Coraline film study - SEXXXY Paragraphs

Atmosphere - feel, energy around you in a certain place
Mood - how you feel, emotions
Locations - Where something is happening

Lighting: Natural - Produced in nature, often sun, mood, stars, lightning
               Artificial - Man-made light, usually electrical
             
               Warm - Yellow, makes feel safe, warm
               Cold - White/Blue tone, makes feel clean, clinical

               Bright - Fills room, makes feel happy, safe
               Dull - Fills part of a space only, often creepy/murky

Colour Palette - Predominant colours used in the scene

Picture 1:

Brainstorm.

- What is happening: Coraline is lying in her bed doing nothing in the real world.

- Coraline looks bored, depressed and dull

- Technique - lighting looks plain black and white, dull

                    - Natural - Because the lighting is coming out from the window

                    - Colour - Black and White

                                  - Dark/Grey, washed out, faded and dull

                                  - Off whites, grey, brown

Effect on viewer - Anxious and doesn't feel like to be there

Fell/Think - Unwelcoming, plain colours, bored

Director Purpose - Looks can be deceiving - Looks dull and don't want to be there but actually it is pretty safe to be there.

Theme - Makes Coraline feel uncomfortable

Other Techniques: The clothes look like they are uncomfortable and are not colourful, Full of orange.

SEXXXY Paragraphs:











In the film, the shot is a long (wide) shot to show the whole bedroom in the 'real world'. This is demonstrated by showing that the bedroom is filled with alot of dull and not joyable things to do in the bedroom. It also lookes very dull and not as pretty as a girls bedroom in reality. This makes the audience feel as if the 'real parents' really want the 'real world' to be not perfect and not colourful for her so that she can be not filled with happiness. The director did this to show that the 'real world' is a plain and cold bedroom but the 'other world' to seem perfect and amazing so the audience doesn't expect this to be a trap. This worked well with the music which is played as we were introduced to the bedroom. This can be contrasted to the house in the real world which shows and gives no feelings to the unexciting colours.



In the film, the shot is a long (wide) shot to show the whole kitchen in the 'other world'. This is demonstrated by showing that the kitchen is filled with alot of colours and it actually looks like it is a quiet warm kitchen to be in. This makes the audience feel as if they want to be there because it is a nice place to be in. It also makes the audience think that the 'other parents' makes the kitchen and the house good for Coraline. The director did this to show that the 'other world' is actually a really great place with alot of nice and awesome colours but it is unsafe in reality. This worked well with the 'other mother' because her personality is basically the same because she is nice and colourful like the 'other house' but near the end of the film she becomes evil. This can be contrasted to the house in the 'other world' which shows the feeling to the exciting colours.



In this shot of Coraline, a medium shot is used to show the detail of the Coraline doll. We see this when the Beldam is letting the We see this when the Beldam is letting go of the doll which will be swept into the real world. This makes the audience theorise where the doll could be going or what its meaning is. The purpose of this was to give the audience a chance to theorise what meaning the doll has to the film. Combined with the eerie music which is played to make the scene already mysterious and more creepy makes it work well with the doll. This can be compared to a time later in the movie when Coraline first comes across the tunnel to the "other world' although there is spiritual music being played still it gives the audience the chance to theories the meaning of the tunnel.

Literacy - Film Study Coraline Mindmap

This week in Literacy we are still learning how to write a film study about Coraline. There are 2 activitys that we could chose from for that period and the 1st activity was to use coogle, create a mind map showing as many examples from our visual text of one of the themes listed above. Include an explanation of the theme. The 2nd option was to write a theme guide booklet for a student to use whilst viewing. Explain how each theme is shown in the film and give them times to stop and look, quotes and key moments to watch for. Present this creatively. I chosen the 1st activity because it looked easier and funner. Here is a photo of the activity that I have done. 

Now I have to answer these questions about the learning I have done.

What am I learning?

• I am learning to analyse the ideas and themes of a film

How does this work show my learning?

• To discuss the way a theme or idea is portrayed in the text

What am I wondering as a result of this learning?

• To show my understanding of these themes by completing one of these task below.

Workshop 1: Unpacking themes and ideas?

Theme/Idea: Something that links throughout the story.
Looks can be deceiving
- Things aren't always what they seem

Example 1: The deldam / The other matter
- She starts off good / kind but is revealed to be an evil soul devouring metal spider demon.
- Shows theme because the other mother changes gradually over time so that Coraline & audience dont notice
- Important to the story because helps the audience understand Coralines choice when she realises that having everything perfect wont make her happy.

Example 2: Other world vs Real world
- The other world is a perfect web / trap to catch Coraline, where as the real world is boring but safe.
- Shows theme because even though the other world seems better in every way, the real world is actually better/safer because it isn't a trap
- Important to help audience understand why Coraline goes back to the real world

SEXXY paragraph:
Statement - In Coraline, themes and ideas are used effectively.
Evidence - For instance, the theme 'looks can be deceiving' is shown through the character of the 'Other mother' starts kind, but is revealed to be  soul devouring demon.
eXplanation - audience - This makes the audience feel that we shouldn't trust things or people that seem perfect at first glance.
eXplanation - director - This was done to make the audience feel weary or develop a sense of caution towards new situations
- Coinciding with this is the use of colour to show the other mother to becoming more evil. At tje start she is surrounded by warm colours that make us feel safe, but by the end it is dark with neon green which makes her seem dangerous.
Your link - This theme is also shown through the changes in the 'other world' as it is revealed to be a spider web designed to catch Coraline.

Coraline Notes

Today in literacy we were just making notes about Coraline and what happened in each part of the movie. Here are the notes that I have wrote from today's lesson.

Opening Scene:

• Music - Sounds quiet creepy and it also sounds like a music box or child's. There are also some lyrics that say dreaming over and over again. At the start the music gets quiet and then louder. 
• Perspective: The other mother POV we see from her, know its her by the needle hands.
• Use of close up shot - makes audience focus on the doll not on the creator.
• Lighting / colours - Dim, dark, green, faded, - Sets the mood / atmosphere that its old, building looked abandoned, unappealing and run down.

Setting - Pink palace - real world

• Music - Sounds happy, gentle, harmony, chanting, sung by children, lyrics in a made up language, makes calm happy atmosphere. Changes to increase fension - faster, louder, miner
• Coraline - Sassy, moody, stubborn, bright colours - blue hair, yellow jacket and boots. main character makes us focus, shows shes different from these in the real world.
• Colour / lighting - Dull grey, boring, dark, bland, tinted, makes the 'real house' feel depressing, old, crusty + cold, not a place Coraline wants to be
• 'Real parents' - Dull, workaholics, dont have time for Coraline, not happy, depressed, tired

The 'Other World':

• Music - Spooky music, doesn't match what we are seeing, slow to medium pace, minor, quiet
• Colour / lighting - Bright, vibrant, warm, welcoming - makes it feel inviting and safe, Coraline doesn't stand out anymore
• Other parents - Fun, active, show Coraline attention, energetic, cooked her nice meals, they look happy & healthy unlike the real parents.

The 'real' neighbours:

• Colour - Greys, dark, mournful, sad colours - pallets, foggy, washed out, rundown, dusty, sticky
• Lighting - Dark/gloomy - inside house cold light, Shobby, dark, poor
• Music - Bland, background, medium, latin skyk, upbeat, movement
• Setting - Forest looks dead, house is old, rustic, rundown, basement, theateroom, used to be fashionable, now is dated
• Characters - Mr Bobinsky - Russian 'drunk' - awkward, weirdo, Miss Spink & Miss forceable - the argue, opporites but like same thing, actress, old fashioned, confident, attention - speakers, Coraline doesn't like them but better than nothing

The 'other' neighbours:

• Colour - Bright, light, friendly, welcoming, good dark, , shiny, bright, vibrant
• Lighting - Warm light - orange/yellow, warm light - spotlights are bright
• Music - Loud, joyful, circus music, playful, energetic, brass
• Setting - Garden alive, house is painted/looks new, apartment looked colourful, clean, organised, thearters, grand, large, posh, good condition 
• Characters - Mr B - clean/tidy/done-up, healthy blue, nice to Coraline - gets her name right, Miss Spink & Miss forceable - transformed, young, thin, attractive, talented actress/acrobatics, modern, Coraline likes them, is enthusiastic to have them as neighbours

The Beldams

• Colours - Dark, greens, colour, colourful, purple, pink, neon's that show in the dark, fades to white
• Lighting - Dark, cold, unsafe, horrific, 
• Music - Slower, quiet, menacing, creepy, spooky, other world, suspicious
• Setting - Chocolate & furniture, wore beetles, sinister, transformed from the perfect home to a spider web - polluted