EX MACHINATEXTUAL ANALYSISJAKE FOULKES

(I have had to put the film trailer in because the opening scene of the movie was not available to access for free off of another streaming platform such as YouTube or Vimeo. I have chosen this trailer because most of the beginning shots gives the audience an idea about the characters and the narrative)

EX MACHINA PLOT SUMMARY

A young and gifted programmer is selected by the leading developer in a prodigious international company to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breath-taking humanoid A.I. However difficulties occur when the programmer realizes that the A.I. is dangerously more intelligent than he expected which could end up putting both of the programmers in jeopardy.

GENRE OF EX MACHINA

• Ex Machina has several different genres therefore creating a tri-hybrid genre the main genres that is explores are Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi and Thriller.• The genres that it uses are very specific to the narrative. For

example the thriller aspect of the genre is shown through the lead protagonist as throughout the film you are constantly in fear for the protagonist. This contrasts with the Horror genre because in the horror genre you are scared / in fear for yourself where as in a thriller you are in fear for the lead characters.

DRAMA GENRE

• The drama genre consists of an exciting, emotional, or unexpected event or circumstance in which the protagonists or antagonists face throughout the plot.• The movie Ex-Machina explores this genre through the main

protagonist as he tests an unpredictable A.I. and coming to an unexpected end that will shock the audience.

MYSTERY GENRE

• A mystery is a novel, play, or film dealing with a puzzling crime, especially a murder. A mystery explores something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain.• Ex Machina shows the genre exceptionally well as throughout the film

the audience is constantly trying to piece together ideas and evidence as to how the end will conclude therefore solving the mystery, however due to the drama genre that traverses in the film, there are twists and turns in the narrative that will shock and confuse the audience.

SCI-FI GENRE

• The Sci-Fi genre is fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets. • This is shown through the character of the A.I. and how the film

looks e.g. the Cinematography. The Thriller Sci-Fi genre is something that we are seriously considering to look into for our piece because it is different to other pieces of AS level media that we have observed and we want to make something different.

COMMON CONTENTIONS IN A THRILLER

• Protagonist at mercy of the antagonist• Montages• Diegetic sound• Quick cuts• Low key lighting

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

• For the analysis I will be looking at the genre, codes / conventions, the narrative and theories and representation of characters and themes in the opening scene of “Ex-Machina”• I will start off by analysing the camera work, iconography and

Narrative• Then I will move into the repertoire of elements• Then to finish I will look at the conventions and themes of the

opening scene

IDENTS: FILM 4 AND DNA FILMS

At the start of Ex Machina there are two idents showing the production companies who helped fund and make the film. This shows that Ex Machina was horizontally integrated with its funds coming from external companies such as the independent “DNA Films” and “Film 4” other films that these companies have made include: 28 Days later, Dredd, Never let me go.

CAMERAWORK AND EDITING

• In the opening scene there are lots of great examples of camera work and editing. There are lots of different shots exhibited throughout the scene ranging from Extreme close ups to Establishing shots. I am going to be picking out some of the most key shots that I think are really effective on the audience and have a lot of connotation.

TYPES OF SHOTS AND THEIR EFFECTS

• Close up: Shows facial expression, emotion and details such as scars• Medium: The most regularly used shot, it allows the audience to see the characters and

their surroundings• Long shot: Allows the audience to see the whole of the character showing their body

language and the shot permits the audience to focus more on the surroundings if there is a wide angle• Establishing shot: This is the shot that sets the scene and shows the audience where the

film will take place. These are the most commonly used shots in the opening scene.

The next slide will shot examples of said shots.

CLOSE UP

The function of a close up is to show detail and emotion on the characters face, for props it is also used to show significant importance. In this shot we see the lead protagonist at his computer at work reacting to an email saying that he has won the lottery. This shot is almost like a reaction shot without any dialogue.In our media production, the use of close ups will be important because we want the audience to see the expressions on the characters faces so the audience knows what is going on. We need to do this because we are not planning to use much dialogue.

MEDIUM

The purpose of a medium shot is to briefly show the background to the scene whilst also showing the character and what he or she is doing. In this shot we see the protagonist being applauded by his work partners, this shows that he is being congratulated possibly for the lottery that he has just won.One of the most common traps that I have seen in AS Level media productions is the excessive use of medium shots, so in our production we are looking to use a minor amount of medium shots because we want to include a wide variety of different shots.

LONG SHOT

This is a great example of a high angle long shot. This shot allows the audience to focus on more of the scenery in the frame. As we can see here, the protagonist has arrived at the house of the character “Nathan”.In our media long shots are going to be key because we want our audience to look at the surroundings to establish a connection with where the scene is based so they feel more immersed into the atmosphere.

ESTABLISHING SHOT

The purpose of the establishing shot is to show the audience where the scene or film is going to take place. In this example you can see that there is a helicopter flying over a water fall in a forest, this gives the audience the idea that this is going to be the location in which the film will start.In our media we are going to use an establishing shot to show the audience where the scene is going to take place so it gives the audience a sneak peek into the narrative and the mood / tone of the film.

SHOT 1: EXTREME CLOSE UP

ANALYSIS OF SHOT 1

• In the shot we see that the protagonist has won “First prize” in the work lottery. • The shot of the words “First Prize” has a shallow around it. This is because

the director wants the audience to focus on the fact that the protagonist has won something most likely important and will have an effect on the storyline later in the film.• The words “First Prize” connotes that this is something good however later on

in the film you soon realise that what seems good might turn into bod there is also some other proleptic irony (foreshadowing) later on in the scene.

SHOT 2: MEDIUM SHOT

SHOT 2 ANALYSIS• In the Medium shot we see the protagonist on his phone whilst being scanned by what seems to be

a face scan.• We see the face scan form the perspective of the web cam on the desk and he looks straight at the

camera.• This could connote that the protagonist knows that he is being watched which gives the audience

the feeling of paranoia almost like somebody is stalking you.• Cameras are a key prop / feature throughout the film appearing in most of the shots. This is almost

like an invasion of privacy, as if you are always being watched which makes the audience feel uncomfortable. The idea of being watched by cameras also shows the time period that the film could be set in because it is suggesting that the cameras are used fro mass surveillance over the public.

• The face scan technology also gives us a sort of indication into when the film is set. Personally I think that the film is set in the near future which is where we want our media piece to take place.

SHOT 3:

SHOT 3 ANALYSIS• At the start this is a Medium shot as his waist is visible on the screen however as the

shot moves on it becomes more of a medium-Long shot.• we see the protagonist hesitantly walk into the house. This connotes that he is

probably afraid about what he is going to find or he is just nervous.• In the shot, when the protagonist moves out of the frame the door closes

automatically behind him this shows that the time period my be in the future due to the technology shown. However when the door closes behind the protagonist the light on the door turns from bright blue to a dark blood orange which could be foreshadowing events later on the in the film and the dark orange colour could connote danger, as if the protagonist is locked in this isolated house.

NARRATIVE

• From the opening of the film we have a clear indication as to what is going to happen throughout the film. We can tell that the protagonist has been chosen to go and do some sort of research for the company that he works for as this secret estate in the woods of Alaska, USA. The use of foreshadowing / proleptic irony shows that this “Prize” that he has won might back fire on him later on in the film.• In a thriller the use of foreshadowing is key because when you watch the

film back you can see little pieces of evidence which you then realise that was ironic to the story at the end.

TODOROV’S THEORY

•  suggests that all narratives follow a three part structure where they begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when equilibrium is restored.• In Ex Machina however this theory is missing the resolution step. For example, the

equilibrium is where the protagonist is doing some research for his company, the disequilibrium is where the robot becomes more and more intelligent which causes a disruption in the narrative. However in Ex Machina there is no resolution because the end is very unexpected because the protagonist gets locked in the house by the A.I. and the A.I. escapes into the open world. • What we can take from this is that the film does follow the theory however it takes a bit of a

turn in the end.

CHARACTERS AND CONVENTIONS

• In the film there are only three main characters they are Caleb, a young programing genius, Nathan, a billionaire who is working on artificial intelligence and there is Eva, the artificially intelligent robot woman who is imprisoned underground in Nathans house.• Conventionally in a thriller you would have a clear protagonist and antagonist

however in this film the protagonist is clear but the antagonist fluctuates between the A.I and Nathan. This is unconventional because the antagonist is not made clear throughout the film which is effective on the audience because it leaves them wondering the is the antagonist at the end of the film.

CHARACTER PROFILE OF CALEB

• He is a young man who works for Nathans large company and is one of the best young upcoming programmers in the company. He dresses like an ordinary man which is conventional because normally in a thriller you would have a normal protagonist because the audience can relate to them which makes them fear for the character.

CHARACTER PROFILE OF NATHAN

• Nathan is a scientific billionaire making his riches off his worldwide programming company that he owns. He is a Caucasian male who likes to keep in shape by working out most of the time. This is conventional to the antagonising persona about him because he is stronger than the protagonist.

CHARACTER PROFILE OF EVA

• Eva is the Artificial intelligent robot designed and programmed by Nathan. She is a scientific breakthrough that may change the direction of science however she thinks the same as Nathan which could be dangerous because he is the antagonist and he thinks dangerous things. She is almost the damsel in distress which is a common convention of the genre.

PROPPS THEORY

• Vladimir Propp was a literary critic who came up with the idea that most story's consist of certain types of characters:

• Hero – is on a quest• Villain – Works for the opposition• Princess – Who the quest is for (damsel in distress)• Dispatcher – Sends the hero off on the quest• Donor – gives the hero something to help them• Helper – assists the hero• Father – rewards the hero • False hero – once a hero but then un-masked as being a fraud

PROPPS THEORY IN EX MACHINA

• In the opening scene of Ex Machina we only really ever see one main character that we can separate into one of the theory's categories and that is Caleb. From the very start we see that he is the lead protagonist and that the story is going to revolve around him. This suggests to the audience that Caleb is going to fit into the hero category.• If we look further into the film we can see that the villain

turns out to be Nathan and the false hero turns out to be Eva.

THEMES

• Some of the themes in the film are:• Science vs Ethics • Good vs Evil• Right vs Wrong• The themes in the film really show in the characters good being Caleb because

he has done nothing wrong and bad being Nathan because he is obsessed with creating the most convincing robot known to man which ends up being dangerous because he becomes a bit of a taxidermist almost as if he is playing the role of God.

EDITING IN THE OPENING SCENE• There are Jump cuts to show him working his way through the forest.• There is a montage of texts on his phone almost like a time lapse.• There is continuity editing.• 180 degree rule.• Match on action .• And there are many reaction shots.• In the opening scene there are no credits as such, however at the very start of the film (after the idents) there is a title

sequence, however this sequence would be no help analysing for the research because there are no shots in it, there are only some computer generated imagery / graphics.

• During the opening scene that I have analysed we can see that the duration of the shots in the clip vary from being very quick and snappy to being longer. We see this when the protagonist receives the first email saying that he has won the lottery. We can observe that the shots get faster, some shots are only about one second in length. This fast paced editing infers to the audience that this email that the protagonist has received is important because it makes the scene look more chaotic. It is similar for the long shot durations, they are often long because the film wants the audience to take in what they are seeing, this is often used the show a new location or used in cut in and cut away shots.

• The varying shot lengths is unconventional to other opening scenes in the thriller genre. From other thrillers that I have watched, I have noticed that the opening shots are often much longer, I think this is because a thriller is very narrative based so they want the audience to get to know the background context of the film. Ex Machina follows the conventional route to show some context for the protagonist like most conventional thrillers. However, conventionally in a thriller the disequilibrium comes later on in the film, however Ex Machina dives straight into that main point of the film which creates for an exciting plot.

MISE EN SCENE

• Mise en scene is an important aspect of any genre of film. Mise en scene consists of five main elements these are:• Settings and props • Costume hair and make up • Facial expressions and body language • Lighting and colour• Composition

SETTINGS• The setting of a film plays a very important role in the narrative. The use

of a certain setting allows the audience to establish their own connections to the narrative and probably their own life experiences.• In Ex Machina most of the setting is in the character Nathans house this

creates a sense of claustrophobia as you never see the characters come out of the house, this could make the audience feel uncomfortable. However most of the opening scene takes place in the woods / national park which in contrast with the house is more open and free.

PROPS• Props play an important role in any film, sometimes the narrative will revolve

around a single prop, en example of this would be in Pulp Fiction where the narrative revolves around the briefcase. This is a good example because it makes the audience wonder throughout the film what is in the brief case.• In the opening scene of Ex machina there is not a prop that plays a significant

part in the equilibrium. However there is a prop that plays a fairly important part and this is the phone. This is significant because it shows messages that the audience will then read and it will give them an idea of where the protagonist is going to go then there is a jump cut to a helicopter flying over some glaciers.

COSTUMES

• In the opening scene there is only one main character. This is the protagonist Caleb. The costumes give us an idea of what the protagonist is like, for example when we first see Caleb in his office space he is wearing very normal clothing (T-shirt and Jeans) this shows that he is just the everyday regular programmer, this is conventional of the thriller genre because in a thriller the protagonist is a normal / ordinary man or woman and they get thrown into a very dissimilar environment or situation we see this in other films such as Gone Girl and Zodiac by David Fincher.

• When the camera cuts to him in the helicopter he is then wearing a suit. This is significant because the posh suit gives the audience the feeling that wherever the protagonist is going, it is important.

• Costume is a very important aspect of the Mise en scene in our piece because we want the audience to distinguish who are the protagonists and antagonists. We want the protagonist to be wearing normal everyday clothing but preferably blue so it can contrast well with the colour of the piece. We want the antagonists to be wearing darker clothing to make them look more menacing for the audience.

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND BODY LANGUAGE

• The performance of an actor can change the way in which the audience perceive the character shown on the screen. For the character of Caleb in the opening scene the actor Domhnall Gleeson really had to capture the facial expressions because a majority of the shots in the opening scene are ranged from Close ups to Medium long shots. This means that facial expressions are vital for the character to pull off because you see his face all of the time but you don’t see his body much.

• The best example of facial expression and performance in the opening scene is when Caleb receives the Email saying that he had won the lottery. His face looked excited, confused and overall he looked like he didn’t know what to do. This face changes when he arrives at Nathans house, this is because his house is very isolated and secretive so he probably felt a little weary about what is going to happen. There is one specific shot where he walks into the house watching the door close automatically behind him, his face looks very concerned as if he is in fear of something. This face shows the audience that he might be in danger later on in the film.

• In our media we are planning to use our friend who id Drama at GCSE and got grade A to play the protagonist, we want to do this because we want to use a good actor to really capture the panic that the protagonist is going through.

LIGHTING AND COLOUR

• In the opening scene to any movie the lighting is essential in setting the mood and atmosphere of the scene, for example if the lighting and colour was very low key and dark this would show fear or danger (most conventional in the horror genre) where as if the lighting is more ambient / high key and colourful this would give the scene a whole different feeling such as a more joyful atmosphere contradictorily an ambient colour pallet could also be used to show a much darker subject matter as seen in films such as Prisoners and Gone Girl.

• In the opening scene of Ex Machina the colour pallet is very natural, there are no filters to change the contrast or exposure of the scene giving the scene a very natural look. I think the natural look is good because it contrasts well with the breath-taking scenery and cinematography.

• In our media we want the shots to look bleached, pale and un-contrasted so it gives the audience the feeling that the atmosphere is very cold and dangerous. We got this inspiration from Ex Machina and David Finchers Gone Girl.

COMPOSITION

• Composition can play an important role in film. It can highlight a prop showing its importance in the scene it can also show if one character has power or strength over another. In a simple sentence, composition is about where the actors, props or anything is placed in the in the shot.

• Ex Machina uses this well because in most of the shots in the opening two to three minutes the protagonist is composed in the middle of each shot this shows that he is an important character and in a way it farces the audience to focus on the character almost like a shallow focus would.

• We are going to use composition in our media because we want the protagonist to be centre of attention in the piece and the antagonist will be in the background in most of the shots. This will enable the audience to know what is going on without there being any dialogue or narration to guide the audience through the narrative.

SOUND• In a film the sound is one of the most powerful and gripping aspects. The sound can trigger a

distinct sense for the audience whether that be a sense of fear or the feeling of joy, it can also set the mood and tone for the rest of the film.

• In Ex Machina there is a mix between diegetic and non diegetic sound. In the first one and a half minutes the music is all non diegetic meaning that the music is playing and there is no real sound being played. The diegetic sound kicks in when the protagonist steps off of the helicopter. From this point on all of the sound in the first scene is all natural (Diegetic). Diegetic sound creates more realism in the film where as Non diegetic sound adds certain moods and atmospheres to a film depending on the genre.

• In our media production we are going to use a piece of music called “Gravity Jump” from the video game limbo. We have come in contact with the developers of the game and they have given us permission to use their music. We wanted this specific piece because we thought that it would fit the genre that we are aiming for which is thriller. In our media we don’t want much diegetic sound as we want the audience to focus on what is happening on the screen as the sound that we will be using will be parallel.