Double Indemnity-LA Confidential Still Shots

The shot from LA Confidential is a close shot of Lynn as she turns to wish Bud a merry Christmas. The shot from Double Indemnity is a medium shot angled up at Phyllis as she stands upstairs looking down on Walter. Both shots are similar in that they both are revealing to Walter and Bud. Bud was expecting a nun and Walter was expecting Mr. Bracken. In both shots the light is focused on Phyllis and Lynn who are both wearing white as the rest of the room is dark and black. In the shot of Phyllis there is a barrier between her and Walter, while there is no barrier between Bud and Lynn.

Stitches Journal #5

Contrast: The last page of the novel is a white page with the words: "I didn't." This differs from the rest of the novel in which all the chapter's beginnings start with a black page which represented a dark new chapter to his life. However the last page illustrates how the rest of his life is not dark and how he did not follow in the footsteps of his mother.
Question: Does the metaphor suggest that David stayed in the house and didn't follow anyone's path, but instead made his own or does it signify that he had to leave the restrictive life of his family?
Fate vs. Free Will: David chose his identity by rebelling against the lifestyle that was set for him. He was set set to live an uneventful life similar to his father, but he decided that he would create his own identity as an artist and live in a rundown apartment building. His environment did not create his identity because he was living a life that would have led him to follow his parents' footsteps, but he decided that he did not want to go along with that, and chose a new identity which led him to Detroit's inner-city. In my life, my environment has created my identity as it was decided for me that I would go to college, however I do have the option similar to David to adopt a new environment and identity.

Stitches Journal #4

Parallel: David's straight forward therapist is depicted as the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland(251). This is similar to when David dresses up as Alice when he is younger(60), only to be tormented by the other kids. This parallel illustrates that David wants to escape reality and find a new identity. However, he cannot grasp that his old identity will always follow him which is shown when he attacks his therapist who told him the truth.
Question: What does the white rabbit's watch represent?
Identity: Stitches suggests that we form our own identities and to not let others decide who we are. Throughout the novel, David's parents want him to live life very similar to theirs and do not let him decide what he does, reads, or where he goes to school. David's parents controlling his identity results in him being affected negatively, as his dad x-rays him too many times resulting in him developing cancer. After the surgery to remove the cancer, he cannot speak resulting in his identity being forgotten as the other people in his family sound him out. The older David screams in the car back to visit his mother because he was always silent and regrets going along with being the person his mother wanted him to be. He became an artist as a way to rebel against the identity his parents created for him.

Stitches Journal #3

Contrast: David's mom is very sad and apologetic towards him when it appears that he might not survive(171). However, when it looks like he will survive she rescinds her kindness and takes back the book she gave him(211). This contrast illustrates how his mother doesn't care about his life and is only kind to him on his deathbed.
Question: Why is the nurse portrayed as a motherly figure to David?
The simple statements stand out in a frame. Such as on page 187 when his dad says, "tasty meatloaf." Even though, this was such a small set of words, it shows how boring and uneventful the family's life is. In frames where David has been silenced or is unable to speak, there is no need for words as his open mouth clearly portrays that he cannot speak. Also, using less words makes a more interesting story because instead of writing David's actions the images can show a clearer vision to the reader.

Stitches Journal #2

Contrast: David's mother tells him that money is in short supply and that his growth cannot be removed(122), however his mom and dad go on a shopping spree once they come into money instead of removing the growth(137). This contrast illustrates how his parents value their luxuries over David's health.
Question: Is the figure in the image on the bottom of 111 covered by two streaks of light as a symbol of lesbians having to hide in the dark?
Shots: The illustrator uses different shots to show seemingly ordinary tasks differently such as on 110 with ringing the doorbell and on 128 with taking a picture. However, the shots are very similar to those in films. On 128 the shot is looking down on David as he feels uncomfortable. The close up shots are used to capture the feelings of characters and understanding between others. The distance shots are used to capture the entire scene and to help put the characters actions in perspective with society. Some angles are directed upwards to portray characters as angry and mean.

Stitches Journal #1

Parallel: On page 26 David's dad is looking over x-rays and smoking his pipe and we are unable to see his eyes. This is similar to the image of David on page 52 smoking his father's pipe with his eyes closed. Not being able to see either of their eyes in the images illustrates how both of them are blindly living life and how David is not able to see that he is on the path of following his Dad's footsteps.

Question: Is David's grandma washing his hands with hot water with the idea that it his her religious duty to wash the sin away from him or more of a punishment so he behaves in the future?

Size and Shape of Frames: The illustrator uses larger frames to show the scene with the characters as a small part and how the characters fit into society. The smaller frames are used to show progression as many small frames are used on a page, and to show what the characters emotions and feelings are. The small frames show a lot of closeups of characters faces which show understanding. The shapes of the frames are mostly rectangular and squares. The squares are clear ideas and usually show just one character while the rectangles feature the setting and multiple characters. The rectangles with wavy borders are imaginary ideas or hazy thoughts.

Gravity

I saw gravity on Friday and was very surprised to learn that one shot lasted 13 minutes. I think I didn't notice the shot was so long was because the camera floated around the astronauts. Attached is an article on the techniques used in making the film.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/10/06/gravity-tracking-shot/2909295/