Analysis of Shameless

I have choose to analyse Shameless, the series illustrate the dysfunctional family of Frank Gallagher, a single father of six children. While he spends his days drunk, his kids learn to take care of themselves.

Season 2, episode 10, A great cause:

I had to discuss the ways in which the extract create essence through camera shots, angles, movement and composition, editing, sound, and mise-en-scène:

The first thing that you can notice about is the tint used in the format. The whole passage is filmed with a warm tint that expresses a   cosy family relation. This variation with the low-key lighting that gives the whole film a dark, melancholy tract. This means that even though the family context is cosy, there is nothing warm about this crumbled family.

The shaky camera movement (filmed using a handheld filming technique) suggest disequilibrium and gives the whole passage a dramatic meaning. It’s practically as if something would break out at any moment (i.e. confrontation, weeping…).

All of the dialogues that can be classified under the diegetic sound category connote a low-class family and their daily struggles.

When Fiona and her brother are speaking, their faces are progressively zoomed-in on. Those extreme-close ups are used to better portray their emotions when the conversation gets tense and their voices are taking intense. This stagy effect shows hopelessness, just as the expression (cold, dim, worrisome eyes).

As the daughter barges in her mother’s room, the angle from which their conversation is filmed is a modified over-the-shoulder shot (the mother’s shoulder). From this point of view, we notice the mother’s negligence even more. This means that she has, in some way, given up. She won’t even make the effort to respond to her own daughter, who is rightfully accusing her of her wrongdoings.

At what mise-en-scène is refer, is quite pitiful. Most of the things are in a mess, and this comprehend every aspect of the house: the room where the mother rest, the kitchen ( in which the brother complains about the sofa), the hall. We could say the things have been moved randomly. This mean to say that no one is close to make sense of every single thing that takes place. Another aspect that we can consider is the dinner table, it seems to be deteriorated and unused. This carry out that the family may never really bother eating together in harmony. 

The end scene hold Fiona by her own, when she makes her entrance she is filmed from a  low angle. This makes her seem greater than she actually is, and imply that she is the only one who can take action and do something about the mess that their house has become. Then she has a mental breakdown where she kicks the washing machine, having a close-up shot where the time is slowed down. After that she is filmed with an aerial shot, where is literally filmed the top of her head, assuming all her responsibilities. 

Fiona is filmed choicely using close-ups and medium-shots (in profile), she is thinking about the situation. While she´s continuously putting everything in its place in the kitchen, we notice the use of a tracking technique. The view shows more and more of the house when zooming out, this connotes an abundant and infinite amount of responsibilities that Fiona has yet to undertake.

Analysis of Breaking Bad

We have chosen to analyze: the breaking Bad scene "stay out of my territory".

Breaking Bad is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. It tells the story of Walter White, a struggling high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Together with his former student Jesse Pinkman, White turns to a life of crime, producing and selling crystallised methamphetamine to secure his family's financial future before he dies, while navigation the dangers of the criminal world.

I had to discuss the ways in which the extract constructs meaning through camera shots, angles, movement and composition, editing, sound, and mise-en-scène.

The excerpt begins with an establishing shot of the supermarket Rask building supply, he is filmed from his toes to his head in profile from a relatively low-angle.It is therefore already outstanding how Walter imposes himself in terms of strength. He gives off the impression that he knows what he’s doing, and that no one can stand in his way. Then, he film him from the back (as he is walking) using a long-shot. This acts as an establishing sequence. Then Walter slowly turns around looking in shock, the camera portrays what he´s looking at from his perspective, so the audience can follow what it is that caught his eye. Walter is also portrayed as standing atop the cart, on the point of appear superior. This express that he knows something’s wrong, again, giving him an air of power.

As the other man is coming on and dumps the resting materials in the cart, he is filmed from the cart up and the scene stops sharp into mid-shot edging forward close-up. This is meant to play uptake surprise on his face. The two men are then filmed in the distance with a long-shot. This tell us that things are not all right.

Walter then starts suggesting him on what he should actually buy, when and how. All of this happens while he has a harsh expression. Although his ordinary demeanour, he clearly stated himself with confidence and masculinity, that reflect further on his appearance. Then the other man runs away from him indicating the fact that he overcome him.

While standing in line, Walter is filmed from distance (long-shot). As the beeping of the machine continues, Walter’s facial expression is focus into slow and direct camera movements that approach closer and closer to him (at the same time as the beeping sound).

Supposing that he has no time to wait because he has just carry out something crucial, Walter leaves the paint cans he was about to pay (filmed it using a close-up on a corner) and starts walking in direction of the exit. At that moment, a ruminative background track is placed to make it look like he is going to face up to someone.

As Walter exits the supermarket and steps into the parking area, the camera is kept in one place while the protagonist walks towards as far as he confront with some men (indicating again a superiority and power bearing) with a tracking movement.

While Walter come near to the men with the van at a calm pace, background sound support let know the audience that the situation is under control ( the symphony is slow). This in particular is seen when the man of the van and Walter look fixedly each other, what I mean by this is that the situation is very tense, however the music does not give sign of a fight. 

When Walter says: “stay out of my territory”, he stays in a serious mode while he is filmed from his adversary´s shoulder, been an over-the-shoulder-shot.

Miss-en-scene

MISE-EN-SCENE

This is a presentation that I have create using Keynote, to present mise-en-scene.

Mise en-scene pdf from Lucia Segui

Sound

I have created a Prezi presentation about sound in films.

Film opening

FILM OPENING:

A film opening is the start of a film; it can be considered the most important piece in a film since they are the first images the audience sees when the lights go down. The opening may tell us the genre of the film and one of the storylines of the movie to keep the viewers watching and to give the audience a taster of the narrative. The opening should include many different techniques, form the catchy music to fast paced editing. The most important element to a good opening is the element of suspense.

I have searched on some film opening and the film I chose was Love and Basketball because I feel it has a clever yet intriguing opening. There is a use of clever shots and it leaves you wanting to know what happens next.

All basketball games are divided into four quarters and cleverly the film is divided intofour quarters to resemble a basketball game, so at the start you are introduced to a clip that say First quarter.

Studying Mis-en-scene in this case costume, I feel that the character being dressed in a tom boyish way is relevant to the scene as it shows the other characters reaction to her. When it comes to creating a good film having mis-en-scene is relevant to the film is vital.

At the end of the opening sequence we have a close up of a character hurt on the grass

Editing techniques

Editing can be used to construct representations by:

• the pace of editing ( fast paced- toung, energetic, slow-old)
• contrasting characteristics or sellings (crosscutting, shot/reverse shot)
• creating links between characterstics or settings
• showing us what a character is looking at
• showing us what a character is thinking about (cutting, superimposition)

Cutting

Cutting is when one shot suddenly changes to another shot. Cuts are made very regularly; for example, television shows consist of cuts which occur approximately every seven to eight seconds. Cuts aren’t always left as a sudden change from one shot to another, sometimes these cuts are transitioned as a fade, wipe or a dissolve.

Shot/Reverse shot
A shot and reverse shot is where several shots are edited together and alternate characters. This is very typically used in a conversation situation.










Crosscutting
Is the editing that alternates shots of two or more lines of action occurring in different places, usually simultaneously.

Fade in/Fade out 
Fading into a shot is when the screen appears just a blank, black screen to begin with, and then the shot begins to fade in. This usually occurs at the beginning of a scene to indicate a softer, quieter introduction.
Fading out of a shot is when the shot is shown on the screen and then slowly fades out into a blank, black screen.

Superimposition
This is where two shots are blended into one, and unlike dissolve, this is not a transition between two different shots.

Slow Motion
When the action on the screen has been edited to move at a slower rate than the original action did. This can be used to do the following:

• Make a faster action more visible to the audience
• To emphasize a moment or a reaction
• To create an unusual and strange feeling about a familiar, ordinary action
• To emphasize violence

Long Take
A shot that takes an unusually long length of time before cutting to the next scene.

Other:

Eye line Match

An eye line match consists of two shots. The first shows the character look off in one direction. The following shot shows what the character is looking at.

Graphic Match
A good example of this would be a washing machine spinning around and dissolving into a car wheel. Or even in Hitchcock’s “Psycho”, in the famous shower scene, when the camera focuses on the water spiralling down the plug hole and the shot dissolves into the ladies eye.

Action Match
An action match is when two different views are shot of the same action, and are edited together so that the action appears to continue uninterrupted.

Jump Cut
A jump cut is when a single shot has an interruption. The interruption is either the background changes instantly while the figure in the shot remains the same, or that the figure changes instantly while the background remains the same.

Parallel Editing
This is an editing technique where two or more shots, set in different places, alternate, these are usually simultaneous, and the actions are linked in some way.

Dissolve
Dissolving is a transition used in between two shots so that the shots don’t suddenly change. Dissolve is the transition in which one shot fades out while another shot fades in, meaning at one moment in this transition the shots are blended together.

Short Take
A shot that is a very quick shot that takes a very short length of time before cutting to the next scene.