Mercedes-Benz E-Class W212 Commercial 'Sorry'

Ø  The product is Mercedes-Benz E-Class W212.

Ø  I understand that the car is safety to use because it stops immediately when you press stop pedal.

Ø  The equilibrium of the story is when the driver drives the car in the road in the forest. The disruption of equilibrium happens when he turns his head and sees Death. Then Death says: ‘Sorry’, and looks forward. There is a trunk on the road. The driver immediately press stop pedal and the car stops before the impact. After a brief moment of shock the driver turns to Death and say: ‘Sorry’.

Ø  The main character is the Mercedes driver. He is about 30 years old, who wears grey suit and drives elite car. He looks like a successful handsome businessman. Maybe, he returns home after a work or drive somewhere because of work.  The protagonist signifies that Mercedes owners are rich successful men.

Ø  Settings: The advert takes place in the winter forest in modern time. It is seen through the snow on the trees around the road. I can understand that it happens nowadays, because the driver wears a modern suit and the car looks modern.

Ø  The non-diegetic music develops the narrative and have the emotional idea for the advert. At the beginning the music is quite and relaxed. There is a pleasant sound of the piano. It makes the viewers feel relaxed and give idea how do they feel if they drive the car. However, when the Death appears the sound of piano goes down and reminds that something bad happened. It builds the tension and suspense. When the driver stopped and saved life the cheerful sounds of piano appear again. It tells us that everything finished well and the driver cheated Death.

Ø  Mise en scene establishes the place which is the forest and the Mercedec car with the drive in it. Through props and other things we are informed about what is happening and where. We understand who is the main character and who is a villain. The audience understands that the villain is a Death because he wears black suit and holds a scythe. He appears suddenly. Also Death evilly laughing and say ‘Sorry’ which mean that he is there to take the drivers life. At the end the car is established and key words appears: “Senses danger and increases braking power. BAS PLUS’. This gives information what the advert is promoting.

Ø  Cinematographers used mostly MUC of face expressions of characters. Because of that we can share emotions with the main character. As we see things from the first perspective we also share ideas, thought, feeling with him. There are also MLS/LS of the car on the road, to put the attention to the product and emphasize the place. The camera movement of the nature conveys sense of space and suggest mood. It also emphasizes the continuity of time and space.

Ø  There is establishing shot of the forest at the beginning of the advert. There are only used straight cuts to have the linear narrative and make the sense of continuity. It not disrupts the audiences’ attention, so makes easier to follow. There is also used technique shot/reverse/shot between the driver and Death. It this moment the 180-degree rule is broken because when the driver established when he saw Death, he appeared from Deaths perspective. There is one more technique is cut-away, which is used to provide additional information (what is behind the car) and develops atmosphere, narrative and creates tension and suspense of hit.

Ø  I think the message of the advert is that you should be attentive while driving the car and those Mercedes-Benz cars have a very safe system which can safe your life. So, don’t waist your time on other cars and buy Mercedes-Benz.

Ø  Mercedes cars have great Bas Plus break assists system, which can save your life.

Ø  I would like to buy it because Mercedes is good German car which looks expensive, moderns and cool to use. I like the advert, because it is funny and entertaining.

Carling: Office Escape

Ø  The brand of the beer is called  ‘Carling’.

Ø  I understand that the product is good addition while watching a football match.   

Ø  The equilibrium of the story is when an office worker is established. He is chained with clips to his workplace in the office. Then disruption comes when he received a letter from him friend who is outside the building waiting for him to watch a live football, which starts at 5 pm. The worker tried to escape the office that the employees don’t see him. At the end when he almost escaped the building, the protagonist hits the glass door. His friend outside says, “ It is good, but is not quit Carling”.

Ø  The main character is an ordinary middle-aged office worker, who does incredible things to escape the office. He reminds of an agent 007 and Superman. His goal is to escape the office and catch a football game. However at the end he doesn’t achieve the goal, because he hits the glass door and his boss sees him. I think the advert is mostly for the men audience, because the protagonist is male and main aspects of the advert are mostly men's interests like the football match, beautiful woman and drinking beer with a friend. As he looks like ordinary office worker, the audience can connect themselves with him. 

Ø  Settings:

·      It happens in our time. It clearly seen through their clothes, props such as the smartphone and computers.

·      The place is the office building, because people wear suits, also there are desktops with computers. Everyone work. The compositions of elements reminds of typical building with offices. 

Ø  The non-diegetic music is important to develop the narrative because it connotes viewers about agent 007, that he should perform a dangerous mission. Also the music builds tensions and suspense.

Ø   Mise en scene is establishing main things that help audiences to understand the idea of the brand. Viewers understand who is the main character, what is happening to him, his goals, where he is.  As it is an advert of beer, there is a key moments where his friend holds 2 glasses of Carling and he mentioned something about the brand. At the end we see how the friend stretch his hand with Carling and then the beer is establish with the black background and with a phrase ‘ Refreshingly perfect’ which is highlighted by red line.

Ø  Cinematography works with mise en scene and editing to create a whole video and communicate to the audience. There are lots of MCU and CU to focus on face expressions of the characters and othe important things, which give additional information. It helps to share the emotions with protagonist and develops narrative. We see things from the first perspective, so we can connect ourselves with the protagonist.  To establish his perspective and have sense of continuity of time and actions cinematographers used tracking shots, which were achieved by dolly and steadycam. There is also moment where is used selective focus to concentrate on the important aspect of the shot and separate important things from the background. There is also zooming used to have a dramatic effect and focus on the face. In the climax there is used slow motion, which creates comic effect that the person flies. It stops when he hits the door.

Ø  The editing montage is used to contracting time but give full idea of the brand. It makes the video chronological. It makes the sense of continuity. There are mostly straight cuts between shots, however at the end beer moves forward with the black background.

Ø  I think the message of the advert is that Carling is refreshingly perfect.

Ø  I feel that main idea of the brand that it refreshes and good addition to the football match.

Ø  I would not buy the product, firstly, because I don’t like beer and secondly, I didn’t understand the main idea of the advert. The video was chronological and entertaining but last phrase “It is good, but is not quit Carling” I did understand. Also I didn’t catch why people should buy the product.

Casablanca (1942)

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Starring – Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid

Based on “Everybody comes to Rick’s” by Murray Burnett and Joan Allison

Structure:

 The structure of the movie are not linear and they do not respect the classical narrative pattern, which usually consists of the equilibrium, the disruption of equilibrium and new equlibrium.

 In the part where Rick asked Sam to play on the piano a song called “As time goes by” we see the break of chronology. When the pianist starts to play, we see the relationship between Ilsa and Rick. The method used is flashback. We understand by it what happened between characters and how it affected their lives.

 At the beginning of the film we see the equilibrium of the story with Rick’s café and people of different nationalities having fun there. Also there is voice-over narrator who explains the situation at the beginning and why people are in Casablanca. Then the main disruption of equilibrium happens when the protagonist meet his old love in his café with her husband. They need special letter that will help them to escape to America. The realization comes when Ilsa confronts Rick in the deserted café. When he refuses to give her the letters, she threatens him with a gun, but then confesses that she still loves him. Then Rick's bitterness dissolves. He agrees to help, leading her to believe that she will stay with him when Laszlo leaves. It is to repir the disruption. The new equilibrium happens when Ilsa is left Casablanca, Rick says «Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship» and when Rick killed the German official.

Characters

Main characters are Rick (hero), Ilsa(princess), Victor Laszlo(one more hero or villain).

Other characters are Major Heinrich Strasser (villain), Sam the pianist and  Captain Louis Renault(helpers) and Ferrari (donor).

Some characters do hove stories some not. We learn them by flashbacks, their actions, from the words of other characters.

At the beginning some motivations of some characters are not clear, but (for example Rick) we understand his motivations better through his memories of Paris and happy days with Ilsa. Also motivations become clearer when characters explain their positions and what they think of. I understand Ilza’s motivation when she left Rick in the Paris, because she wanted help her husband who was alive and needed her help. Also I understand why Rick helped Ilsa to escape with her husband, because he really loved her and wanted to appear as a hero.

Closure

Narrative closure for Rick, Ilsa and her husband is happened when Laszlo and his wife left Casablanca on the plane.

Clarity

The story and the setting are clear, because creators used such variety of methods, cinematography things, editing and mise en scene things to make audience be evolved in the movie and be clear with what is happening there, for example at the beginning there is voice over narrator who explains the situation.

Progression

I think all main characters decisions and actions drive narrative because camera is focused on them and how they overcome different obstacles and challenges. For instance Rick met Ilsa, then she ask him help her and her husband and etc. Also the dialog is key in driving the narrative because through it characters communicating, sharing thoughts and explaining many things.

Perspective

I think the film includes the first person perspective of Rick. So, the effect of it to show his point of view and make clarity in his actions. We see, feel, think as the character.

Story

I think the kind of the story is quest because it revolves around a central protagonist striving to meet all important. At the end the character reaching a goal and changing inside.

Themes

One of the main themes in the film Casablanca is the personal transformation of the movie's main character and other one is unhappy love. In the beginning of the movie, Rick Blaine is shown as a selfish, bitter American exile who claims to have no emotional or political loyalties. By the end of the movie Rick becomes a man who sacrifices his own happiness and risks everything for love and honor.

The music plays huge role in the movie. We hear music which makes us think of control and hegemony of the country, especially Morocco. Somehow the music also creates the atmosphere of patriotism. In the part of Rick’s memories and part where Ilsa asked Sam to play a song we understand the relationship between them and importance of the song for both characters. It establish sentimental moment of the movie. At the end of the movie, he used high volume music with the fast kinetics of the characters. This shows how they are worried and want to arrive as fast as they can