Media Studies - Film Analysis

What to remember:

Focus on WHAT (Plot, action) happens, and then describe HOW (Technical elements/media language) that happens, and describe WHY this technical element is used to make the audience feel a certain way. 

Opening example:

The text features an extract from the first episode of Suits (2011) in which we see a drug dealer impersonating a law firm applicant and trying to get a job. The scene explores different ideas including the patriarchal hierarchy in law firms, the dangers of the drug trade, and the ego's of characters.

P1 example: 

The sadness experienced by the characters due to the death of _____ are represented throughout the text using various aspects of media language. Firstly, we are introduced to the scene with a wide angle shot which is used to show a vast amount of people in a room, all in tears. Most of them wearing black suits and formal clothing, which often is a connotation of a funeral/sad event. This is then followed by reaction shots of different members of the crowd, all also crying. This is accompanied with diegetic sound of people whimpering and sniffling, again a common sound attributed to crying and sadness. These shots are used to illustrate the deep depression felt by the crowd due to the death of _____, and aims to instill this same feeling of sadness into the audience. It is important to note, that throughout the reaction shots, mainly women are shown to be tearing up and crying. This follows the conventions and stereotypes women have, which include them attributed with of being overly emotional and soft. According to reception theory (Stuart Hall), the producers have an intended meaning, which in this case would be the belief that the death of this character is sad, which is subsequently the preferred reading that the producers want audiences to believe in as well.

Details to talk about: 

CAM - When a character is introduced, talk about the camera angle used. How does this represent them and make the audience feel?

MES - Look at lighting and coloring of the scene. How does this add effect/meaning to the environment and the characters in the scene. May make people feel more cozy/warm, or more hopeless and sad. Red connotes ideas of power/love/anger while blue may be more calm and depressing. Characters may be shrouded in light or darkness to convey how they may be good vs evil.

CAM - How do camera angles portray characters? Are they weak, strong, scared, confused, etc.

EDIT - How do the arrangement of scenes push a forward moving storyline?

EDIT - What does the pace of the editing represent? Does it make it more exciting, or dull, or boring, or does it pull you in? 

FRANTIC ACTION - Rapid cuts from shot to shot which makes it feel fast and leads the audience to feel as if they're taking a rollercoaster ride as they view shot after shot after shot in rapid succession. This builds intensity. 

SLOW/SOMBER SCENES - Slow/continuos shots that allow the audience to reflect on what had just happened/reflect on whats going on in the scene.

EDIT - Continuous shots and fast shots have different meanings, Continuous shots make you pay amore attention to what is being said on the screen while fast shots build more excitement. It pulls the audience in and makes them focus on whats going on more.

EDIT -  J cuts build suspense. Facial expressions, framing of the character. They all build suspense by not revealing information to audiences yet, which keeps them wondering.

EDIT - Flashback: Analepsis, Flashforword: Prolepsis. Creates suspense and curiosity in audiences.

MES - What do their costumes say about them? Formal, shaggy, rigid, slik smooth, etc, have different connotations attached to them. Color palletes of costumes - monotone: Pessimistic, boring, dull. Colorful: eccentric, vibrant, exciting

CONTEXT - How are people groups represented? Are stereotypes used to show their personality?

SOUND - Muting of diegetic or non diegetic sound indulges audiences into whats going on in the scene as the senses of sound are eliminated and audiences only focus on what they can see.

SOUND - Juxtaposition of sound which is happy, with scene that is sad, creates a sense of surreality, puts audience in disbelief.

EDIT - Eye-line matches can be used to create intrigue for audiences as they wonder what the character is looking at.

MES - Framing of a scene, i.e. if a character is put into the frame with nothing around them, only a blank background, this can show how they may be lonely. It may also be used to juxtapose itself between other scenarios where there were many people.

EDIT - Slow mo's give audiences time to capture their thoughts and think about whats going on in the scene. It pulls their attention towards the action happening as they have more time to concentrate on it. It also creates mystery, i.e "Whats going to happen when the hand touches the button?", and makes the scene more suspenseful overall, increasing the tension audiences have while watching.

CAM - Zoom in's on characters actions or faces pulls the audiences attention towards them and makes them focus on the visual elements of whats going on in the scene. It also can be used to elevate the emotion being felt by the character in the moment and leads to audiences being able to better understand them. It can also be used to show a moment of awakening/realization. Slow zoom = unnatural -> creates uneasiness

EDIT - Cross cuts can be used to juxtapose characters situations/juxtapose storylines by showing how different the lives of the characters are. This creates a sense of shock/appall in audiences and leads them to feel empathy for certain characters.

EDIT - Smash cuts can be used to abruptly cut off a characters line of speech/thinking by juxtaposing it with the following scene where the character is often doing what they vowed not to do previously. This can be used for comedic effect as it is unexpected for the audience.

EDIT - Fade transitions make the sequence/scene feel dreamy, and connote how this may be like what the character has been dreaming of their whole life. Audiences can then relate to this as they also maintain these dream-ish aspirations.

CAM  - Whip pans can be used to highten the action in the scene and locks the audience in on an exhilarating ride as we switch from character to character. Slow pans however build anticipation and suspense leading audience to wonder and be eager for whats about to be revealed, example of hermeneutic code.

CAM - Pull out camera movement detaches the audience from whats going on in the scene to a surreal point and leads them to realize a bigger picture. As it makes the characters look smaller.

Showcases, puts the spotlight on, puts the focus on the