Definitely, Maybe - Film Analysis - Amy Cass

Titles

0:00:00 – 0:00:22 – Universal logo –Animated production logo. Website is under universal logo.

0:00:24 – 0:00:32 – Working title – Animated production logo.

0:00:34 – 0:00:36 – Universal Pictures present

• Black and white, simple, minimalistic

0:00:39 – Images appear, film starts.

0:00:46 – In association with Studio Canal

• Studio Canal is larger than ‘In association with’
• All in black and white

0:00:59 – a Working title production

• Working title is larger than ‘ a’ ‘production’
• All in black and white

0:01:41 – an Adam Brooks film

• Once again, Adam Brooks is larger
• Shown alongside the film, in the corner where as before they were on a black screen

0:01:49 – 0:01:51 - Titles appear. Defiantly appears then Maybe slides in. Comma then rises from the bottom.

0:01:54 – Actor 1 – Ryan Reynolds

0:01:58 – Actor 2 – Isla Fisher

0:02:04 – Actor 3 – Derek Luke

0:02:07 – Actor 4 – Abigail Breslin

0:02:12 – Actor 5 – Elizabeth Banks

0:02:16 – Actor 6 – and Rachel Welsz

• Because Actor 6 is the last, they added ‘and’ before her name.
• All of the actors above are the main stars of the film, so their names appeared on their own.

0:02:32 – Actors 7 and 8

0:02:37 – Actors 9 and 10

0:02:44 – Actors 11 and 12

• These actors are less well known/are playing less important parts, so are listed in groups of 2.

0:02:54 – Casting by

0:02:58 – Music Supervisor

0:03:03 – Music By

0:03:07 – Costume Designer

0:03:12 – Edited By

0:03:18 – Production Designer

0:03:23 – Director of Photography

0:03:30 – Co-executive Producer

0:03:34 – Executive Producers

• Two names are listed here, together.

0:03:39 – Produced By

• Two names are listed here, together.

0:03:43 – Written and Directed By

0:03:48 – Titles finished.

Sound

0:00:00 – 0:00:22 – Universal Trademark music, along side the logo.

0:00:23 – Background noise from the film starts although still showing Production logos.

• Sound is A-sync – image and sound isn’t connected/in sync.
• Bridging the sound into the first scene

0:00:37 – First bit of dialogue is heard.

• Off screen though.

- Ambient sound of the office is heard.

- Before the woman starts talking you hear footsteps of a high healed woman

- Makes you think of an office.

- Introduced to the name of the main character, through the woman’s conversation

- She says ‘Hello, Will, package for you.’

- The sound of the package hitting the desk is exaggerated

- This is to signify its importance in the storyline.

- The sound is Foley (added in after filming) so that the sound is clear.

- Pen is thrown onto the desk

- This sound is Foley as well so that the sound is clear.

- Rustling of him taking the letter out of the envelope.

0:00:55 – Voice over of the character direct thought starts.

• Internal narrator, someone from the story narrating the story as it happens.

- Woman tells Will good news but he doesn’t react happy.

- Shows how serious the divorce letter must be.

- This also tells us a little bit about his job.

0:01:08 – Voice Over starts again

• Tells us that he doesn’t like his job.
• We find out that he has a daughter called Maya.

- You can see him put in his headphones, voice over introduces the music as he plays it.

- Normally the music at the beginning of a film, that plays throughout the credits is non- diegetic but here it is diegetic because the character can hear it as well as us.

0:01:39 – Everyday People (song) plays throughout the titles.

Mise-en-Scène

Envelope -

• Creates an enigma (What’s in it?).
• Tells us he lives in New York.
• Tells us his name is William Hayes.

Table -

• Tells us he’s in an office.

Pen, clicking -

• Shows anxiety over the envelope.

- Could possibly show he may already know what is in the envelope.

Board -

• Shows advertising/ his job.

Clothes -

• Smart office work.

Tower Block -

• Offices.

Letter -

• Once it has been opened, it shows that it’s for a divorce and shows his wife name/signature, Sarah Hayes.

Will (Main Character) -

• His reaction to the good news he has been told shows he’s not excited about it, even though the other character is.

Once he gets outside;

Yellow Taxis -

• Shows he’s in NY.

Traffic -

• Once again, shows he’s in a city of some sort and NYC is known for its busyness.

Headphones -

• Used to isolate him and block out the busy noises.

Tie -

• He’s wearing a suit but his tie is loosened.

- Shows he doesn't like his work/suits and that he isn't a serious business person all of the time.

Phone/iPod -

• Allows him to play the music.

Tall buildings -

• Shows that he’s in a city.

Iconic buildings and props-

• Chrysler Building.
• Grand Central Station.
• Street Signs.

- All used to help tie in the NYC theme.

Extras -

• Starts with smart business clothes then as he walks away from the business area he encounters other types of people (Students, homeless people, bikers, traffic cops etc)

Editing (ignoring sound editing, just visual editing)

Early on in the film you get straight cut shots from package to person to show their reaction to it (Reaction Shot).
Cuts back to dark screen titles.

Cuts from face to prop then to black screen titles.

Straight cut between person and another person.

- This is basically a ‘Shot, Reverse, Shot’ but slightly different because it has the titles in the middle.

Master shot because you see it more than once. They have set up the camera and then run everything through as they film it. Then when they re-film it and if any of the other shots mess up, they can go back to the master shot for that part.

They then used a long take. He came out of the office and started to walk down the street in one shot. This shot was also an establishing shot because you could not only see him, but you could see the road as well.

It is then continued to with straight shots, over the shoulder shot and more are used, many different variation in the camera work.

Close up of the phone in his hand, then to his face, then back to the phone, shot, reverse, shot.

Sound match-on-action is used when he pushes the button on his phone the music starts.

Uses split screen to show the character's surroundings and the extras. There are more than just 1 or 2 frames sometimes, sometimes maybe 3 or 4.

Titles move and the frames push the titles in/out.

It all flows easily- continuity. The takes in the first 2 mins are usually quite short, and they are usually straight cuts, hardly any flashy transitions, other than the sliding frames of the split screens.

Use of Match-on-action and shot, reverse, shot.

Key Camera work Features

Extreme close up on the divorce envelope- Creates and enigma and shows it's importance

Medium shot- Not too close in that you can't see the environment but not too far out that you can't see his reaction.

Tilt up to show the package then his reaction to it. This is to show his reaction and the package all in one shot.

Shows the letter from his eyes point of view. Close up shot of the letter so you can read what it says.

Medium close up on the assistant so that you can see her feelings/emotions to the news she just found out but not too close that it's intrusive.

Eye line match, when she looks from the door to Will, he is out of shot but she is looking in the direction that he would be, even if he's not actually there on set.

Another reaction shot is used.

Many references to the master shot is used throughout.

Once he leaves the office;

The camera pans to follow him through the door. Medium shot so that you can see him and still see the street. The building is used to split the screen because it takes up half of the screen and is slightly reflective, so you can still see the road and his surroundings.

The camera moves backwards while Will moves forwards so that the distance between them is maintained.

Close up, over the shoulder of him putting his headphones in his ears. It arcs so that you can see him put both headphones in, in one take.

Low angle shot to show his reaction to playing the wrong song.