MISE-EN-SCÈNE Presentation: GODZILLA Presented By Luizangel Walle

The Shot

The Dominant The Dominant is the object the eye is Drawn to first in the shot. The Red Japanese Lanterns are the dominant. They are the only object in focus and they contrast against the grey dust and Godzilla’s dark skin. The Lanterns draw attention to themselves so the audience can be associated with their size as compared to the towering Godzilla. Garreth Edwards wanted to establish that this rendition of Godzilla is the largest ever created in scale.

Lighting Key The Lighting featured in this screenshot is low key lighting. The Shadows are diffused and the only source of light comes from the single lightning strike coming from behind Godzilla, but even then the light is very weak. The shadows in the dust are used to convey an ominous mood such as calmness before a storm. The two monsters are about to battle. The lightning strike, however, conveys a feeling of hope. Godzilla is not necessarily here to save the people but he is the solution to the problem at hand.

Shot and Camera Proxemics Godzilla is framed in a Medium long shot suggested by the cutting just above what would be his knees. However, because of his size the camera had to be placed extremely far away. The Medium long shot establishes that he is the subject of the shot but the distance suggests a lack of intimacy with the audience. The audience is no where near as powerful as Godzilla, established when several efforts to pacify the monsters were futile. The audience can only watch as the monsters fight.

Camera Angle The Camera Angle on Godzilla is a low angle shot. This angle makes Godzilla seem larger than he already is and implies his power. It also implies respect for Godzilla as he is the only one who even has a chance of destroying the other monsters that have been terrorizing the globe. The power difference suggested by this shot also implies that a human would never be strong enough to control him.

Color Values The Dominant color in the shot is gray but there is red at the bottom of the screen for contrast. The lightning is also a lighter shade of grey. The grey helps set an ominous mood for the dire situation the humans are in. However, the lighter grey behind Godzilla represents hope for a happy ending. The happy ending can only be achieved through Godzilla’s victory. The red at the bottom represents the rage of the opposing monsters which is nothing compared to Godzilla’s strong regal disposition.

Lens/Filter/STock The type of lens being used is wide angle lens because it takes in a broad areal and increases the illusion of depth as demonstrated with Godzilla’s positon compared to the red lanterns. The film stock is also very fast as it needs to pick up low light. These features are combined to set up the arena where the monsters will fight. The battle takes place at night so a fast film stock is used to register low light and the wide angle lens can capture a large amount of the city in a single frame.

Subsidiary contrasts Subsidiary contrasts are the next place where the eye goes. The Subsidiary contrast here is the towering body of Godzilla. He is meant to blend in with the background to make the screenshot seem more like a painting of his power rather than make him seem like a monster. The fact that he is not the focus also makes it seem like the battle Godzilla is about to fight is no big deal or one of many.

Density The Density of the detail is about moderate. The red lanterns in the foreground are highly detailed while the detail on Godzilla is covered by dust and shadows. The lack of detail on Godzilla hides an facial expression that could have been made out. This leaves the intention of Godzilla unknown to the audience. We do not know what he is thinking and therefore his presence here is a mystery.

Composition Godzilla is centered in this shot with strong vertical and horizontal composition. His vertical composition suggests his power. His horizontal composition suggests confidence. These two elements combined translates into Godzilla’s calm control of the situation.

Form The form is a closed frame. The red lanterns are lined up on the bottom of the screen and Godzilla is, not trapped, but placed in the center. The red lanterns are like a red velvet rope you would see in front of a celebrity implying that the audience is not worthy of stepping in his presence. He is placed in the center of the screen like an idol at a shrine representing something much larger than humanity.

Framing The framing is very loose in this shot. The loose framing suggests that Godzilla has the freedom to make any decision he wants in this situation and we have no right to stop him.

Depth of Field There is solid foreground and background in this image. Godzilla is part of the background in this image. The fact that Godzilla is in the background is a testimony to his scale. He is not separate from the landscape he is part of the landscape in this shot.

Character placement Godzilla is positioned in the center and near the top of the frame. His center placement suggests that he holds an extreme significance in the situation and his positioning near the top of the screen suggests authority and control.

Staging position Godzilla is shot from a full-front position Normally this shot suggests intimacy but the distance from the camera negates that notion. Instead, the shot invites the audience to sit in awe and reverence as Godzilla does what he does best.

Character Proxemics The proxemics between Godzilla and the person the audience identifies with, the camera, are at a public distance. This range tends to be formal emphasizing Godzilla’s regal appearance. It also distances the audience from Godzilla making him an unfamiliar towering figure.