Week 3, Task 3, R&R – Label the film stills: camera angles; camera shots; camera movements. Week 3, Task 5 – WAGOLL Task Title How are Micro Features used to create an exciting opening to Raiders of the Lost Ark? Success Criteria WWW EBI 1. Example from Raiders of the Lost Ark. 2. Micro Feature and meaning. 3. Explanation as to why Micro Feature was used. 4. Explanation of how it makes the scene exciting. 5. Additional paragraph on a second example. WAGOLL – What a Good One Looks Like In the opening shot of Raiders of the Lost Ark, we are shown Indiana Jones, who is trying to take a golden idol. In the 1. opening, we see Indiana looking determined to achieve his goal, as he stares at the idol. 2. In this part, we see the use of a Zoom In, where the lens focuses in on Indiana 3. The filmmaker has done this to focus the audience’s attention on how determined he is to achieve his goal. This makes the audience excited as they clearly understand the Indiana is involved in something exciting and possibly 4. dangerous. Another example from Raiders of the Lost Ark is when we learn that the floor has been booby-trapped. When this is shown to us, we are shown a High Angle, where the camera is positioned above the subject looking down. It seems that the filmmaker has done this to show how weak the characters are, as they are at the mercy of the hidden traps, 5. so have become weakened, as they could be attacked by the traps at any moment. This makes the audience excited as the main character, Indiana, is in a position of weakness, and they are excited about the possibility something might happen to him. Subject: Film Studies Year Group: 10 Date: Week 4 Cinematography in Raiders of the Lost Ark – Other Key Scenes The next few weeks of lessons we will be analysing Raiders of the Lost Ark. It is imperative that you keep the notes from this work. You are also welcome to end any work by email to your LC. These lessons are the priority, however if you would like to also get on with finalising your coursework alongside these lessons, feel free to email your LC and they will send over your coursework via email. [email protected] [email protected] Year 10 - Week 4 – Watch the opening scene from Indiana Jones. There are two scenes you need to watch today. The link to the first is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLZ08D2vvdU For those that haven’t seen Raiders, in this scene the Nazis (the villains) are demanding that Marion (the ‘princess’ if we are thinking Propp) gives them a valuable and important necklace which reveals the location of the Well of Souls. • The first time just enjoy it! Get an understanding of what is happening. • The second time, have a paper and pen (and your Film Q4K!) with you and note down any micro-features you see. Only focus on cinematography for now. • Lighting • Camera shots • Camera angles • Camera movement • Framing Year 10 - Week 4 – Review the opening scene. Task one: In your notes, write a brief summary of what happened in that scene (50 words). Task two: Identify the micro-features below and consider why they were used (the impact). A B C Year 10 - Week 4 – Review your answers to the previous task and amend your notes. A – Extreme close-up on the necklace. This is simply to signify its importance (within the scene and throughout the film). This is typical in adventure films and also in Indiana Jones (e.g. the golden idol). B – Over-the-shoulder shot, overlooking Toht (the Nazi villain) at Marion in danger. Very expressive shot that shows not only his evil nature, but also the action he is about to perform (the hot iron) and her fear. Instead of having separate shots for each, Spielberg does it in one! C – Low-key lighting on Toht and his men as they enter the bar. Simply put, this clearly establishes them as villains. Year 10 - Week 4 – Some more cinematography from that scene. Add it to your notes if you missed it. Light and Dark are important motifs used in Raiders. Light symbolises safety and dark symbolises villainy or danger. Having the candle framed at the front of the shot not only makes the shot more interesting and adds practical lighting, but suggests to the audience she is currently safe. (However, the shot after this is the Nazis entering in low-key lighting!) The candle also gives the necklace a golden hue, making it seem significant and valuable. Close-up two shot between Toht and Marion. We’ve talked about two-shots showing a relationship between two characters. Here, it shows that she is unafraid of him. She holds his gaze and blows smoke in his face. Despite the high-angle (which typically suggests inferiority or weakness) and despite Toht’s evil presence, height and the fact he has men with him, she is unafraid. Change from shallow focus to deep focus (the first shot focuses on the necklace then we move to Marion in the background). Again, this is visually pleasing for the audience and interesting shot. However, it also tells us that the necklace will be important later in this scene; but for now, focus on Marion. The camera is used as a storytelling The shadows of the Nazis entering the device, to show us what to focus on and when. bar are framed above Marion’s head. Their entry being depicted as shadows (a lack of light) is symbolic of their evil nature. Also consider the volume of shots used in the fight scene. Each shot lasts about 1-2 seconds and then changes. This adds pace and excitement. Year 10 - Week 4 – Watch the opening scene from Indiana Jones. There are two scenes you need to watch today. The link to the second is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcRlhsEezGY For those that haven’t seen Raiders, in this scene Indiana Jones and Marion are trapped in a tomb (The Well of Souls) and have to escape. • The first time just enjoy it! Get an understanding of what is happening. • The second time, have a paper and pen (and your Film Q4K!) with you and note down any micro-features you see. Only focus on cinematography for now. • Lighting • Camera shots • Camera angles • Camera movement • Framing Year 10 - Week 4 – Review the opening scene. Task one: In your notes, write a brief summary of what happened in that scene (50 words). Task two: Identify the micro-features below and consider why they were used (the impact). A B C Year 10 - Week 4 – Review your answers to the previous task and amend your notes. A – Low-angle shot on the villains as they close Indiana in the Well of Souls. They are powerful and in control of the situation and this shot reinforces that feeling of superiority over Jones. B – In contrast, a high-angle shot is used on Jones to show his feeling of helplessness in the situation. C – Two-shot of Jones and Marion as he catches her fall. In terms of cinematography it demonstrates the bond between them. In terms of Mise en scene (next week), it’s a perfect example of Propp’s character types. Princess in a white dress being saved by a strong male hero. He is even holding her like a husband would carry his wife across the threshold. Year 10 - Week 4 – Some more cinematography from that scene. Add it to your notes if you missed it. The scene begins with a pan from the opening in the tomb down to Indiana on the ground. It ends with a low-angle shot of Jones, which we usually associate with strength or superiority. Here, Spielberg subverts its use (makes it do the opposite!); the low- angle shot here shows just how far away he is from safety. However, by the end of the shot, a ‘real’ low-angle shot of Jones is used. He is now in control of the situation and is escaping from the well. The first shot is an extreme close-up of Marion’s shoe which has fallen off. The shot shows a snake crawling through it. In terms of Mise-en-Scene, the white shoe has connotations of beauty and purity (think Cinderella!) and the snake sliding through it is disturbing and breaks those connotations. This shot is a symbol of how the princess (represented by the shoe) is in peril. The second shot is Marion escaping. Notice, she uses the shoe to pull herself out. The princess has been saved! Year 10 - Week 4 – Some more cinematography from that scene. Add it to your notes if you missed it. Spielberg’s signature move! Also used in the opening scene. This is another ‘delayed POV shot’; Jones notices something just beyond the audience, we then cut to what we is looking at (the snakes crawling out from a hole he can escape from) from his point of view. Lots of extreme close-ups and close-ups used when Marion discovers the bodies. Simply put, this is to scare the audience. Definitely not the sort of thing we saw in King Solomon’s Mines! As mentioned before, light and dark are key motifs throughout the film. Light symbolises safety. In the first shot, the tomb is shut and Jones is plunged into darkness, so he uses the flame is used to repel the snakes (side note: both Toht and snakes are defeated by fire, showing their similarities).