Analyse the micro elements of film form in a scene from a film from the Teen Film genre and discuss how these elements create meaning and conform to genre conventions.
In this essay, I will be discussing how meaning is created through the use of the micro elements of film form in The Fault in Our Stars, ‘It’s a Metaphor’ scene. The micro elements of film form include: mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound and editing.
The scene begins with Hazel and Gus talking outside the church in the car park, as they are waiting for Hazel’s Mum to pick her up. As the setting is outside, the lighting is quite bright but natural, as all the light produced is coming from the sun. This shows that the characters are both youthful and down to earth, as they are having a conversation outside, rather than inside. It also shows that they are transitioning from the age where they constantly want to be indoors, to the age where they appreciate going outsides, which is even more prominent in this story considering the sensitive nature of the storyline.
There aren’t many props used in this scene; there are a few background props such as the bench and the cars in the car park, which help to set the scene so that it doesn’t look staged. The oxygen tank is an integral prop to Hazels’ character, as due to her cancer she needs this to help her breathe. The oxygen tank symbolizes life, without she is unable to live her life, yet with it she is also unable to do many things that others her age can. Although young, it shows that she has had to grow beyond her years quickly in order to deal with her medical condition. The main prop used in this scene however, is the pack of cigarettes, specifically the cigarette which Gus removes from the pack in his pocket. As he goes on to explain later on in the scene, the cigarette is a metaphor, “You put the thing that does the killing right between your teeth, but you never give it the power to kill you. A metaphor.”, which shows this could be important later on in the film.
In the scene, neither Gus nor Hazel are wearing any makeup, which shows that they prefer being natural and down to earth. The use of no makeup shows their youthfulness, and that with everything going on in their lives, it is the last thing they need to worry about, looking a certain way. This is poignant, as both Gus and Hazel’s characters have cancer, so this shows that they have both grown up quickly, having to deal with their illnesses, not worrying about some of the smaller things in life. Hazel is also seen wearing a white t-shirt, denim jacket and some jogger, which shows that she cares more about being comfortable and practical than stylish. The white t-shirt specifically represents innocence, purity and youthfulness, showing that Hazel is too young to be affected by cancer, and that although young, she is wise beyond her years. Gus can be seen wearing a grey t-shirt, leather jacket and jeans, which shows that he also prefers comfort over style. The clothes they wear are typical of what most teenagers wear, showing that at the end of the day, despite their circumstances they are still both just teenagers.
There isn’t any use of movement in the scene, as Gus and Hazel are having a conversation while they wait outside the church for her to be picked up. As there isn’t really any movement by them, there isn’t any camera movement in this scene, meaning that there are no dolly/tracking shots. Hazel’s expression at the beginning of the scene is happy and smiley, showing that just like any typical teenager in the teen film genre that she is nervous talking to boys. However, there is also confidence, as you can see that she is looking directly at Gus, which shows that not only is she engaged in the conversation but that she is a good listener. This creates meaning as it shows that she is a kind, caring person. This is also shown when she laughs during their conversation. Gus also smiles a lot throughout the scene, but when he pulls out a cigarette, Hazel’s expression suddenly becomes angry and he becomes confused. Hazel then has a monologue in which she rants about cigarettes, during which Gus becomes amused and smirks. He then explains the metaphor to Hazel, and her expression again softens. This whole sudden change of emotions creates meaning, as again it shows what you would expect from typical teenagers; sudden changes of mood.
This particular scene in the film is a static short, so there is no camera movement. This has been done to bring the audience’s attention to Gus and Hazel, showing that they are the most important thing in the scene. By leaving the shot settle on them, the audience’s attention isn’t diverted away from them. The different types of camera shots used in the scene include: close-up, medium-shot, wide shot, eye-level shot and shot-reverse-shot. The close-ups are used to show the characters’ expression as the conversation develops, and the medium shot is used to help tell the audience a bit more about the character, by showing you what they are wearing. The wide shot helps to set the scene by establishing the setting. It allows the audience to see that they are standing in front of the church building in the car park, as you can also see to the side of the shot that there are parked cars. This is an unusual setting for a film in the teen genre, but this creates meaning as it shows the audience that although part of the teen genre, it’s not the typical film that you expect. Shot-reverse-shot is used frequently throughout the conversation to show how the characters interact with one another, and follows the 180-degree rule, so that the audience does not get confused as to where the two characters are standing in relation to one another.
Camera angles are also used throughout the scene to create meaning. The camera looks up at Gus to show that he is assertive and confident. This shows the audience that he is outgoing and not afraid to meet new people. Whereas the camera looks down slightly on Hazel, showing that she is fairly shy, and maybe not as confident as what Gus is. This creates meaning, as it shows the audience that although dealing with cancer, she is still young, and has maybe lost her trust in the world. Later on in the scene however, the camera is level with Hazel, an eye-level shot, to show that Hazel’s message about smoking and the dangers of cigarettes isn’t just for Gus, but for the audience too, as the camera angle makes the audience feel though as she could be speaking directly to them. This slightly higher angle also shows that she is growing in confidence, something typical that you expect to find in the teen film genre.
In regards to sound, the scene only has some ambience and dialogue. The ambience comes from being outside, as you can hear nature, such as some light wind, as well as some car doors opening and closing, along with the church door closing after the guy walked out of it. This ambience creates meaning, as it shows the audience that this could be an actual conversation setting. If it was completely quiet the audience wouldn’t connect to the characters as you would know that it definitely isn’t real, but as there is some background noise, it creates authenticity, allowing the audience to engage with the characters more. Dialogue is used throughout the whole scene, making this the most important sound in the scene as it enables you to understand what is going on. As this is the first real conversation that Gus and Hazel has, it creates meaning as it sets the basis for their entire relationship for the rest of the film.
Finally, during editing, cutting-on-action/match-on-action has been used as the camera shot switches from one position to another, such as when Gus retrieves the cigarette packet from his pocket, puts one in his mouth, and then returns the packed to his pocket. Again, this continuity created by cutting/match-on-action, creates authenticity, allowing the viewer to connect with the characters, believing that it could have actually happened. If the packet was in his hand, and then suddenly not, the viewer might not engage with the film as much, as it is impossible to be holding something one second and then the next it is gone. Cutting/match-on-action is also used throughout the conversation when the camera shots switch between Gus and Hazel, showing when they react to each other. Another example of cutting/match-on-action in the scene is when Gus first puts the cigarette in his mouth during the wide shot, which then switches to a close-up over his shoulder, where he then takes his hand away from his mouth. This continuity creates meaning, as it shows that during editing, they have tried to keep the movement of the characters as fluid and as lifelike as possible to avoid making the scene looking too staged.
To conclude, the micro elements of film form are mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound and editing. They work together to create meaning, which helps to convey different film genres to audiences.
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