Spiderman 2
Director: Sam Raimi
Released: 2004
Genre: Action, Super Hero
The clip I examined showed the main villain Doctor Octavius (Doc Ock) lying on an operation bed as the surgeons attempt to amputate his long mechanical arms. But the arms have artificial intelligence so lash out at the doctors and murder them. What makes this scene interesting is the fact that its different to the overall genre of the film because its more like a Sci-Fi Horror than an action sequence so had to incorporate elements of Horror and Thriller films to be effective but still keep to its roots of a super hero action movie.
The opening shot is a close up of a monitor used to explain to the spectator that the arms are fused with his spine and the doctors dialogue explains what they are going to attempt to do. Then there is a tracking shot of the doctor as he walks round the table which only shows small sections of Octavius until he stops to begin the procedure then the camera zooms out to a wide shot of Doc Ock and his mechanical arms. The director dose this to introduce the spectator to the surroundings but only giving them a small view of the villain to tease the spectator and make the operation room the focal point. Then finally showing Octavius, similar to horror films like Jeepers Creepers were the monster is slowly revealed to the audience, shows they are all part of one creature. Then it cuts to a close up of the surgeon with a saw then to a pulley suspending an arm in the air as it rocks then cuts back to the doctors reaction this is done to create tension and show the spectator that something is about to happen.
In this scene editing is used to set a fast pace by cutting from one shot to another and only showing a few seconds of the shot before switching. This fast pace and constantly changing view conveys a sense of mayhem and shows the confusion the characters are feeling to the spectator. The editing is also use to switch between the action and the characters to show their reactions which is similar to horror and thriller films because in those genres the characters are supposed to be scared so it is important to show their fear to the audience. The director also uses a lot of close ups of the characters to show the characters reactions to what’s happening around them. Trough out the scene there is only diegetic sounds, this creates tension and emphasizes the violence in the scene as well as emphasizing the fear the surgeons show.
The director uses a point of view shot through the eyes of the arms similar to horror movies showing the attacker home in on its pray to create tension but also to personify the arms. When the mechanical arms move the director uses a rail shot to follow them as the attack the surgeons but the rail shot sways making the arm look as if its slithering making it seem like a living organism like a snake or a tentacle so rather than a tool they become an extension of Doc Ocks body.
Wednesday 24 September 2008
Wednesday 10 September 2008
North by Notrthwest - clip
North by Northwest
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Released: 1959
Genre: Thriller
The clip i watched showed the main character Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Gruant) get off a bus at a stop on a long road surrounded by barren fields. He soon see's a man get out a car and wait for a bus on the opposite side of the and thinks he might be the man he is looking for. This turns out to be a false platter after the tension builds to a anti climax. But when the spectator least expects it Roger is attacked by a small plane used to spray crops with chemicals. The fist shot is wide and sets the scene by showing the large open, lifeless area to which the main character is heading. By using a high angle to show the bus approaching the stop the director has still made the bus the focal point but emphasizes the distance Thornhill has traveled because the bus is a small object in the large landscape. This effect is achieved by showing the hole journey from the top of the long road to the stop in the foreground in one static shot as apposed to cutting to the bus stop or following the bus with a rail shot. Hitchcock choose to exclude background music and only includes dieogetic sound which further emphasizes the fact that he is in a life less environment and he creates a contrast between the settings and the characters and mise-en-scene. This makes the spectator pay attention to the cars that go past and the plane spraying chemicals in the background while also giving this scene that the character doesn’t belong their. Then Hitchcock uses static point of view shots which switch from one direction to another and show the characters reaction to his surroundings to give a sense of being lost while further introducing his surroundings. Another character is introduced when a man steps out a car and stands opposite Thornhill, this creates tension because of the Thornhill's reaction the mans presence and because of the mans similarly out of place look. The tension escalates when the two men begging an awkward conversation with Roger being the more nervous and unsure of the two. But the tension leads to an anti-climax when the man leaves on a bus but not before bringing your attention back to the plane when he points out the plane is spray a field that doesn’t have crops. This is followed another point of view, wide shot of the plane which begins to turn towards the character and almost hits him.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Released: 1959
Genre: Thriller
The clip i watched showed the main character Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Gruant) get off a bus at a stop on a long road surrounded by barren fields. He soon see's a man get out a car and wait for a bus on the opposite side of the and thinks he might be the man he is looking for. This turns out to be a false platter after the tension builds to a anti climax. But when the spectator least expects it Roger is attacked by a small plane used to spray crops with chemicals. The fist shot is wide and sets the scene by showing the large open, lifeless area to which the main character is heading. By using a high angle to show the bus approaching the stop the director has still made the bus the focal point but emphasizes the distance Thornhill has traveled because the bus is a small object in the large landscape. This effect is achieved by showing the hole journey from the top of the long road to the stop in the foreground in one static shot as apposed to cutting to the bus stop or following the bus with a rail shot. Hitchcock choose to exclude background music and only includes dieogetic sound which further emphasizes the fact that he is in a life less environment and he creates a contrast between the settings and the characters and mise-en-scene. This makes the spectator pay attention to the cars that go past and the plane spraying chemicals in the background while also giving this scene that the character doesn’t belong their. Then Hitchcock uses static point of view shots which switch from one direction to another and show the characters reaction to his surroundings to give a sense of being lost while further introducing his surroundings. Another character is introduced when a man steps out a car and stands opposite Thornhill, this creates tension because of the Thornhill's reaction the mans presence and because of the mans similarly out of place look. The tension escalates when the two men begging an awkward conversation with Roger being the more nervous and unsure of the two. But the tension leads to an anti-climax when the man leaves on a bus but not before bringing your attention back to the plane when he points out the plane is spray a field that doesn’t have crops. This is followed another point of view, wide shot of the plane which begins to turn towards the character and almost hits him.
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