Category: Design for Animation, Narrative Structures & Film Language

Here is my presentation of my critical report for module 1.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a classic American film that was released in 1975. Directed by Milos Forman, the movie is based on the novel of the same name by Ken Kesey. The film tells the story of Randle McMurphy, a criminal who is transferred to a mental institution and clashes with the authoritarian Nurse Ratched. One of the most striking aspects of the film is its use of mise-en-scene, which helps to create a vivid and memorable portrayal of life in a mental institution.

In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the mise-en-scene is used to convey the oppressive atmosphere of the mental institution and the struggle between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched. The film is set almost entirely within the walls of the institution, which is portrayed as a sterile and oppressive environment. The walls are painted in dull colours, and the furniture is functional and unattractive. The lighting is often harsh and unflattering, emphasizing the starkness of the setting.

The costumes worn by the characters also contribute to the mise-en-scene. The patients are dressed in drab and shapeless clothing, which emphasizes their lack of individuality and autonomy. In contrast, Nurse Ratched is always immaculately dressed in crisp white uniforms, which highlights her authority and control over the patients. Her hair is always perfectly styled, and she wears heavy makeup that gives her a cold and unapproachable appearance.

Props are also used to great effect in the film. One of the most memorable props is the electroshock therapy machine, which is used to punish patients who disobey Nurse Ratched’s rules. The machine is large and intimidating, with wires and electrodes that are attached to the patient’s head. The sound of the machine whirring to life is enough to strike fear into the hearts of the patients, and its use is portrayed as cruel and dehumanizing.

Overall, the mise-en-scene in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a powerful tool that helps to create a vivid and memorable portrayal of life in a mental institution. The sterile setting, drab costumes, and oppressive lighting all contribute to the sense of confinement and control that the patients experience. The use of props such as the electroshock therapy machine emphasizes the cruelty and dehumanization that is inflicted upon the patients. By using these elements effectively, the film creates a powerful and unforgettable portrayal of life in a mental institution and highlights the struggle between individuality and conformity.

The relationship between digital visual effects and narrative structure in science-fiction films.

Does science-fiction cinema rely on visual spectacles? 

I believe that science-fiction and digital visual effects are always tied together but it made me wonder how DVFX influences the narrative? Is it just enough for a science-fiction film to be stunning the example that comes into my head is the comparison between the original Star Wars trilogy and the sequel trilogy; the sequel has amazing visual effects with astonishing laser blasts and environment but the narrative has failed the audience of the franchise massively. so I decided to research this matter academically.

Keywords:

1. Science-Fiction
2. DVFX
3. Visual Effects in Cinema
4. Digital Environments
5. George Lucas
6. Storytelling

Resources:

Books:

1. “The Filmmaker’s Guide to Visual Effects: The Art and Techniques of VFX for Directors, Producers, Editors, and Cinematographers” by Eran Dinur
2. “The Art and Science of Digital Compositing” by Ron Brinkmann
3. “Digital Storytelling” The Narrative Power of Visual Effects in Film, MIT Press, 2007.
4. Science fiction film: a critical introduction. Berg.
5. Alien zone: Cultural theory and contemporary science fiction cinema (Vol. 1).

Documentaries:

1. Empire of Dreams

The movie I’ve recently watched is Mother!, an allegory where none of the characters have names because the whole point of this film is to teach the audience something more than real life through symbolism. The main characters and their archetype are listed below.

Moreover, I tried to break down the 8-point story arc for this movie.

Stasis: The story begins with Mother and Him, a couple; living in a peaceful house where Mother tries to maintain and take care of herself. Their life seems calm and quiet.

Trigger: A mysterious and strange couple arrives at the house as fans of Him, introducing curiosity and tension to the story.

Quest: The poet invites the strange couple to stay in his house. As the story continues more people come to the house and make it harder for Mother to have peace and also take care of her home.

Surprise: The narrative becomes more chaotic when one of the sons of the guest couple gets killed by his brother and due to this more people visit Mother and the poet’s house. the environment of the house becomes nightmarish and Mother throws everybody out. Later Mother and the poet decide to have a baby and the fact of Mother’s pregnancy and the stories of their last night’s guest inspire the poet and make him write his masterpiece.

Critical Choice: I believe that the critical choice of this narrative is when Mother decides not to let the poet hold their child as she’s worried that the poet’s fans that have occupied the house would do something to the baby. Ultimately, she falls asleep and the poet takes the child to show to his followers.

Climax: The movie reaches a peak of intensity and chaos when Mother sees her child moving around the room through the followers of the poet and it gets killed in the crowd the followers butcher the child and eat it as they think it’s a cycle of keeping humanity.

Reversal: Mother sees that everything she’s tried to take care of is gone; her child is dead, the house is wrecked and the poet just loves the fact that Mother loves him and he never truly tries to take care of her. Additionally, she tries to burn the house and everything in it including herself.

Resolution: The poet is the god, he stays alive and takes the crystal heart out of the dead mother’s chest and makes his cycle of extinction over again.

What is Mise-en-Scène? Mise-en-scène encompasses various elements that contribute to the overall visual composition of a film scene. These elements include:

1. Set Design: The physical space where the action takes place. Set design includes the choice of locations, props, and overall arrangement of the environment.
2. Costume Design: The clothing worn by the characters. Costumes can convey information about a character’s personality, social status, and the period in which the story is set.
3. Lighting: How light is used to illuminate the scene. Lighting can create a mood, emphasize certain elements, and guide the audience’s attention.
4. Cinematography: The framing, camera angles, and movements used to capture the action. Cinematography plays a crucial role in shaping the visual narrative of a film.
5. Acting and Blocking: The actors’ performances and their placement within the frame. This includes their movements, expressions, and interactions.

Putting it All Together: Now, look at an example to see how these elements work together. Consider a scene set in a mysterious, dimly lit detective’s office. The set design includes vintage furniture and dim lighting to create a noir atmosphere. The detective wears a fedora and a trench coat, enhancing the overall mood. The cinematography uses low angles and shadows to build suspense, while the actor’s expressions convey a sense of intrigue.

Why Does Mise-en-Scène Matter? Understanding mise-en-scène is crucial because it directly impacts how we experience a film. Filmmakers use these visual elements to communicate information, evoke emotions, and immerse the audience in the story. Whether it’s the futuristic world of sci-fi or the historical setting of a period drama, mise-en-scène helps transport us to different realms.

Hayao Miyazaki is considered an auteur because he has a distinct and recognizable style that is present in all of his films. He often explores similar themes, such as the relationship between humans and nature, the importance of self-discovery and personal growth, and the dangers of greed and consumerism.

One of the main themes of most of Hayao Miyazaki’s works is the relationship between humans and nature. Miyazaki said in an interview that he has “come to the point where I just can’t make a movie without addressing the problem of humanity as part of an ecosystem”. For instance, “Howl’s Moving Castle” is ostensibly a romantic tale set in a picturesque palace in Alsace, Germany, yet it unfolds in an era dominated by machines and industry. The narrative centred around the destruction of Colmar due to an air bomb, serves as a thought-provoking commentary on industrialization, nationalism, and militarism.

Throughout Miyazaki’s filmography, silence, stillness, and peace can be seen. Even if those scenes may not convey a specific meaning to the viewer. A scene like a woman staring at the lake in silence, a girl sitting calmly on a dragon and flying, or a young girl lying on the grass and staring at the sky. These scenes in Miyazaki’s animes do not help to advance the story but act like a pause button; a pause that draws your attention to the details of the image and the beauty of silence. These instances of stillness and quietude serve as poignant elements in Miyazaki’s animated works.

O, Hunter Heart is a visual representation of the different experiences of participants in several interviews recorded around the UK. Carla MacKinnon explains that the storyline of O, Hunter Heart, which portrays a couple in a toxic relationship; is based on people sharing their personal experiences of falling in love, having an obsessive love, starting an affair, and being in short but intense relationships. These interviews uncovered a shared madness that people usually keep hidden, revealing an intensity of emotions that can last for decades.

In the film, a dollhouse is used as a symbol of a house and a gateway into the story. The film’s development began with nightly writing sessions, starting with a love story between a cat and an owl, which evolved in different directions with divergent versions. MacKinnon became fond of the characters in these separate narratives and collaborated with Hannah Peel and Christian Schaeffer to bring the project to life. The real-life stories gathered through interviews revealed themes of abusive relationships, coercion, and control, which were incorporated into the cat and owl characters’ behaviour in each narrative.

“Experimental animation often combines and mixes different modes of animation. This operates in two specific ways – first, to facilitate the multiplicity of personal visions an artist may wish to incorporate in a film, and second, to challenge and re-work orthodox codes and conventions and create new effects.”Wells, Paul. Understanding Animation, Taylor & Francis Group, 1998. In this film, Mackinnon used stop-motion and CGI to illustrate the vivid environments and sensations of animation directors like Jan Švankmajer, as well as features of live-action movies, including Kitchen Sink realism, Hollywood Noir, and ‘slow cinema.’

Persepolis is a powerful animated film that tells the story of a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. The film, based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, offers a unique and personal perspective on the historical events that shaped the country.

One of the most striking aspects of Persepolis is its animation style. The film is presented in black and white, with simple yet expressive drawings that capture the emotions and experiences of the characters. This minimalist approach allows the audience to focus on the story and the characters.

As an Iranian myself, I could feel every second of this film through my cells and bones, the discrimination, the cruelty of the regime, and the pain that every Iranian feels whether they still live in Iran or they’ve moved away. The stylized animation represents the harsh realities of the Iranian Revolution, while also conveying the emotional impact of these events on the characters.

Additionally, by presenting the story in a visually striking and unconventional way, the filmmakers challenged traditional Western perceptions of Iran and its people. The animation style serves as a form of resistance against stereotypes and misconceptions, offering a more nuanced and humanizing portrayal of Iranian culture and history; showing the world that Iranian people are different from the Islamic regime and would sacrifice everything and anything to destroy the regime.

In conclusion, Persepolis is a remarkable example of how animation can be used to tell powerful and important stories. Its unique visual style adds depth and emotion to the narrative, while also challenging preconceived notions about Iran and its people; I was so touched and emotional watching this film.

Metaphor stands as a cornerstone in the director’s toolkit, a versatile device for illustrating subjects and ideas through the juxtaposition of diverse objects or situations. The strategic deployment of metaphors and symbols serves to enrich not only the film’s plot but also its thematic depth and the complexity of its characters.

Within the cinematic realm, one of the most prevalent visual metaphors is the use of stairs. Stairs, in this context, symbolize the nature of concepts without dialogue; Swiftly offering profound insights into relationships, context, and tone within moments of the image, showcasing the director’s skill in conveying depth through visual storytelling.

It’s crucial to note that a metaphor isn’t inherently cryptic or mysterious; its nature varies based on the meaning and style of the work. For example in “The Dark Knight,” a cohesive narrative unfolds, where the interconnections between its components resemble links in a chain. Despite the film’s surreal and modern foundation, it maintains precision and coherence across various levels, lending credibility to its storytelling. The production team, especially the writer, skillfully integrates the film’s superstructure and foundation, infusing real emotions to make the existence of Batman’s extraordinary abilities seem natural.

“The Dark Knight” becomes a poignant commentary on the societal forces influencing individuals, exploring the clandestine and overt ways these currents shape lives like an unwritten narrative. It delves into the intricate processes that society’s individuals undergo, influenced by the unknown, and often flows manipulated by profit-seeking hands forming alliances. The story undergoes significant transformations, highlighting the importance of metaphor in preventing monotony and capturing the audience’s attention by providing depth and calculated speeches.

Metaphor serves as the life force infusing the narrative with meaning and purpose, preventing the story from becoming mundane. It acts as a guiding spirit, illuminating the artistic work and offering solutions to problems. Many enthusiasts appreciate metaphor in new works of art for its perceived ability to narrate stories uniquely with diverse languages and styles.

In the concluding moments of “The Dark Knight,” the hero contemplates death and the societal acceptance of corruption, symbolized by a man whose face embodies both heroism and ruin. The sudden escape of a black dog becomes a powerful metaphor, dragging the entire story with it and suggesting that even a seemingly silent creature has the right to evade the tumultuous human world.

This metaphorical ending prompts further reflections on the film’s overarching narrative, emphasizing that “The Dark Knight” is not merely a collection of small metaphors but a grand metaphor with both particular and universal significance, continuing to astonish audiences with its unique logic.

I’ve always been fond of VFX and CGI and the main reason I decided to study 3D Computer Animation was to work in visual effects after graduating. VFX and CGI allow filmmakers to create spectacular visuals beyond practical effects’s limitations. From environments to fantastical creatures, VFX enhances the visual spectacle of films providing a more immersive cinematic experience.

I believe that choosing a topic related to either CGI or VFX is going to help me broaden my theoretical knowledge. Also, VFX is not limited to specific genres. It’s employed in a wide range of films, from sci-fi and fantasy to historical dramas and animated features. Moreover, my favorite genre has always been sci-fi and one of the skills I’ve been trying to improve is hard surface modeling and design. Sci-fi films often feature advanced spacecraft, futuristic vehicles, and cutting-edge technology; are VFX and CGI needed to impact sci-fi films’s narrative?