x.. Analysis of 4 film stills ..x

This film still is from the movie 'Batman and robin'. This is a MS of both 'good' characters in the movie. They are both in 'disguises' since they are wearing odd or unusual clothing seen from those worn on a daily basis and we can obvious tell that they are disguises since they are both wearing masks. The setting is most likely to be in the city ( of Gothom for who would now since they would be familiar with the comic book ) and we can see this since there are many tall building in the background and cars parked up on the side of the roads. The lighting seems to be fairly light to focus on the characters and since the scene seems to be shot in the day time. The actors seem to be running and we can see this from the position on their arms and body language. This camera shot is good for action or adventure films because then the audience can see the whole setting which is better considering the genre. Genre films such as these need more MS and LS rather than BCS and CS because the audience need to see completely whats going on so they can see all the action taking place rather than focusing on facial expressions.

This still image was taken from the movie 'House of wax'. The actor is a famous celebrity (paris hilton) which probably helped add to the promotion and selling of the movie. We can not see the setting since the shot is a BC shot that is focused on her facial expression which we can obviously tell that she is scared and sad due to the cringing of her eye brows and tears from her eyes along with her hand covering her mouth probably to minimize the sound of her breathing from some-one else (the evil character) to hear. The only setting we can see is the piece of wall on her left which seems to be damaged, broken and not in its best condition. This shows us that shes not in a safe environment and overall connotes the genre of the film being a horror. This type of shot is good for genred films such as horrors or thrillers because it needs to emphasise the characters facial expressions and body language more because it allows the audience to identify with them so they feel that 'scared' aspect which is the hole purpose of these genred films (to scare the audience) and it BCS and CS are more useful compared to LS and MD because the hole purpose of a horror film is to keep the audience in suspense and guessing and LS and MD show the whole surrounding of a scene so if the audience can see everything thats taking place than the 'scary' aspect of a horror film is gone.

This still image was taken from the movie 'Titanic'. It is a CS on both the main characters faces purposely to show their facial expressions. The films genre is a romantic drama and CS are good for this type of genre becuase the facial expression of the charcters need to be confused on so the audience can see or 'feel' how they are feeling and begin to indentify with them. You cant see the setting in this shot; the whole focus is on the characters expressions which show happiness due to the smiles on their face. Also the lighting connotes happiness because its an orangy high key light that focuses on thier faces which are close together so this gives off a sort of warmth and loved feeling. The male actor seems to be looking at the female character which also gives off this 'loved' feeling because hes focusing on her ratehr than anything else which connotes his love for her since he only seems to be interested in her. His smile seems to be generated from hers in this shot and the CS allows us to see this.

This still image was taken from the movie 'Girl next door'. The genre is a hybrid of thriller/drama. The setting seems to be very badly broken and eroded since the tiles have cracks all over them and are a modly colour. The costume of the character in the image automatically connotes some sort of trouble and shows captivity due to the clothe wrapped around her mouth to prevent her from screaming and the position of her arms show the audience that she is tied up. Also her clothing seems to be torn up and ragady which can connote a very long captivity or a rough one for that matter. Her position on the bed and her body language shows the audience that she has been through alot already and is tired. Her cuts and grazes on her leg also connote this. The lighting is dark and low key but there the actor seems to be in a lighter light compared to the background shes in, which was most probably done to emphasise her circumances and have the focus on her and the damage that is done to her along with her situation. The shot is a MS which is realy good for this genre and this image because straight away it shows the audience so much already and runs a number of emotions through them such as fear, worry, curiosity, etc. This shot is overall better compared to BCS or LS because a BS would show too little so the interest of the audience wouldnt be as much as it is compared to right now in a MS and a LS would give away too much so the audience would expect what would happen next, so a MS was the best camera angle and effect to be used.

x.. Cinematography analysis ..x

Casablanca (1942) + Batman returns (1992)

cinematography is the discipline of making light and camera choices when recording phototgraphic images for the cinema

The main key difference between the cinematography of a film of the 1940s and a film of the 1990s is, firstly and obviously, the fact that the films in the 1990s were in colour whereas the films in the 1940s were in blank and white

Casablanca's cinematography was created very cleverely in a way in which the camre angles and lighting helps emphasise the actors facial expressions and surroundings in a way where the director has already pre-planned specifically, how that moment of the film should come across to the audiene and how they should be exactly feeling identifying with the film.
An example of this is the main female actress in the film Ingrid bergman. The camera shots in which focused on her were mostly viewed and taken from the left side of her face since it was considered to be her 'better angle'. The lighting on her was usualy soft to make her seem more precious and feminine and more as a damsel with catch lights (catch lights are lights that are used to specifically highlight a charcters eye which gives the character a more softer and innocent look) to give her eyes a sparkle/glistening effect in which the whole purpose of this was to make her face, in BCU shots or CU shots, seem more tender for the audience to identify with her more in a sypmathetic way. An example of this is shown at 0.59 of the trailer.
Also in some parts of the film there are lines of shadows across the characters and in various places of the background and they are formed in such a way in which they resemble bars that are similar of a prison that which therefore connotes being confined or restricted or even imprisoned in the surroundings or environment that the characters are in. An example of this is the scene right in the opening of the trailer; on the floor there is a shadow of crossing bars and to add to this connotation the charcters in the scene are wearing uniform and holding guns connoting the whole idea of being imprisoned once again.
Dark lighting and expressionist lighting (this is when the lighting is giving an emotional effect) is used variously throughout the film. They are particularily seen towards the end of the film. This style and use of cinematography is classical elements in which would be expected in such a film of the 1940s.

Batman returns cinematography, first of all in colour and was used/created in such a way where the lighting an camera angles is always or mostly focused on the whole picture of the setting.

The surroundings/environment/setting of the scene is always showin in LS and is always shown in either low key lighting or very dark lighting. The only moment in the trailer in which there is some form of bright light is the explosion (0.25) and this is to give the film a constant thriller effect the whole time.It also connotes the seriousness of the film sonce there is no major aspect of bright light so the darkness shows a sense of stern-ness and focus.

The actors are also shown in a dark light the majority of the time. The 'bad' characters always seem to have a backlight effect in which they are in a MS and theres a low key light that is behind them which gives them a sort of eary glow which shows the audience that they are the 'bad' characters in the film and show a sense of mystery and lurking towards the audience. Examples of this are scene in the trailer at 0.31 to 0.38 which is where we first see one of the 'evil' characters of the film and another example is 0.45 and 1.05 of when we see the second 'evil' character cat woman.

Batman (the hero of the film) also always seems to be seen in a low key lighting. There is no significant part of the trailer in which he is shown in high key lighting or even a bright light and this is to again show the seriousness of the film throught the whole of the trailer. There is only one moment throughout the whole trailer in which we even see batmans real identity and at this point he is also featured in a low key blue light that gives an ora or glow around him with the batman symbol behind him and the camera is looking up at him from a low angle shot which connotes the sense of a Hero effect since we are looking up at him so he seems to be more superior for that specific moment only (1.20)