Film Attributes

Film Attributes

Denotation - what you can see, for example a red sports car

Connotation - the meaning you derive from a text, for example red=anger

Rick Altman argues that genre offers audiences a set of pleasures:

Emotional Pleasures - how does the text make you feel? happy, sad, nostalgic?

Visceral Pleasures - gut responses, excitement, fear, laughter

Intellectual Pleasures - does it make the audience think? 

Sound- 

Diegetic- sound within world of film (speaking 

Non diegetic- sound not in world of film (sound effects, background music)

Parallel- Sound that matches actions (Notebook- romantic, peaceful music)

Contrapuntal- Sound that doesn't match action (juxtaposes action- makes audience feel uncomfortable, tense)

On screen- Sounds that are on screen/ can see sound 

Off screen- 

Editing- 

Fast paced editing- editing with lots of cuts/changes angle/position- matches action 

Slow paced editing- continuous shots 

Shot reverse shot- usually in conversations to highlight both characters talking 

Chronological editing- plot goes from A to B 

Straight cuts- use to add to realism,continuation of one shot too another in the same place and at the same time

Mise-en-scene-

- Costume

- Props

- Colour palette

- Hair and makeup

- Setting

- Lighting

- Performance

Editing

- Pacing

- Length of cut

- Transition

Camerawork

- Camera movement

- Camera angle

- Shot size

- Depth of field

- Framing

Clip note: 1st scene of GET OUT 

Sound: 

• Diegetic: speaking, crickets, walking, on screen car sound, parallel sound, rev of car to make presence known- unsettle protagonist, off screen car music,  gun shot, dog barking, 
• Non- diegetic: car music, creepy sound score
• Run rabbit - implying running away
• Fit the thriller/scary genre/fear
• 'I'm like a sore thumb out here' - implication to him not being accepted (realism/normality)- link to societal view- not as affluent.
• Car pulls up next to protagonist- diegetic sound of run rabbit (muffled in car)
• Run rabbit to non diegetic (loud and clear)
• Footsteps- diegetic 
• Along with beat- initial punch 
• On screen sound of music 
• Diegetic fighting sounds 
• Contrapuntal music 'upbeat' - increase in volume/high pitch 
• Scrape of feet, uncomfortable for audience
• Upbeat contrapuntal sound plays as he gets put in car 
• At end of song- emphasised with slamming or car door - parallel, diegetic  (links with methodical idea of scene) 
• String based instrument in minor key - parallel to event (high pitched, minor key)
• Scraping fingers on board (goosebumps)- mirrors heartbeat- panic 

Camera:

• Tracking backwards 
• Medium shot 
• Pan 180* shot - over the shoulder
• Ark pan shot
• Over the shoulder shot 
• Pull focus shot- focus on one thing, poor focus

Editing:

• Continuous shot  

Mis-en-scene:

• Really dark lighting - set the scene/ crime tends to take place more in the night time 
• Affluent clothing- could stereotype his race
• Dark clothing- blending in/insignificant to society (could relate to societal view)
• Silhouette - fear/unnerving 
• Empty street
• Face half lit
• White car- purity/ innocence/ isolation- juxtaposes typical connotation of white (binary opposition) in opposition to black 
• Colour red of car- change from white to red - connotations of red (anger/ threatening) - foreshadowing 
• White light as spotlight
• Car is distant proxemics and gets closer 
• Dragged 'dead rabbit' - steps on beat