color palette breakdown

http://thedesigninspirationalist.com/color-in-films-the-design-inspirationalist/

http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2009/12/29/color-in-film-m-night-shyamalan

http://www.lightextreme.com/ColorInFilm.html

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6FCAD558C6B7098B

http://www.jgeoff.com/godfather/oranges.html

http://hearthisyoucreators.blogspot.com/2013/01/color-in-film-amelie.html

rhythm and pacing

http://movieclips.com/7KbQH-the-matrix-movie-virtual-combat/

• Contrast and Affinity:
• 1st shot - deep
• 2nd shot - deep 
• 3rd shot - flat
• Plenty of creative 180 switches/cuts here
• Everything here is ying/yang - 
• Morpheous wears black, neo white. 
• Morpheous' gestures are subdued, neon's elaborate
• Neo's camera into shot pushes in (to suggest he is the learner, the absorber)
• M's shot pulls out (to suggest he is the teacher, and has info to give)

http://movieclips.com/RQv5A-the-island-movie-good-job/

• Shaky cam everywhere!!!
• Note the many ways the directors frame the train wheels flying off the flatbed. Variety and contrast = visual intensity!
• Note how the quick pacing in the beginning is contrasted by the slow pacing at the end, where the bad guy's vehicle is destroyed.

http://movieclips.com/dSF4-bolt-movie-scooter-chase/

• Breakdown first 1:30 - note camera moves, framing, pacing.
• Note how the camera moves, follows, starts, stops, etc
• Note the surprises the camerawork allows the audience to experience
• Note how the camera stops moving after certain portions of the chase, allowing the actors to keep moving in the frame and the audience to rest and absorb.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lOaV06ruMqg

• The camera leads Loiotta's character to Deniro
• The zolly (zoom + dolly) changes the perspective and suggests that the relationship between the two characters has just changed
• The zolly also puts the audience in a strange space, specially...similar to what Loiotta's character is going through.

http://movieclips.com/Yk4A-zodiac-movie-the-diner/

• Gyllenhal's character uses the salt and pepper shakers to illustrate the abstract geometry of the crime scene they are talking about.
• The waitress delivers the check at the moment Ruffalo's character realizes who the killer is.
• This helps emphasize the beat - check please = realization that the case is solved!

http://movieclips.com/xdVp-the-social-network-movie-i-deserve-some-recognition/

• the cuts in the first sequence are matched to the rhythm of the accusations
• Zuckerberg is centered in all of the shots, and everything in the room is used as a means of zeroing in on him

http://movieclips.com/WSZRr-midnight-in-paris-movie-pseudo-intellectual/

• woody allen intentionally separates the two actors in this shot to show the divide between them
• Owen Wilson's character is a blurred reflection in the shot featuring the girlfriend
• Are these characters being brought together or pushed apart?

http://movieclips.com/CqfDv-amelie-movie-love-at-first-sight/

• This sequence features some really really really lovely camera moves
• The moves of both the camera and actors tends to be upwards, complementing the uplifting feeling of being in love

http://movieclips.com/cHS6-amelie-movie-helping-a-blind-man/

• The pacing in the beginning of the sequence is slow - this is the setup.
• The pacing during the blind man walk sequence is quick - suggesting the fleeting glimpses the blind man is getting from Amelie
• Group boarding exercise - start to 1:25

Colors and their meanings

http://filmdirectingtips.com/archives/157

Incredibles observations, part 1.

You should be able to following along with the timecode for these notes while watching your Incredibles DVD.

2:05 - 2:16 - great title transition - gets you right into the action - great economy of information in the shot; it tells a lot with very little.

2:30-3:02 - 

- During the chase/pursuit sequence, Mr. Incredible only travels left - to -right

- The Mr. Incredible transform sequence is a set of quick shots, bookmarked by a set of longer shots at the start and end, which help to show the setup and result

- The car transform sequence contrasts this with a long shot from outside, keeping things fresh, showing off the car, and showing the speed of the pursuit with clearly receding objects (buildings) zipping by.

3:25 -

economy of information - CU of Mr. incredible reacting to computer in car, pull back to show computer display in car.

6:00 - 6:16

contrast and affinity in depth - 

setup shots have lots of depth and perspective (note diagonals everywhere)

the action and follow-through shots are flatter, bringing the audience in along for the ride.

The cut on glass break adds impact, as the camera appears to reverse its Z motion here, pulling backwards on the next shot. It makes the viewer almost feel as if they hit the glass too.

Mr. I forms a pyramid shape at the end. The warm color of the buildings provide a middle ground that helps to separate I from the dark blue sky behind him.

The shape of the windows suggest that I is trapped!

7:10

When Buddy says "be true to yourself" he is standing in front of a reflective object.

7:23

Mr I + bomb voyage + the spotlighted hole in the window form a triangle, which Buddy sits in the middle of.

8:10 

Brad Bird likes to derail trains, see also Iron Giant! Mr. I moves right-to-left, which makes it feel dangerous/awkward.

9:40

Clever framing emphasizes not only the size difference between the characters, but also shows the subtext….I is late for his own wedding….to his wife-to-be, it's like he's not really there. This also foreshadows I's travels later in the film, she he ventures away from his family to go on secret missions.

13:30 -

The pencils falling stand out against the largely still background, and add a subtle comic beat

18:50 - 19:30

The quick, comedic and action-packed shots of the table sequence help to get the audience engaged and then provide contrast to the slow, drawn out reveal of information in the shots where Bob reads the paper. Mrs. I yelling "Bob…I need you to engage!" provides great subtext. foreshadowing I's upcoming need to take action re: the info being presented in the newspaper.

19:46

Lucious's arrival is marked with a gag involving an icicle. Note the shot choice when Lucious catches the icicle - the framing intentionally leaves space for the icicle to fall into. Note how the quick cuts are buffered by longer setup and result shots at the start and end of this sequence.

20:40 

economy of info

The shot starts on the radio and pulls back. The emphasis on the radio and resulting triangle in the comp foreshadows its importance in the plot in this scene.

21:00 - 21:10

Crossing the 180 here (very subtle - watch I and L's positions change!) helps to suggest that things are about to change - our heroes are about to be plunged into real danger!

23:10 - foreshadowing and delaying

The officer yelling "Freeze" reenforces what the audience wants to happen; delaying the visual result (the frozen officer) makes the payoff greater.

24:50 - cool camera move…

Bob in MG

Mrs. I in BG

Cam in FG

Cam and Mrs. I both move in depth to meet in the middle

25:00 The triangles formed between Bob, Mrs. I and the edge of the ceiling beam provide a great framing element for the bit of rubble she holds in her hand.

25:15 - 25:45

The edge formed by the corner of the wall provides a great  tonal separation element, to emphasize the conflict between the characters.

31:50 

During this sequence, many of the shots where Mr.I is receiving "important" information, the camera orbits and spins on an axis around the iPad-thingy, adding to the fantastic nature of the mission being described. When I is responding to Mrs. I, the camera is more static and grounded, suggesting being the real world. The fanciness of the spiraling shots suggest that the information being delivered is desirable - it gives Mr. I a chance to relive his youth, etc. - and challenging - defeating the robot will be difficult. 

33:00 - nice, long, dramatic shot helps sell the importance of what just happened, and showcase what Mr. I wants - to relive his past. The diagonally crisscrossing crossfades add drama as well.

42:05, 42:24, 42:32, 42:33, 42:37, 42:55, 43:07, 43:35, 43:51, 44:02

Color is used as a thematic element a lot in the Incredibles. Blue is used a lot in the earlier shots of Mr. I, reenforced by his costume color (blue). Red is the color of the transformed, reborn Mr. I.

Now, Mr. I has changed…has become reborn….but he needs a new suit. All of the above shots feature his new suit color, red, helping prepare the audience for the color change.

1:00 - 

The cross cutting between Mr. I in the computer room and Mrs. I with Edna helps to build tension. Both characters are discovering shocking new information - Mr. I discovers Syndrome's plan, while Mrs. I discovers that Bob is living a double life and may be in danger. Ingeniously, Mrs. I's efforts to find Bob with the tracking device backfires, leading to his discovery.

1:02:15 ---->1:02:50

Very interesting sequence for pacing. The rhythm of the guns is paced very well, and reenforces the danger. The pacing of the cuts gets quicker as Bob runs, then settles back down; then increases again to a breakneck pace before settling down at the end with two long-duration shots. Contrast and Affinity!

1:09:30 - 1:10:34 - 

Contrast and Affinity - shot pacing builds up, then releases after plane explodes with super long shot of the family falling.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs