Movie Conventions Blog: Vivarium

 Elements That Align With The Mystery Genre

     This film constantly utilized extreme long shots and establishing shots to reveal information such as the sprawling identical houses in the environment. This type of shots are prominent in mystery films in which the charecters involved often don't understand the nature of the environment and these shots not only provide new information to the audience but also the charecters. This film also utilized tracking shots to follow a charecters movements throughout a take. This was done uniquely however, as the movement was coupled with close up shots at times. This close up was also accompanied by and edited in camera shake which uniquely display a charecters expression and movements. This film also utilized amplified audio features such as volume enhanced footsteps and breathing, these techniques help build suspension and also are used to reveal information to the reader regarding the surrondings of the charects. In terms of anlges this film utilized over the shoulder high angles to show the child in the movies superiority over his "parents". 

     Almost all of the elements mentioned had a positive impact on the film and not only made me understand why the movie was marketed as a mystery but also why it is unique. One of the main features I appreciated from the film was the use of over the shoulder high angles mentioned previously. This techneque lingered with me because it helped me as a veiwer understand the childs superiority over the main charecters, this not only was interesting but it taught me a technique I can utilize in my film to provide information to the reader without it being directly stated. Another technique that was used masterfully was the reverse shot. The constant use of reverse shots throughout the film helped the director build tension and show the divide between the parent figures and the child. This technique can be positively utilized in my film to create a divide between a group of charecters and another. Overall most of the techniques utilized in this film positively influenced me as a veiwer and helped me better understand the mystery genre.

    However, I beleive that the film did utilize a few techniques that did not positively benifit the film. For example the films utilization of close up tracking shots in the film was aesthetically pleasing however for our project I beleive that its utilization would not be greatly benificial and would prevent my project from expressing the whole environment. Another technique that I beleive would not succeed if utilized in my project was the films use of silence acheived by using little amounts of non dignetic sounds. This technique would not be useful because my project hopes to build suspense which would be benifited by the utilization of music. Despite these flaws this film was very good and I gained a better understanding of the genre and what I hope to acheive in my final task.