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Micro Features Textual Analysis

Micro Features

All the tiny elements you can see on the screen

The term 'micro' elements refers to:

Cinematography/Use of the camera

  • Objective: to understand and be able to use the following camera techniques
  1. Camera shot
  2. Camera movement
  3. Camera angles
Camera shots

Extreme close up (ECU)
  • A small section of an object or character
  • It is used to really emphasise an object
Close up (CU)
  • Neck and face
  • It is used to emphasise how important the character is
Long shot (LS)
  • The whole of the body is visible
Wide shot (WS)
  • Shows a vast area
  • Depending on where it appears in a sequence it is sometimes called an Establishing shot. 
Medium shot (MS)
  • A figure from above the waist up (or waist down)
Point of view (POV)
  • Allows us to see things through the eyes of the character
Low angle 
  • Puts the characters in a position of power and makes the viewer feel inferior
High angle
  • Makes the characters seem vulnerable and puts the viewer in a position of power
Over the shoulder (OTS)
  • Looks over the shoulder of a character to reveal what they are looking at


Camera movement

Pan

  • Moving left or right, it swivels

Tilt

  • Head of the camera moves Up or down
Crane shot

  • Put on a crane

Tracking shot

  • It follows the subject being filmed. 
  • As the subject moves along, the camera tracks it. 

Rolling shot-

  • About he pace of editing of the shot from one camera shot to the next
  • Essentially 'rolling' or capturing one shot in quick succession after the former.
  • This means we also focus on the pace of editing
  • If one shot rolls into the next then this dictates the pace of the edit. 

Steadicam

  • Handheld and follows the person and stabilises the shot


Sound

Diegetic/Non Diegetic

Diegetic refers to the world of the text

Examples: dialogue, sound effects, music with a source within the text e.g. a radio.

Non-Diegetic refers to everything outside the world of text

Examples: voiceover, soundtrack, captions, titles, subtitles. 


On/Off-screen

On-Screen sound

The audience can see the source of the sound

Off-Screen sound

The audience can't see the source of sound


Parallel/Contrapuntal

Parallel sound matches the action

For example, in a playground there would be pleasant and energetic music.

Contrapuntal sound does not match the action

Sinister music in a playground




Mise-en-scene

French term for 'in the scene of frame'

The elements of mise-en-scene are:

1. Settings and props

2. Facial expressions and body language

3. Costume, hair and make-up

4. Lighting and colour

  • From the 1930s and 1940s black and white represented reality and colour represented fantasy and spectacle.
  • Today the opposite is true
Colour: Denotation and Connotation
  • Denotation: the literal description of an idea, concept or object
  • Connotation: what we associate with a particular idea, concept or object.
  • Colour works on the subconscious mind to create mood. 
  • Example: the colour red
  • Denotation: a particular wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum
  • Connotations: anger, danger, romance, blood etc. 
Lighting 
  • The key light is the brightest and most influential 
  • The back light helps to counteract the effect of the key light or creates an outline or silhouette
  • The filler light helps to soften the hard shadows that the use of key and back lights create
  • Underlighting is when the main source comes from below the subject. Mostly is used in thrillers or horror films. 
  • Back lighting is when the source is behind the subject. If no other lighting silhouttes are created. 

5. Positioning of characters and objects in the frame 

  • Where objects and characters are positioned are very important
  • Objects and characters can be in the foreground, middle-ground or background
  • This can emphasise the relative importance of the object or the character
  • If characters and objects are balanced evenly within the frame, this will give a balanced feel to the shot. 
  • If the characters are positioned outside edges of the frame then this indicates a distance between the characters. 
  • Deep focus
  • Where both foreground and background are in focus
  • This enables the audience to choose where to look
  • Focus pulling 
  • You go from focusing on one object to another within the scee


Editing

Speed of editing

  • In a film each scene may last a matter or seconds, or it could last for minutes.
  • The length of each sequence establishes the pace of the film moving the action along.
  • The speed of editing will help to determine the mood of what is taking place on screen.
Speed of editing- creating pace

If filmmakers want the audience to feel anxiety and suspense the editing will be quick, with the scenes and shots changing frequently.

 



If a relaxed mood is desired, the scenes last longer and change less frequently. For example, in a romantic comedy such as the Notebook.


Russian Ark- The ballroom scene
  • Slow paced editing
  • One long take 
  • Continuous shot
  • Theme of continuity 

 


Sam Mendes Film 1917

  • An example of a long take or 'unbroken shot'
  • Sustain a mood
  • Sombre
  • Slow pace- the camera is fixed on subjects

Psycho

Before attack
14 cuts

After attack
44 cuts
  • The purpose of having the long duration shot before builds the intensity and tension
  • The fast paced editing relieves the tension of the audience and also follows the narrative in a quick pace.


Style of Editing
  • How shots are linked together
  • The movement from one shot to the next is called a transition

Basic transitions include:

Straight cut

  • Most common and 'invisible' form of transition.
  • One shot moves instantaneously to the next without attracting the audiences attention.
  • Straight cut helps retain reality. They do not break the viewers suspension of disbelief.

Fade

  • A gradual darkening or lightening of an image until the screen becomes completely black or white.
  • Used to:
  • Indicate the beginning or end of a particular section of time within the narrative
  • Can show the passing of time.





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