Rhetorical Analysis of Media

What is the story being told here?

Mise-En-Scene  Pronounced “mees-ahn-sahn” - ick  Translation: “put in the scene”  Everything that goes into a shot  NOT editing/post- production

Let’s see another great example…  Pay close attention:  Mise-en-scene  How does this scene play out?  Why?  What elements help support the story?

Movement  Early cameras were fixed, but today they move.

Zoom  The movement of an image only through the lens  The camera doesn’t move, but the lens does.  Allows the audience to move toward and away from images.  Zoom IN & Zoom OUT

Pan versus Tilt  Each features movement along ONE axis  PAN: The camera pivots left or right, left to right, or right to left on a horizontal axis

Pan versus Tilt  Each features movement along ONE axis  TILT: The camera pivots up or down on a vertical axis

Boom or Crane Shot  The camera moves through the air  The camera is lifted vertically with a boom or crane

Shot  A single length of film produced by continuous running of the camera  Can be as short as one frame (example from The Graduate?) or as long as an entire film! Time Code

Tracking Shot  Also known as a “dolly” shot : each named for the mechanical devices used in filmmaking

Tracking Shot  Camera follows action through space  The entire camera moves horizontally with, toward, or away from the subject  Subject = focal point (character, object, landscape, etc.)

Some Famous Tracking Shots  A Touch of Evil: Orson Welles, 1958  Boogie Nights: Paul Thomas Anderson, 1997

Two Great Tracking Shots! Alfonso Cuaron (Y tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Shot Size  Shots are defined by the size of the subject within the film frame.  A LOT can happen in one shot.  The size of a subject can vary within a single shot.

Long Shot  Shows the entire figure

Close Up  Part of the subject takes up much of the entire screen

Medium Shot  The midpoint between long and close up  It shows the body from about the waist up

Extreme Close Up  Part of the subject takes up all of the entire screen

Medium Close Up  Mid-point between Medium shot and Close up

Extreme Long Shot  Subject is fully seen in the distance of the shot

Camera Angles  Camera is usually at eye level, but can vary for particular effect  Often Objective POV (though can be Subj. or Indirect-Subj.)  Offers “normal” view of the world

High Angle  High angle - taken from above subject  The Shining (1980)  What effect does this image have on the audience?

Low Angle  Low angle - taken from below subject  Equilibrium (2002)  What effect does this image have on the audience?

Add the word “EXTREME”…  EXTREME HIGH ANGLE:  Pink Floyd’s The Wall (1982)

Add the word “EXTREME”…  EXTREME LOWANGLE:  The Shining (1980)

The Camera is your FRIEND! Think about how you can manipulate it to striking effect in your own movie!