Analysis Of The Shining
- 1. Analysis of Opening Film Techniques Employed – The Shining Film Techniques Examples of typical film techniques used and why– Illustrate your findings with references to actual onscreen moments. Titling – colour, font style, Colour of font is sky blue, which is a primary colour, this over image or black, relates to harmony and is written in capital letters. For timing, credits some people blue could be referred to sadness as it is presentation etc related to rain or storms. It’s a remote location and we see the green grass turn into snow. The eerie music suggests that the opening is mysterious, it inspires a feeling of fear; strange and frightening which also tells the reader that it is a horror. The timing between each title is a 5 second gap. 1.05 – A Stanley Kurbick Film, 1.10 – Jack Nicholson, 1.16 – Shelly Duval, 1.21 – THE SHINING, 1.26 – Featuring Danny Lloyd, 1.31 – Scatman Crotchers, 1.36 – Barry Nelson, 1.41 – Philip Stone, 1.47 – Joe Turkel, 1.52 – Anne Jackson, 1.58 – Tony Burton. Camera Movement There is a continuous tracking shot from a high angle (panning, tracking, crane looking down on the car. Also the tracking shot is used so shot and crabbing etc) that the viewers feel like they are part of the action, so that they do not miss out on anything that happens and it could be used to grab the viewers’ attention, if they want to find out what will happen in the next scene. The tracking shot is smooth and steady; it is not jumpy which makes it easier for the audience to concentrate on the object, scene and the setting. Framing of Shot In the opening scene a long shot is used to show the (CU, MLS, ELS etc) relation between the place and its surroundings. The extreme long shot is used to establish where the following scene is about to take place. I think a long shot and an extreme long shot is used so that the audience can become familiar with the settings, also they could be used so that the audience can see a scene of an action that would be taking place. Camera Angles (high and High angles make the object seem smaller and less low angles etc significant which would make it scarier. The angle focuses less on the object and more on the setting because more attention is given to the setting as there is more to see. In this scene the object is the car. By using a high angle camera shot, it shows that there could be something weird about the car, as we have not been able to see who is inside, we can only see the body of the car. The high angle shot makes the object seem less powerful. Selection of mise-en- In the opening scene the film is set in the mountains and scène including colour, we can also see wide roads, which suggests this place is
- 2. figure, pops, lighting, lonely. Lonely tells the audience that this place is empty objects, location and and unwanted; it is barely visited by anyone. setting; Editing directions A shortening cutting rhythm is used to so that cuts (Match cuts, jump cut, between shots slow down to draw attention to the viewer reverse shots etc) to each detail in the scene. This shot may be used in the scene because the director wants the viewer to concentrate on everything that is being filmed in the shot as it may be important and relevant to the next part of the scene. Sound techniques The sound technique used is music. It’s eerie and starts (diegetic, non diegetic, off slowly and gradually gets louder and louder. By getting silence, dialogue louder it suggests that danger is approaching. Actor’s positioning and movement Narrative Structure
- 3. Who is the hero and who You cannot tell who the hero or villa is because you are only is the villan? shown the settings in the opening 2 minutes. Where is the story set? The setting shows it’s a calm, deserted place with a lot of What does this tell you greenery and it also shows that it is less crowded. about the genre of the film? How many principle There are none because we are not shown any characters. characters are there? How is the story told? Chronologically? Or does it switch between present and past? And what is the effect? What questions are you You want to know what will happen to the car because it is driving left with? in a lonely place and is the only car on the road. Which theories can you Claude Levi-Strauss. This is because we are not sure what is apply to these openings? going to happen and we do not know whom the main characters How can they be applied? are. Also the opening two minutes are simple.