Wall-E

Environmentalism and Techniques

Extreme Long Shot• ELS (Extreme Long Shot) are used throughout

the film to place characters and objects within the wider environment. They answer the question where are we? These shots give the viewer (you) context.

• The image on the previous slide is important, it not only shows a very tiny Wall-E working in his environment but also suggests how long he has toiled at the job and how large the mess is that the humans left behind.

• When looking at the progression of our environmental theme we could make a comment on this as follows…

The environmental theme in “Wall-E” is emphasised very early on. The film begins by introducing the environment that the central character works within. Extreme Long shots are used to show the abandoned state of the environment, the lack of life and the tall buildings. As we are introduced to Wall-E and his “directive” viewers come to understand that he is tasked with cleaning up the mess left behind by the humans that created him. A particular Extreme Long shot shows a tiny Wall-E laying the foundations for the next compacted rubbish building, one of the many already noted in the introductory sequence.

• NOTE: An ELS may also be seen as an Establishing Shot (ES). These help to orient the viewer and usually show landmarks that are familiar such as a city skyline.

Long Shot• LS (Long Shot) while the long shot helps to

further answer the question “where are we?” it also places the character(s) within the setting. Here is EVE in the destroyed city.

• Can you alter the previous paragraph to deal with Long shot rather than Extreme Long Shot?– Note: You will have to change some sentences.

Mid Shot

• A mid shot shows you roughly half of the character- it is close enough for you to see details. It may be used as a two-person shot to allow viewers to see the relationship that exists between characters or it may have a single character. – This shot can be used to show you reactions,

relationships, body language, who is speaking.

• Here is EVE in the next shot we see that she is able to turn her head. This makes her different to Wall-E and tells viewers that technology has continued to advance since the humans left Earth.

• Changing the camera angle can often give us a little more information…

• I am listening to my music and looking up at the sky. What am I feeling?

Close Up

• A Close Up is used to give us important details, it tells us to take a good look at the important information the shot holds.

• I am looking at something off screen.

• This is what I am looking at. What type of focus is this?

• I am treating it delicately and taking it for safe keeping.

• The close up takes us a step closer to the characters so that we are able to understand a little bit more (usually because we can see expressions and understand their emotions. Sometimes it may even help us understand what they are thinking.).

Extreme Close Up

• The Extreme Close Up is used to give viewers important information. This shot tells us that what we are seeing is extremely important and we should only be focused on the details it is offering us.

So let’s try and put some of this together….

• When we first start the movie we have a number of ELS these help to orient us… Earth has been destroyed we have produced and consumed so many products that we have turned the planet into a wasteland using all space for cities and factories with no space for, or conservation of, animals and no plant-life.

• So the humans have created a group of robots who are tasked with compacting the rubbish produced and tidying the cities so they can return. 700 years later we are introduced to Wall-E going about his everyday life. He is the only remaining robot.

• LS- this is in the middle of a montage sequence. What is a montage?

• In this montage of LS we see Wall-E sorting through rubbish. We can see Wall-E and his actions but we can also see the size of the problem and why there is no other ‘life’.

Then…

• Here we remain in LS but Wall-E has found something… what is it? Is it important?

• How will we know?

That’s right…

• We get an ECU of the ring he has found. This is an object of value to us… we see that someone would have paid a lot of money for it. But the next shot tells us it holds no value to Wall-E as he throws it over his shoulder and keeps the box continuing to sort.

• What type of shot is this?

After a brief cut…• Here is Wall-E in LS. This

particular shot lets us see how carefully he does his job. He precisely places each block in rows constructing his rubbish cube skyscrapers.

• Now we see Wall-E’s latest discovery… It is important that we see and recognise what he is holding yet wide enough to allow for the action that will unfold.

• Finally, we are left with an ELS or ES- this is what Wall-E is building. How does this connect with our theme?

• Last lesson you finished watching Wall-E for the second time. As you watched you were asked to record scenes/events that displayed the environmental theme.

• For each event that you recorded on your ladder you must now write because… it shows….

Prioritising…

• Now you have finished your explanations you should prioritise them. What are the top three events in order of strongest to weakest point?

• How many do we agree on as a class?

• What you have created in the previous activity is a very basic outline for an important idea essay! WELL DONE.

• The only difference between a film essay and a written text essay is that you must include techniques in a film one.

• The techniques become your evidence instead of quotes!

• Can you write a describe paragraph about the theme in the movie? – Try to include one of the shots from the previous

slides.

Doing really well!

• Now write an Explain paragraph using the opening scene.– Don’t forget to use those techniques.

Now… what about those other techniques huh?

• When studying film it is very obvious that camera shots are not the only types of techniques directors use so… let’s look at the closing scene of the film

– As you watch the scene record any techniques you notice. You can even consider colour!

• The effects of environmental destruction are more evident in the first half of the film with the portrayal of Earth as hopelessly polluted, sun-scorched and buried under mountains of rubbish. With a setting of what appears to be Manhattan, or similar, laden with the wreckage of ancient skyscrapers as well as towering skyscrapers of garbage, the air does not look promising.

The final scene of the movie presents a clear connection to the environmental theme.

• Colour: The colour scheme used to portray Earth is made up almost entirely of neutral colours: browns, greys, blacks and off-whites. The colours that are present are muted. – Example: The blue sky appears to have a haze

over it, this mutes the colour so that it is hardly noticed at all.

• The use of colour helps to produce a mood within the film. Here the colours are gloomy and depressing.

• There is a clear difference between the haze covered Earth and the clean, new feeling of the humans as they step out of the Axiom for the first time in 700 years. The suits they are wearing are bright red- they are the only thing not covered in the haze. This contrast is used to emphasise the state of the Earth without plant life.

The plant that Wall-E first discovered, passed on to EVE, and ended up in the hands of the Captain after a valiant effort by the two robots is the first presentation of the colour, green since the Axiom landed.

-What colours do we see on the rubics cube?

• It seems a deliberate choice- given that this film is animated- that no other green is shown in the scene until that plant is shown. This strongly highlights the ecological message of the film.

• The ending montage of shots leaves the viewer with a long shot of the Earth, once again highlighting our theme.

• Following Wall-E’s recovery is an ECU of the plant accompanied by the Captain’s voice (is this diegetic or non-diegetic sound?) “This is called farming! You guys are going to grow all kinds of plants.” The enthusiasm the Captain feels is obvious particularly when combined with the soundtrack “It only takes a moment.”

• As the soundtrack song continues we zoom out from the ECU of the plant to a ELS of the Axiom, then dissolve to a CU of dirt and loose wires before zooming out to reveal EVE and Wall-E holding hands in his home.

• The montage continues to show a LS of an abandoned city before returning to a LS of the ground covered in budding, vibrant green plants- this is a flash-forward.

• The final shot appears, through a haze resembling clouds, as a CU of the Earth zooms out to a MLS and the song fades.

• The visuals within the montage suggest hope and excitement for the return of life on Earth. “And we’ll recall as time runs out/ that it only takes a moment/ to be loved a whole life long.”- what do you think this is referring to?

• Can you now turn the analysis for the final scene into an Explain paragraph?

• Guess what? All you need to write now is the introduction and conclusion and you have written an essay!