Wes Anderson analysis I have chosen to study the film director Wes Anderson with attention to the domestic interior sets he uses in his films. This is because of the very stylized and recognisable way he records the settings. His ‘aesthetic guideline’ shapes the way each story is portrayed. It becomes clear after watching a Wes Anderson film, of the attention put into creating a very ordered and precise looking world. The camera shots at eye-level are often so horizontal that the image appears flat or are from above, recording the entire scene. This frequent use of right angles is an example of the technical precision he employs. He uses symmetrical rooms (stairs in particular) ensuring the walls are at exactly the same angle from the camera. …show more content…
Therefore the lighting fixtures are commonly seen, these again reflect the scene being shot. For ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ chandeliers are often used to portray the grandeur of the hotel. In the room of Agatha (a pastry chef) the lighting is bare, with a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling and a bedside lamp. These stylistic aspects combined create the deliberate, artificial, theatrical effect of Wes Anderson’s films, his imagery is too perfect and polished for it to be reality. However the continuity of the meticulously crafted imagery throughout his films (at least for the duration of the film) temporarily replaces reality (despite the film itself not being reality). Of course, there is a whole team behind Wes Anderson for each film he creates. Anderson (as with his cast members) often uses the same production team each time. Cinematographer Robert Yeomans is responsible for delivering the anamorphic (shooting a widescreen picture on a camera with a non-widescreen native ratio), soft lighting, theatre-like compositions and x/y plane camera movements. Adam Stockhausen is the art director Anderson frequently uses, Stockhausen works with Anderson (who brings him reference media and drawings of the scene) to create a guide to the film’s imagery, (this includes tiny details such as carpet patterns or more obvious details like balancing colour). However their guidance for each scene comes from
In effect all the techniques mentioned above portray a society of individuals who are weary of the world they live in. They are rejects who lead a pitiful existence in a wasteland called earth because they are not fit enough to go the out-world colonies. Suppressing their own natural instincts for the sake of physically surviving they really the walking dead. Scientific progress conducted not for the best interests of humanity but for the best interests of business has effectively brought about the progressive degradation of society. By exploiting and destroying the natural world human can no more find solace or beauty so as to recuperate their weary minds and rekindle their dying spirits. In summary the techniques that are unique to film such as camera, lighting, costuming, colour and location works in conjunction with common literary techniques such as visual symbolism, irony and characterisation to effectively convey the relationship between humanity and nature.
“Thursday”, a 1991 short film by Leighton Pierce, is described by the filmmaker as “something to do with the sensory pleasure of momentary solitude in a domestic setting” (Pierce). Through viewing the piece, it can be observed by the viewer that Pierce desired to capture this essence through the mere use of two naturally generated elements; visuals and sounds. These elements are primarily created by the “domestic setting”, which is Pierce’s own household. Through “Thursday”, Pierce uses a combination of sounds and visuals to emphasize the otherwise unnoticed “sensory pleasure of momentary solitude in a domestic setting”.
Cinematography John F. Seitz used lighting and camera angles in such a way to create a loneliness and hopefulness atmosphere. The crime scene at the beginning of the film, for example, used a distortion
The director Roman Polanski likes to make a lot of scenes in his movies through doorways and windows, and the reason of that is simply because in that way, he creates a bigger sympathy with the audience, they get to see the films from the main characters o...
Anderson builds all of his worlds from the ground up. Each one is a microcosm: a miniature version of humanity. Freelance film critic Calum Marsh once said that “people tend to talk about Wes Anderson movies as if they were toys — dioramas, playsets, miniatures. They do have a certain handmade quality, in the way they've been assembled and furnished, but it's more than that. I think it has something do with the way their component parts and pieces seem so meticulously and painstakingly put together, organized, and orchestrated as if by a very dedicated child.” (Marsh). Anderson p...
...successful collaboration of sound, colour, camera positioning and lighting are instrumental in portraying these themes. The techniques used heighten the suspense, drama and mood of each scene and enhance the film in order to convey to the spectator the intended messages.
... Film Art: An Introduction. 5th ed. of the book. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 1997.
The way that the director has manipulated the camera angle to represent the theme is more unique than I have ever seen in any other movie directors. For example, in the beginning of the movie, the director chose to have huge flakes of Vincent’s body flakes and hair falling to the floor. This scene shows how discrimination has evolved from the looks to the DNA of
For some people, it seems that the Holocaust was just a rumor, but for others it is a nightmare that will never be forgotten. The film, The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski, is based on a true story about a Polish Jew pianist named Wladyslaw Szpilman who struggled to survive the destructions of World War II in Warsaw. Szpilman and his family suffered from strict restrictions under the Nazi occupation that forced out of their homes and into ghettos and concentration camps. Eventually, Szpilman escaped and hid in various parts of the city until the war was over. The director uses a mixture of cinematic and theatrical elements in order to show the hardships, dehumanization, and degradation of the Jewish people who suffered through the Holocaust.
The film, Fruitvale Station, is based upon a true story of a young, unarmed African American male, Oscar, who was shot by a Caucasian BART police officer. The film displays the final twenty-fours of Oscar Grant’s lives going through his struggles, triumphs, and eager search to change his life around. There will be an analysis of the sociological aspects displayed throughout the movie that show racism, prejudice, and discrimination.
As with the lighting, many of the angles of the film are the same. Hallström uses eye-level angles throughout most of the film. The simplicity of this technique adds to the minimalism characterized throughout the film, the town of Endora is a simple place and the Grapes are a simple family, using mostly eye-level angles supports the simplistic vibe of the story. Hallström uses a few oblique angles at times of distress and panic. One example of this is when Gilbert wakes up with Becky in the field and he realizes he needs to go home and fix the damage that he has done to his family. Another example of this technique is when Mama Grape dies and Arnie finds her. She is shot at an oblique angle, which emulates the distress that Arnie then feels for the loss of his mother. One other varying technique is when he shows Arnie up in the tree. He is shot from below, putting him in somewhat of a power position at the top of the shot shows the power he has over the family. Arnie is what is keeping them together and keeps them working hard for a better life.
Mise en scene is a French term that is defined as the overall point of view of a movie or the "placing on stage". In other words, it refers to the combined experience of what the viewers hear, see and think of when they watch a movie. The mise en scene of a movie catches the attention of the viewers’ moods as much as lighting, props sounds, and smells do. It alerts their emotional response system to a real-life setting, which is conveyed in the movie.
1980. Warner Bros. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Music by Wendy Carlos and Rcachel Elkind. Cinematography by John Alcott. Editing by Ray Lovejoy. With Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd.
The camera is always at the level of the actors, as if someone is holding it. The camera is always at the level of the characters, even when it is moving. It never appears to come from different angles, a stable of Italian Neorealist films. There also appears to be very little staged lighting in the various shots.(That is, lighting that is purposely placed.) Instead, the lighting appears to be natural from the sun. To go along with that, it is apparent that there has been very little editing done. For instance, techniques such as straight cut, fade, or dissolve are not used (here or anywhere in the film.) Also, means such as cross cutting or matching shots are not employed. These stylistic features of the scene are consistent throughout the film, and are overarching qualities in Italian Neorealist
In this essay I will be analysing the use of cinematography in two films, using Peeping Tom (1960) directed by Michael Powell and Psycho (1960) directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The reason why I choose these two films is because although they are from the same genre, and from the same period, the methods both films use are similar and at the same time completely different.