For this assignment, I must choose one of three prompts and write about how Burton uses particular cinematic techniques, and to what effect. For my version, I will again rely on the scene from The Sandlot posted before; I do not want to do your homework for you, but I want to do it in a way that provides a useful model. Remember: YOU MUST USE BURTON in your response. I will provide the steps I would take in completing this assignment, then go into more detail for each, and end with my version of the completed assignment.
- Identify which prompt I want to use based on the cinematic technique being discussed and my confidence that I can write about it thoughtfully.
- Identify scenes where my chosen technique is used.
- Choose the most effective use(s) of this technique.
- Create a draft that answers the prompt using evidence and key terms.
STEP ONE
The Prompts:
- How does Burton manipulate camera angles and lighting to create his intended effects?
- How does Burton use sound (diegetic/non-diegetic) to enhance a scene?
- How does Burton introduce a flashback and why does he use it? What does he accomplish in this use of flashback?
Because the first step is to choose a prompt, I will consider each one carefully. I like the first one because I can think of multiple examples from my film text where these two techniques were used and I think I understand how they influence mood and the audience's experience. The second one has some promise, but when I think back on my text I can't think of any particularly special uses of sound. I suppose there is some powerful diegetic sound used, but I'm not sure what I want to say about it. The last prompt discusses flashback, and I can absolutely say things about how the flashback helps the audience relate to the characters and situations, but I'm not sure I really want to; it just doesn't sound like something I want to write about right now.
Based on this, I've decided to respond to the first prompt.
STEP TWO
I am again using same The Sandlot clip (included here) because I want you to be able to see the scenes I am talking about. I'm going to produce a list of scenes I noticed using camera angles and lighting well. As a note, I am looking for BOTH camera angles and lighting, since the prompt expects as much.
- Eye level shot with torch in the foreground. The scene is dim except for the flicker of the torch's flame, suggesting a party at night.
- High angle shot of the neighborhood as the boys run through the block party. The scene is still dim, all of the colors muted except for the torches and some fireworks that go off in the background; this again focuses our attention on the celebratory atmosphere.
- Eye level shot of the boys running in slow motion in front of the bright sparks of the fireworks. The boys and the environment are dark because it is night, but the juxtaposition of their silhouettes in front of the bright sparks of fireworks combined with the eye level shot helps the audience connect emotionally with the joy they are feeling.
- There is an eye level shot of Rodriguez at bat as multi-colored lights flash at his side. This might be suggesting his greatness while also creating an intensity in the situation, putting the audience in the position of having to pitch to this serious athlete. Maybe this creates expectation?
- There are multiple eye-level shots of the boys looking up as Rodriguez's hit soars; simultaneously, flashes from fireworks (the same ones that were flashing on Rodriguez) light up their faces in many different colors. The effect seems to be that the boys are in awe of the hit, but also of the fireworks, suggesting the grandness and spectacle of the game and the celebration.
STEP THREE
Of the examples I noted above, the one that speaks most to me is the final one. I think there is something about the combined use of camera angle and lighting that I can write about in detail. I can expand on how the eye level shot makes the significance of the boys looking up into the sky more pronounced, how it seems like they are witnessing something we aren't, and as a result are experiencing the wonder of baseball entirely through them. Between the examples I have and my ideas to expand, I think I'm set.
STEP FOUR
Expectations / Key Ideas of my prompt (what I need to be sure to talk about):
Director Title of the Text Cinematic Techniques Lighting Camera Angles Effect of Techniques Director's Intention
Before I get start drafting, I check to ensure my draft will meet the expectations of the prompt. This is best done by carefully reading the prompt, identifying (or listing) key ideas, and then writing with these in mind. When I write, I generally skip this step because I have been writing academically for 25 years (if we can call Kindergarten writing academic). This is still a step I would encourage you to take at this stage of your academic careers. My prompt is broken down to the right. My draft follows, with a breakdown of each paragraph.
A Title!
The Majesty of a Moment, Framed
The most basic introductory paragraph discusses the general topic of the writing and makes a main idea statement. Because this response revolves around a particular scene, I instead chose to introduce that scene first. The important thing is that by the end of the paragraph, I have identified the creator, the text, the elements being discussed, and made my statement.
Young Benny Rodriguez steps to the plate, settles the bat, and makes solid contact with the pitch, driving the baseball up and into a sky filled with the crackling, colored strobe of fireworks. This scene from David Evans' The Sandlot captures the majesty and wonder of baseball as only children can experience it, and Evans' careful use of camera angle and lighting allow the reader to revel in this youthful sense of awe. By accentuating the strobe effect of the fireworks on the upturned faces of the young ballplayers, in conjunction with an eye level camera, the audience experiences this moment through the boys of the sandlot team.
Now that I have set up the scene, I begin laying the groundwork of my analysis. This means describing the cinematic techniques in their use. FIRST I describe the important details about that technique in the scene, THEN I explain how it creates an effect ("by placing the camera..."). I do this for both techniques.
After Benny hits the ball, the camera cuts to a series of short, eye-level shots of the other sandlot boys watching as the ball flies through the air. Each one has their head upturned, seeming to track the off-screen ball as it travels through the sky. By placing the camera at the same eye level as the audience, the viewer is able to connect and relate emotionally to the characters on screen. As a result, the expression of awe the boys feel as they watch the ball fly through the air is understood and experienced by the viewer; we can feel the greatness of this hit as it soars into the night sky. Simultaneously, as the ball flies through the air the fireworks cast a variety of sudden flashing colors onto the faces of the boys. This use of lighting is both exaggerated and playful, seeming to intensify the feeling of wonder.
I want to wrap up my ideas with some final analysis and a conclusion. To do this, I provide some final commentary on the effect of these techniques followed by a concluding statement that returns to the expectations of the prompt: how the director uses the technique to create the effect.
It becomes apparent to the viewer that the ballplayers transition from following the ball through the air to gaping at the fireworks, but this transition is so ambiguous, and the absolute wonder on their faces so consistent, that the game of baseball and the celebration of fireworks are interlinked. As a result, the impressive power and skill of baseball as experienced by the young is clearly displayed. The audience may not be able to see the ball fly through the air as it mixes with the fireworks, but through the experience of the sandlot boys we can be sure that it is awesome. Evans' mix of eye level camera and lighting is instrumental in this effect, helping to drive home how important baseball is in the lives of these boys.
I hope that this post was useful. I think that it is worth noting that while I am breaking down these steps for you, I do not actually do this on paper (or on the computer) when I complete these kinds of assignments. Everything but the drafting happens in my head, but the process is the same. If you have any questions, please be sure to ask. If there are details I am missing, or if you would prefer future posts to have changes made to them, please leave your suggestions below. Happy drafting!