Discuss some specific discoveries you have made in applying a critical approach to your chosen film. [30]

Fight club is a polysemic film. Many of the messages and details in the film can go unnoticed on first viewing and applying critcal theory to this film has helped me understand it. I think the theory of the crisis of masculinity is best to apply as the entire movie's main theme is men fighting against society and the supression of their masculinity.

In the basketball room scene the men at the support group show this with there framing showing femininity being low down under the mise en scene of a basketball hoop representing the ideals of masculinity with sport. To contrast the basketball hoop, instead of using it the men are sat in a circle talking about there feelings in a wide shot this shows they have lost the masculine way of life. The Narrator feels like there a being made by society to be like this. This is shown by a close up of The Narrator looking emotionless and reinforces the idea that film is about rejecting society. We see that  behind one of the men Tyler flashes on the screen for less than a second this is edited in to show that is the moment the Narrator felt he needed to create Tyler to change what he is seeing. This is not noticeable at first but during multiple viewings and this it happens many times before Tyler is introduced as a character in the film.This also relates the films meta narrative, the film knows it is a film, with Tyler later on editing single frames into films just like what is shown here.

I think the crisis of masculinity can also be applied to the bathroom scene where see Tyler refer to the issues he feels which represent his crisis of masculinity. "we are generation of men raised by women" this shows how they feel there problems are due to their childhood and that for the purpose of their masculinity they have to reject woman and anything feminine showing the films misogynistic undertones. Tyler is framed right next to the narrator's head showing they are the same person with the same feelings. Many men would have to same feelings as the narrator as for the majority of the movie he represents the every man. Tyler being their exaggerated persona.

In the final scene of Fight Club we see the narrator chose Marla over Tyler rejecting the ideas of masculinity that Tyler presents in the film. Marla isn't portrayed in a negative way which challenges the Misogynistic messages in the film. She portrayed as quite masculine with the mise en scene of her dark clothing and cigarette in hand. This is also a clear reference to film noir femme fetal charactors. It shows her having a crisis of her own. In the phone call scene a dream like low angle shot showing her suicide she is a confused character wanting to be involved with the narrator but not knowing what is going on.

In the final scene we see that Marla is the one way the narrator wants to be with and has all along. Going against the crisis of masculinity throughout the film. This is shown by the narrator telling everyone else to leave as well as the empty space in wide two shot with just Marla and the narrator in. Now Tyler has gone he doesn't feel the crisis anymore. The non diegetic music is more than just the generic lift music used in most of the film it being an actual song with lyrics. Showing things are more uplifiting, romantic and starting to become normal compared to the insanity of  the narrators life. The two shot shows the silioutes of the narrator and Marla looking like they are wearing similar clothes this relates Tyler's and the crisis in masculinity ideals about men being feminised. This argues against the idea as it really matter after everything that has happened. The narrator is alive and thats what matters.

In conclusion I feel after applying the critical approach of the Crisis of masculinity the discoverys I made showed the film as more polysemic than I first thought with going in and out of that message showing changing nature of how men view masculity. It also contains clearly many other film theory such as freudians Id theory where we see Tyler as the narrator id causing him to give in to temptation. Many critical theories help apprieciate the many details and messages of the film even more than just one.

14. Identify and discuss particular aspects of the experimental films you have studied which have challenged you as spectator.

The experimental film La Jette  has challenged me with its use of still photos to tell a narrative rather than mostly consisting of moving video. This along with the black and white is used in the opening scene to set up the destructive world. It is like you are looking at historical photographs which many of the photos used really were. This challenged me as I am used to mainstream movies being faster and more engaging.

This technique is used for most of the film, although in the bedroom scene we see moving video used in a close up of a woman's eye. This was to difficult to make out for me as it was between many fade transitions which made me unsure if what happened actuality happened. This created a dream like experience relating to the man feeling like this is a perfect life in this scene.

The other thing I feel was challenging was the non diegetic voice over used in the future scene. This was due to how monotone the voice was, on first watch this caused me to lose interest in the film. This made less challenging by the diegetic sound effects the film uses such as the heart beats of the man. This helped me relate to the character as it put me in his position.

Andy Warhol's Heat was also a very challenging film for me as it was made so fundamentally flawed. This was done on purpose to push the boundaries of what a film can be without the conventional technical qualities. For example in the table scene the camera is moving around without focusing on any particularly character or following the conversation. This made it hard to work out what was going on or really care about any of it.

The other thing that made this movie challenging was the characters. There was nobody in the film that I could relate to along with them having no stories or character arcs they meant they acted so inhuman that my only instinct was to dislike them.  In the pool scene the character of Jessica  was made incredibly unlikeable with her performance being loud, vain and uncaring of her own girlfriend's suicide attempt. For this they used a low angle wide shot this does not suite the scene as we cannot see any emotion or conflict taking place and there is nothing else in the shot that we are meant to be seeing. It does not serve a purpose. This made the scene displeasurable to me.

Another film that challenged me was Koyaanasquatsi as the film had no conventional narrative mainly focusing on visuals and the films non diegetic score. This at first made me quite frustrated as in the opening scene I felt like I was waiting for the film to start or for something to happen. This was quite challenging for me as there wasn't anything for me to relate to. As the film went on I felt more for the breathtaking natural landscapes. This made me feel empathy and guilt during the change scene where the editing cuts to man-made buildings for the natural environment that has been destroyed.

In conclusion while I think these aspects have challenged me as a spectator someone else will react differently. Experimental film rely's on the mindset of the viewer watching them. If someone goes into an experimental open to different ways of film making they are less likely to be challenged by them. It also depends on whether they are used to that kind of film. Although even after watching other experimental films, many of these films still challenged because by definition they are all different.

5. Discuss how far the ‘look’ created by cinematography and editing contributes to the impact of the films you have studied for this topic.

I think the look created by cinematography and editing used in films greatly impacts how the audience sees them. In the opening scene of Chunking Express we see smudge motion used. An original cinematography technique Wan Kar Wai created for the film. This creates a disorientating effect for the viewer of the film. It puts them in the perspective of the characters in the film and sets up the feeling and setting of it. This is because Hong Kong was in a confusion time when this film was made and set. This was 3 years before going under Chinese rule this is represented by the Cinematic techniques used with being hard to see what is happening and what is going to happen.

In cafe scene the mise en scene of the Coca Cola logo shows the western influence on Hong Kong and the capitalist values that they felt they would lose when under Chinese rule. This made clear to the audience by having it be lit in bright neon so it is noticeable in the background of a mid shot to the audience. Small Neon lights are used throughout  the film to give it both an original and urban look.

In the bar scene we see the cinematography of the proximity between characters is important as the two shot shows 223 and the Woman's failing relationship having a small distance between them. 223 mentions this himself. The mise en scene of the woman's clothing with the make-up, blond wig and sunglasses shows her as western inspired and similar to a Film Noir character. Giving the audience the impression of what sort of character she is.

La Haine uses much less cinematic techniques using more verisimilitude giving it more of a realistic  look. This is done so audience can listen to the message more given it is close to reality. This is done through hand held cameras in the street scene as well as it being coloured in Black and White this gives it a historical documentary look.

The one scene that doesn't do this is Vinz's dream sequence which is purposely made different from the rest of the film with the large empty wide shot and non diegetic music. This contrasts the verisimilitude used in the rest of the film. This is done so when he wakes up we are brought more into reality.

In the park scene we also see differences in conseved reality with the editing.the film cuts between two different shots of Vinz speaking. With the wide shot of all the characters representing what is really happening and the close up shot of Vinz representing what the media show. The high angle shot shows how the people look down on the people in the projects and the park enclose looking like an animal inclosure showing how they were treated.

In City of God we see the colour is overly exposed to show the harsh nature of the Favelas and the environment they are in. The non linear editing in the opening shows a documentary style
so they can learn Rocket's story from a first person perspective. It also shows contrast for different periods of time.

In the party scene we the cinematgraphy of a two shot to show the conflicting ideals of two characters, Benny and Lil Ze. There is more shadow around Lil Ze showing him more of a morally corrupt character while the mise en scene of Benny's clothing is more light colours and his hair is dyed blonde.

In conclusion think the look created by cinematography and editing contributes to the impact of the films as they create the film itself and make it unique, meaningful and interesting for the audience but they are not the only things that contribute to the look of the film. The mise en scene also changes how a film looks. The story and character are also important to consider as that is what the audience are meant to follow. The context is also important as you may not appritiate a lot of the visual without understand them.

14. ‘Experimental and Expanded Film/Video most often offers artistic representations which open our senses to new ways of experiencing aspects of our world.’ Explore what kinds of demands this makes on the spectator.

I think that experimental film challenges the spectator in the case of it being watched in a different way to mainstream films. In mainstream films we see films as having the movement, image and sound as expected to appeal to our senses. With experimental film it is made to be different and can be more challenging for the spectator.

For example the film Koyaanasquatsi there is no dialogue or conventional narrative. Instead the movie focuses on the visuals of the many establishing shots and the score. The aim of this is to create an emotional response within the audience. In the opening credits it mostly consists of a black screen which takes a long period of time accompanied by humming of the films title. This made me feel bored, as well as humour when I get the idea that this is all the film is.

In the change scene we see that the films  message of life out of balance is presented as it cuts harshly between a the wide shot of the natural world and similar shot of the built up city. This shows how different the world has become and makes us look at the world differently as the first half of the movie we see the world from the perspective of the rocks, the plants and the wind. This made me feel bad when all of that went away. After this I felt the movie started to drag as I already got the message of the film and felt I had seen all the film could be.

La Jette is made to be different from mainstream films with the way it is edited being mostly static shots for long lengths of shot. At the start this was quite jarring for me as my senses had to adjust to pace and technique. The sound is also made hard as there is no music and very monotone non- diegetic voiceover with a few diegetic sound effects this made me feel bored at first. This is in black and white which gives it a historical feel like looking through old photos or at a museum. We are looking at the future like we are looking at the past.

The pace of the film is not like this all the way through the film in the bedroom scene there is a short piece of video. I did not notice this at the first because at that point in the film my senses had adapted to it. It seems so out of place it made me question whether it happened or not. The past scenes contrast from the gritty mise en scene of the future this make us appreciate the time we are living in more.

In Jan Svankmajer's Alice we see the sense of sound is purposely off with the footsteps in the following rabbit scene being off key. This creates a distorted effect on me knowing something is not right but not picking up on instantly. The visuals also give the effect of the uncanny vally with the doll scene having the mise en scene of the porceline mask look disturbing. While the story has nothing dark and in it the mise en scene and the colour make it seem more adult take on the story. Makes us question what is good and wholesome and what is dark or creepy blurring the lines between them.

In conclusion I think that Experimental films do offer artistic representations which open our senses in many different ways and that does sometimes affect how we see the world but I don't think this affects everyone equally. Some people may be very affected by these film while others may have no reaction at all. It varys between people.

How far should the films you have studied for this topic be seen in relation to their particular time and place? [35]

The movie La Haine represents Paris in 1995 this is set up by the opening credits of the film showing real footage of the Paris riots. This provides context to situation and rebellious feeling of the characters. This shot implies violence as we say mulitiple people in the wide shot angry shouting and moving. The audience would reconise that this led to violence. This real footage gives the movie Verrisimilude. The fact that is in black and white takes away the ideas of colours possibly taking away it just being about France as its what happens that matters no the colour.

In the bridge scene we see Paris clearly represented in the mise en scene of the city backdrop in the background. This also gives it it's urban feel and shows how small the characters are in comparison to the city. This is done by having them framed in the centre of the wide shot with the perspective of the city seeming so great compared the them. The characters themselves represents the ideals of France with Vinz representing Liberty, Said fraternity and Hubert Brotherhood.This being shown by the order they are standing in.

In the park scene we see the way people in projects were misrepresnted by the media during that time. With varying of what we see as reality when it cuts between two different shots of the same thing. With the wide shot of all the characters representing what is really happening and the close up shot of Vinz representing what the media show. The high angle shot shows how the people look down on the people in the projects.

The movie Chunking Express shows Hong Kong in 1994 which is just a few years before going from British to Chinise rule. The confusing nature of this is represented in the opening scene where smudge motion is used. This creates a disorientating effect on the viewer so they feel more of the place Hong Kong was at the time.

This also represented by the amount of western imagery we see. This shows the capitalist values that Hong Kong felt they would be losing. In the Cafe scene we see coca cola logos behind faye and later on we 663 infront of a massive Macdonalds logo. The charcters in the film are effected by their western like surroundings.

The diegetic music shows this as in that Cafe scene Faye plays the song "California Dreaming" which shows she wants wants to be part of another culture more than her own. Faye herself ends up leaving Hong Kong to go to California at the end of the movie which is what she wanted. I feel movie in general shows a lot more of other culture as much as it is own which it could be argued represents Hong Kong more.

In City of God we see Favelas in Brazil represented although where this film differs is that it is across multiple different time periods across 3 decades. This shows the ways the Favelas change In the field scene we see an establishing shot showing the traditional Mise en Scene the Favelas had. The diegetic sound is quiet and the shot are bare. It shows how seperate this place was to the rest of society and sets the idea of the poverty the characters are living in.

Later on the movie we see how built up the favela has become contrasting this. In the party scene we see the Favela have become very western inspired with the diegetic music of "Kung fu fighting" as well as the lighting showing it be like a typical lively American party. The mise en scene of Benny's clothing also shows this with his smart shirt and bleached hair. He is trying to look rich and typically non brazillian.

In conclusion I think that films represent the their time and place very well with each film being a clear product of its country. Although it is not the more important than the story and characters to filmmakers are trying to tell.It is may seem like the films represent other cultures such as America but I feel those parts are part of their culture as well.

. Explore how far the application of a particular critical approach has either reinforced or challenged your first impressions of your close study film.

On first viewing Fight Club seems simple enough from a  basic point of view. People can take any of the messages the films seems to present and say the film is about corporations and masculinity or any of anything else. Simplifying the rest of the movie. But once critical theory is applied to the film we see the film is polysemic. There being more to it than one simple message.

In the basketball scene we see the crisis of masculinity being presented through the men at the support group. The mise en scene shows a basketball hoop representing the ideals of masculinity with sport. No-one is uses it. To contrast the basketball hoop we instead see the men sat in a circle talking about there feelings in a wide shot this shows they have lost the masculine way of life. The Narrator feels like there a being made by society to be like this. This is shown by a close up of The Narrator looking emotionless and reinforces the idea that film is about rejecting society. We that see behind one of the men Tyler flashes on the screen for less than a second this is edited in to show this is the moment The Narrator felt he needed to create Tyler to change what he is seeing. This also relates the films meta narrative, the film know it is a film, with Tyler later on editing single frames into films just like what is shown here.

The Crisis of Masculinity can also be applied to the bathroom scene where we see Tyler and The Narrator talking about this very thing. With Tyler saying "we are a generation of men raised by women" this shows they believe there problems come from there childhood and lack of a father figure. It also shows how they feel their masculinity means they have to reject any women from their life in a misogynistic way as that is what is ruining them. This mid shot is framed with Tyler just to the right of the narrators head showing him as a voice in his ear. The mise en scene of this shot is purposely dirty with muddy green colours. This shows how bad their life is when they are trying to be free. It challenges my thoughts that their life is better when rejecting society from The Narrators point of viewer. Seeing it as a viewer it seems a mess and it is foolish that they live like that.

In the final scene of Fight Club we see the narrator chose Marla over Tyler rejecting the ideas of masculinity that Tyler presents in the film. Marla isn't portrayed in a negative way which challenges the Misogynistic messages in the film. She portrayed as quite masculine with the mise en scene of her dark clothing and cigarette in hand. This is also a clear reference to film noir femme fetal charactors.

 After the narrator kills Tyler he immediately asks to be alone with Marla despite having to push her away throughout the film. This challenges my intial impressions as he seen to be more free here than before. Free from Tyler and himself. In this wide shot we see the silouttes of Marla and the Narrator looking similar with the mise en scene of the clothing, this relates to Tyler philisophy of men being feminised this not necessarily portrayed as bad. He is calm now.  The music also reflects this changing from the generic lift music used throughout the film to an actual song lifting to mood creating a sort of romantic ending despite all of  the chaos surrounding them.

In conclusion I feel after applying the critical approach of the Crisis of masculinity has challenged the way I initially viewed the film. While a lot of the film does present the ideas of  rejecting society in pursuit of themselves and reinforcing many first impressions. The film is Polysemic presnting much more than that and shows the changing nature of how men view masculinity

How far has critical debate about your chosen film shaped and altered your response? [30] 

I think the critical theory of the crises of masculinity is helpful to the understanding of the movie Fight Club. In the bathroom scene Tylers speech is a great example of what the crisis of masculinity is. When Tyler says “we are a generation of men raised by women” shows how many feel like they what it means to be a man anymore is gone and they have to reject everything feminine. It also shows how it’s a generational problem and how they blame their parents for the crisis This is in a mid-shot showing both with Narrator in front with Tyler by him in the background showing him as like a voice in his ear.  

In the "passing messages" scene also shows a crisis of masculinity in that shows a failing relationship between a man and a woman. The mise en scene of this shot reflects this for how dirty all the furniture is and the mucky green colour of this reflects the mess the narator lives in. This scene also shows Freuds superego theory with Marla representing the superego trying to control the two parts of the narrator him being ID with Tyler Durden as the ego. “I am six years old again, passing messages between parents.” This again relates to his problems coming from when he was growing up.

In the final scene we see the narrator chose the superego of the Id after killing the Tyler he wants to be alone with Marla. This goes against the crisis of masculinity as he now feels okay about accept a woman into his life which goes against the rest of the film. This time we see Marla without the diegetic alarm noises in the background as she is no longer seen as a bad thing. Non-diegetic music used that is more conventional to earlier when “lift” music is used. While so much is going on it ends on a strangely romantic note. In the final shot is framed symmetrical with the mise en scene having both Marla and the narrator’s clothing looking similar. This linking in with the crisis of men being feminised but this it is not seen negatively as the character is seen to be more at peace.    

Aims and context

'A looking glass' – A surreal science fiction short film production

Target audience of young adults under 30, well-educated and knowledgeable about film. Familiar with sci-fi but prepared to challenge themselves with more thought-provoking work.

Aiming for it to be shown in film festivals and art galleries

Using the viewpoint of a newly arrived alien to promote thought about how the world would appear through new eyes.

Taking inspiration from Jonathon Glazer’s Under the Skin and from Koyaansquatsi for the associational montage part of the film.

Using directorial techniques of Chris Cunningham, particularly the pacing and tone of Rubber Johnny.

La Jette

Directed by Chris marker

French movie

science fiction movie is 

presentation script

Does Edgar Wright's unique editing style make him an auteur?

speaker:

In Andrew Sarris' “Notes on the Auteur Theory” (item 16) he defines the three important factors that make someone an auteur as "technical competence", "distinguishable personality" and an "interior meaning" in their films. This theory has been applied to many directors over time but I believe one of the best modern examples of this theory is Edgar Wright.

Edgar Wright is a British filmmaker famous for movies like Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Anyone familiar with his work will recognize the repeated use of montages made up of fast cuts exaggerated by sound effects. Although fast cutting is not unique to Wright he manages to add parody and comedy and make the style his own. This is mostly created by editing shots in fast motion using close ups and using everyday items in extraordinary situations. In these situations he often times the cut with the sounds of the ordinary objects such as cutlery. This use of montage to add parody and comic timing constitute Edgar Wright’s signature style. This improves the timing of the comedy in the scene one of the best examples of this is shown in Hot Fuzz.


Projector: plays line up scene from Hot Fuzz (item 1)
Speaker: 

This scene is edited as if it is a tooling up scene from an action film. Most shots are only around a second long and include a zoom to a close up. The speed and action is exaggerated by the use of sound effects and movement of the camera as the edit takes place. However, the content is not preparing guns and weapons but it starts with Angel filling in paperwork, includes the sounds of a pen top and pen on paper and the flash of photographing underage drinkers. In many other movies this content would be very ordinary and quite boring but what Wright has done is applied the editing techniques used in action films to make it interesting and to produce comedy. Juxtaposing the mundane with action is core to Wright’s work and the main premise of Hot Fuzz, set in a quiet English village, is in line with that. Not many comedic directors use and many comedy movies focus more on dialogue than editing. "Woody Allen's films, in my opinion, relied much more on dialogue than cinematography"(item 9). Using editing in comedy shows more skill and technical competence in the field of film making him more of an auteur. There is a clear difference between a scene from one of Wright’s movies and other similar scenes from a different filmmaker.

Projector: play 1:16-2:00 of video essay (Item 14)

Speaker:

The video essay clearly compares a Wright movie to other comedies and argues that Wright uses of pictures and sound as well as dialogue to film simple, mundane scenes in new ways where others are usually very generic and dull. The example of a character moving place is used where a comedy will use shots with action moving left to right, signposts, driving and music. Wright instead uses fast edits  and real sounds such as the train itself at different volumes edited to the music to create a jarring and humourous effect. He also drop in clues like the mobile phone losing signal to indicate leaving civilisation but the speed of these keeps the viewer on their toes and engaged. The fact that the editing is different from the other films which shows that Edgar Wright has his own unique, distinguishable style.

Although this kind of editing was not invented by Edgar Wright, he was inspired by others to do it. On speaking about how the Coen brothers inspired him he said "To do comedy in a very imaginative visual way was something not everyone did" (item 15). This evidence could be used to argue against Wright as an auteur proving others have used fast cuts before so it is not his own style. However, all directors learn from others and the fact he put his own spin on it, using more sound harsher cuts and making it noticeable to the audience is what makes him an auteur.

Over time Edgar Wright has gone from being a smaller casual filmmaker to be considered an auteur. Even before he was directing feature films his short films and TV work such as Spaced contained comedic fast edits as his style was developing. When talking about an earlier film he says "there are some similarities in terms of the style but the thing that I really notice is how bad the sound is" and later on in this same interview (item 8) he says "I think doing TV, and especially Spaced, was really like learning my craft and learning editing and writing". This shows his style was learnt over time before it was fully put into practice in first big budget movie Shaun of the Dead (2003).


Projector: plays planning scene of SotD (item 2)

Speaker:

This scene best shows Wright’s style and all his editing trademarks. It is a scene which constantly repeats the same against the clock style with Shaun having the make a plan and Wright’s editing used to show his thought process to the audience. The camera is panning through the montage of shots with the ticking sound in the background creating a rhythm to the scene. The sound effects are taken from the real objects, the constant use of close-ups to ordinary items such as a mug and doorbell as well as the non-diegetic music which is all to edited together, often with side or vertical wipes, makes the viewer feel like there are catching up with the action.

It then repeats edits and shots like the close up of the doorbell, the long shot of the car driving and the medium shot of them all drinking, each made slightly different each time but still created with the      same tone and timing. Whenever they are going back to reality the editing slows down with few medium shots taking longer with no music or sound effects in the background. The scene goes back and forth between these two tones.

Both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz have been categorised as part of the "Cornetto trilogy" which has been described as "a thematic continuation from one film to the next, re-using certain gags, ideas, actors, and the overall theme of friendship to create a logical end-point" (item 11) while this series may have Edgar Wright's involvement this is not exclusively his auteur style. As well as others, writer and star Simon Pegg is involved in both productions. So far there is nothing to say it is Edgar Wright that is the auteur of these movies until we look at a film outside of this trilogy.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World (item 3) not only uses different actors and crew but unlike the others it is a Canadian production instead of a British one. It is also his first movie to be based on a previous source material. This shows his technical competence as a director as he can write and direct a range of different films, all of them critically acclaimed - the lowest rated film he directed was at 82% on rottentomatoes (item 12).

As different as the film is it still uses the same Edgar Wright editing techniques as the others to make the plot work. What stands out in this film is the transitions are made more experimental and stylised than his earlier work showing more of the skill and visual techniques of Edgar Wright. For example, the door opening scene uses light, text, a fade to white and a wipe transition to a different shot to ignite the scene. You can see that doing these transitions this quickly involves a lot of work and dedication in the form of editing.

Projector: plays 1:01-1:45 of video essay (item 13)

This part of a video essay analyses in detail one transition from Scott Pilgrim. This shows the use of split screen but linked by the actor’s gaze moving across the split. Then a left to right wipe follows the onomatopoeic letter of the school bell sound in a curved downward motion. While normally this would look like a typical fast Edgar Wright cut if you slow it down as the video does, we see how wipes in the editing control the movement of the transition with creativity and attention to detail. Another scene in this film that uses Wright’s signature style is the shoe lace scene.

Projector: plays shoe laces scene for Scott Pilgrim (item 3)

Speaker:

In the scene Wright uses all the close ups and sound effects of actions scene with the close up shots of him zipping his coat and putting on wristbands to loud, action film music and real sound effects, much like the tooling up scenes parodied in SotD and Hot Fuzz. This time it is interlaced with a longer lasting shot of Scott tying his shoelaces much slower without the music to show he still not that good at laces even though he is now the hero. This creates a comedic juxtaposition showing Scott to be different from the typical action star and an imperfect hero as in Wright’s other films. On this scene Edgar Wright says "if you have good comedy timing you can make that work with just a finger or just a hand" (item 10). This quote applies here as it is made funny through how unique and different the editing is used to present the character of Scott.

Edgar Wrights editing style is similar to a Hip-Hop montage. This has been described as "a series of edits of quick extreme close-up shots accompanied by exaggerated sounds" (item 17) It is clear that this is what we are looking at in Wright's films. This method is usually used to describe the style of Darren Aronofsky but with Aronofsky's films he uses the style for drama when Wright uses it for comedy. The genre aspect of his style is what makes him an auteur as it sets him apart from others. On this genre Edgar Wright says "comedy is an art form, and it’s not to be taken lightly. I want to keep trying to perfect that," (item 4) Wright believes that comedy should be taken seriously although by many it is not. In his films he is showing that he can have the technical competence in comedy that he can have in other genres.

Sarris defines interior meaning as “extrapolated from the tension between a director's personality and his material" (item 16). Wright’s personality and passions are clearly visible in all his work. Wright is clearly a fan of action movies and he goes out of his way to show this in Hot Fuzz "many references made to films and filmmakers of the classic action era" (item 7). Importantly, his editing style is used to pay homage to the films he loves while also using parody to make them funny. The Somerfield tooling up scene in Hot Fuzz (item 1) perfectly illustrates Wright paying homage to Michael Bay and Martin Scorsese action films and sequences where the character is getting ready to fight. But he deliberately introduces comic elements such as the Somerfield car park sign to make an action scene comedic.

In conclusion I feel that Edgar Wright is an auteur as he clearly shows each one of Sarris’ factors of "technical competence, distinguishable personality and an interior meaning"and makes himself known in his films with the editing. Although it could be debated whether his films really do have an interior meaning or whether they are just simple comedies or that his style is that distinguishable from other similar filmmakers. However, I believe that the way he edits is sufficiently different and personal in terms of creating comedy and that shows himself as a modern auteur.

Item 5 "3. Getting Us In And Out Of Mundane Moments Quickly

Since his first major film, Edgar Wright uses a series of close-ups in quick succession as a mini-montage to move the characters along. 

"I'm a big fan of getting into a scene late and leaving a scene early. That's what they always say in writing... Come in late and leave early. I think using close-ups for me is a good way of doing that." 

Wright uses this method in all his films, giving him a distinct style that is easily recognizable:

These quick sequences cut down the time it takes for characters to travel from one point to another, make mundane tasks like paperwork seem more impressive, show how one character is not drinking beer, etc. This type of editing also makes the visuals of the movie more varied, so it isn't all a standard mix of wide shots, medium shots, close-ups, rinse, lather, repeat. Short little bursts break thing up to keep the audience from getting too bored. 

Visual Storytelling Done Wright

Movies are inherently a visual experience, yet a lot of directors waste their screen time with images that don't add anything to the dialogue. Edgar Wright conveys his stories by showing us the characters through cinematography, editing, and visual gags that move both plot and character forward. 

His unique style makes him both recognizable and inspiring to other filmmakers. In a world of sequels, prequels, franchises, and adaptations, Edgar Wright is making new movies with classic sensibilities."

Item 6 

SHAUN OF THE DEAD

Editing: Shaun bends down out of frame to pick up a pen and then reenters the frame from the bottom instead of the expected diagonal angle. Wright uses a jump cut here to get a comedic moment in an unexpected place.

Sound Effects: Cut to a pair of feet shuffling toward camera. Cue the odd moaning sound effect. The viewer knows it isn’t a zombie. It’s too early in the film for that. As the camera pans up the moaning sound is clearly a yawn attached to Shaun’s contorted face. And that yawn–with a calculated camera movement–just created a comedic moment other comedies would have missed.

HOT FUZZ

Shot Composition: Angel (Angle) is getting grief from his colleagues and then receives a call about an escaped swan, from one Peter Ian Staker (P.I. Staker). He obviously thinks it is a joke and calls PI Staker out on it, except cut scene to Angel helping P.I. Staker by taking down his real statement about a real swan that is lost.

Sound Effects: Angel and Danny are working hard at cracking a murder case as they sit in their police car on speed patrol. They are so engrossed in the investigation they don’t notice car after car speeding by, with the speed gun going crazy. I was too busy laughing to hear what they were discussing.

THE WORLD’S END

Shot Composition: Gary takes Sam into the bathroom to ask about the twins who are acting a little weird. They talk in front of a mirror, each of their twins reflected back at them as they discuss the twins. It’s a subtle chuckle.

Sound Effects: As the group gathers at the arriving train station they discuss which one of them is the dumbest for deciding to come along on this journey. Whistle. Pan left to Gary. Speeding bus sound effect.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

Editing: Wright blends scenes together with mirrored transitions. In one scene Scott is standing and staring at Ramona, before the scene is blended into Stephen entering the frame from the left yelling into Scott’s ear as he continues to stare. Now Scott is standing in a living room practicing with his band. Stephen then walks away from Scott to frame right before the scene shifts into an outdoor setting with Stephen turning around to answer Scott’s question. This swift three scene transition keeps viewers’ attention as several settings and points are covered, and it also gets a chuckle.

Shot Composition: As Scott is telling Ramona where his band will be playing the next night, Wright cuts to an exterior shot of the venue with the sign displaying the name, just as he is about to yell it. This creates a clever comedy moment where other movies would use normal exposition

Item ? -

item 7 - The first thing that stands out about Wright’s films is how well-directed they are. His firm grasp of editing’s potential to bridge time and space, disorient, clarify, and act as a punchline is laid out in the opening scene of Spaced’s broadcast pilot, in which Tim (Pegg) and Daisy (Jessica Hynes) are introduced seemingly in the midst of a shot/reverse shot argument with Tim on the street begging to be taken back as Daisy shoos him away. Suddenly, a cut outward reveals the two to be in different locations, amusingly disrupting what scant information has been given to the audience so far while also stressing a personality link in the pair’s respective dead-end lives.

It’s a minor touch that pays instant dividends, and it prefaces an entire career of in-camera and editing tricks that hide satire and character behind flash. Take the first car “chase” in Hot Fuzz, in which Pegg’s Nicholas Angel and Nick Frost’s Danny Butterman go after a speeding motorist. The camera leaps into the perspective of Danny, weaned on action movies, but it also depicts the dull reality of police work, revving up into a hyper-cut frenzy for barely two seconds before cooling back down as the “perp” instantly complies. The joke is obvious, but the style evokes a mind-meld of Danny’s boyish enthusiasm for amped-up action and Nicholas’ no-nonsense, by-the-book reality, a swift visual foreshadowing of two opposing personalities finding common ground.

Item 4 So you’ve made five films to date, all comedies. Do you identify yourself as a comedic filmmaker—or can you see yourself doing something outside of that genre in the future? 

Yeah, I think so. I think at the moment, I would, absolutely. And I have plans to make a horror film, one that’s “straighter.” But I do think that comedy is frequently sniffed at, that somehow it’s sort of a lesser genre. And anyone who’s made a comedy film knows that it’s just as hard, if not harder, to make a comedy that works. I used to make comedies when I was an amateur filmmaker because I thought nobody would take me seriously if I did them straight. It was almost like a defense mechanism. But now I’m older, I realize that comedy is an art form, and it’s not to be taken lightly. I want to keep trying to perfect that, to make movies that are better. But I’d love to do other, straight genres, or something completely different.

 How much has your approach to filmmaking changed since those early days?

Item 8

Wright: I think it’s just learning what the hell I’m doing, basically. It’s funny, on the Hot Fuzz DVD in the U.K. we’re going to put on the cop film I made when I was 18. Watching it back, there are some similarities in terms of the style but the thing that I really notice is how bad the sound is, and how important a really detailed sound mix is. The stuff I used to do when I was making amateur films, like this cop film I made, Dead Right, I basically didn’t have any access to library music or sound effects at all, so there’s like no sound effects on it and the whole thing feels so airless, it’s weird. With A Fistful of Fingers, it had the spirit of ‘Let’s do the show right here,’ but the worst thing about it is that it’s quite ramshackle and lame, and it feels like a Bugsy Malone production because it’s all 18-year-olds pretending to be badass Americans – it’s funny. Basically, I wanted to do another independent film, but I wasn’t really that happy with A Fistful of Fingers and how it turned out. It was alright, some people liked it and I got my break through [Little Britain comedians] Matt Lucas and David Walliams, who saw A Fistful of Fingers and really liked it, and recommended me to their agents at ICM, and then also asked me to do their first sketch show. So when I started doing TV stuff, I was very lucky again to work immediately. The first show I did was with Matt Lucas and David Walliams, and Jessica Stevenson was in it, the second show was with Simon Pegg, Jessica Stevenson, Julian Barratt and Bill Bailey. I completely lucked out by working with some brilliant people very early on. So [what helped was] working with great actors and feeling more confident as a writer. I don’t ever think of myself as a screenwriter, even though I’ve written two screenplays, mainly because I’ve written out of necessity, because I can feel the films that I want to make in my gut. I think doing TV, and especially Spaced, was really like learning my craft and learning editing and writing.

item 10

Edgar Wright, however, takes advantage of seemingly mundane cinematic devices , like transitional sequences and exposition scenes, and pulls as much comedy out of it (or puts as much in) as he can. He leaves no comedic stone unturned! Zhou shares a bunch of great examples of contemporary films and TV shows that do take advantage of these devices using cinematography, like Arrested Development, Django Unchained, and even Jaws (even though that's not really a comedy -- though it does have funny moments). However, he also compares them with films and shows that don't, which really hits home how much comedic real estate exists in any given project.

So, take a look at Zhou's video essay below. Just remember, it's not about whether you think Wright's films are funny. It's about asking yourself if you're utilizing all of the opportunities within your film to make your audience laugh. (That doesn't mean cracking a joke ever 2.2 seconds -- it's just about being aware of the potential.) Also, ask yourself if you could be using more cinematographic moves, whether that means camera movement, mise-en-scène, lighting, etc, to get your audience chuckling.

Explore how stylistic choices contribute to the representation of the urban experience in the films you have studied.

In the apartment scene of La Haine the mise en scene shows the flat to be visually very different to the other locations in the film. This is where we are induced to Benoît and his flat. The mise en scene of the furniture in the first wide shot shows everything to be more expensive with sofas, a glass table and painting. This is different to before when then they are in the project then the mise en scene shows them to be living in poverty. Even the drugs being used in the apartment are higher class this time showing cocaine. The close up to both the drugs and the gun show how even in a higher class society there is the same crime and danger.

The cinematography in the apartment scene there are many references to circles including the long shot where they are going up the stairs the shots is frame to be oval shaped and that the audience cannot see where the staircase starts and ends, looking like it just goes on. This is a reference to the Charles Baudelare quote that the "world only goes round by misunderstanding" and the fact that french society just becomes circular and nothing really changes. This is further referenced as the mise en scene the painting in the apartment is "Ascending and descending" by MC Escer. This is shows a never ending staircase which ties in to theme of the film that they can't get out. The painting is in the background of the wide with all the characters showing how it applies to them.

The music in the Apartment is scene classical which is different to any music seen before as it shows a higher class and a new environment for the characters. The characters see visually out of place in the apartment. The mise en scene of the clothing shows them wearing same thing as they would wear in the project. This contrasts the general environment and miss en scene of the area.

In an earlier scene where the characters are still in the project the mise en scene shows them to be portrayed more like animals and in a position of poverty. In the filming scene it uses low angle shots in the cinematography to show the they are bellow the other people in society. The mise en scene shows them to be also physically lower then the rest as the park is similar to an animal encloser with bars. This is also referenced by the characters themselves.

While the characters are being filmed the editing cuts being a point of view shot from the camera. This only happens when Vinz is aggravated although when they are filming before they are calm and there is no footage. This shows how the media only takes want they want to show in terms of representing those living in poverty and that general public are not shown the bigger picture. The close up shot shows purely Vinz's emotion and the words he says saying. This edited after the other shot the show the contrast between what is actually happening and what is being shown.

In the opening scene of City of God we see a chicken which is used to be a representation of the people in the favela. The uses close ups and extreme to emphasise the fear and violence to the chicken feels the extreme close up of knife cutting the chicken representing the violence that is happening to the others in the favela. This and the close up of chickens face reenforce the idea that they are scared of whats around them and the "Kill or be killed environment" with the chicken attempting to run away with all the people trying to kill it.

In a later scene we see as a mid shot of lil dice who is seen on top of a pile of bricks discussing his plans infront of the others. The mise en scene of the bricks are there to show the foundations of the city which Lil dice wants to be on this forshadows the characters role later in the film. The characters is with the older boys Shaggy, Clipper, and Goose giving them ideas which they eventually act on. The shot is framed to which lil dice is dominant person in this.

The party scene shows more what the characters roles in the film. The lighting and mise en scene of the clothing shows in the shot shows contrast between Lil Ze and Benny. Lil Ze is shown more in shadows when Benny has light shined on him. This shows hows Liz Ze is bad and Benny is good as the lights reflects their own personillity. Benny is dressed in black lower class clothing while Benny has died his hair lighter and wearing brighter cloths from out of the city. This shows Benny is moving away from what he used to be becoming less like Lil Ze.

Later in that scene we see constant flashing cuts to black this is used to make the audience feel  disoriented and hide the mystery of the killing if Benny in the scene. The diegetic music creates the opposite effect of the scene having up-beat party music constrast the dark violence that is happening. This creates a juxtaposition.

Overall la haine and city of god are similar in the themes of the urban environment. They both show circles in the risen scene and cinematography to show how the world goes round and that problems repeat without really being solved. The differences in the film come in the style with their being a lot more verisimilitude in La Haine.

catalogue

Catalogue

Does Edgar Wright's unique editing style make him an auteur?

Films

Item 1 - Hot Fuzz (2007)
I chose this as my focus films as it most shows Edgar Wright's signature style as both director and screenwriter. Hot Fuzz makes use of the distinctive fast edit on numerous occasions. 

The train scene shows the passage of time, moving from place to place in a comedic way which Edgar Wright has explained was one of his main purposes for the style.

The line-up scene also uses music and flashing lights quickly cutting between short shots to give an ordinary sequence the feel of an action scene. It does this by cutting approximately every second with an instant zoom to a close up accompanied by realistic but overemphasised sound effects such as the clicking of the pen top or scraping sound of pen on paper as well as flashes of light associated with a camera flash. This is obviously styled like a montage where the main characters are getting weapons ready but starting with very ordinary household equipment and the most boring aspects of police paperwork. This type of parody of a ‘tooling up’ scene is typical of Edgar Wright’s style, using the editing associated with action films but in an irreverent way. I intend to use scenes of this film in my presentation to demonstrate Wright’s auteur style.

Item 2 - Shaun of the Dead (2004)
This was one of the first big budget Edgar Wright films so this is where many of his trademarks started. This film defines the style which carries over into others and confirms Edgar Wright as an auteur.

The planning scene in SotD is useful as it involves repeated fast cuts emphasised by sound effects as the character is imagining how different plans will turn out. It is also a good example of how Wright cuts between shots, sometimes from the side as if the camera is trying to catch up with the action as with the close up of Pegg’s mug. The editing is therefore an obvious part of the story rather than incidental to the scene. This makes the movie stand out from other zombie films by adding pace and humour. I will use this clip to show how Wright’s style carries from one film to another.

Item 3 - Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2009)
I selected this film as it is not in the same series as the others and does not share all the similarities and actors. In particular, frequent collaborator Simon Pegg was not involved in the production of this film so the fact that it still contains Edgar Wright’s signature style shows it is the director who is responsible for the auteur style. It shows more of the skill and visual techniques of Edgar Wright whilst still using the same method of editing as before but in a different context.  This film is more experimental and stylised using brighter colours and noticeable on-screen text in its transitions to give to the movie much less verisimilitude to the others making it more like a cartoon or video game than real life. For example the door opening scene uses light, text and transition to a different shot to ignite the scene.

Also, Wright manages to use fast editing as a comedy tool in itself by rapidly cutting between close up shots of getting ready then a deliberate slow shot of the main character slowly struggling with his shoe laces. It therefore uses editing to emphasise his usual narrative of the awkward, imperfect hero.

The fact that this is not a British production also shows that his style can carry over to different audiences and actors.

Articles

Item 4 -  slantmagazines.com Edgar Wright interview

This interview shows how Edgar Wright sees himself and his approach to being in the comedy movie genre. Wright shows that he wants to puts as much effort in comedy as other genres. He shows how even if the genre is somewhat looked down upon, in comedy he can still have an artistic style and show his skills as an auteur. This is important as it is the way Edgar Wright uses fast cutting not just to build excitement but as parody in comedy which makes him an auteur rather than the use of similar techniques in horror or action films. He does this by adopting the cuts and close ups of an action or horror sequence and juxtaposes this with ordinary objects or unlikely heroes. In my presentation I can quote him about the comedy genre as key to defining his style.

Item 5 - https://moviepilot.com/p/edgar-wrights-visual-storytelling/4359427

This article describes the kind of editing Edgar Wright uses as a series of quick close-ups as a mini-montage to move the characters along. In his own words he explains the idea of arriving late and leaving a shot early. This is the key to his editing as the viewer is kept surprised an interested. It also explains the benefit of using fast edits to eliminate the process of characters moving from place to place and the fact that fast edits break up the rhythm of shots to make it less boring. I can quote this early on to set the scene so that my audience understands what each clip is trying to achieve.

Item 6 - http://www.audienceseverywhere.net/edgar-wright-and-the-craft-of-comedy/
I selected this item as it gives an in-depth look at Edgar Wright’s uses of editing such as mirrored transitions and wipes when moving from between shots. The article uses all of the films I am reviewing plus World’s End and mentions technical aspects of the editing, shot composition and sound effects. I can use this overview could be used to show how each clip is part of a consistent auteur style.

Item 7 - http://moviemezzanine.com/fanboy-contra-fanboy-the-genius-of-edgar-wright/
This article discusses in detail Edgar Wright’s use of editing for timing, specifically for comedic timing. The article focuses on analysis of particular scenes from Edgar Wright films so is a useful secondary research source for my presentation. It is not necessarily a balanced review but rather the view of a fan. The fact that Edgar Wright has a loyal fan base adds weight to the idea that he has a distinctive style and I will be presenting about whether his style is distinctive as a key part of the auteur definition.

Item 8  Filmmaker magazine Edgar Wright interview

This shows Edgar Wright himself and his perspective on his comedy and how his style has developed over time from his earlier stuff that would. He talks about his entire film history and how he has learned to find himself as a filmmaker. This adds useful context as it shows how he would become to be seen as an auteur.

Websites

Item 9 http://nofilmschool.com/2014/05/edgar-wright-physical-comedy-using-cinematography

This covers how Edgar Wright’s devices help with his comedy. In particular, it argues that his strength is in using every aspect of the film to be funny, the editing in particular. It also compares Wright with other comedic directors such as Woody Allen who rely more on dialogue alone. This contrast is something I will use to show how unique he is.

Item 10 Slate.com blog by Forest Wickman http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/01/29/edgar_wright_on_film_close_ups_world_s_end_scott_pilgrim_and_shaun_of_the.html

This item includes an interview with Edgar Wright and shows examples of how cutting between close ups is key to his auteur style. Wright talks about the practical side of ensuring enough close up shots are filmed so that there is enough material for a montage. He also provides explanations for some of the comedy such as the action movie parodies in both Hot fuzz and Scott pilgrim. In that he uses fast cuts of typical scenes of the actors then but into montages that are more typical to the genres he is parodying.

Item 11 https://nerdist.com/the-three-flavours-cornetto-trilogy-explained/

I can use a quote from this source to explain the similarities between the films in Wright’s cornetto trilogy listing the trademarks of the series. The quote explains that the three movies are linked by gags, ideas, theme and actors and includes Pegg and Frost as well as Edgar Wright. This presents the counter argument that Wright’s style is a collaboration of talents. I use Scott Pilgrim as evidence against this idea.

Item 12 https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/edgar_wright

This source demonstrates technical competence which is one of the criteria for an auteur. It does this by reporting the review ratings of all Wright’s films and showing them to be critically acclaimed with a lowest rating of all his films as director of 82% for Scott Pilgrim. This fact has been used as evidence of technical competence in my presentation.

Videos 

Item 13 - Nerdwriter1- Scott Pilgrim: make your transitions count (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pij5lihbC6k)

This video analyses Scott Pilgrim which is one of the films I have selected and reviews how Edgar Wright’s use of editing is demonstrated in that film. It also shows his use of transitions which is very important to his editing style. It slows down a faster transition to break down everything that goes in the editing this can be used in my presentation when going into detail about his style within this film. This is a video essay to teach filmmaking skills and the fact that others can learn from Wright implies his status as an auteur meeting the criteria of technical competence. I will show a video clip of this in my presentation before describing what is happening.

Item  14- Every frame a painting - Edgar Wright - How to do visual comedy

This video compares Edgar Wright's films and style to other comedy films and shows how Edgar Wright uses editing. It shows a clip of an Edgar Wright back to back with another modern comedy film and shows I intend to show this in my presentation shows how Edgar Wright fits the unique style aspect of auteur theory.

Item 15 What Influences Scott Pilgrim Director Edgar Wright

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zfmbJdYfNE)

This is useful as it is the voice of Edgar Wright himself telling how he got the inspiration to his films to show where his style actually comes from. I will use this to add some balance to the argument of a unique style in that all directors learn from others but to point out that Wright’s influences such as the Coen brothers did not use the same editing technique.

Books

Item 16  Andrew Sarris - Notes on the auteur theory

(https://dramaandfilm.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/files/2011/06/Sarris-Notes-on-the-Auteur-Theory.pdf)

I chose this source as this is the first definition of the auteur theory from the person who originally defined the term in 1962. This also goes through exactly what defines someone as an auteur. This helps me see if Edgar Wright has these traits and quote some of this to define and compare the auteur theory. The traits include technical competence, unique style and interior meaning. 

It was the start-point for debate and challenges such as whether directors were responsible alone for their style.

I intend to structure my presentation around the points Sarris makes and assess how well Edgar Wright meets each of them in order to be considered an auteur.

Item 17 Jill Nelmes (2003). An Introduction to Film Studies

I used this book to further understand the detail of fast cuts as used by other directors and the definition of a hip hop montage. It quotes the definition of the hip hop montage, the style used in Edgar Wright’s films as well as others. It is described as like a sample is used in hip hop, with a few moments of film or video, respectively, repeated throughout the work for effect. I will use this to point out that Wright’s uniqueness relates to how he uses the techniques for comedy not that he invented them.

Rejected items

Edgar Wrights style explained - The AtZ show 

As well explaining Edgar Wright's style this shows how he views genre in his films including interview clips that are relevant to the topic. I rejected it because it does not focus on the editing as much as the other videos and is not a particularly credible source.

 Andrew Butler - film studies 

(https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9id-Rdi1rJqZUZCQ1duYmd3alk/view?usp=sharing)

This book shows and explains the concept of the auteur theory. It explains how auteur theory is currently understood and allows me to test whether Edgar Wright qualifies as an auteur. I rejected this item as I have used another book on the same thing (Andrew Sarris) which is more authoritative as it is the original source of the theory.

The Worlds End (2013)

I rejected this film as, although very much shows Edgar Wright's style, it is technically categorised as been in the same series as SotD and Hot Fuzz. Instead I picked Scott Pilgrim to show that is Edgar Wright’s entire filmography and not just the films he intentionally made to be similar. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Wright

Although Wikipedia contained a good overview of Edgar Wright’s work and his collaborators, it does not focus in detail on his editing style and whether or not he is an auteur. Any relevant information is already covered in more detail in the other sources which I have used.