Photonovel - Cinematographer & Movie Case Study

21 Bridges Film

First and foremost, Andre Davis (Chadwick Boseman) is the main protagonist of the 21 Bridges show. In addition to that, he is the NYPD detective tasked with the case of two criminals who kill several police officers during a drug heist. The deaths enrage an entire precinct and the captain (J.K. Simmons) now has a bunch of trigger-happy cops thirsting for revenge. He then decides to pair with Andre - a DEA agent (Sienna Miller). He soon becomes unsure of who to pursue and who's in pursuit of him. As a consequence, the incident uncovers a conspiracy. Therefore, he has just one night to solve the case and catch the killers before they escape the city of Manhattan. (Soan, 2019)

Not only that, Chadwick Boseman’s display a lot of range in his acting, to prove that he deserves to be a leading man. J.K. Simmons is perfectly cast as Captain McKenna, who care about why the police deaths matter so much to him and the rest of the cops. On the other side of the law, Taylor Kitsch and Stephan James make a strong pair. Kitsch plays Raymond Jackson, a sharpshooter who knows how to dispatch whoever is in his sights and James plays Michael Trujillo, the brains of the operation, who needs to figure how to escape without getting arrested. (Soan, 2019)

The plot of the movie has an interesting setup with various perspective from both sides of the views. Brian Kirk - Director & Paul Cameron - Cinematographer shoots the film, particularly the action, well enough to keep the pace engaging throughout. The screenplay has the potential to explore different motivations. (Soan, 2019) This movie and story plot has a great inspiration and source for my photonovel. It uses a lot of wide angle shot and dark colour to express emotional expression. In addition, it also portrays a variety of composition which it can be applied to my photonovel story. Not to mention, dark colour represent fear and unhappy lifestyle.

When Christian Isaiah was a 13 years old boy, he listens to the sermon delivered at his father’s funeral with his tear-streaked face. His dad, a New York cop, has been killed in the line of duty, but not before he “punished” three of the four criminals he was pursuing. (Sullivan, 2019)

It’s an artful and depressed moment, not only for the image’s simplicity, emotional power and good casting. Playing Andre, young actor Christian Isaiah really looks like he could grow up to be Chadwick Boseman, who later portrays NYPD detective Andre Davis as a grown man. It also sets the stage for the rest of the overly schematic but reasonably watchable film, with the erroneous assumption that it’s the role of the police to not just enforce the law but to mete out harsh justice for those who go agains it. (Sullivan, 2019)

The picture reflects on my photonovel story on how to apply the emotions to my story plot. It uses emotion to convey the message to the audience. The characters are set at the beginning of the movie with certain traits and emotional lives. Not to mention, emotion progresses through the story in relation to the character's goals as the conflict escalates and the climax approaches. Therefore, emotion plays an important role to the story plot and setting. (Cowgill, n.d.)

The Addams Family Film

The Addams Family movie was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Members of the mysterious and spooky Addams family - Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley, Wednesday, Uncle Fester and Grandma are readily preparing for a visit from their even creepier relatives. But trouble soon arises when shady TV personality Margaux Needler realizes that the Addams' eerie hilltop mansion is standing in the way of her dream to sell all the houses in the neighbourhood. (The Addams Family, n.d.) Therefore, the Addams Family having issues on trying to fit into the society. The movie has a great storyline which reflect my photonovel story - peer pressure of not fitting into society. The overall movie setting and plot conveys a clear message to the audience.

Not only that, the movie was created by Charles Addams, was originally a comic strip published in The New Yorker starting in 1938, offering a satirical take on the prototypical nuclear family with a clan of horror-minded folks. The Addams Family also received a trilogy of live-action movies in the 90s, introducing a new generation to the family. Now, the movie returns in animated form with a new modernised adventure. The Addams Family is a 3D animated reboot of the classic macabre family, with an important message at its heart about accepting others. (Freeman, 2019)

The Addams Family attempts to modernize the official family for a new generation, which leads to various tone and themes of the film. It is about allowing the weirdness within all of us to flourish and accepting each other despite the differences. The Addams Family illustrates how media evolves to fit the times in which it's made. Certainly, the message it delivers is important for people of all ages to hear. (Freeman, 2019)

Political message

The producer of the movie mentioned that “It is ultimately is about supporting one another’s differences. I think at the core, why people really respond to the Addams family is because ultimately they will always be Addams and they take pride in that and never try to change themselves for anybody. This film reminds us that whatever we think is normal is something very different for each individual, there is an underlying message: being different is not a bad thing and we need to celebrate that a little bit more. And I love that I’m a part of something that carries that message.” (Malsan, n.d.) Thus, I need to show that there are different side into peer pressure for my photonovel, the one being pressured and those influencing them.

---

Reference & citation

"21 Bridges: Ending Explained | Full Movie Breakdown + Spoiler Talk Review." Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPSutR0IrqQ

Soans (2019, Nov 22) found that "21 Bridges Movie Review : An Engaging Action Thriller." Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/movie-reviews/21-bridges/movie-review/72153988.cms

"21 Bridges Trailer #1 (2019) | Movieclips Trailers." Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVZDhunTrYA

Sullivan (2019, Nov 21) found that "Efficient ‘21 Bridges’ takes little emotional toll." Retrieved from https://www.chron.com/entertainment/movies_tv/article/Efficient-21-Bridges-takes-little-emotional-14846930.php

Cowgill (n.d.) found that "The Emotional Pattern of Plot." Retrieved from https://www.writersstore.com/the-emotional-pattern-of-plot/#:~:text=Characters%20are%20set%20up%20at,escalates%20and%20the%20climax%20approaches.

"The Addams Family (2019) - Movie Review." Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7IsaDF4sT4

"The Addams Family." Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620981/

Freeman (2019, Oct 11) found that "The Addams Family Review: A Cute Animated Remake With Heart." Retrieved from https://screenrant.com/addams-family-2019-movie-reviews/

Malsan (n.d.) found that "The Addams Family." Retrieved from https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2019/addamsfamily2019.html