Miller and the Chimney Sweep storyboarding task
All posts by Dante Chain Lopez
Filters
Trainspotting Micro Elements Task
Mise-En-Scene
A memorable scene for me, in terms of mise-en-scene, is when Renton enters the ‘Worst toilet in Scotland’, as it is called in film. The disgustingness of the set design in this scene is most likely over-exaggerated by Todd Phillips, to not only make the audience feel disgusted by what they’re viewing, but to also portray to the viewers how damaging drug addiction is, as this character of Mark Renton is willing to use this extremely disgusting toilet, and later on in the sequence dives into the toilet to retrieve some drugs he’d dropped in toilet. The grimy toilet also adds to the verisimilitude of the film as, even though the filth is somewhat over exaggerated, the toilet does appear to be somewhat realistic. The sound within this scene also adds to the horrid scene we are seeing unfold before us, as there is no music, only the sounds of Renton’s relief as he finally goes to the toilet. This obviously adds to the disgusting tone of the scene as the audience has nothing else to listen too, so they are forced to hear this disgusting, yet simplistic, soundscape. The spacing at the beginning of the sequence is really effective. Boyle places Renton in the background, so that the audience can take in all the elements of the disgusting toilet, such as the broken urinals and the just the overall state of the toilet. The low key lighting within the scene only adds to the dinginess and horridness of the toilet scene and the setting of it. Ewan Mcgregor, the actor who plays Renton, ‘s make up in this scene and really the whole film, makes him appear more pale and worn out, due to his heroin addiction. This adds to the versimilitude of the film, as it makes it Mcgregor look like a drug addict.
Sound
The soundscape throughout the film is intentionally grotesque, to not only match the disgusting and borderline disturbing imagery shown in the film, but to also follow up on the film’s key message of showing the damage that drugs can have on people within society. The two key examples of sound that I find the most iconic and memorable is the scene in which Renton overdoses and the scene in which Renton goes to the worst toilet in Scotland. The first example is iconic due to the non-diagetic sound within the scene, that being the song ‘Perfect Day’ by Lou Reed. This choice of song is amazing for a few reasons, the first being that taking heroin is Renton’s perfect day at this point in his life, as that is all he cares about. Another reason why it’s so amazing is that its ironic because Renton isn’t having a perfect day, as he could die from an overdose from heroin. This is an example of the film’s dark humour, another being Bigbe’s maniacal bar fight, where he lobs a pint glass over his head.
Cinematography
The cinematographer in Trainspotting is Brian Tufano and he uses wide angles and colour manipulation to convey to the audience the trippy psychedelic experience that the characters are under going due to heroin. He also uses wide and low angles, as well as worm’s eye low level movement and framing, to show the audience the lack of ambition and limited perspective that these characters have in their lives. Throughout the film, the way that Renton is framed portrays him as being alone and isolated. A good example of this the bar scene, in which Renton goes to the bar with his family and his mum wins the bingo. The sequence that ensues pictures Renton alone and unmoving, whereas his family, in fast motion, spend the night partying and spending their winnings. This shot/sequence, with Renton centered in the frame, solitary, really portrays how Renton currently feels without heroin in his life. He doesn’t currently care about anything, as he is without the one thing that made him have a ‘Perfect Day’. Heroin.
Editing
Throughout the film, the use of editing creates a particularly stylistic humour, which mainly involves irony and social realism. It also uses montage, such as the montage of London, to show a stylistically excessive representation of London. This may be used to portray to the viewer the feelings that the Scottish characters have towards London and England as a whole, which is that they view London as this place that’s culturally exciting, compared to the lacklustre environment of Scotland and how their culture is described as being old and behind by Diana. It also interestingly uses freeze-frames in the opening to introduce each of the characters in the film.
‘Trainspotting’ 1st Response
Critical score: 8.6/10
This film is extremely well made and is a true testament to British film-making. The cast are simply superb and the choice of songs in the Tarantino-esque jukebox style soundtrack are all chosen very well. A lot of the sequences to myself and most likely the audience are very memorable, such as the scene where he goes to the ‘worst toilet in Scotland’ and the hallucinogenic scene that follows. Another scene that I liked that is of the same ilk is the scene in which Mark Renton overdoses on heroin and sinks into the carpet and as he is taken to the hospital, his perspective of him being sunk into the carpet is still on the camera lens, which I think is very unique and interesting.
However, the film does feature a lot of disturbing images, which would be off-putting for some viewers. I, however, think that the grotesque imagery throughout highlights the messages of the film, which I think are to show the damage that drugs can cause to people and the people around them and the state of people in lower classes who are left to rot with no one around them.
Memorable Scene
For me the most memorable scene throughout the film is when the character Tommy is found dead, due to cat-related aids. Though this scene may be viewed as a moment of dark comedy in the film, to me it really exemplifies the character of arc Tommy, which is a perfectly innocent, healthy person, who’s life has dramatically changed and ended due to drugs. This once again pushes home that anti-drug message of the film.
Summer Task – What makes a film good?
If you to were ask the question what makes a film “good” to a group of people, you would most probably get a handful of different answers, as there are many ways to critique and view films. For example, one way someone may critique a film is through a realist approach. A realist would favour a film such as ‘Blair Witch Project’, with its shaky camera, “homemade” shots and characters which feel more like real people and not actors. Another way of viewing a film would be through the lens of mise-en-scene. Mise-en-scene critiques would focus more on the environment and the features that contribute to the scene, such as the lightning and sets, and would therefore favour a film such as ‘Blade runner’ and the futuristic, urban environment that Ridley Scott creates with her picturesque shots. Alternatively, critiques may choose to criticize a film with the ‘auteur’(author) mindset, coming from the French film studies journal ‘Cahiers du cinema’ in 1951, which is where the critique will analyse a handful of the director’s films and try to pick out any stylistic repetitions that the director may display in their films, such as favouring a certain type of score in their films. A critique may also take a formalist approach when viewing a film. A formalist critique will look at how the composition of shots comes together, and how they juxtapose and compliment one another. They would enjoy a film such as ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, with its sequences of incoherent and surreal imagery-apes and embryos, during its ending. A popular way of critiquing forms of art, not just film, would be with a feminist viewpoint. In a film, a feminist critic would look at the amount of screen time that the female actors have been given, the way in which the women in the film are presented and common stereotypes depicted in the film, which means they would favour a film such as 2023’s ‘Barbie’, with its deep, underlying message that women can be whatever they want to be, independent from their relationship with a man. Finally, in my personal opinion I think that the view and way of critiquing a film which I most agree with is that of mise-en-scene, as I think that the features of a film that do make special and “good” are the atmosphere and the environment that the director creates within the world of the film.
Sound
Difference between a sound editor and a sound mixer
The difference between a sound editor and a sound mixer is that a sound editor finds the sound sources, whereas the sound mixer decides when they should come in, how loud they should be etc…
Examples of diegetic and non-diegetic sound in Joker
Diegetic sound – any sound that the character or characters within the world of the film can hear.
Non-diegetic sound – any sound that the audience can hear but the characters within the world of the film cannot.
An example of diegetic sounds in Joker would be the opening scene, as the characters would’ve been able to hear all the sounds of the atmosphere, the black man playing the piano, the cars in the street, the people hurrying to work. The example of the black man playing the piano is actually trans-diegetic, as the piano appears to be part of the score, so non-diegetic, but then is revealed to be in the scene. This is an early example of how Arthur contains music and experiences within his own deteriorating mind.
An example of non-diegetic sound in Joker is the minimalistic, harrowing cello that plays as Arthur dances in the bathroom, after he has killed the ‘Wall Street Guys’. This element, along with other in the scene, signifies Arthur’s transition to the ‘Joker’ personality.
Synchronous/Asynchronous Sound
Synchronous sound is sound that is matched with the action and movements being viewed. Asynchronous sound is not matched with a visible source of the sound on screen and is used when the director wants to create tension as the viewer can hear a sound but cannot see it source. Sometimes the audience can’t hear the sound that the character inside the film can hear.
Sound effects
Sound effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds that are used in artistic works to emphasize or express an action, mood, or feeling. Sound effects were initially used in radio dramas, but can be observed more often today in podcasts, theatre, films, and television shows. A famous example of a sound effect is Ken Burtt’s lightsaber sound effect.
Foley Artists
A Foley Artist adds in sound effects to the movie in Post-Production. The sound effects they make are physical and using real-world objects.
Leitmotif
A leitmotif or leitmotiv is a “short, recurring musical phrase” associated with a particular person, place or idea. The purpose of one is to condition the audience emotionally for the intervention, arrival, or actions of a particular character.
Leitmotif are usually associated with 4 things: theme, subject, character or setting. Setting motifs are used heavily throughout Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’ to encapsulate the feeling an area has or too link a scene to a particular setting. The most iconic character motif is the one heard in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Jaws’ and it is very effective as you never actually see the character early in the film, and the shark’s theme indicate that the shark is there.
Sound Bridge
A sound bridge is a type of sound editing that occurs when sound carries over a visual transition in a film.
Voice Over
A voice over is a sound device wherein one hears the voice of a character and/or narrator speaking but the character in question is not speaking those words on screen. narration can be first person or “voice of god” style – consider the two different effects on the narrative.
Score/Underscore
The score for a film is the (theme) music composed especially for it to enhance the mood/themes of the visuals which appear on screen. The underscore is music which is played “under” sequences to enhance mood and this is often mixed with dialogue and/or sound effects.
Sound Perspective
Sound perspective refers to the apparent distance of a sound source, evidenced by its volume, timbre, and pitch.
Sound Design
Sound Design is used in film to further convey the message, or thing that the director wants to show, which is shown through the images shown. Usually the sound that is in the foreground, is the thing that the director wants to draw your attention to. For example, in the film Munich by Steven Spielberg, a car driving past suddenly becomes louder in the mix and shoots over Daniel Craig’s intimate singing. He does this to presumably bring the viewer’s attention to this car.
Favourite Soundtrack
My favourite soundtrack is the original, ambient synth score by Vangelis from 1982’s Blade Runner. The reason it is my favourite is because I feel it adds to the amazing futuristic atmosphere and ambience that Ridley Scott builds through her use of creative sets and stunning shots. It also helps the climatic scenes throughout the movie, such as the emotional rooftop ending. During the Roy Batty’s emotional speech as he’s approaching his death, the synth surges to much the emotional surge of his words and his wanting to be rembered.
Cinematography example in Moonlight
Camera Movement – Moonlight
The long uncut tracking shot, in the open scene of Juan arriving to assumingly sell drugs in his neighbourhood, effectively uses panning to build the world in which these characters live in, as the use of panning shows the audience a lot more of the scene in which the characters than just a single shot would.
The director, mainly throughout the first act of the scene, zooms in on the character of Chiron, I think, to convey to the audience how small and insignificant he feels in the society he lives in. The director also does the same type of zooming in on the character of Juan, which could be the director trying to convey that Chiron feels like Juan was the first ever person in his life to care and understand him and how he feels.
Shot Angles – Moonlight
The shot shown below, which is a High Shot, shows Chiron and Kevin sitting on the beach, smoking weed together. The director has chosen this shot to show to the audience the closeness of the two character’s relationship, but perhaps also to foreshadow the following scene that will take, and that they will become sexual partners.
A lot of the shots in the film, such as the one shown below, which is taken from the scene in which Chiron and Kevin fight, are shot at Eye-level. In terms of the whole film, this is done to make the audience feel like they’re part of the events and witnessing them in real life, making more the film more immersive. In this scene, I think this shot has been used to portray to the viewer how betrayed Chiron feels, as he is now getting beat up by this person who he had a deep experience with.
Shot Distance – Moonlight
The shot shown here is from the first act of the film, and it is where Chiron is being taught how to swim by the father figure in his life, Juan. The director, Barry Jenkins, has used a MCU (Medium Close Up) to immerse the viewer in the scene, and make the audience feel like they’re really there, and to perhaps make the audience feel like they’re part of this close relationship, which would help them understand it better. If this was the director’s vision, I think this has been executed very well.
ost shots of Chiron, in the first act, such as one the shown below, which is a LS (Long Shot), picture Chiron being small and vulnerable, whether that be like the example below or just showing his face through a CS (Close Up), portraying to the viewer that he feels powerless in this society.
This shot shown below, which is once again a CS (Close Up), shows once again a sense of weakness and powerlessness within the society, but this time this feeling is coming from the mother, who is addicted to drugs, and begging her son for money, which I personally think is quite a weak thing for a person to do.
Joker Mise En Scene
Example that uses all elements of Mise En Scene well
This scene/shot, which takes place directly after Arthur kills the ‘three wall street guys’ (as they are called in the film), is when Arthur flees into a dingily lit bathroom and melancholically slow dances to a moving score of cellos. The lighting within this scene is low key, which is most likely used to add to the dark mood of the scene. As I said earlier, the score accompanying this scene is very simplistic, with just a cello playing long drawn-out notes. This is once again to add to the poignancy and dark mood of the scene. In terms of composition, Arthur’s reflection is in focus, where his actual self is not. This may symbolise him seeing himself as this new persona of the Joker. Another element of the shot that may support this is the space of the scene, and where his real self and his reflection are positioned. His reflection is in the background, with Arthur, in the foreground, out of focus, looking upon it. This once again tells us that he is realizing that he is becoming something new, something that may gain him recognition in his world, which throughout the film he constantly craves. Furthermore, his pose is one of triumph, with his arms spread out, as if he’s receiving applause. This once again supports that he feels like the killing of these men is perhaps the first meaningful thing he’s done in his life. His costume and makeup are another element that symbolises his transition into the Joker persona, as compared to his makeup and red suit in the stair scene, and the last act of the film, his outfit and makeup here are partially complete and unfinished, showing he has not fully transformed into this joker persona.
Set Design
I think this shot is one of the best examples of Set Design throughout the film. It is taken from the scene in which Arthur is stalking the woman who lives in his apartment block. The things it does well in terms of Set Design is that it establishes a real sense of verisimilitude, as it is not only the real-world location of William St. in Manhattan, but the features that the Production Designer has assumingly chosen, the lack of lighting, the damage on the building, really pushes home the message that this city is uncared for, and unloved.
Costume
Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker wears an outfit that still calls back to the Jokers of old, whilst bringing a uniqueness to the character, which this film, and Joaquin’s performance, perfectly does. Within in the film, Arthur’s outfit and appearance are one of the major visual tools which signify his transformation from the mentally ill Arthur Fleck to the maniacal symbol of the riots as the Joker. The costume consists of a red suit, a mustard waistcoat, and a blueish-green button-down shirt. He wears his peak lapel suit undone, which could perhaps signify his mental state.
Lighting
This shot uses lighting in an interesting way, as within the shot there are three different colours/types of lighting. The first and most eye-catching to the audience is the bright, white light shining down on Arthur as he writes his stand-up material. This probably used to bring Arthur’s frail body to attention and re-emphasise the poor physical condition he is in. The other types of lighting are blue neon light in Arthur’s kitchen, and an almost orange light coming through his window assumingly from the street. The use of these lights is up for interpretation, but I think they have been used to show the rundown state of Arthur’s home and the orange street may be used to foreshadow the rioting that will happen later in the film.
Space
Spacing is used effectively in this shot to show how, not only Arthur is disconnected from his fellow employees, but how they are disconnected from each other. This is shown by Arthur being isolated from the rest workers, but also the workers are spaced out from one another implying that they do not have any close connections with one another, which reinforces this theme of the city being rundown, and in a depressive state.
Composition
In this shot, which takes place during the scene in which Arthur flees from the police officers on the subway station, the director unbalances the shot to bring the clown mask into focus, with the chaos of the mob beating up the police officers ensuing in the background, out of focus. The composition of this shot, I think, is trying to portray to the viewer the power that this clown movement can cause to society, which foreshadows the rioting that this movement will carry out later in the film. It also reinforces the idea of Arthur being the unknowing leader of this movement and how his actions, namely shooting Murray, a man in a position of power, lead to the climax of the film and the riots.
Hair and Make-up
Arthur’s ‘Joker’ makeup is the most obvious thing to talk about in terms of makeup, and that’s because it shows the audience so much. It shows us Arthur’s acceptance of this Joker persona, and that he now feels like he is finally his true self within society. The imagery of the clown makeup/mask that Arthur wears is that it hides his mental illness/inner struggle, which is why whenever we see Arthur as this Joker persona, he is much more confident.
Film Stock
The movie uses a grainier film stock throughout, to perhaps portray and build the atmosphere of this rundown city, which could reflect the state of Arthur’s mind and life.
Moonlight First Response
Critical score: 7.6/10
This film had some amazing things in it, such as the amazing performances by all three actors to make it feel like the same character throughout the film. I also liked how the film portrayed what its like to grow up in a ‘rough’ neighbourhood, as well as its commentary on several different social issues and themes, such as drug dealing and discrimination towards homosexuals in African American neighbourhoods. Furthermore, the way they built relationships, and the verisimilitude of the film was very good. In addition, the director’s use of framing was very good and addedto the realism of the film. For example, the scene in the first act when he’s in the sea with Mahershala Ali’s character makes you feel like you’re in the sea with them and experiencing this intimate with them, which is very immersive. However, I did feel as if some parts of the first act were unnecessary and didn’t really add to the world building or message of the film, and there was a slight disconnect between the second and third act.
Memorable Scene
The most memorable scene/shot for me is when he is walking through the hallway of his school and is about to smash a chair over his bullies’ head. The long tracking shot that the director uses really conveys the anger that this young adult has after being beaten up by someone he thought was his lover.
Joker First Response
Critical score: 8.8/10
I think this film is an amazing piece of filmmaking and social commentary on how society deals with those who are mentally ill. In my opinion, it has quite a few iconic shots, the stair scene, Arthur being hauled out of the wreckage by the growing mob, who view him in this almost deified way etc. Also, the performance by Joaquin Phoenix is one of my personal favourites, as he portrays the character’s mental deterioration, and struggles he faces in his life, in such a convicting way.
Memorable Scene:
I think the dancing on the stair scenes is the most iconic and memorable, as it shows how the character of Arthur finally feels free from society’s boundaries with his newfound joker personality. This can be inferred by comparing it to an earlier scene where he slowly dances in a rundown bathroom after killing three men. In that scene, his movements are controlled and delicate, as he is still a Fleck and he hasn’t killed his mother yet and is therefore still held by the boundaries of society. Compare that to his dancing on the stairs and there is a clear difference. His movements are brash and wild, as he is now free from the limitations and negative thoughts that society has set upon himself, and that he has found his true personality/persona.
Answer to ‘What does Monaco mean by the term “The Spectrum of the Arts”‘?
What Monaco means by the term ‘The Spectrum of the Arts’ is the simplified form of observable arts in today’s society, which are, in Monaco’s words from his book ‘How to read a film’, page 27: the performance arts, which happen in real time, the representational arts, which depend on the established codes and conventions of language (both pictorial and literary) to convey information about the subject to the observer and the recording arts, which provide a more direct path between subject and observer: media not without their own codes but qualitatively more direct than the media of the representational arts. An example of a type of performance art would be a play, as it is something that you experience in real time from a fixed position. However, the way one person experiences a play may be completely different from the way another experiences a play, whereas in film, which is a type of recording art, the director will use certain techniques and shots to curate the way the viewer experiences the film. Basically, the director will try to get the consumer to consume it in a way they desire. Finally, representational arts, such as landscapes, seascapes, portraits, figures and still life’s, are this type of art as they all depict a recognized and actual thing. However, the fact that they are still means they are very open to interpretation, as the artist is not there to change the art or tell someone what their intentions were with this art and how they should consume it.