Scene Deconstruction

One of the themes of this movie, and this scene in particular, is that people cannot live their lives to the fullest until they accept that they are going to die someday. This scene is especially important in the portrayal of this theme because it is when one of the characters finally accepts the lesson. In this scene, the theme is told in a very didactic way. One of the main characters is literally explaining it to another one, which is about as didactic as a theme can get without it being explicitly stated to the audience by a narrator.

                

         One of the elements this scene utilizes well is line. As soon as one character grabs the other character’s hand, a very important line has been created. This line shows who is in power. When their hands touch, Brad Pitt is sitting and the line tilts up toward Edward Norton. As soon as the hand starts to burn, however, Edward Norton drops and suddenly the line shows that Brad Pitt in control, because he is higher up. The line between the characters creates a subtext of power. Although this particular scene is told in a very didactic manner, there is still a lot of subtext going on in this scene as well as the whole movie. The subtext is easy to create due to the unreliable narrator. Additionally, the diagonal lines of Brad Pitt’s collar shows that he is a forceful, driven character. As Norton tries to resist him, there are quick cuts to some vertical trees, exemplifying his stubbornness when it comes to change.

             Another one of the elements that this scene relies heavily on is movement. The movement between the two characters exemplifies the tension of the scene. There are a lot of small, quick movements going on as one character is trying to hold another one still. Once the movements come down to a minimum, Brad Pitt’s character gives the other character the vinegar, and Edward Norton’s character falls down to show that tension has been released. The movement helps with the theme because one character is trying to get the other to accept the fact that he will die, but the other character is resisting, just like the way they are moving. Their conflict of interest is also exemplified by the movement of point of interest, which changes every time the camera switches between characters. There is very limited camera movement in this scene except for one particular shot that tilts down from Edward Norton’s face to his burning hand. It is no coincidence that the only movement the camera makes in this scene occurs at the same time that the character accepts his face. This camera movement symbolizes the shift in Edward Norton’s character.

Animation Deconstruction

Both of these images are from the Pixar film Monsters Inc. Both images feature the same amount of saturation, due to the style of the film. The first image, however, uses a lot of vibrant hues for both the characters and the background to show the energy in the scene. In the second one, however, the hues are warmer to give a sense of being in a safe place. The first image is also much brighter, because it is during the day, while the second image has lower brightness to show that the little girl is getting ready for bed. As far as lighting, the first image is very well lit with few shadows to create the mood of admiration and happiness. There is actually a sort of spotlight effect on the center characters to symbolize the admiration they are receiving from the other characters. The spotlight shines on the two monsters as the other characters adore them in slightly darker lighting. The heavy shadows used in the second image, along with the girl’s facial expressions, give off a mood of fear. She is afraid of the antagonist of the movie, who is pictured in the drawing she is holding so that the storytellers can tell the young audience what she is afraid of in a didactic manner. The movement of the characters in each scene is very different. In the first, the two main characters are sort of strutting to show their pride. These characters are using slow, large scale movements to show their high status in the scene. While these two characters have very different models, their movements parallel each other. In contrast to these movements the little girl uses very small, quick movements in comparison to show how afraid she is. Secondary movements happen when the big blue character walks and his hair fluffs around, which also happens to occur with the girl’s pigtails when she shakes her head. The green character has the secondary movement of his bag swinging back and forth. The principle of squash and stretch is displayed in the blue characters large stomach, which bounces up and down as he walks.

Storyboard Imitation

(I don't have anything to scan my storyboard onto the computer, so I will give it to you in the lab)

The scene of these men talking in a bar in the film Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino is a great example of how dialogue scenes with multiple characters should be shot. In this scene, the director rarely breaks any of the three rules, and when he does he has a clear purpose for doing so. The rule of 30 is always followed, as every consecutive shot switches angles at least thirty degrees. The rule of thirds is usually followed, because the point of interest (in this case, the heads of the characters) is always put on an intersection of the imaginary grid in the shot. This rule is broken, however, when only Mr. Orange is in the shot. In these shots, Mr. Orange talking is the only thing happening in the frame, so he is obviously the point of interest, yet the director puts him in the center of the shot. The director does this to show that during this scene, Mr. Orange is the center of attention. He gets away with this because there is nothing else in the frame to distract the viewer, so Mr. Orange doesn’t have to be on one of the intersections. The rule of 180 is followed, although it may seem like it isn’t at times. Because there are three characters listening to Mr. Orange, the 180 line shifts depending on who is talking back to him, and once you take that into consideration you realize that the director has not broken the rules at all. At first the camera has to stay to the left (if you’re facing Mr. Orange) of the 180 degree line, but once Eddy speaks up the 180 degree line changes and therefore the director can move the camera to whichever side he wants to begin the conversation between them.

Song Deconstruction

I am going to compare a the listening framework of a song and a cover of it.

Electioneering by Radiohead
Listening Phase 1 (Rhythm)

• Tempo: This song has a very fast tempo, except for the very beginning and a small part before the guitar solo.
• Source: The rhythm of this song comes from the drums, along with a lot of help from the cowbell and tambourine.
• Groove: The song has a sort of modernized 60's rock feel with a hint of eastern sound in a few parts.

Listening Phase 2 (Arrangement)

• Instrumentation: The instrument that stands out the most in this song is the crazy lead guitar, which is heavily distorted and does the most for the song. The song is almost a battle between the lead guitar riffing and the lead singer wailing his lyrics about corrupt politicians. Underneath it is some rhythm guitar and a grooving bass track. Finally, there are the drums, the cowbell, and the tambourine keeping time.
• Structure/Organization: The song begins with a quick intro, then goes straight into a verse. This is followed by the chorus, another verse, and the chorus again. After the second chorus, there is a slow breakdown, and then the tempo picks back up and an energetic guitar solo finishes the song.
• Emotional Architecture: The eerie sounds that the song starts with makes you question where the song is headed, and then the actual song begins and emotion starts to pick up. Energy peaks twice at the chorus, and then drops down to a low to build tension during the breakdown. This tension is released with the guitar solo, which is the part of the song with the most emotion. Overall, the song is a roller coaster of emotion with its biggest drop and peak at the very end.

Listening Phase 3 (Sound Quality)

• Height: The song has a lot of height. The bass is very low, which contrasts the very high notes reached by the lead guitar and the singer's voice.
• Width: The song has a decent amount of width. Right from the very beginning the eerie intro pans strange sounds left and right. During the actual songs, there are several instruments, particularly the guitars, that only play on a certain side.
• Depth: The song has a good amount of depth. There are around 5 instruments that are playing at any given time, and that's if you count the tambourine, cowbell, and drums all as one instrument.

Electioneering by Cold War Kids

Listening Phase 1 (Rhythm)

• Tempo: This song has a very slow tempo, especially compared the original song.
• Source: The rhythm comes from the very simple drums.
• Groove: The song gives off a very minimalist feel with some hints of blues because of the singer's voice.

Listening Phase 2 (Arrangement)

• Instrumentation: This is a much simpler song compared to Radiohead's version. The only particularly noticeable instruments, and certainly the ones driving the song, are the singer's voice and the drums. Some piano does come in for the latter half of the song, and if you listen closely there is some intermittent bass work. A couple other instruments chime in quietly and rarely.
• Structure/Organization: Much like the instrumentation, the structure of the song is very simple. There is a quick intro of the drums playing the rhythm, then a verse, a chorus, another verse, and another chorus. The drums play on for a few more bars and the song ends.
• Emotional Architecture: The emotion during the song does not really vary at all. The song gives off a very dry tone throughout, and the only instrument that seems to be doing any work is the singer's voice. Again, the contrast to the original is astounding.

Listening Phase 3 (Sound Quality)

• Height: The song has a good amount of height. The bass, although it is quiet, is extremely low, and the singer goes very high, especially during the chorus.
• Width: There is very little width in this song. The instruments do not pan left and right very much if at all.
• Depth: The depth in this song is also limited. Like I mentioned before, there are really only two consistent instruments. At certain points the bass, piano, drums, and voice are all going, but overall there is not a lot of depth going on.

The combination of this Radiohead song and the cover of it by Cold War Kids is a great example of how differently the same song can be approached. It’s simply amazing how one interpretation of a song can make me want to jump around and yell but a different interpretation of the same song makes me sit still and sends shivers down my spine. Yes, the songs have exactly the same lyrics. It is, after all, a cover. The melody is generally the same, although they are in different keys. The organization is the same, although the cover has no guitar solo (and no guitar, for that matter). Even though it is the “same song,” the similarities basically end here. In the original, the tempo is very high; it is an energized rock song. The cover, on the other hand, is a slow, brooding, interpretation. Radiohead’s original is incredibly intense, but the cover is not intense at all. In fact, I would just describe it as tense. The song is so slow and the singer’s voice is so screechy that it is kind of a frightening song. The instruments in the original, especially the lead guitar, are quite distorted and have a lot of timbre. Everything in the cover is clean, almost to an uncomfortable extent. I would describe the cover as “brutally honest.” These different versions are so different that it seems to create different meanings for the same lyrics, or at least different attitudes. The lyrics, as they are written, are satirical and meant to be written from the perspective of a corrupt politician who “trusts he can rely on your vote.” In Radiohead’s version, it makes me feel angry towards this politician, because he sounds arrogant and irritating. In the version by Cold War Kids, even though the lyrics are exactly the same, it makes me feel afraid of this politician, because the slow tempo and the way the song is sung makes it intimidating. Which one is my favorite is a difficult choice, because I love both of the songs, but if I had to choose I would pick the Radiohead version, because I enjoy the lead guitar and quick pace. That being said, I still enjoy the cover because it is such a dark derivative from the original.