Stranger Things
Words : 933
Extract Time: 3 Minutes and 30 Seconds
1. Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs meaning through the following:
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camera shots, angles, movement and composition
editing
sound
Mise-en-scène.
Answer:
The extract starts with a tilt down movement of the camera of a street covered with
trees on both sides with three kids cycling. The shot shifts to a wide shot of the children
with one of the kid going off-screen. Then the shot shifts to a very wide shot of the street
using rule of third as a composition technique to centrally align the main character to
showcase his importance in the extract, shifting to an extreme wide shot of both the
characters racing towards their home.
The scene changes to the wide shot of a linking street with a tilt movement using crane
technique centrally aligning the same character with the rule of thirds composition
technique and then shifting the focus to nearby sign board reading ‘Restricted Area’.
The shot changes to the mid shot of the main character cycling towards his home; the
light of his cycle suddenly flickering, with the shot abruptly changing to a wide shot of a
creature standing in the middle of the road using rule of thirds. Show casing a
sequence of different shots to show the character losing his balance and falling
emphasizing his confusions and terror stricken feelings, abruptly changing to a close up
shot of the wheel of the fallen vehicle going round and round.
The scene then changes to a static wide shot of the forest trail going towards the
character’s home using it as a lead room technique, to highlight the character running
towards his home and the camera panning to follow his movements on a 180 degree
composition.
Scene changes to the interior of the main character’s house focusing on the main door
and a sequence of wide shots follow to highlight the character going around his home
searching frantically for his mother and brother, using handheld camera technique to
highlight his petrified expression and horror-stuck feelings. The shot then changes to a
cut-in shot of the exterior of the house focusing on the creature coming towards it.
The scene changes again to the interior with follow up close ups and wide shots of the
character frantically dialing a telephone, with cut-ins of the dog barking towards the
door, changing to the close up of the door lock opening itself with the abruptly
changing shots of the telephone dropping and the character running outside towards
a shed with the camera panning and following his movements.
Lastly the scene changes to a sequence of fast paced mid shots and close ups of the
character loading a gun with cut ins of the shed’s door, finally stopping at the wide shot
of the main character looking directly at the creature from a high angle. The shot
gradually changes to the close up low angle shot of the bulb shining brightly to the
wide shot of the empty shed and the scene slowly fades out.
Sharp clean and fast cuts are used throughout the extract to build up the narrative and
show the sense of urgency in the story with strong use of graphical relation. Continuity is
maintained through all the scenes making the narration flow effortlessly.
Action Match editing technique is used to show the character cycling home with jump
cut at one point in the sequence to showcase the main character running towards his
home. Cut ins of the dog are used inside the house to emphasize the urgency of the
situation without disturbing the flow of the narration, with action match technique to
show the character searching frantically for his mom and brother.
At one point Eye line Match is also used to show the creature coming towards the
character’s house. Graphic Match has been used throughout the extract to maintain
the continuity with the extract ending slowly with a fade out editing technique.
The extract starts with the diegetic sounds of the characters’ dialogues talking to each
other with non-diegetic ambient and perspective sounds.
Score is heard mostly throughout the sequence making a sound bridge for the abrupt
and sharp cuts that the extract follows making the cuts seem seamless and the
narration effortless, slightly building the anxiety and excitement in the story. Strong
Ambient sound is used throughout, especially with scenes that do not have
background music to highlight the horror aspect of the extract.
Sound motif is used with the creature, making the audience aware of the creature
even before it appears on screen through sound perspective.
Parallel sound is heard throughout the sequence matching the action on the screen
with a high dose of sound effects and audio mixing. Overall the Sounds of the extract
play a major role in setting the horror mood and feel of the extract.
The extract follows low key lighting setup throughout the sequence to give it an eerie
feeling and maintain the tension in the atmosphere. At one point film noir effect is
created with the use of a back light behind the main character to give him the utmost
importance in the extract.
Costumes of all the characters define the era that the extract is placed in. All the
characters are dressed using 80s era in mind with flowy hairstyles popular at that time.
The characters are aged from 8 to 12.
The clothes and set up of the characters and extract also define that we are dealing
with middle class families, especially the main character when we see his house set up
in the sequence.
The houses setups, architecture, streets, lighting and props especially the phone all help
define the era and that the characters are living in a small American neighborhood
that also borderlines a forest.