Wednesday, 29 April 2015

Merlin Clip Analysis

Mise en Scene 
At the very beginning of the clip we can see that Merlin is of less class from the clothes he is wearing. A shabby scarf and his hand-me-down shirt. He is moving suspiciously and keeps checking the door to see if anyone is coming because he is looking through someone else's possessions. It is especially bad as they are possessions belonging to someone of a higher class than him. the next character we see is a beautiful looking young woman, in a purple silk dress. The audience can safely assume that this character is of importance and high class and almost certainly rich. We get confirmation of the statuses' of the two characters when the woman says "What are you doing in here?!". This indicates to the audience that the boy isn't allowed in there. further confirmation of the boy's poor social status is when the King's son starts to mock him publically. Anyone of near importance to himself he would speak politely to and would never say anything derogatory towards them. The audience also recognize that the person mocking Merlin is of significant importance. This is done through the silver armour he is wearing and his posse of men stood behind him. The fact that this character and his posse start to laugh at him when Merlin tries to retaliate shows that they see him as no kind of threat and it is actually funny that they have got a reaction out of him.

Editing
The only apparent signs of editing used by the director purposely for the audience to see are at two key points of the clip. One is the fast-paced transition from when the Woman sees the elderly character as her reflection in the mirror. This is designed to make the audience feel the same startling feeling the character does when she sees the reflection. the second obvious use of editing is used when Merlin uses his powers to defend himself against the prince. Again the transition from his eyes to the weapon being caught is fast paced but is used differently. the fast editing is because it is done in the middle of the action and so the audience are already excited and wanting to see what happens next. it is also because Merlin does not want anyone to know he has magical powers as it was illegal to partake in witchcraft and was punishable by death. The res of the clip uses continual editing to make the events flow naturally.

Sound 
At the beginning we hear very lo, slow music used to build tension as Merlin searches through the princesses' bedroom. This adds to the tension as the audience know he'll be in trouble if he is caught. The non-dietetic whispers we hear when he picks up the voodoo doll also add tension but emphasize the mystery and suspicion behind why she would have it in her room. when the princess is seen, angelic voices can be heard, this is a clever technique used as it portrays her as the beautiful, innocent princess when actually she is the binary opposite; a witch. The fast paced music accompanies the fight between the Prince and Merlin to keep the audience on the edge of their seats and excited in anticipation of what may happen in the next few moments.