Here are two still images from Disney Pixar's WALL-E:
The first still image depicts the robot named WALL-E in a post-apocalyptic planet Earth. This is quite apparent because of clever use of Color and Lighting.
The scene uses a monochromatic color scheme. By using shades of brown, it is apparent that the Earth has been rendered uninhabitable because of the humans’ careless treatment of the environment. The drabby environment is further emphasized by the exclusion of hues such as green, which represents life on Earth. The brightness is not particularly brilliant, also emphasizing a sad and lonely Earth. The saturation is more neutral than vivid. Lighting plays an important role in this screen capture. The stark contrast between sunlit areas of the character’s body and the shaded areas lead to valid assumptions about the environment. It is apparent that, because of global warming, the ozone layer has been dramatically affected. Even though thick smog engulfs the planet, ultraviolet rays still pierce through with great strength. All of this contributes the symbolism of “where we are headed”. It is no surprise that many people who view the film see it as astatement of environmental activism. Further symbolism can be concluded by the lighting’s focus on WALL-E. It draws attention to his sad expression, even though he does not actually have a “face”. This also can be said about the mood of the Earth scenes--it’s a sad, gloomy world, and it’s “all our fault”.
The second still image depicts WALL-E and his romantic interest EVE inside a giant human spacecraft. This image presents a bold contrast to the shot.
There is no real color scheme in this setting. Bright advertisements of all hues give the appearance of consumerism having taken over human life. However, there does seem to be an emphasis on blue. This could be because blue represents water, and this spacecraft can support life while Earth cannot. The colors are all bright and saturated, giving the setting a vivid and lively mood. There are minimal shadows because sources of artificial light are abundant. The overall symbolism and mood are apparent. It is obvious that the artists wanted a stark contract to the dying Earth. They want to show that humans, despite their treatment of Earth, can be happy anywhere as long as they can indulge in their consumerist and careless ways. It is an ironic way to show that we truly do believe that “ignorance is bliss”.
Again, here is the "Look at my knees!" scene from David Lynch's Eraserhead:
***Apologies for the bad quality; my scanner was not working properly***
During this scene from Eraserhead, Director David Lynch follows the 180-degree rule, the rule of thirds, and 30-degree rule.
The 180-degree rule is followed when switching views between Mr. X and the group in the living room. The line of action is directly between them, and the camera angles remain on one side of the line.
The rule of thirds is also followed in both camera angles. When the group in the living room is the focus, Mrs. X is in the upper left crosshair while Henry is in the upper right crosshair. Mary does not have a prominent role in this scene, so she is not in any of the crosshairs. When the focus is on Mr. X, his face remains in the upper left crosshair. When he steps closer to show his knees, the camera tilts down so that his face is in the upper left crosshair and his knees are in the lower left crosshair. The rule of thirds is then briefly abandoned as Mrs. X and Mr. X exit the room.
The 30-degree rule is followed during this scene because the cameras are set at angles greater than 30 degrees from each other. The one-second opening shot actually made me question this, but by keeping my finger in the middle of the screen until the next shot, I figured that camera position is the same and there was only a slight zoom along with an accidental shift of Mary’s position on the couch. Having said that, it is apparent that 30-degree rule is followed because of the drastic different angle of the two shots between the group in the living room and Mr. X. Since they are having a conversation over a relatively large space (relative to typical conversation scenes), and Lynch is following the 180-degree rule, it only makes sense to follow the 30-degree rule.
This particular scene isn’t quite visually interesting (especially compared to the rest of Eraserhead), but it shows that Lynch knows his rules and applies them to the simplest of scenes. This might subconsciously contribute to why he is so well known as a great director.
For this assignment, I chose two different songs by the band Russian Circles.
"Fathom"
Listening Phase One: Rhythm
Tempo: Medium
Source: Drums
Groove: Driving, heavy
Listening Phase Two: Arrangement
Instrumentation: Drums drive the song with strong accompaniment by both guitar and bass.
Song Structure: There is a recurring guitar theme that acts sort of like a "chorus", while the "verses" are different from each other. However, all these parts seem to flow into one another, making the structure difficult to pinpoint. The structure is basically Intro/Chorus, Verse A, Chorus, Verse B, Chorus, Verse C/Outro. The song remains constantly driving until the heavier, half-time climax at the end.
Emotional Architecture: The song is constantly driving and heavy. There are points where the guitar cuts out, leaving only drums and a very distorted bass. This puts emphasis on the groove and rhythm of the track. It ends creatively on an uneasy note that doesn't feel like a typical ending, and feels more like the song lacks closure.
Listening Phase Three: Sound Quality
Height: Low frequencies are provided by the bass, bass drum, and toms. Mid frequencies are provided by guitar, snare drum, and strings. High frequencies are provided by guitar, cymbals, and strings.
Width: The bass is not panned. The drums, like most modern drum recordings, are panned to imitate an actual drum kit. There are two or more guitar tracks separated widely across the stereo field.
Depth: The main tracks (guitar, bass, and drums) are all equally distributed. There are some layers of sound (strings and complimentary guitar effects) that are lower in the mix.
"Philos"
Listening Phase One: Rhythm
Tempo: Slow
Source: Drums
Groove: Starts out low-key and calm, then becomes more driving, then goes back to low-key
Listening Phase Two: Arrangement
Instrumentation: Drums drive the song with strong accompaniment by both guitar and bass. Strings and timpani also play an important role.
Song Structure: The song is a very gradual build-up. It starts out with a droning guitar effect that fades into a very quiet and smooth "swelling" melody. The drums, bass, and strings are then introduced. As the song keeps building, there is more variety in all of the instruments' parts. The build is especially signified with a busy drum solo. The part comes to a close to another quiet guitar part that builds into the climax. This is also where the timpani is brought in. After the climax, the song goes back into a collected feel similar to the first half of the song. As the song comes to a close, an sort of atmospheric soundscape is introduced until everything fades out.
Emotional Architecture: This song is all about emotion. Even without vocals, it conveys many emotions that are hard to pinpoint but easy to relate to. It's a long song that basically just includes a build, a drop, and a quicker build into a soaring climax that drops into melancholy.
Listening Phase Three: Sound Quality
Height: Low frequencies are provided by the bass, bass drum, toms, and timpani. Mid frequencies are provided by guitar, snare drum, and strings. High frequencies are provided by guitar and strings.
Width: The bass is not panned. The drums, like most modern drum recordings, are panned to imitate an actual drum kit. There are many guitar and string tracks separated widely across the stereo field
Depth: The main tracks (guitar, bass, drums, strings) are all equally distributed. There are some layers of sound (strings, complimentary guitar effects, and timpani) that are lower in the mix.
While “Fathom” and “Philos” are both by Russian Circles and both songs appear on the same album, they hold more differences than similarities.
Given that the songs are on the same album, the sound quality is very similar. As discussed in the frameworks, the height, width, and depth are nearly identical. The only difference in this area is that “Philos” includes more prominent orchestral strings in addition to an added layer of timpani. Also similar is the instruments that drive the song. Drums that hold a strong relation with guitar and bass drive both songs.
The melodies of the songs are very different. “Fathom” has much heavier melodies that are also much more rhythmic. “Philos”, on the other hand, has melodies that feel more uplifting. They tend to be higher in frequency and seem to “swell” around the beat rather than provide accompanying rhythm to the drums like “Fathom”. This all contributes to the overall difference of the “mood” of the songs. Whereas “Fathom” is a driving rock song, “Philos” is all about creating and releasing tension to create an all-around emotional journey. “Fathom” throws its hard-hitting melodies straight at the listener, while “Philos” lets the melodies gradually build and recede into new melodies.
All this is greatly enhanced by the tunes’ differing musical quality. “Fathom” focuses the heaviness of its content by mirroring it with heaviness in quality. The rhythms are solid and driving. The intensity is consistent and does not let up until the song is over. The pitch of the guitars and bass tend to stay at mid-range and low-range frequencies, respectively. The timbre of both of these instruments is distinct, too--both use heavy distortion. The speed is a medium tempo, and the organization is relatively simple. “Philos” takes a completely different approach. The rhythms are much more “open”, and there’s not much intensity until the climax of the song. The pitch of the guitars and bass make their way into higher frequencies. There’s more variety in timbre, with clean guitars, reverb, and tasteful use of distortion. The speed is much slower, and the organization is much more dramatic.
Overall, I like “Philos” more. While “Fathom” is a solid song, “Philos” truly shows off the brilliant song-writing skills of Russian Circles. To make an instrumental song so beautiful and emotional is not an easy task, but the band pulled it off with flying colors.
