1. Skyfall Film Techniques
Directed by Sam Mendes

2. Lighting
Lighting is used by the directors and cinematographer to create MOOD and ATMOSPHERE.
Two types of lighting used are LOW-KEY LIGHTING and HIGH-KEY LIGHTING.

3. Lighting
LOW-KEY lighting is when the lighting of a scene is very dark, with shadows and only a few bright spots. This helps create TENSION in a scene, and indicates that something may be about to happen, or to emphasise a subdued mood.

4. Lighting
HIGH-KEY lighting is when a shot is evenly lit, with few dark areas. There tends not to be a lot of tension in scenes like this.

5. Lighting Which of the below images are LOW-KEY and HIGH-KEY lighting?
What effect does it create for the audience?

6. Lighting

7. Lighting

8. Lighting
Looking at lighting in the following clips, what effect does it have on the audience?
How does the director use lighting to convey meaning in these scenes? Make notes in your jotter.

9. Film Techniques - Sequence
What is a SEQUENCE?
In the same way that you know the code for getting words in a sentence in the right order (you don’t say, for example. ‘Name my John is’), the film maker has codes for conveying his messages. A film-maker’s ‘sentence’ is a sequence of shots; and to make sense they come in a definite order.

10. Camera Shots and Angles
Long shots are often used at the start of a film to tell you where a film is set.
A long shot is taken from far away and shows a big picture.
Look at the following long shots and discuss what information the director might be wanting to tell the audience about where and when the film will take place or even what kind of film it will be.

11. Long Shot
Where is this?
Note how just one image instantly sets this film in a particular place.
With one frame the director tells the audience where the film will be set, but also suggests the film genre/plot/type of characters we may encounter.

12. Another long shot Where is this?
What kind of a film would begin with this sort of image?

13. Describe this shot
What kind of a feeling does this image give the audience?

14. Medium Shot
This is often used to show characters in a background, and is any shot up to waist up.

15. Medium Shot
This is a typical medium shot, placing a character in a background.

16. Close Up The next type of camera shot is the close up.
These are often used to show how a person is feeling.
A close up can also focus in on a thing to emphasise it.

17. Close Up What emotion do you think this boy is showing?
How is he feeling?

18. More close ups How are these people feeling?
How do you feel when you look at these images?

19. Close Ups How do you feel when you see this close up?
Why do you think the film maker used this shot?

20. Close Ups How do you feel when you see this close up?
Why do you think the film maker used this shot?

21. Close ups can also be used for things.

22. EXTREME CLOSE UP.
It is when the camera focuses very closely in on a subject.

23. Task
We are now going to watch a scene from a film. Complete the camera shot worksheets, writing down when you see a shot used and the effect it has.
Think about how these shots have been used in this film. Is it effective?

24. Camera Angles We are going to look at 2 kinds of camera angles:
A high camera angle – when the camera looks down on a person or thing.
A low camera angle – when the camera looks up at a person or thing.

25. High Camera Angle
Here is a camera man up high aiming his camera DOWN at the subject for a high camera angle.

26. High camera angles look down on the subject

27. High Camera Angle
This shot from The Lord of the Rings shows Frodo looking down on Gollum making him look small and weak.

28. High Camera Angle
What is the director trying to CONVEY through this camera angle? What does this shot EMPHASISE?

29. Low Camera Angle
A low angle shot is when the camera is aimed UP at the subject.

30. Low Camera Angle
A low camera angle makes the person look powerful and strong.
It was frequently used in propaganda to highlight the strengths and omnipotence of leaders, such as Hitler.

31. Low Camera Angle
At this point in the film, Silva has been captured by Bond. However, the low camera angle suggests he still holds a measure of power.
By placing the audience below this character, Mendes conveys that Silva is still a threat and therefore is less vulnerable than we may immediately believe.

32. What camera angle is this? What effect does it create?

33. What kind of shot is this? Why would a director use this?

34. What film genre is this? How do we know?

35. What is this shot called. What does it tell us about the movie
What is this shot called? What does it tell us about the movie? Think about setting, genre, possible plot and characters.

36. What camera angle is used here? What does it suggest?

37. This is an ACTION movie – true or false? How do we know?

38. Explain Low-key and High-key lighting.

39. What kind of shot is this?

40. Sound Techniques Music
Sound effects (SFX)- thunder, car horns, ringing bells or any other sound
Background noise (people talking, traffic)
Accent (the accent that characters have)
Dialogue (what characters say)

41. Sound Techniques What do you think these techniques are used for?
Music (background or soundtrack)
Sound effects (SFX)
Background noise

42. Music
Watch the following clip, and think about how the change in the music effects the scene.

43. Sound Now, let’s watch part of the movie.
Make a note in your jotter of when you see:
Certain sound techniques, such as music or SFX
Note down the effect these have on the scene
Why has the director used these?
What do they emphasise?
What meaning is he trying to convey to us?

44. Mise-en-scène
The arrangement of everything that appears in the framing – actors, lighting, décor, props, costume – is called mise-en-scène, a French term which means “placing on stage.”
The frame and camerawork also constitute the mise-en-scène of a movie.
It basically means everything what you see in each scene of a film.

45. What do we look for? Setting and props. Costume and make up.
Lighting and colour.
The way items and people are positioned.
ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS CAN TELL US MORE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS, SETTING AND PLOT

46. Setting and Props
In a movie like Saving Private Ryan, the soldiers are thrust into a well- planned, military mission, that is incredibly dangerous.
Some of the PROPS that emphasises this are the soldiers’ weapons:

47. Setting and Props
Comment on the use of props in this scene from Skyfall – what is it showing us about Bond at this stage in the film?

48. Costumes and Make Up
What COSTUMES are used in the movie to tell us more about the characters?

49. The Way Items and People are Positioned
The most important thing in a shot is usually placed IN THE CENTRE
Our eye naturally falls to the centre of a frame
Film makers use this to their advantage and place what they want us to focus on most in the middle of the shot

50. The Way Items and People are Positioned

51. Mise-en-scène Look at this frame
Why do you think the mise-en-scène has been arranged like this?
What does it tell us?

53. Mise-en-scène Look at this frame
Why do you think the mise-en-scène has been arranged like this?
Think about the COLOURS in the frame – what do they represent?

54. Task Choose a key scene from the movie
In your notebooks, describe the mise-en-scène, and what this
tells us about the CHARACTERS, SETTING and PLOT
Remember, you need to include:
- Setting and props
- Costume and make up
- Lighting and colour
- The way items and people are positioned

55. Symbolism
A symbol is an object, action or idea that represents something other than itself, often of a more abstract nature.
Often, a film will use symbols to emphasise a movie’s themes, ideas and issues.

56. The Paintings
The Fighting Temeraire by J.M.W. Turner depicts a ship being towed in, reflecting that Bond is not just broken down but being retired.
However, in M’s office the painting shows a ship is heading out to sea, reflecting not just that Bond is functional, but he is needed and in use – at least in M’s eyes.

57. Shanghai Fight Sequence
The fight sequence in this scene is entirely in silhouette – this shows that whilst Bond has maintained a perfect form regarding his physical skills, we are not allowed to glimpse anything of the man behind this. Mendes’ use of this mise-en-scène could suggest that Bond has lost part of his sense of self.
It also alludes to this world of ‘shadows’ that M refers to, where Bond and agents like him exist.
The jellyfish behind is also a clever use of symbolism – jellyfish famously have no brain. This emphasises the notion of Bond as a ‘blunt instrument’, who follows orders as directed and is used by others.

58. Skyfall “Orphan’s always make the best recruits.”
Bond’s childhood home acts as a symbol on different levels – it allows him to ‘remember’ who he is, reconciling his skill as an agent with the motivation and passion that once drove him.
It also acts as a symbolic setting for the two parent/child relationships in the film – Bond’s relationship with M, and Silva’s Freudian rejection of her as a parental figure.
These strands all culminate in the climactic scene, as Silva shows that his obsession with M as ‘Mommy’ is ultimately self-destructive, and Bond once again loses a ‘parent’, as M dies in his arms after hinting at the affection she has – and has always had – for him.
The destruction of the house could also represent Bond finally letting go of his grief over the loss of his parents.

59. Task
In your notebooks, note down any possible SYMBOLS used in the film.
You should write down what the symbol is, as well as what you think it represents.

60. Task
In groups, now note down as many example of the different techniques as you can.
You should note down what the technique is, describe it, roughly when it appears in the movie, and – most importantly – the meaning it conveys.