HSC: Area of Study

The Area of Study for  HSC 2007 - 2008 is Journeys.

The Texts: Rabbit Proof Fence

Suggestions for related material:

Note: The focus in the following material is the scenes in which the children are kidnapped: the beginning of their physical journey.

Structures and features of screenplay: the script from which a film is shot

 A screenplay has a distinctive structure and special features that can make it a little puzzling when you first read one.

At the beginning of each scene there is an indication of the place of the scene: interior (INT.), meaning inside, or exterior (EXT.) meaning outside.

This is followed by a very brief indication of the setting for the scene.

The details of the setting and the characters’/actors’ physical actions are described in italic font.

The characters’/actors’ speeches are introduced by the character’s name, as in a playscript. Speech is placed in the whole text for the scene against the appropriate action(s).

In more complex screenplays, the camera shots, angles and movements will be indicated at the appropriate place as a note to the camera team filming the scene.

            Shots are the way in which the camera man (cinematographer) photographs the material he is asked to film so that the viewer sees the meaning the director wants to express.

There are six basic shots. They describe the distance between the camera and the viewer to the subject matter.

1. An extreme long shot is also called an establishing shot because it gives the viewer a sense of location through lots of landscape and it can also suggest atmosphere.
2. A long shot also uses landscape but figures (or the subject or subjects) are a part of the scene and they are usually recognisable.
3. A full shot shows the complete figure or subject within the frame and whatever landscape or background can be seen around the figure. There can be two or even three figures in a full shot.
4. A medium (mid) shot shows the figures from the waist up and includes whatever landscape is behind these figures. There can also be two or even three figures in a medium shot.
5. A close-up concentrates on the whole face of the figure. There is almost no landscape or background to be seen. This is a ‘personal’ shot because it is so close to the figure. The closeness to the subject can therefore make it shot used for emotional purposes. This is a shot that loses its impact if it is overused.
6. An extreme close up focuses on an aspect of the figure in great detail such as the eyes or the mouth. It is an extremely ‘personal’ shot. Because it is so personal, it should not be overused

Angles indicate the level at which the camera (and the viewer) sees the subject. Angles are another way a filmmaker has of making meaning.

1. An eye level shot means that the camera is at eye level with the subject or figure. It represents a ‘normal’ way of viewing the subject.
2. A high angle shot places the camera above the subject; the camera ‘looks down’ on the subject.
3. A low angle shot places the camera below the subject, the camera ‘looking up’ at the subject.

Camera movements indicate how the camera will move in relation to the subject.

1. A Pan shot is when the camera head moves horizontally on a fixed position, for example, a tripod. These usually go from right to left – like the eye movement in reading. Through panning, the filmmaker can have a camera comment on a situation, thus making the camera almost a character.
2. Tilt shot (or a vertical pan) describes the movement of the camera head vertically on a fixed position. Tilting also mimics the movement of the eye so that it will move up a building to take in its height or down a column of names.
3. Mobile camera shots have the whole camera moving. This kind of shot can add to the narrative by opening up more space or mimicking movement. These can be referred to as a dolly shot or a tracking shot.
4. Zooms are not technically a moving shot. Through the use of an adjustable lens the camera gives the appearance of moving closer (zooming in) or further away (zooming out) from the subject. It can be a dramatic way of calling attention to detail.

Activities

1. Complete the following table in which you give reasons for the selection of an appropriate camera shot or angle or movement for moments from the text. You need to justify your choice. You will need to remember that the closer the camera is to the subject the more intimate so don’t overdo it.

 Language forms and features in film

 Movement and the use a body language to create meaning

 Actors interpreting any kind of script – play or film or television – make use of the body, facial expression and movement in relation to other characters and their setting to reinforce the meaning of their words. Some scriptwriters (composers) make it clear how they want their actors to move in relation to any line of script; others leave it more open to the actors interpretation. In the script for Rabbit Proof Fence, the composer, Christine Olsen, has created scenes in which there is no dialogue and so all the meaning that is being made for the viewer comes from the actors’ movements and their body language.

1. “Molly looks out at Maude who is peering in the window, reaching out her hands to Molly, shouting at her. Molly tears at the door and window.”

•        Working with a partner, interpret “reaching out her hands to Molly” with your own hands.  You will need to think    about how Maude feels at this point. What movements suggest this feeling?

•        What movements are suggested by the word ‘tears’? Find one word to describe Molly’s state of mind.

Tension in a script occurs when the composer creates a situation or condition of suspense or uneasiness to develop their meaning. Tension involves the viewer feeling some of that suspense or uneasiness, usually through their involvement as a viewer with the characters and the events. In a film the use of the camera can reinforce action and the work of the actors during the scene.

2. “He revs the engine and the car begins to move, turning in a wide arc. /Molly watches as the desert turns.”

•       How do you visualise the first sentence? Are you inside or outside the car, viewing this sequence of action? Are you viewing this from outside the action? Explain your response.

•       How do you visualize the second sentence? Are you inside or outside the car, viewing this sequence of action? Are you viewing this as though you were inside the action? Explain your response.

•       Why would the composer want the viewer to experience the desert turning? Think about who is in the car and what is happening to their world.

•       What response has the composer created in the viewer?

 Mood is the prevailing atmosphere or feeling and is used to reinforce meaning. Mood is produced by a combination of factors: the nature of the action + character interactions + spoken/visual language creating a mood within the viewer.

Working with the kidnapping scene.

3. List the main events in the scene. How do you feel about these events?
4. The car is used to separate Molly from Maude and Lilly. List the movements that Maude, Lilly and Frinda make towards Molly while she is in the car. How do you feel about the behaviour of these two women?
5. What is Molly’s reaction to their behaviour? List  words that describe her movements. How do you feel about Molly in this situation?
6. List  words that describe what Molly can hear. What affects what Molly can hear? What effect does this have on your response to Molly and her situation and to the situation of Maude, Lilly and Frinda?
7. What is the point of Riggs throwing Frinda’s stick out the window and its disappearance from sight?
8. Look back over your answers to this section and complete the following table.

Some writing tasks:

 1.      Write the film script for the promotional trailer to be shown in cinemas before the release of Rabbit Proof Fence. Use the appropriate conventions and film terminology in your script.

2.      Write a personal response to the a the film . Use the following scaffold to structure your personal response to the film script: