Characterization: The Matrix

   The personalities and traits of characters are often left out of modern-day film. In order to appeal to the younger generations, intriguing character backgrounds are omitted, as they take too much time from the film's plot. However, certain older (and better) movies create their plot based on character development. 

         Such a movie is the Matrix, which concentrates on the mental struggles that Neo, a computer engineer, must overcome to become skilled enough to fight his enemy. A good amount of time is spent revolving around Neo's "home life" prior to the revelation about the existence of the Matrix. Through the use of explanatory scenes in the first twenty minutes allows the audience to understand that Neo is not an affluential person in society. Neo does not seem like a character that he becomes near the end of the movie.

               A scene in the movie that portrays Neo's character developing are the first few moments before he visits the "oracle." By this time, Neo is dressed in the 'common' Matrix clothes, very elegant yet impressive. This attire has changed much from the clothes he wore in the first few scenes of the movie. The clothes difference alone shows the power attached to the matrix, that Neo benefitted from. In the oracle's waiting room, Neo meets a young boy playing with a spoon. The boy is able to bend the spoon simply by looking at it. When Neo attempts the same, he succeeds, boosting his self-esteem. Later in the film, Neo must employs such tactics to defeat his enemy. Neo remembers this scene as a great transition, as it highlights his first feelings of accomplishments in the film. By learning the basics of the Matrix, he had overcome one of his largest obstacles.

             I would like to attempt a similar genre of film. I feel the concentration of my efforts will be to demonstrate a character who is forced to evolve quickly, while overcoming the shock of transitioning from indifference to heroism.

Think Frugally

Reader Article Review: The Frugal Filmmaker

The Frugal Filmmaker helps create filming equipment without having to spend exorbitant funds. The article that I find the most reasonable for most students is the rig that can be created to an iPhone with an otterbox safety cover. Most student filmmakers rely largely on their phones, most notably the great camera resolution on the iPhone. In order to compensate for the fragility of the iPhone, the otterbox system is reputed to help protect the phone, however there is no tripod rig for the iPhone when the otterbox is installed. Frugal Filmmaker takes on the challenge to create a cheap alternative of the iPhone tripods that can be used with the otterbox. To do 
so, there are little adjustments necessary on the actual otterbox system. The most expensive equipment is the iPhone itself, but the filmic possibilities the installation enables balances the price. By simply adding a simple tripod mount to the belt clip of the otterbox and punching a hole for the camera, a simple yet effective mount for the iPhone is created. The iPhone’s venerability is therefore no longer a risk in the rough world of filmmaking. This and many other techniques are taught in the Frugal Filmmaker’s Youtube videos, that describe several ways to evade the steep price of film technical gear.

Ten Components of "When you find me" (Project Imagination)

"When you find me" addresses all ten elements of photography. These ten themes* are expressed through the director and cinematographer's choices in stage design and techniques.

The Unknown

The first relation to a theme was inspired by the scene of a tree, strategically taken in overexposure, which helps give the tree heavenly and mysterious qualities. The scene of the tree serves as the opening scene in this movie, giving the plot line some unknown qualities. This was created to attract the audience’s attention towards a symbol that is repeated throughout the movie. This first instance where this symbol is used in the main character’s dreams.

                                                                                    Relation

The most emotional interaction that occurs during this movie is the passing of the girl’s mother. This scene begins to explain the reason for the visions the main character, Lisle, receives in her dreams. When her mother dies, infant Lisle has a goal to reach her mother once again. Later, adult Lisle breaks a long-lasting grudge involving her sister, Aurora, to tell of the vision she has had since childhood.


Character
This next scene addresses the theme of character well, as it begins Lisle’s devotions towards finding her mother. Lisle’s perception of death has not yet been established at that age, which helps her envision a magnificent world were her mother
lives. The image helps Lisle’s character progress, as there is a visible change in the conception and representation of heaven. As the plot develops, the notion of heaven becomes more concrete, with the everlasting discolored tree under which Lisle’s mother waits for her daughter. These improvements to Lisle’s character helps redefine the plot from the loss of innocence of a motherless child to the sustenance of belief that the visions have a meaning that can be interpreted.

                                                                                                        Backstory
It is, at certain times, difficult to differentiate what is certain to be the backstory and the main plot, as both advance at similar speeds and in similar ways. The adult Lisle remains confident in her visions and
wants to share this experience with her incredulous sister, just as the child Lisle wants to prove to her Aurora that heaven is easy to reach. Throughout the movie, there are several scenes that impose assumed facts that prove Lisle’s belief wrong. The subplot may not seem present, however the story revolves around the perseverance of Lisle’s innocence against obstacles ready to mislabel faith as immaturity.

Time
The theme of time is incorporated into this piece by demonstrating the change in Aurora’s personality as she begins to receive evidence in the accuracy of Lisle’s dreams. The fast change is mainly fueled by Aurora’s lack in comfort from knowing that her last words to her dying mother were harsh. As the story continues, time plays a major role in urging Aurora to accept Lisle’s explanation of the dream. Time helps highlight Aurora’s change in opinion. The explanation that Lisle is simply remembering a juvenile dream is slowly put out of question with the correct use of time as contemplation.

Obstacle
There are many obstacles that must be overcome in order for Lisle to explain to her sister the truth behind her visions. The most robust example of a barrier that had to be crossed was the skepticism that Lisle’s story from Aurora. This skepticism deteriorates as new details of the visions emerge, including passages that relate to private conversations between Aurora and mother before their mother’s death. As the previous disbelief in the dream becomes more believable, changes occur in Aurora’s actions. Acceptance through the defeat of obstacles is displayed as a crucial aspect of character in this movie, not
only as Aurora’s acceptance of the visions, but the mother’s acceptance of the apologies from Aurora as well.

         

                                                                                    Setting

The use of a symbolic setting for Lisle’s origin of her vision is highly effective in portraying the idea that Lisle’s dreams originate from her realization that her mother had died and been buried. This began the strive towards seeing her mother once again. Without this theme, the movie is much less clear, as this transition is well understood by Lisle, and less well by Aurora, who looses all hope in seeing her mother, as she had been taught the high improbability of seeing the dead.

Mood

As the most part of the movie is spent in a melancholy state, the climax occurs at the end of the film, leaving the resolution of the plot up to the audience. An interpretation of the films based on the mood of the movie can be that by becoming closer together, the sisters are able to comfort each other with the notion that their mother understands the sincerity of Aurora’s apologies. Aurora needed the consolation of knowing that her mother valued them as equals no mater how much rage they expressed towards her. Lisle felt it was her duty to explain this feeling of serenity with Aurora.

                                                                                    Goal
Unified goals between Lisle as a child and as an adult help the movie progress, as both want to persuade Aurora of the ability to see their dead mother through dreams. Lisle never was sure of the reason, but Aurora had maintained a long-lasting grudge against Lisle, however Lisle believed that this problem could be resolved through certain visions she experienced during her night in the cemetery. The movie ends when this goal is reached, suggesting the plot was based on the development of these goals.

Discovery
The discovery of new elements of the plot is equally necessary for the themes to intertwine. With each addition of elements, new opportunities to express new themes were available. The director was able to incorporate every theme into this story, yet discovery itself
was expressed throughout the story in several ways. Firstly,
the discovery of a variation of heaven helps young Lisle to comprehend her mother’s death, and contemplate methods of reuniting Aurora with her mother. Aurora’s discovery of Lisle’s dreams completed the cycle, as Aurora understood that her mother contented herself in being a constant part of her daughters’ thoughts.






*(see Project Imagina1i0n)

Project Imagina1i0n

THEMES OF STORYTELLING

These ten categories, in order, are Mood, Goal, Backstory, Character, Obstacle, Relation, Setting, The Unknown, and Time. The last theme will be revealed later.
In order to deepen our understanding in the meaning of these categories and the method used to capture this emotion, I have selected an image from each category to analyze and comment upon. Enjoy!

Mood

"City Lights"

This image of a girl looking over a cityscape embodies the theme of mood by focusing solely on the girl, while keeping the city lights blurred. By doing so, the Z axis keeps pointed on the city, while retaining the concentration of details on the girl. The shallow focus on the girl evokes feelings that describe the theme of mood by causing the audience to inquire about the thoughts of the girl. By keeping the f-stop small, the lighting on the girl becomes artistic instead of distracting. This exposure setting also gives the image a sense of contrasts between the ligts of the city and the shadows on the girl's face.

Goal

Ski Jump

By concentrating on the z-axis, the ski jump equipment obviously revolves around the narrator's goal of succeeding in a daring sport. The use of the concept of the rule of thirds plays a major role in this composition, as the photographer chose to include a clear barrier obstruct the full view of the ski jump. By keeping the clear screen in the top left corner, the image stresses the idea that goals are not easily achieved, instead of being a simple display of a sport.

Backstory

Broken Dreams

Broken Dreams is an inspirational image of potential after devastation in wake of the destructive hurricane Katrina. The narrator decides to stay in a wide focus range in this photograph in order to focus on the ruins of homes instead of letting viewers be distracted by the potential colors of the image. By employing such techniques, the narrator is able to express and explain the story of the incident, and incites the viewer to think about the horrors faced by residents during the hurricane. If this image had selective focus, it would take longer contemplation on the side of the viewer to create a story from the image.





Character

By using a large aperture on the image of the window, a color contrast is created that attracts the

Ghost Reflection by Afton D

audience's attention towards the girl instead of the frame. Instead of showing the character as she is in reality and by creating a lower opacity image of the girl, the photographer is able to use the concept of character evaluation. The girl is transparent, as she can be described as innocent and transparent. This causes the viewers to contemplate their own status, and discover flaws in their daily actions. The girl is also seem holding a mirror, perhaps a symbol for her curiosity of how she is seen by others. This effect is created with the transparency, and the simple use of a larger aperture to help the windows remain brightly lit in comparison to the girl.

Obstacle

Homeless by Cal G.

This image addresses the theme of obstacles by presenting monetary gain as a barrier for character development. Without the necessary influence of money, this man would be free to express himself in a world free of biased thought based on profit. This revolutionary theme is expressed by the image being in grey scale. If not for the absence of color, this sight would be ordinary, as many people are shelter less. Therefore, the discoloration of the image adds to the mood of the piece and helps define the theme as an insurmountable obstacle for the society we live in.






Relationship

3 is a Crowd by Jennifer M.

This image of the penguins is very different that most images of the sort. Here, the rule of thirds may not seem to be followed in this image, as the penguins "kissing" are not in the top left of the screen. However, the subject of the image is not the penguins kissing, it is the penguin of the left. The reason this becomes apparent is that the penguin on the left matches the requirements for catching the viewer's attention according to the Rule of Thirds. By using the rule of thirds to distinguish the subject of an image, photographers allow the viewers to easily identify different aspects of the piece.


Setting

The Street by S.F.

This use of a small f-stop allows the image to focus on a solitary drain gutter. In normal instances, this may appear dull, but by making the side of the picture black, the image intrigues the audience and questions the actual significance of this road. The single source of light is probably from a lamp post, which also helps to build question into this image. With several sources of illumination, the feeling would be ruined, as all 'questions' would be deemed solved.








The Unknown

The Line by Tracy B.

The unknown should be represented by a detail of a larger object that at the same time shows a lot of info about a small detail, while revealing a larger understanding about the plot situation of the image. Evidence is available
With an overview glance at this image, many people would assume it is pointless, however the small details




Time

Reflections by Cheryl R.

With the use of reflections, this image allows for the viewer to examine the world of the subject through. This perspective is generaltd by alining the souce of the reflection on the z-axis of the camera. By doing so, the allusion of viewing a world through the mirror is created. The world on the other side of the mirror seems unaffected, and free, even if it depends on our actions to be able to reflect something. The subject of Time is effectively shown in this image by creating depth with an image of a mirror showing a replica of our world.