Feedback on Medium Strakes Assessment

 What are production techniques?

- mise-en-scene

- camerawork techniques

- editing 

- use of sound

Name 4 theories about narrative?

Todorov 1977 Equilibrium - disruption- new equilibrium

Barthes 1977 Enigma codes and action codes

Levi- Strauss 1958 binary opposition 

Cook 1985 Cause and effect, with enigma resolution

Propp 1928 character roles tell us stories 

Camerawork:

Micro elements are elements used for production. 

Macro elements tell us how he micro elements inform us. 

Shot types close: close ups, extreme close ups, big close up, medium close up

Medium shots: medium close ups, medium/mid shots, medium long 3/4 shots 

Wide shots: long shots, extreme long shots, master shots, establishing shots 

Camera angles: high angle, level, low angle, Dutch/canted angle, top shot, aerial shots 

P.O.V. shots: first person point of view, showing exactly what the character is looking at as if we was looking through their eyes, creates empathy with a character, often used as part of an eyeline match of the character.

Editing: 

Cut: unwanted footage removed

Continuity editing: making the editing look continuous and look invisible. 180 degree rule, establishing shots, master shots (reform space), insert shot, cutaway/ parallel action (parallel action or flashback), reaction shot, shot, reverse shot structures (binary opposition). eye-line match, match on action, ellipsis (passing of time), montage sequences (passing of time).

Non-continuity editing: flashbacks/forward, split screen, breaking the fourth wall, jump cut, Kuleshov effect (image adds to the story), intellectual montage, match cut/ graphic match.

Sound: 

Diegetic (story world characters can hear it), Non-diegetic (manipulate audience), Internal diegetic, synchronous, Foley effects, sound bridges, leitmoff. 

Narrative essay re-write 

This scene is evidence of the theory Propp 1928 character roles tells us a story and also the cause and effect theory with enigma resolution by Cook in 1985. From the scene off the movie Avengers Endgame where Black Widow sacrifices herself for the infinity stone there is  lot of mise-en-scene used in the scene. For example there is the costumes the characters are wearing which is their signature outfits, being Black Widows is a tight black suit and a pair of black healed boots. Hawkeye is wearing his signature costume and has his arrows on his back shown clearly to show that he is Hawkeye and that is his main weapon. In the scene it is based on a sacrificial cliff where someone that is a kind hearted will be sacrificed for the stone. The scene has dark lighting with only one source of a brighter light in the background in-between both characters. Throughout this scene the characters fight one another for who will sacrifice themselves for the stone because both of these characters are friends they fight one another for they don't want either of them to die infront of them. Near the end of the scene Hawkeye jumps off the cliff but Black Widow follows him and saves his life in addition to sacrificing her own. 

From this scene there are many different techniques used to create the effect needed for this scene, for example there is the camerawork that was used in the filming of the scene to create the emotional effect. This was done through the camera angles used and movements that was used, for example the close up of both characters hands holding another to show the audience something was going to happen with their hands in that shot, which is then followed by an long shot of both characters hanging from the cliff. Another example of some camera angles that where being used would be the use of establishing shots used to show Black Widow falling from the cliff, this created an effect to the audience to show the distance of the cliff and the fact that she will die from the impact of the fall and that this was the last time she will be seen in an Avengers movie. Another example of the impact different angles have on the audience would be the aerial shot of Black Widow dead. (not sure of a theory)

The editing of this scene was continuity editing meaning the footage looked as if it was shot at the same time. Another editing technique that was used through the binary opposition theory would be the reverse shot structure to show the audience the equipment the characters had also showing us that it may be used in this scene. After the characters fought there is then footage of Hawkeye running in slow motion to the end of the cliff through an eye-line match shot to show Black Widow was seeing, which creates a dramatic atmosphere and making the audience think that he will die instead of Black Widow. Once Black Widow had died there is footage of Hawkeyes reaction being an reaction shot which is used in continuity editing. This shot made the audience emotional and feel the pain he felt. 

Another method that was used to create this emotional scene would the sound used being background music and also the actors dialogue and tone. In this scene there was both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds used, for example there was the sound of the actors talking to one another however when Black Widow says her last words the background music being non-diegetic  quietens as this was and emotional scene and Black Widow was talking in a sorrow quiet tone to create more emotion for the audience. The dramatic background music changes tone when Black Widow died or when something big occurred to signify to the audience that what they just saw was an important part of the scene.