Case Study 1

Case Study 1

“District 9” opening sequence

The piece of media text, I have chosen to analyse  is ‘District 9’ I will be looking into how the micro features such as the camera choices, sound and  mise en scene,  fit into the generic conventions of film; and why they are used to provide information instead of others. I will also explore editing; and how it is cut with, credits.  Plus in what aspect does sound play a key role?  Especially the contrasts between the uses of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. I will analyse how this can and can not be relevant, to what I would want to achieve in my end media product.

The credits begin in a basic layout with a black background and clear white font. This has been done on purpose, to establish the main contributions to the film; plus the main action takes place later on, when we are introduced to the main character; this is something I can do in my own title sequence . The first credit is presented of the director and creator (Peter Jackson) this is generic in film, that the director gets the main acknowledgement. Plus there is no sound when his name is introduced; it lasts on the screen for exactly 0.06 seconds, where next title (Tristar Pictures and block Hanson) it along with (Wingnut Films)lasts for 0.05 seconds however is introduced with non-diegetic sound, of a corporate environment, putting the viewer in a spectators position.

The Mise en scene: lighting in the office is dull and there is mainly ambient lighting, from the window. Wikus is dressed in quite a plain way wearing a shirt & tie with a sweater vest.  The room has been designed similar way a corporate office looks: desks, computers and paper work.

The scene begins with an almost amateur shot and quickly zooms into Wikus, who conveys an unprofessional persona about him. This is also reflected in the editing which is cut in a harsh way to represent the character (as he tries to figure out how to use his microphone). The camera is also at a slightly low angled shot, when first shooting this to me conveys he has some power. (Which we later find out he does)

Each shot a director chooses to put into the scene has some meaning, especially when making a combination of shots, I will be able to replicate something like this, however this is not suited to what i want to do in my title sequence.  In this first scene we see a mid shot of Wikus who briefly outlines his work environment, then a close up as he tells us what he does the editing is still sharply cut which brings our attention to the camera work.  These camera choices are typical in film. They attract the audience who are now curious in what; the character is about to say next, so in this case Wikus is introducing what he does.

Mid shot                                                                              Close up

After Wikus establishes what he does, the scene cuts abruptly to a city location.  This has been done on purpose to provide a demographic for the area; we can see it is a hot place, that it is a city that it’s poor due to the slums, and we can most defiantly see the huge alien space ship flying over it!
I want to establish my own title sequence similar to this however not on such a large scale. 

The camera work displays all of this, with a wide shot which pans out, establishing the surroundings

by using a high master angle; giving a viewer pleasure in understanding; the setting for the rest of

the film. 

The sound has been used in a very cleaver way.  When the slum is introduced the sound is completely non diagetic with eerie music and a man talking we can not see him yet, the film makers have been consistent with the sound;  because if you remember at the start of the film non diagetic sound was also used to introduce Wikus’s work environment. Again this puts a view in a spectator’s position.

After that the camera goes into a series of master shots which tell a story, the director has been clever in showing off a variety of skill and depth in each shot. The shots are narrated by a man we will soon see as the film makers have used a sound bridge. The editing is slow cut when filming the people, however is more sharply cut when we are presented with scenes of Johannesburg.   I like the use of editing in this, however my title sequence will not have sharp cuts as I will not flow.                         

 There is then a series of master shots.  The mise en scene in these is extremely well thought out the lighting is ambient and bright so there is nowhere to hide; the city is busy however has a massive ship above it, the people are dressed in a basic common style.

While these Master shots are presented there is non-diegetic sound of a man talking, again the audience is placed in an outsiders position as we do not know who this man is a match cut is also used as the viewer wants to see something they can’t. Although I do not want to create a title sequence like this, I like the use of diegetic and non diegetic sound and want to do something similar in my title sequence.

Then it cuts to him and we are then displayed with a mid-shot of him: the film makers have established to us that he is some kind of chief correspondent. By cutting from the correspondent back to the master shots of Johannesburg a sound bridge of the man, who carries on talking? The film maker’s have been clever as this automatically conveys a documentary type style to an audience and it shows prowess because in real life this is no documentary, which is the main attraction for watching the film. 

 As Grey the correspondent carries on talking, the camera dictates what he says,  I like the idea of the camera dictating and want use this technique in my title sequence.
By showing a series of mater and wide shots, of how a space craft hovers over the city; and how the government took disciplinary action, by cutting into it.There is a mid shot of Grey and his scene lasts for 0.05 seconds so does the credit at the bottom which introduces him.

The footage has been cut quickly to show all the action. The camera first zooms into the ship in a amateur style: the point of this is to create a documentary type feel, as if someone where to capture this on a camera phone ect… so as the camera zooms in it changes to footage of a hand held camera which shows men cutting, into the ship and close ups of objects found in the ship this creates a sense of urgency. This scene is has been filmed well, however in my title sequence I do not want to create the same type of urgency in my title, however I like how they have close ups of objects to create a mood and want to do something similar in my title sequence.

 

Again fitting with the documentary feel the film has now established it self as the camera now turns to a mid shot of a woman called Sarah who is a sociologist, her scene lasts for 0.06 seconds including the tile which introduces her role. They have shown her at this particular part of her speech as the director feels it is most important to show her face so the viewer takes interest, she is dressed in a plan way in navy colours the room is the same or similar to Greys, looks like an empty room of an old office.  

The camera then goes back to the hand held footage of what is inside the space craft, there is a low angle shot of the military recruits, this shows they are powerful compared to what they are looking down at. The lighting is low-key and there is high contrast between the black space and bright flash lights, the mise en scene is used well to create atmosphere the area id dark dingy depressing, the men are dressed as if the where going into a nuclear blast. The alien species on the floor look malnourished and gruesome. Are the aliens, we see in a low angle shot that creates a feel of urgency. The camera then pans out into a long shot of the malnourished species, all the trough this cutting is medium paced matched cuts are used. Then back to a mid shot of Grey who talks about this.    

Low angle shot                                                             High angle shot

Then the camera cuts to shots of what happens after the aliens get out, again by using these shots the director tells a story… the editing uses medium paced cutting rates.

Then after a man talks about how there are a lot of secrets in district 9. The camera cuts straight away; into a bird’s eye view shot of the slums. This has been done on purpose so that the titles correspond with what the man says. Where the title is introduced for 0.08 seconds and fades out, then the camera zooms out to show more slums. This is not very common in film as usually the title and credits are presented at the start where as here it is shown later on.  

A woman talks she is introduced for 0.07 seconds including her title which establishes her as an aid worker. There is then a angled wide shot of a solider, the mise en scene establish this in his uniform, the area is full of barbed wiring, the day light suggests it is early morning. This shot is the connected to a sound bridge of a woman who is concerned with the military involvement, in protecting the aliens and not the people, the film makers have done this to make the scenario more realistic.

                                                                                    

The camera then shows a series of shots where it quickly zooms-in and pans to different cuts of signs in the city showing how the aliens are not welcome. This is used to create a setting and an understanding for the audience that aliens are not welcomed by the humans. 

 The camera is then hand held from the inside of someone’s car, this creates another amateur feel to fit with the documentary style as the camera presents a long shot of the surroundings, then pans out to a mirror shot of the car window the lighting is ambient in this scene to make it look as realistic as possible.