While you were sleeping
- 1. While you were sleeping By Mia Rose 1
- 2. Mise-en-scene (lighting, colour, locations and actors.) • Establishing shots of Chicago (see image right) – busy city with a lot going on. Suggests that this is just one of the many love stories happening in this city. Also immediately tells the audience where the story is going to be set. • Narration helps the audience relate to the female protagonist. • Looking back at her childhood – her and her father standing on a bridge in the sunset. The colour orange which is heavily used in this scene represents warmth, happiness and is an inviting colour. • We find out that she has been brought up by a single parent – her dad as her mother dies when she was very young. 2
- 3. Camera Work • Begins with the credits against a moving train track. Suggests that the audience is about to go on a journey with the characters. This also tells us that trains play a large part in the story. • There is a long sustained shot of a train going past. This gives an atmosphere of a fast paced journey the characters are about to go on. Also gets the audience into the right frame of mind as we know where it is set. • Tracking shot showing the father and his daughter on his shoulders. About to start a long journey together, this is shown in the flashback. 3
- 4. Editing • From the train tracks to the flash back. The colour goes from a natural, daylight colour to a warm orange glow. This maybe trying to show how nice things were in the past when she was a child. This also heavily contrasts between not being able to get a man with when she had a man – her dad. • The man who falls over ice-skating shows the audience that this is a lighthearted comedy. By putting this snippet into the introduction the audience knows that the film is going to be an enjoyable and un- heavy to watch. • Slow motion of him rushing to catch his train and her just staring at him. This shows the audience the meet-cute between her and him. Him not acknowledging her and her falling in love. The slow motion effects adds to this excitement she experiences by just seeing him, as well as the fact that they are polar opposite – him in his sharp business suit and her in her baggy jumper and uniform. 4
- 5. Titles/Fonts • The opening credits are written using an italic font. This suggests romance, as well as have a hand-written feel. The fact that she narrates the flashback may imply that she is reading from her diary. • This also suggests that she will be narrating the rest of the film. • The fact that the title is in white connotes cleanliness and purity – that found in a hospital? 5
- 6. Music • The song in the opening credits is ‘This Will Be’ by Natalie Cole. It is in a major key and is a very upbeat song about love. • The instruments included in this song are voice, piano and brass. • By choosing this as the opening song the audience immediately knows that it a film about love and relationships. • The music speeds up as more of the city is revealed – this may reflect the speed of the film. • When the flashback happens the music changes to background music. There is only a keyboard and a bit of percussion used here and it helps to set the sun setting scene. It is very relaxed and relaxing music with a jolly beat. 6