Sherlock: series 1, episode 1 – power

Following the analysis of ability/ disability in this episode on a previous blog post, this analysis breaks down the aspects of power and power relationships in another clip of this same episode.

I’m not going to bore you with a full description of every detail I have picked up regarding power in this clip; but rather give a brief out line as to some of the points I have picked up ( a full analysis can be found in the diagram above anyway).

Mise-en-scene

Sherlock wears a very formal attire putting him in a higher power position than Watson, who, although dressed smartly, isn’t quite to the same level as Holmes. Furthermore, upon finding Sherlock, he is located in a laboratory often associated with education, again putting him in a position of power. Also, most of the conversation in the clip is directed by Sherlock and he often interrupts and ignores other characters.

Sound Design

When Sherlock begins with his deductions, a non-diegetic mysterious soundtrack begins to play, showing his intelligence. Added to this, the music changes to a darker sound when Watson questions his knowledge, indicating that Sherlock doesn’t like to be challenged as a character with power.

Editing

Most of the camera time is focused on Sherlock, showing his importance. Also, there is a blue filter on the scene making it look clinical, and again making Sherlock look more intelligent.

Camera Work

Most of the shots between Sherlock and other characters, Watson and Molly, are angling downwards from Holmes to them, showing his higher power status compared to them. As well as this, most of the shots include Holmes in them, thus signifying his importance and power.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is anything other than sound, camera work or editing used in a film normally in order to create an effect on the audience.

Lighting

Light: light is added to a shot in order to create a certain mood dependant on the amount added.

Shadow: shadows are normally used in a film to create an air of mystery or even fear.

Colour

Temperature: this just means the main colours in a shot. For example a predominantly res shot could insinuate evil.

Actors

Appearance: this can be conveyed through the use of costume, hair and makeup. This creates the persona of the character and the position within the narrative.

Performance: this consists of dialogue, how the dialogue is delivered, the script, facial expressions and gestures made my the actors. This is why casting is crucial in order to create a certain effect within the film.

Setting

Studio Shoot: when a scene is shot in a studio, everything, down to the last detail can be controlled. Added to this, acts such as stunts are safer and more controllable.

Location Shoot: a location shoot can be cheaper as it already exists and has a more real effect in the film.

Set Decoration: this includes props and things that can be positioned in the shot in order to fit the scene and the narrative.

Editing

Editing is used for a number of different reasons, including conveying character emotions and states, indicating passage in time and creating mood in a scene. The types of editing used include narrative editing, pace, post production editing, montages and transitions.

Narrative Editing

Continuity Editing: this means the order or chronology that the events are edited into.

Contiguity Editing: when two or more events can be happening in a screen at one time.

Temporal Editing: where events happen in a way that is abnormal to us, for example, a rewind or a slow motion shot.

Pace

The frequency of cuts between shots: this can either be shown using more cuts in an action scene or less cuts in a less action filled scene.

Post Production Techniques

Filters: such as putting a tinted lens over the camera.

Special Effects: for example, editing something that doesn’t exist into a scene such as an alien.

Colour Correction: this can be used in order to brighten or otherwise edit the colour of a shot, scene or entire film. This ensures that every shot Is consistent.

Montage

A montage is usually used to compress time or to establish a time or place. A series of clips am scenes are set to music.

Juxtaposition

Two contrasting things together in order to hi light the difference between them.

Transitions

Dissolve: where an image fizzles out to nothing or a different image.

Wipe: where the frame moves off screen.

Fade: when an image fades to black, white or another colour in order to signify sleepiness, lack of consciousness or death.

Camera Work

Camera Shots

There are three main types of camera shot, these being an over the shoulder shot, a distance shot and the way the shot is framed.

Over the shoulder shot: this shot allows the viewer to see pretty much what the character can see, and this also lets the viewer catch a glimpse of the characters reaction to events occurring.

Distance Shots: these include mid shots, long shots, extreme long shots, close ups and extreme close ups. These are all used at different times in order to create a different mood for the scene and a different audience point of view.

Framing: this includes point of view which is a technique used to make the audience feel like they are in the position of a character, seeing and experiencing whatever they do. Another technique used is the rule of thirds meaning that the object or person being focused on is on a third line of the shot, this is basically done because it is pleasing to the eye. Also used in the way of framing are two shots and three shots, which jut means how many people are focused in the shot.

Focal Length

There are three main types of focus; these are focus pull, deep focus and shallow focus.

Focus pull: when you can see the change in focus – this could be used to disorientated the viewer or show the disorientation of a character.

Deep focus: this means that there can be more than one thing in focus at once, however this is unnatural to the human eye which makes it interesting to look at.

Shallow focus: this means that only one thing can be in focus at once which is natural to the human eye submerging the viewer and tricking them into the reality of the film.

Camera Angles

The different camera angles include a canted angle, an eye level shot, a high angle, a low angle and a birds eye view.

Canted angle: this is basically a tilted camera often used to show disorientation in the film.

Eye level shot: this is exactly how it sounds, a shot taken at human eye level. This is natural to us and makes the action seem more real.

High angle: a shot taken from above the subject. This is often used to show power over the person or object.

Low angle: a shot take from below the subject. This is often used to empower the person or object.

Birds eye view: a shot taken from above often used to show the geography of an area.

Camera Movement

The types of camera movement are as follows: dolly, steadicam, handheld, arial, zoom and pan. These are all used to create different effects on the audience.

Dolly: this is where a track is laid out for the camera to run on in order to create a smooth way for the action to be followed or to get different angles on the same scene. This type of move is reproducible if anything goes wrong in the first take of filming.

Handheld: this is where the camera person holds the camera creating a shakey effect. This can be used to submerge the viewer in the action.

Steadicam: the Steadicam is a device which is attached to the camera person and creates an effect crossed between the dolly and the handheld. Although the movement is not completely smooth it is far smoother than handheld. This is useful for getting into small spaces where a dolly cannot.

Ariel: this can be achieved by using a wire, helicopter or crane. It allows the camera to get high above the events happening.

Zoom: this includes zooming in and zooming out.

Sherlock: Series 1, Episode 1 – Ability/Disability

Camera Work

• The shot of him sat in bed is at first out of focus – This shows the disorientation in his own mind and also makes it clear to the viewer that he is having a bad dream, perhaps as a result of a bad experience that has left him mentally scarred.
• When he is layer in bed the camera pans up and stops to show his face – This makes the viewer concentrate on his sleeping facial expression which looks angry, showing he is subconsciously not that sound of mind.
• When he is sat on his bed the camera tracks backwards – This shows both the geography and space of the room, letting the viewer know that he is alone, showing that the character also feels alone in the minimalistic room.
• At the end of the scene, the camera zooms in on his face – Once again this shows his facial expression – he appears ‘poker faced’ which would suggest that he is trying to hide some emotion, and the shot of his face also suggest isolation because we can’t see much background.

Sound Design

• When he wakes up a sad sound track is used – This reflects his emotions of sadness and depression.
• At the end of the scene he says “nothing happens to me” – This shows his social inactivity and aloneness.
• The woman’s voice can be heard in the scene before he is shown in the therapy room – This shows that he is tired of hearing the same people and having the same conversations about his mental health.

Mise-en-scene

• The characters face is shown to be set against a black wall – Showing a clouded or dark mind and also isolates the character.
• The character uses a walking stick – Signifies physical disability.
• At home the character wears neutral/dark colours – This shows that he is stuck in the past, in his army days, and the dark colours also represent his melancholy mood.
• The last scene is shot in a therapy clinic – This shows mantel disability.
• he wears brighter colours outside of his home – He is putting up a front to others.

Editing

• There are cuts between him and the soldiers – This shows he is stuck in the past as he still dreams about war.
• When he is in bed he fades to black – This shows his loneliness and isolation.
• Spots of white light are show over his face while he is in bed – This shows mental disorientation and confusion, and even fear.
• when he walks in to the room with the mug the image of him intensifies from nothing – This shows that he feels alone and unwanted.
• There is a fade from night to day – This shows that he is unaware of any passage of time.

Sound Design

This diagram basically explains the different types of sound that can be created or heard within the filming industry.

1. Diegetic Sound:
Sound that purports to originate from the world of the film
E.g. Dialogue coming out of a characters mouth, sounds shown in shot etc.

2. Non-diegetic Sound:
Sound added in, post production, in order to manipulate the audience
E.g. Music, voice over, narration

3. Complied Score:
Pre written music that is added in to the soundtrack of the film

4. Composed Score:
Music that is specifically composed do the film in order to create a particular effect

Most films are made up of both composed and compiled.

5. Synchronous sound match:
Sound that matches the evens happening
E.g. Someone talking

6. Asynchronous sound:
Sound that doesn’t match the events happening
E.g. A visual of a metronome with the soundtrack of a hammer.

Team America World Police (Trey Parker, 2004)

Team America is a puppet using comedy, based on the global impacts of American politics.The members of Team America’s World Police are a less than helpful group regarding American or global safety and unknowingly cause more damage than help.

Mind you, this film isn’t for the faint hearted as the narrative is packed from start to finish with crude jokes and casual racism, making it, if you’re into that kind of thing, all the funnier. Even the theme tune is peppered with obscene language. The audience is also humoured by the puppet representations of actors such as Matt Damon and Alec Baldwin, who join forces so that they can, under the orders of Korean Dictator Kim Jon Il, try to destroy the planet.

Rod Stewart – Maggie May

Written By Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton in 1971, ‘Maggie May’ is one of the most well known Rod Stewart songs of all time, featuring on the album ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’. Stewart manages to tell an ultimately sad story of the ending of a relationship  in a predominantly summery, up beat way which mostly disguises the peppering of both flat and minor chords within the main melody, but which add a sorrowful undertone to the song.

‘Maggie May’ was ultimately received well as it reached number one in the UK Singles Charts, and managed to stay there for two weeks. As well as this the song reached a respectable number 131 in the Rolling Stone’s ‘The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time’.

Eric Clapton – ‘Wonderful Tonight’

You know when you hear a song, and just think, this is a perfect wedding song? No? Me neither… Well, Clapton’s ‘Wonderful Tonight’ paints a picture of the perfect romance, one that almost everyone dreams of – almost fairy tale-like. However the cause of this song being written, although vaguely romantic, has a fairly dark underlying motive. It was later revealed by Clapton himself that the ballad was written as a cry of affection to Pattie Boyd, the wife of George Harrison, a close friend of his. However, this was not the first sign of Clapton’s love for her as it is conspired that ‘Layla’, a song previously covered on my blog, was also devoted to her around the same time as Harrison released ‘Something’, also dedicated to her, as he couldn’t contain their crazy love affair any longer. Shortly after ‘Wonderful Tonight’ was released Pattie and Clapton were wed, to the demise of Harrison, but the marriage ended ten years later in 1989.

‘Wonderful Tonight’ is something of a fond childhood memory to me. A song of the past that is still relevant to my life today. An all time favorite. Not only is the riff a classic, but Clapton’s voice is beautifully memorizing, yet rustic, perfectly complimenting and contrasting the ballad-like nature of the song. ‘Wonderful Tonight’ takes the top spot as my favorite song.