9th: Stylistic Analysis of a Director (How I...)

(Originally Published March 31st, 2016)

Apologies for the delay in getting this How I... out. While my students have been discussing a highly stylized director in class with peers and some guidance over the course of many weeks, I gave myself the task of doing this with a less stylized director of films I had never once thoughtfully considered (and one I hadn't even seen, Tomorrowland.) That said, I've watched my movies, I've taken notes, and I'm ready to explain how I would do it, so let's get to it.

I will tell you right now that this is a long post, because I want to walk you through my entire process. Most of this process I would do in my head because of my experience as a writer, but it was important that I go through this in as much detail as possible so that you could proceed as you wish - you might choose to take these steps in your head or by brainstorming something similar on paper. You may want to skim sections 3 and 4 for this reason. As always, I'm going to break down my steps first and then expand on them in greater detail, concluding with my version of the assignment that I want you to turn in. 

  1. Make sure I understand the assignment and what it expects of me.
  2. Review my notes and consider the films I have seen to identify any consistent elements (cinematic techniques) that might make up the director's style.
  3. Come up with a statement about the director's style supported by the details I found in Step 2.
  4. Choose the best examples of elements from Step 2 that support the statement in Step 3 and expand on my analysis .
  5. Draft.

 

STEP ONE

Before any assignment, it is important to know exactly what is expected of me. The prompt says to "[w]rite an essay analyzing the cinematic style of" the director, "focus[ing] on the ways in which the director uses stylistic techniques across films to achieve a desired effect." The remainder of the homework sheet expands on what this all means (and you should read it!), but for now I want to focus on just the prompt.

First I note that I am expected to analyze style. We have talked about style as it relates to authors and directors, but the one consistent part is that style is the distinctive presentation of the content. This means the particular intention of the creator, not just the things he uses to create the affect. In the beginning of the film unit we read an essay titled "Tim Burton: Wickedly Funny, Grotesquely Humorous" which discussed Burton's style. (I would encourage you to reread it - click here for a download link). It discussed a number of elements that could become the focus of a style analysis, such as the mix of childlike innocence and grotesque humor, or anguished characters, or escapist fantasy, or many other concepts. 

The key is that my analysis of a director's style cannot be "he uses high angle a lot," but rather "he creates characters that feel larger than life." It cannot be "he uses low key lighting on ordinary looking bad guys," but rather "he makes ordinary people monstrous." The focus has to be on the style itself and not on the tools used to create that style; those tools (the cinematic techniques) are the evidence that will be used.

So, for this step I need to know that I am expected to identify some part of my director's style and support that with evidence from his use of cinematic techniques. I also need to find examples in multiple films (ideally 3).

STEP TWO

My Notes on Brad Bird's films, with a filter applied, because filters are so cool. These notes are double sided, by the way.

My Notes on Brad Bird's films, with a filter applied, because filters are so cool. These notes are double sided, by the way.

Now I need to take a look through my notes and try to find anything consistent in them. I want to find cinematic techniques, settings, characters, or anything else that seems to pop up regularly in his films. Ideally, I'll find details that are in different cinematic technique categories to create a fuller analysis of how he uses a variety of techniques, but right now I'm just concerned with finding similarities between films.

When I look over my notes from Bird, I see:

  • that he makes regular use of low angle shots on characters that are the focus of the scene
  • the use of zoom or a number of increasingly closer shots as action is happening on screen.
  • juxtapositions of still shots (medium or long shots) and dynamic, energetic shots (dolly and boom shots) the moment before actions occur.
  • juxtaposition of non-diegetic sound in a scene before a cut to no non-diegetic sound (a scene with music suddenly loses its music)
  • Cross cutting between events happening in different settings.
  • Establishing shots that show characters entering the scene.
  • Two shots with a person in the foreground (close to the camera) that is blurry and another person who is clearly visible, the focus of the shot. These are sometimes shot with a camera almost shooting over the foreground person's shoulder.
  • Contextual introduction to film. This isn't a cinematic technique, but something I noticed in the way the narrative is told. Each story begins with a setup that is related to the main story but is not the main story itself. It provides a context or setup for what is going to happen.

There may be other consistent elements that connect Brad Bird's film, but these are the ones that stand out most to me and that I have examples of, so I'll limit my analysis of his style to these.

STEP THREE

My next step is to come up with a statement (or statements) that explain why Bird tends to use these techniques in these ways. What we have right now is a pattern; trying to come up with a statement that we can support is the analysis. The statement is itself our clearest understanding of style.

I'm going to try to come up with possible reasons for all of the above bullet points, then see if there are any connections. To do this, I may need to review the scenes where these things occurred (I'm not going to discuss all of those scenes here, just my thoughts on them).

  • The use of low angle shots may be that Bird wants his characters to feel heroic. Because the camera (and audience) are literally looking up to the characters, it may suggest their power, strength, goodness, or some other quality. It may also be that he wants them to appear bigger than they really are, suggesting how capable they may be.
  • Using increasingly closer shots or a zoom on action may be a means of emphasizing the intensity or chaos of a scene. It could also be the director's way of putting the audience in the position of character on screen, to empathize with them and feel connected to their emotional or physical struggle.
  • The juxtaposition of still shots and dynamic shots is likely used to emphasize how dramatic and significant an action is going to be. By showing the stillness of one shot being interrupted by the action of another, the significance or tension of the action may be enhanced. 
  • In instances where non-diegetic sound is suddenly cut from a scene, Bird tends to signal a significant tonal shift. In most uses, this cut seems to emphasize an element of humor that was not initially present in the scene. By removing dramatic or lighthearted music from a scene, the in-scene diegetic sounds can make an unexpected emotion stand out (such as joy or humor).
  • The cross-cutting between actions happening in different scenes is able to show how those two scenes/actions/settings are similar. This is probably pretty common for most directors and may not merit further detailed analysis.
  • By showing an environment to the audience and then having the characters enter it, the audience is able to focus on and understand the setting and then see the characters in context. We can see how big/small a person is in relation to the world. This also forces the audience to consider the setting by itself before considering the relationship the character has to it.
  • The two shot mentioned above is primarily used in dialogue, with the speaking person the one clearly visible and the listener in the foreground, a bit blurry. It may be that the director wants the audience to keep in mind that both people are engaged in the conversation and that one is not dominating it.
  • The contextual introduction creates a narrative "hook" for the audience that makes more sense and has deeper meaning the further into the film the viewer goes. It allows the audience to be prepared for important themes throughout the story.

 

As I was going through this mini-analysis of these elements, I realized that most of the examples I had that fit this analysis were from the beginning moments (or at least the earlier half) of these films, . With this in mind, I think I may proceed by focusing on the director's style of establishing character, setting, and/or conflict, all parts of the exposition (the introduction) of a plot.

By looking over what I've come up with so far, I notice that Brad Bird wants to create characters that are both heroic and relatable. They are shot so that we recognize their physical, emotional, or mental strength, and we can see how tremendous the obstacles in their environment are, but we are also encouraged to fear for them and laugh with (or at) them. Because the audience is more invested in the characters, his films are more effective thematically. 

STEP FOUR

It is time to choose my best examples of the techniques I feel best contribute to my statement on Bird's style above. I'll break them down by the cinematic techniques that I think are best used to create his style and try to include examples from each of the films I watched.

  • Low Angle Shots
    • The Incredibles
      • Basically any scene. All of the Parr family are shown in low angles throughout the film and Syndrome is even shown from this angle. There are scenes where high angles are used, but this is usually used to show the perspective of someone/something else (such as Mr. Incredible looking down on someone or the robot looking down on the Incredibles, etc).
    • Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
      • Ethan fighting guys in prison.
      • Ethan's team moving through sewers.
      • Ethan and Benji at the Kremlin
        • NOTE - Regular Kremlin guards not generally shot this way!
      • Ethan in van talking to Agent Carter
        • NOTE - Carter shot at eye level
    • Tomorrowland
      • Young Frank on the bus seat
      • Young Frank walking through 1964 World's Fair
      • Young Frank getting ready to use jetpack
      • Casey breaking into and sabotaging the NASA launch platform.
  • Establish shots that introduce character into scene.
    • The Incredibles
      • Bob drives into the scene with an old lady trying to get her cat out of the tree.
      • Bob's capsule helicopters into the environment of Syndrome's island.
      • The Parr family enters the shots of the clouds in their RV/rocket
    • MI:GP
      • The van carrying the team enters the scene showing an old run-down bridge - they drive under and park.
      • Shot of river from underwater as the vehicle carrying Ethan and Agent Brandt suddenly plunges in
      • Dubai desert, then truck carrying team comes into frame.
    • Tomorrowland
      • Young Frank getting off bus at the World's Fair. Scene actually sees him first, then opens to show environment (a reversal of previous usage).
      • Young Frank falling through clouds, which suddenly reveals Tomorrowland in the distance (again, a reversal of previous usage).
      • Casey walking up ramp then reveals NASA launch pad (again, reversal)
  • Non-diegetic sound cutting to no non-diegetic sound
    • TI
      • Mix of flutes, keyboard, and other quick tones that build wonder as Bob listens to message from Mirage, which reaches a crescendo before music cuts out entirely. The message self-destructs in a puff of smoke, creating humor.
      • Intense, large orchestral music increasing in tempo as the robot stretches Bob out inside the volcano until the music cuts out. The robot cracks and straightens Bob's spine, creating humor. He then destroys the robot.
      • Music that includes sequences of high-pitch, fast-paced notes as Dash runs through the forest. Music cuts out as he runs out onto water, emphasizing unexpected joy/exhilaration.
    • MI:GP
      • "Egyptian" music plays as they drive toward Dubai city. Music cuts out and they swerve around camels. Humor.
      • Benji returns from changing the numbers on the Dubai hotel rooms just after Ethan swings through window after climbing side of building. Music had been intense (need to listen again for description). Cuts to no music. Benji says that "It wasn't easy, but I did it." Humor.
      • Mission impossible theme song plays as Ethan listens to the mission given to him at the pay phone. It cuts out when the message does not self-destruct. Humor.
    • TL
      • Lighthearted music as Athena has flashback to her and Frank when Frank was a kid. Music suddenly stops when scene cuts to truck driving off and leaving Casey stranded. Creates empathy for Casey's abandonment and challenging situation.
      • As young Frank is about to test his jetpack, the music (especially heroic, sounds like horns) grows louder. When he actually starts to use it the non-diegetic sound cuts away as the jetpack launches him into the ground. The music comes back, different, more speedy, as Frank "flies" into tall grass and through a fence. The music completely cuts out again when he finishes a sentence: "It just doesn't, you know... technically.... *music cuts* fly." Both of these cuts add humor.
      • Casey is on the ground outside Frank's house being told to leave. Music cuts with the scene and she is in the rain on his doorstep. Lack of music creates empathy.
  • Contextual Introduction
    • TI
      • An introduction that includes superheroes being interviewed, a demonstration of their heroism, and the distrust that formed which lead to their outlaw set a stage for a story that will support a theme that striving to be our best is both personally and socially important.
    • MI:GS
      • An introduction that shows a botched mission establishes the challenge posed by a skilled enemy which supports a statement about the need for diligence, ingenuity, and teamwork in overcoming obstacles. 
    • TL
      • The story begins with a frame with Frank talking to the camera, beginning to explain a problem that needs fixing, before Casey ultimately takes over the story. Frank wants to tell a version that is somewhat hopeless, but Casey takes over because her version has hope. This supports a theme throughout the story that optimism and creativity is a necessary component in making the world a better place.

 

Ok... That was... exhausting. It is worth noting that those are the BEST examples for the elements of style I've found, but I may not want to use them all. The focus of my draft is primarily the director's style, which does not rely on just listing elements and their effects. I included all of my potential examples because I wanted to clue you in to my thought process.

Only one step left.

STEP FIVE

It is time to draft now. As always, I'm going to write my draft and include comments on the side that explain what I am doing in each paragraph.

Wes Lydon

Mr. Lydon

English 9A

First stop, of course, is a proper heading and a title

4 April 2016

 

Some Kind of Title

There are many ways to start an essay. Describing a scene, a technique, an idea, or -in this case - some biographical information are just a few. Be sure to include a thesis by the end that clearly identifies what you are talking about (your director's style) and what you have to say about it (use of cinematic techniques to create some effect of style).

When The Simpsons transitioned from one-minute short animations to its own half-hour television show, Brad Bird was an integral component, steering the animation of the show for its first eight seasons. Today, the Simpson family has been on television longer than any other TV family, in no small part because, despite their crude and often violent humor, they are endearing in their failures, joys, and underlying commitments to each other. In his transition to feature-length films, Bird continued to hone his talent for creating characters that are both extraordinary and deserving of empathy, a defining trait of his directorial style. With the use of careful camerawork, clever sound editing, and thoughtful narrative structure, Brad Bird creates thematically successful films with real heart.

In this paragraph I give as much summary of the film as I need (and only that much) and clearly describe what a low angle actually is. Notice also that I begin by talking about camera angles because "careful camerawork" was the first cinematic technique I mentioned in my thesis.

In Bird's Academy Award winning second film, Pixar's The Incredibles, the director's most apparent cinematic device is the use of the low angle, which serves to emphasize how superior the primary characters are to those around them. This film, about a family of superheroes, regularly positions its cameras at or below the shoulders of the protagonists. This "hero shot" is everywhere. As a result, the audience is literally looking up to them, creating a grandness to the characters. Even the antagonist of the film, a villain named Syndrome, is shot in this way.  In Incredibles, Bird makes it clear through his camerawork that the subjects on screen are powerful, capable, and worthy of awe.

This paragraph discusses other films that use the same technique and ways that technique is used in slightly different ways. I try to clearly describe the scenes that use the technique just like the previous paragraph and describe the effect in sufficient detail to support my point. I transition into this paragraph by comparing the subjects of the first paragraph (superheroes) with the subjects of the second (non-superheroes).

In a film filed with superheroes, the ever-present use of the low angle shot makes unquestioned sense, but this is not a technique limited to the hero genre; it is a fundamental component of Bird's method of creating characters that are worthy of our respect and admiration. In his later films - where the cast is not filled with heroes - Bird uses a more moderate approach to his camera angling, but the low shot pervades. In his first live-action film Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, a conversation with protagonist Ethan Hunt and Agent Carter occurs in the rear of a crowded service van, and despite the cramped quarters, Ethan is regularly shot with a low angle when he is speaking. Carter, however, is not, supporting through the camera angle Ethan's superior experience and authority as a spy. Similarly, antagonists in this film and his most recent, Tomorrowland, tend to be shot without this low angle.

I transition into this paragraph by mentioning details from the previous one and making a connection between them. I do my best to describe the music here. I actually looked up some of this music on YouTube so that I can hear it again. This was useful in creating description. The organization is the same: introduce ideas, provide example, explain example, then expand on the effect. This structure is the same in each paragraph.

This consistent use of low angles could create characters that are difficult to relate to as a side effect of admiration created by the technique, but Bird takes steps to humanize the character. One method of doing this in the use of non-diegetic sound - sounds within the scene that cannot be heard by the characters, such as music. In particular, the director tends to create sudden cuts to the music of a scene, removing the non-diegetic sound entirely. When Ethan Hunt receives his team's instructions in Ghost Protocol, a curious mix of strings, horns, and percussions add intrigue. When the mission briefing ends, the message counts down to self destruct and Ethan walks away, then the music stops entirely when the message fails to destroy itself, forcing an annoyed Ethan to smash it himself. By removing the non-diegetic music from the scene, Bird creates an unexpected juxtaposition that allows space for humor that briefly changes the tone of the film.  This change allows the audience to experience a variety of emotions toward the narrative and the characters, which make the protagonists more relatable. 

Notice, at this point, that I'm actually spending two paragraphs per concept. While it is probably more typical to use a single paragraph to focus on one element of analysis, I felt like this would have resulted in paragraphs that were overly large. By breaking each topic into two parts, I can introduce the concept with a particular use case (a method of use or a particular film) and then introduce additional complexities in the following paragraph.

The Incredibles and Ghost Protocol both most frequently come back to this sound technique to create humor, but this method of invoking an emotional response from the audience is not limited to getting a laugh. In the Pixar film, the best use of the non-diegetic removal is when Dash - the superbly fast son of Mr. Incredible - is being chased by two henchmen in flying attack drones; the boy runs through the forest with the men flying after him, the film's score of horns and bounding drums building to a crescendo, when the forest suddenly cuts away to reveal a large lagoon. As Dash reaches the shoreline the music abruptly stops. Dash doesn't. He is running on water, laughing a giggle of delight. While the audience might chuckle as well, they do so with a smile and a sense of pride at Dash's ability to overcome the impending obstacle. In Tomorrowland, the capacity of the technique is developed further when the non-diegetic cut intensifies both the determination and loneliness of Casey, a young girl left on a rainy (and musicless) doorstep waiting for help that appears not to be coming.

I actually decided not to use the section about the characters entering the frame, despite absolutely loving the analysis I did on it. The reality is that I cut it because this is already insanely long, but if I was turning this assignment in myself, I probably would have included it just after the paragraphs on sound.

The characters introduced in Brad Bird's films are superior human beings that confront considerable challenges, and keep their humor, express joy, and overcome sadness in these confrontations. These are characters that the audience invests in emotionally, which makes his films effective devices for delivering complex thematic ideas. To establish the foundation for these themes, Bird uses an introduction to his films that take place outside of each film's narrative. In Incredibles and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, these are scenes that take place well before the plots of the film, while Tomorrowland begins with George Clooney's character Frank delivering narration to an unknown audience, which actually belongs at the end of the film. These introductions create context, the situations or circumstances necessary to understanding the narrative. 

The interview with Mr. Incredible at the beginning of his film and the events that lead to him no longer being trusted to be a superhero establish a context that striving to be your best and do good can be difficult. This sets the stage for the theme that doing so regardless of those challenges is of personal and social importance. Ghost Protocol, similarly, begins with a scene showing failure, when an operation involving Agent Carter goes disastrously wrong as a result of a clever enemy. This prepares the audience for the challenge that will face the Mission Impossible team and underscores a theme that diligence, ingenuity, and teamwork are necessary when overcoming obstacles. Finally, the pessimistic narration of Frank in Tomorrowland is replaced by the optimism of Casey during that film's introduction, introducing the theme that optimism and creativity is a necessary component in making the world a better place. Each of these themes are introduced in the opening moments of their respective films, and each relies on Bird's creation of compelling characters to ultimately be effective.

This is my conclusion and it mentions the big ideas from each paragraph, rephrases my thesis, and connects to some other statement that expands on my ideas (such as his films being effective). Notice that while I do not explicitly use the world "theme" in my conclusion, I sufficiently define it in the last sentence that I am still effectively talking about theme.

In each of the films mentioned, Brad Bird manages to use the placement of his cameras to create characters that are superior specimens of humanity, capable of achieving great feats. Combined with careful sound editing these characters are familiar to the audience because we can laugh, fear, and hope with them. When coupled with a contextual introduction, his films - through these techniques - become cherished experiences of film and storytelling, receiving deserved accolades, and providing us with statements about life and humanity that are timeless.

 

Ok... I'm finally done. If you made it this far, please come up to me in class and ask for a high five. You've earned it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. 

I'm going to go take a nap. I'm exhausted.