"Discovered" - A Commentary

A. Rationale

The short film that my group and I created is called "Discovered". We wrote the treatment and script as a group, although Jenna, our editor, did take the lead on it. The plot is about a teenage girl who is emotionally abused by her step-mother and fantasizes about three different murder plans. The household chores that the step-mother forces the girl to do gives the girl malicious ideas about ways to carry out the murder. We wanted to create this film in order to emphasize the significance of sound in cinema. We experimented with the mystery/ suspense genre, lighting, close-ups, camera movement, and sound. The target audience for this film would definitely be mature teenagers or adults due to the graphic images and the mature content. I think this short film is a very good idea because it explores the idea of children attempting to gain the upper hand through corrupt ways, though the outcomes may not be in their favor.








B. Commentary

1. My area of responsibility was the director and set designer. As director, I had to make sure the actors were in costume and in character as we were shooting. I had command the actors to do certain actions for each scene and make sure the cinematographer was doing her job. I had to collaborate with all my group members and make sure we were on schedule with the deadline. As director, I also helped create and maintain our film's website (run by Google). I also did minor jobs, such as creating titles, helping to write the script, compiling music, etc. As set designer, I cleared away unwanted objects and people on set and placed props where they needed to be. I made sure each scene is set up the way it is envisioned in the script.

2. Problems that arose in my area was the challenge of keeping unwanted objects away from the shots, such as people, tripod, and other objects. Another challenge was working with amateur actors because they were not used to acting. Keeping the set exactly the same between takes was difficult because a family was living in the house we were shooting in, so it was hard to respect their space while doing our job.



3. To solve those problems, I had to physically remove the objects from the shots and tell people to move away from the camera. I had to walk through their scenes with them and improvise on the spot.

4. The biggest problem that arose during the film process was shooting the film with two group members. Also, casting the actors was difficult because we needed a very evil step-mother and young girl to make the film a success. We had a very hard time with audio while filming. It was the first time we used a shot-gun mike and because it was a directional mike, we had to directly point it at the actresses' mouths, which was a challenge. When we transferred the footage to a computer, the audio was lost or very low. For some shots, the audio was absence entirely or the shot was very shaky.



5. To solve these problems, I worked with my cinematographer the best I could to finish the 2-column script, film the movie, create the website, and complete other responsibilities. We cast the most available actresses for the role of the mom and the girl by association, which made the casting process much easier. To solve the audio problem, our editor raised the audio levels on Final Cut Pro, but it still had a lot of static. We re-filmed the shot that was shaky and the audio improved a lot, mostly because we didn't use a shot gun mic, but the mic on the camera.

Critical Evaluation of Finished Product
Script/Narrative/Story


a. The film develops a clear story around a character that moves through 3 dream sequences: murder by pills, murder by stabbing, and murder by suffocation. As the girl gathers her potential murder weapons, she is unaware that her step-mother was one step ahead of her the entire time. The protagonist (played by Marie S.)is a very timid and obedient daughter whose step-mother treats her horribly. Her hatred for the woman accumulates and finally one day when she is completing her chores, her evil side overpowers her innocent side. Unfortunately, as the corrupt plan develops, her naive character prevents her from succeeding.







b. The film explores the theme of the tensions between mother and daughter and how sometimes emotions cloud people's reasoning. This usually leads to detrimental results.

c. I do think that the actions and lines are "in character" and is appropriate to the motivation and personality of the protagonist because Marie plays a very deceptive character whose intentions are to eliminate the source of her sufferings. Her actions are sly and malicious and she possesses the characteristics of an emotional unstable person who is a danger to herself and society (though she can use some practice in body movements). Her quiet and timid "Yes, Mam" line makes the audience believe that she is innocent and harmless, little do they know that she possesses an evil layer underneath. Her character in the real world contrast her character in the dream sequences.









d. There is more action than dialogue in this film because showing is always better than saying it. The only dialogue is in the first scene and its purpose is to establish the relationship between characters. The mother is mean to her step daughter, and the father loves his daughter, but is controlled by his new wife in all aspects of his life. The remainder of the film consists of the girl completing her chores while daydreaming about murdering her stepmother in different ways.



e. The climax was placed very uniquely. The climax is when the girl finds her stepmom and a detective sitting at the dining room table, with the murder weapons on the table. This shows the girl's defeat and the stepmom's surprising victory. It is shocking to discover that the step mom knew about the girl's plans all along.



Acting/ Casting

a. All three actors are appropriate for the personalities and physical attributes of the characters they played. Marie is timid and quiet and effectively manipulates the audience into believing that she couldn't possibly be so diabolic, yet she can be. The woman playing the stepmother is classy and loud and therefore is perfect for her role. The man playing the father is nonchalant and dresses casually, being suitable for the pushover character that we needed.

b. The two actresses were actually able to be their characters and work professionally, but the others were unable to do so. The actresses had great facial expressions and eccentric body movements to express their personalities. The other actors did not have emotion and were average in their acting.





c. The talent gestures are meaningful and appropriate to the close up medium of television because the actresses and actor's performance were disciplined, creative, and stylized.

d.The dialogue was difficult to record due to mic problems and raising audio levels did not solve the problem completely. We couldn't dub the audio or re-shoot, so we just stuck with the static filled audio.

e. The talent pacing and energy level of the actors were maintained throughout the shooting by giving them time to get into character and practice quickly before each scene. They were completely professional and all the actors were reliable. They were nervous, yet excited about their first appearance in a short film. It was a new experience for all of them and it gave them an opportunity to be someone else for a change.

f. The costumes are appropriate for the time period and setting because the story is set at a suburban house in the present. The actors just had to dress like they normally do, but be a completely different person. Marie had to wear a t-shirt, jeans, sneakers. The stepmom wore a fancy blouse and jacket, black pants, and high heels. The father wore a polo shirt and jeans.



g. The wardrobe/costumes do provide adequate visual separation between scene elements and fall within limitations of the medium's brightness range. It stands out but are not too distracting from the action in each scene.

h. Make up was only used on the antagonist, the stepmom. It was crucial to establish that she was over-the-top to show her obsession with looks and thought highly of herself. This established her as the character that the audience is suppose to dislike. The girl doesn't have any make-up and her plainness shows her depression and blank life.



Edit/FX, Techniques or Concepts

a. The style of the title is appropriate for the nature of the production because the black glowing font depicts the evilness of the main character as she daydreams about murder. The smoky background shows the mystery of the film.



b.The title does give enough time for the audience to read it, but it could have remained on screen for a few seconds longer for the audience to fully react to the title.

c. All the cuts and transitions are motivated and in harmony with the pace and nature of the subject matter. A lot of long takes and fade in/ fade out transitions are used to heighten and prolong the tensions and add a sense of mystery to the film.

d. The visual perspective is maintained throughout and the camera remains on one side of the 180 degree line. The camera only switches angles and we try not to confuse the audience.

e. Fade in/ fade out transitions are used to transition from the real world to each dream sequence (3). The black and white saturation of the footage indicates that it is a dream sequence and color indicates that it is the real world.

f. The shot selection does follow what the audience expects, wants, or needs to see at each moment. For example, when the girl walks over to the fridge to see the list of chores she has to do, we as the audience expects her to follow what it says. Marie walks over to the sink in an attempt to wash the dishes, but suddenly her eye spots a knife. We would assume that she would pick it in the next shot and the following would be of her reaction to the object. These shot selection methods are repeated for each dream sequence.











g. Technical and general continuity jump cuts have not been avoided in the film. It is difficult to keep each scene exactly as it is after each shot. During the shooting process, actors and crew members made mistakes, which was hard to correct in the editing process. Certain objects were moved between takes and it was difficult to remember how each prop was placed and exactly where the actors were standing in each scene.


h. The editing very smooth, which makes the film dynamic and entertaining. I especially love the jump cuts and the match action cut during the choking scene because it really emphasized the intensity of the situation. The most difficult edit to do are the dream sequences because the editor had to maintain the suspense and intensity of the scenes. We had to avoid long takes and had to ensure that the scene's shots were not too shaky since in was all shot handheld.





i. Each scene is long enough for the audience to have sufficient amount of time to grasp the information. Each shot in the first dream sequence is the longest because a lot of information had to be communicate. Some lasts at minimum of a couple of seconds and it is held long enough for people to generate the right emotion.

Sound FX/ Score

a. The type of music chosen is appropriate for the production because it compliments the action that is happening in the scene. Unusual or semi-fast tempo music is used during suspenseful scenes. Slow-tempo piano music is used during depressing or lonely scenes involving the girl.

b. The music is always loud enough to hear the piano songs, but not loud enough for the dream sequences score. It does not draw attention to itself or interfere with the intelligibility of the dialogue, but compliments it instead.

c. The audio is very clear in the kitchen scene with the father, step mom, and the girl, except the kitchen scene where in editing the volume had to be raised.

Cinematography

a. A variety of camera operations were used throughout the shooting of the film. Especially common was panning, extreme close-ups, zooming, different camera angles, over-the-shoulder shots, different camera heights and movements and loose framing. The camera movements are semi-shaky that usually it does draw attention to itself, but it does match the feelings of the chaotic predicament. The cinematographer made sure to give the actors enough head room and space to move around.




Production Design/Mis En Scene

a. The set design is appropriate to the time period of the film because it is set in the present at a family's suburban home. A set was not created, the film was shot on location in San Bruno.



b. The location is usually bright enough for each shot (maybe too bright even for some shots) having access to natural light sources or florescent lights indoors. There is sufficient key, fill and back illumination in all performance areas to render needed visual separation, depth, and detail. The locations are occasionally too loud due to outside noises and the voices of the home's owners.

Overall, the film was a success to me. It may not be what my group and I envisioned from the beginning due to the absence of one of our group members during the filming proccess, but it still worked. I'm especially proud of the actors/actresses and the overall theme/ message. I hope our emphasize on sound really comes through in our final edit. Enjoy audience members.

Critique for Alice In Wonderland Oral

IB Mark: 20

In my oral presentation, I attempted to address all aspects of the assignment. I was successful, and unsuccessful in the following areas:
My analysis of the extract was theoretical and in depth to an extent, though I could have discussed about certain subjects in more detail. My socio-cultural context in the beginning was quite strong and was insightful. I knew the historical setting of the film and its importance to the film as a whole. My voice was clear enough to understand and my presentation was organized by specific sections. I've done a lot of research and prepared for the oral in advance, and the preparation shows. My analysis of the mis-en-scene and cinematography was over the surface in some ways; however. My understanding of the film's theme is apparent and I discuss the significance of it and what the director's intent of this theme is. The reason the mark is not as high is because the total length of the oral was about 46 seconds longer than the allotted time. Also, I did not use a wide range of filmic terms in my analysis than I should have.

Narrative & Film Language of Alice in Wonderland

Part 2
IV. Narrative

1. How is this film constructed according to narrative/story being told?
Alice in Wonderland entails a rebellious and open-minded 19 year old woman named Alice who falls down the rabbit hole and returns to a surreal world called Underland, or what she calls Wonderland. The chosen extract starts at 1:17:17 and ends at 1:22:17. In this point of the film, the protagonist, Alice is conflicted with the decision of overcoming her fears to face the Jabberwocky, or residing within herself and back down from the battle. Alice is reassured by Absolem, the blue caterpillar, of who she is and what responsibilities she must take to initiate her growth as a person.

2. Is the narrative organized by plot or time sequence, or some other way?
The narrative is organized by time sequence.

3. Does the film use other principles than narrative sequence as a structure (for instance, an argument)?
A flashback occurs when Alice slips back into her memories of Wonderland, which makes her believe in Wonderland's existence and reject her previous assumption that she is dreaming. This realization causes her to discover what her destiny will be, in the surreal world and the real world.

4. What is the nature of our engagement with the story or characters?
Our engagement with the story is objective, where we can interpret the actions of the characters. In the extract, Alice initially runs away from the crowd who is awaiting her decision regarding the Frabjous Day battle with the Jabberwocky. However, it is her conversation with Absolem and his "insults" that drives her to discover her true identity and what she stands for. We, as the audience are introduced to her uncomfortable, timid girl and gradually see her growth in courage and determination.


V. Film Language and Representation: Alice in Wonderland
1. How are characters and issues represented?
The Oraculum and the evil Red Queen provides obstacles for Alice in Underland. The Oraculum, Underland's calendar, reveals that Alice is the only person who can slay the Jabberwocky and help the White Queen retrieve her crown from the Red Queen. However, as the Frabjous Day arrives, Alice's lack of confidence and fear overcomes her. She runs away from the crowd that expects her to fulfill her destiny, as stated in the Oraculum. Alice is faced with an impending decision, not about the Jabberwocky, but who she is and what she stands for. Some of the characters in Alice's Victorian society parallel the characters in Underland. For example, the Red Queen and the mother are parallels. The twins parallel the Tweedles. And the blue caterpillar parallels Absolem.

2. What is the style and effect of acting and performance?
The style of the creatures and people in Underland are confident, fearless, and caring. Their peculiar and strange performances are humorous throughout the film, yet give the film a sense of mystery. The Mad Hatter, for example, has a split personality. One side is insane, dark and angry, sometimes uncontrollable. The other is kind, gentle, and innocent. Very interesting to note is the changing colors of the eyes that correspond to the type of emotion he is portraying. His innocent side is dominant when he has a conversation with Alice about Frabjous Day the following day. His gleaming eyes and childlike voice when he talks show his innocent side as he ponders about Frabjous Day with Alice. The blue caterpillar, Absolem, is Alice's mentor. His offensive insults and advice for Alice reveals that he is the most intelligent creature in Underland. It is the confrontation with Abosolem on Frabjous Day that causes Alice to believe in the existence in Underland and in herself as a strong woman.

3. How is meaning created by camera angles, shots, and camera movement?
On Frabjous Day, a crowd is waiting for Alice's decision. It is a wide shot followed by a birds eye view shot. These shots match the ones in the beginning of the film when Alice's family and friends are waiting for her answer for a proposal. The wide shot

4. How is meaning created through proxemics, territorial design, or open and closed forms?
The Mad Hatter and Alice have a small proximity as they discuss the their thoughts about Frabjous Day and whether Underland really exists. The small proximity shows their close relationship that have developed during Alice's journey. The majority of the scenes of the extract are closed forms, because the scenes are composed of medium or wide/ extreme wide shots.

5. How is meaning created by editing and sequencing?
Editing is crucial to the film, especially during Alice's flashback of her childhood journey in Wonderland. Layer of footage overlap and opacity is used to replay scenes from earlier scenes. The sequence of the flashback is out of order and at least three seconds of each scene of young Alice is shown. The scene with Absolem and Alice is composed of long dialogue shots to emphasize the seriousness in the situation. This moment is when Alice realizes that Wonderland and everything in it exists and thus this realization initiates her courage to fight the Jabberwocky, and for herself in her society.

6. How is meaning created by lighting, shade and color?
During the Hatter and Alice's conversation on the balcony, the only source of lighting is the moon. On Frabjous Day, the "sun" provides the source of light and the brightness is ironic to how Alice is feeling. She is filled with nerves about her task and is far from feeling positive. The set and the characters are composed of great variety of bold colors that give the film a creative and different atmosphere. According to director Tim Burton, "The idea was to explore the nature of dreams". Blue is the dominant color in the film, Alice wears different forms of blue dresses and the settings most often have a hint of blue to them, such as the night sky above the White Queen's castle in the opening scene of the extract. Blue is the color of the caterpillar which represents his reliable and peaceful nature.

7. How is meaning created by sound and music?
As Alice runs away from the crowd during Frabjous Day, dramatic choir and orchestral music plays. This score shows Alice's distress; she is overwhelmed with the pressure people give her when they expect too much of her. The issue isn't that Alice is afraid to slay the Jabberwocky, but it is about her lack of self confidence to believe that she is able to accomplish anything. She is confused about who she is and what her purpose is in life. During the flashback, the musical score has a fast violin tempo and the dominant foley sound is the ticking of the white rabbit's watch that fades in and out. This music is used to compliment the quick overlapping scenes of Alice's memory of her last visit to Wonderland. It also can be interpreted as Alice's quick realization of the the actual existence of the place she thought was an impossibility. As Absolem fully wraps himself in his cocoon, a slow tempo choir song is heard, that emphasizes the beauty of metamorphosis.

8. How is meaning created by location, set design and mis en scene.?
Because the film is set in a surreal world, it gives the film uniqueness and the opportunity to stretch reality to far limits. The surreal world is just where Alice feels comfortable, unlike her real world Victorian society, where she live a planned out and restricted life. The surrealistic Wonderland is a place of endless impossibilities. Alice realizes that if these seemingly impossible things really can exist, then there are even more things that are possible to achieve in the real world.

9. Does the film make use of symbols, metaphors, or allegories? Share are they and how do they work within the context of the film?
Absolem is a powerful allegory for metamorphosis and transformation. As a wise caterpillar, he guides Alice in her quest to discover her true self and her inner strength. Throughout the film, as he approaches his cocoon phase, Alice also approaches the Frabjous Day. When Absolem is in the process of transforming, he helps Alice realize her true potential to do great things; thus, resulting in her gradual transformation into a confident, empowered woman.

10. How is meaning created by technical elements such as production design, mis en scene, composition, special effects (matte paintings, models or animation, computer generated images….etc.)
Tim Burton states, "Our goal was to go with slightly more naturalistic approach to the animation". The film blended the real world and the surreal world by manipulating real people to look slightly abnormal and also creating completely new creatures such as the Bandersnatch, Jabberwocky, and the Cheshire cat with CG technology. The special effects brought Wonderland to life and made Alice's experiences in Wonderland more realistic. The visual effects such as CG animation and motion capture is affected by the nature of the story because as Burton says, "With all the cast, it was important that they felt like they were both in the real and unreal world at the same time".

11. What emotional information is conveyed through the film making process (tone and mood)?
The tone transitions from despairing tone to a triumphant tone. Alice is overwhelmed with the expectation people place on her, so she attempts to escape from these expectations by running away. There is a sense of hopelessness during this scene. However, as she talks to Absolem, she gradually gains her confidence and determination. This scene possesses a positive and hopeful tone.

Alice in Wonderland: Historical & Socio-cultural Context

II. Historical and Institutional Factors-

1. What are the institutional factors that may be important?
1. as a production of a specific producer (i.e. Walt Disney), institution (Disney Studios), specific economic factors (Studio Film), or a political background? distributed by Walt Disney Studios, an animation studio. Sony Pictures

Imageworks designed the visual effects for the film in order to create the envisioned environment of Underland/Wonderland. Producer Zanuck thought 3D cameras would be too expensive and because of the economic conditions of 2010, they had to shoot in 2D and then convert the film into 3D.
Works Cited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in_Wonderland_%282010_film%29

2. What is the film’s historical significance?
1. as a document of its time?
The film is set in The Victorian Era (1837 - 1901, in Alice's real world. This time period is a time of social and political movements and many scientific advancements occurred as well. The strictures and laws of 19th century society in England was extremely strict, which explains why Alice's society expects so much of her as a young woman. This era is the precursor to the modern era. Alice's growth as a female who finds inner strength depicts modern women of the present day who have already stepped out of society's restricting boundaries.
Works Cited: http://www.victoriaspast.com/FrontPorch/victorianera.htm

2. as a part of history of film?
This film relates to every movie whose main character faces social issues that either hinders them or helps them. This conflict is often portrayed in different ways in many films throughout the ages.
Works Cited: my memory/ film experience

III. Socio-cultural context

1. What is the film’s socio-cultural context?
1. as a work from a specific country?
This film was made in the United States.

2. As a work from a specific culture? 3. As a work representing a specific part of its society?
This film is influenced by British culture. Women were expected to fulfill traditional gender roles and to respect their husbands. Society during the Victorian Era followed a strict code of conduct. The elite was in control over society and set many restrictions to ensure that their values would be respected. Such values and customs makes Alice feel like an outsider in her society because she views the world differently than her family and friends. She acts timid and obedient in the beginning, but in the resolution she breaks out of her shell and refuses to follow the social norms: arranged marriage at a young age.
Works Cited: http://www.fashion-era.com/victorians.htm

4. As a work made for a specific audience?
This work is made especially for young adults, who are questioning their self-identity. This film definitely reaches out to females, showing them their inner strength that resides inside of them, which in turn, encourages them to understand their role in society.
5. As a work made for a specific reason?
Alice in Wonderland was made because director Tim Burton did not enjoy the Alice in Wonderland novels because "it was always a girl wandering around from one crazy character to another, and I never really felt any real emotional connection". Because of this, he wanted to create a remake of the story, where Alice is 13 years older and returning to Wonderland, so she calls it. Burton: "the goal is to try to make it an engaging movie where you get some of the psychology and kind of bring a freshness but also keep the classic nature of Alice."
Works Cited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in_Wonderland_(2010_film)#External_links

Sound Design Film

Logline: A girl in desperation, steals the answers to a test, and finds out that her shortcut to success may be too irresistible.

Treatment:

The doorway of a math classroom is established. A teenage girl is zoning out and awaiting a text message from her friend. Her eyes reflect boredom as her math teacher lectures. She is snapped out of her trance as she receives a text message. As she is about to answer, the bell rings and the teacher's stern voice reminds the class of the test the following day that is worth 1/3 of their grade. (sound effect that demonstrates the girl's surprised feeling).
The girl's eyes pop out of her sockets as she stammers "A-a test? When did you say we would have a test? I'm not ready for it at all!"
The teacher replies " Well, I told the class last week. We've gone over everything in class, there's no reason why you shouldn't know these concepts. I wish you a lot of luck tomorrow". The teacher smiles casually, and then walks out of the classroom hastily to the bathroom. The girl sighs heavily and her eyes wander around the room. Her eyes suddenly stop at a piece of paper slipping out of a folder on the teachers desk. (mysterious music plays).She quickly scans the room and the window for any witnesses. She slyly creeps towards the desk and pulls out the paper. She quickly picks it up and reads it, her eyes move from side to side and a malicious smile slowly forms (complimented by evil musical score). In her hand, the words "Test #3 Answer Key" is printed on the very top.
The following day, the girl is eating lunch with her friends. (fun, medium tempo music plays) She is laughing and talking with her friends in content. Someone taps her shoulder and she turns around, surprised at seeing the face of her worried friend. "Hey, did you study for the test for math? I feel like I'm going to fail, and I really need that A to pass the class or else my parents are going to kill me", the friend exclaims miserably. "I pretty confident that I'll ace that test. I'm not worried, and you shouldn't either", the girl replies (emphasis on the word worried).
The final lunch bell rings and students clamor to get to class. (music transitions to dramatic music) The girl intentionally takes her time packing up her things, ensuring that she is the last one to arrive in class. She quickly unzips a compartment of her backpack and pulls out the answer key. "Yup, I'm not worried at all. haha...", she whispers to herself. (a closeup on her mad eyes). Sounds of her chuckle is muffled.
A sound bridge is heard (malicious/ eerie music) as the girl begins to walk towards class. (transition from spirit court to classroom) During the test, the girl calmly peeks at the paper hiding under her test paper. She unintentionally crumples the paper loudly, and lifts her head up, returning into her normal position. She resumes her writing. But, as she is writing, her hand begins to shake violently. Her foot begins to tap and she stares at the clock on the wall. Tick tock, tick tock... She looks around the room. A boy is scratching his head in confusion. She turns her head to the other side of the room. Another student is erasing her pencil marks frantically. The student near that student is tapping her pencil rhythmically. The girl returns her focus to her test. As she stares at the answer key she begins to hear an unknown voice. "Do it. Cheat, there's nothing wrong with it. Come on, you know you want to." Then another voice begins to talk on top of the first voice. "No, don't listen to her. This is wrong, and you know it. Do the right thing." The two voices continue to talk, talking faster and faster, overlapping one another. The girl begins to breathe heavily and grips her hair in confusion. But, with one final breath of determination, her thoughts scream, "I am in control now, nothing will get in my way". As she finishes the last question, she carefully folds the paper and slips it into her backpack. She walks up to her teacher (sounds of her discreet footsteps are heard) and hands the test in, smiling angelically. She turns around and instantly a cunning grin is formed on her face. The bell rings again to signal the end of the period, and as she walks out she runs into her friend, who still retains the same worried look. The girl says to her friend "There's no need to be stressing about this test. It's a no brainer. You want to know what my secret is?"
"What?", her friend asks. "Well, you see I kind of have the answers. I can give them to you if you want. You want to pass, right? So, what do you say?", the girl asks. (the same evil musical score begins again) She hands her friend the piece of paper and the friend stares at her intently, with a hint of evil in her smile. It is spreading...

***I used sound play in this story by complimenting evil/ eerie music with the immoral actions the antagonist performs. Subtext is incorporated through the antagonist's dialogue with her friend, she is concealing from the other girl the fact that she has the test answers and that she has the motives of helping her friend cheat as well. Foley sounds such as the copy machine and student chatter will be used realistically in the edit. Rhythmic match will be shown during the test, the purpose is to show the girl's anxiety. Sound bridge is used for the transition between the lunch scene and the test taking scene. Lietmotif will be the shrilling musical score that compliments the girl's cunning thoughts.

Oral Presentations Part I: Alice in Wonderland

I. Genre and Audience-

1. What tradition or genre is it in?
The computer-animated film's genre is fantasy adventure.
2. What are the features determining genre?
The feature(s) determining this genre is the creative and incredibly detailed mis-en-scene, such as the character's costume and the setting of the film. The magical realism incorporated in the film, such as the talking creatures and living inanimate objects, also determines the fantasy genre. The beyond-the- ordinary experiences Alice has in Wonderland creates the adventurous aspect of the film. She finds herself stuck in a alternate world in which the journey she takes benefits her in the "real world".
3. What other work might it be connected to?
This film seems to be connected to the film Jumanji because they both have fantasy aspects that gives reality a twist and adds to the film's uniqueness. Jumanji is the story of a man and two children trying to beat a corrupt board game that terrorizes not only them, but their entire town. Upon each player's move, wild animals and hazards from the actual game appear in the real world. The film is appraised for its amazing special effects through computer animation.
4. Who made this? Why?
The film is inspired by the novel written by Lewis Carroll. The film is directed by Tim Burton and written by Linda Woolverton. I think Burton helped create this film to modernize the original Alice in Wonderland so that people today can relate to the characters. I think Burton took on this film because the genre certainly matched his usual types of work, dark-quirky, and different.
5. What can we tell about its’ creators?
Tim Burton loved to draw as a young boy and when he grew into adulthood, attended the CA Institute of the Arts, studying animation. He then worked with Disney as an animator for a period of time and was allowed to work on personal projects, a mile stone to the start of his career.

6. How does it fit within the director’s other work?
1. Does it share significant narrative or thematic concerns?
This film relates to Burton's many other works because they all contain main characters who are misunderstood by others or just outcasts in society. For example, in Edward Scissor-hands, the main character struggles to fit in and find the missing piece in his life. In Alice in Wonderland, Alice also faces difficulties with the expectations of society and wonders what her true purpose in life is.
2. Does it share particular visual or technical elements?
7. What is the film’s theme?
The film's theme is that it is most often more beneficial for females to break from the traditional gender roles they are expected to fulfill by society. This way females can be able to make their own choices concerning their lives and not be dependent on others.
8. What is the target audience? How does it address its audience?
The target audience is young adults. The film addresses its audience by incorporating fun characters and colorful settings to appeal to young children, while the original and intriguing narrative appeals the older generations.

Hurt Locker Analysis

1. Opening Remarks
The film Hurt Locker gives us a glimpse into the lives of Iraq soldiers who risk their lives on a daily basis to provide safety and provide the well-being of the community they are serving in. This is an incredibly emotional, touching, harsh, and shocking film that gives us a new perspective on life.

2. Context
A. Place the film
i. Director’s WorkThe film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and the screenplay was written by Mark Boal. The Hurt Locker is an Academy Award-winning 2009 American war film and is appraised by critics and audience members all over.

ii. Time when Made (historical, socio-cultural
The film was made during the Iraq War, which was the main inspiration for the film because Mark Boal was a journalist that was sent to the location to record information and events.

iii. Relation to other films
I think this film relates to any other film involving characters who have an unhealthy obsessions.

iv. Thematic Threads



The overall theme of this film is about how there are few things that you find enjoyable, but when you do find that one thing, the passion becomes an obsession and the person cannot bear to live without it.


3. Setting, Acting, Costume
A. Visual Style
The visual style of the film is very gritty looking and graphic.

B. Iconography






Objects such as tanks, guns, and bombs create the sense of danger that is necessary for a war film. People such as soldiers create the heroic image that directors usually try to show the audience. The civilians/ bombers create the damsel in distress image in which they have to be saved by the soldiers, but the bombers create also create the sense of danger and evilness.
C. Actors



The actors was an all male cast from the US. In the beginning of the film, I characterized them as arrogant, macho, and determined. As the film progressed; however, I realized that the characters are much more complex than that. All of the soldiers in the film carry some kind of emotional baggage and want to prove something of themselves. Some want to stay in Iraq and fight, while others, like the protagonist, love his duty and wants to stay forever. They are characterized as helpful, caring, brave, heroic, emotional and ambitious.

D. Production Design



The film was film on location in Jordan, within miles of the Iraqi border. It helped create the realistic sense of the movie and the atmosphere needed for the film was preserved. The costumes and props were of great use in creating the dangerous environment that the film is set in.

4. Cinematography and Lighting
A. Style- realistic/formalistic
The style of the film is realistic because its main topic is about a real event that occurred. The film attempts to show the audience what real life bomb squads do while they are on duty. There are no manipulations of time and space, such straight forward recordings of time with some special effects to add some entertainment. The film is just trying to show a real life issue: people volunteering to put their lives on the line to create a safer and more peaceful environment for everyone to life in.



B. Angles, Framing, Lens Choice
The director used a large variety of camera angles to cover a more suspenseful scene, such as an explosion. The framing is often tight during dramatic/emotional/personal scenes in which the characters reveal information about themselves or they reveal their most intimate thoughts. The director's lens choice is amazing, to think that the lens could capture footage in a hot and dusty environment is quite impressive.

C. Camera and actor blocking
Regarding camera and actor blocking, the director makes an establishing shot, then the camera zooms into a waist shot, and CU for dialogues. The height of the camera is not raised incredibly high, only to emphasize the tension during the scene in which the main character (the bomb diffuser) realizes there are multiple bombs trying to kill him.

D. Dominant Imagery/Icons/Color
Bombs are the dominant objects in the film, the recurring image represents the cruelty of the world, how people are corrupt. The soldiers, the icons, are the heroes that deserve to be praised and saluted, they are the main focus of the film. The colors green and orange-red are most dominant in the film. The green emphasizes the positive-ness that the soldiers are bringing into the chaotic community of war. The orange-red represent the chaos and danger that emphasizes the tension/ suspense that is involved in military duty (the enormous explosions, blood. etc).

E. Camera Distance/ Proxemics, Territorial Design, Open vs. Closed forms
The camera is very close to the action in the film, demonstrating the suspense of each scene. The camera is distant when capturing establishing shots and trying to cover every corner of an area during an event. The film is composed of open forms, where the intimate aspects of reality is shown and formal beauty is sacrificed for truth.

F. Light Design-Key and Contrast
Because the film is shot on-location, sunlight and fluorescent was used as a light source. There isn't much low key lighting during the film, since most often the bomb squad is on duty during the day. The most prominent light contrast was during the scene where there was a mass explosion and fire was spreading from place to place. the fire provided the light source and it contrasted with the nighttime darkness.




5. Editing
A. Style
There was rarely any visible editing done on the film, because I believe the creators of the film favored content over form. I think they wanted to preserve the realism of the topic and any visible/ fancy editing would take the meaning away.

B. Manipulations of time and speed
The only time that time and speed is manipulated is in the beginning when the first bomb squad team leader is blasted by a bomb. We first see fast cutting between soldiers and then we see the bomb detonate. This is when time is slowed down. I can visualize it now. The fireball of the explosion rising into the sky, the sand rising up from the ground, the rust from a car being shaken off, and the bomb squad leader falling dramatically to the ground, instantly dead.







C. Length of cuts and pacing
The lengths of the cuts depends on the situation. The pacing is usually slow, and the lengths of the shots long when the characters are discussing a personal issue, or when there is a dramatic/ emotional event happening (someone just died or the team leader is trying to diffuse a bomb). During fighting scenes the pacing is fast and the lengths of the shots are much faster. This is to create the rush of adrenalin and pull interest out of the audience.

D. Narrative techniques such as flashbacks/forwards, parallel action
The narrative is pretty linear throughout the film. However, as the film comes to a close, a flash-forward is used. When the main character confesses to his son that he is addicted to war, we are taken into the near future where he returns to duty, once again risking his life in a life or death battle.







E. Montage or Visual Metaphor
In the beginning of the film, a limping cat is shown. These two cats contrast each other. The limping cat represents the vulnerable civilians that have their lives endangered by the bombs that exist. The cat seems to be showing that the community in which it lives in is no longer safe and that it needs some outside source to nurse him back to health (the soldier's protection/ destruction of the bombs).



6. Score
A. Style
The music style is fast tempo and compliments the action that is happening during the film. It gives the film "the bad boys are in town" feeling and effectively makes the film be more unique. I also noticed some local music incorporated into the film to make the film more authentic.

B. Repeated Motifs
The sounds of gunfire are repeated constantly throughout the film, probably representing the hatred that the soldiers have toward their enemies. The loud, rapid sounds of bullets coming from the guns are their harsh feelings releasing from their hearts.

C. Foley or FX
Most likely the sounds of the explosions and gunfire are sounds recreated by the creators of the film, because it is unlikely that the actors actually fired their guns.

D. Synchronous/Nonsynchronous
The film uses synchronous sounds most often, where the audience sees the object that makes a certain sound and it is obvious what it is. For example, when a the man strapped in multiple bombs blows up, we actually witness him dying. Another example includes the sand rising from the ground during a explosion. We hear the crackling of the mixture of tiny rocks and dirt, emphasizing the devastation the bomb created.

7. Script
A. Narrative Structure/ Style
The narrative is linear throughout the film and thus, is easy to follow. There is no narration at all, just character dialogue.

B. Character Driven vs Plot Driven
I believe that the film is character driven because it is the characters' actions and decisions that depict what the next event will be. But of course what the characters do in the film are, of course, controlled and decided by the director and writer. This issue is debatable: character or plot driven?

C. Nature of Dialogue
The nature of the dialogue is very informal. Swear words are used consistently to show the characters' wild personalities. The dialogue is very realistic and it is just basic soldier to soldier communication.

D. Use of humor, subtext or irony
I believe the title, the Hurt Locker is a subtext itself. It hides a deeper meaning, that the soldiers' hearts are a "hurt locker" or in other words places where they hide their pain. Everyday they encounter deaths of civilians, the loss of friends, and the pain of being away from loved ones. Of course as men they feel the need to preserve their tough image, so they lock away their true feelings inside of them. These feelings and thoughts will eventually accumulate until the character might lose themselves.

E. Thematic message/Archetypes/ Myth
I think a common misunderstanding is that fighting in a war is not all that glamorous and wonderful. Young men join the military believing that you are serving your country, but they fail to realize what they've gotten themselves into: years of struggle, daily life threats, and harsh treatment by the environment you are stationed in.

8. Genre
A. Features determining Genre
The soldiers, weapons, and battles determine that the film is a action based. But, the topics discussed among the soldiers and with their families and understanding the personal struggle they endure also determines that the film is drama based. The film is a action drama.




9. Closing Remarks
The Hurt Locker is a very powerful film that truly deserves a proud acclaim. It's message is quite clear: that war can be a drug as it does make soldiers be addicted to it. Their addictions causes them to value war over their family members. I like the topic of the film because it focuses on issues that impact a lot of people. The film is a great illustration of reality, and does not create a illusion of life, a temporary fantasy where when the film is over the audience returns to reality, disappointed. The film reminds me that though there is evil that exists, there are also those who are determined to fight for the well-being of the people of this Earth. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film and I congratulate the the creators for the film's amazing cinematography, underlying theme, and talented actors. Kudos to you.