Film Opening Analysis

Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Claude Levi-Strauss' Binary Opposites:-

• Monsters vs. children.
• Soft bed contrasts with sharp teeth and claws.
• Its quiet and peaceful, but monster enters and theres screaming (from monster and child).
• Fear of monster at first, but monster is comedic.
• Normality of bedroom and abnormality of monsters.
• Monster factory seems normal , until you see the workers.
• Order of room at first, but monster enters and wrecks the setting.
• Small room vs. large monster.-Room compared to the factory it is in.
• Normal children are being called "dangerous" by the monsters whereas humans would call the monsters dangerous.

Roland Barthes' Five Codes:-

Enigma Code:-

• Whats behind the door?
• Why is the monster scaring the child?
• Why is the monster scared of the child?
• Who are the other monsters?
• Who is the overgrown spider
• Why do they think that a child's touch will kill them?
• Does the touch of a child actually kill them?
• Who is James P. Sullivan?

Action Code:-

• Child to tucked into bed.
• Wardrobe door creaks open.
• Monster is underneath bed.
• Monster rises and looms over child.
• Child and monster scream at sight of each other.
• Monster trips backwards and wrecks room comically.
• Sirens blare and part of the wall rises to reveal a room full of monsters.
• The room appears to be some sort of testing facility.

Semiotic Code:-

• Toys; warm, homely, innocent, child like.
• Blue colours suggest calm and cool.
• Wardrobe; dark, you don't know whats lurking inside it.
• Glowing eyes; menacing, sinister, mysterious.
• Tripping over; comedic, clumsy.
• Suits imply wealth and authority.

Cultural Code:-

• Starts with a scene we all know, a child's bedroom full of toys.
• Plays with the way we percieve monsters.
• Shows the typical toys that a child might have had at that time.
• Spotlights suggest a stage, a show of some sort.
• Monsters wearing clothing, this is showing that they are "civilised" and equal to humans.

Symbolic Code:-

• Monster comes in from the shadows; dark, mysterious, may be hiding something.
• Monster wearing suits next to monsters wearing nothing show that they are of a higher class than most.
• Some of the monsters look like real life animals; spiders and sea creatures.

Photo Reflections

 

1) Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be described as representing your chosen genre.

This is a close up of a character's foot, stepping into shot, but also an extra long shot of the character in the background. Although the camera is focused on the shoe, the lack of people in the area and the centre positioning implies that the girl in the distance is also an important character. The photograph could be a still from a romance drama, with this scene being the one in which the protagonist first sees her love interest and it is "love at first sight". The shot is well lit with green, suggesting a moderately happy or neutral scene.

2) What did you actually do to achieve the effect?

For this shot I wanted to get as close to the ground as possible in order to gain a better sense of perspective, so I sat on the floor and took the photo from where I was sitting. I didn't want the protagonist's image to be blocked by the foot, yet I still wanted the whole shoe in the shot. So I had to pan the camera across till I found an angle that fitted both in.

3) Identify what is successful about your shot.

If I had to say what was most successful in this shot, I would the depth that was achieved. The person in the background is slightly blurred, although she catches your eye as she stands in the centre of the image. The foot in the foreground draws your attention at the same time, stepping in from the right side of the camera.

4) What would you do differently in hindsight?

It would be ideal if I asked the actor at the back to show a shocked expression, as it would give a deeper story to the currently simple shot. Another thing that could be changed is the setting. Instead of a garden, a street could be used, with a busy road in-between the space of the two characters. She could be easily picking out the boy from the clustered group of people.