Titanic Movie Analysis

Answer the 3 questions below and reply to Modeled Discussion.

Read any required and recommended reading materials for this week, especially Chapters 6 and 7 from the text.
Review the grading rubric for this discussion.

Explore movie clips from the Movieclips (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. website or the Internet Movie Database IMDB (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Reflect

Choose a clip that you wish to analyze. The clip you choose must be from a film (preferably from a film with which you are familiar) not a film trailer or a mash-up. Re-watch your chosen movie clip while closely observing the mise en scène. What analysis can you make about the placement and movement of characters and props in the scene as they relate to camera shots, color, lighting, and other elements of cinematography?

Write (due Thursday, Day 3)

In your discussion, analyze at least three elements of cinematography and editing (e.g., lighting, color, shots, focus, transitions, and types of cuts) by evaluating the dramatic impact of the scene. Interpret the scene based on your analysis. In your view, what mood, symbolism, or meaning results from the scenes creative editing and cinematography?

Include the name or partial name of the film clip you analyzed in the Subject line of your discussion. Include the link to your film clip in the body of your post. Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.

Student Reply 1: Shannon Jackson

Ill be analyzing the Godfather -baptism. Ive found that low key lighting was used in this film to emphasize the danger and dramatic scenes of the movie. Lowkey lighting is often used for intense dramatic scenes, horror films, mystery thrillers, and the like. (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, sect. 6.4 2014). The color used for this film was interesting, as a viewer many scenes appeared very dark as it was a dark movie. So much so that, you might have a hard time embodying that scene. This type of lighting allowed viewers the opportunity to feel, connect and get emotional involved with the film. In the book from our class readings it states, The Godfather films tend to have a yellowish cast (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, sect. 6.5, 2014) This was interesting because I didnt pick up on that at all, scenes seemed more of a darker cast than yellowish. There were lots of special effects used in the Godfather film. With all of the gruesome killings using special effects helps the film come to life, For example the killings during the baptism one scene that stood out for me was the killing of the man in the bed, after he was shot the trickling of the blood was special effects it made the film believable, without adding special effects to this film it wouldnt have been as dramatic

References:

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Movieclips. (2011, November 22).

The baptism murders The Godfather (8/9) movie clip (1972) HD (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

[Video file]. Retrieved from

Student Reply 2: Johnny Bunch

Week 3 Discussion 1

For this weeks discussion I will be using the Pixar film Up.To be specific, I will be doing my analysis on the opening scene of the film Up. I chose this specific scene because I felt that a lot of things went on in the first four minutes of film. In the opening scene alone, it tells you everything about Carls life, the good the bad and the ugly.

Lighting-

Throughout this scene there were moments of low-key lighting and high-key lighting. The opening scene is like a time lapse of Carls life. During the happy moments the lighting was high-key, when things went wrong or werent so happy the lighting was low key. For example when they were in the doctors office and found out there werent going to have a baby. The light was very dark and the only bright light was focused on the characters but it was in the background.

Color-The infusion of color into a scene immediately alters it, letting us know the intent of the director and cinematographer with a visual cue.(Goodykoontz & Jacobs, sect. 6.4 2014). Color played big role in the opening scene of this movie. Due to there being no dialogue, the music, lighting and color were very important. The color put emphases on certain scenes, when the colors were really vivid. Once Carls wife passed away there colors were not as vivid, kind of grey scale but that was done so that the audience had that emotional connection.

Music

Although music is not covered until chapter 8, its kind of hard to not mention it for the specific film. Again with there being no dialogue this entire scene Is centered around music, lighting, and color. The music starts out very happy, its loud and soft. As Carl moves along in life the music lets us know in advance that something is bad is going to happen. For example there scene when they were prepping the baby room, the music had a steady flow and before the transitioned in to the doctors office the music had already slowed down. The entire song was changed in a sense to where it was more dramatic or sad.

References:

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Question 2:

Prepare

As we have been discussing, the mise en scène of a film is the use of a variety of design elements to create the visual theme. As you prepare to write this discussion, take a few moments to do the following:

Read any required and recommended reading materials for this week, especially Chapter 8 from the text.
Review the grading rubric for this discussion.

Select a full-length film from the AFI 10 Top 10 list (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Reflect

Last week, we examined how different lighting styles and choices affected the final impact of a film. This week, we will consider different types and categories of sound at work in film and assess how they contribute to the overall sense of meaning in a film.

There are many types of sound in a film. Some are diegetic (sounds that are represented as coming from within the world of the film); others are non-diegetic (sounds that come from outside the world of the film). Your text describes the different categories of sound that fall under those types. What types of sounds, and what categories, are most effectively used in the film under consideration?

Write

Using specific examples from your chosen film, construct a discussion post of at least 200 words in which you

Describe each of the three basic categories of sound (dialogue, sound effects, and music).
Explain how the different categories of sound are being used in your chosen film.
Assess the impact of sound in establishing the theme.
How does the use of sound inform the mood of the scene, or the film overall?
Can you identify specific sounds in your film that allow you to infer a particular genre?

oSince each category of sound may produce a range of effects, how might you characterize the effects in your film? For example, realistic and expected sound effects may have a different effect on a viewer than exaggerated or unexpected ones.

Assess how the scene or sequence would play differently if you changed or removed a key category of sound.

You must use at least two outside sources, in any combination of embedded video clips, still photos, or scholarly sources. All sources should be documented in APA style as outlined by the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. It is suggested that you approach this post by focusing your attention on the same film you will write about in this weeks Establishing Theme assignment.

Student Reply 1: Curt Lyons

Describe each of the three basic categories of sound (dialogue, sound effects, and music).

Dialogue is simply characters talking to one another in films. Sound effects are just that an effect added later to a movie to help you buy into a seen to make it feel more realistic. Music is a different way to add feelings to a scene or movie. Music has been a crucial part of the moviegoing experience since before the advent of recorded sound in films. So important was its use that over time directors began inserting indications for specific music to be played at specific times. After the conversion to talkies, music became a basic element of constructing a movie, as essential an element as lights and cameras. (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, sect. 8.4 2014). There has always been a dialogue in movies maybe not with words or sound but with hand gestures or even body language but there has always been music in movies. It is well known to film historians that movies have always wanted to do more than just move. Motion pictures went in search of music almost as soon as the projectors first began to roll in the nickelodeons. The quest for sound was in the first instance a quest for music, not voice. (Altman, 1987)

I am sticking with the same film and scene I talked about in the last discussion piece Top Gun. The sound in this scene sets the tone with the music score playing in the background as you hear at the flight deck come alive. I like this opening scene because I think when you talk about sound it is very interesting especially because there is no dialogue with words there is still dialogue with hand signals (which is how the flight deck is) between the pilot, the shooters who launch the plane, and the guys in the bubble. The back-ground noise you hear is dead on. Everything from the handler talking on the speaker as he coordinates the deck, the hissing of the engines starting up, the Jet Blast deflectors raising up and locking in place, the sound of the cats being drawn back, the tail hooks hitting the deck as they catch the wire it all adds to the realness of it all I think it does a great job showing just how dangerous that environment is hence the song Danger Zone. I think the scene I talked about would be interesting without the music. I dont know that it would still give the same feeling. I think if you heard just the music you would get the same feeling just because you can still see everything going on and most people are always curious about the flight deck of a carrier so you still can see many things but without the music I think it would take away that added feeling of excitement you get.

Altman, Rick. The American Film Musical. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1987

Goldmark, Daniel; Kramer, Lawrence; Leppert, Richard D. Beyond the sound track: representing music in cinema. Berkeley: University of California Press

Student Reply 2: Kelly Corrothers

I am doing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In this file the music plays out the whole time. It makes the movie better and determines a lot. The music is what gets the audience going to watch the film. Without the music, what would keep the audience interested? Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is based on a happy setting until the evil witch tries to poison Snow White. The different tones of music verifies the different type of emotional scenes that happens during the film. The music scene I picked is when they were digging the gold mine. The music settles so well withe the Dwarfs singing. It puts a lot of pop to it and catches the audiences attention.

Heigh Ho Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Heigh Ho Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs If the sound was removed from this file it wouldnt be the same film. Each film needs some sort of music or sounds. This film would lose audience and buyers. It keeps the film interesting with the music. The film is all about the music and determines what the movie is all about.

References

4evertheDisneySongs. (2012, September 24). Heigh Ho Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Retrieved February 21, 2019, from

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Question 3:

Select a movie from AFIs 10 Top 10 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. lists and explain how three cinematic techniques and/or design elements have helped establish a major theme in that film. Note: While you are allowed to choose a film that does not come from the AFI lists, you are strongly encouraged to email your professor to receive approval before doing so.

In 800 to 1200 words

Describe a major theme of the movie you have selected using evidence from the movie itself as well as course resources and other scholarly sources to support your position.
Identify at least three techniques (cinematography, lighting, acting style, or direction) and/or design elements (set design, costuming, or hair and makeup), and explain how these techniques and/or design elements contribute to the establishment of the theme. Reference particular scenes or sequences in your explanations.
State your opinion regarding the mise en scène, including
How the elements work together.
How congruent the design elements are with the theme of the movie.
Whether or not other techniques would be as effective (Explain your reasoning).

Note: Remember that a theme is an overarching idea that recurs throughout the plot of a film. It is the distilled essence of what the film is about, the main design which the specific scenes and actions lead a viewer to understand.

Your paper should be organized around a thesis statement that focuses on how the elements of your chosen feature-length film both establish and maintain one of its major themes. Review the Week Three sample paper, which provides an example of a well-developed analysis as well as insight on composition.

The paper must be 800 to 1200 words in length and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

You must use at least two scholarly sources other than the textbook to support your claims. Refer to the ENG225 Research Guide in the Ashford University Library for guidance and to locate your sources. Cite your sources (including the feature-length film) within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center.

Please note that if you opt to write about the same film in your Final Film Critique, applicable pieces of this assignment can be used to write that assignment. Please also note that you should reflect on and revise this assignment based on the instructors feedback before you incorporate it into the Final Film Critique.

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