The film centers
on a cocaine distributor played by Daniel Craig. His
character is deliberately unnamed throughout the film, but
is listed in the credits as "XXXX".
XXXX has established a successful
business in London buying, cutting, and selling cocaine
while avoiding the gangster behavior associated with drug
dealing. The story
is entwined with other groups of gangsters.
In
this scene:
XXXX's
long-time associate, Morty, is an ex con who was just released
from prison after 10 years. The man who sits eating breakfast
across the table is Freddy Hurst, a fat and slovenly ex-gangster
who is down on his luck -- and just so happens to be the
guy that Morty had taken the fall for before he got sent
to prison. Freddy is unapologetic for what happened to Morty.
Layer
Cake (2004) - Directed
by Matthew Vaughn (of "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels"
fame)
Overview:
In
our single 3:06 clip, we found over 20 techniques as described in
Van Sijll's book:
Balance and imbalance are graphic devices which can reveal
the internal and external world of the characters. By
assigning each character a “place in the frame”
and mimicking its symmetry, it is easy for the audience
to know the identity of the characters and the nature
of their relationship.
Balance
conveys:
Internal
vs external world of characters
Continuity
Visual
unity- Set up as a pair or equalizing a relationship
Height,
Size, orientation, and expression play a major role
Often
used in doses
As
seen in the Layer Cake clip
The
use of mirrors is also a way to create symmetry in a frame.
Genres
that tend to use Balance:
All
of them. Balance is a universal element native to all
genres.
Examples
in class 5-photo stories
As
seen in jandruka's Life As a Coke Bottle
(photos 3-4)
Symmetry
suggests harmony and peace.
As
seen in mardel1810's One Tasty Meal(photos
1,3 and 5)
The
tone of collective togetherness in this meal is conveyed
through close proximity and balance of the items.
Class
Discussion:
Can
anyone think of how balance can be used outside of the obvious
"objects are nicely side-by-side" use of this
technique?
The
lighting often appears to come from spotlights shining
on the action while other areas disappear into unlit shadows.
The technique is said to achieve a heightened dramatization
or greater truth-to-life. It is often reserved for pivotal
scenes expressing key philosophical questions of good
and evil, life and death.
Rembrandt
lighting is lighting that is intentionally creates contrasts
of light and dark. High contrast lighting or chiaroscuro
was developed by the Italian painter Caravaggio, as seen
here:
This
technique emphasizes:
Light
vs. Dark
Intentional
contrasts
Drive
emotion
Dramatic
effects
Used in doses
As
seen in the Layer Cake clip
Genres
that tend to use Rembrandt Lighting:
Film
Noir / Crime dramas
Dramatic
romances
Suspense
thrillers
Horror
Examples
in class 5-photo stories
As
seen in KateMarieWilson's The Break In(photos
1-4)
Effectively
builds drama and suspense and provides extreme contrast
to the last frame when the light is turned on.
A
point-of-view (POV) shot is intended to represent the
subjective view of a specific character. The camera lens
is physically placed at the eye level of the character
whose point-of-view we are seeing. In this way the audience
sees what the character sees.
This
technique is used to convey:
Feeling
the emotion of the intended character
Bringing
you down to their level
You
"become" the character through perspective.
You
are the one experiencing / immersed in the action.
Extreme
POV shots mostly used in "doses".
As
seen in the Layer Cake clip
Your
perspective is that of the man being assaulted.
Genres
that tend to use POV:
All
of them. POV is a universal element native to all genres
depending on the director's motive to involve the viewer
with the subject's perspective.
Examples
in class 5-photo stories
As
seen in illinijonesey's Running With Scissors(photos 1-3)
The
POV of the viewer is that of a common activity: running.
The viewer is connected to the activity more deeply by
essentially "being" the runner.
A
seen in jason.grodsky's Tattoo (photos
1-2)
The
viewer is given the personal perspective of the creative
process in frames 1 & 2.
Class
Discussion:
Point-of-View shots seem to rarely be used for villains
or antagonists in stories, like it is in the Layer Cake
clip. How does point-of-view translate into narrative text?
Can one use words to fully describe the point-of-view of
a subject and do it with just as much emotional effectiveness?
A disrupted
match-cut occurs when two matched images are separated by a single
shot.
Interestingly,
little associative power is lost by the middle shot. When the
images of the outer shots visually rhyme, the audience will continue
to forge a link between the two.
Intercutting
(also called cross-cutting) occurs when two scenes are shot in
sequence, but presented by cutting back and forth between them.
This creates a sense of two actions occurring simultaneously in
two different locations. Frequently intercutting is used leading
up to the climax scene in Act Three.
This technique
can convey
two actions
happening at once
provide
rising action leading up to scene climax
adds dramatic
value: emphasizes message that is being driven
One of the qualities of a wide-angle
lens is its ability to deliver great depth-of-field to
an image. This means that objects in the foreground, middleground
and background can be in focus simultaneously. This enables
action to be staged in-depth.
The Z-axis is the line that runs from
foreground to background. It’s what carries the
illusion of depth. Technically, depth-of-field refers
to the distance along the Z-axis that is in focus, or
focal length.
A standard close-up includes the head and shoulders of
the subject. A “close shot” may refer to a
person or object, whereas a “close-up” usually
refers to a person.
An extreme close-up or ECU is tighter shot
filming only the eyes or lips, for example. A close-up
shot can be achieved by any lens, wide, normal, or telephoto.
Dramatically, an ECU can draw attention to the object
by making it larger than life.
A low-angle shot occurs when the camera is placed below
the subject and the camera is pointing up. This causes
the subject to appear larger-than-life. It transfers power
to the subject, making it appear to dominate objects beneath
it.
A well-crafted film uses everything to contribute to
the story. Location is no exception.
In the clip we see the juxtaposition between the public
cafe and private construction site – both of which
are scenes of violent crimes, showing that the underworld
antagonists do not discriminate. Violence is everywhere.
The lyrics of a song can act as the voice of a character.
They can reveal the inner thoughts in a way that can be
more interesting than a simple “talking heads”
scene. Lyrics can also be used as the voice of a narrator.
Lyrics add another delivery system with which to parcel
our character and thematic information.
In Layer Cake, the lyrics to Duran Duran’s song
Ordinary World speak for Morty’s inner character
as he confronts the man who denied him a decade of his
life until his release from prison.
Auditory suggestions for story
Theme or Genre of music can suggest other tonal or
story twists and turns
Technically, a tracking shot occurs when the camera is
mounted on a dolly and glides along tracks. This allows
the camera to move smoothly along a fixed path. Much like
train tracks, the camera tracks can form a linear or curved
pattern.
This
technique can:
Emphasize a prop
Emphasize emotion
Captures a two person relationship (gives a over
the shoulder perspective)
