This Scene Analysis Paper is to break down a 2 minute clip into all the individual elements.
MES 140 SCENE ANALYSIS PAPER There are four parts to this paper. Make sure to complete all four. 1. CHOOSE A CLIP Clip 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOs-4J6rr-w Clip 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-pbGAts_Fg Clip 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbbbs1uWxvo Clip 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzGzjqhVKbA Clip 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LauRAuoFO0U Four of the clips are a little over 2 minutes long and one is just under 2 minutes. The films are: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Hidden Figures, The Kite Runner, Slumdog Millionaire, Stand and Deliver. Watch the clips and decide which film clip you would like to view many, many times as you break it down shot by shot, into all the individual elements. Once you have decided which clip to analyze, if you are unfamiliar with the film, it is recommended you view the entire film in order to better understand the meaning of the clip. For the clips that are over 2 minutes, you just need to break down the first 2 minutes. For the clip that is just under 2 minutes, break down the entire clip. 2. BREAK DOWN / ANALYSIS OF EACH SHOT IN THE CLIP For the clip you have chosen, list and analyze all the shots individually for the following elements: 1. Shot # (start with #1; it doesn’t matter what shot it is within the whole film) 2. Time of beginning to end of each shot - for example: 0:10 – 0:19 3. Kind of shot - for example: close up 4. Camera Angle – for example: eye-level shot 5. Camera Movement – for example: pan 6. Action in the Shot – for example: Alan sits 7. Mise-en-Scene: notes about composition, setting, props, lighting, costumes, make-up (You do not have to repeat information if it stays the same. For example, if an actor is wearing a top hat in shot #1, and he keeps it on throughout the whole clip, you do not have to repeat that he is wearing a top hat.) 8. Sound: voice, music, sound effects, ambiance (natural sound), silence You can create a table (grid) to organize your information, or use a list format, or use some combination of both. continued on next page Scene Analysis Paper Page 2 3. OBSERVATIONS ON THE EDITING Now that you have broken the clip down into the individual pieces, view the clip in its entirety again. Write a paragraph that describes how the scene is edited, that is, how all the various shots connect to each other. What kinds of transitions are used, such as cuts, dissolves, etc. Is there a sense of rhythm to the clip (slow, brisk, etc.) How does the flow (or “lack of flow”) of the editing effect the overall emotional feel of the scene? Why do you think the director chose to make it like this? 4. YOUR DISCOVERIES And last, what have you discovered in doing this analysis? Has the experience of looking at a clip in such detail effected how you now view films and if so, what has changed? FOR HELP IN YOUR ANALYSIS: review the technical terms explained chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the Sikov text. The “Writing About” sections of these chapters will also be helpful. This paper is to be typed, with pages numbered and stapled. Grading based on: Complete and organized breakdown of the clip into individual shots Comprehensive details of the elements of each shot Analytical observations on the editing of the clip Thoughtful commentary on what you have discovered Paragraphs written with correct grammar and syntax