Roland Barthes created his narrative theory once he began to notice how times were changing and began to think about language, culture and existence and the way they progress. In his theory, he came up with codes which were his set of rules and he used this theory to link together with the production of different stories. He concluded that all stories use the same five codes and that signifiers of genre can be used to create a narrative. His codes were:
1. Action Code- depicts the events which take place in the narrative- the who, where, when of the story. Action codes are sequential.
2. Semantic Code- refers to character and characterisation. The actions in the story are explained by the character's viewpoint on events.
3. Enigma Code- involves the setting up of mystery, its development and its resolution
4. Referential Code- involves explaining or informing. Mise-en-scene is a referential code.
5. Symbolic Code- involves the reading of the connotations of signs which transforms them into symbolic representations e.g. a character can symbolise bravery.
Five Codes with Phone Booth
Action Code:
- We immediately get a sense of place from the beginning as there are lots of establishing shots of New York and there are lots of moving shots to take the audience through the busy city.
- There is also a lot of background noise and this adds to where the film is set and the surroundings.
- As all these things are happening at once and there is a lot going on, we get the feeling that this is all happening in present time.
- After this, we are then introduced to the main character and we get an initial impression of what he is like through this.
Semantic Code:
- We see the main character first, who is dressed smartly and is on the phone, with a employee or friend following him and we get the impression that he is an important businessman.
- His personality is shown from this phone call and the way he walks shows how he has confident, arrogant and has authority with the job that he does.
- He is wearing sunglasses however, and this shows that there is more to be revealed about this character.
- With the character being on the phone, there is a link to the films title and we can tell that the idea of phones will play an important part in the film.
Enigma Code:
- The mystery is involved when we see a variety of different characters within the street of New York on their mobiles and we begin to wonder what the role of a phone will have to do with this film and what is going to happen next.
- As the first time we see the main character, he is wearing sunglasses, an air of mystery is created as we cannot see his eyes and can tell that there is more to this character and that something big will happen involving this man.
Referential Code:
- The film starts in the busy city during the day and it seems chaotic and crowded. This gives a slight feeling of entrapment and claustrophobia and this relates to the title of Phone Booth in being stuck in one place.
-The lighting is also very bright as it is filmed in daylight and this reflects the personality of the character being important, centred and the focus point of the story.
Symbolic Code:
- The character symbolises arrogance however, this makes me think that something will happen to teach him a lesson and to make him think about his actions.
- Also, the mobile phone symbolises distractions and as the main character shows his arrogance through the phone call, it seems as if the phone will have something to do with this punishment he will receive.
1. Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
I worked with Despina, George and Claire and we all contributed to the exercise and suggested ideas. We studied the brief and then got on to deciding important steps such as roles and location. When making a film, the roles normally taken on are sound technician, camera operateur, actor, light technician and runner so we decided to follow most of these roles to make the shoot more professional and organised. During our first meeting, after coming up with an idea, we decided that Despina and Claire would be the main actors within the piece and George would also act at the end of the sequence. This left me to do the shooting however, we decided that George should shoot some of the shots that he was not featured in to share out responsibility. George and I also took the role of sound technician. When it came to editing, Despina and George did most of the editing as they seemed to have the most knowledge when it came to editing the final piece however, both Claire and I both contributed ideas and looked out to try and ensure that there were no continuity errors and put in suggestions. Overall, I enjoyed working with my group and I think that we all contributed a lot and worked together well and I think doing this exercise as a group, we got to learn a lot about group skills and how to handle stressful situations productively. Also, we were all very reliable and showed good time keeping skills.
2. How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?
We had a initial meeting to get started and to plan our sequence which was very useful because we all got to share ideas and plan what exactly we were going to do. In this meeting, we brainstormed ideas and then planned the script, sorted the shot list and then started on the storyboard for shots, including duration and the denotation of each shot. We also made sure that we had a shooting schedule to ensure that we were all organised and knew exactly what was happening. Once we decided our location in this initial meeting, we went into the room and had a brief run through taking into account important things such as where the camera will be positioned and how we wanted the overall sequence to appear. We also analysed the lighting within the location and what the acoustics were like and once we were happy with this, we organised another meeting during a lunchtime. At this second meeting, we finalised all of the details and completed all of the storyboard. With the planning of the storyboard, we needed to make sure that we stuck to the brief so we needed to have one character walk in and sit opposite another character and then the two needed to exchange a few seconds of dialogue. The techniques that we needed to make sure that we took into account were important continuity rules such as the 180 degree rule, 30 degree rule, match on action, shot-reverse shot and a matched cut when editing. Also, in terms of character types, we have used normal and everyday characters and have included a love interest which they both fancy.
3. What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?
Before we actually started the task, the school technician showed us the technology that we will be using and told us how to use the pieces of equipment which was very helpful and prevented questions being asked during the actual shoot which would waste time.
The hardware which were involved in the shoot, included a Cannon HDV Camera with a mini DV tape format with a camera mic attached and this allowed us to shoot the footage professionally with good sound throughout. We also used a tripod to keep the camera still and to create smooth pans with the rotating lever. The tripod legs were also very useful as we could extend and reduce them to show different perspectives for example with the girls point of view when sitting down, the reduction of the legs provided a more realistic view of the other character. We also had headphones which we connected to the camera which was very helpful in ensuring that the sound was loud enough without any background noise reducing the quality. Other equipment included a clipboard to keep our storyboard and notes on and also a mini whiteboard which was very helpful in writing the shot and take to show us when editing visually what number each shot was.
The software that we used was a PC based digital editing suite and the main programme we used was Adobe Premier Pro which was an easy software to follow. This software had a large supply of tools which were very helpful in creating the final piece. The main tools we used included the razor which we used cut up each clip to separate both the shot and the audio, the drag icon to drop clips into the timeline to pick out the footage we wanted and the transitions to go in between each shot. In this project, we used cuts for a quick effect. The programme also had a source and output monitor to show us the footage we wanted to pick out and then finally, the clip after it has been edited. Also, we could include titles through the software to introduce our sequence and then to provide an ending title. Adobe Premier Pro, made the editing of our prelim project very easy to do and it was a very helpful and effective programme.
4. What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?
When planning, there were very important factors that we needed to take into consideration. A big factor was the roles within the exercise as we wanted to pick actors that felt confident enough to play the part convincingly. Also, we needed to plan out where we would do the shoot and this was very important as we needed a location that was appropriate for the scene and we needed to ensure that everything was in place to create a good sense of place. Another factor was that we had a strong enough script that would be easy to follow and one that allowed the two actors to have a conversation.
With the shooting however, a big factor to keep an eye on was the lighting was okay for the shot and was not either too bright or not bright enough. Also, we had to check on the sound because it was important that we could hear the actors clearly and that there were no sounds from the other groups nearby that would interrupt things. Continuity was the most important factor when shooting as we had to ensure that no rules were broken and that everything flowed well. Making sure that we wrote down each shot and take was also vital so that we could sort out the shot order and record what take was the best.
When it came to editing, we took into account time management as we only had a certain amount of time to complete the editing and also, the order in which we would place the shots. Another thing we had to decide was where to cut certain shots along with what transitions would be most effective.
5. How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what you would improve/ do differently.
Overall, the sequence was not as successful as I would have hoped as there are a few weak points however, there are also some effective shots to the sequence. We stuck to the continuity rules which I think is very positive as we tried very hard to ensure that there were not any errors so this part of the sequence was successful. The things that I think worked well, was firstly, the first shot of the actor walking in as it is a clean shot without any mistakes and it is a shot that was required in this sequence. Also, the second shot of the pan as Claire walks into the room, works quite well as it acts as a good establishing shot in revealing the setting. Finally, the reaction shot and the points of view of Claire at 0.12 is well framed and 0.20 is quite effective also because it is framed well and shows the facial expression of the characters.
In hindsight however, I would re-do the shot at 0.23 as the framing is very weak because there is too much space at the top of the shot. The reason I think this framing was quite bad was because I was shooting this shot in the corner of the room and there was not enough space to do an effective pan. So, if I was to change something, I would consider thinking more carefully about location. Also, I think that the conversation between the girls is too quick and this makes it seem quite unrealistic so I would probably change the script and have more pauses where the girls look at the laptop, gazing at the pictures on it. At 0.13, there is too much space along the side so I would have framed this tighter if I had the chance to do it again. Another thing I would change would be by making the sequence simpler as we added three people when really, we only needed two so I think that we should have made it less complicated.
6. What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?
I have learnt a lot from doing this task and I think has helped increase my knowledge of filming and editing. The main things that I have learnt are firstly, the scripting of directing which includes getting everyone on shoot to keep quiet ('standby') and how the director decides when to say action and informs the camera operator when to cut and stop recording. I also learnt about all of the roles that are involved within the filming and how they all come together to cover every aspect of shooting. One of the most important things that I learn were the continuity techniques in particular with the 180 degree rule as it can ruin a sequence and make it seem unreal and fake. I also learnt about how important checking the audio is because background noise or the actor not being loud enough can be a big problem. Also, storyboarding is extremely important and making sure that there is an establishing shot within the storyboard to make sure firstly, we know what we are doing and secondly with the establishing shot, a sense of place is shown to the audience. A big lesson that I have learn is about how to handle stressful situations as it was quite stressful so I think that next time, I will try and stay calm and focus on my role more.
I think that this exercise will help me with my foundation coursework because now. I have experienced what it is like and I have been able to pinpoint where exactly it is that I went wrong and can make sure that I do not repeat these mistakes again.
I decided to use the clip of Oceans 12 as I think it follows continuity rules and I also find the interaction between the characters and the techniques used with both filming and editing interesting.
The beginning of this clip starts with an establishing LS to show clearly where the character is, in this case a hotel room so it immediately sets the scene. We also get an idea of time due to the minimal lighting through the window.
The 180 degree rule is followed within this clip as the line of vision between the characters is not crossed and therefore we as an audience do not get confused with the placements of the characters and with what side they are on.
Also, as the shots of the two men are MS's we get to see both the facial expression and body language of the characters. What I also find effective is that the conversation between the two are filmed over the shoulder of each other which includes the character in their conversation looking over them. With this part (which starts at 0.29), the dialogues were probably filmed separately so Brad Pitt's character would have acted out all of his lines in one go and then this would have been edited to fit in with the conversation with George Clooney.
There is a match on action at 0.26, 0.39 and 0.44 with the door as it is open the same amount in each part avoiding continuity errors and any confusion.
The use of shot order is effective as it fits in smoothly through the narrative in starting with a LS, having a MS from 0.27 to 0.59 and then finishing with a wide shot of the two characters. This makes everything fit into place correctly.
There is also matching eye line as they are looking at a correct level and a matched cut as the transitions are all cuts fitting into the speed of the scenes and making each different scene flick to the next one straight away.
Finally, the most effective continuity technique in this scene is the shot-reverse-shot with the cut between the characters and their conversation which is very quick and places the audience within the conversation making them feel a part of what is happening.
With all of these continuity rules being followed, the whole clip seems very realistic which is the main point of following these rules. Also, all of it seems to flow a lot better and has a very professional feel to it.
1. What do you think was the point to the activity?
This activity required us to make a six shot sequence of an accident taking place. The point of this activity was to learn more about continuity, how important it is and the rules that need to be followed to achieve a realistic sequence. The main purpose of all of this was also to give us knowledge on narrative flow and how important it is when delivering a storyline. We also needed to learn about the order of shots and the effect each shot gives so this exercise was very helpful in teaching us this through mistakes that we might have made.
2. In regard to your finished sequence, what worked well?
There are a few things that I think worked quite well with my finished sequence and that I am pleased with. Firstly, with the first shot, a LS of the two girls facing each other we can see both their surrounding and the tense relationship between the two because of the distance between them. Another thing that i think worked well is the variety of shots shown which makes the whole sequence more interesting. There is a over the shoulder (putting the audience within the action), a close up (showing the angry facial expression of one of the characters) and a High Angle shot showing a reverse in power with how this character isn't as tough as we first think. Finally, the cut-aways between is another strong point as it breaks up the action into different pieces making it more dramatic and exciting.
3. What would you aim to improve about your sequence?
There are quite a few things that I would change with this sequence as there were a lot of mistakes made. Firstly, the two characters should be walking towards each other so that the second shot of one of the girls walking ties in with the first. Also, we get to see the point of view of one of the characters so I think we should get to see the point of view of the other character to make it more interesting with a shot reverse shot between the two. The two point of view shots would have to be broken up with a master shot to remind the audience where they are in relation to one another. With the shot of the punch, there should be a match on action as the time frame between the action and reaction should be more accurate as the dodge is too slow and it looks staged. The most important thing that needs to be improved within this sequence is to do with continuity as we broke a big rule- the 180 Degree Rule. As with some shots we moved the camera right the way round, we changed the viewers perspective in such a way that they appear to have swapped places causing confusion for the viewer. This is a big continuity rule so if I was to shoot this again, I would ensure that I would not break it again.
4. What did you learn from doing this activity? simple
From doing this activity I learned how important narrative flow is and how it is not easy to achieve a perfect and believable sequence. I also learned lots of things about continuity and tips such as the 180 degree rule and the 30 degree rule to keep things in place and to stop shots from looking staged. This exercise has definitely taught me to look more carefully into the minor details that go in to creating a flowing sequence.
Hi, I'm Michael Greene and this is my AS Media Studies blog. I am currently studying Media, English Literature, History and R.E at The Latymer School. I am very interested in media and enjoy all sorts of films so am looking forward to this project. Feel free to have a look around my blog.
