I hope
Monday, 28 March 2011
Part C/Three/5-2 - SECTION QUATRE
COLOUR
The way that colour has been used is very clever, in the first half using very very dark tones, making the bright yellow smiley badge stand out from the shadows and the natural night sky. The apartment itself is very dark also, with hardwood floors and black furniture, the grey and brown walls letting no bright colours in. The darkness is contrasted not only by the badge but also by the white reflections of the city outside, making the darkness so much more enclosing and worrying.
In the second half, this shadow is lifted and replaced with a yellow-ish tinge. This half focuses on white and pastel colours, even in the night scenes, the colour is light and bright, almost like it's the end of the tunnel for the person remembering these portions of history. This effect creates a kind of yin-yang effect, which balances the very dark scene before it.
The colour brings the viewer close into the film, with the darkness creating a kind of personal connection with Edward, as if the room is small and intimate, and then the harsh glow of the bright lights create a feeling of sudden realisation. It also hints at the ending of the film, of being kept in the dark right up till the very end, and then being shown the reasons behind everything in the final scene - being brought into the light of realisation.
The way that colour has been used is very clever, in the first half using very very dark tones, making the bright yellow smiley badge stand out from the shadows and the natural night sky. The apartment itself is very dark also, with hardwood floors and black furniture, the grey and brown walls letting no bright colours in. The darkness is contrasted not only by the badge but also by the white reflections of the city outside, making the darkness so much more enclosing and worrying.
In the second half, this shadow is lifted and replaced with a yellow-ish tinge. This half focuses on white and pastel colours, even in the night scenes, the colour is light and bright, almost like it's the end of the tunnel for the person remembering these portions of history. This effect creates a kind of yin-yang effect, which balances the very dark scene before it.
The colour brings the viewer close into the film, with the darkness creating a kind of personal connection with Edward, as if the room is small and intimate, and then the harsh glow of the bright lights create a feeling of sudden realisation. It also hints at the ending of the film, of being kept in the dark right up till the very end, and then being shown the reasons behind everything in the final scene - being brought into the light of realisation.
Part C/Three/300 - SECTION III
MUSIC
Two songs are used in this introduction, one for each part.
"Unforgettable" by Nat "King" Cole is used in the first half of the introduction, which fits nicely with the relaxing mood created by Edward, in his actions of making tea and watching television with a cigar, right up until the intruder enters, and the action becomes much more serious. It appears to be coming from the tv and when the tv is shot and turned off, the song continues, but is brought into the foreground. It then creates a type of disturbed calm, in contrast to the violence of the action happening in the shot.
The second song, "The Time's They Are a-Changin" by Bob Dylan is more symbolic, as the montage is showing us the past and how it has changed. The song is about the threats of war and politics, bringing the worries and concerns of the characters into view. A large amount of the film is spent worrying about the threat of nuclear war by the Soviet Union, shown in the constant images of the Doomsday Clock, and even in the badge with the splash of blood, which in it's self mirrors the clock and it's position.
The song creates a feeling of the character looking back on these is aware of how drastically everything is changing, and is a large part of this political step. Especially in The Comedians case, as he is shown to have assassinated JFK, and later in the movie is shown to have had a very large part of the Vietnam War.
Two songs are used in this introduction, one for each part.
"Unforgettable" by Nat "King" Cole is used in the first half of the introduction, which fits nicely with the relaxing mood created by Edward, in his actions of making tea and watching television with a cigar, right up until the intruder enters, and the action becomes much more serious. It appears to be coming from the tv and when the tv is shot and turned off, the song continues, but is brought into the foreground. It then creates a type of disturbed calm, in contrast to the violence of the action happening in the shot.
The second song, "The Time's They Are a-Changin" by Bob Dylan is more symbolic, as the montage is showing us the past and how it has changed. The song is about the threats of war and politics, bringing the worries and concerns of the characters into view. A large amount of the film is spent worrying about the threat of nuclear war by the Soviet Union, shown in the constant images of the Doomsday Clock, and even in the badge with the splash of blood, which in it's self mirrors the clock and it's position.
The song creates a feeling of the character looking back on these is aware of how drastically everything is changing, and is a large part of this political step. Especially in The Comedians case, as he is shown to have assassinated JFK, and later in the movie is shown to have had a very large part of the Vietnam War.
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Part C/Three/a crowd - SECTION TWO
SOUND
The sound used in this opening is very well done for it's genre, with noises usually taken for granted are brought into the foreground by exaggeration, namely the "woosh" of the door being kicked open, and the smacks, cracks and pows of the punches reminds you that this is a movie based off a comic, and that they have tried to keep that comic feel. This effect is then discarded as we lead into the montage/title sequence, with the song "The Times They Are A-Changing" by Bob Dylan. The sound effects now work in the opposite, hushing everything into the background. It creates a feeling that these things are memories, events of the past, and almost like they are being remembered by someone who can't quite pinpoint all the details.
These effects make us think that we could be hearing what The Comedian hears, the accentuated sounds from his monotonous days at home, that they are the first moments of excitement in weeks, coupled with an adrenaline rush, and then, the toned down noises makes us think that this is his life flashing before his eyes, all the memories and things he has done being shown to him one last time, but he can't remember exactly what goes where.
The sound used in this opening is very well done for it's genre, with noises usually taken for granted are brought into the foreground by exaggeration, namely the "woosh" of the door being kicked open, and the smacks, cracks and pows of the punches reminds you that this is a movie based off a comic, and that they have tried to keep that comic feel. This effect is then discarded as we lead into the montage/title sequence, with the song "The Times They Are A-Changing" by Bob Dylan. The sound effects now work in the opposite, hushing everything into the background. It creates a feeling that these things are memories, events of the past, and almost like they are being remembered by someone who can't quite pinpoint all the details.
These effects make us think that we could be hearing what The Comedian hears, the accentuated sounds from his monotonous days at home, that they are the first moments of excitement in weeks, coupled with an adrenaline rush, and then, the toned down noises makes us think that this is his life flashing before his eyes, all the memories and things he has done being shown to him one last time, but he can't remember exactly what goes where.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Part C/Three/one more hand than you need - SECTION 1
SHOT SIZE/ANGLE + CAMERA MOVEMENT
Shot size and angle refer to how close or far away the camera is from the subject. Camera movement, quite obviously, refers to how the camera moves.
Examples of this are found everywhere, but especially in the extreme close up of the badge, and then the zooming out to show the scene, in a medium shot of Edward making tea, showing that his life is plain and uneventful now that his superhero days are over.
Another example of this is when the intruder and Edward are fighting, the camera switches between an
establishing shot of the battle and a close up of Edwards face as he is being punched in slowmotion, then back to the establishing shot to continue the action.
The slowmotion and the closeup is used to show that even though Edward is obviously well trained, he is severly taking a beating, and the very detailed shot of this punch accentuates the entire idea of Edward not being as young as he used to be, and that he is not ready for such a fight, as it has been years since his last "mission".
The zooming in and out of the badge is used as a wipe to change scenes, as it is used later on to bring us back into the film after the title sequence/montage, but it also places a large amount of emphisis onto that particular symbol, with it's repeated appearances throughout the film.
Shot size and angle refer to how close or far away the camera is from the subject. Camera movement, quite obviously, refers to how the camera moves.
Examples of this are found everywhere, but especially in the extreme close up of the badge, and then the zooming out to show the scene, in a medium shot of Edward making tea, showing that his life is plain and uneventful now that his superhero days are over.
Another example of this is when the intruder and Edward are fighting, the camera switches between an
establishing shot of the battle and a close up of Edwards face as he is being punched in slowmotion, then back to the establishing shot to continue the action.
The slowmotion and the closeup is used to show that even though Edward is obviously well trained, he is severly taking a beating, and the very detailed shot of this punch accentuates the entire idea of Edward not being as young as he used to be, and that he is not ready for such a fight, as it has been years since his last "mission".
The zooming in and out of the badge is used as a wipe to change scenes, as it is used later on to bring us back into the film after the title sequence/montage, but it also places a large amount of emphisis onto that particular symbol, with it's repeated appearances throughout the film.
Part B/Two/Secondary Post
-genre/atmosphere
A yellow background casts a stark contrast against the production details in black. The camera slowly zooms out to show the yellow being the classic smiley face badge, worn by The Comedian, or Edward Morgan Blake. The words "Wrong as usual" can be heard from a television, as well as the whine of a boiling kettle. The camera continues zooming, and shows Edward making tea, whilst the TV broadcast continues. A close up of Edwards face shows him listening to the broadcast, but also quite focused on his drink. After trudging back to the chair, he sits and holds up the remote. As he is about to change the channel, the scene flicks to that of President Nixon giving a speech, addressing the Soviet union with a warning. After this, the talkshow host declares that the Doomsday clock, a measure of how close the earth is to nuclear armageddon. The hosts begin to talk of Doctor Manhattan, an ex-human, now superpowered god.
We return with a shot of Edward, sitting alone in his lounge smoking a cigar and wearing his dressing gown. A shot of the coffee table, with a gun on top of a Hustler magazine, and then he begins to flick channels between the talk show, MTV, a news broadcast with the headline "Soviets Violate Territorial Waters" but when he changes the channel and a slow song, "Unforgettable" by Nat "King" Cole, starts playing. Edward leans back and relaxes, bringing the mood a little bit lighter after the tense talks on the television. The air is still very tense, the viewer is waiting for something to pick up.
The Comedian turns his head as the camera focuses on the light underneath the doorframe, and we are shown a figure walking past and stopping. Then camera then changes to the other side of the door, at handle height. The door is kicked open, accompanied by a very comic-esque "woosh" and a sudden silence of the song, which is then resumed. Edward stands, and the camera moves back to a male figure entering the room.
Edward says one of two lines here, "It's just a matter of time, I guess", suggesting that he knew this would eventually happen, amping up the tension. At this, the figure tightens his glove, in anticipation.
The camera zooms onto the handgun, back to Edward, and then the tea being poured out of the mug. Edward throws it, the figure dodges, and it smashes against the door, apartment number 300, a slight nod to the directors previous film. This diversion is enough for Edward to grab the gun and commando roll onto the tiles, yet the figure is already there. Edward fires, misses, and the shot is of the television, with a bullet hole, showing "'Nostalgia' by Veidt", which is slightly ironic as the figure is Adrian Veidt, and this is as close as Edward comes to harming him. The song continues, even though the tv has turned off. The figure rips the gun from Edward and throws it. A fist fight ensues, with slowmotion and fastmotion interchanging to accentuate the near-superhuman moves each character is making, which also reminds us that this is a comic-book movie. Edward takes a beating, yet gets up and punches a hole through stone, and then through a wall, showing his strength and the attackers speed. After being punched down into a glass, and thrown into another, Edward starts throwing kitchen knives. The attacker catches these, and throws them down, as if he wants to keep the fight with his old team-mate as clean as possible, especially as Veidt has the upper hand. Veidt disarms Edward and breaks some bones in his hand. He picks Edward up and looks at him, and Edward, laughing, stutters "It's a joke, it's all a joke...mother forgive me...", showing that he knows it's over. There is no use fighting anymore. The camera zooms back onto the smiley face badge, as the iconic drop of blood splashes down onto it's eye. The smiley face is a continued symbol of this film.
These scene is brought to a close by the attacker lifting Edward up, running across the room and throwing him out of the window. The camera follows Edward then stops as the badge drifts past in slow motion. We cut to the ground as the glass falls, and the focus is placed on the badge, bouncing along the cement and resting beside the pooling blood. The camera flies into the badge, into the black eye, using this as a fade out.
The song "The Times They Are A-Changing" by Bob Dylan starts the title sequence montage, with the first shot of Nite Owl 1 punching a gangster. This is in a sepia tone. A picture of Silk Spectre 1 in front of a group of policemen is next, everyone smiling for press photos. A shot of the similar vein, but with The Comedian. A group shot of the Minutemen in 1940, with The Silhouette, Mothman, Dollar Bill, Nite Owl 1, Captian Metropolis, The Comedian, Silk Spectre 1, and Hooded Justice all in a row. A bomber flies towards the camera, the first Silk Spectre's picture painted in the side. The next clip is important, as it is where the universe of Watchmen and our own universe split. A close up of a newspaper with the headline "JAPAN SURRENDERS". The Silhouette walks past, looking for someone, and finds a screaming nurse. They kiss, recasting the famous V–J day in Times Square photograph, with her in position of the sailor. A sailor can be seen walking in the background. After this, is where Dollar Bill is shot after his cape is caught on a revolving door, meaning he is not present for the next scene, a "Happy Retirement" party for a heavily pregnant Silk Spectre 1. This scene is very similar to Leonardo da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper". Mothman is then shown being bundled into a white van. It blacks out, and the camera zooms out to show The Silhouette and her partner have been murdered, with the words "Lesbian Whores" written on the wall in blood. The ever present journalists with their flashing cameras are present.
This signifies the end of the Minutemen era, and the beginning of the Watchmen era, with a scene of a young Walter Korvacs (Rorschach) having his hair ruffled by a man who has just used his mothers...services. As he leaves, another man folds his paper and stands up, walking into the bedroom. The headline reads "RUSS HAS A-BOMB".
Next is Doctor Manhattan shaking the hand of JFK, followed by the Kennedy assassination, and a shot of The Comedian putting down a gun and looking around, suggesting he was the shooter upon the grassy knoll.
Silk Spectre 1 is arguing with her husband about how she was "A hero goddamnit". This falls into the background as the camera moves to the famous picture of the Buddhist monk who has set himself on fire being played on the television. A police officer slowly walks towards two men tied to a fire hydrant, shining his flashlight on both men, who are revealed to be covered in blood. The light moves down, onto a piece of paper with Rorschach's signature upon it. This piece of paper then blows away.
The soviets are shown to have a large amount of artillery, troops and missiles, whilst the americans are shown to be massacring a large amount of peacefully protesting students against Nixon being given another term. Andy Warhol is shown exhibiting his portraits of Nite Owl 2, which greatly contrasts the previous scenes. This is followed by the moon landing, with the astronaut turning and Doctor Manhattan being seen reflected in the visor of the spacesuit. Adrian Veidt is then standing in a crowd, patiently having photos taken, whilst the Village People pose in the background. As he leaves, he shakes the hand of David Bowie.
A previous scene is re-made, this time the formation of the Watchmen, featuring The Comedian, Silk Spectre 2, Doctor Manhattan, Ozymandias, Nite Owl 2 and Rorschach.
The montage is finished with a television, showing Richard Nixon celebrating. The camera zooms out to show the words "Nixon re-elected for a third term". The tv beside that is a scientist changing the hands of the Dooms-day Clock. It continues to zoom out, as a protestor covers the window in red spray paint, revealed to be the slogan "Who Watches The Watchmen?". The protestors are shown to be against vigilantes, and in support of The Keene Act. One lights a bottle and throws it into the window, which erupts in flames. These flames cover the screen and burn away into a yellow background, which then zooms back out to show the smiley face lying on a gutter, exactly where we started.
A yellow background casts a stark contrast against the production details in black. The camera slowly zooms out to show the yellow being the classic smiley face badge, worn by The Comedian, or Edward Morgan Blake. The words "Wrong as usual" can be heard from a television, as well as the whine of a boiling kettle. The camera continues zooming, and shows Edward making tea, whilst the TV broadcast continues. A close up of Edwards face shows him listening to the broadcast, but also quite focused on his drink. After trudging back to the chair, he sits and holds up the remote. As he is about to change the channel, the scene flicks to that of President Nixon giving a speech, addressing the Soviet union with a warning. After this, the talkshow host declares that the Doomsday clock, a measure of how close the earth is to nuclear armageddon. The hosts begin to talk of Doctor Manhattan, an ex-human, now superpowered god.
We return with a shot of Edward, sitting alone in his lounge smoking a cigar and wearing his dressing gown. A shot of the coffee table, with a gun on top of a Hustler magazine, and then he begins to flick channels between the talk show, MTV, a news broadcast with the headline "Soviets Violate Territorial Waters" but when he changes the channel and a slow song, "Unforgettable" by Nat "King" Cole, starts playing. Edward leans back and relaxes, bringing the mood a little bit lighter after the tense talks on the television. The air is still very tense, the viewer is waiting for something to pick up.
The Comedian turns his head as the camera focuses on the light underneath the doorframe, and we are shown a figure walking past and stopping. Then camera then changes to the other side of the door, at handle height. The door is kicked open, accompanied by a very comic-esque "woosh" and a sudden silence of the song, which is then resumed. Edward stands, and the camera moves back to a male figure entering the room.
Edward says one of two lines here, "It's just a matter of time, I guess", suggesting that he knew this would eventually happen, amping up the tension. At this, the figure tightens his glove, in anticipation.
The camera zooms onto the handgun, back to Edward, and then the tea being poured out of the mug. Edward throws it, the figure dodges, and it smashes against the door, apartment number 300, a slight nod to the directors previous film. This diversion is enough for Edward to grab the gun and commando roll onto the tiles, yet the figure is already there. Edward fires, misses, and the shot is of the television, with a bullet hole, showing "'Nostalgia' by Veidt", which is slightly ironic as the figure is Adrian Veidt, and this is as close as Edward comes to harming him. The song continues, even though the tv has turned off. The figure rips the gun from Edward and throws it. A fist fight ensues, with slowmotion and fastmotion interchanging to accentuate the near-superhuman moves each character is making, which also reminds us that this is a comic-book movie. Edward takes a beating, yet gets up and punches a hole through stone, and then through a wall, showing his strength and the attackers speed. After being punched down into a glass, and thrown into another, Edward starts throwing kitchen knives. The attacker catches these, and throws them down, as if he wants to keep the fight with his old team-mate as clean as possible, especially as Veidt has the upper hand. Veidt disarms Edward and breaks some bones in his hand. He picks Edward up and looks at him, and Edward, laughing, stutters "It's a joke, it's all a joke...mother forgive me...", showing that he knows it's over. There is no use fighting anymore. The camera zooms back onto the smiley face badge, as the iconic drop of blood splashes down onto it's eye. The smiley face is a continued symbol of this film.
These scene is brought to a close by the attacker lifting Edward up, running across the room and throwing him out of the window. The camera follows Edward then stops as the badge drifts past in slow motion. We cut to the ground as the glass falls, and the focus is placed on the badge, bouncing along the cement and resting beside the pooling blood. The camera flies into the badge, into the black eye, using this as a fade out.
The song "The Times They Are A-Changing" by Bob Dylan starts the title sequence montage, with the first shot of Nite Owl 1 punching a gangster. This is in a sepia tone. A picture of Silk Spectre 1 in front of a group of policemen is next, everyone smiling for press photos. A shot of the similar vein, but with The Comedian. A group shot of the Minutemen in 1940, with The Silhouette, Mothman, Dollar Bill, Nite Owl 1, Captian Metropolis, The Comedian, Silk Spectre 1, and Hooded Justice all in a row. A bomber flies towards the camera, the first Silk Spectre's picture painted in the side. The next clip is important, as it is where the universe of Watchmen and our own universe split. A close up of a newspaper with the headline "JAPAN SURRENDERS". The Silhouette walks past, looking for someone, and finds a screaming nurse. They kiss, recasting the famous V–J day in Times Square photograph, with her in position of the sailor. A sailor can be seen walking in the background. After this, is where Dollar Bill is shot after his cape is caught on a revolving door, meaning he is not present for the next scene, a "Happy Retirement" party for a heavily pregnant Silk Spectre 1. This scene is very similar to Leonardo da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper". Mothman is then shown being bundled into a white van. It blacks out, and the camera zooms out to show The Silhouette and her partner have been murdered, with the words "Lesbian Whores" written on the wall in blood. The ever present journalists with their flashing cameras are present.
This signifies the end of the Minutemen era, and the beginning of the Watchmen era, with a scene of a young Walter Korvacs (Rorschach) having his hair ruffled by a man who has just used his mothers...services. As he leaves, another man folds his paper and stands up, walking into the bedroom. The headline reads "RUSS HAS A-BOMB".
Next is Doctor Manhattan shaking the hand of JFK, followed by the Kennedy assassination, and a shot of The Comedian putting down a gun and looking around, suggesting he was the shooter upon the grassy knoll.
Silk Spectre 1 is arguing with her husband about how she was "A hero goddamnit". This falls into the background as the camera moves to the famous picture of the Buddhist monk who has set himself on fire being played on the television. A police officer slowly walks towards two men tied to a fire hydrant, shining his flashlight on both men, who are revealed to be covered in blood. The light moves down, onto a piece of paper with Rorschach's signature upon it. This piece of paper then blows away.
The soviets are shown to have a large amount of artillery, troops and missiles, whilst the americans are shown to be massacring a large amount of peacefully protesting students against Nixon being given another term. Andy Warhol is shown exhibiting his portraits of Nite Owl 2, which greatly contrasts the previous scenes. This is followed by the moon landing, with the astronaut turning and Doctor Manhattan being seen reflected in the visor of the spacesuit. Adrian Veidt is then standing in a crowd, patiently having photos taken, whilst the Village People pose in the background. As he leaves, he shakes the hand of David Bowie.
A previous scene is re-made, this time the formation of the Watchmen, featuring The Comedian, Silk Spectre 2, Doctor Manhattan, Ozymandias, Nite Owl 2 and Rorschach.
The montage is finished with a television, showing Richard Nixon celebrating. The camera zooms out to show the words "Nixon re-elected for a third term". The tv beside that is a scientist changing the hands of the Dooms-day Clock. It continues to zoom out, as a protestor covers the window in red spray paint, revealed to be the slogan "Who Watches The Watchmen?". The protestors are shown to be against vigilantes, and in support of The Keene Act. One lights a bottle and throws it into the window, which erupts in flames. These flames cover the screen and burn away into a yellow background, which then zooms back out to show the smiley face lying on a gutter, exactly where we started.
Sunday, 20 March 2011
Part A/One/1/Wun
-reason for selection
After a brief but intense home-invasion that becomes a high energy fight scene and then a relatively quick murder, the title sequence starts with the first few bars of "The Times They Are A-Changing" by Bob Dylan. During this song, the montage shows the history of superheroes, the rise and fall of the Minute Men and America, then the formation of the Watchmen.
It fits into the film by almost acting as a prequel, showing what happened to the characters and the history of the world, the events that cause it to be an alternate history from ours, and all important events (not revealed in the storyline) up to where The Comdian is thrown out of a window.
The reason it appealed to me how it shows american history in this alternate universe, that some things are drastically different, but other things are very much the same, in an exact parallel.
After a brief but intense home-invasion that becomes a high energy fight scene and then a relatively quick murder, the title sequence starts with the first few bars of "The Times They Are A-Changing" by Bob Dylan. During this song, the montage shows the history of superheroes, the rise and fall of the Minute Men and America, then the formation of the Watchmen.
It fits into the film by almost acting as a prequel, showing what happened to the characters and the history of the world, the events that cause it to be an alternate history from ours, and all important events (not revealed in the storyline) up to where The Comdian is thrown out of a window.
The reason it appealed to me how it shows american history in this alternate universe, that some things are drastically different, but other things are very much the same, in an exact parallel.
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Look, a link!! 2.0
Here is the link for the movie title sequence I will study.
The film shall be Watchmen, by Zack Snyder, of 2009, and here it is
After editing this post about nine times, I do hope this'll be the last.
The film shall be Watchmen, by Zack Snyder, of 2009, and here it is
After editing this post about nine times, I do hope this'll be the last.
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