The Miller and The Sweep Storyboard
All posts by Sophie Mutton
Filters
Trainspotting (1996) First Response
Trainspotting (1996)
Dir. Danny Boyle
9/10 – This was a very highly anticipated film for me as I know that it is a beloved cult film, and I enjoyed it a lot. I really like how it dealt with really difficult topics such as heavy drug use, sexuality and social matters. The acting was amazing which really kept me invested throughout the film, along with the use of narration.
The most memorable scene in Trainspotting for me was when Mark Renton overdosed on heroin because I think that it was really well done with the way they film it. I love the shot from Renton’s point as he sinks into the floor with the Mother Superior looking down at him. It gives a really claustrophobic feel and makes it seem as if he is in a coffin. As well as this, the music being Perfect Day by Lou Reed adds some irony to the scene. To add to this irony, there are some shots of an ambulance going past where he is along with the noises of the siren, which I think really shows the fact that the Mother Superior doesn’t care about him, only his money as it shows him putting Renton into a taxi, where he is then dumped outside A&E.
Cinematography in Trainspotting:
I like the use of an over the shoulder shot in this scene. It is eye level, which I think adds to the background narration and the fact that this is extra-diegetic (breaking the 4th wall). This makes the spectator feel more connected with the character, even though he is not in a relatable situation whatsoever.
Mise-En-Scene in Trainspotting:
The mise-en-scene in this scene feels intentionally uncomfortable and almost sterile but it also reflects the time it was set in. Spud’s surroundings feel like they are supposed to contrast his chaotic personality and how he is acting while he is on speed. While it is a comedic scene, the look of his messy hair and suit makes you feel almost bad for him because his lifestyle is making him struggle to get a job.
Editing in Trainspotting:
I chose this scene as an example of editing because I like how it shows the difference between their lifestyles. Tommy wants to get out and explore because he is healthy and clean, while the others are lagging behind, not wanting to go with Renton even drinking. I think that it marks a change in Tommy because it is only a scene later that he tries heroin, which is what contributes to his death.
Sound in Trainspotting:
I really like the use of sound in this scene because they have the song Perfect Day by Lou Reed playing in the background, which adds a lot of irony to it as Renton had just overdosed. It also makes it a lot sadder, as it shows how they treat drug addicts like scum, which emphasises the irony. The only other thing that is heard in the scene are ambulance sirens, which ultimately drive past Renton entirely. I think that this is really powerful in showing the situation that he is in; that the Mother Superior does not care about him, only his money and that his drug addict friends would betray him for money and drugs.
Summer Task
What makes a film good?
I believe that the question of ‘what makes a film good’ can have many answers to it; the plot, the cultural impact, the score etc. However, to me, there is not one thing that makes a film good alone. The right combination of a good plot, paired with good acting, suitable music and direction can be what does this; these aspects being the macro elements to films.
The micro elements on the other hand, are incredibly important in making a film great, despite not being obvious at first glance. For example; the way a scene is set up – the mise en scene – can impact the way the viewer depicts a film. It can be a great tool in adding plot devices or even foreshadowing that the viewer may not pick up on the first time watching. Furthermore, editing can also help with doing this. While it may not be obvious at first glance, colour grading can impact the way you are supposed to feel about characters, as well as set the general mood for the film. Schindler’s list is a good example of this; it’s an all black and white film despite being filmed in 1993, the only colour ever shown being the girl walking in the streets.
I also think that having the right score for a film is incredibly important. Similar to colour grading, music helps to impact the way the viewer is supposed to feel about a character, along with also making certain scenes feel so much more important and interesting. Music is extremely impactful in films even when they aren’t musicals, for example; The Pirates of the Caribbean. Hans Zimmer, a very famous composer in the film industry, wrote the score for Pirates of the Caribbean. I feel that the music in that film is just so captivating and that half of the movie just wouldn’t feel half as impactful if there was no music all together. As well as this, the music in Pirates of the Caribbean is so iconic and instantly recognisable because it was very influential. Another example is Coraline. The iconic ‘French’ sounding song in Coraline is actually gibberish made to sound like French, which I think just adds to the unsettling nature of the film.
Overall, I think it’s very difficult to pick out one aspect of a film that makes it good, as there are many things to think about when it comes to films.
Sound
Difference between a sound editing and sound mixing:
Sound editing is the process of manipulating sounds post-production to receive the desired outcome. This can be to remove background sound or mistakes.
Sound mixing involves mixing individual tracks to create a convincing soundscape. This is done by adjusting levels to create an effect that conveys emotion to enhance the story.
The Shepard Tone – a sound illusion of sine waves separated by octave, with the bass tone ascending in pitch.
Diegetic and non-diegetic sound in Joker:
Diegetic: at 47:10, Arthur dances with his mother, Penny, to the music playing on the television. This ends at 48:08, which is when the show ends.
Non-diegetic: music begins at 31:36, when Arthur is on the train. This continues until 33:20, when it slowly fades out.
Synchronous sound: sound that is matched with the action and movements being viewed.
Asynchronous sound: sound not matched with a visible source of sound on the screen.
Needle drop: when a pre existing song is used in a film to underscore a particular scene. This is powerful as emotions and associations we have with a song can enhance a particular scene. For example, they play Come and Get Your Love by Redbone in Guardians of the Galaxy as the main character, Peter Quill, dances.
Sound effects: artificially created or enhanced sounds – used in artistic works to emphasise or express an action, mood or feeling, e.g. Ben Burtt created the iconic sound for the lightsabres in Star Wars. Sound effects were originally used in radio dramas, but can be observed more often today in podcasts, theatre, films and television shows.
Foley Artist: Adds sound effects post-production by recording in a sound-proof studio and layering it over the top of the scene.
Leitmotif: Musical score that is designed to condition the audience’s emotions towards certain characters. Leitmotif is used for characters, emotion, settings and evolution.
Characters:
Jaws theme tells the audience when the shark is near without explicitly showing it.
Emotion:
Married Life represents Carl’s emotions in Up.
Settings:
There are different themes in Lord of the Rings to suggest where the characters are.
Evolution:
Different versions of the Imperial March are used throughout Star Wars to show the evolution of Darth Vader’s character.
Sound Bridge: When sound carries over a visual transition in a film to bring the viewer seamlessly into the next scene.
Narration: often tells the audience what they need to know, but they can sometimes be unreliable. Unreliable narrators may be lying or not telling the whole story.
Score: the score is music composed specifically for the film to help enhance the mood and themes of the visuals.
Underscore: music that is played under the sequences to enhance mood and support the score – often mixed with dialogue and/or sound effects.
Sound perspective: the apparent distance of a sound source, evidenced by its volume, timbre, and pitch.
My favourite soundtrack is Pulp Fiction because I think the music really fits the general style of the film and helps to convey the emotions of the film.
Moonlight Shot Distances, Angles and Camera Movement
Moonlight Shot Distances:
This scene has a wide aspect ratio to show the entire hallway, and the subject in the shot continues to retreat into the hallway. It begins as a close up before she backs away and the shot becomes a long shot as she walks into the next room. Additionally, this shot is first person from the perspective of Chiron, and makes the viewer feel as if they are in the room with Chiron’s mother.
This medium close up shot of the main character, Chiron as he looks towards the camera, as if he is breaking the 4th wall. I think this gives an insight into how Chiron’s feelings in this scene – hurt as his mother is looking ill and sickly from her substance abuse.
I like how this long shot of Chiron comes at the end of the film, with him looking out over the sea. I think that while an abrupt ending, it’s fitting for the end of a drama/slice of life style of film.
Moonlight Camera Angles:
I like this low shot of Chiron’s mother as she scolds him for not coming home that night. It makes the viewer feels as if they are in Chiron’s perspective and makes them feel more connected to the character as it is about his life.
This scene is also shot at a low angle, but it is from water height, so some of the waves come in the shot which I think makes this a really effective shot. Having the camera move with the waves gives the effect of the viewer being in the scene and swimming with Chiron.
This high angle over Chiron almost gives the viewer a sense of superiority over him, as he is low on the ground and almost cowering away from the teacher attempting to help him. However, I also think that this makes us feel sympathy for him.
Moonlight Camera Movement:
The camera pans from right to left in this scene to follow the movement of Chiron’s mother. This allows the viewer to see the entirety of her face as she scolds her son.
The camera zooms in on the children in this scene as they are dancing. The movement is slow to focus on them dancing, which I feel almost acts as a happy scene to interrupt the dark storyline, though it is still focused on Chiron and his friend Kevin.
The camera in this scene tracks Juan as he gets closer to Chiron’s mother in the car. This gives the effect that the viewer is in the scene with him, as it isn’t revealed where he is going until he confronts her in the car.
Moonlight First Response
Moonlight (2016)
Dir. Barry Jenkins
7/10 – I enjoyed this film and rated it relatively high because I thought it gave a great insight into the life of a boy who doesn’t really fit into his school and peers, while dealing with his mother who is a substance abuser and is not giving him a good quality of life. I like how this film does not shy away from dealing with harsh topics such as this and bullying, as well as things like struggling with sexuality and racism.
The most memorable scene for me would be when Chiron is little in the first part and is standing in the hallway with his mother. This is the most memorable for me because I really like how the scene looks – shot in first person with his mother shouting at him, though it is completely over music.
Joker Mise-en-Scene
I really love the look of this scene because I think that the lighting in it looks really great. I like how the spotlight is on Fleck even though he is still behind the curtain in Murray’s studio before the interview. Furthermore, I love the look of the colourful curtains against how shadowed Fleck is and how it shines into backstage.
I like this reveal of Fleck’s new hair, makeup and clothes. I think that it is really fitting to do this in a dingy lift with the light flickering and a sad look on his face, which could hint to the deteriorating state of Fleck’s mental health after he killed someone he knew. Additionally, he was planning on taking his life on Murray’s show, where he was heading.
The set design in this scene reflects the disorder that is going on outside the building; the neat, high society looking building contrasts the riots happening in the city. This is really important to show the class divide in the film because people are killing each other and rioting violently outside the building, while these rich people are watching films, something not accessible for a lot of civilians, and not caring about their struggles. Moreover, I think that it is shot in a way that demonstrates this because Fleck is right in the centre of a completely symmetrical shot, which contrasts the discourse and violence happening outside.
I like the way Fleck feels really out of place in this scene because of his costume. I think that this works really well against the luxurious marble walls and brightly coloured flowers in the background, as well as how it contrasts Thomas Wayne’s suit. Similar to the set design showing the class divide in the city, I think this also does a good job at showing the class divide but a bit more personally.
This scene is filmed with a wide aspect ratio to show a lot of the mental hospital in the shot. This gives the viewer a deeper look into the world, and I think it contributes to the worldbuilding of Gotham City as you are able to see a wide view of the hospital as well as a bit of the cityscape.
I like the composition of this shot, as I think it looks really good with Fleck looking through the mirror at the words written with makeup off to the right side of the shot.
I like the over the shoulder shot here as it clearly shows Fleck’s expression, while covering the space of the rest of the shot. It also shows that he is having a conversation with someone, but not doing regular shots in front of his face.
The Spectrum of Art
James Monaco’s use of the term ‘The Spectrum of Art’ refers to the fact that art comes in various forms, categorised by their different styles and ideas. The ancients recognised seven; history, poetry, comedy, tragedy, music, dance and astronomy. However, by the thirteenth century, the meaning of ‘art’ began to change and adapt a more practical connotation. The literary arts had somewhat merged into a mix of literature and philosophy. The meaning of art changed within different centuries, it being synonymous with ‘skill’ in the sixteenth century, activities that weren’t previously included such as painting and sculpture, began to be considered ‘fine arts’.
The nineteenth century saw the development of science, and now, what had been previously known as ‘natural philosophy’ was now considered ‘natural science’, and the art of alchemy became the science of chemistry.
Monaco defines his ‘spectrum of art’ in three different categories: “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.”, “The recording arts, which provide a more direct path between subject and observer: media not without their own codes but quantitatively more direct than the media of the representational arts.”
Joker(2019) First Response
Joker (2019)
Dir. Todd Phillips
7/10 – I really enjoyed the general style of the film and how it gave the viewers – especially DC fans – a deeper insight into how the Joker came to be. I normally don’t particularly like films like this, but I just thought it was well made in terms of the setting and how it looked, as well as the really good acting from Phoenix.
The most memorable scene for me was when Fleck went to the children’s hospital before being fired and he dropped his gun when singing If You’re Happy and You Know it. It was particularly memorable for me because it almost felt like comic relief for the views amongst the sad themes of Fleck’s mental illnesses and violent tendencies. It was shocking and dark but at the same time, the reactions of the children and Fleck’s mannerisms when he shushes the children as if they were doing something as minimal as talking over him, made the scene humorous.
Categorising Films
| Art Film | Mainstream Film | Historically Significant Film |
| The Shape of Water – A lonely woman comes across an amphibian creature in a research lab from 2017. Directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Romantic Fantasy. | The Breakfast Club – Extremely popular film from 1985. Directed by John Hughes. Comedy and Drama. | Wizard of Oz – came out in the 1930s and has had a significant impact on films. Directed by Victor Fleming. Musical. |
| Fitzcarraldo – Film from 1982 about an Irishman that has dreams of opening an opera house. Directed by Werner Herzog. Musical and Action. | A Bug’s Life – Very popular film from 1998 about an army of ants. Directed by John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton. Animation and action. | Battleship Potemkin – 1925 Soviet silent film which commemorates the Revolution of 1905. Directed by Sergei Eisenstein. War and Silent film. |
| Alphaville – About an American secret agent that is sent to a futuristic city on another planet. Directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Noir and science-fiction. | The Magnificent Seven – 1960 Western about a gunslinger and a group save a Mexican village from bandits. Directed by John Sturges. Western and action. | The Seven Samurai – Japanese film about a veteran samurai protecting a village from 1954. Directed by Akira Kurosawa. War and action. |
| Love Simon – 2018 film about a man keeping his sexuality secret but is being blackmailed. Directed by Greg Berlanti. Romance and comedy. |
Historically significant films are very valued within society because they are talked about so many years later and have been watched by multiple generations. For example, the Wizard of Oz is a treasured musical that is still being adapted and watched by many people.