'Research Task' by Brendan Searle

Taxi Driver 
Camera Work: 

• Angles have been used to emphasize different statuses, the car, for example, was shot at a low angle to symbolise that the car is of some important to the story.
• Extreme close ups have been used not as a shock tactic but as an informant that possibly the journey is long and tiring
• This also adds to the assumption that something is about to happen.
• A long exposure has been used while the camera is focused on the windscreen to show tiredness, this can also be used to symbolise disorientation for the audience.
• This is very much like a pint of view shot because it is blurred and this could be putting the audience in the shoes of the character.

Mise en Scene:

• The extremely low key lighting has been used, this creates  tense and almost eerie
• This is because the setting in the titles of the film are all in a car, hence the low key lighting, with street lights flashing past.
• The main setting is in the city streets, this is an urban setting as are most thrillers.

Editing:

• The manipulation of time in the form of slow motion gives a 'spaced out' look to it. this can be used to create tension or mystery and can get the audience asking questions.
• The long takes on the eyes and the window screen are used to show a tiresome and long drive, almost like the character is at the end of a long shift.
• The use of fades from one scene to another portray the idea of a long and tiring shift.

Sound:

• There is a very good use of orchestral music in the clip that helps portray the scene
• In the beginning of the clip, the soundtrack that has been used is quite low and mainly focused on bass. 
• There is a good use of Crescendo and Diminuendo in this particular piece, this helps portray the idea of this being a thriller.
• However, the soundtrack that has been chosen is possibly a little different compared to a normal thriller, there are certain parts of the soundtrack that seem quite light heated but then the soundtrack returns to the heavier bass part.

The Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Camera Work:

• There is a good use of depth of field in the beginning of this scene because it shows the traffic jams and also the children swinging in the parks. 
• The use of slow tracking to reveal the damage that has been done really emphasises it, this is because the audience has a restricted view and can only see what the director wants them to see.
• A good establishing shot was used to show the present, the cars on the highway symbolised a normal day and the girl swinging in the park and laughing symbolised happiness.
• This is entirely contrasted by the death and destruction shown in the clip afterwards.
• The camera is perfectly still to keep the theme of robotic perfection in the minds of the audience.

Mise en Scene:

• In the beginning of the scene there is a use of natural lighting from an outside shot.
• the costume that has been used is also modern day which seems harmless.
• However in the flash forward the costumes and props and lighting all change.
• there is a significant change in the lighting from a natural bright day to a dark and unnatural darkness.
• the costumes change to uniforms and clothing which was seen to be 'futuristic' in 1991
• the props have also become 'futuristic' in the sense that there are laser guns and robots walking around.

Editing:

• There is a distinct manipulation of time in the form of a flash forward. this creates a feeling of disorientation for the audience.
• The use of long takes is important because it establishes the storyline and helps the audience to connect with the character, setting or story.
• there was also a good use of fading between the shots, this shows that they are linked.

Sound:

• there are a lot of non-diegetic sounds in this clip, this is demonstrated by the orchestral soundtrack and the narration about the future.
• however there are some examples of diegetic sounds such as the laughing child and the lasers and people screaming when being shot, all of these sounds have been emphasised.
• the dialogue that has been used was used sparingly, this was to set the scene and to explain the destruction and fighting.

I'm afraid to say that i was not able to link the video clip to this post and therefore i had to paste this hyper-link. 

Terminator 2: Judgement day movie clip

Die Hard
Camera Work:

• There is a use of slow tracking out to set the scene but also to show who the first character is talking to.
• the use of a close up of the characters hand lead into the main conversation between the two characters. 
• in the same way, the close up of the gun in the holster leads into the roles being reversed from the first character to the second.
• low angles have been used in the end of the scene to act as if the audience is 'spying' on the main character.
• this was also accompanied by a shallow depth of field which made the audience do nothing but focus on the main character.

Mise en Scene:

• Low key lighting sets the scene as being mysterious and dark, this is because the first few minutes are set in an aeroplane.
• the setting is an airport which is quite an urban place and means that there is high security.

Editing:

• There is a total of 15 cuts more or less and this means that in 120 seconds, this is not a lot.
• this is shown by the use of long and possibly 'slow' shots to almost drag out the tension.
• towards the middle of the conversation between the two characters, the cuts became quicker and quicker, this is to help build up the tension.

Sound:

• The dialogue that is used is minimal, this can be used to emphasise the silence.
• there are a lot of diegetic sounds used such as the emphasis on the aeroplane landing and the breaks squealing
•  there was a distinct non-diegetic sound which i found started at 1.52 and that was a graphic match to the title

 
















Greenzone
Camera Work:

• the establishing shot that was used was of the picture, this was held until it fell over, this gives some context of the character and who he was.
• Close ups on the face of the first character show the audience that he is of some importance.
• the fact that the camera is almost hidden and almost spying on the character suggests that there is some secrecy  for that particular character
• the camera has been used to focus on main parts of that scene which gives the audience some sort of context.
• there is a distinctive tilt from the book, which is of some importance, to the face of the character writing in it, this shows that there is a link between the character and the book.

Mise en Scene:

• in this first scene, the lighting is extremely low key, its almost not there. this makes the audience start to ask questions such as 'where are they?' and 'what time is it?' 
• the interior is shaking dramatically and this shows a lot of distress in the faces of the people in the building.

Editing:

• the use of quick cuts means that the audience is automatically 'on the edge of their seats'
• this is also used to show rushing
• this linking in with the use of flashing lights is extremely disorientating for the audience.
• another factor of the disorientation is the fact that the camera is almost hand held and running after the characters
• this all means that the whole scene is not entirely clear and easy to understand, this just means the the audience feel like they have to follow the character the whole way.

Sound:

• the use of non-diegetic in the form of the news readers puts the film into context and set the scene.
• as characters become more focused, the sounds become more diegetic, screams and explosions
• the dialogue is in a different language with subtitles.
• this is sometimes used to give the audience inside knowledge about what is happening in the particular scene

Greenzone movie clip



The Usual Suspects
Camera Work:

• the use of a close up to the matches hooks the audience and lets them guess about what is going to happen next. 
• the way the camera follows the flame signifies that something important is about to happen
• in the same way the camera follows the 'water source', this leads to a quite humorous part of the scene.
• the fact that the camera is never higher than waist hight means that there is a sense of mystery and also suspense
• the use of shallow depth of field makes the audience focus on the mysterious character and nothing else

Mise en Scene:

• there is a good use of low key lighting, the main lighting is coming from the flames, this signifies that something bad has happened
• the setting that has been used for this scene is on a boat, this is interesting because it makes the audience wonder where they could be

Editing:

• manipulation of time has been used to show the end of the story first and then explain how it happened
• this could be by narration or in visual form
• the use of quick cuts gets the audience knowing the scene and the scenario

Sound:

• the use of diegetic sound such as the emphasise of lighting the match and the water falling make the whole scene more realistic
• at 0.34 the non-diegectic soundtrack begins and is quite sinister
• there is a minimal use of dialogue in the scene which makes the scene more mysterious and also it helps to build the tension