Textual Analysis

Media

Laura Porter

Textual Analysis

Opening Scene

Case Study: “Roxanne” – Romantic Comedy

The opening shot, which introduces the film, shows an image of a cloudy, morning sky while the credits are playing. Next the camera tilts down from the sky, to a stand still shot of a house with a man by the window. This shot doesn’t change until the man is out of the house and walking down the porch stairs. The shot changes to a long shot, showing the house in full and it’s setting. During the next medium long shot, the camera zooms out as the character walks towards the camera, this to make the audience believe that the camera is walking at the same pace as the character (“C.D”). The next shot is another long shot of the area with the character (“C.D”) walking (to a destination, to deliver a tennis racket). The shot shows flowers, green grass and not a speck of litter, this means that the character lives in a nice, well-respected area.The next shots show a confrontation between two immature adult men, and “D.C” (the chief fireman). The shots included: a high angle shot showing the main character to be high then the two man, over the shoulder shot from the men’s point of view, however this is a low angle shot as the audience are looking up at “D.C”. Showing the audience that ”D.C” is the respected, hero through the film. Also, the shots include: medium shot of “D.C’s” face, but mainly long shots of the funny fight.

The shots have been edited together so that they flow quickly one after another (invisible editing). The frequency is quite slow when compared to a modern day film such as “Love Actually”.

The non-diagetic music that the audience hears when the credits are playing at the start is jazzy and uplifting. The kind of music an audience would expect from a romantic comedy. Then “D.C’s” voice is heard diegetically, while on the phone. Also, the sound of the characters shoes can be heard, while they are moving about, but this is common in many old films; as they didn’t have the technology that we have today. The music stops when the two immature men shout “Get off the sidewalk”. Clam, soothing music begins when “D.C” wins the fight”.

Sound special effects have been included, such as: the swishing of a tennis racket, and the pulling of something stuck on too tight. These types of affects, are used to show humour and where very common in old films.

Obvious comedy is shown throughout the opening scene to indicate to the audience, that the genre is correct to the film. Comedy such as “I’m bringing it, I’ve only had it about a year and a half”, and when “D.C” is making his way to his destination he is singing what he his doing. For example when he trips on the sidewalk he sings “now I’m stumbling, but I’m okay now yeahh”.

The credits are in pink (the signature colour of women), bold, italics. They are shown at random spots around the screen. The title “Roxanne” was the biggest, boldest, lettering to emphasising it.

The narrative that is displayed throughout the sequence is about the character “D.C”. “D.C” is a very fit and healthy fire fighter who borrows items and forgets to return them, such as the tennis racket. It has shown the audience that he gets very sensitive about people, staring or commenting about his nose. For example, when the two rude, arrogant men make comments about his nose, it starts a fight and ends with “D.C” walking coolly away.

Case Study: “Love Actually” – Romantic Comedy

The opening shot to the film “Love Actually” is a medium long shot and pan of a women running towards her boyfriend, embracing and then kissing, as if they haven’t seen each other in a long time. This opens the heart of the audience already, and gives them a warm happy feeling, knowing that all is okay. Throughout all the scene there are medium close ups and pan of people running towards their friends or loved ones.

Fast, invisible editing is used when jumping from one set of people to the other.

While the “love” is being shown visually, the narrator (“David”) is non-diegetically speaking. As if what is being shown is in his thoughts because he states “When ever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport.” Heathrow airport is the images we are seeing. Also, in the monologue that the narrator introduces the title “Love Actually” through and opinion, “love actually is all around”.

An orchestra plays instrumental music very lightly and delicately. To symbolise “love” and to show that it this film is delicate and fragile, like the human heart.

All the credits are at the centre, bottom of the screen, in curvy small writing. Except for the quotation “love actually is all around”, this is in the centre of the screen. However, the title isn’t any capital letters when the title comes on screen, but the only word to be emphasised is the word “is” in red. To show that it isn’t a debate, “love actually is all around”.

The location is Heathrow airport, and the props used are luggage cases. Also, the colour clothing that is worn by the characters are light, pastel colours.

Case Study: “About A Boy” – Romantic Comedy

The camera angles, movement and positing in “About A Boy” are very varied.

Throughout the starting shots the film only shows the audience “Will’s” face occasionally. To start the scene there is a high angled shot while tilting to follow a character. This gives the impression that the audience are almost spying on the character, as if they where a security camera. A close up shot was used to emphasise a clean, modern fish tank. Next there was a pan of the apartment showing modern objects and colours that symbolise “Will’s” personality.

To introduce the next character “Marcus”, a high angle, medium long shot of a poorly dressed boy on a bed was shown. This shows the difference between “Will” and “Marcus”, their characteristics and personality are completely juxtaposed. The next shot was of a hamster in a cage, again showing the difference of rich and poor. Medium long shot of “Marcus” turning the door handle to leave for school, links into “Will’s” life. Visible editing shows this, as if a new slide on a camera had just rolled by. From “Marcus” walking to school it uses a handheld camera and an extreme close up of a car key.

The ending scene shot is of “Will” diving in a flashy, expensive car to a destination. Again this shows the difference between the characters, rich and poor, old and young.

There is visible editing shown when “Marcus’s” life is linked to “Will’s” life. There is a steady pace all the way through the scene; this makes the film run smoothly.

The program “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” is first thing the audience hears (non diegetically), the questions is about the quotation “No man is an island”. The question is answered by “Will’s” non-diegetic voice, while he is talking the “About A Boy” theme tune is also played non-diegetically.

When the characters change, so do the voices, “Marcus” talks about his life and totally contradicts what “Will” had just said. Showing their differences.

The diegetic sound of the unlocking of a car links back to “Will’s” life, and then the engine of the car can also be heard diegetically, this brings the audience back down to earth after hearing about islands.

The theme tune to “About A Boy” an instrumental acoustic, happy, enlightening song.

The titles and credits of “About A Boy” are displayed to the corner of the screen without capital letters. This show the audience that, the letters are cuddly, warm and soft and therefore so are the characters hearts deep down.

For “Will’s” character light, pastel colours (mainly blue) are used throughout his apartment. The apartment is fully equipped with expensive and modern equipment, such as: flat screen TV, espresso maker, see through shelves containing modern objects. This tells the audience that “Will” is very self-proud and likes to think of him self as “pretty cool”.

However, “Marcus” is totally juxtaposed to “Will”. He is shown in the dark of the night, using dull and dank colouring, suggesting to the audience that his personality is boring and unsociable. Also, his clothing is old fashioned and looks as if it was knitted by an “old granny”.

Case Study: “Hostage” – Thriller

The opening scene shots are very unique; the directors decided to computer graphically design the city of “Los Angeles” while the credits are rolling. This means that the directors can really spread their imagination, and the unimaginable is made possible. The shots range from long shot to medium close shots of the graphical images.The human scene starts with long shot zooming out a man shouting down a phone, in a run down neighbourhood. Then the next shot is high angle long shot showing all of the body of a police officer, lying down. Showing that the police officer has been through this situation a million times and has been working through the situation for a long period. The shot moves medium close up and the steadicam swivels round so the audiences face ifs level with the characters.

The shots between the kidnapper (“Joe”) and the negotiator range from close up to long shot. Also, I many cases the medium close ups zoom out and then in too “Joe”, instead of cutting. This makes the scene seem more real.

The instrumental non-diegetic music is threatening and thrilling, but also deep and dark. There is a range of different tones produced through the characters: shouting, calm chatting, alert splutter, begging so on so forth.

These are all dramatic devices designed to gain the attention of the audience, but to also give an insight into the personalities of the characters.

The majority of characters, wear “Swat” uniforms and have gear such as: walkie-talkies and uses helicopters to give the sense of reality.

Through computer graphics the audience are shown a city full of guns, graffiti, death, crime and littler.

The credits as computer graphically crafted into the objects such sign posts and the sides of cars, while the audience are shown everything in cartoon form.

The film is edited so the shots are invisible, quick and very frequent. This is to keep the audience on the edge of their chairs.

Case Study: “Saw 4” – Horror

The opening shot was a close up of a leg, using a steadicam to slow move up the leg. The next shot is also a close up, but this time of medical implements and a saw, again using the steadicam to show all the implements. Next was a close up of a foot, but able to burled background. Long shots and medium close ups where used to show the doctors, but only masked. Medium close up on dead body, slowly zoom in to close up. Close up of medical implements, this emphasises the sharp, dangerous tools, possible weapons.

There was a lot of visible editing used, fading in and out on objects such as the leg and medical implements, emphasise them and make the audience mentally link one and two together. The shots are slow, but the frequencies of cuts are great.

The beginning credits are white with a black background, as if a light has been shining behind them.

Medical clothes, tools and setting where used to create the scene.

The music as mystical and quite to begin with other then when one of the doctors “said get homicide her now” which is when it increased in volume. Which was the end of the scene.

The narration is that a man has died from cancer (obviously known from other previous movies), and something unusual has been found in the male’s stomach, that prompted the doctor to call homicide.