Sketch Books - A2: Writing A Scene Analysis

Sketchbooks A2 Film & Sequence Analysis Video

Art

Introduction: Choose a film that you have watched during the course or in your own time, whose techniques relate to your personal film project. (The clip must be available online). Take stills from at least a minutes worth of the film and create a scene analysis of the section. When looking at the film think about some of the areas we have covered. 

Rhythm of the editing (This can include structure and flicker)

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The relationship between the images in the shots (These can be; intellectual - as in Montage where two shots combined create a third meaning, graphic – as in the relationship between colours and shapes, Continuous- as in narrative continuity editing).

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Texture and Surface – Does the film-maker ask us to reflect on how we view the surface of the screen itself?

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Self-Reflexive – Does the film-maker reflect on the mechanics of film by being anti-illusionist – showing sprocket holes, film leader,

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Fragmented Narratives – Is narrative continuous or fragmented in some way. Does the film deliberately have no narrative?

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Use of Collage or found materials- Is there a political or subversive message to the film?

Directions: 1st paragraph: THE FILM -- in this paragraph, you must · identify the title of the movie, the director, and the year it was made · summarize the narrative or concept of the film in a few sentences.

Example:

ABSENCE OF SATAN GEORGE BARBER 1985, 4 MINS COLOUR VIDEO In re-edited and looped footage from a Hollywood narrative film ‘Absence of Malice’ we see a woman (Sally Field) screaming at something unseen off camera. Further scenes of the film are seen including shots of a man (Paul Newman) and the woman eating on a boat. We hear pieces of dialogue ‘What do you call this?’ and ‘Salad’. These scenes are scratched and repeated disrupting the narrative flow of the original film. Following scenes from the film are also rhythmically intercut with shots of a helicopter in which

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the diegetic sounds within the film merge with the non-diegetic rock soundtrack that Barber has added.

Clip URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4XvPa4qFIM

A shot of a woman in a car who screams and turns away from something offscreen is repeated.

Shots of a motor boat are repeated showing the boat approaching from different angles. An orange filter appears over the image occasionally

A close up of a plate of food changes our position to the space on the boat

The combined shots that traditionally make up a scene in continuity editing (LS, MS CU) are fragmented and looped discontinuously. Pieces of dialogue are heard and become rhythmical samples.

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