio is layered over top of the images.
Leitmotif
A leitmotif/leitmotiv is a short, recurring musical phrase associated with a particular person, place, evolution of a character or idea. It conditions the audience to subconsciously recognise a character/idea/place even when it’s not in frame, solely due to a specific sound.
“Leitmotifs are guides to feelings” – Richard Wagner
For example, leitmotifs can be used to demonstrate a characters evolution, as shown in Star Wars with Anakin Skywalker, and his descent into evil as he becomes Darth Vader – the theme song is automatically linked with his character whenever the audience hears it.
As for setting, an example of this leitmotif can be found in Lord of the Rings, specific musical pieces are assigned accordingly to certain settings and how they’re supposed to make us feel.
For a particular person/thing, Jaws successfully represents the shark with a simple theme song, so we know it’s there before we even see it (which we hardly do) – the music makes its presence known, which is effectively unsettling.
Sound Bridge
A sound bridge is a technique which aids the seamless transition between two clips/scenes. This is done by using L-Cuts (the audio from the 1st clip carries over to the 2nd clip) and J-Cuts (the audio from the 2nd clip begins near the end of the 1st clip).
Films that use voiceover: Lolita (1997). I think it was used a lot in this film to emphasize the fact the Humbert is a very unreliable narrator.
Voice overs are typically used to narrate what is occurring, but it’s often only from one perspective – therefore, may be unreliable.
Score/Underscore
A score is the theme music composed especially for it to enhance the mood/themes of the visuals that appear on screen.
Underscores is the music which plays beneath the dialogue in the scene.
Synchronous/Asynchronous Sound
synchronous sound is sound that is matched to the action being viewed.
asynchronous sound is sound which is not matched to the actions and movements being viewed.
Needle Drop: when a pre-existing song is used in a film to underscore a particular scene.
Sound Perspective
The apparent distance of a sound source, evidenced by its volume, timbre, and pitch. In the clip from Spielberg’s ‘Munich’, where you can hear Daniel Craig’s character singing even though he’s not in the shot (yet), this automatically puts the audience in a perspective.
Film Score
My favourite film score is from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, composed by Angelo Badalamenti, and being co-written by David Lynch himself, is a jazz/ambient soundtrack. I love this one because of its ominous and beautiful composition, which is very fitting for a David Lynch psychological horror film; it manages to lure in the audience into the world of Twin peaks, and in this case, especially the character of Laura Palmer, adding to the haunting storyline of her character, as we already know what happened to her in Twin Peaks (TV show).
Moonlight Cinematography
CU – Close up shot
This affects the viewer by making us feel connected to Chiron, the proximity can also create an unease. This was done because the director wants the audience to feel how the character feels, the betrayal and anxiety.
TS – Two shot
This scene makes the viewer feel calm, the shot captures both characters in the scene, showing their interactions from an invisible 3rd point of view (us), conveying the fact that they’re in their own world, confiding with each other about their sexuality.
MLS – medium long shot
The framing and distance of this shot makes the viewer feel like a spectator, watching Chiron take care of himself as his mother is incapable of it due to drug addiction, making this scene still and harsh.
Birds eye angle
This angle choice is designed to convey Chiron’s point of view after running away from a group of boys, hiding out in an empty apartment (?), peering out through the cracks in the window. This helps the viewer understand Chiron’s need to hide himself from threats, this is a common and important theme throughout the film.
Eye level angle
Using the eye level angle allows the scene to feel intimate for the viewer, this is because this angle is how we usually perceive others around us every day, giving this scene good verisimilitude as it feels realistic.
Low angle
The low angle is effective in this scene particularly because of how Juan feels towards Paula (Chiron’s mother), it’s intense and uncomfortable. For context, Juan is a drug dealer and is selling to Paula, yet Juan is conflicted as he also cares for her son, Chiron, hence why the low angle successfully conveys the discomfort.
Arch Shot
In this opening scene, the arch shot was smartly utilised to portray the intense environment to the viewer as well as showcasing the environment in an efficient way. It gives the audience an immediate introduction to the world the film is set in, a real one, and how the Miami drug scene is so prevalent out in broad daylight.
Pan Left
This scene starts with Chiron walking home, but then suddenly whips to the left to show his mother rushing towards him in an erratic fashion. This builds suspense for the audience as we don’t know what she’s going to do, especially since up until this point she has proven to be unpredictable.
Ped Up
In this montage of Kevin cooking for Chiron, it moves from his hands plating up the meal to his face, consistently drawing our attention back to him. This keeps the audience intrigued into what he’s making, what he’s potentially thinking/feeling whilst cooking.
Joker: Mise en Scene
Joker – Mise en Scene
I selected this moment from Joker (Phillips, 2019), to show how mise en scene can be utilised in film. It is set in the last segment of the film, just before chaos is unleashed, misleading the audience into believing that things will go right this time.
1) This scene was shot in a built set, in the frame there are colourful curtains and vanity lights in the background, the camera clearly focused on Arthur Fleck who is in the centre of the shot holding a cigarette. His serious demeanor and dark appearance, being dimly lit in comparison to the surroundings, stands out; this indicates to the audience that something awful is about to happen, wherever he goes he brings a darkness with him.
2) In this scene I find that the makeup is coinciding with the transformative aspect of Arthur’s character and physical appearance from the beginning of the film to the end. This scene is shown at the beginning of the film, showing how he goes from Arthur to ‘Joker’, and as the film progresses his personality and behaviour becomes more impulsive and bolder, lashing out in fits of casual violence. For the audience, the makeup can show that he’s finally coming into his own skin and embracing his nature, when the makeup is on, he gains a surge of confidence in his actions, an example of this would be during the talk show scene with Murray, Arthur simply shoots him on camera.
3) This scene shows the audience a good usage of location filming, as well as giving us an infamous scene which will forever be associated with that location. West 167th Street Step Stairs in the Bronx (New York) was used to film this scene, adding authenticity to the scene, and the film overall even though this world is fictional. For the audience, it could convey a realistic tone to the film, especially if they’re from that area, keeping them drawn into the storyline. Filming this stairs scene in the Joker in a real location, not a studio, successfully portrayed authenticity and a ‘too-close-to-home’ feeling for a portion of the viewers.
4) Using a wide shot, the camera is unsteady, moving slowly as if it’s a person watching Arthur, effectively making the audience feel like they’re in the room with him. It’s unnerving to watch as Arthur lethargically empties the fridge, followed by crawling into the newly vacated space himself. Additionally, the perspective is shot just outside the room he is in, indicated by the doorframe obstructing the sides of the frame.
5) The costuming in this scene purposely highlights the growing riots in Gotham city; The crowds all wearing the same clown mask, unionizing the hatred towards the overprivileged rich population of Gotham. Another thing to point out is that Arthur stands out especially, bright red suit jacket in the centre of the shot as he’s running away from the police, a costuming design choice made to highlight that Arthur does stand out amongst the general population, even out of his joker attire he stands out as a person.
6) The set dressing in this scene shows the stark contrast between Arthur and everyone else; he doesn’t belong there. In the frame here is him and his mother, he is a looming presence even though he’s looking after her, the pink floral wallpaper and the warm lighting is nothing like him at all – it’s his mother’s space. This sense of exclusion is a common theme throughout the film, driving home the point that Arthur does not belong, and he comes to accept that in the end.
7) In the opening chase scene there is a good use of sound effects in the background, this was made using sound stages. As Arthur is chasing down the group of teenagers who stole his sign, there can be taxis honking and V-8 engines heard blaring in the background, stacking onto the adrenaline in the scene, making the audience get a better understanding of how he is feeling.
Moonlight: First Response
Moonlight first response
Jenkins, 02/09/16 (release date)
Critical score: 7/10
Thoughts: I really enjoyed the pacing of the film, how it was split up into three time periods: Child, teenager, and adult. The usage of colour grading and camera work paid off largely, making the storyline enticing for the audience, making us want to keep on watching as it told an important story of real-life issues such as racism, homophobia, and drug usage. One issue I had was that the child and teen casting were perfect, but the adult casting of Chiron felt out of place.
Memorable scene: I chose this scene because it managed to convey the harsh reality of living with a parent who’s an addict, the disdain shared between Chiron and his mother; I’d also like to note that there was no dialogue at all, just silence and music to cover up the noise when his mother yells at him just after.
Y12 FS Monaco: The Spectrum of the Arts A.G
What does Monaco mean by the term “The Spectrum of the Arts”?
James Monaco’s concept of the “spectrum of the arts” refers to the idea that art comes in many forms, varying sensory inputs and executions – whether that be history, music, poetry, comedy, tragedy, dance or astronomy (these were what the ancients considered to be art). In the Roman and Greek times, only three were recognised: Lyric, Dramatic and Epic, their muses were Euterpe, Melpomene, and Calliope. By the 16th century, art equated to skill, such as musicians, craftsmanship or medicinal skills; In the late 17th century the range narrowed down to what we now know to be ‘Fine Arts’, this included painting, sculpture, drawing, architecture.
With the rise of modern science, astronomy and geometry were no longer regarded as an art form.
The 19th century introduced the ‘avant-garde movement’, this means new and experimental, so things such as plays rose to popularity. Back then all arts were in ‘real-time’, meaning it was all performed live and produced live, elements like post-production and recording weren’t implemented until the 1910/20s. The adaption of novels and playwrights into performances (theatre and film) allowed a new perspective on stories, for example, using sound effects and facial expressions from the actors to imply background sounds and emotions – instead of just reading the description of them on paper. Film is an art form which incorporates sound and sight, making it stand out from poetry, music, comedy and dance.
Joker First Response
Joker first response
Phillips, 04/10/19 (release date)
Critical score: 5/10
Memorable scene: When the dwarf, Gary tries to escape Arthur’s apartment, but he can’t reach the lock, so he asks Arthur to unlock it for him which is a tense moment since he just saw his colleague get killed in front of him. This makes the scene oddly comedic in an awkward sense, Arthur was completely calm after committing an act of random violence. Then there’s the casual joking around, for example when Arthur pretends to lunge at Gary.
Thoughts: Overall, it was okay, I don’t understand the hype about it but there were some good cinematic shots throughout, although the narrative switched up from serious and gritty to stereotypical action movie, which was off-putting and underwhelming.
