North by NorthWest Sequence Analysis, FTVNM Essay Task, T1

To assist me with my  FTVNM Critical Genre Essay Task I completed the templates for each of my sequences.

The second one was for North by NorthWest. I researched information about the director, as well as analysed critical techniques that they have used within the sequence.

This template was extremely helpful when I began writing my essay.

I had left blank the areas in which the technique had not applied to either the sequence or the genre and fun that the other principles were more prominent and important to talk about.

Film Title: North By North West

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Information about the director

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock born 13 August 1899, died 29 April 1980 was an English film director and producer. Nicknamed "The Master of Suspense”, because he pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. Many of Hitchcock's films have twist endings and thrilling plots featuring depictions of violence, murder, and crime. He directed/produced films such as Rear Window (1954) Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963) including North by Northwest in 1959.

Genre Identification: Identify the film sequence’s major genre and relevant sub-genres

Main genre: Drama/Action Sub-Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Research and identify specific genre conventions relating to these genres

Mise-en-scene:

Style of Acting: enhances and supports the action  Setting/location: need to and must enhance the genre, make the audience feel the suspense and thrill of the movie’s genre. Lighting: can be dark to make it mysterious, therefore making it suspenseful in a way that the audience doesn’t know what is being hidden, or can be over exposed to make the audience feel uncomfortable. Props/costume: anything that makes the mood dramatic in a thrilling or suspenseful manner.

Cinematography:

Framing: can be used to make a person look big or small depending on their importance Camera position: the position of the camera can make the audience feel as if they are either a part of the action or viewing it in a characters perspective. Camera movement: the movement of the camera usually follows the action that is happening, if not it is moved away from the action, making it more mysterious and suspenseful. Speed: a slow speed creates a suspenseful and tense mood, as well as a quick and fast speed creates a thrilling mood. Exposure: underexposure can make a mysterious mood, therefore making it suspenseful in a way that the audience doesn’t know what is being hidden, or can be over exposed to make the audience feel uncomfortable. Perspective: the scene can be shown from the perspective of a victim, an attacker, or a witness of any action event. usually it shows the perspective of the main character. Focus: is usually on the action that is happening, the bad guy is usually hidden or not in focus that leaves the audience in surprise.

Sound and editing:

Sound: the sound effects in dramatic and suspenseful films can be very affective; varying from absolute silence to extremely loud bangs, crashes and explosions. Editing: lots of long edits create suspense and tension. as well as fast edits to create thrill.

Identify the elements of mise-en-scene and describe how they have been used: Genre:
Style of Acting: The main man looks very confused and frustrated as he is waiting for someone. This is used to make the audience feel the same emotions as this is a. He is also standing in the middle of nowhere which explains the frustration of the character.	Props/Costumes: The man is wearing a suit which usually a man in the city wears, except he is in the middle of no where. This makes him look like he is not supposed to be there. The plane at the beginning of the sequence had no importance to the story until the man was left alone and the plane started chasing him and shooting at him, thats when the plane was significant. Both
Lighting: Over exposed - to make the audience feel quite uncomfortable	Setting: it is situated in the middle of a dry crop field. looks lonely and lifeless
Genre specific elements

Identify the elements of cinematography and describe how they have been used:
Framing:	Camera position: At the beginning of the sequence, the camera was looking down at the character, he was also very small in the frame, making him look very insignificant (a nobody)
Focus: Most of the time, the focus is drawn the the character. When cars are going past, the focus is drawn to them because the character’s focus is on getting a ride from one of them. Toward the end of the scene, the focus is drawn to the plane and why it was chasing the main character.	Exposure: The entire scene is overexposed to give a very uncomfortable and frustrating mood
Camera movement:	Speed: At the beginning, the scene carried on quite slowly as there wasn’t very many fast edits or anything interesting happening. Towards the end of the sequence, once the man realises the plane is chasing after him, the speed begins to quicken and this replicates the adrenaline that is rushing through the character.
Perspective:	Genre specific elements:
Identify the elements of editing and sound and describe how they have been used:
Temporal editing: (the passing of time, manipulation of time using flashbacks/flashforwards) the scene doesn’t include any temporal editing. When the man is waiting, the audience waits with him. This is to make the audience feel the same frustration that the character is feeling.	Rhythm:
Graphic relationships:	Visible or invisible editing:
Music: No music had been playing throughout the entire scene until the plane crashes into the truck causing a massive fire. This is so the viewers do not have anything else to focus on other than what is shown to them	Sound FX: Plane’s propeller flying in the air; as the plane became closer and closer to the character and to the camera, the plane’s sound effects got a lot louder which made it very realistic. Bullet shots Dust shuffling Cars driving past; become louder as they became closer, softer as they drifted away.
Dialogue:	Genre specific elements: