Respond to the 3 posts below :
Post 1
I will be analyzing and interpreting the significance of Black Panther, with a concentration on the mise-en-scene, and the films sound and music. Black Panther centers on Wakanda, a country in Africa and the individuals in the film are wearing traditional African clothing and cultural face painting, vibrant with unique patterns; the film displays the traditional attire tribes wear in Africa demonstrating the cultural and historical significance. The form of deep space occurs with Killmonger examining the ancient artifacts in the west African exhibit, and the significance of a weapon created out of vibranium by Wakanda and Killmonger intends to purloin it. Naturalized acting is a method presented in Black Panther, and the portrayal is to showcase the African cultural and historical context of the value of the continent. The lighting of the film is three-point lighting, and low-key lighting, there are scenes which present a drastic distinction between dark and lighter elements of scenery, and scenes displaying depth but not transpiring as dramatic. For instance, the vehicle pursuit scene is considerably dim, and luminous lighting from the buildings and headlights of the vehicles display glimpses of the characters features; the dark contrast demonstrates the intensity and seriousness of the pursuit.
Museum Heist Scene
Vehicle Pursuit
T’Challa, Nakia, and Okoye travel to South Korea, to obtain the vibranium from Klaw. When entering the underground casino the song “Pray for Me” by The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar, begins to play in the background. The significance of the song implies T’Challa, the Black Panther, is willing to sacrifice himself to protect and conserve the culture of Wakanda from outsiders, proceeding to great lengths to secure the vibranium. The vibranium is exclusively in Wakanda, and the metal absorbs kinetic energy and sound waves and provides strength to the metal, which is why T’Challa attempts his best to protect and conceal the metal from outsiders. Before T’Challa’s mindset desired to protect and isolate Wakanda from colonization, and, an illusion displays the country as impoverished, but in actuality, the country is advanced due to vibranium. The conflict between Black Panther and Killmonger, resulted in Wakanda allowing their advanced technology to aid Africans impacted by diaspora, and T’Challa eradicates the cycle of dichotomy. Hence, the components of the film: mise-en-scene and the films sound and music assist in the essential message of the film.
Post 2
I would like to discuss the following Apple commercial that features FKA Twigs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLAnTQfFXOI
I believe Apple tends to do a really good job of using different techniques to create a cinematic experience in their commercials. For this particular ad, one thing that caught my attention was difference in sound between the beginning and the end. Starting off, it seems as though the sound is synchronous, from the pubic transportation to the entering of her apartment the sounds match the setting as well as the actions that are being taken. There also is an element of offscreen sound with sirens and other background noise such as the sirens. As the backstory starts to fade, so does the synchronous sound. Once the music begins and the more “unrealistic” actions like the stretching of the table, the direct sound quickly comes to an end. From that point, everything is done with the sound only being the music. There are brief moments when the volume of the music is lowered and breathing then becomes the primary sound, but those occasions match points where the song itself has a more laid back refrain. Towards the end of the commercial, the music begins to fade, and the sound goes back to synchronous and offscreen to showcase the product.
While sound is obviously important, it is nearly irrelevant without the editing and cinematography that is done in the commercial. Keeping FKA Twigs as the subject, the video-editing is done on the objects of the apartment. These are obviously a mix of set design with post production software. One of the most important elements in the cinematography fronts is the use of angles that seem to be achieved by a steady cam. There are a variation of close ups as well as panning that is mostly dependent on the background objects.
Given that FKA Twigs is the human subject of the commercial, I think music is a really important piece. It works to guide not only the movement of FKA Twigs, but also the editing of the apartment, in a similar fashion to other Apple commercials. The use of more personal elements and the steady cam can be connected to the personal experience that the individual may have with the product that is being shown. Although there are different elements of of spacing given the editing, it seems clear that there is a sort of intimacy that is idealized, especially when taking into consideration how the commercial began with packed public transportation. The “unrealistic” portion of the editing suggests that this product can be transformative and inspire such creativity, even if it cannot be actualized. Overall I believe Apple attempted to display a sort of escapism to ease the mind of the everyday business, such an experience which can surely be achieved with the Apple Home
Post 3
For this week’s discussion, I will be analyzing one of my favorite shows I would watch while growing up, Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS). Stark Trek: TOS uses both mise-en-scene and film sound to portray its main theme: adventures throughout a futuristic space setting. The characters of Star Trek: TOS have very distinct costumes that represent their status.
(Image from: http://www.therobotspajamas.com/ranking-the-star-trek-uniforms/)
Red is for engineers, communications, and security, blue is for medical/science officers, and yellow is for command. There are also many other unique extraterrestrial races presented throughout the series, which require distinct makeup and costume design. These costumes play a role in the series by giving a set position or identity to the characters, which further contributes to giving the series a futuristic space setting.
There are a ton of sound effects throughout the show that enhance its key theme. There is a lot of post-synchronization sound present, such as laser guns firing, explosions, computer sounds, and the “transporter” noises. You would not normally hear these noises casually, as if you were going on a stroll outside or a trip to your local grocery store. Rather, all these sound effects are produced to contribute to creating an environment of a future outer-space setting.
