Draft 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fJiyYwCyEI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fJiyYwCyEI

How does the use of performance and Mise-en scene sympathy in the Loki discovers he is a frost giant film sequence for Thor 2009?

The establishing shot is of a low angle of the tesaract which tilts up to show Loki walking up to it in middle shot. The low shot to me shows that the tesaract is powerless when someone is not controlling it and when it tilts up and shows Loki walking up to it, it shows that it has more power with Loki.

The sound in the background is empty, ere sound with footsteps of Loki walking up to the tesaract and his heavy breathing, most of the sound is exaggerated due to the echo in the room. There is also an exaggerated sound as he picks up the tesaract.

There is a straight cut to a close up of the tesaract and Loki picking it up with an exaggerated sound as he picks up the tesaract, then another straight cut to a mid-shot of Loki holding the tesaract, when a heavy breath comes from Loki the camera pans to the right this is to show more of the background for when another character comes in. A loud echoed "stop" comes and you can see a gold figure in the background as well as fires which light the room. The room is dark and has low key lighting, this is mainly to do with how this realm is based on Viking times and they haven't got any electricity so everything is lit with fire, it also goes with the scene in the way that this is a dark time for Loki as he is about to discover the truth of his parentage and it also give a hint towards the end, showing that it is going to end badly and someone is going to be in a dark place.

In this scene Loki is wearing green and black, the green represents envy and jealousy which Loki is towards his broth Thor and the black represents darkness which Loki is heading for and Loki's hair is long and black, the black hair is there as a hint for me it is a clue that because Loki's mother, father and brother in the film all have light hair, it shows that Loki doesn't belong and that he is different and in this scene you find out that he is, Odin is dressed in gold, the gold shows power and wealth and this gives a clue that he is in a higher authority, which he is as king.

In the background there is a water dripping sound, this give the scene a sense of coldness. There is a straight cut to a mid-shot of Loki's back and in front of him is a yellow pointed rectangle, the fainted yellow is slightly representing hope that something good would come of this but as it is faded it is unlikely.

In the middle shot of Loki putting down the tesaract and turning around, you see that he is blue and this is because it is revealing what he really looks like because he is a frost giant not an Asgarden prince. When Loki says “what more than that” he sounds angry and bitter this shows us that he has just found out that he is different and that he is upset and angry that he was never told. Then it has a straight cut to an extreme long shot behind Loki so you can see Loki’s waste up and all of Odin in the distance, this shot shows how far apart the two characters are in the sense of mentally because Loki has spent so long thinking one thing and now that has changed and the secret has distanced Loki for Odin. Then a straight cut of a mid/ close up shot of Loki walking towards Odin asking him about where he came from, but the facial expression shows that Loki is hurt and that adds to the anger in his voice. Then there’s a straight, close up shot of Odin and Odin is to the right of the screen leaving the left of the screen blank, on Odin face you can see sadness and I can tell that he is sorry for not telling Loki and that he found out this way, so the blankness to me shows that he has now lost something.  

    

Another shot is an extreme long shot of Odin and Loki, Odin is on steps and Loki is at the bottom of the steps. So Odin is higher than Loki looking down at him, this shows that Odin is more powerful and in control as Loki is almost powerless and helpless. This shot is also common in horror films where the villain/murder is at the top of the steps and the victim is at the bottom, so you could say that Loki is the victim and Odin is the villain.

During this scene there is a flash back of Odin finding Loki as a baby, its tilt to a close up of the crying blue baby, then a straight cut to an over the shoulder shot of the baby, while this shot goes on there is a non-diegetic voice over of Odin explaining what happened to Loki, as he talks there is a straight cut to a low angle shot of Odin holding the baby, the low angle shows Odin higher than the baby to give him more power and to me this shows that he is the position to make the choice to keep and raise the baby or to get rid of it. Another straight cut shows a close up of the baby, and in this shot the baby goes from blue, the colour it was born with to the same skin tone of Odin, to me this makes me a bit sad because it shows that even from a baby Loki was trying to fit in and be like everybody else even if he didn’t know he was doing it.

A straight cut leads to a close up of Loki back to the scene and you can see in his eyes the tears he is holding back, and he is looking away from the camera, like he is avoiding looking at Odin this tells me that Loki once looked at Odin as a farther because that what he thought to be true and now he now it’s not he doesn’t see Odin in the same way. When Loki looks at Odin and starts to ask questions it continues a reverse shot between Loki and Odin, this helps create tension between the two characters and it helps build up the dialog and to the emotion that Loki and Odin are both feeling, Loki more than Odin. When Loki yells “tell me” you can see how angry and short tempered he is begging to be and you can see faint little tears that have ran down his face, to me this shows that he is trying to hide that he feels upset and betrayed by showing anger.

When it gets to the point where Loki is saying “because I’m the monster parents tell their children about at night” to me this is Loki cracking and this piece of dialog tells you, what Loki thinks of himself more than anything because it is tells me that he always thought that he was different and an outcast and now he sees himself as an monster because he is a frost giant and Loki has been brought up to hate this race because of Asgard being at war with them. When Loki goes on to say “this explains why you favoured Thor all these years…” Loki shows that he compares himself to Thor and see that his “farther” loves Thor more than him and so this furthers his anger towards himself and he always blamed himself but now he knows that it is because he isn’t who he thought he was. This makes me feel sorry for Loki because he has been lied to all his life and it shows that over the years because of this difference he never knew existed he built up this resentment towards his brother.

As Loki is saying this Odin is starting to collapse and getting lower and lower to the floor, and sits almost lying on the steps as Loki angrily storms up to him. Loki is above Odin as he is yelling and a straight cut to low angle where you can see part of Loki looking bigger, more powerful than Odin, and Odin is reaching out his hand weakly needing help but Loki is too angry to care for Odin so he continues. Another straight cut to a low angle showing Loki towering Odin with pure anger and portrayal on his face and in his voice. The low angle shows Loki higher because as Odin has become weak making Loki the stronger powerful one. After Odin is lying down there is a straight cut to Loki’s face and now seeing the man who raised him almost on deaths bed you can see sorrow in his eyes.

There is an extreme close up where you can see Odin breathing heavily and Loki reaches out and touches his hand, this shows that Loki still sees Odin as someone he cares for because when you care for someone and you look out for them you hold there hand to show that you are here for them and that what Loki is doing.      

The shinning essay- Abbie Leeson

The first scene I have chosen is “come play with us” this is where Danny is riding his bike through the hotel when he sees a pair of twins and they start speaking to him and then there are flashes of the girls when they have been butchered. Danny and his bike are red this is indicating that danger is about to arise from the situation he is in. The view of the hallways shows the isolation and emptiness of the hotel because there is no one around compared to a regular hotel where there would be maids, butlers, staff, guests etc. The establishing shot is a backwards tracking extreme long shot of Danny riding his bike through the halls. The in the first hallway the walls sounding him are green, this could represent sickness which would be a hint of what is to come in the film and the scene or jealously which could relate to the supernatural element of the film because Danny is living and the ghosts that are in the hotel are not. There is none dietetic music in the background which has an eerie tone to it, the music is there to build up tension to what is going to happen next. The music when Danny is about to turn the corner, it starts to go down and then a final high to rise and disappear when he turns the corner into a different hallway. The next shot is a long shot still tracking backwards of Danny riding in the hallway, the walls have slight hints of green in them to represent sickness and jealously. The hallway is under low key lighting as there are shadows along the hallway, low key lighting is a convention among horror films as it creates darkness and shadows which at some point in my life I have been scared of, so by using this convention the film maker is trying to play on people’s fears old or new. The carpet that Danny is riding on is blue, and as he turns the corner and sees the twins they are also wearing blue, the blue could indicate coldness, as in lack of emotion and cold hearted, being alone which Danny is during this scene and isolation which would go with being in the hotel as they are away from any civilization. The colours on the walls seem to be bluer than green representing how Danny is alone with the twins. There is also a red exit sign near the twins, the exit sign is showing how it isn’t going to be the same after this because Danny has started seeing people who aren’t there and this could change his character or that this is one of the first signs where this movie is a horror movie so it is indicating that the murder and ghosts, etc. are going to be more frequent from now on.  There is none dietetic music in the background which sound like symbols rubbing against each other and this is a loud sound that after when there is a light drum sound and creepy music follows you can tell how different they are and how the mood has changed from Danny having fun on his bike to seeing these twins which are scaring him. There is a straight cut to a close up of Danny where you can tell by his facial expressions that he is scared, and you can see him breathing heavily which happens a lot in horror films because it is like the victims breathe is being taken away. After the girls have said a few lines there are straight cuts to the twins dead bodies lying on the ground, blood are splatted up the wall and along the floors, the red blood could represent evil and as it is spread around it could be as if the evil is spread around.   

The next scene I have chosen is when Jack and the butler are talking in the bathroom. The establishing shot is an extreme long shot so you can see the most of the bathroom and Jack and the Butler walking in. The bathroom is almost completely red with bits that are white, the red could represent the evil within the two characters and or Jacks anger, and the white could be innocents and because the white is overpowered by the red it could be showing how evil is corrupting innocence. Jack is wearing a red jacket showing his evil and angry side of him is showing, but the butler is wearing black and white, you could associate the black with death, showing that he is death himself helping Jack and influencing him to try and murder his wife and son, it could also be showing that he himself is dead. Jack is also wearing blue jeans, so in the room are the American flag colours red, white and blue, this could be to distinctly show where the hotel is or it could be showing how America is crazy because Jack isn’t talking to a real person and he hasn’t had real drink spill on him. The next shot is a medium shot of the waist upwards; this shows the Butler cleaning Jack with a white tissue, this could represent how the butler is trying to wipe away the rest of Jacks innocents and make him completely psychotic. There is a quiet non dietetic sound playing in the background, it isn’t building any tension, it fits with the scene where noting action based is happening, eventually you begin to notice the music dies down and it turns into the noise of the people at the party through the door. After a conversation there is a straight cut to an extreme long shot, in this shot you can see that the door matches the red on the walls this could show that when he leaves through he door he is walking into madness, anger and evil, red is often used as a convention in horror films as it symbolises a lot, anger, evil, love and passion, this shows me that in horror films people always experience big emotions instead of small one for example they don’t like someone they love them, they don’t dislike someone they hate them. 

the thin red line

The sequence begins with an establishing point of view shot of the surroundings from the position of the soldiers walking through it, showing the position they are in, dietetic sound is used at this point to show the wildlife around the area, as sounds of crickets are heard alongside wind and rustling of grass, this shows how quiet the location is, and connotes the fact it may be isolated, invoking danger of the soldiers in the next shot. There is then a straight cut to a backwards tracking mid-shot, revealing the position of the soldiers, alongside there expressions. The soldier at the front is more in focus, and attention is drawn to the mise-en-scene, particularly regarding his uniform and weapons, as well as the concentration on his face. This helps to create the war-like atmosphere of the sequence, as the isolation of the environment and the nature of the people walking through it hints that there is a war going on at that time. At this point the sequence is very slow paced, with non dietetic music added over the top, as well as the long takes used in this part of the sequence, this makes the mood more relaxed, however slow tension is building up as the shots begin to get quicker, showing the danger that is going to come later in the sequence.

There is then a straight cut to a long shot of a change of scenery, therefore matching on action is used to create continuity between the two settings. The mew area is more claustrophobic, and low-key lighting is used to create more of a suspicious atmosphere of where the characters have moved to. This long shot shows how the surroundings overwhelm the soldiers, and how they are vulnerable, the camera slowly pans across the scene from left to right, further emphasizing the density of the forest they are in. A straight cut is then use to a close up of a statue of a monkey, this close up tells us that this is an important part of the sequence, and that it is symbolic, low-key lighting is still used at this point, showing the fear and mystery behind the statue, it also further explains the location, as it shows they are not as isolated as previously thought, as there must be some form of civilization in order for a statue to be placed there originally. The camera pans to the right of this statue slowly, showing more detail of it and showing even more that it is significant to the plot of the sequence through use of a long pan shot.

After the shot of the statue there is a straight cut to a long shot of the surroundings, the camera slowly tilts upwards showing the trees, along side the light coming through it in contrast to the low key lighting the soldiers are experiencing, this shows how the forest continues to isolate them, as it manages to block everything including light from it, there is a non dietetic narrative in the point of view of the soldier at this point, providing some exposition to the story and telling why they are in the station. There is then a straight cut to an extreme close up of a parrot, this backs up the location, showing that they are in a wild tropical location where wildlife is abundant, again adding to the idea of how isolated they are and how this is a threat to them, the camera slowly begins to tilt upwards, showing another parrot in the shot, again emphasis this idea of wildlife. The next shot begins with a long shot of some the forest, before tilting down to show a long shot of the soldiers, this shows how much the mass of foliage overwhelms them, and after panning from left to right, there is a close up focus of bamboo canes, showing how claustrophobic the area is and how trapped they are, despite being in such a massive area, this shows that they are lost and unable to find a way out, yet the size of the forest is still able to show there insignificance compared to the mass of the location around them.

The next transition used is a cross dissolve, giving a slow pace to the sequence, this gives the idea that a long amount of time has passed, and puts the point across that the soldiers must be working hard and travelling far to get what they are after and what is happening, the camera pans to the left as the characters walk, drawing attention to a one character, there is a straight cut to a close up of his face, showing his tired and fearful expression, making adamant this point about there effort filled travels through this setting. Another straight cut is used to show the expression of another soldier, this expression is similar, showing the lack of morale the group have at the time and the pain they are going through in there efforts.

There is then a straight cut to a close up shot of a woman, the attention is drawn to her hands holding the other characters, giving a theme of romance during the flashback, the camera tilts back up to her face, showing them kiss, and the shot is then repeated in a similar way, showing there hands holding in the same take, this shows the significance of the romance and how the soldier is remembering the past, it also tells us what he has to lose while at war, and gives a feeling of fear and empathy on the audience due to the fact he could lose somebody close to him. There is then a cross dissolve, showing that the flashback is over, and giving a long shot of the forest and soldiers beneath the trees, this long shot emphases the distance between home and where they are, and how far they must go in order to reach there goals, The camera tilts upwards, showing a large mountain and a higher number of soldiers marching over it, the feeling of the sequence grows more serious and tense at this point, as you begin to realize the amount of troops needed for whatever is going on and the danger implied by this.