micro elements

Question 1

cinematography - opening

Answer 1

• shaky camera, handheld - mockumentary
• crash zooms - mockumentary
• stills when doing talking heads - professional
• dummy archive footage
• high angle shots make the aliens look like animals
• birds eye view of a real village

Question 2

cinematography - ending

Answer 2

• handheld camera - shaky from running
• mix of: close ups and mid-shots
• shots of wikkus inside the machine
• focus pull from wikkus to the ship
• close ups of humans with guns
• blood splashes on camera - bring audience closer to violence
• shaky, almost blurry footage - chaotic

Question 3

editing - opening

Answer 3

• jump cuts
• mnu logo

Question 4

editing - ending

Answer 4

• lots of cgi
• blood splattered on camera
• fast paced editing - chaotic
• 1.61 shots per second during 29 second sequence

Question 5

mise-en-scene - opening

Answer 5

• office setting
• harsh lighting - bright, bleached office
• MNU lanyard
• sociologist presented as smart - books, smart clothes
• aliens presented as dirty, dark and slimy
• filmed in a real life district

Question 6

mise-en-scene - ending

Answer 6

• dirty, rustic
• dry setting
• sweating, tired actors
• sci-fi - alien technology
• lots of blood - violence
• fire/smoke/rubble - wasteland
• army uniforms

Question 7

performance - sharlto copley

Answer 7

• appears exaggerated and comedic, this transforms into emotional depth and rawness - particularly in physical / expressive distress
• initially bumbling, comedic, harmless, enjoys his work
• laughter during ‘abortion’ sequence
• becomes more confident
• final look - he is proud

Question 8

sound - opening

Answer 8

• clicking of aliens - not told what they are saying with MNU
• singing in the background
• muffled microphones

Question 9

sound - ending

Answer 9

• fast paced, heavy drums
• crescendo
• major key, synth piano, uplifting indigenous song

Question 10

overall - MNU break in

Answer 10

• handheld camera - shaky
• lowkey lighting
• flashing lights
• blood splatters
• camera attached to a gun
• “ill send you home in a jar”
• dirty, chaotic, depressing environment
• sad, slow strings
• focus pull from wikkus to chris - different mental states

Question 11

messages about conflict

Answer 11

• conflict is sometimes necessary
• teaches us about mistakes
• wikkus and christopher save their own lives
• we want christopher johnson to win