Story Elements:
Who is the protagonist?
-The protagonist is the thin guy in the elevator.
For “The Elevator” film the protagonist is the thin guy in the elevator, he’s surrounded by larger people, who weigh more than him.
Beginning: What is the crisis or challenge that sets her/him on a journey? Begin with the crisis–in medias res
-More people who are rather large get into the elevator, which means not only is he in close contact with people he doesn’t know but the elevator can only hold so much weight.
Middle: What struggles does s/he face in confronting the crisis, and how do these struggles lead to change? This depends/develops the story.
-As the film continues, large people keep getting into the elevator, and he starts to calculate how much weight the elevator is currently holding. Upon realizing that the weight is a little over the capacity, he begins to worry, which worsens as the elevator stops momentarily, before struggle to start up again.
End: How has the protagonist or situation changed? What is the “new normal”?
The man changes this situation, by getting out of the elevator, before another person could enter. -He then takes another elevator, but this one is filled with sick people, that have the swine flu.
Manipulating Light: How does the impact of light, color, and texture of the image help to set a tone with the movie? Consider the following:
a. Use of focus and depth of field to establish a style and communicate
-The main focus is on the one thin guy in the elevator, this sets the tone of him being the main character and someone who the audience should focus in on.
b. Qualities of brightness and darkness in the images
-The elevator has, well elevator lightning, not very flattering, there are very few shadows in it. The faces, clothes and pretty much every feature is shown in the film, through the lighting. The strong lighting also gives an uncomfortable vibe.
c. Use of color in the frame
-There is a good amount of color on the people’s shirts and clothing, but I noticed that with the thin guy in the back, his skin tone blended in with the wood on the elevator walls. His size also makes him disappear, this could point to the idea of being invisible, or people being unaware of things around them. For example, the people around him, don’t see the same problem he does, when the elevator creeks, and goes down a few floors they don’t panic, or even seem to comprehend that they’re part of the problem.
d. A recording medium (film, digital, and so forth) and overall look of the images
-I think there is a part near the beginning of the film, where the main character seems out of focus when he’s waiting for the elevator doors to open. But other than that all the shots seem to be in focus. The colors aren’t too bright, the lines aren’t blurred.
Framing: How does the framing and movement of shots and sequences serve the drama or visual artistry of the story? Consider the following:
a. Screen aspect ratio and impact of the dimensions of the frame
-Because the frame is wide, it allows for the expressions of multiple people to be seen. Even up close with the main character’s face, you can see someone else’s. This provides strong contrast, his nervous/panic, the other people standing calmly, not realizing what is happening around them.
b. Movement of the camera
-Most of the shots seem stationary, but when the elevator creaks and they go down a few floors, the shaking movement of the camera gives it more of a believable feeling. As the shaking rate increases, the faster the audience heart races asking themselves if the elevator will fall, and if the passengers will die.
c. Choices in composition and use of depth in framing
-In a lot of the shots from where the doors of the elevator would be, there is a layer of people in the front, representing the foreground, there is another layer of people representing the middle ground and lastly, the main character is in the background. This type of shot adds to the feeling of his fear, and anxiety. It also brings the idea of the others being oblivious to the viewer by placing them at the forefront. If the main character was in the foreground, all the focus would be on him, not many people would probably pay attention to the others. But if he is placed in the back, as the main character the audience focuses on him. Which forces us to focus on the foreground, where our focus would normally go, to the main character and all places in between.
Visual Style: Describe the overall effect of visual style in the movie. You may also imagine a contrasting approach to the cinematography and include a description of the effect of such a visual scheme on the finished movie.
-Overall I liked the movie, it was interesting, the topic was pretty basic but still kept my attention. I like how they moved the main character to the back, forcing the audience to pay attention to the foreground, middle ground, and background. I also liked the fact that they made the larger people oblivious to what was happening, I think of that as a reflection of our society. We don’t notice what goes on around us, and on a more philosophical level, the damage we can potentially cause.
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