Blog Assignment #8 - Scene Deconstruction

The theme of the movie is vigilante crime fighters "The Saints" have taken it upon themselves to wipe out the mob bosses and crime lords at the highest levels of criminal organizations in the name of God.

I would say the the this message is conveyed very actively because of the characters storming the courtroom giving the speech why they are there and carrying out the execution of a man who they say fits within the persona of those they wish to find and destroy.  While warning any others that if they are same that they will be coming for them.


In terms of shape we see our here characters all have a similar facial/head shape in that they are triangular giving you the sense they are of the same mind.  Our villian in the scene contrasts this and has a very round/circular shaped head.  Looking around in the scene you can see that the courtroom they are in is very square and rectangular from the shape of the room to almost every piece of furniture within.

The Lines created by the furniture and room fixtures create focal points towards characters faces and actions. So do the characters with pointing the guns at who the speak to or about as they give their speech to the crowd of fearful people.

The space at times can feel more open as they pan throughout the courtroom and as it moves with the characters as they address the whole room.  We also see at times the use of flat space as the characters give the speech and they take up most of the frame with very little to nothing to steal your attention away from them.

Lastly I feel the rhythm of the scene builds tension more and more as the scene goes on.  We start with a simple shock of the courtroom being taken over as characters convey their intentions.  Then the fire alarm is set off and all this is happening as the music slowly builds up throughout the scene.  The viewer is brought to the edge of their seat as we get closer and closer to the inevitable execution.  I even sense that the director is speaking to the audience in a way when he shows the father tell the girl in the courtroom that she must watch this as it will all be over soon.

Blog Assignment #7 - Animation Deconstruction

Mr. Burns being sinister.

Homer Simpson cheering in victory.

The Color and Lighting in the two pictures are in high contrast to each other. The hue in each picture are very different, in the Burns picture we see a darker color in the background as opposed to the calming blue surrounding Homer in his picture.  We can also see that Mr. Burns is dressed in darker colors giving him a more villainous portrayal and Homer is in put in a bright white shirt to give him a sense of good or purity.  In these photos you can also see lighting and shadows playing a part in what we think of the characters.  Mr. Burns has the shadows on and around his face as he laughs giving him a real sense of sinister actions and Homer is almost basking in light from head to toe as he cheers in victory.  The angle also plays a part in how we feel about the character Homer has a more neutral angle that can help us relate to him and share in his victory where as Mr. Burns and the very low angle he's in gives him a power as he lays out whatever evil plan he is cooking up.  I think that there is an absolute sense of fear that overcomes the viewer when looking at the Mr. Burns photo and the Homer picture brings the audience in as we would all cheer in unison as we celebrate being victorious along side Homer.

Blog Assignment #6 - Storyboard Imitation

  

In these shots you can see that the director used the rule of thirds perfectly even the solo shots of the characters in the beginning of the scene are off set to make sure that the characters are in the sweet spots for the rule.  I'd also say that the use of the 180 degree rule is being used well throughout the scene though the characters movements towards and around one another do create new lines that the camera does seem to follow.  The one rule that I'd say gets broken more than others is the rules of 30.  The director seems to use more extreme percentages and angles when cutting from one shot to the next.  In conclusion I'd say that the director(s) did a great job making the scene feel fast-paced and more realistic by giving us more drastic changes in in angle and depth as the fight scene unfolds as it tends to bounce back and forth on who is winning the fight.  It seemed to give it a extra layer that enabled the viewer to get perspective on both characters as opposed to a neutral ground stance on the fight.

Blog Assignment #5 - Song Deconstruction

The song is One.

U2 Version : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgZ4ammawyI

Listening Framework (U2 Version)

Johnny Cash Version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8d_8fM6PQc

Listening Framework (Johnny Cash Version)


Starting off by talking about the Lyrics of the song and how the two singers Bono and Johnny Cash
differ. Bono's voice tends to be higher pitched and more emotional where as Cash's voice was more
monotone and consistent throughout the song. The melodies differ just in that Cash's version is
consistent and not very deep. U2's version adds more and more depth as the song goes on with more
instruments becoming prominent in the song. Another difference between the two songs is the overall
speed. You can get a sense of the U2 version speeding up over time as the song goes on, but with Johnny Cash's version it's the exact same all the way through. I tend to like the U2 version of the song more just
because it does feel deeper. All the instrumentation really works well together to give you that complete
song. I don't feel like that about the Johnny Cash version, I do like it, it's just that it very simple and
gives the message within the song a blunt point in my opinion.

Lab iMovie Assignment

Here's really bad video to watch.  Enjoy!

Lab Animation Assignment

The Epic Slap Fight... of Doom!

Blog Assignment #4

In this scene from Matrix you can hear audio used in many ways.  Right from the beginning you hear Agent Smith and Neo aka Mr. Anderson throw their guns away with very little echo telling the audience that they are in a small enclosed area.  We also hear constant buildup of the music in the background helping us feel the growing tension between the two characters.  Throughout the scene as the characters go blow for blow against one another we can hear the Speed and Loudness gain as their kicks and punches land with more ferocity. The breaking of the concrete pillars and shattering glass also stands out as they destroy the environment around them.  In the scene we can also hear an Emotional aspect to the music, such as when our hero is thrown to the ground or against the wall we have very sudden stops in the fast-paced music causing the audience to feel worried for the protagonist.  The music and sound in this clip are extremely important to setting the mood for the audience.