Write an essay of approx. 1200 words in which you analyze a sequence of shots that make up a complete scene. For the film, ‘The Nasty Girl” (Das schreckliche Madchen), 1989; Michael Verhoeven
Some Guidelines for Writing a Sequence Analysis: A sequence is a series of shots somehow connected logically in terms of •sia) their common locale or setting; and/or Re) their relation to one dramatic moment in the plot (i.e. a “scene”); and/ors(c) their common function in terms of furthering plot development or creating “atmosphere”; and/or 13:1) their relation to some common theme or issue. Defining a sequence can be somewhat arbitrary, but it will be significant what precedes and what follows it. Once you have selected your sequence/s, watch it again and again to note details of interest in the main areas of cinematic style. Ultimately, to interpret a sequence you need to relate it to the entire film, so you have to start with some kind of idea about the film as a whole. You need to bring this overall understanding of the film to your attempt to analyze the sequence. Then, as you work with the sequence and understand it better, your understanding of the film in its entirety will deepen—which in tum will help you see more in the sequence.
A. Mis-en-scene: That which is selected, arranged and/or constructed in front of the camera to be filmed: sets, locales, their composition and design; lighting, movement of other objects in the frame including animals and people. It includes the appearance and movement of people: acting, gesture, costume, make-up, etc. Print: both ‘diegetic’ (billboards, magazines, signs within the story) and ‘non-diegetic’ (titles over the image or in between images: inter-titles, as in silent film).
B. Cinematography: Film stock; color, black/white, or tinting; lenses and changes in focus (deep focus, shallow); camera angles (high/low/ straight-on); camera movement (panning, tracking, zooms), framing; shot duration; distance of camera to objects (close-ups, medium and long shots).
C. Sound: Music, speech, noise, (music, dialogue, sound effects); diegetic vs. non-diegetic (including voice-overs), use of silence. Waming: Three common problems in writing a sequence analysis: To stick too closely to the narrative, merely re-telling the events within the sequence without enough analysis of what’s going on—and why. Remember you are analyzing and writing for readers who have seen the film–you do not need to retell what happened! The discussion of the sequence has no overall argument about its significance within the film. The attempt to describe as many stylistic elements as possible, instead of picking out a small number of those4irat tie4qh/PM614R5ifct or significance and using an analysis of them to interpret the sequence and its relation to the film as a whole.