In Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton introduces the Edward’s neighborhood to the audience three times. The first occurs during the introduction of the frame story and ends when the audience sees Edward looking out the window of the mansion on the hill. The second time it is introduced is just before and after the audience meets Peg, who is selling cosmetics door to door. We are then introduced to the neighborhood for a third time when Edward sees it up close for the first time, as he is being driven to Peg’s home. Each of these introductions are different, with the use of a variety of camera angles, framing, movement, lighting, color, and sound.

Your assignment is to compare Burton’s use of cinematic techniques in at least two of these introductions to the neighborhood and explain the effect these have in creating different mood, tone, or expectation. Be sure to:

• Focus on a specific effect

  • You do not have to write about mood and tone. You may, but you need only choose one.

• If you are writing about mood, you are considering the general atmosphere or feeling of the introductions.

  • The use of color, lighting, and sound are especially important here, although the other techniques play a role.

• If writing about tone, pay special attention to framing, camera movement, and sound, in addition to other techniques.

• Expectations have a lot to do with what is shown on screen, so focus on framing and camera angles - in addition to other techniques - if writing on this topic.

• Carefully consider each technique

  • Before describing the effect of the technique, you must be sure your audience knows what the technique is and how it is used. Be specific with details from the scene, identify this as an example of a particular technique, then explain with 2-3 sentences of reasoning why it has a particular effect.
     

Goals are to demonstrate the ability to identify cinematic techniques and their effects while composing a well-organized piece of writing (introduces its topic, uses evidence, includes original analysis, closes with a conclusion, and is organized so that each paragraph develops a particular idea).

Exemplary Work is written with clear attention to grammatical accuracy and shows a command of academic writing. It includes well-selected details from the text, clearly describes these details to demonstrate understanding of each technique, and includes insightful analysis of cinematic techniques and their effects.