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Maureen McDonald
Br. Nich Perez, C.S.C.
COMM 130-01
12/8/12
Scene Analysis of The Social Network
For my scene analysis I decided to write about was The Social Network. The Social
Network is a film directed by David Fincher and was released in October 4th, 2010. The film is
based of a novel “The Accidental Billionaires” written by Ben Mezrich. Aaron Sorkin wrote the
screenplay for the film. The Social Networks summary is about a sophomore Harvard student
(Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)), who is a genius computer programmer who comes up with
an ingenious idea to create a site that rates female’s attractiveness called “Face Smash.” This site
idea later evolves into “The Facebook” which is a social network site for Harvard students
originally, but then spreads all over the country and later worldwide. (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse
Eisenberg)) is finically backed by his best friend (Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield)).
Throughout the film (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) has hurtles to face like academic
probation, lawsuits and (Cameron Winklevoss (Armie Hammer)) and (Tyler Winklevoss (Armie
Hammer)) and their friend (Divya Narendra (Max Minghella)). Who accuse (Mark Zuckerberg
(Jesse Eisenberg)) of steeling their idea and collecting their profits. Also co-creator of Napster
(Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake)) assists in the revolution and explosion of the social media site
with his “connections.” The film goes through the ups and down’s of life of an ingenious creator
who shape our everyday lives today and shows how friendships and relationships can be affected
dramatically through jealousy and greed. The scene sequence that I decided to focus on was
Chapter 3. It is when the Winklevoss twins are introduced in the film and they learn about (Mark
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Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) crashing the Harvard server with “Face Smash.” Also in the
sequence there is a current day shot of (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) being sued by the
Winklevoss twins, Saverin, and Narendra.
The audience in a very positive light received The Social Network. Personally, I believe
the film to be perfect for the 18-25 year olds demographic. It easy for these demographics and
even other demographics to relate to it since Facebook is used in many people’s everyday lives.
The Social Network is very appealing and interesting personally and these are two of many
reasons that I selected to analyze the film. Other reasons are because this film is one of a kind in
the way people are truly able to see how much influence social media has in our everyday lives
and how Facebook has changed the way many communicate with each other today. Also, it is
neat to see learn about all the struggles and difficulties that (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg))
went through in order to create something that plays a role in more then 500 million people daily
(IMDB).
The scene sequence I chose to focus on is near the beginning of the film about seventeen
minutes into the film and last for three minutes until twenty minutes into the film. Before this
sequence we build background as to who (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) is and we learn
about his person life. He created “Face Smash” one night while he was drunk and upset about his
girlfriend dumping him. Then it transitions into the scene sequence that I chose which is
“Chapter 3.” In the sequence that I am focusing on it opens on the Charles River in Cambridge
Massachusetts. It is early morning and there is crew practice taking place on the river. This scene
is when we first are introduced to Winklevoss twins, (Cameron Winklevoss (Armie Hammer))
and (Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer)). These twins are very “cocky and arrogant” when they
are in crew practice then the scene ends and there is a different location. The next location is the
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Pforzheimer Dining Hall at Harvard University, where (Cameron Winklevoss (Armie Hammer))
and (Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer)) are met by one of there friends (Divya Narendra (Max
Minghella)). In this scene the three discuss about how (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg))
crashed the Harvard server with “Face Smash.” Then they make a unanimous decision to seek
(Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) out and have him help create “Harvard Connection.” Then
it cuts to the third location witch is the Second Deposition Room. This is where (Mark
Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) is being sued for stealing the ideas of the Winkleovss twins. This
is shot in present day as where the rest of the scene sequence is based in the past. Then it cuts to
the fourth and final location of the Administrative Hearing Room. In this part the administration
of Harvard University is giving (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) his punishment of six
months of academic probation for crashing the network and breaking other school rules. In this
scene (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) also states to the administration how he should be
credited on the job he did, crashing the server and going unnoticed for hours. After this scene
sequence the film starts to build upon the partnership between (Cameron Winklevoss (Armie
Hammer)) and (Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer)) and their idea of “Harvard Connection” and
how they need (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) to help with programing. The purpose of the
scene sequence in relation to the overall message of the film as a whole is that it helps in show
how relationships and partnerships are established. This sequence also helps with establishing
the importance (Cameron Winklevoss (Armie Hammer)) and (Tyler Winklevoss (Armie
Hammer)).
So in my scene sequence analyze I noticed that the camerawork in this film is very
important in developing the plot and storyline. Throughout the sequence the angles, shots, and
camera movements are repeated many times. There are many point of view shots which are “any
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shot taken from the vantage point of a character in the film, showing what the character sees
(Giannetti).” Also in the movie there are many over the shoulder which are “usually a medium
shot of two people, with the camera placed just behind the shoulder of one character, directed at
the face of the opposite character (Giannetti).” Having shots such as over the shoulder really
make the audience feel apart of the conversations taking place and have an easier time relating to
the scenes. Another shot that is very noticeable in the film is a medium shot. A medium shot is
defined as “a relatively close shot, revealing the human figure from the knees or waist up
(Giannetti).” The different angles in the film also help with explaining the story and getting a
better understanding of the film. Angles can make the audience have the feeling of being closer
and more intimate with the actors. In the film the angles are a lot of head on shots and overhead
shots. The lighting in the film is really dim and a lot of scenes take place in the early morning.
Many of the scenes have a lot of natural lighting and are either early in the morning or in the
evening. The camerawork reinforces the meaning of the scene sequence I chose because it really
helps in making the overall meaning of the film.
Two very important key components of films are editing and are sound. Editing can be
defined as, “The joining of one shot (strip of film) with another. The shots can picture events and
objects in different places at different times (Giannetti).” Sound can be defined as something that
can be heard. There is non-diegetic and diegetic sound. The sound in the film is very fitting and
goes well with the scene sequence I choose. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross created the original
music. The cutting in the film is very well done; the editing for the film was by Kirk Baxter and
Angus Wall. There are two major types of cutting: classic cutting and continuity cutting. Classic
cutting is “ a style of editing developed by D.W. Griffith, in which a sequence of shots is
determined by a scene’s dramatic and emotional emphasis rather than by physical action alone
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(Giannetti).” Continuity cutting is “the kind of logic implied between edited shots, their principle
of coherence. It emphasizes smooth transitions between shots, in which time and space are
unobtrusively condensed (Giannetti).” In The Social Network the type of cutting that is used is
continuity cutting. This is so because throughout the film there are many smooth transitions
between all the different cuts and location changes.
There are two types of elements that are used in filmmaking called realist and formalist.
Realist is defined as “a style of filmmaking that attempts to duplicate the look of objective reality
as it’s commonly perceived, with emphasis on authentic locations and details, long shots, length
takes, and minimum of distorting techniques (Giannetti).” Formalist is “a style of filmmaking in
which aesthetic forms take precedence over the subject matter as content. Time and space as
ordinarily perceived are often distorted (Giannetti).” The Social Network uses the realist
elements throughout the film. The editing and sound reinforce the meaning of the scene in many
different ways. The sound is reinforced with all the natural background noises in each scene and
the use of diegetic sound. The editing is reinforced with the use of realist and continuity cutting.
Editing and sound truly play two of the largest roles in film and normally do not get as much
credit as they deserve.
Character and cast play a very large and important role in film as a whole. They are not
only important for their specific scenes and lines but they add unity to the film and making the
written screenplay comes alive into a work of art. (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) is the
protagonist of The Social Network. The film is based of his life and the events that lead up to and
after his creation Facebook. The emotions that can be identified by the audience is that he is a
very smart young man, with a mild attitude to authority, and is determined for greatness. (Mark
Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) goes to Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In my
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scene he is shown in hearings and getting sued for his social media site Facebook. (Mark
Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) goals can be viewed differently in the beginning of the film he is
shown getting revenge, then greed, and finally he is shown in the end upset with all the damage
he had created within his relationships. (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) is a very interesting
character that has a life change event of becoming one of the youngest millionaires in the world.
(Erika Albright (Rooney Mara)) is another very important and key character in the film.
She is the girlfriend of (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) and dumps him in the beginning of
the film and changes his life forever. From this breakup “Face Smash” was created and helped to
get (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) name out in the world. (Erika Albright (Rooney Mara))
is one of the antagonist in the movie. This break up by her is the key starting block for (Mark
Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) and all of his future success. She does not attend Harvard and is
viewed poorly on by (Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) because of that. Even though she is
not in the film much her character still is very important and key in the story plot.
(Cameron Winklevoss (Armie Hammer)) and (Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer)) are
two very important characters that are actually played by the same person. There seen as two
twins that are arrogant, jocks, and aristocrats of Harvard. They truly fit the Ivy League
stereotype. The boys seem to be from the East Coast not only because of their thick accents and
their attire. The twins are antagonist in the film. The goals of these characters are to try to get
(Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)) sued and kicked out of Harvard for “stealing” their idea.
The boys do not rest until they get what they want and what they want is the recognition of
creating a social media site called Facebook.
(Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake)) can be seen as a mentor in the film to (Mark
Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg)). He was the co-creator of Napster and is very influential in getting
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the social media site spread not only to the West Coast but also nationally and worldwide. (Sean
Parker (Justin Timberlake)) is a laid back personality, who has been consumed in the social light.
Many do not believe that (Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake)) is the best idea to bring aboard for
the social media site. He actually helps in destroying the relationship between (Mark Zuckerberg
(Jesse Eisenberg)) and (Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield)). (Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake))
can also be seen as an antagonist to others when he ruins the relationship with the best friends.
He really helped in shaping Facebook into what it is today but also harmed many people in the
process of growing a once simple idea.
David Flincher is the director of The Social Network. He is best known for The Social
Network, Fight Club, Se7en, The Curious Case Benjamin Button and many more works. He is a
heavily awarded director and is well know for almost all of his works. His films carry a large fan
base. “Frequently collaborates with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for musical scores (IMDB).”
His films often have low-key lighting with green or blue tinted color temperature (IMDB).” He is
directing in the film is terrific and really helps the audience view into who (Mark Zuckerberg
(Jesse Eisenberg)) truly is.
Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall did the editing of The Social Network. Their editing job in
the film was amazing and really helped the audience feel as if they were with (Mark Zuckerberg
(Jesse Eisenberg)) throughout the whole movie. These two have worked with David Fincher in a
lot of his films and have both won many awards as well. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross wrote
the original music for the film. They two have worked together and are used almost always with
David Fincher. These two pairs have helped Fincher’s films come alive and become harmonious
in the overall production of the films.
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All these characters and cast members truly make The Social Network come together to
be a successful film overall. Without these key players the film could not be what it truly is
today, which is a work of art.
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