When you watch your favorite movie, what part makes it your favorite? Is it the intense fight scenes, or the outfits and makeup that keep you intrigued? When filming media of any sort, there are a plethora of elements that add to the integrity of the film. The different elements include Sound, Camera Shots Angles, movement and composition, editing, and Mise-en scene.
In the opening scene of the film, Captain America is flying a ship that is about to crash. Agent Carter, who was in a control room, is talking to Captain America moments before he ultimately sacrifices himself to save the world. The first element that was used was simultaneity because they edited the scene to cut between Captain America in the aircraft and agent Carter who was in the office talking to him. The second editing device that was used was cut away because when the ship finally crashed, they cut away to the next scene that was a shot that overlooked the city that he just saved. Another editing device that was used was contrast because the scene goes from being colorful in the ship and then dark in the office. All of these editing techniques combined help the movie flow as a whole and just make sense overall.
Additionally, the next film element is mise-en-Scene. This includes devices like the set, the outfits, and the characters as a whole. If you are watching a movie that is set in the 1940’s and you see a woman wearing a leather jacket and cargo pants you are most likely going to notice that she does not fit in, and it will cause the movie to not make sense. This is just one example of how important mise-en-scene is. In this film Agent Carter wore a uniform that conforms to the timeline that she was in and what her job was. Her main attire is a military style khaki jacket and a skirt or pants, paired with perfectly done makeup along with curled hair that is always neatly done. However, mis-en-Scene is not just about the costumes. It includes décor, setting, and design. An example of this is when everyone is in the office, and you can see the dull colors that are used throughout to convey a very boring effect. Another thing is that props can help set the timeline as well, which they did with the record players and recording machines. These devices are all crucial for setting the tone for the entire movie and without it the movie would most likely not be successful.
Furthermore, the next element is sound. Sound is arguably the most important part of a film because if something is wrong with it the audience will not be able to tell what is going on and the movie will simply be a slide show of meaningless pictures. Filmmakers are very strategic with their use of different sound devices because it can help add emotion, drama, and suspense to a scene. This was evident in the fight scene with Agent Carter because when a fight scene is made, they edit the fighting sounds over the actual scene in order to keep the actors safe. Another example of sound adding to the emotional value of a scene is the background music when Caption America flew the ship to his demise. The music helped to set a sad mood in this scene opposed to having it been silent, which would have made the scene feel very awkward and it would be harder for the viewer to infer that he was dying because the movie never actually shows his body. Sound devices are key to making a truly emotional and touching movie and without this the audience would not be clear on how react to certain scenes, thus making this very important in movie production.
Finally, the last film element is cinematography. This includes camera shots, angles, movement, and composition. An example of this is an over the shoulder shot which was executed when Agent Carter received a file from her boss. Another example is an establishing shot which was shown directly after the ship crashed and it cut to the overview of New York City. This angle was important because it showed that Captain Americas sacrifice worked in the end. This just shows how much of a difference the camera angles make because had this angle not been shown, then there would be no proof to the audience that what he did was worth it, and it would leave the audience to wonder whether Captain America was actually dead or not.
Overall, all four of these elements are vital for the movie's success. There are many other factors that also play into this, however if one of these elements is left out of a movie’s production the entire movie will be thrown off and it will feel incomplete or as if it is missing something. These devices can take a subpar plot and create a visual masterpiece and a true piece of art.
Comments
Post a Comment