Blog #3: Anatomy of the Scene

Movie Trailer
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mObK5XD8udk

(Because I have a Mac, I couldn’t watch the Apple movie trailers without downloading Quicktime, so I just chose a movie that I saw on the Apple website and watched the trailer on Youtube).

Character and Casting

1. In this video, the main characters featured were Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), Ron Weasely (Rupert Grint), and Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). There are also minor characters featured such as Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), Molly Weasely (Julie Walters), and so forth. However, since this is the final movie, a large majority of the trailer shows Harry Potter and Voldemort because this is the movie where the big battle is going to happen.

2. In this movie, all the characters take one of two standpoints; they are either supporting or against Voldemort. Harry Potter along with his friends Hermione and Ron are all completely against Voldemort in this movie. In fact, a large majority of the last movie is spent with Harry, Ron, and Hermione trying to find Horcruxes, which are objects which Voldemort has placed his soul in. They want to find them and destroy them all so that he cannot return. Their goal is to keep Voldemort from gaining control of the wizarding world. Meanwhile, Voldemort and his Death Eaters are trying to take over the wizarding world so that Voldemort can rule however he wants. They do this through the use of very corrupt tactics.
The actors themselves are motivated because this is the very last movie of the Harry Potter series, so they wish to finish with a bang. Because this series has lasted so long, the actors want to do their best since it will be their very last time performing as characters from the Harry Potter series.

3. In the case of this movie, the casting does very little to influence me. The first time I saw the majority of these characters in a movie were in the Harry Potter series. Thus, I do not have any prior knowledge of them or their acting skills. Instead, my perception of them developed as I continued watching each new Harry Potter movie. Because I have not seen these actors (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, etc) act in any other movies, my mind has begun to really see them as their characters. However, if I ever watch a movie in the future with these actors, I will most definitely see them differently. In the back of my head, I will always remember these actors as the Harry Potter characters who are capable of magic and the like.

4. Costumes are a major contributor to how I see the characters because like most people, what I see influences what I think. Thus, seeing the actors in wizard robes and carrying wands most definitely help me to believe that these actors are really wizards and witches. Not only, that but because this is a series, the costumes change a little bit in every new movie. Gradually, the actors have moved away from robes and into teenager garb. Since the fact that these characters are wizards have already been established, this shift towards teenage attire only helps me to believe that these characters are real and growing up with the passing of each film.

Setting

1. There are several settings in the last of the Harry Potter movies, such as at the Gringotts Bank, in the ocean, and so forth. However, the setting that is most focused on is the Hogwarts School grounds, most likely because that is where the epic battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort are supposed to take place.

2. This setting is significant for several reasons. Not only is it where both Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort learned how to use magic and grew up, but it is also the place where one of their lives will end. Thus, there is irony to the fact that where both characters grew up and began their life in the wizarding world will also be where one of the two people’s lives will end. Another reason why this setting is significant is that, as mentioned above, it is where the major battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort will take place. This is important because the outcome of the battle determines how the world will be ruled.

3. What stands out about this setting is its massive size and intricate designs. The school looks like a castle, which makes you think of the middle-ages when knights and castle owners would find one another for power. The fact that we are brought back to Hogwarts at the end also makes the audience remember all the events that took place there and how significant the school is, both in the past and present. The school stands out among all other places because in all the movies, it was the major setting, and I still the major setting in the last movie.

Camera Work

1. There were several kinds of shots used in the movie. Wide and far away shots were used so that the audience could see the entire scenery. Then, there were far shots of the characters which allowed us to see them in action. There were also close up shots of many of the characters faces. The majority of the time, the close-up shots were used so that we could see the facial expressions of the characters or important objects.

2. There were all kinds of camera angles used. There was a bird-eye view of the scenery bellow, which allowed the audience to fully believe what was happening on the screen in front of them. Then, there were close-ups of faces, such as Voldemort’s face, which was filmed so that we were looking at his face as though on top of him. By doing so, we were able to clearly see all of his features and understand why he was such a frightening man. There were also shots that angled up in the sky because of all the magical events that take place up there, such as flying on magical creatures, flying on brooms, and so forth. Lastly, there were straight on shots, where we felt as though the characters were right next to us, allowing the audience to connect even further to the movie.

3. The camera has two major points of view, one parallel to a character (usually Harry Potter) so that we feel as though we are in his shoes, and at other times, bird eye view so we are like bystanders watching everything happen. I feel as though the director uses a combination of these two view so that the audience stays engaged and feels like they are in the main character’s shoes, however when the moment gets too intense, the birds eye view perspective is used so that the audience can feel safe as bystanders once more.

4. The camera usually moves with the movement of the characters. By doing so, the audience feels as though they are there with the characters moving and seeing everything that they are seeing. Basically, the movement of the camera allows the audience to have an out of body experience as though they are there in the movie as well.

5. The film uses slow motion is certain parts. For example, in the beginning of the trailer, there is a montage of memories that Harry Potter had at Hogwarts. By using slow motion here, it is like we are passing through time and reminiscing on the same events at the same time that our protagonist is thinking about them. This, once again, makes the reader feel like he is there with the character or is the character. Slow motion is also used when characters are falling, such as Dumbledore’s death falling off the balcony, because it adds dramatic effect and makes the audience hold their breath as each second slowly passes by.

6. The film is edited using several techniques. During the flashbacks in the trailer, the transitions are very fast and the pictures change from one to the next very quickly as though you are a person flickering through his/her memories. Otherwise, the transitions are smooth and are a bit slow, which makes it seem like the movie is flowing smoothly and seamlessly as though happening in real life. The fast transitions not only make my heart race and feel excited to see the movie, but once again, it parallels to the flickering of memories, making me feel like Harry Potter’s memories are my own. The smooth transitions help me become engrossed in the movie because they make it seem like the events happening on the screen are actually occurring in real life.

Mood and Soundtrack

1. In the beginning of the trailer, slow and rather gloomy music is played throughout the flashbacks, as though foreshadowing an ominous event to occur in the future of the film. Then, when we finally see Voldemort, the music changes and becomes more exciting. As soon as the exciting music starts, there are no more flashbacks and background information. Instead, it gives us glimpses of the action we will see in the upcoming movie. By using slow music, the audience feels sad and nostalgic of the past, and when the music changes, the audience becomes excited for what they are going to see. The slow music creates a melancholy mood, while the fast music creates excitement and makes the reader want to watch the film right away to find out what happens.

2. There are other sound effects which are used to make the film seem more realistic. For example, when Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione are sitting on a dragon, you can hear wings flapping, and later you hear the dragon roar. By giving sound to the dragon, it becomes more realistic and believable. There are also abrupt shifts in the music so as to shock the audience and turn their attention away to a different part of the movie.

3. This film does not have any voice-overs. Instead, when the film wants to tell the audience something, they scene transitions into text to tell the reader something.

4. Besides music, mood is created with the images we see and how the actors convey what they are trying to act out. For example, when we see fire and explosions everywhere followed by our characters running with expressions of fear on their voices, we as the audience begin to feel scared and nervous as though we are running along with them. Everything we see on the screen influences the mood of the movie. The actors and their acting skills only enhance the effect of the images.





COMMERCIAL

#4 Dorritos: Pug Attack

http://www.youtube.com/user/adblitz

Character and Casting

1. The two characters in the video are unknown actors. By using normal, ordinary people, the commercial is able to appeal to a larger audience because it makes the viewers feel as though the product is one that anyone and everyone would like. There is one female and one male, and also a dog.

2. In this video, there are two characters and a dog. The woman and man appear to be dating. The motivation of the man in this video is to aggravate the dog and tease him by holding up a chip for the dog to eat. However, the dog is on the outside of the glass door, so the man wants the dog to foolishly leap and crash in to the glass door. Thus, the dog’s motivation is to obtain the Doritos chip. The female does not really have a motive except for the fact that she does not want her boyfriend to harm her dog.

3. Casting influences how I see the characters in many ways. When you use a famous actor who has been in many movies, you have a lot of work to compare the actor with. However, in the case of this commercial, the casting of regular, average-Joe characters makes it so that the product seems like one that anyone could have and purchase.

4. In this commercial, the actors are dressed in everyday clothing, or they could even be considered pajama-like. By dressing the actors in everyday clothing, we once again, get a sense that not only can anyone purchase and eat these chips, but you can also eat them anywhere, at any time of the day.

Setting

1. This video seems to be set at the woman’s home. We can assume this because she asks her boyfriend not to hurt her dog, showing that both the dog and the house are her property.

2. The significance of the setting being at the woman’s home once again shows that Doritos are a product that you can have anywhere and that anyone can purchase. The setting is also necessary for the plot of the story to work. When the dog jumps into the glass door to grab the Doritos, he ends up knocking down the door and landing on the guy. This would not have been possible if the setting was at a different location without a glass door.

3. What stands out about the setting is that unlike most commercials which are fancy and usually have unique backgrounds, the setting of house makes commercial stand out to the audience because it is like any other house, making the audience feel that once again, the product is accessible to anyone.

Camera Work

1. The commercial used to types of shots: close-ups and long shots. Long shorts were used to show the dog running while short shots were used to close up on the dog and the man’s face. By showing the long shots, we could see that some suspense was building because we did not know when the dog was going to slam into the glass door. By using short shots, we could see the eagerness of the dog to get the Doritos chip, and also the excitement and almost craziness of the man egging the dog on to come and get the chip. The effect of these two different shots were that suspense was able to be built and the emotions of the dog and the man were able to be conveyed.

2. The camera was almost always angled so that we could see the dog or the man straight on. By doing so, we felt as though we were there watching the man crazily egg on the dog and seeing the dog run, break the door, and fall on top of the man. In a way, the commercial is shot so that the audience almost takes on the role of the woman bystander watching everything happen.

3. The point of view of the camera is like we are a bystander to the event, once again, as if we were taking the position of the woman in watching all of this happen. We do not feel like the cameras are the eyes for the audience because we do not see what is going on in the perspective of the man, except for at the end when the dog slams and breaks the door, falling on top of the man.

4. The camera moves from the face and actions of the man to the running dog’s face. By switching from face to face, the audience unconsciously anticipates something to happen to the man because we know that close-ups are used so that the audience can see the emotions of the characters clearly. Thus, this motion is sort of a foreshadow for the audience as to what will happen by the end of the commercial.

5. This film uses slow motion when the dog is running at the door. Then, right when the dog hits the door, the motions are speeded up so that the man is quickly slammed to the ground by the door. By using slow motion, the audience built up anticipation and suspense to when the dog was going to hit the door.

6. The film is edited in a way that there are no transitions; the camera just goes from the face of the man to the face of the dog. By not adding any transitions, we can see the clear difference between the face of the man and the face of the dog. This also helps the commercial because by going from face to face and not adding transitions, the motions are allowed to happen faster, especially when the door crashes onto the man.

Mood and Soundtrack

1. The only time there is music is when we see the slow-mo of the dog running towards the door. This is used to once again, build anticipation and suspense at to what will happen next. As the dog gets closer and closer, the music seems to intensify. It then stops abruptly as the door crashes onto the man, so that we can hear the crash loud and clearly.

2. The only other sound effect is the crunching of chips at the very end of the film. This is used to remind the audience of what the whole commercial was about: Doritos.

3. There are no voice-overs used in this commercial. Instead, we only hear the voice of the man egging the dog forward, and once, we hear the woman’s voice. By not using any voice-overs, the commercials appeals more to the public because the characters are your normal, average-Joe sort of characters.

4. Besides music, the mood of the commercial is heavily influenced by the man’s acting. The man eggs the dog on almost maniacally, making it seem like something very serious or dramatic is about to happen. By acting so dramatically, the man is able to enhance the effect of the music. Not only that, but combined with the slow-motion of the dog running, the audience can really feel the anticipation and suspense building up as the dog gets closer and closer to the door.