'Clean, shaven' Deconstruction 2

This scene is effective in showing the extent of Peter's illness, showing flashbacks of what haunts him and also giving insight into how he finds it difficult to maintain personal wellbeing.

Point 1

Camera: There is a close-up of Peter from a profile angle which doesn't show his eyes. This continues the idea of his disconnection from reality. Although it is a close-up, the angle and lack of eyes in the shot make it hard for the audience to bond with Peter.
There is a close-up of hair and blood in the sink. The blood stands out from the white of the sink and is a graphic, visual shot which makes the audience realise how hard it is for Peter to do everyday things. It also shows a realistic, slightly gruesome representation of schizophrenia.


Editing: The cutaway to the shot of the blood and hair in the sink shows the audience how the process has been ongoing. It gives a slightly repulsive, graphic edge to the scene.

Sound: There is no non-diegetic sound in the scene and so the sound of Peter shaving and the tap water is emphasised. This makes it more tense and uses the effect of replicating the amount of concentration and effort it takes Peter to do daily activities.

Mise en Scene: The shot of Peter is tightly framed which gives the effect of Peter not being able to escape the difficulty of his life and illness. This is effectively used along with the stark density of the shot, which gives the impression of it being a simple task, yet so tense and complicated for Peter. The red is starkly contrasted against the white and this makes the image more graphic and startling.

 Point 2

Camera: There is a medium shot of Peter from a low angle as he shaves his chest. The low angle makes him look big which is contrasted to his inability to do everyday actions and this causes him to seem even more vulnerable. By allowing the audience to see more of Peter, we can see the amount of damage he has caused to himself by doing the simple task of shaving.

Editing: There is another cutaway to the drain in the shower, which helps to emphasise again the amount of blood and cuts he has inflicted upon himself. The dirt in the shower is also highlighted, which goes to show that he does not usually take very good care of himself.

Sound: The non-diegetic sound of the running tap is all that can be heard which puts the audience in the POV of Peter without any distractions.

Mise en scene: The stark density of the shot gives the impression of it being a simple task, yet so tense and complicated for Peter, as well as adding focus onto his actions. The green in the shot acts as a contrasting foil to the blood, highlighting its significance.

Point 3

Camera: There is a close-up of Peter in bed which only shows his eyes, which shows that the scene is being shown inside his mind, matching with the soundtrack. He is shown in the left, bottom corner of the shot which makes him seem small and vulnerable.

Editing: There is eye-line match to a shot of the wall, which is in the POV of Peter, emphasising how he is staring at it and that his mental illness occupies him so much that he doesn't have the ability to do much else.

Sound: The low sound of whispering can be heard which is fast paced and the audience is unable to decipher what it is saying, making it disorientating and slightly on edge. This links in with the POV shot, as well as the shot of Peter's eyes as it gives the impression that we are inside Peter's mind, hearing what he is hearing.

Mise en scene: The stark density of the shots, especially in the one of the wall, as well as the use of the colour white (connoting vacancy) put across how empty and depressing Peter's life is.

Point 4

Camera: There is a long shot, from a high angle of Peter curled up on the floor of a bare room. The high angle as well as the long shot makes him look extremely small and vulnerable. There is also another shot of the telephone wires being tracked, which is repetitively used throughout the film to connote Peter's unstable state of mind.

Editing: A flashback of Peter's past is used to show how he is haunted by past memories in a mental asylum. A cutaway of the telephone wires is used again to show how he can't escape the delirium.

Sound: The non-diegetic sound of the whispered is layered by the sound of bass voices sounding like ghosts, connoting how he is haunted. The electrical, static sounds come back along with the telephone wires, which has a disorientating effect.

Mise en Scene: The flashback of Peter used stark density and very loose framing in order to make him seem vulnerable and threatened, emphasised by his position. The grey colour of his shirt blends in with the white/grey background and yet again connotes the vacancy of his life, showing that he is socially isolated. The diagonal composition in the shot of the telephone wires is used again to show how Peter is on edge and something isn't quite right/

'A Beautiful Mind' Deconstruction (part 1)

Scene 1: Writing on the window

This scene shows John, the schizophrenic character, fighting with his imaginary friend Charles. It also shows his complete focus on his work and how much he values it.

Point 1:

Camera Angles/Shots/Movements: 
-When John is looking at his work there are many close up shots of his face as he looks up, this means we can clearly see his distressed and confused expression.
-By tracking his movements as he paces around a tense, uneasy feeling settles which doesn't entirely match up to the situation as most of the audience wouldn't place as much importance on work. Especially as he later smashes his head on the window because of it, this definitely shows his intense focus on his work and conforms to the stereotypes of a person with mental illness.
- The close up on his face makes us realise that he has a very confused and wounded expression after he hits his head as if he got too carried away and frustrated with not knowing the answer that he didn't even realise he was smashing his head.


Mise En Scene:
- The fact that there is white writing on the window highlights the fact that he isn't using paper. Its also as if he is blocking out the outside world and excluding himself in order to get the answer he needs.
- The checkered windows in the room show that something isn't right with John, especially as he is seen through the window to begin with.
- In terms of Mise En Scene, John often has his hands in front of his face, this is a sign of low self confidence and so it conforms to the stereotypes of people with mental illnesses.
- We are at an intimate distance with him that makes us uncomfortable, especially as he then smashes his head against the window.
Editing;
- Continuity editing as he looks out of the window as there is a tracking shot therefore the editing isn't noticeable.
- Cuts to a medium shot of him inside the room with his hand on his head.
Sound:
- Non diegetic sad music playing as John looks for his answer among the writing.
- Diegetic sound of the glass smashing draws attention to it and creates a jump as it was rather unexpected.
- Diegetic dialogue of John repeating 'I can't see it' as he looks at the writing.
- Diegetic sound of John exclaiming after he hits his head against the window, adds emphasis and allows him to quickly snap out of his phase. Yet he still goes back into it.

Point 2:

Camera Angles/Shots/Movements:

- Medium shot of Charles getting up after John hits his head on the window, shows his genuine concern for him.
- Medium shot of John leaning against the wall, juxtaposes them and allows us to clearly see his expression.
- Two shot of Charles trying to help John before he grabs the table, shows Charles trying to give John physical support.
Editing:
- The part when John is leaning against the wall is cross cut with Charles quickly getting up, this shows the urgency that Charles is feeling and the fact that it was rather unexpected.
- Cross cut again as John is crying and telling himself off and Charles is trying to console him.
Mise En Scene:
- John is leaning against some checkered windows which connote that something isn't right.
- He is also slightly diagonal in his positioning and seems to be bent over himself which shows his low self confidence.
- They are at a personal and then intimate distance to one another showing that they are rather close and they know each other pretty well.
Sound:
- Diegetic dialogue of John saying 'I can't fail' showing the how important this is to him, especially as he is saying this through tears. He then says 'This is all I am' showing that he feels he has to be clever and work things out otherwise he is useless. He then goes on to say 'I've got to get something done, I can't keep staring into space', this shows that he is very critical of himself and he won't accept Charles' attempt to cheer him up.
- Diegetic dialogue of Charles saying 'come on lets go out' which shows he is trying to cheer him up and distract him.

Point 3:

Camera Angles/Shots/Movements:
- Throughout this scene there are two shots where John is talking to Charles, these moments are completely believable and therefore this puts the audience in John's shoes and allows them to sympathise with him as they do not realise until the end that Charles is imaginary.
- Two shots of his wrestling with Charles shows the physical conflict he has with his own mind.

- There is a high angle shot of Charles on the floor, this gives John the power of the situation and shows that technically he does have the upper hand over Charles as Charles doesn't actually exist.

Mise En Scene:
- John is wearing a coat inside which has the collar propped up, this coat is grey which is a rather dark and depressing colour.
-The fact that he has the collar propped up could once again show his low confidence as it could show that he is trying to hide himself.
- He also has bright red blood coming from his head, this demonstrates the extent he is prepared to go for his work.
- It also shows that he has hurt himself and therefore he doesn't care much about self harm.
- By having John push the table towards Charles it shows he is trying to fight/eliminate him. He thinks that Charles' presence is causing him to not get the answer he needs.

Editing:
- The 180 degrees rule is used when John and Charles are fighting over the desk, here there are shots from John and shots from Charles. This demonstrates the power battle between them and how they are both of equal strength, therefore demonstrating that John's mind is of equal strength to his body and therefore it influences his decisions a lot.
Sound:
- Diegetic dialogue of Charles saying 'You wanna do some damage that's fine but don't mess around' He then goes to on shout 'Bust your head go on bust your head!' this could show his split personality and how he is struggling with suicide.
- While Charles is shouting this John is shouting to himself do some work.
- Diegetic dialogue of John shouting 'god dammit Charles what the hell is your problem' after Charles is pushing him towards the window and telling him to bust that 'worthless head', this shows that John is fighting back against Charles.

Point 4:

Camera Angles/Shots/Movements:
- There an ariel shot of the broken desk on the floor which shows that all his work is destroyed and shows the impact of his actions.
- The two shot that follows with them both looking out the window at the broken desk shows both of their emotions. John in this shot looks a little bit like a child, as he has a very shocked and confused expression.
- They then both begin to laugh which is shown through the same two shot and the reaction is also almost childlike.
Mise En Scene:
- Charles is wearing a cream jumper, his outfit matches the room they are in and he could be considered as part of the room. This could highlight that he isn't real as he is how John imagined him to be.
- When laughing on the floor John once again covers up his face with his hands, his position is also rather childlike as he has his knees up to his chest and he is taking up less room than Charles is despite being real unlike Charles. This shows that his imaginary friend has complete control over him and he dominates him.

Editing:

- The shots of the desk broken on the floor and John and Charles looking out the window are cross cut in order to show their gradual reaction.
- Also a two shot with students is cross cut within this to show other people's reaction and to show that what John just did was insane. This shows other people's opinions of him and shows that people don't take to him very kindly sometimes.

Sound:
- Diegetic sound of the table smashing into the window sill and squealing against the floor. Sound of it bursting through the window and smashing on the floor. It's rather loud and disruptive, showing a shift in John's life.
- Whooshing sound just before it hits the floor, adds impact to the fall.
- Diegetic sound of papers falling down and John and Charles panting, effective sound for after a big occurrence.
- Diegetic dialogue of 'That Issac Newton fellow was right' and 'he was onto something' as if they didn't know that would happen.
- Both agreeing that it was heavy, showing that it's likely Charles wasn't real and it was actually just John who pushed it out.
- Diegetic sound of them both laughing hysterically.

'Clean, shaven' Scene Deconstruction 1

The first scene is of Peter winter, the young schizophrenic man, in his car and it displays his mental illness very vivdly.

Point 1

Camera: The first shot in the scene is a close-up profile shot of Peter Winter. This gives the impression that although the audience watch Peter in his life, we are not fully connected with him and we will never be able to understand fully what he is going through. Then, there is a long shot of telephone lines overhead being tracked continuously as Peter drives along. This shot is effective as it gives an idea of how his brain is not completely within the real world.

Editing: Cross cutting between different angles of the telephone wires is used to put across a sense of disorientation as if in Peter's brain.

Sound: There is a discordant high pitched sound over the top of continuous diegetic noise of someone talking through a static radio in which you cannot make sense of the words. This puts the viewer in the POV of Peter.

Mise en scene: The diagonal composition in the telephone wires puts across a sense on unease, backing up the idea of putting the audience in Peter's shows. Low-key lighting is also used to show Peter's world as a dark one.

Point 2

Camera: There is a close- up of the reflection of Peter in the car window. The shot is face-on but Peter quickly covers up his eyes with masking tape, continuing the trend of him disconnecting himself from reality. The fact that he is seen through a mirror also makes his existence seem uncertain.

Editing: The shot of Peter is continuous and doesn't feature any shots of Peter other than the reflection in the mirror. This shows that the audience is limited to a certain view of him, and that he finds it difficult to let people in.

Sound: The non-diegetic soundtrack is stopped at this point and all the audience can hear is the diegetic sounds of masking tape being used and also Peter's frustrated breathing and grunts. This makes the audience focus totally on Peter and his emotions.

Mise en Scene: The framing around Peter is extremely tight and shows that he is trapped inside his illness. As well as this, diagonal composition is used again through the masking tape to put across the feeling of unease.

Point 3

Camera: There is immediately a close-up of Peter throwing away a collection of cigarettes, this not only allows the audience to see that he has a serious addition but also emphasises how his hand is shaking and therefore his distress is highlighted. Then there is another close-up of his reflection again in the car rear view mirror. His expression is distressful again and so it shows his horror on seeing his own face. Then, there is a POV shot of him covering his reflection up with newspaper.

Editing: The shot of Peter is continuous and doesn't feature any shots of Peter other than the reflection in the mirror. This shows that the audience is limited to a certain view of him, and that he finds it difficult to let people in.

Sound: The sound of Peter's upset breathing is emphasised by the silent background noises which highlights his distress and discomfort regarding his own existence. The diegetic sound of the newspaper is also emphasised which gives the moment more of an impact.

Mise en scene: Yet again there is tight framing in the shot of Peter which displays hows that he is trapped inside his illness and for him there is no feeling of escape.

 Point 4

Camera: There is a medium shot of Peter in the reflection of the car window. This continues the theme of Peter not accepting the reality of his existence and finding it hard to live. He is at a distant proximity to the camera which makes him seem disconnected form the viewer and real life. The high angle shot of him punching the window adds impact to his actions. At one point, we can see his hand shaking as he directs it towards his reflection, showing his distress.

Editing: The shot is cut immediately from the following ones, giving the effect of building up the extent of his illness. He results in removing each reflection that can be seen in his car.

Sound: The sound of the window shattering is emphasised against the lack of non-diegetic soundtrack and this gives the idea that there is a violent side to his illness.

Mise en scene: The low-key lighting in the shot makes Peter come across as a dark silhouette, making him seem dark and mysterious and potentially dangerous. This is linked to the glass shattering a second later, giving a dramatic, threatening feel to the scene.

'One Hour Photo' Trailer - Deconstruction

Point 1: 

Camera Angles/Shots/Movements:
- Close up on the hamster drinking, after a long shot of the man giving it water. Displays his loneliness, he has a pet instead of a girlfriend etc.
- Long shot of him eating with the TV on his table in order to keep him company.
- Medium shot of him in the kitchen along drinking a glass of water. Once again showing his loneliness.
- Over the shoulder shot of him looking at himself in the mirror, his face is rather close up so we can clearly see his unhappy face.

 Mise En Scene:
- Every room he is in he is wearing the same colour as the walls, this shows that he is becoming a part of the house. Perhaps that the house is his only comfort.
- Also the fact that in the dining room there was only one colour (beige) and in the kitchen there was also only one colour (white) displays how he doesn't have anyone else in his life, there is only himself.
- Except for the painting there isn't much decoration around the room, he seems to only have the basic necessities. The room around him seems very bare as the density is stark.
- In the kitchen it is clear that he lives alone as there is only one plate and one bowl by the sink.
Editing:
- The layout of the shots shows him feeding his hamster cutting to him eating and then him drinking. First of all this shows that he is feeding his hamster before himself, it also shows the whole 'family' having their dinner.
- The editing of the shots is very quick, so that the right shots land at the right moment - when the women lists who might love him. This emphasises his loneliness.
Sound:
-Diegetic dialogue at the beginning is used as a sound bridge over the guy's actions.
-This draws links as when she says 'he probably has a girlfriend' there is the image of the hamster, and then she says 'a mummy or daddy who loves him' it shows other clips of him by himself. This demonstrates that in fact he is really lonely.
- There is also non diegetic noise which is tinkling and fast paced when filming the guy. This shows that something is up and is goes against what the mother is saying to her son.

Point 2:  

Camera Angles/Shots/Movements:
- Close ups of the film as it develops.
- High angle shot of the man holding up the film as he studies it.
- The camera first focuses on the man's face and then focuses on the film he is holding, this draws attention to what he is doing and shows that he is focusing a lot on it.
- The camera pivots when looking at the developed photo and carries on turning when it's on the man.

Mise En Scene:
- The majority of the room is dark apart from the red, this connotes danger and also clarifies the guy's job.
- The dark room gives a sense of mystery.
- The coloured outline of the picture looks like a heat sensor.
- His face takes up the whole shot in the next bit, with his eyes the dominant thing. This shows his focus on the film and it then zooms out to see the family photo.
- This transition shows the separation that he has with the family and it shows that he isn't part of the family.
- The dominant colour in this shot is orange which connotes optimism and communication, showing that he is remaining in contact with a family that don't know him. Or he is able to remain in contact with them through his job.
Editing:
-Quick jump cuts of the developing process could display his slow developing love for the family.

- There is then a match on action of him lifting up the film and studying it.
Sound:
- Non diegetic dialogue of the man explaining that he has worked in that shop for a while and developing pictures was his passion and something he loved doing.
- This is used as a sound bridge over all the shots of the pictures developing to show him when he is doing something that he loves.

Point 3

Camera Angles/Shots/Movements:
- Long shot of the party, as if there is an outsider watching in, not involved in the party.
- Close up of the family together, perfect happy family.
- Close up of hands holding the picture, you assume it'll be one of the family members yet its not its the man that works at the shop. Anonymous at the beginning.
- Long two shot of him at the table with the waitress, once again shows his isolation, having dinner out alone.

Mise En Scene:
- Colourful balloons, cheerful. Immediately tells us that it's a party.
- Looks like its in a garden, private area.
- Children party, tells us that it's for family members and the boy's friends only.
- Red hat on the little boy could connote danger as the unknown man is looking through their pictures and has access to all they want to develop.
- Boy has a mother on one side and a father on the other, full screen showing that they aren't alone. Shows he is supported by both his mum and his dad.
- Juxtaposed with him holding the image, surround the image it looks very empty.
Editing:
- White flash on the image as if it's taking a picture. Links in with the plot of the film.
- Fades to a black transition screen.
- Graphic match of the same pictures/similar pictures. Links them together.
Sound:
- Diegetic sound of a woman saying 'what you got there family photos?' to which he answers 'yeah' showing that he considers them to be his family.
- Tense music as the scene goes on showing his lie and how he is stalking them.
- Children laughing at the party.

Typography:

- Simple white text, looks like typewriter font, not very spaced out. This adds impact to the words and makes the sentence have more effect.
- Editing: Has the text behind the camera, looking through the lens.
- White glow on the text to make the words stand out.
- Last title changing colour many times. Similar to the developing process. Links in with the plot.

'Pi' Trailer Deconstruction

Point 1

Camera: The scene begins with a close-up of the protagonist, Mark, looking down. Then, we see close-ups of peculiar shots, such as a newspaper.
There is a close-up of an ant on a piece of paper, which serves to creep the audience out. This is effective due to its genre of a psychological thriller. We see a high-angle shot of the protagonist falling to the floor clutching his head, which makes him seem vulnerable.

Editing: Jump cuts of different shots of numbers and lists of data are used to disorientate the audience and allow an insight into how the protagonist feels.

Sound:  The scene begins with a high-pitched tinkling, simple melody being repeated lots of times. Then, when the shot of Mark comes into view, a sub-bass note is played which increases the tension. There is a voiceover of the protagonist explaining that "Mathematics is the language of nature." This allows the viewer to immediately know that the character is a bit peculiar. 

Mise en scene: The picture is in black and white, which gives the impression of coming across how the protagonist sees the world. Many shots are seen with tight framing, which shows how the protagonist is trapped amongst his obsession with maths. 

Point 2

Camera: There is a scene between the protagonist and an older man. In the scene the two are having an argument and it is evident that Mark has become too obsessed with the numbers and patterns. There is a close up of him from a slight profile angle, which serves to show how he becomes disconnected from reality. Then, there is a shot in which he is being tracked from directly in front, from a low angle. The shot is shaky which gives a thrilling effect. 

Editing: There are more jump cuts of disorientating shots such as random circles and swirls, which gives a jilted and psychological twist to the trailer. Cross cutting between Mark and the old man is used to show the tension between them.

Visual effects of numbers are edited as jump cuts over shots of Mark and this works to give the effect of how Mark's brain is working, constantly thinking of numbers and patterns. 

Sound: The fast paced drum beat in the previous scene is stopped and there is the sound of sub-bass fluctuating and sounding dramatic. There is the diegetic dialogue of the old man saying "This is insanity Mark," which backs up the idea that he has gone mad.

Mise en Scene: The circular composition in the scene gives the idea that everything comes together which links in with Mark's obsession with patterns and numbers. The lighting in this scene works effectively to throw shadows upon Mark's face and this makes him seem threatening. 

Point 3

Camera: In this scene the audience are made aware that Mark's knowledge about numbers and patterns have become dangerous for him. There is a low angle close-up shot of a woman, which is made to look threatening. As well as this, the audience see a shot of Mark punching a mirror from behind and the fact that we cannot see his face makes him disconnected from us, and therefore reality. Then, there is a POV shot from an unknown person's perspective which is extremely disorientating. This all shows the viewer how Mark's world is falling apart. 

Editing: Fast cuts are used to confuse the viewer as well as speeding up the POV shot in order to completely disorientate them. 

Sound: At the shot of the woman, the fast paced beat and discordant high pitched sound layered over the top returns which adds to the tension and climatic nature of the scene. The diegetic dialogue of the woman screaming "You only gave us half the code" seems extremely threatening. 

 

Mise en scene: In the initial shot of the woman, extremely dark, low-key lighting is used to make her seem threatening and scary. In the POV shot, diagonal composition is used to connote to the audience that things are going awfully wrong. 

Point 4

Typography: The typography is simple and bold, and the title of the film is memorable as it is completely different and unique. The colours are blue/black which works as a contrasting foil to the white background which is the dominant of the shot. This adds to the memorable nature of the title screen, as well as matching the colour scheme of the rest of the trailer.

 

Editing and Sound: The non-diegetic sound of an explosion is heard over the top of the title being revealed. This matches the editing of the title as it is jump cuts in random places around the screen, as if vibrating from the impact of an explosion. This gives the title a lot of significance and impact. After the title is shown, it gets increasingly small until it disappears off screen which forces the audience to look at the symbol until it is gone rather than it just ending immediately.