Levi-Strauss Narrative Analysis

Claude Levi-Strauss looked at narrative structure in terms of binary oppositions - sets of opposite values which reveal the structure of media texts. Levi-Strauss was not so interested in looking at the order in which events were arranged in the plot but instead focussed on deeper arrangements of themes. For example, a story will be typically arranged in binary opposites such as: hero/ villain, rich/ poor etc.


Applying Levi-Strauss' Theory to Pale Rider
(Directed and Starring Clint Eastwood)
Binary Opposites:
- Quiet vs. Loud
- Still vs. Action
- Peaceful village vs. Speed & Panic
- Green trees vs. Dry plains
- Sun vs. Storm
- Night vs. Day
- Steady camera vs. Panning movement
- Slow editing vs. Fast editing
- Steady camera vs. Frantic camera movements
- Calm vs. Panic
- Life vs. Death
- Action vs. tension
- Happy music vs. Tense music
- Panic vs. Mourning
- Country vs. Village
- Attacker vs. Victim
- High angle vs. Low angle
- Black horses vs. White horse


Applying Levi-Strauss' Theory to Die Hard
(Directed by John McTiernan, Starring Bruce Willis)
Binary Opposites:
- Joking vs. Tense
- Serious vs. Joke
- Family vs. Work
- Happy vs. Sad
- Low and high angles
- Older characters vs. Young children
- Happy driver vs. Reserved passenger
- Happy party vs. Sinister street
- Youth vs. Age
- Night vs. Day
- Real vs. Fake
- Loud vs. Quiet
- Chatty vs. Reserved
- High tech vs. Old fashioned
- Trivial matter vs. Serious
- Outside vs. Inside
- Day vs. Night
- Open vs. Enclosed
- Black titles vs. Coloured titles
- Love vs. Fight
- Fast vs. Slow pace
- Music-happy vs. sad
- Prepared vs. non-prepared
- Novice vs. experience
- Peace vs. danger
- Innocence vs. danger
- New York vs. LA

Preliminary Exercise

Evaluation

The hardware we used:
- Canon HDV camcorder which used a mini DV tape format - we used the record button to start and stop filming and the rewind button to view what we had shot

- An extendable tripod which made our shots steadier and allowed us to avoid the shaky, home video feel making our video seem more professional
- We opted for a shotgun mic rather than a boom mic simply because we were shooting in an enclosed space and there was no real need for the microphone to be up closer
- We used headphones so the sound technician could hear what was being recorded by the shotgun mic without hearing out - We also used a clapperboard to record each shot before we filmed any action so that we could separate each shot - this made it easier when it came to capturing for editing
- We used a PC based editing suite
 The software we used included:
- We used Adobe Premier Pro - a PC based digital editing suite - to edit our sequences on the computer. The tools we mainly used were; the razor tool which allowed us to cut up each clip and delete the clips we didnt need such as those of the clapper board and mistakes made whilst filming we also used the drag icon to transport clips between the timeline and the over-view window and also to move clips up and down the timeline to fit our sequence together. Another tool we used was the title tool to add text the beginning and the end of our sequence and also the source and output monitors which allowed us to watch, pick and choose sections of footage we needed.
What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

When we were planning our sequence one of the most important factors we had to take into account was the fact that we only had four group members and on a professional shoot there are usually many more needed. To get around this problem we designated more than one role to some group members for example in some shot's Michael is the director and the camera operator as other group members were actors in the shot. We also had to consider the limited space we would have on location - we had to work out where would be the best place to shoot our scene, taking into account the lighting of the location - as this was uncontrollable for us - and also the background noise we could possibly hear from other groups around the location. We had to seriously consider continuity when planning and shooting our sequence to make sure we had no errors in our continuity. When it came to editing, time management was important as we were limited to how long we were allowed to edit for. Therefore, we had to make sure our sequence flowed well and made sense whilst also keeping an eye on the time it took us.
How succesfful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what you would improve/do differently.
I think overall the shoot was not as successful as i had hoped as there were several errors and the finished sequence was not as seamless as i would have liked. However, there are definitely some positives that can be drawn from our sequence on top of the fact that i learnt alot about shooting a scene like this. For instance, i think we observes the continuity rules very well and none were broken by the time we had finished editing which is a great positive, we also included rules such as match-on-action and shot reverse shot which i was pleased with. I also think our sequence runs well and as seamlessly as possible which is definitely a positive thing. I think a shot that worked particularly well was the second shot the actor walks into the room, this works very well as an establishing shot for the sequence and reveals the setting. Also successful were the reaction shot's at 0:12 and 0:20 - i felt they were very effective as the camera captures good emotion of the characters' face and the shot is well framed. A shot which also reveals the space between characters' well and helps further establish the scene is between 0:16-0:17 - a shot which would in my opinion help the audience. Given the chance to re-shoot this sequence, i think i would find another location - one where there was more room to manouvere the camera and with less background noise - and also slow down the pace of the conversation between the actors to give more time for the audience to take in what is happening and to make the editing more seamless and effective. The framing of our whole sequence could be improved and i think this would have been easier to achieve with a different shoot location.
What have you learnt by completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?
By completing this preliminary task i have learnt several things which will help me in future and in the rest of my foundation coursework. Most importantly perhaps, i have learnt about continuity - this is vitally important, for example at one point in one of our takes we broke the 30 degree rule and I know that I will now never break the rule again. I also learnt a key lesson in working as a team - our group had a huge problem in that the camera man made an error, losing a lot of the scene's we thought we had shot. Personally i think i dealt with this situation quite poorly and let the stress get to me and in hindsight i can see that in situations like this it is best to keep calm and try to resolve the problem as a group instead of getting frustrated. I learnt that storyboarding is very important to get a clear idea of what the group is trying to shoot and also learnt the roles taken by crew members on a professional shoot such as; the director and director's assistant, camerman, lighting and sound techinichans etc. I was also taught the dialogue used by these members to communicate such as calling 'Camera rolling!' to signify that they are ready to shoot. I think all of these things will help me when i come to shoot my coursework sequence as they can all be put into practice as things that will benefit me and my group.

Evaluation Of Accident

1. What did you think was the point to this activity?

I thought the point of the task was to show us the possible difficulties that can be encountered when filming an un-edited sequence - it showed us that achieving continuity can be hard especially without the oppurtunity to cut and edit shots. It also proved useful in showing us the methods and techniques of continuity as we were able to learn from our mistakes.

2. In regard to your finished sequence, what worked well?

In my opinion there weren't many successes in the short clip my group made. One positive point that can be drawn from our video is that we definitely left enough time on each shot, giving the audience time to absorb what was happening, although this could also be seen as a negative point at times as some of our shots were too long. If i had to pick a best shot it would probably be the establishing shot as the camera work was good, with the camera following the subject as they walked. The low-angle shot also worked well but it didn't really serve any purpose.

3. What would you aim to improve about your sequence?
If i was to re-film this sequence i would change quite a few aspects of the video. To start i would change the length of the first shot - although i understand it is important to give the audience enough time to absorb each shot, i think the length of it is far too long and i would make the shot at least four seconds shorter. Secondly i would probably get rid of the low angle shot, as although it was successful as a shot, in terms of establishing the right mood of the sequence it served no real purpose as it seemed quite dark and mysterious - more suited to a thriller sequence than ours. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, i would make the subject of the video more clear to the audience - from just watching the video you get absolutely no idea what is going on so i would perhaps add a shot of the untied shoe lace to set the accident up give a clearer idea of what is going on. In terms of creating continuity, i would make sure we did not break either the 180 or the 30 degree rule as these are both important if you are to maintain continuity in a sequence although i was not aware of this beforehand. Lastly i would make the cuts and transitions between shots more smooth, this would be hard if we were not editing but it would definitely be achievable to make the shots run from one to the other more smoothly.

4. What did you learn from doing this activity?From this activity i learnt a few things about shooting without editing and also the concepts of continuity. By shooting and analysing the sequence i've learnt that maintaining a smooth, logical sequence without editing is difficuilt as going back and re-shooting shots is almost impossible to do seamleasly. I also learnt the main continuity techniques such as; match on action, the 180 degree rule and shot-reverse-shot and how to apply them.

Comparison of the Opening Sequences of 'Legally Blonde' and 'Seven'

Narrative Expectations

Legally Blonde

- The first shot is of the long, well kept hair of a blonde girl and the audience immediately gets an idea of what type of girl the main character is.

- Every clip of the girl is slowed down enabling the audience to get a grip of what she is about (Cosmetics, Hair, Make-up, Beauty etc.)

- The main character's possessions are instantly very stereotypical of a 'girly girl' - pink clothes, room scattered with shopping bags and clothes, little toy dog dressed up. This also gives the impression of her being very materialistic.

- While the main character is getting ready in her room, the camera cuts back and forth to a travelling envelope with the name 'Elle' on. The audience immediately gets the impression that the girl who it's being delivered to is very important and popular as the other girls take great care of it.

- The main character is made instantly recognisable as 'Elle' as the envelope is posted through her door - character recognition.

- There is a lot of reference to high brand labels such as 'Prada' and 'Tiffany' which connotes affluence and wealth.

- A lot of focus is placed on the typical college life perception - 'Jocks' jeering and cheering the stereotypical cheerleaders - a life which many aspire and wish for.

- The lively music playing throughout connotes happiness and the 'Perfect Day' lyric that is repeated perhaps suggests a certain irony to the story line - perhaps 'Elle' won't have a perfect day?

- The 'girly' font used for the title sequence leads the audience to believe that the film will follow this steretype of girly and pink.

- The weather is sunny and fine which also adds to the 'perfect' feeling of the sequence.

- All things seem to be almost too perfect as if they will all come crashing down - the main character seems to have a carefree life with a perfect boyfriend which perhaps suggests a link with a romantic storyline - boyfriend dumps her?

Seven

- Very serious mood set straight away with a dark colour scheme and no music. You instantly get the feeling of a serious storyline and the audience is thrown into the narrative with the assumed main character Morgan Freeman getting ready and going to look at a murder scene.

- Morgan Freeman seems very practiced and perfect - everything is in it's place and he dresses in a certain order suggesting that he likes things in his life to be well thought out and done thoroughly in a certain order - his suit is immaculate and we see him pick a hair off of it.

- Straight away you get a feeling of hostility from other characters towards Morgan Freeman's character as if he annoys them by being too nosey and being so good at his job.

- Brad Pitt's character is introduced as a loud, excitable, young detective- a complete contrast to Morgan Freeman who is seen as a quiet, untalkative older man - conflict of old vs. young?

- The stormy weather connotes a rough and imperfect story line with many problems along the way - against Morgan Freeman's typical way of going about his life.

Comparison

By looking at just these two opening sequences we instantly see two completely contrasting films. Immediately you get the feeling that 'Legally Blonde' will be a very 'girly' and upbeat with a storyline that encounters problems but the main character will come out of it better off and ending happily. The feeling we get from 'Seven' is completely different. The dark mood portrayed in the sequence connotes that it will be a very troubling film with elements of horror and thriller, the audience gets the feeling that there will be a resolve at the end but it will not have a happy ending.

Shot Types

Legally Blonde

- ECU's are used frequently throughout to show the main character in close detail so the audience can get a feeling of what she is like and what the film is likely to be about.

- A VLS of the college campus is used to get a feeling of where the film is set, the hustle and bustle of everyday school life is seen to be a key image of the sequence.

- A tracking shot of the girl on the bike is a key shot as it shows where she is passing through and shows the two main student groups - the 'Jocks' and the Cheerleaders.

- MCU of main character at the end shows her face for the first time to the audience as a pretty, young blonde as is stereotypical of the build up shown (Hair care, make up etc.)

Seven

- The first shot is a long shot of Morgan Freeman's immaculate apartment, the main character walks towards the camera and we see him clearly for the first time - he seems very composed and in control.

- Low-Angle shot used during the scene with Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt - gives the feeling that everything is coming down on them and is quite scary for the audience.

- Over the Shoulder mirror shot to show Morgan Freeman's emotions as he is getting ready, although he looks composed his eyes look troubled as if they have seen alot in their time.

- Camera seems almost hidden when Morgan Freeman is at home which makes the audience feel as if they are invading his private space - like a lurking monster.

Character Types

Legally Blonde

- The main character Elle seems as if she has a perfect life, she takes great care with her appearance and has a lot of money to spend. We get the feeling that she is not selfish as she looks after an animal and she seems very popular with the other girls as if she is well liked and not just feared as is the case with many popular girls. A sash in her room shows Elle as the president of her sorority which also adds to her popular image.

- All the characters shown in the opening sequence are very stereotypical. All the girls are well preened and the 'jocks' seem brutish and beastly. The girls are all dressed in pink and seem to be in an almost happy daze.

Seven

- Morgan Freeman seems to live a very isolated life and doesn't show much emotion at all suggesting that he has seen a lot of dark things in his time. He takes care of his appearance and everything he does seems very purposeful and in a certain way. He dresses immaculately and the scene we see of him dealing with a murder he seems to take just as much care with his work as he does with his appearance.

- Brad Pitt's character seem's the opposite, young, energetic and very charismatic. He speaks very quickly to show that he is eager and keen about his work and seems to have a more relaxed attitude - chewing gum and dressing more trendily with a leather jacket.

Analysis of a Horror Still

1. Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be seen as representing ‘horror’.

- Mid, low angle shot in a darkened room, only shaft of light coming through a crack in the door.

- Female body lying motionless on the floor, suggesting she is sleeping or, more likely, injured or dead – the lifeless body is obviously the victim in the still.

- Silhouetted legs standing above the body in a powerful stance with feet spread connoting this person as an attacker as they are clearly not helping the person on the floor even though they would be in a position to do so.

- The assumed killer’s legs are framing the shot, showing they are dominating the still.

- Female body following the typical conventions of a ‘horror’ victim – innocent and helpless against a mindless killer.

- The body is cast in a white light connoting innocence and showing her as the ‘goodie’ in the still.

- The long shadows and silhouettes promote the feeling of a horror genre and the darkness lets the audience’s imaginations run wild as to where the characters are and what has happened.

- What little of the room is visible is clearly run down and not treated well suggesting that the still is set in a dingy building, possibly a basement – commonly used in horror films.

- The light and dark contrast follows the main horror convention of good vs. evil

2. What did you actually do to achieve the effect?

- We turned off all the lighting in our chosen setting in order to create darkness – needed for suspense and mystery – and a paglight was shone through a crack in the door to create the silhouette effect on the legs and also light up the victim’s body.

- In order to achieve the low-angle shot, a key feature in creating the unique horror effect in our still, the person taking the shot was lying on the ground beneath the ‘killers’ legs and on the same level as the body – this created a third person view of the scene and brought the audience’s focus to the body, whilst still keeping the mystery of the legs.

- We used a setting of a dark room, which promoted a feeling of remoteness and isolation, making it seem like the victim would have found it hard to escape the killer and also adding mystery to the shot as the audience cannot see anything but the two people in the room – they don’t know what else is out there.

3. What is successful about your shot?

- I feel that we managed to light the scene well; by creating the silhouette of the legs we managed to follow horror conventions by creating mystery and also made it obvious to the audience who was who in the scene.

- I think the low-angle shot worked well in terms of drawing attention towards the body on the floor and making the killers legs seem more important and imposing.

- The large shadow cast by the legs adds a feeling of horror to the shot and by framing the body with the legs we managed to make both characters equally important but in different ways – the body was clearly motionless and the white light connoted innocence whereas the legs were fully in darkness and standing in a very dominant, scary position.

4. What would you do differently in hindsight?

- If we were going to retake the shot I think we should make the framing a bit tighter – by coming in closer to the two characters we would draw more attention to them and create more suspense and feeling in the shot without losing any key imagery.

- I would like to have moved the table leg to yet again draw more focus towards the characters and make the still less busy – this would increase the raw emotion of the shot.

- I would make the light source less sharp and obvious in order to make the image more eerie, this would be achievable by moving the light source and using a different filter.