The theme of Fast 5 is undoubtedly racing.The entire movie series has revolved around racing cars for money, escaping from the law, and forming a tight knit bond between the people in the racing group.This theme is active, not didactic.The theme is active because it takes you along for the ride.It does not intend to instruct and it is obvious what the theme is.Constant action is taking place; new twists and turns in the story line arise, leading you to the ultimate end.
The main factors in the “Train Rescue” scene are movement, rhythm, and line.The movement is simple because the train is traveling in a straight line, making the quality linear.The train shape as well as the tracks provides line in the scene.The shape most prevalent in the scene is a rectangle.This applies both to the train and the cars.Most things fast are shaped with length and not much width, so this makes sense to add more of a conception of speed to the subtext.
The scale of the bridge in the scene continues to grow as the train approaches it at a constant speed, providing urgency for the viewer.Since the train is moving at a constant speed, this provides a steady rhythm.The rhythm is made apparent because of the surrounding of the train, which includes plants and the steady emission of the dust cloud.This fast pace emphasizes the theme of racing throughout the film.
The linear quality of the train’s direction is broken when the Corvette jumps out of the train at a perpendicular angle.This disrupts the viewer, which adds to the building intensity and urgency within the scene.This urgency builds up tension until the last possible moment that the character can jump from the train.Space is used between the rescue car and the train to make it seem even more impossible that the character will survive.This great distance would be extremely difficult to jump.When the character jumps and the bridge pass by him ever so closely, the audience can take a sigh of relief.
In blog #3, I used the gas station scene from Toy Story.Now, I am able to understand more in depth of what some of the inner workings are.For the most part, the animator follows the three rules of 180 degrees, thirds, and the 30 rule.
In the first shot, the animator uses and OTS behind Woody, facing Buzz.Buzz is in the top left 1/3, exactly in an area described by the Rule of Thirds.This puts the focus on Buzz walking away from Woody, more-so than if the scene was designed in any other way.
The second shot transitions to a WS, instantly putting in play the 30 Rule, by changing the shot by at least two levels.The camera was also moved at least 30 degrees as well.Woody enters from the left and keeps talking over to the right side of the frame.Woody stops directly in the top left third, described in the Rule of Thirds.The 180-degree rule is still kept in this shot.
The third shot cuts to the Pizza Planet truck, which since our eyes are already in the top left third of the screen, enters exactly at that place.This provides a smooth cut.A new 180-degree line is established here.
The fourth show follows the new 180-degree line, put into play in the previous shot.The animator here decides to go with a CU of Woody.The animator does not follow the Rule of Thirds in this shot.Rather, Woody is placed near the center of the screen.
The fifth and final shot I analyzed is a XCU of the Pizza Planet truck logo.This signifies Andy for Woody, and how the two can become reunited.The 180-degree line is still the same in this shot.The 30 Rule, however, is followed in this shot.When we previously saw the Pizza Planet truck, a MS was used.Now, an XCU is used, changing the level of shots by two, using the 30 Rule.
Walace & Gromit is one of my favorite animation series from childhood. I choose two particular scenes from an episode titled A Grand Day Out. The first scene I analyzed is their picnic on the moon, and the second is when they are building a rocket. I will refer to Walace & Gromit as “W & G.”
The two scenes differ quite a bit when it comes to color. Their picnic on the moon is a much brighter scene, with the color scheme generally sticking to two basic hues of blue and yellow. There are some small accents of red and green, but those are character characteristics. When W & G are building their rocket in a basement, the walls and floors are all black, giving off a completely different tone. Since the hues differ so much between the two scenes, it is only natural that brightness and saturation differ as well. In the picnic scene, the setting is generally bright, with some contrast including the dark blue/black space sky. The hues in the scene are not saturated much at all, the color most prominent being light yellow. When W & G build a rocket, there is not much brightness at all, in turn, making most of the hues in the scene very saturated.
Despite the contrast in color, shadows play a large role in each of the scenes. In both the picnic scene and when W & G build a rocket, shadows are present on everything. W & G always have shadows on themselves and shadows always occur as a result of their physical actions. Symbolism is similar throughout both scenes, considering these are taken from the same episode. Starting off with building a rocket, G is very unpleasant with taking part in the project. G is sad holding up the door to cut wood, upset with hammering nails, has extreme trouble with the drill, and in the end has paint dripped all over him. When W & G arrive on the moon, G sees a ball and his tail starts to wag. However, W loses this ball and G’s tail stops waging. Also, both of the characters do not like the cheese on the moon. The mood in the two scenes differs. Even though G is upset building the rocket, the general feeling in that scene is optimism. Upon arrival on the moon, the feeling of loneliness and sadness set in, creating an opposite mood.
i.All sounds from synthesizers.Drums, laser sound, white noise, arpeggiating mono-synths, sub-bass, multiple other synths, ambient arpeggiations
b.Structure/Organization
i.A (intro)/B (drop/chorus)/C (verse-ish)/D(bridge)/ B (drop/chorus 2)/ C (short-verse)/B
c.Emotional Architecture
i.In dubstep, emotion builds up to the drop.The introduction builds up a huge amount of emotion up to the drop and then releases afterwards, like getting to the top of a roller coaster.Emotion also builds towards the last 1/3 of the song, where the theme/chorus is played more often and made to sound bigger.
3.Sound Quality
a.Height
i.Wide range of frequencies, from high pitched cymbals, piano, and lasers, to the deep sub-bass
b.Width
i.Very wide.Certain percussion is panned, arpeggiations are panned, reverbs/delays are also panned and placed
c.Depth
i.Lots of instruments are layered.Some are very soft, others are louder and more upfront/recognizable
Rusko - Everyday (Netsky Remix)
Rusko: Everyday (Netsky remix)
1.Rhythm
a.Tempo
i.Around 176 bpm, very fast, drum & bass style
b.Source
i.Drums.The genre, drum & bass, is based around fast paced drum beats
c.Groove
i.Up and down, makes you want to fist-pump/move arms up/down like at a show
i.A (intro)/B (drop/chorus)/C (verse/break)/D (bridge)/B (drop/chorus 2)/C (verse/outro)
c.Emotional Architecture
i.Leads up through the intro to the first drop where a great amount of emotion is released/exploded.The song relaxes slightly into a steady groove after the first drop but then releases/explodes again when the second drop/chorus comes in
3.Sound Quality
a.Height
i.A lot of heights.Hi-hats, high range voals, low sub-bass, thick mid-range synths
b.Width
i.Lots of panning.White noise hi-hats pan in beginning, delay of arpeggiated synth is also panned
c.Depth
i.A lot of depth. Lots of reverb used on synths and drums, a lot of layering, instrumentation that we don’t necessarily focus on such as a beep on the down beat of the chorus and pumping of white noise.
It is popular in electronic music to re-mix other artists work.It doesn’t matter if you produce house, dubstep, or drum &bass, genres cross all the time.I have compared Rusko’s dubstep tune titled Everyday, to a drum & bass remix of the same song done by Netsky.
In Rusko’s original version, the tempo is around a moderate 130 bpm, while in Netsky’s version of Everyday, the tempo is an aggressive 176 bmp.This provides the greatest difference between the two, given that each song is composed with different genres in mind.What is similar, though, is that the source of tempo for each song comes from the drums.This is more apparent in Netsky’s drum & bass version.I feel the same groove in the two songs.When listening, the motion of riding up and down a steady wave is evident, with the want to fist-pump/move my hands up and down like I am at a concert.
Instrumentation between the two are similar, both using mono-synthesizers, percussion, sub-bass, etc.How these are used creates different vibes and modal harmonies.Rusko’s version revolves more around arpeggiations than Netsky’s.Netsky’s however, revolves more around stabbing chords and a modal harmony.The structure of the two songs is very similar.Rusko uses the form of A/B/C/D/B/C, and Netsky uses A/B/C/D/B/C.They take on the same general form, however, I feel the transition from A/B in Netsky’s version releases more emotion and energy than Rusko’s original.Both artists build up the emotion and tension by rising synthesizers and using various filters throughout the A (intro) section.When both artists reach B, the tension and emotion are at a peak in the song until the same B section comes around again.
Balance is relatively the same, though different aspects stick out more.For example, panning is much more noticeable in the introduction of Netsky’s version, creating much more width than Rusko does in that section of the song.In each version, percussion is panned, specifically snares/claps and hi-hats.Both artist use delays and reverb panned to different speakers at different points throughout each song.Lots of synthesizers are layered.Every time I listen to each version, I find myself picking out new melodic and harmonic sections.
Rusko is hands down one of my favorite dub step artist.However, Netsky takes home the trophy for his remix.The sounds he created for the song and how he arranged them just strike an emotion and reaction in me that no other song does.The fast drums, heavy bass, and vocal samples all combine to create an amazing orchestration.
