Film Genre Research - coming of age (January)

February 07, 2024

Film Genre Research - coming of age (January)

Film Genre: Coming of age

Sub Genres: Social realism, drama.

Film: The Florida Project.

Analysis of opening: It opens with a shot introducing the main character “Moonee,” a little girl, sitting in front of a colorful purple wall with her friend. The second shot is an eye-catching over the shoulder shot of the magic castle with a little boy yelling the main character's name. Throughout the opening, a camera follows a group of children who are roaming around and exploring motel grounds. It can be assumed from the first few shots in the opening that the film might focus on the lives of children and their families living in poverty in a budget motel near Disney World. This choice to focus on the perspective of children contributes to the film's theme of innocence, and negative influence from the parents, contrasting reality between childhood and adulthood.

Camera shots, angles, movements, focus and framing observations:

Movements used: In the early scenes, the camera movements include handheld tracking shots that follow the energetic children as they run around. The movements are smooth and fluid as it highlights but still highlights the character's energy and freedom in the exploratory nature of their playing.

Focus and framing: The opening sequence of shots includes vibrant colors and a wide depth of area to give the settings feeling of the location around the characters. There are key elements framed within the shots as well to give a sense of place such as tourist shops and vibrantly painted motel buildings that evoke a sense of trashy paradise. The framing captures the colorful sky, open spaces, and colorful buildings which can pair the location with a sense of optimism and potential for the children and contrasts the themes of poverty and struggle.

Editing techniques and the tone, mood or meaning they help create:

The cuts used in early narrative scenes include Jump cuts, which is what the first few opening shots use to transition between the children playing and keep the pace of the films energetic tone and playfulness of the children, and Crosscuts which are used to mix the children's carefree world with the adults around them. The film also uses seamless montages to provide glimpses of the everyday lives of the characters without lingering on with one moment for too long. The editing is minimalist engaging the audience in the authenticy of each moment and many of the transitions between scenes are done in a way that feels natural. The overall editing avoids overemphasized dramatic cuts to favor the films documentary style approach.

Sound techniques and their impact on the tone and meaning:

The editor often uses diegetic founds to transition between scenes or to support them. The film opens with the diegetic sound of children yelling and playing which creates an atmosphere of youthful energy and freedom of the children. Ambient sounds such as cars passing by or distant noise of birds chirping all contribute to the sense of place the characters are surrounded by. The use of upbeat, energetic music used in the opening during the credits reinforcing the child-centric perspective from which the story is told by.

Mise-en-scene techniques:

Mise-en-scene techniques in this film include setting, props, clothing, lighting, and age of actors. The setting starts outside a purple-colored motel named “The Magic Castle.” which establishes a setting in faux fantasy and contrasts with the less glamorous reality of the residents’ lives. The environment in the film contains items that are expected in a low-income area. Abandoned toys, stains, and other debris paint a picture of the living conditions. The characters clothes are colorful but not new or well-kept suggesting the economic hardships faced. The outfits help communicate economic status without specific dialogue.

Production and Distribution information:

The budget for this film was estimated to be around $2 million. The box office grossed approximately $11 million for the worldwide box office. Production companies were: Freestyle Picture Company, Cinereach, and June pictures. The film was distributed by A24, an American independent film distribution company. The director is Sean Baker, a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He is an award-winning writer, film director, and producer. The cinematographer is Alexis Zabe, a Mexican cinematographer who studied at the Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematografico's.

Opening Credits description:

The film falls under the genre of drama/coming-of-age with the element of storytelling and social realism. The opening credits are positioned on the screen in a straightforward and center manner. Clean San-serif font is used which contrast with the vibrant world depicted. The color palette chosen for the opening is bright mirroring the visual aesthetic of the film.

Awards/ Nominations:

A few examples of the many awards and nominations this film won include the National Board of Review: Top Ten independent Films, Best Directorial Debut. Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Willem Dafoe). Overall, the first reasons I chose this film to analyze were because when I watched it, I loved the cinematography, social realism, and performances of the actors.