ANIM1002/Y – Mise en scene – ‘The Shining (1980)’

Blocking use in ‘The Shining (1980)’

     The shining (1980), debatably known as the best horror movie in History by Stanley Kubrick, uses numerous visual effect techniques and strong use of repetitive patterning throughout the movie to show the extreme symmetry; representing the loss of every characters mind in the movie.

The scene shown bellow, suggest some tricks which Kubrick uses for mise en scene, to help create the atmosphere. Firstly, the range of the wide camera angels used, creates depth making the size of the room larger; suggesting the idea of never ending corridors and rooms. The scene shows how the two mysterious ghost like girls talk in unison, yet are dangerous, as suggested in the movie, yet still very small and innocent looking. By Kubrick placing the two figures in the middle of the screen, to direct our view suggests that the phantoms have some sort of significance to the story we should be aware off.

Kubrick’s use of mise en scene blocking helps the viewer feel what the characters are going through. For example, throughout the scene we see four checkered chairs perfectly aligned around a square cornered table, with a single, empty ashtray in the middle. Likewise, the two green tables with also four perfectly aligned chairs tucked in them. This pattern of symmetry and organisation is similar to a compulsive obsessive disorder which is shown visually with tidiness to an extreme level, suggesting chaos.

The use of brown suggests something very serious, as seen, structure in organisation of props and structure in the identical figures in the middle of the screen. Kubrick has placed the exit sign right above the characters head to suggest an exit from danger and intensifies this by placing the two phantoms to guard and block the path. This creates more fear and stress to the viewer.

Referencing:

DVD’s

The Shining(1980)[DVD]

websites;

The Guardian/ 2016. The Shining has lost its shine – Kubrick was slumming it in a genre he despised [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/27/stanley-kubrick-shining-stephen-king

wordpress/Joseph E. Byrne. 2013. Mise-en-scene in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. [ONLINE] Available at: https://engl245umd.wordpress.com/2013/09/27/mise-en-scene-in-stanley-kubricks-the-shining/. [Accessed 7 September 2017].

 

ANIM1002/Y –Editing- ‘Project X’ (2008)

Jeff Groth the editor of the movie ‘Project X’ (2012) from around the start of the movie puts the viewer right into the scene through the camera man eyes. It is setup as a journal about what Thomas will do for his birthday.  Jeff uses numerous techniques such as jump shots and transitions between camera angles and scenes, which relates back to the idea of making the movie a visual journal in some major parts of the movie. This is also done to establish certain spaces between characters such as the group Thomas is in, with his friends and how close they are to each other, helping play role in the title as ‘losers’ of the school.

Throughout the movie there is constant establishing shots reminding the viewer about where the scene is taking place. For example in the photo bellow we see a lo angle re-establishing shot, showing us the back garden of the house, with the house  in the back so we also know what location of the garden is shown and what is visible in that shot. However, it also establishes and shows the absolute chaos is happening, and how the party is getting really wild, which is the overall theme of the movie.

The relationship between the characters and the wild party is in constant extreme state as we are shown glimpses of the match on action scenes. As well as keeping the 180-degree rule ,with the goal to portraying the energetic and static atmosphere of the ”dream” house party every high school teenager would wish to attend.

Groth is fluent in keeping around the same style of editing. He keeps using short points of cutting, to stimulate the viewer and build emotions to what ill happen in the on going scenes. This is done repetitively with sequence shots and  cutting to continuity as the idea of the movie being  journal like is maintained.

Referencing

websites;

The Hollywood Reporter/ Todd McCarthy. 2012. Project X: Film Review. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/project-x-review-todd-phillips-296413. [Accessed 23 September 2014].

ANIM1002/Y – Cinematography – ‘Let the Right One In'(2008)

“A GENRE MASTERPIECE. ABSOLUTE ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT NARRATIVES I’VE HAD THE PLEASURE TO WATCH IN THE LAST DECADE.”

-JOSEPH B. MAUCERI, FEARS MAGAZINE 

Hoyte an Hoytema takes part as the cinematographer of “let the right one in”(2008), a fierce Swedish horror and drama movie. Hoytema throughout the movie is constantly creating a specific atmosphere through numerous techniques, such as; use of wide camera angles, which leaves proof of fluent geometric alignment in the props and characters displayed within the movie.  As well as wide camera frames to make Oskar seem small in this large world or alone. This is done to exaggerate the depth of field or to focus the object. Doing this also isolates the object or character as things around them jump from focused to unfocused.  He achieves such by using “spherical lenses,…, minimizing distortion.” (Todd Vaziri, 2009) The effects emphasizes coldness as well as the stillness of the scenes.

Hoytema uses an absolute enormous range of colour in the movie. Many muted colours  are creating intimacy within the characters. Doing so creates a lot more emotions when visually seen by viewers. Reason being that Hoytema does this  because the movie is depending a lot on the emotions of characters and  the relationships they have and less so much on the gore part. Many scenes which show the Oskar and the vampire interacting are outside in the thick white snow, an environment that is not suitable for a child to be alone and playing in. Also showing us that the vampire should not be Oskar’s( a young child’s) friend. The cinematography of placing objects and characters center aligned in the screen in focus helps enhance these effects. Even when taken from far, the lighting and focus on any face or object necessary is clear and visible to the viewer and whatever is not necessary is highly blurred out. This is also constantly reminding the audience that there is a lost of connection between Oskars isolating personality and the audience watching.

 

References:

  Websites;

FXRant/Todd Vaziri. 2009. The Cinematography of “Let The Right One In,” Part 1. [ONLINE] Available at: http://fxrant.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/cinematography-of-let-right-one-in-part.html. [Accessed 25 September 2017].

     Lt Film Guide/ Reginald Williams. 2008. ‘Let the Right One In’ Movie: Effective Horror Movie & Character Study. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.altfg.com/film/let-the-right-one-in/. [Accessed 24 October 2017].

 DVD’s;

Let the Right One In, 2008. [DVD]  Hoyte an Hoytema, Sweden: St. Martin’s Press.