Point Breaks opening title credits starts with an establashing shot of the shoreline, as the waves are breaking in and out of the shot the credits used with a chuncky font cross the screen from left to right, in which the next credit starts off from where the last one finished. As this happens we zoom out on two transparent words in a bold font that cross each other to form the title of the film “Point Break”. As the rest of the credits are presented various slow-mo action shots of surfers performing maneuvers are used, which then switch scenes to a character carrying out his training as it seems like he works for the FBI. These cuts between these different style shots seem like they are trying to represent some sort of similarity between his job and the surfing world. The shots of the surfers are shot in very warm colours where as the shots of the charcter during training are shot in dark, merki colours, as if to show the mindset he has towards surfing, which is a admiring perspective towards the sport. Together with the music blending in with the sound of the waves and all the other characteristics mentioned before, the opening title credits clearly give of the sensation that we are about to watch a action/adventurous film.
Cinéma vérité
Cinema Verite is a French film movement, which took place in the 1960s. This film movement forced the movie industry to pay more attention towards incorporating natural actions and authentic dialogue into the movies, which showed people in day to day lives . Basically, the movement was about observing and capturing life as it was or finding truth in the moving images.
Before this movement, filmmakers recorded footage, interviews, and actual conversations separately. The camera was usually handheld. Then they would review the footage and cut them all together. However, this technique did not have the ability to give life to realistic looking movies.
Many different factors influenced the production of documentary movies in the 20th century. Post World War II, neorealist movement, and the British independent documentaries hold a prominent place out of them. In fact, all these reasons contributed towards the rise of Cinema Verite during the 1960s. However, the film industry elites heavily criticized the Cinema Verite movement at that time.
Storyboarding – Media
A storyboard is a graphic representation of how your video will unfold, shot by shot. It’s made up of a number of squares with illustrations or pictures representing each shot, with notes about what’s going on in the scene and what’s being said in the script during that shot.
The storyboard is a very important part of the pre-production process because it clearly conveys how the story will flow, as you can see how your shots work together. It also allows you to see potential problems that would not go unnoticed, ultimately saving you time and money.
Here is the step-by-step way to make a storyboard:
Step 1: Create a Template. Draw a series of rectangles on a piece of paper, as if you were creating a comic strip.
Step 2: Add the Script. Under each rectangle, write the line of script or dialogue that corresponds to that scene.
Step 3: Sketch Out the Story. …
Step 4: Add Notes.
Composition
Composition refers to how the elements on screen (actors, scenery, props, etc.) appear in respect to each other and within the frame itself. In the earliest days of cinema, film composition basically mimicked that of a stage play.
film composition is important because it directs the audience’s attention. It’s also important because composition can create visually appealing images unique to the director’s style. It guides the audience to pay attention to one single person in a crowd of people, or a single point in a busy frame.
But beyond all of the technical and personal objectives of composition, it allows us to instantly convey information and subtext. By controlling the angles and the distance between characters or significant props we can instantly and intuitively clue our audience in on the deeper meaning of the scene.
Frame Analysis
In visual arts and particularly cinematography, framing is the presentation of visual elements in an image, especially the placement of the subject in relation to other objects. Framing can make an image more aesthetically pleasing and keep the viewer’s focus on the framed object. Here are the fundamental types of framing:
- Extreme close up
- Close up
- Medium close up
- Medium shot
- Long shot
- Low angle shot
- High angle shot
Home Alone – Swede
This is a swede my classmates and I made recreating a Home Alone scene. My acting role in the suede was to act as Kevin, the main character of the film. I also had the task of creating the Mise-en-scene in the project. The Mise-en-scene was set up by using cut up paper instead of feathers, a bow and arrow instead of a gun and little plastic bricks instead of Lego. I learnt a lot through this project, films are more than just acting, its about the combination of all the different aspects of film language.
Leading Lines, Composition and Photography
This photo for the most part is a good photo in terms of leading lines and framing, although it could have been improved in the symmetry of the person performing the stunt.
This is a good photo due to the framing of the shot.
In this shot the leading lines are more accentuated but could be improved if the lines lead to the face.
This is a photo using leading lines including the banisters and the lines on the pitch, although its not entirely successful due to the lines also leading to the feet.
This photo is out of framing but also looks like the subject is jumping out of the canvas.
The leading lines in this picture are out of proportion, but there is a good use of framing.
Although there is to much going on in this picture, there is a good use of leading lines.
American Gods – Analysis
The first shot of the opening scene begins with a tracking shot of the ‘Gods’ desk, we get a glimpse of the man and he is wearing a bandanna around his neck this suggests he is from the eastern hemisphere. The camera then changes to a point of view shot and we can see the man is using a fountain pen to write, this also suggests this is set in the olden times rather than the modern day. As the man is writing on the paper there is use of diegetic sound as we can hear the fountain pen glide smoothly along the paper. The camera then moves to an establishing shot of the room, the decor in the office they are in clearly shows it is set to look like an old Greek-like setting; this is using effects of mise-en-scene to create this effect on the viewers. The lighting in the room is very low-key which creates suspense for the audience. The low-key lighting is used to make the scene more dramatic and filled with tension and suggests something bad is going to occur. During Mad Sweeney’s flashback a aerial shot is used that gives viewers a deeper and wider understanding of what is happening below, both literally and metaphorically. As the next flashback occurs of the battle that Mad Sweeny had to endure a wide range of shots are used from close up shots to tracking shots to show that there is a lot of action and fighting going on in the scene, which also matches the loud abrupt sounds that also signifies the same. Al thought there is another point I would like to add about the scene, and that is the slow-mo, There are various shots that use slow-mo and slow paced sounds to make the scenes more dramatic.
Luke's media studies blog 