SCENE IN CINEMA: Y2: S1: ADVANCED SCENE ANALYSIS

MOONRISE KINGDOM (2012)
Wes Anderson

“Sam and Suzy’s First Encounter”
EXCERPT OF SCENE:
0:00 – 1:35

0:00 – 0:01
CU establishing shot in scene is of a poster which reads “Summer Pageant 1964” production of ‘Noye’s Fludde’ at “St. Jack’s Church” (an opera intended for amateur performers/children) about the biblical story of Noah’s arc. Gives the impression, and sets a premise that the children of the film will be involved in this scene. The poster is of focus as it is centred, so the wording can be appropriately read. On top of this shot, a male singing voice is heard from a seemingly large empty space, this enforces the feeling that, as viewers, we are about to enter a church setting.

0:01 – 0:05
MS fully establishing the location of the play, “St. Jack’s Church” noticeboard teamed with a cross above it, frames the poster in its centre. These two first shots establish the setting of the scene and the singing teamed with it establishes that their is action occurring beyond this point. The performance ‘advertised’ to viewers is currently on.

0:05 – 0:09
MS Noah singing. This character is central action within this frame. We are now seeing the action which we were set up to believe we would see.

0:09 – 0:23
Travelling shot which zooms out to become WLS where Noah is centred at top third of the frame’s composition, the middle and the bottom thirds are taken up by the staging of the arc.

As the camera backs up through the middle aisle (likely by use of crane) between the pews which the audience are seated, the shot accentuates the size of the arc. This gives its viewers a perspective of Noah ruling this large boat as he expresses himself through song, capturing the attention of the audience who face him. Compositionally, he is focused on by use of lighting in this top third. It is not often that action is focused at the very top of the frame with as much negative space as this one. However, this is used to depict height and power, as he is the central character of the play.

The shot, too, allows for the audience of the film to see the imaginative and captivating visual experience which the movement and lighting upon the staging creates.

0:23 – 0:25
MS of centred musical conductor, facing to their left (our right) to conduct the trumpet players. This frame adheres to the central/person of importance aspect which we just experienced with Noah until this point. Sticking to certain compositional features such as this, often creates better flow in and reading of a film.

0:25 – 0:26
M/L WS of audience members with their backs to a wall, looking to their right (our left). This shot assumes that this particular group of audience members are sitting to the right of (while facing) the stage. These audience members are 
not at all central and they frame the space in which a central character would be positioned; in the middle, between the pews. These characters are mere audience members, therefore do not need the blocking privilege which Wes Anderson provides, to be central. This is not to say that they aren’t important, but the shot has been put here to show a surrounding of ‘the centre of attention’ and draw attention to it by seeming as though they are actively watching the performance.

0:26 – 0:27
M/L WS of audience looking to their left, some even facing to their left (our right). This shot assumes that they are to the left of (while facing) the stage. The same principles as the last shot, apply to this shot as well.

0:27 – 0:39
The camera then switches to an MCU facing an (older) scout in one of the pews, because we have seen other members of the audience looking toward the stage, this assumes the position that he is facing the stage, front on. The scout looks to his left (our right) which signals when to begin the smooth transition into a panning shot, which follows along the line of his vision – to see what has caught his attention.

This shot pans in a sweeping motion across all of the row of seated scouts, coming to a halt at our main character, Sam, who is positioned leaning up on a barrier in front of the pews. He is facing the camera as it stops at his face. This halt of movement centres Sam in a (portrait like) CU shot. This shot establishes that he is potentially doing something he is not meant to be, as the older scout’s attention was drawn to him, away from the action on the stage. The CU details Sam’s fiddling hands and look of boredom. The shot focuses on this facial expressions which deliberates the indication that he may be preparing to ‘escape the boredom.’ He leaves the setting, without regarding the consequences of what anyone else thinks. He does not catch any eye contact with his ‘scout peers’, and this is clear.

0:39 – 0:42
An MS shot to our right of Sam captures him leaving the pews through a gate into a side aisle. The aisle is again, centred to keep up the stylistic continuity.

0:42 – 0:43
This next shot cuts back to an MCU of the first, elder scout we saw before the panning shot, where he has become very alert in noticing Sam leave the audience. The scout watches, failing to capture Sam’s attention. The shot follows Sam (looking stealthily over his left shoulder) as he backs up to the doors of the church. This shot brings the film audience’s attention back to the idea that Sam is doing something he is not meant to.

0:43 – 0:43
MLS of Sam backing up the aisle, centrally framed, but uneasy as it follows him. This shot may be handheld or on a gimbal to create the motion of walking away – making a getaway.

0:47 – 1:02
Cutting to a MLS from outside of the church, establishes the door Sam is about to exit through in his journey, where children who are about to enter the church and perform, are waiting.

The shot turns into a panning/tracking shot of Sam walking out the door. The camera is following his movements as he makes an escape from the audience into the outdoor space. The camera work creates the idea that as an audience we are following him on a journey.

He passes the children dressed in animal costumes by weaving from foreground to background of among the groups.

The shot ends with with a halt as he is about to exit the frame from of our left.

1:02 – 1:08
We now see a M/L WS of Sam appearing at the right of this frame, this follows from where he exited at our left of the frame – creating a sense of direction. He passes a group (practicing the recorder) on the stairs to the left of the frame. He exits back right of the frame.

1:08 – 1:13
W LS is established when Sam then appears, in this shot, from the right of the frame. He is then central, walking down the hallway with several doors either side. Again, he is followed by the handheld camera creating that same walking motion which was initially used when he first walked down the church’s aisle. He turns to the left of our frame, looking into a room.

1:13 – 1:15
WS where child in chicken costume is centred, facing to the right of the frame (therefore towards the direction which Sam was walking), brushing their teeth over a sink. Shot keeps the central framing style apparent.

1:15 – 1:18
A MS from the opposing direction from which we were initially following Sam down the hall ensues. He spins around to face the camera, the camera is now facing him as he walks down the hall, the camera (travelling backward) is being used in the same fashion which it was when he was walking before, handheld and slightly unsteady. This switch of direction is perhaps used to capture more of the action Sam creates, that he has spun around from facing the door he was looking in (now on the right of the frame).

1:18 – 1:22
W MS follows him again from the back as he walks further down the hall. The shot captures the hustling children as they dart into rooms, establishing that these are likely to be dressing rooms. He passes the costumed children. He reaches the end of the hallway where a rack of clothing stands in the final doorway, in the centre. He stops, as does the camera. This alerts the audience that he has come to a halt in his journey.

1:22 – 1:23
Unknown darkness. Yet, it can be assumed that he may have just travelled through the sea of clothing.

1:23 – 1:25
The WS captures  Sam parting the clothing from his POV. The shot looks upon a row of costumed girls with their backs to the camera, facing a mirror, fixing their hair and makeup. The use of reveal shot keeps the dynamic of the film interesting. Giving different perspective. This shot is used to make the audience feel as though they are part of the action, they’ve been placed in Sam’s shoes. Teamed with this, knowing these girls are currently unaware of his presence, can aid in creating tension for the viewers, wondering what their reaction (essentially to, them, the viewer) may be.

1:25 – 1:30
The camera has now flipped back to face Sam in a MS as he parts the clothing further. This shot is the “potential view” the girls will have of Sam. He has been revealed. He walks towards the camera and emerges from the rack of clothing. We now have a slightly low angle CU of Sam.

NOTE: Camera alternating between facing girls, and then Sam allows knowledge that the camera is likely to be positioned in the middle of the two and creates an appropriate (to the whereabouts) conversational element.

1:30 – 1:32
We now see a closer WS of the girls at the mirror, the shots get more compacted as Sam draws closer to the subjects in frame. Assuming that this is where Sam aimed to be, he clears his throat in order to get the attention of these girls.

The slight low angle of the previous CU, the way he approached the camera and his throat clearing informs the audience of his lift in confidence as he attempts to get the girls’ attention. They all turn to face him. All attention is now on him.

1:32 – 1:35
The same CU of Sam. He pauses, tilts his head a little to the left and right and looks centrally towards the group of girls. After his quick throat clearing from in the last shot, the shot depicts him confidently asking “what kind of bird are you?” to one of the girls. Reinforcing that he has a reason he came there, he’s asking a question he set out to find the answer to.

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