Film ProfileJosh Collins

Name of Film The Shawshank Redemption Director Frank DarabontYear Released 1994Main Cast Tim Robbins- Andy

Morgan Freeman- Ellis(Red)Bob Gunton- Warden Norton William Sadler- HeywoodClancy Brown- Captain HadleyJames whitmore- Brooks

Sub-Genre ( if applies) Crime Thriller Budget 25 millionGross (how much it made) 58.30 millionSynopsis What is the film about?

It is a POV from ‘Red’ (Morgan Freeman). He tells the story of Andy and how he was put in prison and how he built relationships to the prison. He then became successful enough to escape and put the Warden under and be arrested by thieving the Warden.

Character ProfileBrief overview of main characters. Do they follow Propp’s theory? What are the generic stereotypes of the characters?

Andy: Becomes a business administrator for the Warden but actually in the end ruins the warden and robs him. He is considered the Hero of Propp’s theory… this is due to him shutting down a bad ran prison.

Ellis (Red): Red is the supplier and the man who talks through the story. He helps Andy escape. He is the helper but also the dispatcher according to Propp’s theory.

Warden Norton: the Warden is the leader of the prison and runs the place. He later then is robbed and kills himself. I consider him the villain of Propp’s theory.

Heywood: This character is one of the in prison friends to Red and Andy. One of the dispatchers, which is part of Propp’s theory.

Captain Hadley: This character is the main guard that runs and orders what the prisoners do. He is also the villain as he badly treats he prisoners...

Brooks: Brooks is the librarian in the film and he tells stories of his experience of the long sentence he has had. He acts as the donor due to his experience of the prison and helps Andy.

Mise-en-scene The location is in a prison…it does look

Film ProfileJosh Collins

Location – Where is the film set, how does the location look and what does it convey about the location you will need to consider the use of decor, colour and

Costume – Consider what is worn, the colour and what it connotes.

Props – What are used and why?

dark and dodgy. There are many black colours representing death or evil… there is a lot of browns and oranges, which combines with red to show danger, war and power of the prison. The props used are whips and guns for injuries and pain towards to prisoners. There is a bible also to symbolise belief for the prisoners. A small pickaxe is given to Andy this was his escape weapon. The clothes are all in ones and the colour blue with horrible printed numbers on the chest of the all in ones. The uniform seems low standard and there is no real luxury to the clothing. Whereas, the guards and warden are nice, suited, and tight fitted smart clothes.

Camera

What are the important camera frames? How is the camera moving and why?

Also, consider how is it moving such as whether the movement is smooth or whether shaky and the effect this has?

Consider the range of options for moving the camera and how these are used like tracking shots, hand-held, Steadicam, jib and crane.

When looking at framing also consider the position and angle of the camera. Are any of the shots on low or high angles? Does the film use any cantered angles and if so what does this suggest about the world or characters?

Close up camera angles: this is to show the emotion of the prisoners.Over the shoulders: this is to show the conversations for the prisoners. High angles: These are shown also on the occasion to show the prisoners powerless.Low angles: The can be opposed to the guards and Warden as they are in control and it shows them as quite powerful. The camera techniques used by Shawshank is pan, tilt, zoom and one shot.

Film ProfileJosh Collins

The Shawshank Redemption Clip Micro analysis

Clip: Roof sceneThe clip I have chosen is from a crime/drama movie ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. The clip is framed (Mise-en-scene) on a roof. The clip is the start of the turn of Andy (Protagonist) on how he made a positive impact to the prison, becoming a businessman and earning respect of the guards. This also prevents the fact Andy was beaten and raped in the prison. Before he approached the guard, the start of the film he was beaten and raped by a group of lads that happened to have one gay man that was really attracted to him. Andy were not interested and had to battle on his own. The clip is in the point of the ‘rising action’ of the film. This is down to Andy getting access to prison paper work… that later evolves that Andy was actually putting the prison down under. In this microanalysis, I will present three snippets of the clip of ‘the roof scene’. It will present the cinematography, and the Mise-en-scene of the clip and why it is important.

The first clip in the beginning where the clip begins with a high angled shot, close up shot at the Tar in the bucket. This is to show the hard labour work and slavery the prisoners had to perform whilst doing their sentence. The camera pans over to the top of the roof, taking a medium shot where the prisoners are mopping the tar. The Mise-en-scene of the clip is there are two prisoners carrying the buckets of tar, their hunched up backs may show the ‘day in day out labour’ they perform… and figure expression is negative, where their heads are also down as they pass the officers, showing the prisoners are not powerful and they’re very helpless. In this scene of the clip, it is shot on top of the roof. In the shot there is countless prisoners gathered doing hard labour. There are four officers all dressed smart and presentable. They are loaded with armour and seem to be looking down onto the prisoners. The other three officers on duty surround Captain Hadley. This may suggest that that officer is the main, more dominant officer of the prisoner. The colour of their uniforms are black representing their elegance, there power and formality.

The second snippet of the clip starts with a tracking shot taken of the guard (Captain Hadley) walking towards the edge of the building… then a close up on a determined looking Andy. An over the shoulder is presented over Andy’s back, with Red (Point of view character of the story) speaking dialogue to keep him safe from the guards. The camera then changes into a medium shot towards the guards. The ‘Mise-en-scene’ of the clip

Pans

Film ProfileJosh Collins

is still on top of the roof. This conveys those hard long hours; the prisoners have to slave for. The guards are wearing black showing their power and formality. However, the main guard is wearing a badge… this may present his authority of being the head guard and his power and his importance towards the prison. Unlike the other guards, their badges are silver showing a lower level of importance. The lighting seems bright and a reddish colour, as the sun is scorching hot, represents the heat, and length of the labourer’s day the prisoners are in. or represents the forced labour in the hot sun is punishment. The ‘cinematography’ of this shot is a medium shot, that has been taken to present the wider image of what Andy is about to get himself into. This shot is a still shot and in the distance, you can see Andy approaching the guards. Closer into the shot, the camera is in a deep focus on Captain Hadley. The three other guards seen to be surrounding the captain. The way the captain is standing in a dominant pose, as he is actually the real antagonist of the film. The stance of the guard can present even though he is the antagonist of the film, he is quite powerful and is very dominant… hence why other guards surround him. However, with Andy his body language showed he looked quite disturbed, almost like he was trying to debate whether he was going to approach the captain or not. He was feared.

In the third snippet of the clip is when the prisoners and guards are drinking after Andy made an eventful scene of approaching the main captain. As Andy was put by the edge of the roof, he resolved the captain’s issue but requested for beer to do what he has requested. Going into the clip, the cinematography of the snippet is calm. What I mean by calm is the slow motion of the camera showing a relaxed

Film ProfileJosh Collins

point in the film for the prisoners and showing a happy moment they are having together as one. It is a medium angled shot across the group of prisoners on a one shot effect. There are no stops and the clip just flows in all one scene. It pans in a very calm motion. The technique of zooming is added also adding the detail of the calm and enjoyment the prisoners are having of the beer and just calming down. The Mise-en-scene is a different tone in this snippet. There is some higher key lighting, making the scene a lot brighter to show the calm and enjoyment they’re having; not doing any hard labour. The lighting is on sunset which shines over the roof showing joy and happiness and a good energy of the area. Their body language is that the prisoners are more chilled and relaxed, just having a laugh with one another. Their facial expressions of the prisoners are they’re happy and not worrying about what bad will happen; everything is put aside and they are just enjoying that moment whilst they can. There clothes are still the same; rugged, dirty prison clothes, however in this scene, Andy is made to become more reputable to the prison for what he did.