Category Archives: videoessay

Film analysis: Coming Full Circle with WALL-E – My Favorite Project So Far!

This is hands down my favorite ever project for DS106.

Initially I had a hard time coming up with a film to analyze. I don’t have any subscriptions to any streaming platforms, so I had to do my best to find clips on YouTube. While brainstorming, I had a lightbulb moment that reminded me of a particular scene in WALL-E that I wanted to delve further into.

I picked a scene where the majority of the attention is put on the characters. I focused in on the close-ups of the characters, and how different cinematography elements were strung together to tell a story without the use of dialogue.

I used OBS to recording my desktop screen, with the audio recording on. I wrote a script beforehand and printed it out to read, and it was recorded all in a continuous take. This allowed me to not perform any extra work of overlaying my voice on the clip, nor did I have to download the video to my computer. However, this forced me to record everything in a single take, which gave me no leeway to mess up any of my lines for 3 minutes. It took way too many takes than I want to admit to get all of my lines down, and timing my commentary with the transitions of the clips was even more difficult.

Once I did get it down though, I was so satisfied with the end result. I think this is one of my best works so far, and I had a blast walking through the creative process behind the analysis. I’d argue that the timing of the commentary is a method of storytelling in and of itself, and I think it really shines through in my WALL-E analysis.

I’ll definitely explore editing clips in a video editor in the future, but learning OBS was a great experience for the rest of my DS106 journey.

Video Analysis

This took a lot of effort and I am not really happy with the result. I wish I had more time to play around with video editors and to make it better. I did get it done and I hope that you enjoy it. To start with this I watched the movie and picked a specific scene. I thenn found the scene on youtube and converted it to a downloadable file. I then added said file to my Capcut account in a new project. After watching the clip a bunch of times I selected a little less of the clip to analyze. For this I chose the build up to the initial fight. This was very packed with film techniques, so I rewatched the clip a couple more times and made a script for my audio recording. I took a bunch of audio takes and then picked three which I cut to match the video. I did have to freeze frame, and slow down certain points of the video to completely match it but it worked out. I then added subtitles and a title screen and then posted the video. This is probably the most time consuming project to date but I really appreciate that I learned how to create a youtube video. I have more appreciation for those who do it consistently.

Video Essay Oh No…

I had a rough time with this. I have found out that I am not very good with video editing software. First, I tried to use Microsoft Clipchamp and I was getting the hang of it, but I could just not seem to figure out how to get things the way I like or the way I envisioned them. I was working on this all week, and I could not seem to figure it out, so I decided to use a different program to talk over myself watching the scene and pausing at key moments to discuss. I managed to use Loom to get that to work but I could not get the video volume to come through while I was recording. Good thing I was only discussing lighting… So, I was still unable to get audio of the scene, but my voice and thoughts carried through fine so now that I’m down to the wire I just decided to try and embed the file in this post. Now that I am trying, I can’t from loom for some reason… If I do the link copy route, it doesn’t actually put the video on my post. If I go the embed code route, it still won’t. So, I decided to download the video from loom. It is an MP4 and will not embed as a video in this post for some reason. Says it is an unsupported file type. So, I am having a hell of a time trying to get this to work. what I am going to do next week is get on my wife’s Mac and use I movie for whatever I need. this stuff as just not working for me this week and I am really disappointed that I could not get my point across the way I wanted. I have found my media weakness and that is video editing. Below is the video i am trying to embed, I hope it works. If it doesn’t here is the link to the page.

Video Essay

This week, we had to make a video essay going over a movie scene. I am not a big movie fan, so this was challenging for me, but after watching the videos provided in the weekly assignments, I was able to get some more insight. I decided to use a scene from Spiderman: Homecoming since it is a movie I have seen before.

I watched the scene a few times and wrote down my analysis of it and what stood out to me. I learned more about how to analyze a movie scene, which I was able to apply in this video essay. Doing this assignment helped me realize there are so many aspects of movies and film making that go unnoticed.

Tearing Up the Dance Floor – Ex Machina Film Analysis Notes

This week I made a video essay about Ex Machina. In it, I compare different technical aspects of Ava and Caleb’s sessions throughout the movie. You can read the transcript of my video and find the link here.

This was a very challenging assignment. I have done some editing and voice recording for school projects, but never something this complex. I was working with a lot more content and trying to bring it all together into a single, understandable idea.

Here was my process:

  • I watched the movie, taking notes the entire time. After, I looked over my notes and found common themes. I then rewatched some scenes and started formulating my general idea.
  • Next, I wrote a script. I wrote it in sections – the introduction and synopsis, a breakdown of the specific things I look at in each scene, the analysis of each scene, and the conclusion.
  • After this I got all my clips. Some of them were not available online, so I had to find things substitutions.
  • Then I recorded my script. I put the audio into iMovie, then the first video.
  • Finally, editing! Since I went scene by scene, I imported each scene and started cutting it together. I know that real editors do a rough cut and do several rounds of editing with increasing detail. I did not do this. Instead, I did one very slow edit that became the final version. My method was not efficient and made it very difficult to fix mistakes. In the future, I will do more research into better techniques and try to implement them.

One issue I made off the bat was with my techniques for collecting videos. I usually operate under the idea that I will do more work if it means I don’t have to figure out something new. This idea was the downfall of this project. Instead of figuring out how to download videos, I screen-recorded YouTube videos on my phone. Besides this possibly being illegal, it means that the video quality is not good. If I make another video like this in the future, I will bite the bullet and figure out how to download videos. It’s long overdue.

Despite all the corners I arguably cut, this was a very difficult project and I am proud of the results. I spent a lot of time analyzing the movie, writing my script, collecting all the pieces, and assembling it. I like the video I created and I am interested to know what other people think about my analysis.

The Framing of Gods – Ex Machina Film Analysis

Below is the transcript and link for my film analysis of Ex Machina. There are some slight differences in wording, but overall this is accurate to the final video. My full breakdown of this process and my experience is here.

Warning: this video involves major spoilers for Ex Machina.

In Ex Machina, Caleb Smith is a programmer at Blue Book who wins a contest to spend a week at the private estate of Nathan Bateman, Blue Book’s CEO. Caleb learns that he is the human aspect in a Turing test, a test that examines the AI of robots. He starts conversing with Ava, Nathan’s latest robot. Caleb uncovers the truth of Nathan and what he is making. In the end, Caleb helps Ava escape. She kills Nathan, leaves Caleb behind to die, and goes into the world, finally free.

During this movie, Caleb and Ava have six official sessions that are part of the Turing test. Every session takes place in Ava’s room, where they are on opposite sides of a glass wall. 

There are many incredible ways that this movie communicates its message. Today I will be focusing on Caleb and Ava’s sessions. Lines, positioning, and reflection show the developing relationship between Caleb and Ava as well as the way they view each other.

First, let’s review these three topics I will use to examine these conversations .

Sitting and standing are very simple, effective ways to communicate power in a conversation. In this movie there are even more specific things the character’s positions represent. When one character is standing and the other is sitting, the one standing is in control of the conversation. When both are standing or sitting, they are equal. Two characters standing shows that they both feel as though they are in control and both of them sitting represents a more casual relationship.

Reflections and lines are prominent in the movie as a whole, even outside of Caleb and Ava’s sessions. When Caleb and Nathan are in the house together, Caleb is often boxed in with lines. The audience sees his reflection more than Nathan’s. Traditionally, mirrors represent moments of deceit, deception, contrast, distortion, and delusion. Nathan hides the truth from Caleb for most of this movie, so every scene with them is full of those ideas. In Caleb and Ava’s sessions, lines and reflections have even more distinct symbolism.

Let’s get into it. First, Session 1. In this session, Ava and Caleb are meeting for the first time. After the title screen, this scene’s first focus is on the sticky note wall in Nathan’s room, which emphasizes the nature of their meeting. They are first and foremost there for business. In the conversation, Caleb is excited and nervous, while Ava is confused given that she has never met anyone other than Nathan. They are both on edge, tense, and uncomfortable with each other.

They are both standing at the beginning of this scene. Both of them are equal in terms of comfort and control, though they believe they are each leading it. Caleb things he is driving the conversation because he is the human in this Turing test. Ava is observing him, which we later learn was probably due more to trying to figure out how she can use him and less because she was enamored by a new human. Ava is mostly shown behind the glass wall, whereas in later sessions the camera will join her on the other side. We see both of their reflections, representing how both of them are changing and how this new situation is challenging them. More specifically it also represents Caleb’s delusional fascination with Ava and the deception Ava is planning for Caleb.

Next, Session 2. A lot of this scene focuses on Ava. The camera rotates around her while she speaks, though Caleb’s reflection is visible almost the entire time. Ava walks around Caleb while Caleb sits still. Ava takes control of this conversation, first with the amount that she talks and then with the power. This is the first time that Ava turns the power off with Caleb in the room. During the main conversation, one of them is always sitting, but as soon as the power is off they both stand. When the power cuts off, Nathan cannot see them. Their awareness of him stifles their ability to talk freely, so when he is gone they are equal.

In Session 3, Ava dresses as a human and asks if Caleb finds her attractive. This is a major turning point in their relationship and Ava’s character. It shows that she has a desire to be human. A large part of this scene focuses on Ava getting dressed, with an occasional shot of Caleb waiting for jer. All these moments of Caleb waiting are shot from Ava’s side of the wall. Similar to how in session 1 we saw Ava through Caleb’s point of view, this time Caleb is shown from Ava’s point of view.

In session 4, Ava cuts the power again. This time, she reveals that it was intentional. This is the most honest scene between them. They are both standing and shown in equal framing. In other scenes, Ava moves a lot, pacing around Caleb. During this conversation, they sit and later stand directly in front of each other. This is a sign of increasing comfort and a more balanced power dynamic

The framing in session 5 changes in one very distinct way – they are both shown over the shoulder of the other. Again, they are both sitting, continuing their casual relationship. Almost every time one of them is focused on, the other character’s shoulder is also in frame. At this point, their relationship is developing past friendly or studious conversation. Caleb knows now that things are not what he thought. He wants to help Ava escape. Ava knows that Caleb trusts her and that her plan is working. They are shown entirely through each other’s point of view because this scene is about the ways that they see each other.

In session 6, neither of them sat the entire time. Caleb enters and waits for Ava to cut the power. He is much more blunt with her, not tiptoeing around the topic at all. He then presents his plan for how he will help her escape. Caleb and Ava are equal in this scene and both think they are in control. Caleb has the plan, but Ava is the one who is winning. The glass wall is not emphasized as a means of separation, but rather a reminder of their goal: free Ava.

In the end, Ava and Kyoko kill Nathan, Caleb is trapped in Nathan’s room to die, and Ava takes the helicopter meant for Caleb into the real world. The last scene shows her in an unidentified city, blending in as a human.

This movie uses a lot more techniques, but the most fascinating to me was the changes in Ava and Caleb’s relationship. This is a very well-made movie that keeps the viewer thinking and double-guessing everything said and done the entire time. I was on the edge of my seat. For all the things that are great, the most interesting to me has to be the framing. Each character is manipulating someone else, so the way they interact is massively important. If you have already watched this movie, I encourage you to watch it again and focus on how each character is positioned. If you haven’t seen it already, I apologize for spoiling the entire thing and I beg you to watch it.

Ex Machina Shines in the Sun🌴:

Ava had different plans for her life.

Video Essay – Stealth

The main assignment this week was to learn about film making by watching and reading some information. I Highly recommend the You Tube series “Every Frame a Painting”. I learned a lot and enjoyed them very much. After we did our learning, we had to take a clip of the movie and do a voice over of our critique of the scene.

I was looking at the list of movies on Wikipedia, we were supplied, and I realized I have seen almost all of them. I learned I do watch a lot of sci-fi. The movies easy to find I have seen. I couldn’t remember the exact ending of the movie Stealth or if I had seen it on video or in theaters. It was easy to find so I went with that one. I was not even halfway through when I realized why I didn’t remember the movie. I found it very boring. I tried applying everything I learned from watching the movie making videos. I was watching for camera angles, lighting, how the scene was cut etc. Still boring. I found a few decent scenes that I jotted the time stamp down for that could be more fun or interesting to talk about.

Now came time for the downloading of a scene. I quickly realized on Thursday that it would be easiest just to find a high-resolution scene already on the internet to work with. I didn’t find any of the ones that I thought would be fun to work with. I did find one that wasn’t all action with the CGI planes.

The scene gave enough to talk about to show I watched the film making videos and told a little story.

I couldn’t just download it. I signed up to try You Tube premium free for 30 days. Turns out you can only view it in YouTube. Alright time to research and find a way.

I found this video

So, then I learned there was no way to download the video. It is Friday at noon, and I have a mild fever and caught a cold. (at least it better not turn out to be the flu) There is no going to campus today to get help. (in case you don’t remember I own a house, have kids etc.) I do own a video camera of decent quality or there is my smart phone. Let’s be pirates! I downloaded a program with dubious origins and hoped for the best. (please don’t let it be virus ridden) I then paid for the programs. I already had Adobe Premier Rush, so I was golden.

I made the voice over and it isn’t even 2 pm yet. New problem, You Tube doesn’t like the movie clip, copy right infringement. Now to use a new platform for uploading. Vimeo for the win.

I am glad I got this done before I lost my voice. My throat hurts and I am coming down with something. This take will have to do. I spent the most time trying to get a clip to do the voice over on. Once I got the clip it was easy to do a voice over on it.

A few scenes I liked better are a meeting held on the ship over a game of scrabble that takes place about 30 minutes into the movie. Has a lot of foreshadowing happening. The camera angles and placement of characters is one of the best in the whole movie. The grounding of EDI at minute 46 is also interesting. At hour 1:16 you have what I call the blame game scene. it has the “bad guys” in shadow speaking over the phone blaming each other for what went wrong. It cuts back and forth to the two men on the phone in darkness trying to one up each other. I felt it made good use of editing during the argument of who can better take down whom.

While I found the movie to be predictable and slow my husband enjoyed the movie very much. The movie had a want to be Top Gun vibe and spent a lot of money on the CGI of the state-of-the-art planes (that are not real) I noticed the font used in the credits was the same used in the Spider-man movies starring Toby McGuire. I wanted to put all this into a recording but no voice. Now that I have found the programs to use doing it again wouldn’t be too difficult.

How Was Your Week?

by Andrew Johnson

Weekly Summary: For week 5 of ds106, I found it to be probably my favorite week yet. I started off by creating both of my daily creates before moving into the heart of the assignments for this week. The videos in the weekly assignments segment provided valuable information to form my video essay. For the video assignment I chose to provide a voiceover for the movie Interstellar, produced by Christopher Nolan. I have always loved Christopher Nolan films because of their attention to detail and imagery. There is always a mysterious underlying theme in Nolan’s films that allow the viewer to think after the conclusion of the motion picture. After uploading one of my favorite clips for ‘Interstellar,’ I used iMovie on Mac to produce a voiceover. Overall, I think my video essay assignment for this week came out better than expected, I hope y’all enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Ds8M8WCb3L2_hBErIP2Zw

https://deep.ai/machine-learning-model/text2img

Into The Dark Abyss

by Andrew Johnson

During the process of my video essay for ds106, I was able to discover the use of audio voiceover. That said, I found a clip on YouTube of Interstellar, produced by Christopher Nolan, a scene that depicts the use of imagination, fantasy, and momentum. The visual effects of the film in general sparked my curiosity and that is why I decided to produce my video essay on this masterpiece of a film. After downloading the clip to my computer hard-drive, I then uploaded it to iMovie, where I could trim the clip down and create a voiceover. Overall, Interstellar is a great piece of science-fiction that can be used to describe many aspects in the film genre in which it falls under.

Reach the film: https://youtu.be/uEl7BRWCElg