Structuralism - Claude Levi-Strauss (Blog Post 9)

 

    In this film, the main character discovers sunglasses that reveal the way the world truly is. When the character has the sunglasses off the world looks "normal," but when he has the sunglasses on the world is surrounded by short phrases that show most things in the world are ran by money and manipulation. The film uses mise en scene to distinguish the opposing views. Specifically, the "normal" world is full of color, while the world that reveals the truth appears dull as it is in black and white. The opposition in this film functions to clearly explain ideas. The opposing views clearly show the idea that the normal world is not reality and most things in the world have hidden meanings used to manipulate humans. 

    In this film, two Spider-Mans (Peter and Miles) are fighting against a villain (Doc Ock). As they continue to escape Doc Ock and her team, they unexpectedly receive help from Gwen or Spider-Woman. Mise en scene is used to illustrate the contrast between the characters. For example, in the beginning of the scene, both Spider-Mans are wearing the same outfit. This shows that they are on the same team. In contrast the villain, Doc Ock is wearing different colors and an entirely different outfit. The other villains in the scene are wearing all white. Gwen is also wearing all white, but once she saves Peter and Miles, her costume reveals a pattern underneath that is like both Spider-Mans' costumes. This reveals that she is on their team. The opposition in this film functions to create identifiable character types. Through costume, colors, and language we learn who is a hero and who is a villain. 

Genre Theory - Steve Neale (Blog Post 8)

 

Genre: Science-Fiction 

Five conventions: Narrative considerations is best used to determine this genre. This film explores the idea of multiple dimensions, which is an idea commonly explored in other science fiction films. 

Text Genre Subversion: Cultural effects apply to the film because of the representation and diversity through most of the cast being Asian. 

Genre hybridity: The main genre is science-fiction but Everything Everywhere All At Once also incorporates action, which helps create the characterization of the different "lives" the main character lives. Drama is also included while the character is navigating family conflicts. 

Genre: Horror 

Five conventions: Iconography is best used to determine this genre. The film explores multiple aspects of mise en scene including distinct settings, costumes, and makeup. For example, the villain is introduced in a mask (costume) that is easily identifiable throughout the film. Most of the other costumes are colorful and vibrant, which makes a noticeable contrast with the phantoms all black costume. 

Text Genre Subversion: Character-driven motifs apply to this film because the audience will expect the phantom to be the villain immediately from the first clip in the trailer. 

Genre hybridity: Horror and music (musical genre) are both used to create the plot of the movie: the phantom plans on ruining the life of a record producer who betrays him.

Genre: Comedy 

Five conventions: Verisimilitude can be used to determine this genre. This film would have high verisimilitude. Even though the computer is personified (which could seem like limited verisimilitude), the film shows a real vision for what people in the 1980s thought computers were capable of. The computer seems to be ruining this man's life and his chances with his love interest, and even though the computer is not human, through the power of artificial intelligence this is something that is seen as a future reality.

Text Genre Subversion: Audience saturation effects apply to the film because the audience will have specific expectations from the romance and comedy genres. This film explores the love triangle trope, but an unusual one. The love-triangle trope is unusual in this film because the third figure is a computer, rather than a human. 

Genre hybridity: Along with comedy, this film also explores the romance genre as the main character has a main love interest throughout the movie. Also, science-fiction also applies to this film because it tackles how technology can influence everyday life. 

Narrative Equilibrium - Tzvetan Todorov (Blog Post 7)

 

5) Proppian characters- Ethan is established as the hero. Benji and Luther are both established as the helpers. Brandt is established as the dispatcher. 

Equilibrium- The key characters are presented and are trying to get an important package off a plane that is about to take off. 

Disruption- The plane takes off and the hero holds onto the outside of the plane as the helper tries to open the plane's door. At first the helper fails making it harder for the hero to continue to hold on. The people flying the plane are presented as the villains. 

New equilibrium- The hero figures out a way to attach himself to the important package and ultimately "saves the day" by getting the package out of the plane. 

In media res- The film immediately starts with Benji spying on the plane, which has the important package. The film immediately starts with action as all the characters introduced are trying to figure out a way to obtain this package before it is too late. 

Multiperspective narratives- In this initial scene, the film introduces four characters who are all in different locations, which shows different perspectives. None of these characters introduced are seeing the same thing, even though they all share a similar goal. The characters perspectives keep switching as the scene goes on. 

6) The equilibrium theory is used here to establish the mission the four characters introduced are on; obtaining the important package from the plane that is about to take off. This mission is seen as stable or normal, until the plane takes off and the established hero is hanging off the side of the plane. This is the disruption in the scene, which is repaired when the hero figures out a way to obtain the package despite being in the air creating a new equilibrium. 

Semiotics - Roland Barthes (Blog Post 6)

5) Sign: Harmonium 

Signifier: The people in the car quickly placing the harmonium down, after the car crash. 

Signified: It could represent music, or a sudden arrival/change. 

Denotative meaning: The literal meaning of the harmonium is an instrument that plays music.

Connotative meaning: The sudden arrival of the harmonium can represent a change in the character's life. 

Code:  There is a similarity between the blue and white walls and the character's blue and white outfit. This creates a code using the colors blue and white. The color blue can be associated with the feeling of loneliness and the color white can be associated with isolation and detachment.    

6) This clip is showing us how the character feels lonely and isolated, but foreshadows a change in the character's life. The colors blue and white are used to represent the character's feelings and the harmonium is used to represent the change soon to occur in the character's life. Since the harmonium came out of nowhere, we can infer that this change will also come out of nowhere and help the character feel less isolated. 

Depth of Field in Cinematography

1a) Still from Get Out, 2017, showing deep focus

1b) Still from Spider-Man: No Way Home, 2021, showing shallow focus 

1c) Still from Euphoria, 2019, showing soft focus

2a) A still showing how deep is used to convey conflict, character, or development. 

2b) A still showing how shallow is used to convey conflict, character, or development.

2c) A still showing how soft is used to convey conflict, character, or development. 

    

    With this blog, understanding the concepts was not difficult, but actually creating the concepts was challenging. The hardest still to create was the one showing soft focus. I wanted to create the dream/flashback look physically, instead of using a premade filter on my phone. My idea was to use old ballet tights, similar to how they used a stocking in the video from "StudioBinder." Originally, I tried putting my phone inside the tights and taking the picture from there, but this did not work because the tights were thicker than I thought, and the camera could not see through them. To solve my problem, I cut the tights into a small rectangle and stretched them out. Stretching the tights out made it a lot easier for my phone camera to see through them and helped create the picture I wanted. For the still I created showcasing shallow focus, I originally took the picture without the background objects. So, my still only contained the flowers. After taking this picture, I realized I needed objects in the background to show the contrast between what was in focus and what was not. So, I added two objects to the area, but made sure my camera did not focus on them. The easiest still to create was the one showing deep focus. I made sure none of the characters were completely facing the camera because I did not want frontality to take away from the fact that the stuffed animals were all equally important in this still.