Writer's Block

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Rhetoric of Space: “The Jewel of the BnL fleet.”

The place in which a story is set has a very important role in sending the greater message of a movie. It describes the way society and a culture interact, and the way the ideas and beliefs of a culture affect a society. The time can bring a crucial piece of information because it provides background for why the society believes and behaves a certain way. Depending on how far back a story is set in the past, the characters may believe in witches and demons, they may see technology as a privilege instead of a necessity and everyday part of life, or there could be a complete shift in the atmosphere of the cities, regions, and people if the story is supposed to reflect a war zone or a time of recession and economic decay. In contrast, if the story is set in the future, the possibility is unlimited and the future can be bright, vibrant, and full of curiosity, or it can be bleak, frightening, and a dystopian nightmare. The context for which a story takes place communicates the boundaries and possibilities limited and given to the main character. The “space” of a story can be vividly shown, implicitly relatable, or explicitly diverse from the world the viewer is accustomed to. Great examples of space being an essential piece to describing a story are Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, The Simpsons Springfield, Alice’s Wonderland, Coraline’s the Other World, and Peter Pan’s Neverland, but the one being analyzed today is the Axiom from WALL-E.

The machines were never meant to destroy the humans to become powerful. AIs fought that battle in the Incredibles and learned that the fastest way to be the dominate the human race was not through violence or physical confrontation. It was to play it safe and provide the humans with something only machines can provide - perfection. Through constant attention and alleviation of the nitty-gritty, mundane everyday activity, machines were able to hit the humans were it hurt without the humans being aware of it. The society and culture of consumerism became their downfall as the humans became to see the machines’ efficiency and competence for perfection as a norm. As this laziness progressed the planet began to suffer and the humans panicked at the very last moment. Their solution - like every other time they had been confronted with a problem - escape/run away from the problem and rely on machines. They built the axiom as a massive, luxury cruise ship meant to feed, entertain, and reflect the population of the people inhabiting said ship’s lifestyles.

The creation of the ship on its own is a testament to the culture and society. The literal meaning of its name is “something that is taken for granted.” The viewers are able to see the true emotion the ship gives to the humans when they travel with WALL-E aboard it for the first time and see the qualities and attributes associated with keeping the humans happy. There are all sorts of amenities to cater to the every need of each of the inhabitants aboard, and according to the lifespan of the captain, there has to be working in the humans’ favor. However, if the viewer looks closer, he or she will see the persuasive techniques used to sell this idea of a dream world to the humans on the ship. Pathos would be using the desires of the consumer culture to make the humans not want to do anything for themselves. Why should they if everything is taken care of at a faster and more efficient rate by a machine? The ethos would be the AUTO’s explanation of how he was programmed to do his job, and since the humans had been following - subconsciously - the word of the machines without question for centuries, the credibility the machines had far outweighed their curiosity that something might be amiss or that life was too good to be true. Logos is a simple explanation. The Earth, as far as the humans know, is uninhabitable, dirty, and filled with trash that they would have to remove if they returned. The axiom has kept the humans safe and happy for centuries. The question a lot of skeptics might ask is why fix something that’s not broken?

When being introduced to WALL-E for the first time and his daily routine on the desolate planet Earth, the viewers feel broken, lost, empty, and sorry for the world that they know now and what many warn it will become. When viewer aboard the axiom, they see the privilege, the laziness, the unhealthiness, and the carnivorous consumerism that is materialistic convenience. The viewers’ opinions may be split between wanting to experience that same paradise and judging the people for their body shapes, lazy tendencies, and entitled mentality. The Earthen society aboard the axiom in WALL-E is one that places convenience over practicality and independence. The culture of people is very lazy, machine-dependent, and unhealthily complacent with not having control over its people’s own lives.

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Hidden Messages In Children’s Movies

Movies have a way with presenting messages that we sometimes take for granted or may not fully understand unless there is a super spy facing a relatable villain, a child overcoming a bully, or an orphan child finding his or her place in this world through the most unconventional form of family. Regardless of how, movies are able to speak to us and teach us lessons subliminally. The common themes of friendship, love, and individualism are seen in all forms of movies, but they are especially prevalent in children’s movies. In this analysis, I will explain a few examples of the hidden themes, messages, and lessons children’s movies may be teaching but the expected audience may not grasp upon its viewing.

WALL-E: We Are What We Create

Set in a dystopian future, the viewer follows a trash collecting robot (Waste Allocation Load Lifter: Earth class). The ideas of this adorable and inspirational movie are that with a little hard work, the world can be healed, and if we aren’t careful, we will be consumed by our consumerism, materialistic, and convenience prioritizing mentality. Four scenes really present these messages: The opening scene of the waste-filled Earth; the scene where WALL-E is sent to the spaceship and he sees the reason why Earth has become a literal dump; the scene where the AI tries to override its master (man vs human) in order to keep the ship from returning to Earth where machines would no longer be needed; finally, the scene where the humans return to Earth, glancing around, afraid of a place that was once their home, while the babies - those that have the least experience at being consumed by convenience, are the ones to begin restoring the Earth. This movie is deeper than the love story between a lonely male robot and a strange female robot. This story - like many other Pixar movies - teach how the little things in life need to be appreciated and not taken for granted. A child may not grasp the full concept of not relying on technology for everything or even, the importance of protecting the environment, but the viewers who are able to look past the obvious scenes in the movie are able to internalize the true meanings the writers of the movie want to establish. Unlike The Lorax and Incredibles 2, WALL-E does not spell out the hidden concerns, and this creates a powerful pull for the viewer who understands the message. We are more likely to remember things that require work rather than something someone spelled out for us.

The Little Mermaid: Teenage Rebellion = No Consequence

Even with the more positive messages children movies want to introduce to their viewership, there is sometimes a disconnect between the intended message and the plot of the movie. Disney movies are known to end with happily ever afters, or at least with all of the introduced problems finding solutions. The Little Mermaid is an example of a hidden message that doesn’t necessarily need to be taught to a younger, more vulnerable generation. The story follows a young (possibly a teenager of 15 and up) mermaid. She is a free and creative soul, wandering around the sea and the sea’s ocean top for all sorts of things that spark her interest. Although the movie portrays her as an adventurer who wants to live her life exploring and learning, instead of being prim and proper like her sisters and father want her to be, there is something that most viewers may overlook.

Without mentioning Ariel’s hoarding problem, the audience members with a sharp eye are able to see three crucial flaws of the heroine of the story. First, she is dissatisfied with her life, ungrateful of the home, family, and privileges she has as being born the youngest of the Sea King’s daughters. Second, she believes in this idea of love at first sight. Although that is a premise most Disney Princess movies followed at the time, it can still be seen as negative today. As we don’t know Prince Eric’s age nor Ariel’s, it is more than a little be creepy that she has such an infatuation with the male. They had never had a conversation, she had only seen his face a handful of times, and he is a complete stranger - a pirate at that! For her to trade her family to even have the chance to meet the guy is beyond reckless, and quite honestly, it is an immature show of hormonal females. Going into the last flaw of our heroine, Ariel’s decision to give up her life (one she has yet to even start living, considering she is only a teen) for a male (one she doesn’t know) makes her selfish, immature, reckless, boy-crazy, and ungrateful - messages we shouldn’t have our young females internalize. A man does not make all of life’s problems go away (in some cases, a man/significant other can make life worse.) Ariel’s impulsive (she was angry at her father), pressured (Ursula - my queen - was rushing her), and love-blind (her only real drive for going to Ursula in the first place was to find a way to bewitch Prince Eric) makes Ariel an example of why we have parents and guardians and rules to begin with. Yes, the guidelines and rules of one’s life can be overbearing sometimes, but rebelling as Ariel did does not make the situation better. Most times it even makes it worse. 

To make the movie’s message even more misconstrued is this idea that someone will always come to protect you from consequences when you are in trouble. Ariel’s father risked his life to save her (Prince Eric too, but that was his own choice.) Ariel was saved and then, after the entire lesson was seemingly learned, King Triton granted Ariel her wish. The entire end scene sets this idea that if a child (a young female) throws a temper tantrum and apologizes (though Ariel never did), the child will not only be forgiven, but will also be rewarded. Yeah, children’s movie are a dangerous collection of story ideas. If the creators of the movies aren’t careful, they could end up with a The Little Mermaid, or worse, a Cinderella. 

The Heffalump Movie

There are countless other movies that contain hidden messages and meanings such as Meet the Robinsons’ “family comes in all forms,” and Incredibles 2’s “the technology we create will soon create us; don’t rely too much on easy access and convenience.” One of my favorite childhood movies has multiple meanings within it, and I had never realized. Winnie the Pooh: The Heffalump is a movie that follows Roo, the baby kangaroo, as he tries to prove he is older than how his older friends and his mother see him. He felt out of place being the youngest, and he wanted to make himself seem responsible, mature, and older, so he sets out to capture this creature all his friends claim to be terrible, horrible, and dangerous. The first lesson in the movie is “Don’t rush through your youth.” The audience only has one life to live, so it shouldn’t waste it, trying to desperately be something he or she is not because all his or her peers are. It didn’t strike me how prevalent in life this message is until I watched certain situations around me recently unfold according to this idea. The second message follows Roo’s decision. He, like Ariel, despite warnings from those who care for his well-being, goes on a journey to find this creature that could quite possibly kill him. The next lesson is based on the stories and descriptions Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, and Eeyore were giving Roo about a creature they didn’t know personally and had never interacted with. They called heffalumps dangerous, scary, terrible, and the like, and this is a parallel to how we often view things we don’t know. Because we are unsure of some things, we tend to automatically believe said creature or object is something negative and could harm us. The lesson Roo eventually learned after meeting and getting to know Lumpy (the baby heffalump) is that although they were different, it didn’t mean they couldn’t find similarities to make them friends. The most important message to me in this movie is to try before you judge. Younger viewers may only apply this to making new friends, but it is an important message that we should all use in our everyday lives. 

      Children’s movies have a profound way of expression different ideas in unorthodox and creative ways. They use completely out-of-the-box scenarios or everyday problems to teach important and necessary lessons to the generation that will ultimately shape the world one day. As children’s movies writers understand who their audience is, they have to be original, inventive, and inspiring techniques, stories, and characters to make their intended messages stick. Children’s movies truly are a not so hidden treasure. 

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In the movie world, it is common for companies to be present in a movie because they helped sponsor said movie. The placement of these products and company logos can be both important to the plot of the story, or they can be irrelevant, obvious, annoying, and ultimately a mockery of the company and product in itself. Cinemasins has honored this annoying movie and tv trope as a sin called Product Placement, and in this, I will explain why this cliche deserves to be a movie and tv sin.

Let’s begin with the less obvious product placements. In Shrek, there is a scene where Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey arrive in Far Far Away and scattered around the scene, there are little product placements sprinkled here and there. Starting from the left, there is a Starbucks sign, moving toward the center, the Hollywood sign has been morphed to better the movie, and finally, on the far right, as the video proclaims, there is a Burger “Prince” nestled comfortably in the corner of the screen. Each of these little details is supposed to incite a chuckle from the viewer that notices them. The movie itself is about making fun of fairytale cliches by going against them with pop culture. The addition of these product placements helps the movie serve that purpose while also not being too direct and annoying.

Moving forward, another less obvious product placement is seen in Blank Panther in the “parade of black villainous SUVs” pulling up. Unlike later in the movie when there is a rather obvious product placement for a new car - the one that Shuri is driving in her holographic machine, the black vans are not directly trying to catch the audience’s attention about the specific car. It is more to show “the bad guy has arrived.”

An example of an obvious car product placement in a movie is Daddy’s Home the Ford Flex introduction scene. Throughout the movie, the car is used as an important prop, showing how uncool and geeky the main character is as a father. However, this is nowhere more apparent than in the very first introduction of the character’s personality. He goes from talking about how he loves being a stepdad straight into how he “loves his Ford Flex.” It could be seen as humorous to the audience because he is so direct. It could be interpreted like he is actively trying to break the 4th wall with the product placement, but it was ineffective and mostly annoying. A scene where he is simply smiling while driving in said car would have been just as effective.

Horror movies are also subject to the Product Placement sin as seen by the ever loved “Paranormal Activity.” In Paranormal Activity, there is a scene where Micah stand directly in front of the camera to adjust the lighting and such, and he does so for a pretty drawn out time. It is understandable that this is apart of a movie because the movie is shot like a home video, and it is meant to be him relaxing in regular clothes, but why choose CoinNet as the random shirt he was wearing. Movie directors are intentional in their every shot, so this use of product placement was ineffective. As Cinemasins said, “It lasts entirely too long, and is also entirely ineffective since I don’t know what they do, nor do I care.” In a car sponsorship, it is obvious that the movie is trying to sell the car as either fast, comfortable, or sexy; the purpose of the specific car is clear. The CoinNet did not provide a purpose and therefore, it was mostly just annoying filler.

Action movies are known for including products in their movies. Most times the products used actually serve a purpose, introducing something or someone, creating tension, being comedic relief, or aiding the protagonist in his or her fight against the main bad guy or girl. Three examples of direct and plot related product placement are Ready Player One’s Pizza Hut and Drone scene, The Losers’ Dunkin Donuts Copter crash, and the Emoji Movie’s everything.  

In Ready Player One, as the main character is explaining this world he now lives in, filled with high-tech devices and lazy people who wish not to face reality, there is a scene where a Pizza Hut box is being delivered to a person by a drone. It is ironic because it parallels to our world now. It is also not subtle in the slightest. Unlike other aforementioned placements, this one is not overly exerted and it does relate to what the story is talking about - a future where technology makes life better. The Dunkin Donuts Copter scene in The Losers, in contrast, does not use the product placement to further the plot. Pooch and Aisha are arguing about Pooch’s skills and in the middle of the verbal disagreement, a huge Dunkin Donuts billboard comes out of nowhere and they nearly crash. Of course, the billboard scene is supposed to be irony because it almost proves that Pooch can’t drive anything, but the humor of Aisha calling out “Donut. Donut. Donut!” is funny. The billboard could have been anything else - a phone, a baby, a whale, and it would have had the same effect.

Pointless isn’t the word I would use to describe most product placements. They are usually funny, if nothing else. Sometimes they serve to offer assistance to the plot of the story. Most times, they are there because the movie had to give credit to companies that helped sponsor the movie. One movie, though, takes away all my hope for product placement. This movie is The Emoji Movie. Off the back, one has to realize there will be pointless attempts at humor in the movie because the characters are emojis. But the blatant product placement in the movie is so glaringly obvious that it is almost impossible to highlight specific scene. You could talk about the Candy Crush scene where the main characters actually have to explain the rule of the game and then play it to move on with the movie. One could mention the scene where Alex is going through his home screen and the audience gets to see all the apps he has stored on his phone - subtle but not really. The worst, though, has to be Just Dance scene where Christina Aguilera welcomes the main characters, explains the rule of the game in an overly hyper voice, and then the character precedes to dance around, smiling widely as if the game is just that exciting and fun. With as many of the apps that were mentioned, it is almost impossible for the audience to ignore the reason for the movie. The Product Placement scene is supposed to be for fun, to highlight in a humorful way the audience caught the wink from the movie about a certain company or product. The Emoji Movie didn’t do that. It is a beautiful example of how movies overuse, violate, and destroy the purity of a simple nod towards a product. Usually, if a movie were to replace the used product with something different, the content would still be the same, maybe with a little bit of the meaning changing. The movie would still be the movie with the small revision. The Emoji Movie is unable to do this. When the majority of one’s plot focuses on the product placement, where is the enjoyment for the story.  

Overall, Product Placement or Direct Sponsorship are can shape a movie for the better. Most car product placement do this because they add to the illusion of whatever the movie is trying to sell about the character owning the car. Specific clothing brands do the same, but these are usually a lot more subtle. Food and drinks brands are the most common in movies because they can go unnoticed or they can add to the plot, depending on the way the movie’s director decides to include them. Popular electronics like Beats and iPhones are the norm in movies today, but they can be overused and sell this idea that all Americans have the privilege and the movie to buy and maintain these sorts of luxury items. In the end, there is absolutely nothing wrong with product placement...when used correctly. A product, company, or brand should be seen or mentioned slightly to allow the audience to know what it does and why it is important to the plot. The item’s use in the movie should be hint enough to the audience without the movie trying to directly sell it. All movies should keep in mind one thing when deciding on sponsorship deals; Never be another The Emoji Movie.

Viewer Discretion is Advised For Each of the following videos if you decide to watch the Cinemasins on them:

Friends - Pottery Barn

Shrek - Starbucks, Hollywood, Burger Prince

Black Panther - “Villainous Black SUV”

Daddy’s Home - Ford Flex

Ready Player One - Pizza Hut

The Losers - Dunkin Donuts

Paranormal Activity - CoinNet T-Shirt

The Emoji Movie - EVERYTHING

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Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Lights, Camera, Action: A Technical Look at Movies

Movie Scene Used: https://youtu.be/D4Okmzct4K0

The features I am analyzing are the use of camera angling and camera focusing. The scene I am applying both of these features to specifically is the Water Torus scene in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.

The first instance of camera angling I spotted Ethan’s viewing of the Water Torus initially. The audience sees it from a bird’s eye view, and thus, we are able to see straight down into this seemingly endless and tornado swirling pit of rushing water. From this angle, we get a sense of thrill, danger, and maybe even fear, because we realize it is our hero who has to go into this for 3 minutes. The scene switches back and forth between Benji entering the elevator, a calmer and none immediate dangerous situation, and Ethan’s evaluation of his situation. The camera’s redirection of tension effectively shifts the audience’s immediate fear for what will happen to Ethan to a more rising fear about what will happen to Benji.

After Ethan’s jump, we are brought back to Benji exiting the elevator, where the camera pans to the security camera watching his movements intently, and then to him approaching the security doors. The camera’s attention shifting between him standing at the door and allowing his mechanism to work and the security camera adds a bit of tension to the scene. The audience can feel his “fear” in the scene because it like he is unsure and constantly checking to see if he has been caught.

We are then swept to Ethan in the tunnel, traveling straight down at an intense speed. The camera view widens to capture the entire room and Ethan floating around it. This shows the audience the space he is currently in, the lighting from the machine, the spinning arms that may or may not become important to the plot later, and the turbulent water Ethan is spinning in and swimming against for these 3 minutes. The audience is then following Ethan again as the machine shuts down and he continues his mission without hesitation. The camera pans over to the specific lever - 108 - he is looking for.

We getting a typically wide view of Ethan and a bit of the background. In a sense, the camera is short-sighting or putting the frame in the opposite direction of where the action is taking place. The frame looks almost even, but with the space behind Ethan being presented, the audience can tell it was left there for a purpose. The camera closes in on Ethan after the arm of the machine has passed. He has acknowledged the machine is still on and swinging, but the camera is mirroring his focus. He is more concerned with the lever and completing his mission, so the camera is focusing specifically on him and not his surroundings. This is dangerous. As Ethan’s attention is solely on retrieving and replacing the cards, the camera zooms in completely to him doing this activity, and we, the audience, are blinded by what’s happening to the right (in front of him) and the left (behind him). This tightening of the frame on Ethan adds to the shock and surprise when Ethan is hit by the arm “suddenly” and he is knocked from his position.

When the cards are knocked from Ethan’s hand, we follow them instead of Ethan. This adds the feeling of “oh no!” because we watch as they float aimlessly in the water, switching back and forth between each other, as if in taunting. How will Ethan know which one is the correct one now?

The scene jumps to Benji’s watch and then the look on his face. He is oblivious to what has happened and he can only hope Ethan comes through. The audience is aware of the situation and we are left feeling even more panicked and concerned by the turn of events. The screen then switches to the tech guys fixing the machine and then Ilsa’s confused and shocked face. The screens read all red and state that the hatch is secured and that Ethan has yet to complete his mission. The camera directed at below her face as she stares into the Water Torus adds depth to her worry and this feeling of “I’m too far away to know what’s happening and to help.”

We are brought back to Ethan’s part of the mission with the angle of the two cards again. Ethan appears to be far in the background. The camera swims smoothly to Ethan and we are given a side view of him struggling against the current, the cards at arm’s length away, and the light of the machine directly below his face. The contrast of him and the room surrounding him is distinct, almost as if highlighting the fact that we should be paying attention to specifically him.

The frame zooms in completely over his body and to his reaching arm, displaying in bright red and white his time is up and his oxygen is almost completely depleted. This camera view compliments Ethan’s already dangerous situation by sprinkling a bit of urgency to make it seem almost hopeless. To make matters worse, the last card is swept away in the current, and rather than follow Ethan on his journey to grab the card in rushing water, we are left on the opposite side as we pan upwards and watch as both the card and Ethan come back to us. We feel like we can reach out and grab the card as its come toward us.

The camera goes still as Ethan grabs the card and then it follows and stops with him as he stays planted to the wall, 3 levers away from his target. We come back to the bird’s eye view of the working Water Torus, then a zoom in shot of Ethan’s current oxygen level, which is depleting fast from 10%. The camera focuses on the secured hatch notification on Ilsa’s tablet and then her panicked face. The movement of the camera over these vital pieces of information support her worry, confusion, panic, and desperation.

Back on Benji’s side, we see his device successfully opening another door and the look of apprehension on his features. The audience might have forgotten in the tension it was experiencing watching Ethan struggle, but if Ethan fails, Benji will instantly lose his life. The cameraman did an excellent job of dividing the audience’s attention between the three different elements of this mission because each one works in sequence with the others, so if one fails, they all fail. That realization underlines the real tension in each of these scenes and with each other the specific camera angles. The perspective goes from Benji’s face to his back as he walks past the security guards and over to the last door. This is the moment of truth, and we have yet to hear back from Ethan’s side of the deal. The camera angle changes quickly to three focal points; a full view of Benji at the entrance, the guards seated at their computer in the background, to finally two quick shots of the security cameras in the background on either of Benji’s head in the foreground. These different perspectives just at to the feeling of being watched all the way around as Benji is. One slip up, and there is no way it will not be caught.

The scene changes from Benji’s paused position at the door with super sensitive cameras ready to size him up to Ethan finally reaching the latch with the two cards. In his reach, we are able to see his lack of oxygen is making his focus waver - a detrimental mistake that could cost Benji his life. Quickly, Benji’s zoomed in expression of trepidation and his body moving forward are on screen again. The security guards are then shown analyzing their computers to see if he is an imposter or not. A super zoomed in shot of Ethan deciding on a card and plunging it into the slot immediately follows. These scenes are all happening in time with each other, instead of sequentially like before. Benji is continuing his walk, then the screens finally say he is authorized, and Benji concludes his walk to the door with no problem. The door opens, he exits, and the lights shut off instantly. The cameraman’s decision to keep the attention on Benji’s scenes and his access to the door is a way to acknowledge that one part of the mission is complete, Ethan did half of his job, and now the hardest part of the mission is now in fruition.

Ethan releases the latch and the audience watches from a widescreen as he currents to the other side of the machine. We zoom in to the door latch that he needs to escape, watch as he seemingly misses the shot, but pan over to realize he is clawing at the wall and pulling himself toward the exit. From this angle, again, we can only see what is happening directly to Ethan, nothing before him and nothing coming. This leaves us blinded-spotted and unable to know if he should duck or something - a dangerous position to be in if you have things swinging inches from your body. Ethan grabs hold onto the exit latch, struggling to open it. We see this from behind his back because our entire focus is making sure he opens the door.

The camera adjusts slowly to his right side, and the audience is able to see the arm of the machine as it nearly hits him. The fact that it is shown suggests that it is no longer the major antagonist anymore. The main problem, now that he has learned to be vigilant, is getting the door open. The camera pans away from the door hatch to specifically Ethan’s face. From this view, though only for a short second, we see the consciousness escape from his eyes as his last ounce of strength is pushed into opening the latch. We are then pulled away from his face to his hands on the latch and the oxygen indicator flashing zero. We take on the perspective of Ethan at this point. Our body is unable to move in the way we want, we have no strength in our hands and feet, and the situation seems hopeless. We float aimlessly in the current, watching as the door gets further and further away. Where Ethan has been left for dead, Benji is successfully infiltrating the computer system, aware of his friend’s sacrifice to save his life.

Back inside the Water Torus, Ethan’s body is floating about until it reaches us and we see the sudden appearance of another body. The frame is wide as we watch Ethan and focuses ever so slightly on his body as he gets closer to the camera and then the image is zoomed in too much for the audience to analyze whose body it was that showed up. We then follow this body holding Ethan’s around the water until Ilsa’s face is shown and the shot focuses on her hand reaching out to grab the approaching door latch. The angle of the camera is inconsistent when she misses, paralleling the movement of their bodies as she adjusts them upright. The lighting is hitting all parts of their body at an inconsistent rate to reflect the same message as the camera’s lack of angle. The frame settles as Ilsa finds the upright position and is able to grab at the door handle. The lighting is directly below them, highlighting the face of Ilsa. Ethan’s limp body remains out of focus to resemble the idea that he is probably half past dead at this point. The opening of the latch leaves us there as the two are swallowed up and bubbles swarm the screen.

The cameraman and cinematography experts of this movie did a great job in enticing certain emotions through lighting, camera angle, specific focus, and frame size. The feeling of tension was enhanced immensely because of the perspective the audience was able and unable to see. Sometimes we were omniscient, others we were at the mercy of the character and had to brace ourselves for the whatever it is he or she could or could not see. Had the movie been in 3D, there would have been even more effects to underline and talk about. A movie simply isn’t a movie without lights, the camera, and the effects that make the action.

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Killers (2010) Soundtrack Analysis

Movie Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLohYzz4btpaTeqiZEoioHNrFhd2CNpQki 

As Killers is a comedic action spy movie, a lot of the music is dedicated to making the action scenes stand out with thrilling, dramatic, and intense background accompaniment. Majority of the music was instrumental, and the times where music with lyrics was used, it was in comedic tastes or for an overall scenes/montage of similar shots.

The opening music, “Arriving in Nice - Main Title,” is a common themed spy music. It is used to introduce the genre of the movie to the audience, the calm but alert nature of the main male character, and the sexy suffocation of being a spy. The movie expertly calms the music to a stop when the main characters are set in the same scene.

The next use of music happens in the elevator as the two main characters meet for the first time. The music is light, calm, and sweet like elevator music, and it creates a comfortable feel for the two protagonists as they continue their walk to the beach. The music is comfortable yet majestic like a resort, and the audience feels relaxed, even though we know it won’t stay because of the main male character’s profession.

The rushed music after the date is made and the characters split ways adds a small sense of urgency, but for two different reasons. Jen is in a panic to find clothes for this unexpected date, and Spencer is completing a mission on an enemy ship. The music also emphasizes the irony of her father’s statement, because as he is saying she will find someone “normal,” the person they are referring to is doing things “normal” people would never be able to do. This adds dramatic tension to the lie - or not full truth - Spencer has spun around his life.

The music of the nightclub is fun, lively, and it compliments the awkward adorableness of the two protagonists. This turns into the elevator music again as they arrive in her hotel room. Because of the music, there is a feeling of “this is nothing” as Spencer brings out a knife. It hints at something the audience sees as more than natural, but because she can’t hear the music, she is unaware and takes the situation at face value.

The song sounds over the montage with a notion of “Just Say Yes.” This song is light, and it reflects their experience together as they explore the resort, Venice, and each other. It may symbolize the paradise of life. The music abruptly ends as a mysterious overtone creeps in on one of their dates and Spencer sees an unwelcome visitor. The music reminds the audience that Spencer is not the person we see when he is with Jen. Although he is happy with her and feels normal, he cannot escape his reality. There is always is always someone watching him, he is in a dangerous profession, and being with Jen is just a distraction and dream. One of the phrases his boss says as the music changes to a drumming spy tone sets a foreshadowing for the movie. “Sometimes a friend becomes an enemy.” This is ignored by Spencer as he shows his B-Aness (bad behindness) by walking away from his boss and stating he can make his own decisions and decide his own future. The spy music is emphasized to ask the question, can he really?

The Three Years Later and the country music set a tone of “normal.” Spencer and Jen are now married and they have settled down into a life of calm, orderly routine like Spencer had always wanted. This feeling lets the audience believe that Spencer may have been right about his power to decide his own life. It makes the listener feel complacent and relaxed, as though all of the drama and troubles yet to come are far away.

The feeling of safety doesn’t last too as in the next instrumental used, “the postcard,” Spencer receives a mysterious package and immediately finds his old life resurfacing. The music surrounding the scene creates a questioning and suspicion. The letter is addressed to him specifically, the book refers to a place his wife had mentioned recently, and the number is a direct number to his former boss who tells him about something about to happen. The audience understands something is about to happen, and the audience feels the need to be watchful and cautious.

There is an interesting note about the first fight scene. It begins with a lack of music to emphasize the sound effects of their kicks, punches, stabs, and grunts. When the guy explains why he is attacking, the music abruptly comes in with a loud dun-dun-dun-dun-duh! The contrast in the having the music and not, the audience is further thrown into the action and thrill of the fight scene. The excitement is emphasized by the feel of “who will win” and “our hero is in danger.” Then, the stress of the drums as Jen runs in and panics at the sight before her reflects her urgency in the situation and the desperation of Spencer as he tries to keep the guy held down.

When the 20 million bounty for Spencer’s death is brought into the open, the music shifts to a sullen piano and violin. Jen is suspicious and Spencer realizes that his cover has been blown. This is only one of the first times this music is played, and it is meant to reflect the “all is lost” feeling Jen has in her rollercoaster of emotion. The notes control the emotion of audience as it swells the sentiment of hurt and confusion as the question “who can I trust, if not you?” hangs in the air, waiting desperately to be answered. The second time this is displayed Jen decides the life of her child is more important than the life of the father of the child. She still loves Spencer, but the danger associated with him and his second life is something she will not expose her child to without reason. She gave him the chance to be in her life, to make her stay, if he could tell her a way he could protect her, but because he couldn’t she had to leave. Again, the music is melancholy, bitter, and sorrowful. The mood is perfectly conveyed, and the audience is mistakenly thrown into a belief that that’s the end of the two main characters. It actually seems similar to the Titanic music often associated with Rose and Jack’s unattainable love.

As this is an action movie, similar to a horror movie, every fifteen or so minutes, the characters have to be running or experiencing a physical strain. The spy music arises again as the two main characters need to escape, and the urgency of the situation is clear.

An observant ear will notice the difference in music when Spencer and Jen are fighting different people. For the first battle in the cars, Spencer is racing toward his target and the music echoes the tension of the battle by reminding the audience of a bullfight or a fencing match. It is obviously a face-off between two equally matched opponents, and the music shows Spencer’s confidence in his tactic as he tries to defeat his target. The scene ends with the note of the scene abruptly stopping, symbolizing the end of that particular fight and that opponent’s life. The second battle is starkly different. Spencer’s target is now a female. She is sleek, elegant, and dangerous as shown by the classy yet sexy spy music accompanying their battle. When she is finally taken down, her death is emulated by the finality of the last note. The later battle at the end of the movie between Spencer and the married couple is quick and to the point. The music does a great job of highlighting the two spouses’ feelings towards Spencer. They want him ended fast and are willing to use any tactic to get that across, and the music in the background beautiful capitalizes those emotions.

Another commonly heard shift in the music for an attentive listener is the way the music softens but remains cautious during scenes when either of the main protagonists is looking for clues, feeling uncertain, or are remaining particularly vigilant. The audience is aware something is about to happen or that there is something the characters in the movie are oblivious to because they are not omniscient like the audience.

Finally, after establishing all of the other obvious musical accompaniments; the comfortable and relaxed, the suspicious - “something is going to happen,” the urgent action, the “all is lost,” and the lack of any sound to emphasize the simple movements, the audience hears a common cliche. The “everything will be okay” cliche is seen in almost all action movies, including this one. The music is light and airy, usually following an intense revelation and an all is lost moment. The happy ending has arrived and the future seems bright because shows there is no more secrets and lies, and the characters are now happy and acceptant of their lives. In this movie, once again, it seems to directly imitate the music found in Titanic when Jack was “on top of the world.”

Overall, the movie’s soundtrack did an amazing job. Specific scenes were able to emit certain emotions - sadness, joy, humor, fear, thrill, and suspense - because of the music shadowing the actors’ dialogue and skills. The music helped ask questions expressions wouldn’t have gotten across on their own. The music even offered a convincing sense of normalcy and mundane routines in a spy movie. For a movie that is not a Disney film or musical, the music played a huge role in controlling the audience’s attention.  

[xwillstudy-blog]

Teen Beach Movie Trailer Rhetorical Analysis

The trailer used: https://youtu.be/6FuIBuXCiTo

All three rhetorical devices were present in the trailer. The logos was presented by the “Disney Channel Original Movie.” The characters involved in the movie were a form of Ethos because Ross Lynch was a fairly well-known actor on Disney Channel at the time and Maia Mitchell was an up and coming actor, always appearing but never being a main role. Lastly, as with most trailers from Disney and Pixar and movies targeted at children, Pathos was used intensely.

This trailer followed the 3-Act Structure. In the first act, the main characters, setting, and important details (Brady’s favorite movie and Mack’s opinion of it) were introduced. In the second act, a conflict was stated (the reality of life hits and the friendship between the two main characters are tested because McKenzie has to leave to pursue a dream that was never told to Brady once summer ends), a semi-solution was applied (the two are swept away to a land without their “real world” problems), and finally, a major conflict/climax of movie (getting stuck in the movie because they are changing the plot) helped draw in the viewer’s curiosity. Lastly, in act three, “Cruisin’ For A Bruisin’” (referring to just live in the moment and stop stressing the future) played as the trailer ran through the funnier and more memorable scenes of the movie.

There were many emotions the characters and the storyline evoked from the audience. The trailer asked questions like “how would you feel and what would you do if you got pulled into your favorite movie?” Or, “how would you feel if your best friend was leaving you without prior mention?” Following the question before, “if you had the chance to keep him or her with you would you, even if it meant he or she would be forced to give up their dream?” Even, “what’s more important, friendship, your personal dream, or the dream others expect you to live?” These questions are more mature and require the audience - which could even include an adult - to think about the tough reality of life in comparison to an ideal world.

The questions were not the only use of Pathos. There are two contradicting emotions constantly battling for attention. The first is an urgency to leave, and the second is the desire to sit back and enjoy. McKenzie is determined to find a way home. The audience knows about her deal with her aunt, her emotional turmoil between leaving her best friend and doing what her mother wanted, and her fear of getting trapped in a different universe. The blonde, Brady, is more focused on enjoying the once in a lifetime opportunity to do something he’d always dreamed of; live a day in Westside Story. He understands “Mac’s” concern about returning home, but he wants to have one last great memory with his best friend before he has to let her leave. The overall emotion is a sense of sadness. The two friends have different views on how to spend their time, and ultimately, it seems to be pulling them apart. The audience is pulled left and right to decide who is right in this situation, and it relates back to the questions before, what is more important to the specific viewer.

Another convincer to see the movie is the narrator’s drop in tone as he introduces the climax of the story. “Now, they’re changing the movie, and if they don’t change it back, it may change them. And they’ll never get home.” The sense of urgency comes rushing back and the audience is on edge, wondering will the characters really become stuck in a movie. The characters panicked faces as they realize what’s happening to them creates an exciting change in their thought patterns. Brady, originally against going home so early because it meant they were “hurrying to grow up,” finally understands the dire situation and begins to work with McKenzie to try and get the movie plot back on track, which may be a little difficult when discussing the real problem. They have to find a way for the main characters, turf rivals, to fall out of love with them, and in love with each other, without giving away their real identities.

The genre of the movie is a Disney comedic parody of cheesy musicals. The movie appears to be Disney’s idea of a cheesy musical because there are numerous songs, the dance moves are all bright, expressive, and cheery, the clothes and sets are very vibrant and colorful, and there is a consistent comedic undertone, even in the most dramatic moments. Although the movie is targeted at children, if the actors were replaced with more well-known adult actors and a little of the humor became more mature, the movie trailer could potentially draw in the interests of more adults.

Certain phrases were effectively scattered throughout the trailer to help the viewer retain key points from the quick commercial.

Brady exclaims at the beginning of the trailer, “Summer’s not over yet.” The audience can share in his enthusiasm for the desire to be on an everlasting vacation, but soon after, we are introduced to the plot turner. What will happen when summer ends? This sentence symbolizes a lot more than just the ending of a vacation. The ending of summer, in a literal sense, means McKenzie leaving for college. In a more subtle sense, it means the possible end of McKenzie and Brady’s friendship. Again, the trailer attacks this idea by throwing the characters into a universe where their main problem becomes overshadowed by an even more dire situation.

Brady’s goal in keeping Mack in the movie is not only to selfishly keep her away from her dreams. Brady also genuinely wants to explore what this new world has to offer after watching from behind a screen for so many years. The general eagerness he has is passed on to the audience through a sense of irony. “When will you get another chance to be in a movie?” He is an actor playing a regular character experiencing what it would be like to physically be in a movie. Whereas the audience is living through his experience as though we are in the movie with him. Would it really be this scary, this fun, this cool to go into our favorite movie and never return home to our reality?

“Every moment I’m here, I’m not doing what my mother wanted me to do.” McKenzie tries to explain her side of the situation to Brady, who’d rather enjoy his once in a lifetime moment in a movie and his last moments with his best friends. Her concern is apparent as she states, “My entire future depends on us getting out of here.” If the viewer were to only see her side of the story, the entire genre of the movie would change because her perspective is different from that of Brady, the other characters, and the moral of the story.

“We’re morphing into the movie!” The word morphing ignites a sense of fear. There is a negative connotation behind the word that brings this feeling of doom. Morphing means their physically changing and adapting to the movie, which means their losing a sense of themselves. That’s a terrifying prospect that makes the viewer fear for the safety of the characters, again, effectively evoking an interest in seeing the full movie as a trailer is supposed to do.

Overall, the trailer does what it is supposed to do. It catches the viewer’s attention, keeps the attention for the entire two minutes, and remains interesting enough until the next viewing of the trailer. The song was catchy and the colors were vibrant. The accent of the female lead also echoes in one’s ear after the trailer has ended because it was so different from the other characters. The director of the trailer did an excellent job of selecting specific details and scenes from the movie. Teen Beach Movie sounds like an amazingly fun movie to watch during the summer.

[xwillstudy-blog]

Frozen Trailer Rhetorical Analysis

The trailer of use: https://youtu.be/FLzfXQSPBOg 

Logos was not used in the movie trailer as it did not present any particular ratings from credible critiques, nor did it highlight specific awards the film should be nominated for. Ethos was used as it acknowledged “the creators of Tangled,” and the voice actors of the characters are contributed to the audience turn up, as the parents may have been fans. The main persuasive technique used was Pathos as seen through the narrator and the beginning perspective shot, the music, specific dialogue, action-packed scenes, and the colorful humor and animation. 

The trailer used the traditional three-act structure; beginning with a narrator explaining the basis for the storyline and characters, the middle diving further into the climax and emotional turmoil of the plot, and the ending combining multiple strong points of the film in quick clips with the music from the soundtrack providing more edge and emotion. 

Immediately after the viewer’s discretion card, the audience is snatched by suspense. We are welcomed to the far-away kingdom of Arendelle by a thunderous base of music and a deep and foreboding narrator who introduces us to a main character by rhyme. Like much of pop culture today, the character is seen as “not normal” or “too special” to herself as she decides to hide her identity away to make sure she is accepted in her society, and the audience is meant to take pity on her loneliness and fear of being different. Abruptly, the audience is thrown into the whirlwind of emotion as her hidden powers are discovered by others and she is seen as an outcast. They ridicule her and she, swarming with uncertainty and desperation, flees her home, indefinitely. The climax of the movie is centered around her rash decision. With her emotions being the strength of her powers, the lack of control over them ultimately affects the world around because of the force of her magic. Unknowingly, she creates a storm in her wake, and this leads to the adventure of the center plot of the story, the introduction of her sister, who is determined to fix the situation, and the reason why this movie was a great film at Thanksgiving. 

Based on the action-packed scenes, the music, the humorful characters, the dynamic between the sisters, and the overall moral of the movie, the genre for the film is an animated family comedy adventure. The animation style is warm and allows the viewer to feel a sense of friendliness that is usually associated with Disney animated characters. There is noticeable humor in a lot of the more intense scenes to keep the audience entertained and not focus on the heavy topics suggested in the movie. As the main theme is the power of family and comfort, there are many scenes dedicated to Anna and Elsa interacting and understanding the strength of their relationship. The adventure is the momentous journey to find Elsa, and through the eyes of Anna, we meet many characters, understand her story, and delve deeper into the mystery of Elsa’s power. 

As mentioned before, because this is an animated movie, the characters are all voiced by actors, and although they are not seen, their skills and personalities can be seen in their portrayals. Kristen Bell is a known actor that often takes on the innocent, gullible character roles. Josh Gad is seen as a great comedian, and his skills are presented well as he voices Olaf. The title song for the movie and the main “villain” of the movie are elegantly brought to life by Idina Menzel, a Broadway actor. The message for the movie and the characters relatable personalities are only connected to the audience because of the people behind the scenes. 

Considering the genre of the movie and the intended audience, the movie trailer does incorporate a significant number of action scenes. A movie trailer’s goal is to draw the viewer’s attention and leave an impact strong enough for the person to want to see the movie. The Frozen trailer did just that in numerous scenes. For example, Kristoff running into the eye of the storm, Elsa’s defeat and her cry of the people staying away from her, or Anna’s determination to bring back Elsa because she knows Elsa, her sister, would never hurt her. The scene where Anna and Kristoff fight the wolves on a racing sled, and when Anna explains to Olaf and Kristoff, “That’s no blizzard. That’s my sister,” are great heart-racers. Another is the golden ice scene, and the audience sees Elsa attacking. Finally, the crashing boat scene where Anna and Kristoff show the beautiful skills they learned at Prometheus School of Running Away From Things.  

The most impactful scene is short but to the point. Elsa is in a dark room with a man who pleads sincerely, no malice in his voice, “Stop the winter.” The look she gives him in response and her words, “Don’t you see...I can’t,” are what really make the audience raise a brow. It is clear from the beginning that she doesn’t have control over her powers, but after Anna’s declare of bringing back her sister to fix the weather, the audience is misled to believe that the continued drama of the movie is because of Elsa’s unwilling selfishness to return. This scene asks the question if she does return, will she, can she stop the storm in time to save her home. Is the solution even in her hands to begin with if her emotions remain unstable? Does this means she finds a way to control her power? All those questions swarm the mind of the viewer, effectively making him or her want to purchase a ticket to have his or her questions answered. 

There were more subtle appeals to emotion as well. The use of the words “eternal snow” and “sorcery” write Elsa out as a villain from the beginning. Olaf’s declaration that “some people are worth melting for,” although humorful because he is a snowman, brings up a question of how far are you, a viewer, willing to go for a loved one. The conviction and faith Anna has in her own abilities to help her sister frame her as the heroine of the story, and it shifts the attention of who the audience will be following and rooting for throughout the movie. Again, this makes Elsa seem like an antagonist, rather than someone who is suffering equally as much as the town falling under frostbite. One final noted piece of persuasion was the music from the movie as the trailer begins to come to a close. The song playing continues to promote the idea “for the first time in forever.” It’s Anna singing about love, but in the context of the trailer and how it is presented with the images of what will happen in the movie, it gives a sentiment of “maybe, just maybe,” as though this person is invincible. The audience might assume it is referring to Elsa taking control of her powers and no longer hiding behind a facade. It could be a cluing fact to others in the movie accepting something they’ve never seen before as not a possible threat, but rather a new beginning. The music is intense but whimsical, like a dream. If you reach far enough, try hard enough, something amazing will happen. 

Overall, the trailer was effective in establishing an interest in the movie. Music, animation, characters, story plot, and all the rhetorical devices actively make the film seem entertaining and a worthy place to take a family on Thanksgiving.