the dark night

7/17/2019 The Dark Night

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AS Level Media Studies – Summer Work – TheDark Knight

This shot is a close up, particularly focusing on the mask carried y a lack

!gure, later found out to e the "oker, also holding a large lue shoulder ag# Thedark attire connotes mystery and po$er of the character and the $ay the actor is

standing seems rela%ed and uncaring considering the character is standing in a

street in pulic carrying unusual and suspicious o&ects# The "oker carries a mask

that has clo$n'like features $ith a stereotypical $hite face and red nose ho$ever

the e%pression contrasts the connotations of a clo$n as it is aggressive( ho$ever

this association is ecoming more fre)uent as sinister clo$ns have ecome

popular in thriller media# This shot follo$s the golden mean, starting in the top

right to the ottom left corners, crossing over the ag and mask as main focal

points# The "oker seems to e $aiting for someone or something as he stands in

the street $hich is unusual as he is a threatening presence so it can e deduced

that he is aout to do something ad and he is in pulic during the day, going

against most villain stereotypes and sho$s the characters con!dence# The ag

he carries also suggests that he is carrying something large and concealed,

possily a $eapon, adding more to the looming threat of the character#




This shot is a irds'eye'vie$ shot of a street in a uilt up area# This shot

emphasises the height of the uildings that the roers are travelling et$eenon a $ire that ridges the gap over the street, it also sho$s that the street isn*t

so usy so the roers don*t have so many $itnesses# The uilding that can e

seen is not a residential uilding rather a uilding of usiness and importance as

its grand design and scale suggests( $e later !nd out that this is a ank#




+n this shot a masked man can e seen pointing a gun at a person ehind a

counter in an important usiness uilding, it is a mid shot as the vie$er cannotsee the $hole ody of the focal character# The roer dressed in a suit and mask

concealing his identity and adding a sense of mystery, the character can e

identi!ed as male ecause of the road uild, the short hair and the gru voice#

-e is pointing a gun at a person o screen ehind a counter this suggests that he

is forcing the person to do something y threatening them# +t is clear he has the

higher po$er as he is one of the only ones still standing as $ell as his

accomplice, sho$ing that he is aove them# The people on the ground are

hostages, this is implied y the $ay they curl up in a helpless $ay to protect

themselves and one even has his hands up in surrender# This hot follo$s the rule

of thirds $ith the main focal point s eing the man $ith the gun, the hostages

and the accomplice# The uilding is sho$n to e grand in design and scale

suggesting importance( it is also )uite empty $ith repetitive design and

furnishings signifying that it is not a residence ut a usiness or service#

This shot is a mid shot of a man in a smart suit $ith a gun# -e is in smart

usiness' like surroundings suggesting that he is at his $orkplace and he is a

person of importance $ith a $ell'paying &o# -is facial e%pression is de!ant as he

clutches the gun sho$ing that he is aout to confront the roers# -e is shoutingat the roers as he strides to$ards hem, provoking them as he $alks straight



AS Level Media Studies – Summer Work – TheDark Knightto$ards the static camera so that it naturally sho$s more detail in his e%pression

of anger, de!ance and con!dence the closer he gets# The music )uietens do$n

as he is $alking and can &ust e heard vaguely as a high pitch screeching $hich

helps to uild the tension#




This shot is a mid shot of a roer stealing money from a vault( he is dressed

similarly to the other roers, $earing a dark suit and a mask to conceal hisidentity# -e holds open a dark ag as he scoops in the piles of money# The piles

of money imply that it is a ank they have roken into# The lighting is )uite harsh

and viscous symolising the conditions the money is kept under and the lengths

the roers $ent to steal it# The editing efore and after this shot is hurried to

create tension and to replicate the hearteat of the vie$er as it speeds up $ith

the action# The soundtrack consists of deep strings played allegro and

pianissimo# The shot .ooms in to the roer to sho$ his action in greater detail

and make the camera constantly moving so that it makes the action seem more

hurried and rushed#

the dark night

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