Blade runner Techniques and main message

Erik Meyer

sleeper movie analysis

com  101 and 103

In the movie sleeper by Woody Allen, the film conveys a message or theme that we cannot predict the future. The film uses certain techniques  to get this message across to the viewer. Woody Allen of course, does this in a humorous , and somewhat serious way by putting political, and social references in the film that the viewers can understand at the time.

Some references that he used for example was when miles is delusional and is acting like Blanche dubois and luna is acting like stanley kowalski, them playing reverse gender roles makes it hilarious and  streetcar desire was a pretty well known book/play at the time. Also the leader for their government is similar to hitler in a way in that it shows him with a german shepard, (hitlers dog) Also all the police, security and guards, scientist and people have to obey to his law. Another war world reference was when miles had to be the robotic butler at a party and one of the guests at the party was wearing a swastika symbol on his shirt. another political reference wa when miles told luna not to follow the underground leaders plan and not to go back to him because either way leaders of different forms are always going to want something that the other leader despises.

Some social references he put in there were the orb at the party, that was representing hallucinogenic drugs. Also  When miles comes across the sex machine, and him and luna are talking about sex, luna mentions they teach you how to perform sex in school just in case the machine breaks down, also that she has a P.H.D. in oral sex. Another scene when miles tries to retrieve food and grabs enormous fruits and vegetables, conveyed the meaning if we could genetically modify food like that in the future . Another funny scene was when the government wanted to clone the leader back using just his nose. Also as soon as the movie starts out there unwrapping aluminum foil off of miles, thats when viewers know from the starts that it is a comedy.  Him putting these ideas/ references in the movie creates humor.

Some techniques that were used to create a feel and flow to the movie were all the transition shots from one area to the next. This made it clear where they were and did not confuse the viewer. There were some scenes where lighting help create a more serious or less serious mood, it also made some buildings inside look vast with deep space and the police chase scenes where flat which helped add to the funny factor of seeing the police chase miles. Also when  miles was getting chased by the police they would speed everything up to give it more action and humor and the police kept blowing themselves up. Also there was an interesting use of color in the film. The police were  orange/red color which represented conflict. Most citizens and scientist wore white, which represented  wealth and convenience of an easy life. The security and guards were all wearing black, which also symbolized conflict and that they worked for the leader. Most of the city buildings were square and had vertical lines in them that represented strength and power of their government.

The director uses a variety of elements like shape, lines, colors,affinity and contrast of tone,and lighting to create the film, this is what make the film the way it is and helps convey the idea that we cannot predict the future.

Fahrenheit 451 movie techniques and elements used

Erik Meyer

Fahrenheit 451 movie analysis

103

In the movie Fahrenheit 451 the director uses certain techniques and elements of visual language to help show the message of the film; that knowledge is power and that a government could take away the power of their citizens.

In the film the director uses irony to help construct the film. Instead of the firemen going around helping, saving people, and putting out fire, they are doing the exact opposite. In a sense the fireman are the police in this film, they go around and make sure nobody has any reading material, or knowledge. The film uses color to help show this. All the firemen are in black a color that represents pure destruction and evil. In some scenes were walls are yellow, it usually means something bad is going to happen, its caution. Where there are scenes where their are red walls or a lot of red in the environment surrounding the characters there is usually conflict.

Another technique they use are the reaction shots of the characters and close ups to add action, suspense, or distress. It shows what the character is thinking and feeling at that moment in time, it lets us tune in and understand that character, putting the viewers in the characters point of view. There was also transition shots and shots of the environment to show the viewers where the characters were, the setting of the movie.

Lighting is also another element that is used. In scenes where the firemen go inside Houses or libraries to find hidden books the lighting is low to create a tension, raise the action and show the viewers that something is going to happen. This something is the firemen throwing the books on the ground and  them all on fire. Then the fire with low lighting, symbolizes destruction and evil, and corruption of the government.

The director also use an high affinity of tone between all the firemen by them all wearing black. There is also of course a high contrast of tone between the fire fighters and the civilians.

The director uses visual language to show that knowledge is power and that a government can help take that away, the director uses lighting, tone, and color different kinds of shots with the camera to show this. This why the film is the way it is and why visual language is important to a film

Break down of Marty Friedman's music video Hyper Doom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPny5Bx-LLs   

So just To give a little info on Marty Friedman, He was the guitarist for a band called Megadeth  from 1989 to 2000, He was also in a band called cacophony. Although hyper doom is a short video, there is  lot of cool shots in this. First I would like to start by pointing out how the shots go with the rhythm of the song frequently. This happens especially in the begining. Around 0:27 the song starts building climatically, and tenses up, the shots also add to the intensity as each chord changes so does the shot.Around 0:50 the pace of the song slows and there id a shot of the band bumping fists then there's is a couple of shot transitioning them form back stage to on the stage, there is also a pick slide that goes along with the pace of the shots, it was also a transition point for one part of the song to the next. Then you see a lot of quick shots of each member at the pace of the song along with the audience and showing fans having an awesome time. You can also notice there is some white crooked lines in the shots almost making it look like old film, it was an interesting touch. There was also different  colors of rays of light that panned with each shot. I also notice throughput the video there numerous settings were the video was shot. Through out the video It transitions to different settings. One was the stairwell, another one was the back stage, the stage, outside in front of buildings and outside on the streets. Another thought that comes in to play is what kind of music video would people think of that has no words to it, this song was an instrumental. This is also why it varies from so many other music videos, and its only two minutes long. The video was filmed on his European tour, so it was a bunch of various mixed up shots from different venues and places. I think it was well composed for its purpose but, im also surprise that he would release a two minute music video. Some of his other videos ranged from 4 to 7 minutes long, so this one seemed kin dove random for the length of it at least, but it was intended. Overall I think its  great video,, I also wonder how many shots they had to compress in to a two minute time period, come to think of it it almost sounds a little difficult. There is a great amount of shots in the video too . When you watch this video it could seem jumpy at first even know there are a lot of shots but once again it goes with the rhythm really really well. As the song speeds up so do the shots, as the video sloes down so o the shots. Tell me what you guys think was it even worth shooting a two minute video, How many shots do you think were selected but not used, or overall how many shots were cut, theses are thoughts that tend to go through someones head, who watches Mary Friedman's Hyper Doom Video.

The message of Wall-e

Erik Meyer103

WALL-E movie analysis

In the movie WALL-E by Disney-pixar, the movie is made up by certain techniques, pacing, setting, characters and a interesting story line to help show a message.

In the beginning of the film it shows wall-e a robot that is given human characteristics. The way the robot goes about cleaning up the earths trash and making buildings out of it shows he has human traits. While he cleans he sings a tune he plays on a mp3 player at his home. He also has a friendship with a cockroach that stays with him at his home. The way they represent wall-e as a character, other characters also seem to underestimate him. The way he was designed with camera like eyes, tracks for feet, and a trash compactor for a torso, he differs from the female robot eve. Eve share human qualities like wall-e by sharing a love emotion for wall-e, but also can float,fly really fast and be super destructive, with an arm blaster. They way they make these characters has a strong effect on the movie itself,and the viewers.

The settings in the movie are another big factor,or part of the puzzle that helps construct what the movie really is about. Earth were wall-e lives is a wasteland. The way how the sun shines down on the city and shows how theres nothing there but trash and buildings of trash, a abandoned world. The ship in outer space where the humans live/where Eve lives is an unfortunate and funny site. The ship itself is way too convenient for people, in a sense where everyone is lazy and fat. It shows how no one ever walks/exercise, and everyone just eats and floats around and the robots do everything for them. It is appeared to be like a paradise with futuristic buildings and technology but, it also shows that to much of it is a bad thing.

The pacing of the movie helps the viewer stay in tune really well. They did this by not staying on earth too long, then having wall-ego after Eve, and then end up on a ship that is run by robots. The main conflict of the story happens on the ship. Eve finding the plant is really the start,or rise to the climax. Then they resolved it by the humans returning to earth and planting plants in hope to regrow earth,and make it a livable planet.

There is also a lot of transition and reaction shots throughout the movie that make the movie flow really smooth, or chaotic. Like The shots with wall-e and eve sitting watching the sunset are smooth but when there rogue robots on the ship there is a lot of quick shots.

Lighting and color are used a bit also. The way Eve has blue digital eyes and a white smooth/shiny body make her look like a futuristic robot compared to Wall-e who looks a bit outdated compared to her. The ship is mostly white which helps it look futuristic. The way the robots can wall-e a screen pops up red and yellow screen with words saying foreign contaminant also adds to action and symbolizes a conflict. Also the main robot of the ship who controls auto pilot, auto refuses to go to earth and is represented evil by having a red glow to him. When the captain and auto are fighting the lights are off creating tension and action.

The characters eve and wall-e having human emotions such as love, the setting of abandoned earth and a ship ran by robots controlling people, lighting and colors affecting the tone or mood of the scene help get a message across to the viewers. The message is clearly put that too much technology, can be a bad thing and that living on a ship in outer space can be avoided if people of the earth can understand to take care of it better, because its are home and without it we can’t live properly.

Elements of the movie Brazil by Terry Gilliam

Erik Meyer

Com 103

Brazil movie analysis

In the movie Brazil directed by Terry Gilliam the director uses certain elements and techniques to help tell a story of a guy and a woman living in a psychopathic totalitarian government and them struggling against it.

In the movie, the setting is very dark and bland. Every one were sam works wears grey suits and work in a factory like fashion, everyone's working on the same task or similar ones. Not only is his workplace in a high affinity of tone and color but the outside city is all industrialized. An industrialized city with a totalitarian government nicely shows a world of despair. Also when Jill and Sam are driving to different places throughout the city the view of the world is covered up by billboards, hiding the wasteland of the world; seeing no trees or sign of nature anywhere. The billboards create what a “perfect”society should look like or have and it  has a influence on it’s people too. The police or guards were an all black uniform and almost appear to be soldiers more police and are meant to look this way to plant fear in the people.

There is also different usage of shots throughout the movie. In one scene there is a mirror used to show multiples of sam and jill almost creating a deep space and suspense. There is also certain transition shots that are made that ad to the flow of the movie and keep the viewers in tune.

The pacing of the movie was also another technique the director used to help craft the movie. How the movie goes in and out from sams job to when sam falls asleep and has dreams of him flying after the girl in his dreams and then fighting things like the golem or samurai to save her.Also when sam makes love to jill and the over shot of the bead curtain closing, makes the viewer think the movies is about to end, but then something dramatic happens. The guards or police come and capture sam and then shoot jill. Then when sam is getting tortured he has a vision that tuttle and jill save him and he lives happily with jill free from the government. The viewer now think the movies over , but then it goes back to sam being tortured showing that he lost his mind. In the parts where he is flying in the clouds there's a lot more lighting but, when he starts to fight things that are evil there is an abundance of shadows and low lighting. In others scenes of the movie there is also low lighting of a high affinity of tone , like sam's apartment and when mr tuttle shows up, he appears as a rebel and he is.

the director uses certain technique  like changing the pace of the movie or amount of lighting, using the affinity of color and tone to help make the movie; to show what it truly means.

How Actor Experience effects the editing in fight scenes

Fights happen a lot in movies. Not only in actions or martial arts films, but in comedies, romances, and even dramas have their fair share of man-on-man action. And why not, they are a great way to have character’s settle differences, or to show off the skill of a particular character. Not to mention they are entertaining to watch.  Now there used to be two types of fights scenes in movies. The kind in which the actors knew martial arts and the kind where the actors didn’t. In the movies where the actors knew martial arts, fights scenes could be a lot more fluid and open, and the director, actors, and editor had a lot more freedom. I speak of these kinds of movies in a past tense because they are very uncommon nowadays and the movie market is for the most part dominated by the other kind, in which large amounts of cutting and tight camera movements have to make up for the actors combat inexperience.

An example of a good fight scene where the actors know how to fight is this scene from The Forbidden Kingdom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4FuO99pYoQ . The advantage of having actors who know how to fight is that it give more freedom to the editor to create the scene he wants. In this example, you can see how the characters oppose each other evenly, and yet they come from different backgrounds based on their styles. You can tell who is winning the fight at any given moment, and there is even room to throw in some bonuses in there such as the one character using his bag as a weapon, or the animal sound effects when there was a shift in his fighting style.

In a movie where the actors do not have combat experience such freedoms cannot be taken advantage of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFnmq5PPScA In this scene from the Bourne Identity, it is clear that the actors are going based on instruction from a fight choreographer on set. The camera is much closer to the actors at all times, and there is much less time between the very frequent cuts. The fighting style, something that can be used to express attributes about the character, is non-present in this scene being that the two characters are not able to act through their fighting. In the scene from the forbidden kingdom, the actors were able to alter their fighting styles in a manner that expressed differentiation in their background. The Forbidden Kingdom scene also had wider shots. This is a liberty that was not available when shooting because a closer shot makes less of the actor visible and thus, harder for the viewer to tell that all the actor is doing is one motion for the camera like a block or an arm break before the next cut.

These types of movies in which actors do not know how to fight make up the majority of films today. It should be the responsibility of an actor to learn at the very least basic of fighting if that actor expects to be in a film with fighting as to give the director, cinematographer, and editor more creative freedom. Sometimes less editing and less cutting is a good thing. As scene in one of my favorite fight scenes of all from Oldboy, which is done in a tracking shot with no cuts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRBwvIX7Sao

Transitions- Emily Mortensen

Transitions in film indicate a passage from one scene to another. An example of transitions is a match cut. Match cuts are the basis for continuity editing because the cuts establish a logical flow to the viewers eye to form an obvious connection between the two. The audience is not surprised or confused by the change of shot and all together they the cut creates a smoother transition. In this scene from Breaking Bad the choice match cut is very clean and compelling to the audience. The pipe leaking becomes what drops into the tea in a totally different scene. It intertwines both shots and doesn't confuse the viewer from the change in topic. When shooting match cuts you will need to plan in advance because it will be easier to edit. A jump cut is the opposite of a match cut because the change in shot is noticeable on purpose. The editor wants to make the cut evident to the audience for a reason. For example, walking down a long flight of stairs. That can take up to 15 seconds, however a jump cut can help and cut it down to 5 seconds. However, this might be confusing or jarring to the viewer and a match cut makes the shot look smoother. Adding a shot of the viewers feet in a close up at the bottom of the stairs can make it known to the viewer that they're done walking. Another transition is fading to black, which is usually done at the end of a film or important scene. If fading out to black is over used it can throw off the overall rhythm of the film. Transitions are a key aspect to editing and should only be used to make a special emphasis on purpose.