AICE Media Studies

Welcome back guys, I want to look at a few cinematic examples of the mystery genre to further my research. I'll be exploring Rian Johnson's film "Knives Out" today. Camera Angles Movements and Shots: High Angles Low Angles Tracking Shot Eye Levels Establishing Shots Over-the-Shoulder Shots Point-of-View Shots Two Shots Three Shots Mis-En-Scene Character Wardrobe Natural Lighting Naturalistic Makeup Symbolic Props Mansion Setting Editing Inserts Action Match Jump Cut Shot Reverse Shot Fade Out Sound Non-Diegetic Sound Sound Effects I like a lot of things about the film, like the way the old mansion setting creates a spooky and mysterious atmosphere, the way the angles highlight the power dynamics between the characters and advance the plot, the various props, such as the knife in the study, and the diverse outfits that each character wears that correspond to their personality. But I don't particularly like the chosen music; I think it could have sounded more myster...

  Welcome back guys, next, I'll be exploring Kyle Newacheck’s film "Murder Mystery" today. Camera Angles Movements and Shots: Wide Shots Close-Ups Tracking Shots Pans  Eye Level Shots Zoom Medium Close Ups Two Shot High Angles Low Angles Mis-En-Scene Character Wardrobe Varied Lighting Naturalistic Makeup Mystery-Related Props Cruise  Hotel Editing Insert  Fade-Out  Action Match Sound Suspenseful Soundtrack Score I enjoy the variety of camera angles, movements, and shots that are used to show different ideas, like how they showed everything in the scenario with a wide angle, and their distinct clothing, which emphasized the mystery, like when one of the killers removed her hat. The cruise set, however, I dislike it since it keeps a lot of the mystery contained in that one tiny area, making it seem unnaturally small.

  Welcome back guys, finally, I'll be exploring Harry Bradbeer’s film "Enola Homes". Camera Angles Movements and Shots: Low Angles  High Angles Tracking Shots Wide Shots Close-Ups Long Sots Zoom Eye Level Shots Medium Close-Up Mis-En-Scene: Character Wardrobe Naturalistic Lighting Naturalistic Makeup Period-Specific Props Period Set Design Editing: Jump Cuts  Inserts Shot/Reverse Shots Sound: Score Suspenseful Soundtrack Especially in the chase moments, I enjoy how the tracking shots are used during the action scenes. During investigation scenes, Enola's intelligence and drive are revealed through close-ups of her face. I also like the Victorian England set because it provides some historical detail to the plot. But since Mycroft Holmes is portrayed as an antagonist, I don't like the way he acts. His performance, in my opinion, could have been more strongly emotional.

 It was super interesting researching all these genres. They are all similar and overlap slightly, but they have enough difference to effect a final product. The first genre that I knew I was not going to do was action. Action is usually brash, bloody, and masculine. This does not really fit the vision I had in mind for my movie. This caused me to strike this genre right way! I do think it is a good genre but it is not my favorite. The next genre I am crossing off the list is mystery. I really wanted to do mystery and it was very close to being my genre, however the best part of mystery (the ending) would not be included. If I was doing a longer project then this might've been my choice. So, that leaves thriller! I choose thriller because I really enjoy the conventions of the genre. I think the use of thriller conventions with my project would make a really interesting contrast. This is why I choose this genre!

This is going to be the last genre that I am researching! This time I am doing mystery, another genre I don't have that much experience with. Let's do it!   Common Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: Point-of-View Shots  Low Angle Shots Over-the-Shoulder Shots Dutch Angles Tracking Shots  Extreme Close-ups Bird's Eye View Shots Zoom Shots Common Mis-En-Scene: Dim Lighting Urban Settings Symbolic Objects Cinematic Lighting Cluttered Spaces Character Costumes Common Editing: Cross-cutting Fade-In and Out Cutaways Common Sound: Suspenseful Music Sound Effects Voiceovers Silence  Whispering or Muffled Conversations Examples in Films: "Chinatown" (1974) "Se7en" (1995) "Knives Out" (2019)  "Zodiac" (2007) "Murder on the Orient Express" (2017) I am really enjoying this genre. I like the interesting mental challenge of trying to figure out the mystery and connecting the dots. Also the feeling at the end of the movie is so satisfying...

 I am continuing my research on genre! This time I am working on thrillers. Let's get into it. Common Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: Close-ups  High and Low Angles Tracking Shots  Overhead Shots  Pan POV Shots  High Angles Common Mis-En-Scene: Low Lighting Urban Landscapes Confined Spaces Technology and Surveillance Masks and Disguises Common Editing: Jump Cuts Inserts Fade-Outs Common Sound: Silence  Subtle Ambient Sounds  Eerie Noise Examples in Films: "Psycho" (1960) "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)  "The Sixth Sense" (1999) "Prisoners" (2013) I love this genre! I don't watch many thrillers but I love the conventions. I think this genre will really suit my pitch. The only thing about this genre that could be an issue is that most of the time there can be a lot of gore. However, there are some thrillers which do not have a lot of blood and guts. (such as Midsommer!) 

Hey! In this blog I am researching action movies to help me understand the conventions of my genre. I also need to decide which genre to use and why. Like I said, I am researching the action genre today. I don't really watch action movies so this will be pretty new to me! To be honest, it's not really my favorite but I want to make sure I give it a chance. Common Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: Wide Shots Long Shots  Tracking Shots Aerial Shots Close-ups  Pan  Extreme Long Shot  Low Angle Shots Point-of-View Shots Common Mis-En-Scene: Natural Settings Protagonist Attire Artifact Props Natural Lighting Special Effects Common Editing: Cross-cutting  Dissolve Action Match Jump Cuts Inserts Common Sound: Epic Scores Dialogue  Sound Effects  Silence  Nature Sounds Examples in Film: "Indiana Jones" series "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy "Pirates of the Caribbean" series "Jurassic Park" (1993).