This clip is from the independent erotic drama film, Sleeping Beauty, which was directed by Julia Leigh and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival of 2011.
Film-making conventions
- The type of framing used is a long shot. This has been framed in this way so that the audience can see the two characters, Lucy and Clara, in relation to the whole room and to each other. The space has been organised so that Lucy looks petite in comparison to the stylish interiors, whereas Clara looks like she fits into her surroundings comfortably and perfectly.
- The use of time in this clip is, in my opinion, quite clever. It is one continuous shot, of around two minutes in length, which thoroughly slows down the action but also simultaneously heightens the suspense and dramatic qualities of the film.
- This shot is quite highly lit, although the light is centred on the pair in the middle. This could represent the fact that injustice is taking place in 'broad daylight' or could suggest exposure, and therefore, vulnerability.
- The fade-to-black at the end also slows the action down, as if a curtain is being brought down on a theatre act- this may represent the passing of time between scenes. However, as the dialogue has ended in an extremely cryptic manner, the audience are prepared for the shot to fade back in, possibly in a new setting or from a new perspective.
- The editor has deliberately limited the use of everyday sound effects to compliment the lack of dialogue. The vast majority of this clip is silent, which is an enigmatic technique used to both confuse the audience but also to keep them on the edge of their seats.
Cultural Codes
- There is an immediate use of props at the beginning of the clip, when Lucy enters the room carrying a brown, worn-looking satchel in her arms. This suggests she is young, and possibly a student at school/university.
- Lucy is also wearing a pink bathrobe. The colour pink most commonly is known as a feminine colour, but also connotes innocence, which is a strong juxtaposition to what is to come, in terms of the narrative. We assume she has just had a shower, and feels relaxed and at ease at Clara's residence. Once again, this shows how oblivious she is to what Clara has planned for her.
- On the other hand, Clara is wearing a tight, dark dress, black heels and her hair is up. This is, traditionally, a look associated with a businesswoman, and as we later find out, she does run quite a horrific business.
- The set up in the centre of the frame is the focus for this clip. The leather lounge chairs look sophisticated and regal, but also have a very welcoming feel. Similarly, the china set on the coffee table connotes homeliness.
- The rows of books on the walls of the room are unmissable, and give the clip a very elaborate, stylish mise-en-scene. Books are the symbol of intelligence and knowledge, and this reflects Clara's personality, which is why she has also been dressed to mirror the stylish mise-en-scene of the room, and perhaps why Lucy has been dressed in completely the opposite way.
This is a still from the psychological thriller, Black Swan (2010).
Character Description
Nina (Natalie Portman) is the protagonist and is in this particular still. The character has been placed off-centre, which seems distorted and odd. However, this has been done deliberately to confuse the audience and also to portray Nina's twisted mind. Nina is conventionally beautiful and perhaps the most striking feature of this photo is her eyes. They are a very prominent red colour, and the colour has several connotations, such as love, lust and anger, emotions that all feature in this film. The character has purposely been dressed in white feathers, which suggest innocence and purity (she is to play a character with such qualities in a production of Swan Lake), as this strongly juxtaposes her terrifying facial features.
Technical Codes
This shot has been framed as a mid-shot/medium close-up, in order to allow the audience to see both her expression and her costume. Furthermore, this is an over-the-shoulder shot, as she is looking into a broken mirror/shards of glass; the audience are therefore seeing from Nina's perspective, and feel even more helpless that they are unable to change the circumstances in any way. The broken glass also distorts the shot and causes more confusion. Not only does this reflect the character's thoughts, but it also reinforces the genre of the psychological thriller.
Nina's surroundings are all very dark- tones of grey and black are used for the bricks and walls, which further highlights the fact that she is out-of-place and perhaps also again reflects the darkness of her thoughts. The light source is to the side of her face, and it is high-key lighting, which connotes exposure or positivity.
Why I chose this still
- The way the shot has been framed is really interesting. The shards of glass cut through the straight lines of the bricks, which gives the whole still a distorted image.
- I like how the framing, lighting, costumes and colouring of the shot all reflect the character and her thoughts.
- This still is bound to raise questions for the audience, both of what happened and what is still to come. Why is the glass broken? Why are her eyes red? What is she going to do now?
Representation of the horror genre
Our chosen genre was horror- film stills of this genre typically feature low-key lighting and a subject that raises questions. In this case, the subject is a young woman, who is stereotypically the helpless victim in horror films. Furthermore, her expression is one of terror, and she is looking to the side, which suggests she is fearful of the arrival of someone or something, and this makes the audience anticipate what is to come. The shot is very dimly lit, and the only light falls on the subject's face, creating the impression that she is exposed and vulnerable, but also highlighting her facial expression.
How we achieved the effect
We firstly had to find an appropriate setting for a horror shot. As mentioned before, horror stills are typically very dark and gloomy, and as we were shooting in daylight without extra lighting facilities, this was quite a challenge. In terms of locations, we tried empty stairwells, attics, basements and windows, all of which create eerie effects due to light distortion and often feature bars/lines, which also alter the mise-en-scene. This still was shot under a table in a fully lit room. We chose to do this because there is some light to draw attention to the subject's face, but her surroundings are dark, which further illuminates her facial features.
In terms of framing, this is a medium close-up. A horror still in which the victim is a subject will typically be a close-up, because the audience feels that although they are within touching distance of the subject, they are helpless in the face of whichever monster is coming to get her. This close-up also helps the audience to really understand her predicament, as they are in the heat of the action and able to clearly witness her expression.
The successes of this shot
In my opinion, the best feature of this shot is the lighting. The horror genre relies very much on lighting to illuminate certain aspects of a subject and to keep particular parts hidden, which creates enigma and suspense. However, in this shot, the area surrounding the subject is very dark, so the audience is immediately drawn towards the light on the subject's face. As the subject is looking to the side, supposedly at the monster off camera, this leads to the audience wanting to see from her perspective.
If I were to re-shoot...
I think one of the flaws with this shot is the framing, as it is a medium close-up. If I was able choose a tighter frame, such as a close-up or a big close-up, this still would follow the conventions of horror films. Although I am pleased with the lighting, I feel that using underlighting may have further accentuated her expression and added to the mysterious, eerie vibe of the photo. I would also pay more attention to the subject's hair, make-up and clothing, as perhaps making her look bedraggled and sweaty would raise more questions as to what had happened prior to this still.
