Editing

Continuity- The viewer should not notice the cuts, and shots should flow together naturally, hence the sequence of shots should appear to be continuous.

Montage- The style of editing has two functions. The highly political soviet style of the 1920’s which sought to create a new meaning out of seemingly unconnected shots. The audience are also very aware of the cuts.

Montage Hollywood- in classical Hollywood cinema, a montage sequence is a shot segment in a film in which narrative information is presented in a condensed fashion.

Transitions- is the term of how and editor moves from one shot to another. The use of an inappropriate transition can destroy the mood or the pace of a scene.

Cross cutting/Parallel editing- this is editing that alternates shots of two or more lines of action occurring in different places usually simultaneously.

Dissolve- a transition between two shots during which the first image gradually disappears while the second image gradually appears.

Wipes- a transition between shots in which a line passes across the screen, eliminating the first shot as it goes and replacing it with the next one. A very dramatic noticeable transition is usually employed in action or adventure films.

Camera Angles

Long Shot- this is used when telling the audience when the film is set. This lets the audience know all the important information. Medium Shot- this is the most commonly used shot in the cinema as it is used to show any character interaction. Close up- this focuses on something/someone important to show the audience its significance.

Shot reverse shot- this is used a lot during dialogue and it focuses on the character talking. The camera is positioned over the actors shoulder and this makes the audience feel involved and part of the conversation.

High angle shots- connote power over the object you are viewing. Women have traditionally been “shot” in this way to make men look more powerful.

Low angle shots- these are designed to make a character or object appear stronger.

Tracking Shot- This is when the camera is parallel to the action and follows the “subject” or “action”.

Pan Shot- Never break the 180 degree rule otherwise the audience get confused.

Tilt Shot- This is when the camera goes from the bottom to the top, this normally happens to women so we can see how pretty they look.

Mise en scene

Mise en scene is an expression used in film to describe the design aspects of a production. You have to analyse what you see on screen through the

Setting
Acting/Facial Expression
Lighting
Costume/Props
Camera Angles.

We were asked to write an essay on a character of our choice from the film The Royal Tenenbaums written and directed by Wes Anderson and apply the 5 aspects of mise en scene to further examine our character. I chose the character of Margot because I found her personality highly entreging and was eager to analyse her in more depth.

Analasis of Margot Tenenbaum through Mise en scene essay.

Narrative Structure

This narrative structure consists of a 3 part narrative.

The Beginning which is also known as the Equalibrium.
A state of normality in the narrative.

The Middle which is also known as the Disequalibrium
Something disrupts this normality and the protagonist/hero must go on a quest to restore the normality.

The End which is also known as the New Equalibrium
A new normality is created.



The short Pixar film boundin’ follows this 3 part narrative theory as there is a state of normality when the sheep is dancing with all of his friends, however the sheep then gets taken away to be shaven and to his disappointment comes back pink and hairless, this disrupts the normality as now he refuses to dance because his friends are mocking him. But then the Jackalope (the hero) emerges to save the day and teaches the sheep to “bound bound bound and rebound” which excites the sheep and keeps him in high spirits thus a new normality is formed.

Open and Closed Narrative

Closed Narrative

• An example of a closed narrative would be Mamma Mia, (or any other film)
  
• There is only one obvious thread to pull on.


• The audience are aware they are watching a two hour film and therefore are watching with the end in mind.


• The characters are regularly arranged into a “hierarchy” in that there are the main characters, cameos, supporting roles and extras.


• The audience often make assumptions about the characters, in which they decipher what narrative roles they play e.g. Propp- Villain, hero, false hero etc.
  
• The time is usually very compressed as the two hour film duration consists of events that happen over months, years and sometimes even centuries.
  
• The time and events that are featured in the film are usually unique to the story and there is no need for any resemblance to the viewer’s world.
  
• The same audience tend to watch the film from beginning to end.


• Visual images, special effects and music play a pivotal part in films.
  

Open Narrative

• An example of a open narrative would be Coronation street (or any other soap).


• This narrative can be unravelled in a lot of different ways.


• The audience have no sense of an ending, for example a soap opera proceeds as if it could go on forever.


• The characters are not usually arranged into a “hierarchy” but constantly shift in and out of prominence.


• The characters also progress in narrative roles as today’s villain may be next’s week’s hero.


• The time usually corresponds with “real world time” within the segments of each episode, so it doesn’t have to be condensed down into a two hour slot like a film.


• The time and events make reference to real life events going on at the same time, such as elections, Christmas etc.


• Each episode has to try and address both experienced and new viewers.


• It’s relatively rare that they use music, especially in British soaps, and they have somewhat simple visual image and special effects.

The 5 narrative codes

Action Code
Applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. For example a gun slinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be.


Engima Code
Refers to an element in a story that is not explained, and therefore exists as an enigma for the audience, raising questions that demand an explanation.


Semantic Code
Any element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by way of connotation.


Cultural Code
Any element in a narrative that refers to "a science or a body of knowlegde". In other words the cultural codes tend to point to our shared knowledge about the way the world works.


Symbolic Code
This code is simple to understand when you know about Binary opposite. Levi Strauss believed that the world was split into a series of binary opposites. Essentially one thing can be defined in relation to something it isnt. For example, a hero is only a hero if there is a cowardly option.


I will now attempt to apply these 5 narrative codes to this Mac verses PC advert.






Action code
We first acknowledge the action as soon as Mac and PC meet because we can immediately tell that there will be a competition between them both, and that evidently Mac will win because of the other series of adverts shown on the television.

Enigma code
We are presented with an enigma code within the first 10 seconds of the advert, as soon as Mac and PC begin talking about their individual home movies and PC makes the comment of “I doubt it’s as excellent as mine”. This suddenly triggers the thought of, I wonder whose home movie is better and more importantly I wonder what there home movies look like and what there about.

Semantic code
We observe a semantic code from the very beginning as we can typecast both Mac and PC in that, Mac is a tall dark and handsome young man, who is friendly and outgoing; he is fairly fashionable wearing a blue untucked shirt and his hands are placed in his pockets this illustrates he is laid back. Whereas PC is an old overweight man, wearing a brown suit with his trousers pulled up high and his shirt tucked in, his hair is positioned in a slick side parting and he wears aged spectacles, this emphasises the fact that he is smart, sensible and old fashioned. All of these attributes add additional meaning to the characters we are already presented with.

Cultural code
We distinguish the cultural code in the language that is used throughout this advert, for example the words Mac and PC may not be recognized by the elderly generation and possibly people in other countries.

Symbolic code
We witness this when the two women appear representing the home movies and Macs women is a gorgeous, blonde and slender famous model and PCs women is a hairy fat man dressed up as a women. Their looks are symbolic of the quality of the home movies. Here we also notice a binary opposite in that one woman is beautiful making the other women ugly.

Levi Strauss

Strans believed that the world was split into a series of binary opposites. Meaning that essentially one thing can only be defined in relation to somethting it isn't. An example of this would be that a fat person is only fat because there is a thin option. We are presented with binary opposites in the film Shallow Hal where Gwyneth Paltrow plays both the slim and fat character of Rosemary Shanahan.

Here we are also offered a semantic code which is an element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by the way of connotation. So in relation to the film Shallow Hal this refers to the fact that Rosemary Shanahan in actuality is obese however Shallow Hal see’s her as slender and beautiful due to her kind generous nature.

Vladimir Propp

Propp analysed over 100 Russian fairy tales in the 1920's, he proposed that it was possible to classify the characters and their actions into clearly Defined Roles and "functions". I'm going to put Propp's theory into practice with the example of the film Shrek 2-

The character of Shrek plays the Hero in this movie, because he "seeks something", which is to get the love of Princess Fiona back.

The character of the Fairy Godmother plays the Villian in this movie, because she "opposes the hero", she does this by giving King Harold a love potion to put into Princess Fiona's drink so she will fall in love with Prince Charming and not Shrek.

The character of Puss in boots plays the Dispatcher as when he is unable to defeat Shrek he "sends the hero on his way" by sending him to sneak into the Fairy Godmother's potion factory to steal a Happily Ever After potion that Shrek believes will restore Fiona's love for him.

The character of Prince Charming plays the False Hero as he "falsely assumes the hero role" he does this by deceiving Fiona into believing that he is Shrek, having been turned human by a "Happily Ever After" potion just so he can marry her and become King.

The character of the donkey plays the Helper as he is constantly "giving support to the hero" whether it be by accompanying him to the Far Far Away Kingdom or drinking the Happily Ever After Potion with him or helping stop the Fairy Godmothers plans into making Fiona marrying Charming.

The character Princess Fiona plays the Princess as she is the "reward for the hero" at the end of the movie.

The character King Harold plays the Father as he is Princess Fiona's dad and is "very protective" over her and will go to great lengths to make sure she has the best.