Assessment Item 3- Online Research Presentation
Assessment Item 3- Online Research Presentation
When approaching film narratives, it should be appreciated that each frame has the ability to affect the tone, mood and atmosphere of the scene. Visual elements of a film, such as composition, costume, lighting and setting all come together to communicate a narrative to an audience. Each individual element of a scene contribute to the visual communication of a story, as ‘the organization of the contents of the frame encompass the relationship of the actors to one another and to the décor, but also their relationship to the camera, and thus the audience’s view’ (Gibbs 2002, pg. 5) The film-maker makes conscious decisions about everything the audience can or can not see, utilizing various ‘creative options’ (Gibbs 2002, pg 5) available to them such as composition and framing.
Images speak more than words as they are layered with codes and symbolism that is often beyond literary expression. Through the manipulation of space and characters within each frame of a scene, a narrative can be effectively communicated visually to an audience. Figure 1 illustrates the notion of space within the composition of a frame and how it can translate meaning to an active audience member. As a viewer of such an image, we ‘react psychologically to the position of the objects within the frame’ (Dugas 1998). Certain structural elements, similar to those used by formal artists and photographers, lead our eyes to the position of psychological ‘weight’. In this image, the main focus is the figure in red holding a Global warming sign. When deconstructing this image it is clear that there are numerous elements that contribute to our understanding of the scene presented. The figure is positioned in the bottom right hand corner, wearing a brightly coloured raincoat, which is in dominant contrast to the rest of the dull colours of the image. The poster acts as a vector in controlling our line of sight, sending the viewer looking towards the rest of the ‘Walk Against Global Warming’ crowd up ahead. The words ‘Global warming’ on the red background of the poster are almost centred in the frame and balanced with the red of the figures coat. The colour Red has a dual impact in this frame as it draws out attention as well as symbolically reflecting the ‘heat’ of the issue on Global Warming. Framing is fundamental to the expression of narrative, and in this image the audience gets a sense of individual crowd member participation; even on a rainy day, the crowds come out to have their voices heard. The main figure’s isolation from the group adds weight to their position in the frame, sending our initial gaze towards them. Another important element of composition used in this image also includes loose framing around the figure to demonstrate the massive crowd and sense of freedom for these characters as they march.
Figure 2 would act effectively as an establishing shot to a scene, hinting at the historical remains of an old Bushman’s hut. The camera is positioned from behind a tall tree, therefore the audience gets a sense that they are ‘spying’ on this little house from far away. The knotted tree branches almost mimic the shape of the hut’s roof in an act of symmetry, which insights a reaction within the viewer to keep looking back between the landscape that both hides and reveals this rural abode. The tree branches and mountain range in the background frame this image, engulfing the focal point with multiple layers of colours. The composition utilizes the three planes of landscape, starting with the river in the foreground, lush greenery in the mid-ground and rugged mountains in the distance. This depth of field gives the audience a true sense of the vast expanse that this small house in comparison finds itself in, communicating a atmosphere of freedom and space however at the same time, an eerie feeling of isolation.
“Importantly, the position of the camera governs our access to the action. How we experience a given set of events is going to be profoundly affected by the nature of the view” (Gibbs 2002, pg. 19). This notion is particularly relevant for figure 3, as the Horse Rider has his back turned to the audience, therefore shutting us off from his personal experience in the bush. Though in this act of privacy, we get a greater understanding of the characters worldview and place within it. He is a man of the bush, riding his horse into the distance. The viewer can only image what he is about to do, with his dusty clothes indicating the probability of harsh manual labour. The image is weighed down in the bottom right hand corner with the horse and rider, revealing the expanse of bush before them. The background is not in focus, however the placement of the tall tree in the mid-ground prompts the viewer to constantly look between the two weights in the frame; the rider and the bushland. The composition is tight around the figure which ‘implies destiny’ (Dugas 1998), and a sense of the unknown beyond our line of sight. Usually tight framing would also suggest imprisonment, however the figure and horse take up almost the entire length of the image therefore they ascertain a position of dominance and strength within the frame and within their surroundings.
Mise-en-scene can be defined as the articulation of cinematic space, and in the act of effectively manipulating all elements within the frame, the film maker is able to visually communicate a plethora of signs and symbols as well as the films narrative, mood and setting. Relationships between actors as well as character- audience relationships are set up by visual means of communication, which helps to create a strong emotive connection with the story. Every frame in every film should be treated like a photographic art work, as audience members gain most of their understanding of the film by the way the camera is positioned in relation to events and what they can or can not see.
References and other Sources
Bellour, R., Penly, C. 2000, The Analysis of Film, Indiana University Press, Indiana
Bordwell, D. 2001, The McGraw-Hill Film Viewer’s Guide, 6th edn [Supplementary], McGraw-Hill, New York
Bordwell, D., Thompson, K. 1986, Film Art; An Introduction, 2nd edn, Newbery Award Records, Inc., New York
Dugas, T. 1998, Composition within the Frame, Crosscut, viewed 30th October 2008,
<http://www.crosscut.net/film/powerpoint/movement/sld002.htm>
Gibbs, J. 2002, Mise-en-Scene: Film Style and Interpretation, Wallflower Press, London
Orson Welles 1941, Citizen Kane, RKO Pictures, United States
