The Terminator Analysis
We watched clips from the film Terminator two and analysed the mise-en-scene and camera angles. We looked at this film because the main character is Sarah Connor who has power and strength and is helping to break the stereotypes of women playing helpless princess roles. We put down notes to help us write our essay on the ways in which The Terminator constructs representation of gender which we put in our blue books.
Scene 1:
Props:
bars on the window - trapped
small window - gets looked on like an animal in the zoo
Location:
mental institute
cell
Lighting:
dark
light across her face with shadows where the bars are - trapped but still sane
light on her - 'chosen one'
light surrounding her hair - wild
bright white - surreal environment, dream like
Costumes:
suits - smart
white lab coats
vest top - shows muscles
fat men - well looked after
Sarah's skinny - not looked after
nice hair - sociably accepted
straggly hair - not sociably accepted
Interview:
Props:
desk - formal, dividing
mirror - uneasy reflection
Location:
interview room
Lighting:
bright lights - fake atmosphere
lights on Sarah - savior
Costumes:
light clothes (white nightgown) - Sarah - holy (angel like), chosen one
dark suit - man - mean, professional
Sarah has neat hair - now sane and ready to be sociably accepted
Camera angles:
mid shot - emotion
close up - desperation
extreme close up - angry
Escape:
high angle - Sarah - vulnerable
low angle - Terminator - powerful and intimidating
close up - concentration
extreme close up - picking lock
extreme close up - shoe and man coming out of the floor
low angle of Sarah - now powerful
extreme close up of needle and the man in the background - needle is intended for the man later on
camera angles flit quickly - fast pace
high angle of Sarah - vulnerable again
low angle of Terminator - powerful again
180 degree rule
over shoulder shots of Sarah and her son talking
pan of snakes
jump cuts
hair tied up and neat - mission like
vest top and joggers - practical
Sarah runs at the car - determination
Relatives Scene:
glasses - hides identity, secrecy
point of view shots - reminiscence
lighting - hot - foreshadowing what is going to happen
recurring dream - mirrors reality of her life - scenery
wind - cooling breeze - symbolic as to what's going to happen
point of view shot - no fate carved into table
clothes - dark, mission like - own intentions - doesn't insult
Final Scene:
dark lighting - mysterious
fast pace music
fast pace flitting camera shots
she's supported by them - does need help sometimes
low angle shot - powerful
fire and electricity - power, heat, danger
high angle coming up the stairs - even more intimidating - reverses meaning and expectations of camera angles
extreme close up - evil
red light on her face - evil
low angle of man 'killing' Terminator - most powerful
slow motion killing of man
high angle of the above the vat - more powerful
extreme close up of hand shake - mutual respect and strength
cut frame - equal, neither is more powerful
her voice is over the top at the beginning and end
Other points:
factory - possible birth place so irony of death
Terminators death - heroic - still holding on
Doctor window - large, trees, free
Sarah's window - small, bars, trapped.
Scene 1:
Props:
bars on the window - trapped
small window - gets looked on like an animal in the zoo
Location:
mental institute
cell
Lighting:
dark
light across her face with shadows where the bars are - trapped but still sane
light on her - 'chosen one'
light surrounding her hair - wild
bright white - surreal environment, dream like
Costumes:
suits - smart
white lab coats
vest top - shows muscles
fat men - well looked after
Sarah's skinny - not looked after
nice hair - sociably accepted
straggly hair - not sociably accepted
Interview:
Props:
desk - formal, dividing
mirror - uneasy reflection
Location:
interview room
Lighting:
bright lights - fake atmosphere
lights on Sarah - savior
Costumes:
light clothes (white nightgown) - Sarah - holy (angel like), chosen one
dark suit - man - mean, professional
Sarah has neat hair - now sane and ready to be sociably accepted
Camera angles:
mid shot - emotion
close up - desperation
extreme close up - angry
Escape:
high angle - Sarah - vulnerable
low angle - Terminator - powerful and intimidating
close up - concentration
extreme close up - picking lock
extreme close up - shoe and man coming out of the floor
low angle of Sarah - now powerful
extreme close up of needle and the man in the background - needle is intended for the man later on
camera angles flit quickly - fast pace
high angle of Sarah - vulnerable again
low angle of Terminator - powerful again
180 degree rule
over shoulder shots of Sarah and her son talking
pan of snakes
jump cuts
hair tied up and neat - mission like
vest top and joggers - practical
Sarah runs at the car - determination
Relatives Scene:
glasses - hides identity, secrecy
point of view shots - reminiscence
lighting - hot - foreshadowing what is going to happen
recurring dream - mirrors reality of her life - scenery
wind - cooling breeze - symbolic as to what's going to happen
point of view shot - no fate carved into table
clothes - dark, mission like - own intentions - doesn't insult
Final Scene:
dark lighting - mysterious
fast pace music
fast pace flitting camera shots
she's supported by them - does need help sometimes
low angle shot - powerful
fire and electricity - power, heat, danger
high angle coming up the stairs - even more intimidating - reverses meaning and expectations of camera angles
extreme close up - evil
red light on her face - evil
low angle of man 'killing' Terminator - most powerful
slow motion killing of man
high angle of the above the vat - more powerful
extreme close up of hand shake - mutual respect and strength
cut frame - equal, neither is more powerful
her voice is over the top at the beginning and end
Other points:
factory - possible birth place so irony of death
Terminators death - heroic - still holding on
Doctor window - large, trees, free
Sarah's window - small, bars, trapped.
Silent Hill Analysis
We got into groups and analysed a horror film. I went in a group with Catherine, Akshay and Georgia and we took it in turns to make notes on mise-en-scene, camera angles, sound and editing. This meant that we watched the opening 4 times to give each person a chance to make notes on each section. This is because we thought we would get a more detailed analysis if we all analysed each section because people pick up on different things.
After that we took one section each to take all the notes and write them up in detail and then gave a copy to the other people in our group the next day. I did camera angles, Akshay did mise-en-scene, Catherine did editing and Georgia did sound. We all decided to analysis a bit of the mise-en-scene because there was a lot to say on that and not as much with other points.
We then got together to go through what we had analysed and practised our presentation to the class. We wrote down times that we wanted to pause the film at and came up with an order to say our points. We then put the film on movie maker and added notes over the top but unfortunately when we came to presenting the movie maker didn't work so we did it without. The screen was also quite dark so we did our best to explained what was happening in the shot where you couldn't see clearly.
Our presentation lasted for just over 17 minutes and the camera ran out at 16 minutes so the extra points we made were; Sharron's pyjamas might be blue because it shows she's not a stereotypical girl which she's not because she's possesse and that title Silent Hill is lit up as if a car headlight or a torch is directed at it which resembles later on in the film when they drive up to Silent Hill and the car headlights light up the sign. The title is written in the Silent Hill font and there is falling ash again which all symbolises the place of Silent Hill.
Here is a link to the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJspxq_btno
And a link to our presentation analysis of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCLqZWB6dBg
After that we took one section each to take all the notes and write them up in detail and then gave a copy to the other people in our group the next day. I did camera angles, Akshay did mise-en-scene, Catherine did editing and Georgia did sound. We all decided to analysis a bit of the mise-en-scene because there was a lot to say on that and not as much with other points.
We then got together to go through what we had analysed and practised our presentation to the class. We wrote down times that we wanted to pause the film at and came up with an order to say our points. We then put the film on movie maker and added notes over the top but unfortunately when we came to presenting the movie maker didn't work so we did it without. The screen was also quite dark so we did our best to explained what was happening in the shot where you couldn't see clearly.
Our presentation lasted for just over 17 minutes and the camera ran out at 16 minutes so the extra points we made were; Sharron's pyjamas might be blue because it shows she's not a stereotypical girl which she's not because she's possesse and that title Silent Hill is lit up as if a car headlight or a torch is directed at it which resembles later on in the film when they drive up to Silent Hill and the car headlights light up the sign. The title is written in the Silent Hill font and there is falling ash again which all symbolises the place of Silent Hill.
Here is a link to the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJspxq_btno
And a link to our presentation analysis of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCLqZWB6dBg
Hide and Seek
Abbie, Hannah and Ellie analysed the 2005 horror film Hide and Seek, directed by John Polson. They described the effects used like having a close up of the girl while she was turning around to disorientate the audience and the nursery rhymes in the background so it gives it a child like creepy effect. The daughter hides from her mother which introduces the hide and seek concept and when the mother is looking for her, she closes the doors after as if she's shutting herself in. They also made the point that the camera always cuts out under the bed which is playing on the childhood fears that something is hiding under the bed.
Another point is that when the mother and daughter are in the park playing, the woman is wearing white which shows she's happy and free, yet when she's at home later on she's wearing black to show she's unhappy and trapped. When the father appears at the playing equipment, the mother doesn't realise that he's there which shows that they're not happy together. This is also reinforced when there is a long shot of the mother drinking wine, there is a blurred photo of the family together which shows there's an unhappy relationship. In the photo there are also bars separating them so that they look close together, but they're not. When she is drinking the wine, it's red wine and she's wearing lots of red jewellery which symbolises death as well as the black and what will happen later on.
They also said about the light used and how it's natural light that is used when she is with her daughter to show that they have a good relationship and it's fake light with lots of shadows that is used when she is with her husband to show that they don't have a good relationship. They also noticed that there are lots of connotations of his split personality and the way he puts glasses on when he hides his emotion and takes them off when he's displaying emotion.
When the woman is in the bath, there are lots of candles on the side and it looks like a nice relaxing place however he expression contrasts that by looking tense. When he wakes up in the night and looks at the clock it is after 12, which shows that something is going to happen because all scary things happen after midnight because it makes it a time when everyone is meant to be asleep. He walks slowly and you can hear the tap running. When the camera follows him it's a low angle shot as if the audience is following him and it makes you feel uncomfortable. Her side of the bed is made with pillows and the doors of the bath are shut so we know that something isn't right because it's been deliberately planned.
When he opens the doors and sees her in a bath of blood in goes to a mid shot of him and behind him you can see the shadow of the girl appear, and then her face. The camera then zooms into her face and she displays no emotion. It zooms in until it;s an extreme close up of her eyes where you can see the fire flicking in them, implying that the image is burnt into her memory forever. The significance of it ending like this is because that is how the film starts.
Another point is that when the mother and daughter are in the park playing, the woman is wearing white which shows she's happy and free, yet when she's at home later on she's wearing black to show she's unhappy and trapped. When the father appears at the playing equipment, the mother doesn't realise that he's there which shows that they're not happy together. This is also reinforced when there is a long shot of the mother drinking wine, there is a blurred photo of the family together which shows there's an unhappy relationship. In the photo there are also bars separating them so that they look close together, but they're not. When she is drinking the wine, it's red wine and she's wearing lots of red jewellery which symbolises death as well as the black and what will happen later on.
They also said about the light used and how it's natural light that is used when she is with her daughter to show that they have a good relationship and it's fake light with lots of shadows that is used when she is with her husband to show that they don't have a good relationship. They also noticed that there are lots of connotations of his split personality and the way he puts glasses on when he hides his emotion and takes them off when he's displaying emotion.
When the woman is in the bath, there are lots of candles on the side and it looks like a nice relaxing place however he expression contrasts that by looking tense. When he wakes up in the night and looks at the clock it is after 12, which shows that something is going to happen because all scary things happen after midnight because it makes it a time when everyone is meant to be asleep. He walks slowly and you can hear the tap running. When the camera follows him it's a low angle shot as if the audience is following him and it makes you feel uncomfortable. Her side of the bed is made with pillows and the doors of the bath are shut so we know that something isn't right because it's been deliberately planned.
When he opens the doors and sees her in a bath of blood in goes to a mid shot of him and behind him you can see the shadow of the girl appear, and then her face. The camera then zooms into her face and she displays no emotion. It zooms in until it;s an extreme close up of her eyes where you can see the fire flicking in them, implying that the image is burnt into her memory forever. The significance of it ending like this is because that is how the film starts.
The Grudge
Daryl analysed The Grudge and described the effect The Grudge has had on the people living there and that the shade of blue was how much they had been affected by it. The items in the background are dark blue and the old woman wears dark blue clothes where as the helper for her wears light blue clothes to show that she hasn't been affected that much by The Grudge. There is a trail leading upstairs which intrigues the audience and builds tension. There is then a long shot of her in the narrow corridor and the camera is a worm angle so it places the viewer as someone who is watching her and it makes them uncomfortable. The light surrounds her so she is a silhouette which shows that she is leaving the light behind her and will meet darkness. As she starts to walk slowly it's she's becoming more trapped because there is only one end to the corridor. This is reinforced by the bars on the stairwell which cast bar shadows. When she enters the attic, there are lots of spiders webs that represent a creature catching it's prey, like The Grudge is doing. He also mentioned the close up of The Grudge that appears for a moment which isn't long enough to let you see what The Grudge is really like but gives you an idea. It makes The Grudge still have a sense of mystery.
Silence of the Lambs
Dom, Toby, George and Ben analysed Silence of the Lambs which is a 1991 horror film by Jonathan Demme. They described the non-diegetic sound of the ravens in the background which could symbolise the dark things that are going to happen because ravens are symbolic of darkness. They also explained how the obstacle course represents her life and that the when she gets over the biggest obstacle, the light shines on her face, showing that she will over come all the obstacles in her life and will succeed because of the light.
Another point they made was that the lighting used when they went down to the cells was darker and there were red lights used as if they were descending into hell. This is reinforced by the men working there wearing white as if they are holy angels sent from above to protect the world from the monsters in hell. When she enters the corridor with the cells in there is an establishing shot with light at the end of the corridor where there are steps leading back up.
They also mentioned that there are lots of methods used to show that she's alone. The gates all lock behind her which shows that if something happened, there would be nothing anyone could do because she is all by herself and has been trapped in with them. There is also a chair sitting by itself in the corridor for her to sit on and when she walks her footsteps echo because there is no one else there and no other sound.
The final point they made was that the camera flitted from one cell to her to another cell and back to her and so on to show her panic and how the other inhabitants acted, but when she reached the cell with the man she was seeing in it, he was just standing normally. His cell didn't have bars either, instead it was barred with glass which meant made him appear scarier because he seemed normal. The other inhabitants seem insane where as he appears sane which makes him unpredictable and therefore all the more terrifying.
Another point they made was that the lighting used when they went down to the cells was darker and there were red lights used as if they were descending into hell. This is reinforced by the men working there wearing white as if they are holy angels sent from above to protect the world from the monsters in hell. When she enters the corridor with the cells in there is an establishing shot with light at the end of the corridor where there are steps leading back up.
They also mentioned that there are lots of methods used to show that she's alone. The gates all lock behind her which shows that if something happened, there would be nothing anyone could do because she is all by herself and has been trapped in with them. There is also a chair sitting by itself in the corridor for her to sit on and when she walks her footsteps echo because there is no one else there and no other sound.
The final point they made was that the camera flitted from one cell to her to another cell and back to her and so on to show her panic and how the other inhabitants acted, but when she reached the cell with the man she was seeing in it, he was just standing normally. His cell didn't have bars either, instead it was barred with glass which meant made him appear scarier because he seemed normal. The other inhabitants seem insane where as he appears sane which makes him unpredictable and therefore all the more terrifying.
Jennifer's Body
Harri L, Becky, Harri N and Amber analysed the film Jennifer's Body directed by Karyn Kusama in 2009. They explained that the establishing shot at the start of the film with a house by itself shows that the main character feels alone and isolated. The dog barking in the background could represent danger because dogs bark at danger. The non-diegetic music that is played over the top of the film is eery, ghost-like music which tells the audience it is a horror film. When we first see the character she is playing with her hair and putting it in her mouth in a child-like way which is another connotation of her being child-like which there are more connotations for later on in the film. There is a shot showing the window which is showing the unknown and we don't know what the character is like. There is ten a low angle shot of the bed which pans up, playing on the child-like worries of something hiding under the bed.
They also said about the fact that the lighting for her room is blue and cold which contrasts with the pink lamp that is turned on and the pink walls and cushions that are typical of a teenage girls room. The writing for the title, Jennifer's Body, is written in a typically girly font and in pink, the kind of writing you associate with a chick-flick or a rom com. This shows that it's not a typical horror film and it may have aspects of other genres in it, for example comedy. The camera angle of her is a side on close up which shows the audience who she is. She is also wearing blue which shows that she is more in touch with the cold atmosphere surrounding her than the girly person she used to be.
The camera then cuts to show a mid shot of her facing the other way. Her hair is neat and curled, and this shows that the character is pretty and mysterious. As the camera zooms out it pans the floor where there are lots of toys littering it in a messy way, showing her child-like self and immaturity. There is a God figure on the floor which shows that religion is meant to help change people and it fits in with the words she's saying. As she's writing in her diary, she is speaking the words aloud so it tells the audience about her, what she feels and how she is. When she thanks the man that enters, she speaks in Spanish which tells the audience that she is intelligent and probably did well in school.
They also said about how where she is different to prison because of the fact that she is wearing white and the workers are wearing white which shows that they want to help the people there and get them back into society. The bars across the window show that she's trapped but the bars are crossed instead of straight down like prison ones are. She puts on children's slippers which again shows her child-like personality and that she may have a soft, caring side. The camera always follows her as if someone is always watching her. The word "kicker" appears across the screen on a bit of paper, showing what kind of character she is and also predetermines what will happen. The shot reverse shot shows that the woman is trying to help her but then she kicks her away and there is a canted angle to show confusion and that the character is angry and scary.
She is then put into an enclosed room where there is a window with light coming through. The light is shown on the opposite wall but enlarged which makes the room seem taller and narrower so she is more trapped. There is then a mid shot of her so the audience feel in danger because they feel that they are with her. The sunlight goes from the window and it represents that she has no hope and when she looks up to the ceiling, she wants help. When she tells the story, the lighting gets darker because her stories are dark. It sort of shows that it's not her fault she's mental.
They also said about the fact that the lighting for her room is blue and cold which contrasts with the pink lamp that is turned on and the pink walls and cushions that are typical of a teenage girls room. The writing for the title, Jennifer's Body, is written in a typically girly font and in pink, the kind of writing you associate with a chick-flick or a rom com. This shows that it's not a typical horror film and it may have aspects of other genres in it, for example comedy. The camera angle of her is a side on close up which shows the audience who she is. She is also wearing blue which shows that she is more in touch with the cold atmosphere surrounding her than the girly person she used to be.
The camera then cuts to show a mid shot of her facing the other way. Her hair is neat and curled, and this shows that the character is pretty and mysterious. As the camera zooms out it pans the floor where there are lots of toys littering it in a messy way, showing her child-like self and immaturity. There is a God figure on the floor which shows that religion is meant to help change people and it fits in with the words she's saying. As she's writing in her diary, she is speaking the words aloud so it tells the audience about her, what she feels and how she is. When she thanks the man that enters, she speaks in Spanish which tells the audience that she is intelligent and probably did well in school.
They also said about how where she is different to prison because of the fact that she is wearing white and the workers are wearing white which shows that they want to help the people there and get them back into society. The bars across the window show that she's trapped but the bars are crossed instead of straight down like prison ones are. She puts on children's slippers which again shows her child-like personality and that she may have a soft, caring side. The camera always follows her as if someone is always watching her. The word "kicker" appears across the screen on a bit of paper, showing what kind of character she is and also predetermines what will happen. The shot reverse shot shows that the woman is trying to help her but then she kicks her away and there is a canted angle to show confusion and that the character is angry and scary.
She is then put into an enclosed room where there is a window with light coming through. The light is shown on the opposite wall but enlarged which makes the room seem taller and narrower so she is more trapped. There is then a mid shot of her so the audience feel in danger because they feel that they are with her. The sunlight goes from the window and it represents that she has no hope and when she looks up to the ceiling, she wants help. When she tells the story, the lighting gets darker because her stories are dark. It sort of shows that it's not her fault she's mental.
The Ring
Luke analysed The Ring that was directed by Gore Verbinski in 2002. He made the point that the clouds moving fast at the point we watched indicated that her time was quickly running out. This is also pointed out when the day Wednesday comes on the screen as if it's a countdown for her 7 days to live. As the camera zoomed in on her location the tree's thickened which shows she is becoming more and more trapped by her fate. Her face is lit up with red which shows her fears and the danger she will face.
He also mentioned that the phone in the background shows that it's always there in the back of her mind and when he starts to wreck the place it's showing that they are loosing controlling of the situation and their lives. Soft music then starts to play which makes you feel as if they have found a way out or a solution however it's actually leading them closer to their death so it misleads you. The red on the floor represents death. In the shot she is clear where as he is blurred which shows that The Ring isn't interested on him, it's fixed on her. This is also reinforced as the camera follows her not him.
Another point mentioned by Luke is that the dark is below them like it's hell. The camera looks up at them where they have the torches which makes it seem as if death is staring them in the face. The TV always has a low angle of it which makes it look dominant and scary which it is because it made her fate.
He also mentioned that the phone in the background shows that it's always there in the back of her mind and when he starts to wreck the place it's showing that they are loosing controlling of the situation and their lives. Soft music then starts to play which makes you feel as if they have found a way out or a solution however it's actually leading them closer to their death so it misleads you. The red on the floor represents death. In the shot she is clear where as he is blurred which shows that The Ring isn't interested on him, it's fixed on her. This is also reinforced as the camera follows her not him.
Another point mentioned by Luke is that the dark is below them like it's hell. The camera looks up at them where they have the torches which makes it seem as if death is staring them in the face. The TV always has a low angle of it which makes it look dominant and scary which it is because it made her fate.
