Today's Class: 9/25/17

In today's class, we spent the majority of it beginning the film "No Country for Old Men", which we will continue to watch for the next four days in class. For anyone absent, the movie is available on netflix to catch up or you can set up a time to meet with Mr. Rivers to discuss. One of our tasks that we must complete while watching the film throughout the next couple of days is to write one sentence each day that identifies a choice in a mise-en-scene element and also evaluate the impact that this choice had on an aspect of the narrative. Mr. Rivers reiterated the fact that these sentences should be specific and we should focus on interrogative details. Check google classroom for the full explanation on the assignment. In my case, I referred to the high key/low key lighting element of mise-en-scene and looked at how it enhanced the apparent qualities of one of the main characters. Here's a reminder of the mise-en-scene elements that you should keep in mind when watching the film:
dominate feature, lighting key, shot angle, color values, subsidiary feature, screen density, composition, depth of field, character placement, shot framing, and diegetic and non-diegetic audio. Use these along with narrative elements, such as plot, characters, setting, and theme to make your sentence during this film.
Since our main focus in class thus far has been on mise-en-scene and how it affects a narrative, I can extend what we've learned in class onto differing pieces of text and use the skills I've learned to evaluate them. For example, I can use the intro to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 and analyze it's mise-en-scene choices and how it effects its narrative. The dark color value seen in the opening, along with a low key lighting choice conveys the ominous and depressing mood at Hogwarts while under the authority of Professor Snape. The specific choices made in the film are able to effectively enhance the narrative and how the audience conveys it.