Micro Vs Macro Analysis

 Micro Vs Macro Analysis is all to do with analyzing the small specific details within a scene as well as the larger themes present.

When analyzing the Macro aspects you tend to focus on the big things within the scene such as the Genre, Narrative & Representation which could be supported by the Micro aspects which are the smaller details such as the Cinematography, Sound, Editing, Mise-en-scene and Special effects. 

  

This is a scene from my favorite movie '10 Things I Hate About You'

Micro Analysis

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene - The surroundings you can see within the scene. There are 6 different aspects to analyse within the scene such as the lighting, character performance and set.

• Character Performance

When analyzing the character performances you focus on what the scene suggests of their character.

Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) is portrayed as a brave girl in this scene because while her classmates are trying to avoid being picked by turning around expecting others to volunteer to read their poems she was the only one willing to share. As she walks over to read her poem to the class Mr Morgan then says 'Lord here we go' which gives us the impression that she always expresses her opinions regardless of what anyone else might think, whether they agree or not she will not let anyone suppress her opinions. When Kat starts off reading the poem she seems to be quite tough speaking about what she hates about Patrick but then she slowly breaks-down in tears and shows a very emotional side which the class perhaps weren't used to seeing which is evident in their reaction


Patrick Verona  (Heath Ledger) seemed to have no interest in what was going on during the lesson until he saw Kat going up to read her poem, he seemed to be very shocked.
At the end of her poem when they cut away to show Patrick he seems to be deep in thought and has quite a guilty look on his face and when the whole class turned around as Kat ran out the classroom he was the only person who did not turn and this again shows a reflection of the guilt he maybe feeling.

Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan) is seen as someone who cares a lot about his looks he seems to be very insecure by the fact he came in wearing glasses to cover up his black eye and it is expressed again when the teacher asked him to take the glasses off, his facial expression tells us he seems to be very annoyed by that and his eyes wander around the room to see if anyone would react.

Mr Morgan  (Daryl Mitchell) is seen to be a very comical character and because of that he doesn't comes across as a stereotypical boring English teacher because of the jokes he shares and the fact he laughs at another students expense. Mr Morgan is portrayed as a loud and dominant character within the scene which are characteristics expected from a teacher.

The rest of the class seem to be very laid back and easy going because of the way they're seated, they seem so relaxed and they all diffuse responsibility when Mr Morgan looks for a volunteer by turning around to look at each other. Their laid back personas are also reflected again when they show concern when Kat runs out because they all turn around but none of them bother to chase after her.

• The Set

The set is where the sequence is filmed in this particular clip the scene is set inside an English classroom
and they make it very evident by the camera positioning. Whenever they film an individual they make sure the notices on the wall that hint the room is an English classroom are still visible, for example when Mr Morgan is speaking to the class the paintings on the wall of famous writers such as John Steinbeck are very noticeable so you can tell where it is set. When Kat is reading her poem to the class they didn't immediately zoom into her face, they gradually zoomed in so you can still see she is in the classroom because of the folders and books in the background.

• Costumes

The costumes used within a scene can be used to suggest a certain time period. In this clip the style of clothing suggests a very 90's styled look. Although it's set in a school they're not in uniform so even if you hadn't watched the full movie it would still suggest that they are American high school students.

• Hair/Make-up

The hair and make-up in this scene is very simple and not over the top because it is set in a school so they have pretty much normal everyday hairstyles and the scene didn't require any sort of specialist make-up because of that same reason.

• Lighting

Lighting can be used to enhance a characters importance in a movie or it could be used just to brighten
the surroundings in the set. Apart from the lighting of the set, there were no spotlights shining on any of the characters. The only lighting in the room are the lights in the classroom. As Kat speaks there is light above her head but there are no connotations to importance because it is just the lights in the room reflecting on her. Although that part of the scene is very important to the movie it would simply be very unnatural for a spotlight to be shinning on Kat as the class is a normal day to day setting and you wouldn't find a spotlight shinning on someone in a classroom.

• Props

Props are objects actors use to help convey messages better and make the scenes seem more realistic, in the scene there are many props ranging from the book Kat reads the poem from to Joey's glasses.

Sound

Sound is a key feature in every movie, soundtracks can be used to add more tension and suspense to the scene or give a clear indication to how the atmosphere is within the scene even the absence of sound gives an effect.
In this clip the music in the establishing shot of the scene is non-diegetic because it is not music that the characters can hear, the music is quite upbeat and fits in well with the busy environment outside the school, as the shot changes there is a sound bridge because the music playing then continues at the beginning of the next scene but the music slowly fades out and then no background music is heard until Kat finishes reading her poem to the class. There is a slow song playing in the background as Kat walks off and the camera focus is on Patrick which makes the scene more emotional and helps the viewers understand how the characters are feeling, the song is also another example of a non-diegetic because it was a soundtrack and none of the characters can hear it.
There are some diegetic examples within this scene for example the teacher talking to the class, the sound of students in the class laughing, Kat opening her book and also the sound of Kat walking out of the classroom.

Editing

In this scene they start off by using a jump cut they jump from filming the school to a classroom
another editing technique they used was shot, reverse shot and this was when Mr Morgan was talking to Joey Donner telling him to remove his glasses. When Mr Morgan was searching for a volunteer instead of using a panning shot the director chose to use cuts to show the students in the class instead. There is a cut away after Kat has read the poem she remains standing in front of the class for a few seconds then they cut away to show Patrick Verona and then they cut back to Kat before she runs off.

Cinematography

Cinematography involves the camera angles used and the camera movements within the scene.
The directors zoomed in on all the main characters at different points within the scene, the close up of the characters gives the audience a better understanding of the characters emotions and feelings at the time. In this scene tracking shots are used as Kat stands in front of the class reading the poem they slowly move closer and then zoom in as she is meant to be the center of attention. They also use a lot of mid shots and close ups because the characters emotions are the main focuses in the clip. There is a wide shot right at the start to establish the scene. There are a few long shots also used so that the scenery is also captured. Mr Morgan is shot from a low angle as he tells Joey to remove his glasses which could enhance the fact that Mr Morgan is the authoritative figure.

Macro Analysis

Genre

The genre is the theme of the movie and this is one of the first aspects you look at when watching the movie or clip, by knowing what genre the movie is it helps your understanding on whats going on or what could happen. In the scene I've chosen you can tell that the Genre of the movie is a romantic comedy because of the Micro aspects.

Narrative

The narrative is the storyline within the movie, in this movie the storyline is based on one of Shakespeare's plays 'Taming of the Shrew'

Representation

The representation is a summary of what all the aspects of the movie or scene imply such as how the sound may give us the impression that there is a sense of sadness that is the same way all the other features build up an assumption on what they all individually or collectively represent.

Audience

The audience are simply the people a particular type of movie would interest, the target audience are usually considered whilst creating the plot. In this clip and throughout the entire movie there is a lot of comedy, romance and drama which makes it clear that the audience is set for teenagers who are roughly the same age as the characters because they are the most likely to relate to situations that exist in the movie but maybe not to the same extent.